Aug. 14 - Toys "R" Us is building hype for the October rollout of Fisher-Price's Elmo Live with a Sesame Street-themed sweepstakes.

Aug. 5 - Toys "R" Us this month rolled out merchandising boutiques devoted to a new animated installment of the Star Wars entertainment franchise.

Our report on activity at native retailers and such foreign chains as Wal-Mart, Tesco, Carrefour, Best Buy and Toys "R" Us includes more than 250 images of merchandising and marketing activity.

Mass merchants hold the largest share of the toy market but are cutting back on the category. Where will all the toy displays go?

In an Institute exclusive, more than 250 brand marketers rate the effectiveness of various communications in driving incremental display sales. Is a promotional incentive more effective than a description of product features or benefits?