Mum’s dreaming of a wireless Christmas! Over 60% of mums doing toy shop online this year

Mums will buy most of their toys, books and dvds online, but not food and clothes – yet

May 2007

Launch of gogoblin.co.uk makes a child’s unwanted present a thing of the past
As millions of Christmas gifts gather dust in bedrooms all over the UK, an innovative website launches to ensure children receive presents they actually want…

Mum’s dreaming of a wireless Christmas! Over 60% of mums doing toy shop online this year

Mums will buy most of their toys, books and dvds online, but not food and clothes – yet

Two thirds of mums will do at least half of their Christmas shopping on the Internet this year, according to a survey of over 1,000 mums carried out by Gogoblin, the first and only free UK children’s wish list site.
Toys, books, DVDs and CDs are the most popular items to buy over the Internet, with 90% of mums logging on to buy toys, DVDs and CDs and 85% to buy books. Books, films and music have always been popular online purchases, but toys and gifts look like they are catching up this year with two thirds of mums saying that at least half of their toy and gift purchases will be made online, through sites such as www.gogoblin.co.uk.

The high street is still a more popular place to buy food and clothes though: nearly 60% of mums will buy NONE of their food online this Christmas and 76% of mums will buy less than half of their clothes purchases online.

Jane Manson CEO Gogoblin.co.uk, says: “I think busy mums are becoming more and more reliant on the Internet to do a lot of their Christmas shopping in 2007, and this is also including the bulk of their toy shopping. In our survey, over 60% liked shopping online because of the convenience: they can do it whenever they like, even when the High Street shops are shut. We also asked them how they would feel if they received an email from a nephew or niece directing them to their gogoblin wish list, and I am very pleased to say that a whopping 80% would be relieved and thought this was a great idea: one less decision for them to make in the manic run up to Christmas! This is consistent with the vast majority of mums saying that when buying toys and games for children, the number one priority was that they get “what the child wants” (this even beat “value for money”).”

Gogoblin is the only site of its kind, enabling children to create lists of the specific toys and games they want for any special occasion, giving parents and friends some much needed guidance. They can either buy a present from the list, quickly and simply online, or they can use the list as a pointer as to what that child is into. Gogoblin also provides some great online shopping for the under 16s, and is extremely easy to use – even for grown-ups!

The site is also designed to help organise people who have a lot of kids to buy for: parents, grandparents, family and friends can view and manage all the wish lists of children they are buying for - nieces, nephews, friends’ children - and the important dates, in one place – Gogoblin’s ‘to-do list’. So the site hopes to take the stress out of gift-giving for everyone – both the wishers and the givers.
Gogoblin supports the WorldVision charity, which works alongside communities in almost 100 countries in their struggle against poverty, hunger and injustice, irrespective of their religious beliefs. Every time you buy something online through Gogoblin, some of the small commission earned is passed on to WorldVision.
                          

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Gogoblin gives you the ultimate gift guides – so you don’t make a gift gaff this Christmas!
Christmas ideas for children, by children

Gogoblin, the first and only free UK children’s wish list site, has published Christmas gift list ideas for children of all ages, based on information straight from the horses’ mouths: what children themselves have told the website are their favourite toys.

In compiling the lists, which can be found on www.gogoblin.co.uk, gogoblin has pulled together information from the gift lists which have been posted by children and parents from 1 year to 16 years on the site over the past 8 months, to give a really accurate picture of what children really want for Christmas, so no more gift giving gaffs for friends and relatives!

Jane Manson CEO Gogoblin.co.uk, says: “Children, teenagers and mothers of little ones have been posting wish lists now on our site since February 2007, so we have a pretty good idea of the sorts of things that kids of all ages are really into. We have also added in information from some of the recent surveys we have done, including the ‘Best Toys Ever’ survey, to create what we think are the ultimate gift guides, so friends and family can give the best presents ever this Christmas! Our most recent survey tells us that 68% of those buying presents for children and teenagers think the most important criterion is “I know it is what the child wants” – more important than “value for money” or “educational value”. So we thought it was about time the ultimate gift guides were published based on that.”

