WHAT’S HOT – SHOWCASE IDEAS – GREAT REDEMPTION COUNTERS

Here’s the Ticket!

The key to making money in this industry is to have prizes that the public wants and have high perceived values. Choosing the right prizes (and displaying them properly) takes guidance from people who spend full time in this sector and enjoy staying on top of the latest trends. The other key is to purchase these top prizes at fair prices.

Rhode Island Novelty

TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) Plush Characters, Balls and Nunchucks!

With the August 8, 2014 movie release, TMNT items are selling out fast. RINCO currently has available, 3 plush character sizes at 10″, 14″ and 17″. 5″ and 7″ plush balls are back in stock with plush nunchucks as a unique, fun prize alternative.

Other plush items that have been well received and top generic sellers:

• The Plush Zombie Line – Offer an assortment in 3 sizes – 8″, 12″, and 18″. Have proven to work very well in game rooms, movie theaters and truck stops. The assortment contains 4 pieces.
  

• The Monster Bunch – This piece is used in cranes and on the back wall, The colors and pricing have made this a hit. The Monster Bunch assortment is available in 4 sizes – 8″, 12″, 15″, and 18″, with prices ranging from $1.50 to $5.00 each.

“BIG AL” the Alien is now on Earth and ready for a human home! The 8’4″ inflatable is a WOW prize, a prize that everyone will remember and want to take home. Item #IN-AL100 comes six to a case @$7.20 each.

For more information call 800.435.3456 or go to www.rinovelty.com. 

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BMI Merchandise – AAMA Supplier of the Year

The American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) honored BMI Merchandise as its Supplier of the Year during the 2014 Amusement Expo

BMI Merchandise’s Automated Reorder System (ARS) brings a new paradigm to redemption management and inventory control. It aligns with all redemption POS systems to ensure locations are consistently in-stock and with the most trend-forward merchandise. Upon electronic (or manual) receipt of weekly inventory, BMI replenishes exactly to the item par value, previously established, ensuring no out-of-stocks or excess inventory.

BMI creates digital plan-o-grams, merchandise “templates” that transform redemption areas. Then they can specify how and where every proposed item is to be merchandised.

BMI’s merchandising team can be on-site for ARS redemption revamps, and they provide each location their exclusive BMI website. This way redemption personnel can consistently refer to how their specific redemption area should look.

For more information about BMI’s Trend-Forward Redemption Products and Support Logistics, click here.

For a look at BMI’s complete product line, please visit www.bmimerchandise.com.   

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Sureshot Redemption – New Product Showcase

Sureshot Redemption Has JUMBO Sized Their Candy Selection!

Sureshot Redemption has JUMBO sized their candy selection!  Jumbo size candy tube banks are filled with 12 ounces of candy that make a great coin bank to save all your change.  Candy tube banks are offered in the following:  Smarties (#25630), Warheads (#25631), Now & Later (#25633), and Airheads (#25632).  Jumbo Dum-Dums (#25634) are filled with regular size Dum-Dums in a 12.75” Dum-Dums pop.  Candy Buttons (#25635) doubled in size with two extra large sheets of the classic candy.  Enjoy one pound of fun with jumbo sized Sugar Daddy (#33538) and Twizzlers (#25638).  Ginormous candy boxes of Mike and Ikes (#33532) and Hot Tamales (#33533) are filled with 1.5 pounds of candy. 

These light-up must haves for this summer are fun and trendy!  Light-up foam wands are 18-inches and have four light settings to choose from.  Each assortment is available in two styles; Party Girl (#25603), Celebrate (#25604), and Animal Print (#25605). 

Flashing stickers are perfect for parties!  The birthday child will feel special with an “It’s My Birthday” flashing sticker (#25637) or “Party” flashing sticker (#25591).


For more information call 888.887.8783 or go to www.sureshot-redemption.com.

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What the Toy Fair says will be the top trends of this year:
 
A summary of the six top trends follows:

• LARGER THAN LIFE
  Large-sized toys are becoming increasingly common in just about every category, from plush and play sets to RCs and building toys. As a counter-balance to the micro-sized trend seen in years past, these toys engage kids in imaginative role-play activities and make impressive gifts for special occasions. They don’t all come with hefty price tags, either – the value-conscious shopper will find many “BIG” toys at affordable prices.

  Includes: dollhouses; inflatable toys; cars, trucks and trains; plush; and baby doll carriages, cribs and other role-play accessories.

• RC RAMPAGE
  Playtime will shift into high gear thanks to an influx of innovative remote-controlled vehicles for various ages and at varying price points. Older kids with a ‘need for speed’ will have plenty of options to choose from, including helicopter RCs and vehicles that launch projectiles. Animal-themed and licensed RCs based on popular entertainment properties will engage younger children and promote active and imaginative play.

  Includes: traditional RCs with added features, such as the ability to fly higher, drive faster or launch projectiles.

• FULL “STEAM” AHEAD!
  Educational toys, games and crafts that teach kids STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) are heating up in the toy aisle and getting kids of all ages, interests and abilities excited about learning. Toymakers are increasingly incorporating storytelling and other artistic components into science, engineering and building toys to get more kids than ever on board with STEAM.

  Includes: hands-on science kits and innovative tech toys that inspire kids to think outside the box; and arts and crafts that introduce kids to STEAM concepts and skills at an early age.

