Wednesday December 8, 9:17 am Eastern Time

### Company Press Release

## NPD Reports Peak Holiday Toy Selling Season Off to a Brisk Start

### Classics and Licensed Newcomers Dominate Thanksgiving Week Top Sellers

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 8, 1999--The traditional toy market captured an estimated $1.2 billion dollars in retail sales in the U.S. during the week of Thanksgiving, November 21 through November 27, 1999, according to leading marketing information provider The NPD Group, Inc. During the bellwether period, overall dollar sales for traditional toys were up 8% versus the same time period a year ago. With holiday sales looking robust, on top of healthy gains earlier in 1999, the industry appears poised to record its most significant growth in years.

According to NPD, the top 20 toys garnered $101 million in sales, or 9% of total dollars spent on toys, during Thanksgiving week. Dollar sales for the top 20 best selling toys jumped 15% compared to last year's top 20 sellers. Unit sales for the top 20 grew 19%.

Mattel and Hasbro together captured 90% of the sales volume generated by the top 20 best sellers. Running neck-and-neck, Hasbro captured 46% of those dollar sales, while Mattel captured 44%.

Despite competition from newcomers like Pokemon, old favorites came out ahead in NPD's top 20 ranking based on units. Based on units sold, the period's top performers were Mattel's Hot Wheels Basic Cars and Hot Wheels 5 Car Gift Pack, which also topped last year's best seller list for Thanksgiving week. Confirming the lasting appeal of these and other classic toys, NPD reports that six of the week's top sellers, including Hot Wheels, were introduced before 1990. Only three new 1999 introductions captured top spots in terms of units sold. Not surprisingly, all three were Pokemon -licensed. (Editors, see complete list of top selling toys, by dollars and units, below.)

Licenses continue to be important drivers in the toy industry. In the unit-driven top sellers, nine of the 20 are represented by media licenses, with seven out of the 20 related to November movie releases Pokemon and Toy Story II. Based on dollars, only four items in the top 20 were media-licensed. Surprisingly, the Star Wars license, a big hit in the first half of 1999, had no single items in the top 20 weekly list, based on either dollars or units.

Thanksgiving week typically represents 5% - 6% of annual U.S. traditional toy sales. Traditional toy sales through October are up 9%, one of the healthiest growth periods in many years. Total retail sales in the U.S. for 1998 were $21.0 billion and are expected to increase 7% with sales reaching $22.5 billion by the end of this year. Driving this healthy growth are Pokemon, Furby, Star Wars and increased industry awareness due to significant e-retailer advertising.

About The NPD Group

The NPD Group is an international marketing information company headquartered in Port Washington, NY. Founded in 1953, the firm specializes in tracking consumer purchasing and behavior. NPD offers both custom research capabilities and syndicated databases for more than 20 industries including apparel, automotive products, consumer electronics, cosmetics and fragrances, financial services, food, foodservice, footwear, housewares, information technology, interactive entertainment, pharmaceuticals, toys, and more. A leader in conducting research on and about the Internet, NPD is also the developer of the revolutionary Web audience measurement technology now marketed by Media Metrix, Inc. NPD has offices and affiliations in 36 countries, covering North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

                      NPD's TOP SELLING TRADITIONAL TOYS
                              BASED ON UNITS SOLD
                        NOVEMBER 21 - NOVEMBER 27, 1999

