- Stores including Tesco, Asda and Toys R Us increased prices
- Items including Furbies, fairy dolls and doctor play-sets were affected
- In some cases price wars had lowered the cost of most sought-after toys
- But shoppers missed out when the prices returned to normal
Christmas shoppers are being faced with soaring prices as retailers increase the price of must-have toys in the run-up to Christmas.
Stores including Tesco, Asda and Toys R Us have been attacked by consumer groups after they increased prices on Furbies, fairy dolls and doctor play-sets for the last weeks of festive shopping.
The hikes, in some cases as high as 45 per cent, come after a price war in November when retailers were trying to out-do one another and offer the best holiday bargains.
Hike: Tesco had been stocking the Furby Boom,
left, for £49.99 but have increased the price to £54.99, while Toys R Us
increased the cost of the Teksta robot puppy, right, from £47.99 to
£59.99
Increased: Asda was selling the Nerf Elite Rapidstrike foam gun for £25, but it now costs £35
But now consumers who missed out are being left with the original prices, which consumers bodies say has allowed them to 'milk' shoppers for their cash as they run out of options.
One of the products to increase recently was the Nerf Elite Rapidstrike foam gun at Asda, which was £25 but is now on sale for £35, according to figures in the Sunday Mirror.
Parents looking to buy the must-have Flutterbye Fairy Flying Doll from Toys R Us would also have found themselves out of pocket as the item increased from £23.99 to £34.99 - a 45 per cent jump.
Tesco also stopped stocking the Furby Boom virtual pet for £49.99, increasing the price to £54.99.
Toys R Us also increased the cost of the 'Teksta' robot puppy from £47.99 to £59.99, the RoboFish playset from £14.79 to £19.99 and the Monster High 13 Wishes Party Doll range from £16.49 to £22.99.
There was also evidence of traders on Amazon ramping up prices on Doctor Who merchandise not available in shops in the wake of the show's 50th anniversary.
Sink or swim: Toys R Us had lowered the price of this RoboFish bowl play-set to £14.79, but has now returned it to £19.99
The process of suddenly increasing prices as demand peaks - known as 'scalping' is said to be widespread in toy retail.
Marc Gander, of the Consumer Action Group website, condemned the rising prices, saying 'It’s set to be a very merry Christmas for everybody except the consumer.'
Alan Simpson, of the Toy Retailers Association, said: 'Some shops are using toys as a tool to drive footfall through their doors and sell other goods', adding that online retailers 'will milk' their stocks on toys in short supply to ensure maximum profit.
However, the retailers defended their position, with Tesco saying: 'Our price for a Furby is among the lowest of any retailer.'
Doll wars: The Monster High 13 Wishes Party
Doll, right, has changed in price from £16.49 to £22.99, while the
Flutterbye Fairy Flying Doll, right, rose from £23.99 to £34.99 at the
same store
Toys R Us said 'We are always keen to ensure we offer the best and lowest possible prices to our customers which is why our price match policy is in place all year round to ensure we remain the best priced toy retailer.'
A spokesman for Argos said the offers change constantly so that shoppers can 'always get a great deal'.
He added: 'The Doc McStuffins Doctors Bag Set is not currently on offer, however, customers can choose from 1,000 other toy lines which are reduced as part of our Toy Sale, some of them up to half price.'
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