• FRIGHTFULLY FUN: ZOMBIES, MONSTERS AND MORE!
  Vampires were hot … but now zombies and monsters are all the rage, thanks to a rise in popularity of zombie-themed movies, TV shows and video games. Ghoulish action figures and dolls with relatable characters and back-stories are less frightening for younger kids, while older boys and girls will get a kick out of ‘gross out’ toys. These toys not only have the ability to transport children to mysterious worlds – they also teach them that it’s OK to be different and stand out from the crowd.

  Includes: classic toys with a zombie twist; gothic-style fashion dolls and accessories; detailed figures for older collectors; and trivia games for fans of popular movies and TV shows, like The Walking Dead.

• RETRO / BACK-TO-BASICS
  First identified by TIA in 2013, the retro and back-to-basics trend is alive and well this year thanks to a huge abundance of classic toys and games slated to hit store shelves. Today’s parents and grandparents fondly remember these playthings from their own childhoods and are excited to share them with the little ones in their lives.

  Includes: re-releases and refreshed retro toys; low-tech / back-to-basics toys that reflect the enduring popularity of classic play patterns over time; and old-school family games that foster intergenerational play.

• CUSTOM BUILT
  2014 will take building to a whole new level. In addition to building and construction toys, this trend extends across several toy categories – from arts and crafts to action figures – and encompasses playthings that allow kids to create, customize and personalize to reflect their unique tastes, styles and imaginations.

Here’s the Ticket!

The Top 50 Redemption & Merchandiser Combined List is put together from actual collections from games owned and operated by Alpha-Omega Amusements. The purpose of the list is for you to see where your own games rank and see where other games that you do not have would rank in your facility.

We test many of the new games and you can see where they rank among the Top 50 and see earnings and Ticket Payout % from the 4 weeks comparison in the Test Game Spreadsheet. Additional games that are scheduled for testing are:

• Monster Drop X-Treme – Benchmark. This was just installed and is already #1 in ranking, earning over $6000 in 3 days.
• Sink It Shootout 2 Pl – Bay-Tek. Looks like another winner for Bay-Tek.
• Fright Night – Smart
• Blaster – Benchmark- Since I first saw this game at IAAPA 2013, a Super Bonus level has been added to further challenge the player. To promote the Super Bonus value, a spinning marquee has been added to the top of the game. TRR feels this will be another Benchmark winner.
• Hit the Beat – Andamiro
• Lobster Robot – Andamiro

Analysis of Top 50 Redemption & Merchandise Combined

Monster Drop X-Treme (Benchmark), in its first three days, was tracking at #1 with a 20% ticket payout. For its first complete week of operation, (WE 4-18-14)  MDX earned $7,554. See Top 50 Redemption & Merchandiser Games Combined and Test Game spreadsheet for more information. TRR will report the latest earnings in the next issue.

Whack N Win (ICE) with three weeks of testing ranks #4 which is very impressive. Beating out Ticket Monster by a nose makes this the game to watch closely over the next few months. The ticket payout % is right on target averaging 29%.

Color Match (LAI) is another game to watch closely with a #7 combined ranking and the #1 merchandise ranking. We are working hard to figure out the best Win % settings that have ranged from a low of 3% to a high of 45%. Over the 4-week period the average of 24% is good but the range is too high.

Candy Crane with Tickets is still attracting the players (#8 combined ranking & #2 merchandise ranking) and earning over $1000/week for almost 4 months straight. As reported in the previous TRR #22, this simple merchandiser with a very high hit frequency and very low maximum prize value of $1.13 proves that players can be attracted to low tech games.

Down the Clown A & B (ICE) coming in the combined ranking at #9 & #12 has consistently over the past several months shown that it is worthy of a ‘work horse’ position. It does not take long for a player to feel comfortable tossing the ball to hit the X on the top of the targets ‘foreheads’. It is similar to tossing a dart. The ticket payout % is averaging just above 30% and we will need to adjust this game to be a bit more difficult as the players keep getting better. My congratulations to ICE for creating this concept as a in your face, close up, ball toss. In the past we have seen this knockdown character in games where the player throws a ball, rolls a ball up an alley, or shoots a ball from an air cannon (all long range). In Down the Clown the targets are very close and the player feels more confident that he/she can hit the targets.

Sink It (Bay-Tek) is one new game that I like very much. It came in at #21 but should be much higher because the ticket payout % is too low at 13%. We will be working with Bay-Tek to get it in the 21%-25% range. The game has everything going for it: the player understands how to play after seeing the game for 1/5th of a second; the player quickly learns how to skillfully bounce the ping pong balls into the cups. We’ve seen players toss the balls directly into the cups but bouncing them provides more accuracy. In the next weeks we will be exchanging the prototype Sink It for Sink It Shootout 2 Pl and have those results to you.

Snow Down (Jennison) came in at #15 but would be higher if we can consistently get the ticket payout % closer to 25%. It is one of the most attractive games ever made and it has been a consistent top earning game for several months running.

UFO Express (LAI) is another game to keep an eye on. When it was first put into the Test Site, it was in the Top 10 but as other test games were added around it, its revenues dropped. The reason could be placement and we will see if that can be looked at. We try several different placements during a full 90-day test period as well as changing price/play, average time, and settings to zero in on the ones that will maximize the game revenue without giving any one game a distinct advantage over the others.