For example, on the gift list guide for a 9 year old boy, you will find such fantastic ideas as a Doctor Who Dalek Sec Hybrid voice changer mask, a personalised mini-maglite torch, and a throw-it football alarm clock, whereas a 4 year old girl’s ultimate gift list features a Cinderella dress-up outfit, a Baby Born doll and accessories and a Dora the Explorer laptop.

Gogoblin is the only site of its kind, enabling children to create lists of the specific toys and games they want for any special occasion, giving parents and friends some much needed guidance. They can either buy a present from the list, quickly and simply online, or they can use the list as a pointer as to what that child is into. Gogoblin also provides some great online shopping for the under 16s, and is extremely easy to use – even for grown-ups!

The site is also designed to help organise people who have a lot of kids to buy for: parents, grandparents, family and friends can view and manage all the wish lists of children they are buying for - nieces, nephews, friends’ children - and the important dates, in one place – Gogoblin’s ‘to-do list’. So the site hopes to take the stress out of gift-giving for everyone – both the wishers and the givers.
Gogoblin supports the WorldVision charity, which works alongside communities in almost 100 countries in their struggle against poverty, hunger and injustice, irrespective of their religious beliefs. Every time you buy something online through Gogoblin, some of the small commission earned is passed on to WorldVision.                                                           >to the top

'Best toys ever' survey from gogoblin.co.uk shows the classics are still kids’ favourites, in time for Christmas!
Lego tops the chart of best toys ever survey

Lego is most children’s favourite toy ever, according to a survey carried out by www.gogoblin.co.uk, the first and only free UK children’s wish list site, in time for the Christmas shopping period.

A massive 41% of respondents to the survey reported that Lego was one of the top 5 toys they ever got their kid/s. The responses – which www.eparenting.co.uk also helped to collect – mentioned nearly 3,000 different toys, but Lego beat them all hands down, even the modern giants like Nintendo and Playstation, based on the criteria ‘best loved’ and ‘most played with’.

Best Toys Ever: Top 5
1. Lego (41% of respondents)
2. Monopoly (16% of respondents)
3. Barbie (15% of respondents)
4. Bikes (10% of respondents)
5. Football (9% of respondents)

(View survey results)

The range of toys mentioned was extremely wide: from board games, through creative and artistic toys, construction toys, electronic, imaginative and role-play toys, to outdoor toys. And, while contemporary electronic toys like Nintendo, PS2, Playstation, Gameboy, Leapfrog and Vtech did very well overall, the very top scorers were Lego, Monopoly (three times as popular as the next ranking board game, Scrabble), Barbie (48% of all named dolls), Football (25% of outdoor/active toys mentioned), and bikes (21% of outdoor/active toys) – proving that the old favourites are still the most played with, according to parents.

Jane Manson, CEO Gogoblin.co.uk, says “As we approach the run up to Christmas, this survey shows that the old classic toys are frequently the most successful, according to parents, in terms of being loved and played with a lot by children. They seem to have the longest life-span with children, who grow up with these toys and find different more sophisticated ways of playing with them as they get older. Modern toys have great appeal to kids, of course, but you wouldn’t go far wrong if you put Lego down on your gogoblin wish list this Christmas for your toddler!”

The toys were also put into categories by gogoblin, who found that, overall, the category of imaginative play came out on top (including all dolls and character toys, trains, cars, dressing up), with board and card games second, closely followed by construction toys. (Lists of top 5 in each category available.)
Gogoblin is the only site of its kind, enabling children to create lists of the specific toys and games they want for any special occasion, giving parents and friends some much needed guidance. They can either buy a present from the list, quickly and simply online, or they can use the list as a pointer as to what that child is into. Gogoblin also provides some great online shopping for the under 16s, and is extremely easy to use – even for grown-ups!

The site is also designed to help organise people who have a lot of kids to buy for: parents, grandparents, family and friends can view and manage all the wish lists of children they are buying for - nieces, nephews, friends’ children - and the important dates, in one place – Gogoblin’s ‘to-do list’. So the site hopes to take the stress out of gift-giving for everyone – both the wishers and the givers.

