As the dust settles in the suspension of Chinese toy imports over lead levels in paint and a chemical that can turn to a powerful “date rape” drug, Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid or GHB, Fairfield County toy retailers have formed strategies trying to reassure their customers and salvage the season.
At the center of the controversy recently is an arts-and-crafts bead set called “Aqua Dots,” selling since the spring in major U.S. stores. Before word arrived that the toy was caked in GHB, it was top rated and expected to sell well through the year.
Lead levels in toy paint coming from China have also been cause for recalls.
Fear of the grim ingredients showing up again has gripped the industry, though steps are being taken to confront the problem.
“We”™ve been bringing in a lot more German and American-made toys,” said Julie Lail, assistant buyer at the Toy Chest of Ridgefield. “We”™ve always carried a large variety of international toys, toys not from only China, and we have seen an increase in traffic and a lot of people are asking for toys from Germany, Switzerland ”¦ anywhere but China.”
Some stores are taking the approach of completely renouncing Chinese toys in a complete containment approach to the problem.
Stores recognized the weight of the issue in the industry and have acted to contain it.
Though the majority of recalls by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission have been voluntary, and the Chinese toy companies have been taken extreme efforts to re-ensure their safety and testing standards, many individual retailers recognize the necessity to take their own precautions on this issue.
“We”™re a lot more on top of the situation on an internal level; reassurance is our top priority,” said Andrew Lev, manager of Smart Kids Toys in Greenwich. “We have internal testers ensuring there are no toxins in our toys.”
As well as looking to alternate international markets, retailers speculate that toys without chemicals, such as wooden toys, will be more popular with concerned parents this year.
While some stores are taking action, there are those that feel the recalls are not going to have a significant effect on the season at all, especially if none of the toys on the recall list are sold at the store.
“I”™m not changing anything,” said David Wood, co-owner of The Funhouse toy store in Old Greenwich. “I”™ve been explaining to people that this is a very small drop in a very large bucket.”
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