Zhu Zhu Pets…

came out of nowhere this year. They are atop the hottest toy’s list for 2009, and rising!  Read along and you will discover where they came from, what they are and what it is about these 5 little hamsters that makes them so irresistable.

How popular are Zhu Zhu Pets?

The chief executive officer of Toys R Us said that they may not include Zhu Zhu Pets in their catalogue due to overwhelming demand and he did not want to disappoint customers if they were unavailable. If Toys R Us can’t keep them in stock, it won’t be long beforethe other major toy chains start to falter; “News flash!”, they already have! Wal-Mart doesn’t have any either.

Where did thy come from?

Zhu Zhu Pets are made by a company called Cepia out of St. Louis, Missouri. The company,  founded in 2002 by Russel Hornsby.He realized the awesome potential of these little critters when they flew off the shelves shortly after their initial release.The product is blazing hot right now . Cepia can barely keep up with the overwhelming consumer demand . The closer we get to Christmas the harder they will be to find and the higher the prices will rise.

*Cold Hard Facts*
In a survey conducted for the International Council of Shopping Centers, 81% of consumers said the lean inventories wouldn’t influence them to shop early.

What are Zhu Zhu Pets?

They are cute little Hamsters that come in five different characters: Num Nums, Patches, Pipsquek, Mr. Squiggles and Chunk.These loveable, fuzzy mechanical hamsters are nothing short of this years “Tickle Me Elmo”. They coo, dribble, slide and scurry about the house just like the real thing, only better. Theres no muss and fuss, no clean up and no dead pet to bury and mourn over.

Who are Zhu Zhu Pets made for?

Designed for ages 3 and up Zhu Zhu Pets have appeal to children between the ages of 3 and 10. My children had a blast with the Hamster wheel! My five year old, Allysa, enjoys tucking Num Nums and Patches under their little blankets right next to her in the bed at night.It’s amazing to see these little robotic critters down the slide then loop their way through the funhouse!We’ve still got a couple more pieces to add to complete the collection but, I’ve seen the garage and Hamster mobile and they seem to be just as engaging and fun as all the other of the accessories.

My experience with Zhu Zhu Pets

The Hamsters make so many silly sounds and quirky movements that vary as they navigate various parts of the playset. We started with just one Hamster and the Hamster wheel then added the slide, funhouse and another Hamster a week later. It seemed as if the Hamsters were learning and changing to adapt to the new parts of their environment. Everytime I set-up a new obstacle, they seemed to make weird new sounds and movements that I hadn’t seen noticed before.. It’s unreal!

Supplies won’t last!

I’m sure as we add other pieces to the set we’ll discover many other ways to have fun with our furry little friends. Kids love these snuggly, adorable little mechanical Hamsters. That’s why this Christmas there will be an extreme shortage on Zhu Zhu Pets. Just try Toy’s-r-Us, along with most of the other major toy outlets, they have already depleted their supplies of Zhu Zhu’s.

*Cold Hard Facts*
About 41% of Americans already have started their holiday shopping, about the same number as at this time last year, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation.

If you want your kids to get their Zhu Zhu Pet’s in time for Christmas and not Groundhog Day, pay attention to these stats;

*Clod Hard Facts*
Polls also point to a surge of Black Friday shopping. A report by America’s Research Group showed that 37.2% of Americans plan to shop on the Friday after Thanksgiving, up from 33.5% in 2008.

Zhu Zhu Pets are currently priced in the $8-$12 range although, the price point is starting to escalate due to short supply and heavy demand. Limited supplies won’t last long. And when their gone consumers will have to haggle with e-bay scalpers who are already pitching Zhu Zhu prices up into the $150-$300 price range.