Gogoblin supports the WorldVision charity, which works alongside communities in almost 100 countries in their struggle against poverty, hunger and injustice, irrespective of their religious beliefs. Every time you buy something online through Gogoblin, some of the small commission earned is passed on to WorldVision.                                                             >to the top

UK kids’ number one holiday essential: their fave book!
Should Richard & Judy do a kids’ summer bookclub? Has Harry Potter spawned a nation of child bookworms? A survey by gogoblin.co.uk shows that UK children’s number one packing priority is a book…

The majority of UK children will be packing a book to take on holiday with them this year, making reading matter the favourite holiday item to pack for children, according to a survey carried out by UK wish list site Gogoblin.co.uk.

The results of the survey, carried out throughout June and July, could be influenced by the launch this summer of the final Harry Potter tome, but it clearly shows that 57% of children will definitely be taking a book away with them, compared to the 35% who will take a games console and the 31% who will take sports equipment of some kind. Music is quite popular, with 30% saying they would take their ipod or MP3 player. Surprisingly, only 16% will definitely be taking board games, although card games are quite popular, with 30% packing those. Something to cuddle at night is a must though for half of children, who clearly want a home from home at bedtime.

Jane Manson, CEO of Gogoblin.co.uk, says: “I think that the results of this survey are really encouraging! However much we think we have a nation of high-tech kids, the fact that the good old book is still the must-have to take on holiday for children is great news. It’s an accepted fact that adults want a good read while they’re relaxing on the beach, but obviously it’s something the whole family like to do to unwind. And with gogoblin, children can always have the books that they want on their wish list so parents can make sure that they get them something they will really want to read on holiday!”

Gogoblin is the only site of its kind, enabling children to create lists of the specific toys and games they want for any special occasion, giving parents and friends some much needed guidance. They can either buy a present from the list, quickly and simply online, or they can use the list as a pointer as to what that child is into. Gogoblin also provides some great online shopping for the under 16s, and is extremely easy to use – even for grown-ups!
The site is also designed to help organise people who have a lot of kids to buy for: parents, grandparents, family and friends can view and manage all the wish lists of children they are buying for - nieces, nephews, friends’ children - and the important dates, in one place – Gogoblin’s ‘to-do list’. So the site hopes to take the stress out of gift-giving for everyone – both the wishers and the givers.

Gogoblin supports the WorldVision charity, which works alongside communities in almost 100 countries in their struggle against poverty, hunger and injustice, irrespective of their religious beliefs. Every time you buy something online through Gogoblin, some of the small commission earned is passed on to WorldVision.                                                            >to the top

I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want!

As www.gogoblin.co.uk survey shows that little girls love Nintendo DS more than Barbie, do parents often get it wrong when it comes to presents?

Seven year old girls love their Nintendo DS more than any of their other possessions, according to a ‘favourite things’ survey* carried out by www.gogoblin.co.uk , the first and only free UK children’s wish list site, just in time for the bumper birthday month of August!

Having shown no interest in gaming devices at all through the ages of 4, 5 and 6 when boys are discovering gameboys and other hand held games consoles, for 7 year old girls the Nintendo DS suddenly bursts onto the scene as their favourite toy - preferred by a whopping 26%. Though it had better be pink! The age of seven seems to mark a major changing point in little girls’ preferences though: up to this age they, predictably, favour dolls, soft toys and dressing up. The real surprise is that from the age of seven, hand-held consoles take the top spot and go more or less unchallenged until they hit the teenage years.

But at the age of 13 girls turn into highly social animals, into their music and friends above everything, and their favourite things become ipods (22%), mobile phones (17%) and computers (13%). By age 15 it’s really good to talk (and text), with mobile phones the top possession and, although they remain the most popular possession with a third of girls when they get to sweet sixteen, an even bigger proportion, 38%, go for the music with the ipod taking the no.1. spot.

