The toy industry has clearly suffered in light of the overall economic climate.  ToyFutures magazine, September 19xx issue, reported that toy purchases had declined over the past 3 years by a cumulative annual rate of 3%.  The economy is soft, therefore, buyers are not spending to historic levels on children’s toys.  

Although the overall toy industry has shrunk with regards to capacity, production levels, sales, and profits, some toy makers are seeing their numbers weather the storm.  Over the past decade the wooden toy industry has grown  into a $34 million dollar industry as measured by the annual Wood Round Up Survey conducted by the prestigious Ambassador Council on Manufacturing (ACM).  This growth has come even in the face of anemic national economic activity.  Moreover, according to the October 19xx issue of ToyFutures magazine, the wood toy industry is growing at a 6% rate in spite of the slow economy.  Another positive factor for W4K is the growth rate of the educational toy category.  This category is growing at a very steady 4% rate even in light of the overall toy industry slowdown.

The toy industry faces significant seasonal trends.  As retail sales in general are driven by holiday purchases, so too are toy purchases.  The October, November, and December super block delivers the greatest amount of sales through the retail channels.