E-Blox Electronic Building Blocks from E-Blox Inc.
In 2018, the toy industry was turned upside down when retail giant Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy and ultimately closed all its 800+ stores in the United States. For many kids, visiting Toys R Us during the holiday season and creating their wish list was almost as much fun as unwrapping the presents. Their departure from the market created opportunities for other retail segments to add toys to their merchandising mix, even if only for the holiday season. The question is, where to start?
During Do it Best’s Fall 2022 Market, I might have found the perfect toy for hardware retailers to stock—E-Blox. E-Blox are like LEGO® bricks with snap-together blocks but add electric circuit design. With the addition of electricity, children’s creations now become alive—a robot with flashing red eyes, a spinning multi-speed airplane propeller or most anything kids can imagine. Since E-Blox sets are modular, children can constantly add to their creations. Click here to watch an adult review, or click here to watch from a child’s perspective.
E-Blox are STEM.org Authenticated™, which confirms the products align with the STEM principles—Science, Technology and/or Math standards. The acronym STEM was started in the early 1990s by educators and has worldwide adoption supporting the development of student skills for the 21st Century. As a father of a 10-year-old, I have played numerous STEM Authenticated games, and it’s amazing what children are learning, all while playing.
Since E-Blox building block sets are designed for children between the ages of 5 and 14, I needed to expand my traditional testing group to include my son and a few of his friends. The kids immediately began snapping the familiar modular pieces together to create their airplane propeller launcher. Once the launcher was built, the fun continued with games to see who could launch it farther and other variations. The kids started to discuss how to combine their blocks and make the “super launcher.”
If your store currently carries toys or is considering adding them to the merchandising mix, I can think of no better toy to start with than E-Blox. What other products do you stock in your store that contribute to the store’s revenue while creating a new generation of hardware store customers?