Boys’ fave things are less of a surprise: their loyalties at the age of seven are split between electronics, construction games and toys, and sports. But by the time they become teenagers, boys are into their games consoles in a major way, not the DS though (that’s for girls at this age!), 40% of boys love their PS2 Xbox or their Nintendo Wii best of all.

Jane Manson, CEO Gogoblin.co.uk, says “As we approach the month of August – the most expensive month for parents as it is the month with the highest number of birthdays in it in the UK**– this sort of information shows that maybe we as parents and friends don’t know as much as we might like to think we do about the preferences of the children in our lives at specific ages. And, as a result, we end up frequently getting it wrong! We can make expensive mistakes this way. Gogoblin lets children steer their parents in the right direction, so the girl of 7 will get a wanted console instead of an unwanted doll. Now that’s girl power! ”

Gogoblin is the only site of its kind, enabling children to create lists of the specific toys and games they want for any special occasion, giving parents and friends some much needed guidance. They can either buy a present from the list, quickly and simply online, or they can use the list as a pointer as to what that child is into. Gogoblin also provides some great online shopping for the under 16s, and is extremely easy to use – even for grown-ups!
The site is also designed to help organise people who have a lot of kids to buy for: parents, grandparents, family and friends can view and manage all the wish lists of children they are buying for - nieces, nephews, friends’ children - and the important dates, in one place – Gogoblin’s ‘to-do list’. So the site hopes to take the stress out of gift-giving for everyone – both the wishers and the givers.

Gogoblin supports the WorldVision charity, which works alongside communities in almost 100 countries in their struggle against poverty, hunger and injustice, irrespective of their religious beliefs. Every time you buy something online through Gogoblin, some of the small commission earned is passed on to WorldVision.                                                               >to the top

May 2007

Launch of gogoblin.co.uk makes a child’s unwanted present a thing of the past
As millions of Christmas gifts gather dust in bedrooms all over the UK, an innovative website launches to ensure children receive presents they actually want…

Gogoblin, the first and only free children’s wishlist site, has launched in the UK as millions of unwanted presents received at Christmas are still languishing, unused, at the back of bedrooms.

Gogoblin aims to be the answer to every child’s and parent’s present problems: ensuring that a child gets what they want on their birthday or for Christmas, and that buyers don’t waste their money buying unwanted gifts. It also means less of a logistical headache for mum: when she is asked what little Johnny wants by umpteen grandparents, aunts and uncles and friends, she can just direct them to his wish list!

Gogoblin is the only site of its kind: designed specifically for children, free, completely safe and secure, and providing some great online shopping for the under 16s. Jane Manson, Chief Executive of Gogoblin thinks that an easy and fun way to buy wanted presents online is long overdue. She says: “The idea came to me one Christmas when every item on my children’s wish lists had a website address next to it. We have become a nation of online shoppers: an estimated 25 million of us spent £7.66 billion online in the 10 week run up to last Christmas*, and we are also a nation of gift-givers. Children get gifts now not just on birthdays and Christmas, but also for many other reasons: as rewards

for good behaviour, when grandparents come to visit, when a new sibling is born. So something like Gogoblin, an online facility which means no more unappreciated presents for kids and teens, and no more worrying about getting it wrong from friends and relatives, is definitely needed!”
Gogoblin does offer a sort of ‘virtual shopping mall’ so that children, and parents of little ones who are compiling lists on their behalf, have some inspiration and shops to browse that are relevant to their age group. It is designed for children and is therefore very visual, with pictures of the items wished for, making it an easy and enjoyable process to put together wish lists.

But the site also has a unique functionality for parents (or grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends), where they can view and manage all the wish lists of children they are buying for - nieces, nephews, friends’ children - and the important dates, in one place – Gogoblin’s ‘to-do list’. So the site hopes to take the stress out of gift-giving for everyone – both the wishers and the givers.

Gogoblin supports the WorldVision charity, which works alongside communities in almost 100 countries in their struggle against poverty, hunger and injustice, irrespective of their religious beliefs. Every time you buy something online through Gogoblin, some of the small commission earned is passed on to WorldVision.                                                         >to the top

* IMRG Index