The variety store group said delays in shipments from China meant that major shortages were on the cards. The delays are the result of stringent checks of all toys by the Chinese authorities, following the high-profile Mattel product recalls this summer.
Merchandise for the Transformers film, Dr Who Dalek helmets, Barbie product and the Roary remote control car are among the popular products that threaten to run dry. All of those products were on Woolworths’ list of top 10 Christmas toys and the retailer said that everything on the list could be affected.
A shortage could deal a huge blow to store groups, given that half of the£2.1 billion annual sales of toys and games are made in the final quarter.
Woolworths head of toys Nick Hill said: “There will be plenty of stock at Woolworths of the most popular toys for the start of the Christmas rush – late November to early December.
“But the situation is changing on a daily basis and it is too early to tell whether there will be shortages of the most popular lines as it gets closer to Christmas Eve.”
He warned: “Our advice at this stage is to put toys at the top of the priority list for Christmas shopping.”
His advice to customers was echoed by Gary Grant, founder of The Entertainer toy chain and chairman of the Toy Retailers Association.
He said: “We are experiencing shipping delays of up to two weeks. There will always be shortages at Christmas and, in certain lines, demand has completely outstripped supply.
“If you know what your children want, buy it early.”
Hamleys chief executive Nick Mather said he had experienced some delays in deliveries from China, but was confident he would not suffer significant problems at Christmas.
About 80 per cent of the world’s toys are manufactured in China and the entire industry was shaken by the summer Mattel recalls. The Chinese government is investigating how the problems arose.
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