By Darren Rathwell

Toy advisory ahead of Christmas issued by trade agency

Oct 4, 2021 | 9:33 AM

The Canadian Toy Association is advising Canadian consumers to shop earlier for holiday toys this season due to anticipated inventory shortages resulting from global supply chain issues.

“If there’s a must have item on your child’s wish list, we are encouraging all Canadian families to shop earlier for toys this year, and to not wait until late November or December, to ensure that you’ll be able to deliver on those coveted gifts you and your child desire,'” the association’s Andrew Wagar said.

“There have been tremendous challenges faced by toy manufacturers shipping their products to Canada from manufacturing facilities overseas. These challenges include rising container and shipping costs, limited supplies of cargo ships to transport goods, rising ground transportation costs and other supply chain issues,” Wagar said.

The toy association said toy companies are currently facing shipping price increases ranging from 500 to 800 per cent.

“As a result, it is anticipated that retail availability of certain items may be tighter than in years past, particularly in late November and December when the majority of holiday season toy sales typically take place,” an association news release states.

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“Every year there are certain hot toys that sell-out quickly and are hard to find, and this year they may be even harder to find as they may sell out quickly and experience delays being replenished,” Wagar adds.

CTA is a trade association whose members are manufacturers, importers and distributors of toys, games, seasonal and hobby products.