According to Advertising Age, Wal-Mart is a huge player in the toy industry, accounting for 23% of Mattel's sales and 19% of Hasbro's.  That's a lot of Barbie dolls and Monopoly games.  The retail giant also has a whopping 15% of all newsstand sales in the U.S.  Add in the fact that Wal-Mart is now the country's biggest employer and you have some idea of the power that resides in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Wal-Mart's success is based on relentless price competition, and its size has allowed it to squeeze the best deals out of suppliers.  But increasingly Wal-Mart is also seeking to get a leg up on the competition with exclusive merchandise (see 'Disney Gives Wal-mart Kim Possible Exclusive'), and its competitors, such as the extremely nimble Target stores, and the highly focused Toys 'R Us chain, are countering with their own exclusive products.  The number of 'toy exclusives' has increased dramatically over the past two years -- and with the growing clout of the mega retailers, this trend is likely to continue.