Bandai has scored a hit with this toy that allows kids to make sushi at home.
Toys that allow children to try their hands at making real food – from chocolate snacks and ice cream to bread and sushi rolls – have achieved remarkable success in Japan. By the end of 2008, toy manufacturer Bandai had sold 150,000 units of its sushi roll set for kids, “Norimaki Makki”, launched the previous summer.
On the marketing side, this and other products were developed out of a clever strategic cooperation between companies from various sectors. Toy manufacturers, food distributors and supermarkets have worked together not only on product development, but also creating sales promotion campaigns for example online and in stores as the products drive sales of both the toys themselves and the required ingredients. The success of the sushi roll set in particular is remarkable not only for the fact that this is the first time that a toy that utilizes no cute cartoon characters has turned into a major hit among young girls. It is also a manifestation of a broader trend of Japanese parents looking for ways spend more quality time with their children.
This shift has been widely cited as one of the key factors driving the success of Nintendo’s Wii game console. However, food toys offer parents several more benefits. Whereas with the Wii, parents are likely to take a beating at the hands of their kids, activities like making sushi rolls put mothers in the driver seat and allow them to teach their daughters practical cooking skills as well as lessons about the value of food.
With the current economic situation likely to continue well into 2009, the market is likely to see more products that offer consumers multiple benefits and at the same time help manufacturers drive sales. For the toy sector, it is interesting to note that products released so far have been exclusively targeted at mothers and daughters, so manufacturers are not doubt looking at similar toys for fathers and sons.