Shoppers have caught Zhu Zhu Fever, an odd malady that’s expected to be short-lived.
Why are Zhu Zhu Pets so hot, attracting more than a million searches at eBay over Thanksgiving Weekend alone? Experts say it’s not really because the toys are all that fun. To some extent, the craze isn’t even about kids. It’s simply a fad, driven by consumers who want bragging rights that they got their hands on the season’s most-hyped, most-talked-about gift—one that, according to recent reports, may contain poison.
From the Chicago Tribune:
Gerald Celente, founder of the Trends Research Institute, said there would have been no way to predict that these faux hamsters would be this year’s hot toy because it is a fad.
“A toy trend would be something that reflects the broader society, that tells you where society is going, something society needs,” he said.
Celente said a trend has social, economic and other elements that make prediction possible. A fad, he said, is more like a “viral infection,” something that leaves as quickly as it arrives.
So basically, on Christmas morning parents all over the country are going to watch their children unwrap a cuddly and cute virus.
Related:
Zhu Zhu Pets of Yesteryear: Must-Have Toys We’ve Overpaid for from Holiday Seasons Past