August 2000
Japan's Bandai to launch new handheld game player (Reuters Securities)
Posted Monday, August 28, 2000
Bandai Co Ltd , a major Japanese toy maker, said on Monday it will launch a new handheld game machine in December with a colour liquid crystal display to compete with Nintendo Co Ltd's Gameboy.
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JAKKS Pacific Inc. Ranked No. 12 Among Fortune's 100 Fastest-Growing Companies (Business Wire)
Posted Monday, August 28, 2000
JAKKS Pacific Inc. today announced that it is ranked No. 12 in Fortune magazine's latest list of America's 100 Fastest-Growing Companies.
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Toy world battles chip scarcity ahead of holiday season (Reuters Securities)
Posted Monday, August 28, 2000
Amid a shortage of much-sought after computer chips, some chirpy dolls and marching toy soldiers are facing competition from a myriad of other electronic devices to get off the assembly lines this year.
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Disney Demands AOL Time Warner Secrets (Ecommerce Times)
Posted Friday, August 25, 2000
Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) and America Online (NYSE: AOL) encountered another obstacle to their proposed merger this week when the Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) called for the release of confidential documents the companies filed with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
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Aging Plastic Dolls May Be Hazard (Associated Press)
Posted Friday, August 25, 2000
A sticky chemical that oozes from the plastic used in very old Barbie dolls and some other toys poses a potential health risk, according to an expert in the science of preservation.
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Italy Makes Fake Pokemon Arrests (Associated Press)
Posted Wednesday, August 23, 2000
Italian tax police have seized 335,000 fake Pokeman items, ranging from toys to beach towels, officials said Tuesday.
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Playskool recalls 420,000 toys due to breaking springs (Reuters Securities)
Posted Thursday, August 17, 2000
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Wednesday said Hasbro Inc.'s Playskool unit is recalling 420,000 Busy Poppin' Pals toys after two children who put broken springs from the toy into their mouths suffered lacerations.
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Spiderman, X-Men coming to mobile phones soon (Reuters Securities)
Posted Thursday, August 17, 2000
A Finnish high-tech firm is teaming up with U.S. toy maker and cartoon publisher Marvel Enterprises to bring Spiderman and other superheros to mobile phones.
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Consolidated Stores meets analysts' estimates (Reuters Securities)
Posted Thursday, August 17, 2000
Consolidated Stores Corp., a discount retailer specialising in toys and closeout merchandise, on Wednesday reported a 10 percent jump in its second-quarter income from continuing operations, in line with analysts' estimates, as strong sales at its closeout division boosted results.
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Toys R Us Profits Drop 75 Percent (Associated Press)
Posted Thursday, August 17, 2000
Toys R Us Inc. on Monday reported a 75 percent plunge in profits for its second quarter as sales cooled and losses from its year-old Web site cut earnings. Still, the company beat analysts' expectations by a penny.
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Amazon, Toysrus.com Form Online Toy Store (Reuters)
Posted Thursday, August 10, 2000
Online retailers Amazon.com Inc. and Toysrus.com on Thursday announced plans to create a co-branded online toy and video games store and a co-branded online baby products store.
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KFC recalls about 425,000 Tangled Treeples kids toys (Reuters)
Posted Thursday, August 10, 2000
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Thursday said KFC Corp., a unit of Tricon Global Restaurants Inc. (YUM.N), is recalling about 425,000 toys included with its kids meals after a 19-month old girl had the container from the toy stuck over her face.
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Hasbro names Verrecchia as COO and president (Reuters Securities)
Posted Thursday, August 10, 2000
Hasbro Inc. said Wednesday it named Alfred Verrecchia president and chief operating officer.
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Legoland May Open Head of Schedule (Associated Press)
Posted Thursday, August 10, 2000
Danish toymaker Lego plans to open an amusement park in southern Germany in the spring of 2002 - a year ahead of its previous schedule.
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170,000 Baby Walkers Recalled (Associated Press)
Posted Thursday, August 10, 2000
Safety 1st Inc. is recalling about 170,000 car-shaped baby walkers because babies could damage their teeth on the steering wheels and choke on small parts.
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Consolidated Stores July same-store sales up 5.8 pct (Reuters Securities)
Posted Thursday, August 3, 2000
Consolidated Stores Corp., a retailer specialising in toys and close-out merchandise, on Thursday reported sales at its stores open at least two years rose 5.8 percent in July from a year ago.
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Toys R Us To Build New Toy Store (Associated Press)
Posted Thursday, August 3, 2000
Toys R Us has announced plans to build the world's largest toy store, a 101,000-square-foot emporium with a life-size dollhouse and a 60-foot-tall Ferris wheel in Times Square.
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