With Christmas just three months away the toy industry is setting out its stall.

It's just unveiled the top 10 toys that it reckons we'll be buying this Christmas.

The list includes a mixture of hardy annuals, such as the latest Barbie doll along with several television and movie spin-offs - the Spiderman Flip & Trap and the Ready Steady Cook Popcorn maker.

There are also a couple of new takes on old ideas. Beyblades are basically just traditional spinning tops - though the marketing spiel describes them as battling tops!

Dream toys 2002 - the industry's toybox

Bratz - �15.00 Ready Steady Cook Popcorn Maker - �30.00 Beyblades - �6.00 Leappad - �35.00 Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets - �60.00 Barbie Rapunzel - �20.00 Fimbles - �16.00 Micro Pets - �10.00 Spiderman Flip & Trap - �20.00 Baby Annabel - �40.00

Mrs Christmas

This reworking of old ideas is one of the secrets in toy retailing.

"Toys are basically cyclical," says Jo Hall, the director of toys for Woolworths.

And she should know. It's her job to make sure that Woolies gets its sums right this, and every, Christmas.

Indeed, she's known as Mrs Christmas.

"We plan 12 months in advance. We are already thinking of next Christmas. Half of my team is in Hong Kong now, sourcing toys for next Christmas."

Tough

Jo has more than 20 years experience in the toy business.

And this year in particular, Woolworths is banking on her experience to improve the outlook for the wider business.

According to the firm's chief executive, the company's profitability this year is dependent on a good Christmas.

Bratz goes head to head with Barbie

Since it split from its parent company Kingfisher a year ago, Woolies has had a tough time.

In August it reported a pre-tax loss for the six months to August of �41.2m. That's slightly better than the loss it made at the same time last year - but it's still a loss.

Core products

Christmas will be crucial. It's taking on 6,000 extra staff and adding 800 tills to cope with what it hopes will be busy time.

It's increased the number of store deliveries to make sure shelves remain well stocked, and it's stepped up its advertising.

The firm had had big hopes for its food & wine corner shops, the Woolworths General Stores, but the roll out of this chain has now been abandoned because of poor sales.

Instead it's concentrating on its core products like toys - and its core customers.

Woolworths has identified mothers of young kids, with money to spend, as its most important customers.

Although this group accounts for just under a third of those who shop at Woolworths, they account for a whopping 80% of its sales.

Confident

Jo Hall is banking on them buying the top 10 toys and she's flown in a million of the Beyblades alone.

But what if she gets it wrong?

"It can be fun, scouring the world at the 11th hour for what the customers want. Tracey Island is a classic example.

"Twelve years on it was as popular as it was the previous time around. And yes we had to fly stock in. You saw the same thing with yo-yos."

But Jo's confident they'll cope with whatever customers want.

So, with three months to go until Christmas day, what will Jo's kids be getting?

"I'm so busy working on this Christmas and next, whatever they get will be last minute!"

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Student Guide

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Christmas comes but once a year but when it comes it fills the shops with toys and boosts the profits of toy makers and retailers - if they get it right.

Mrs Christmas is responsible for getting it right for Woolworths.

She uses a mix of wisdom and intuition to meet the challenge.

Business is often risky but Jo Hall, the company's director of toys - as she's really known - has to work hard to reduce that risk.

Just think...

What toys do you think will be favourites this Christmas? Why?

The challenge

Jo needs to make sure that she has enough of the popular lines in store.

Jo Hall: Reducing the risk

If she buys the wrong things - they will all be sold off cheaply in the January sales, so the profit margin will be cut.

If she doesn't buy enough, Woolworths will miss the opportunity to sell more and increase its profits. There'll be unhappy customers as well - just think of those miserable parents who can't find the 'must have' present for their children.

If she gets it right demand for each toy will match supply and everyone will be happy.

Just think...

Think of some products that run out or are not available for much of the year. What happens to the price?

Getting it right

Jo will be looking at all sorts of things to help her to decide what to buy and how much to buy.

New toys on the market

New films coming out

New books being published

Spin off products

The marketing of all these new products

Products at different prices

The customers who come into Woolworths

Just think...

Explain how each of these points helps Jo to decide what to buy.

If you ran a company which makes toys, how would you try to persuade Woolworths to stock your products?

What would make the perfect range of products?

What makes Jo a good toy buyer?

Bringing in the customers

Once Jo has decided on the range of toys she is going to buy, the objective must be to bring customers through the shop door.

She needs to make sure that

People know what Woolworths is selling

The products are at the right price

These plans will be made by the marketing department.

There are many strategies that can be put to use.

Just think...

Have a look at some shops' websites to find out how they are competing.

Woolworths

Hamleys

Argos

Toys R Us

Have a look again as Christmas approaches to see how the sites are changing.

Are your predictions about Christmas toys proving to be right? If so, perhaps being a toy buyer is just up your street!