                                                            INTRO.
    RANK  ITEM DESCRIPTION             MANUFACTURER         DATE     ARP

    1  Hot Wheels Basic Cars           Mattel               (a)     $0.75
    2  Hot Wheels 5 Car Gift Pack      Mattel               Jan 88  $3.19
    3  Pokemon Booster Packs           Wizards of The Coast Jan 99  $2.96
                                        (Hasbro)
    4  Casey Cartwheel                 Toy Biz              Jul 97  $5.92
    5  Connect Four                    Milton Bradley       (a)     $8.53
                                        (Hasbro)
    6  Trouble                         Milton Bradley       (a)     $8.07
                                        (Hasbro)
    7  See 'N Say Assortment           Mattel               Aug 90  $6.72
    8  Matchbox Vehicle Assortment     Mattel               Mar 90  $0.91
    9  Pokemon Fossil Booster Pack     Wizards of The Coast Sep 99  $3.45
                                        (Hasbro)
    10 Winnie the Pooh Honey Pot Set   Arco (Mattel)        Jan 98  $5.04
    11 Batman Knight Batmobile         Hasbro               Dec 98  $7.85
    12 Happy Hugs Baby Doll            Playmates Toys       Jun 98  $5.94
    13 Pokemon Battle Pack Assortment  Hasbro               Nov 98  $5.01
    14 Easy Bake Oven/Snack Center     Hasbro               Nov 92 $12.37
    15 Pokemon Super Ball Assortment   Hasbro               Nov 98  $2.94
    16 Toy Story Figure Assortment     Mattel               Aug 98  $5.96
    17 Pokemon Blaster Assortment      Hasbro               Nov 98  $7.63
    18 Operation                       Milton Bradley       (a)     $9.06
                                        (Hasbro)
    19 Lite Brite                      Hasbro               Feb 87  $9.52
    20 Pokemon Keychain Assortment 2   Basic Fun            Jul 99  $3.14

    (a)  Introduced before 1985
    Source: NPD TRSTS Toy Marketing Service

                      NPD's TOP SELLING TRADITIONAL TOYS
                             BASED ON DOLLARS SOLD
                        NOVEMBER 21 - NOVEMBER 27, 1999

                                                           INTRO.
    RANK  ITEM DESCRIPTION             MANUFACTURER        DATE     ARP

    1  Furby Asst.                     Tiger Electronics   Sep 98  $26.67
                                        (Hasbro)
    2  Connect Four                    Milton Bradley      (a)      $8.53
                                        (Hasbro)
    3  Sesame Street Rock N' Roll      Tyco Preschool      Jun 99  $24.14
         Asst.                          (Mattel)
    4  Furby Babies                    Tiger Electronics   Sep 99  $23.73
                                        (Hasbro)
    5  Disney Walk 'N Wag Pluto        Mattel              Jul 99  $22.14
    6  Trouble                         Milton Bradley      (a)      $8.07
                                        (Hasbro)
    7  Casey Cartwheel                 Toy Biz             Jul 97   $5.92
    8  Barbie Deluxe Dream House       Mattel              Jun 98  $74.10
    9  Harley Davidson Motorcycle      Fisher-Price        Sep 99 $179.70
                                        (Mattel)
    10 Barbie Cash Register            Kid Designs         Jul 99  $40.25
    11 See 'N Say Assortment           Mattel              Aug 90   $6.72
    12 Easy Bake Oven/Snack Center     Hasbro              Nov 92  $12.37
    13 Kawasaki New Ninja              Fisher-Price        Jan 99 $167.59
                                        (Mattel)
    14 Pokemon I Choose You            Hasbro              Nov 99  $25.95
    15 Skateboard Shannen              Mattel              Sep 99  $35.76
    16 Barbie Baby Krissy              Mattel              Jul 99  $14.87
    17 Bop It                          Parker-Brothers     Aug 97  $14.69
                                        (Hasbro)
    18 Hot Wheels 5 Car Gift Pack      Mattel              Jan 88   $3.19
    19 Bop It Extreme                  Parker-Brothers     Jul 99  $22.59
                                        (Hasbro)
    20 Batman Knight Batmobile         Hasbro              Dec 98   $7.85

    (a)  Introduced before 1985
    Source: NPD TRSTS Toy Marketing Service

         http://www.npd.com

Contact:

         The NPD Group, Inc., New York
         Helen D'Antoni, 516/625-2496
         helen_d'antoni@npd.com
         or Mary Ann Porreca, 516/625-2345
         maryann_porreca@npd.com

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