12 Stores We’d Like to See Compete in The Hunger Games

This weekend sees the mega-anticipated release of The Hunger Games in theaters. Based on the popular book series by Suzanne Collins, Hunger Games tells the story of young Katniss Everdeen, as she fights for her life in a post-apocalyptic future where children compete annually in a televised death match. Yeah, fun for the whole family!

Each year, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12-18 are chosen by lottery from each of the 12 Districts to represent their home as a Tribute. The Games themselves are a brutal mix of death traps and armed enemies.

We won’t give away any spoilers from the series (go read the books already, they’re fantastic!), but it got us thinking. What if the Hunger Games existed today and what if instead of kids competing, they had stores competing for survival? Here’s who we’d like to see represent the 12 (Shopping) Districts.

District 1: Target

Who doesn’t love the all-around, family friendly store? They’d quickly make friends with a number of other tributes to improve their chances of survival. Unfortunately, they have one monumental downside that’d end their chances in a heartbeat: that giant bullseye on their chest.

District 2: Lowe’s

Sure, the home improvement store can consider itself handy with weapons (axes, chainsaws, sledgehammers), but its skills will really come in handy for building shelter! Starting off with a simple treehouse, things would go well until Lowe’s gets carried away and builds a 28-room mansion deep in the heart of the woods, quickly forgetting about this little life-and-death competition.

District 3: e.l.f. Cosmetics

These guys have a lot going for them. Super cheap prices means they’re used to surviving on little funds, so they’d last awhile out in the Games. Not to mention the fact that everyone knows elves are masters at hunting and sneaking around. Unfortunately, they’d eventually get caught fixing their eye shadow one too many times and take an early exit.

District 4: Modell’s

Nobody knows sporting goods like Mos. From the second they’re reaped into the Games, this fit and active store would be on the move, avoiding near death at every turn. They’d make it almost to the bitter end…that is until the New York Yankees win another World Series, forcing the store to divert all its attention to a slew of new Championship gear.

District 5: Hot Topic

The “young punks” of the Hunger Games, Hot Topic would clearly be the hippest Tribute competing, winning tons of accolades (and helpful gifts) from the younger viewing crowd. They’d ultimately fall, however, when they get completely distracted by a whose-piercing-was-more-painful contest.

District 6: Lego Shop

With an army of minifigs at their disposal, there’s almost nothing the District 6 Tribute can’t handle! Except the fact that it’s pretty easy to knock down Lego towers. Certainly the most fun store of the bunch, but sadly, Hunger Games are not won on fun alone.

District 7: Petco

They’re clearly used to dealing with animals over at Petco, so living like one out in the wild would be second nature to these guys. There’d be plenty of “awwwwwws” over all the cute fuzzy critters, but when it came down to snuffing out another Tribute, these guys would have way too much heart.

District 8: Eastern Mountain Sports

Survival. At its core, that’s what the Hunger Games is all about. It’s also what EMS thrives on! Wherever the Hunger Games takes them, EMS will be ready. Climbing, hiking, kayaking, even skiing. They’d actually make it to the very end if it weren’t sadly for all those bright orange colors they’re always wearing.

 

District 9: The Walking Company

It’s easy to run when your life’s on the line. It’s even easier to run when you’ve got the right footwear, and that’s where the Walking Company would really shine. After a few days of rugged survival, most Tributes would start whining about the blisters on their feet. Not these guys! Their only downfall is that they’d be slowed down by the three or four dozen pairs of shoes they’d insist on carrying because, “You never know what occasion you’ll need them for!”

 

District 10: Kodak Gallery

Even the Civl War had its photographers, so why should the Hunger Games be any different? Taking hundreds of Gigs worth of digital pics from the other Tributes and creating beautiful photo books would certainly help ease the pain. But even the best photographers out there eventually overstay their welcome and sadly, Kodak Gallery would never get the opportunity to finish its own self portrait.

 

District 11: 1-800-Flowers

From joyous celebrations to depressing situations, 1-800-Flowers is used to riding an emotional rollercoaster. They’d easily earn some friendship from the other Tributes, only to quickly see themselves out of the race after stopping to smell one too many roses.

 

District 12: Best Buy

Everyone would totally be laughing at Best Buy, sitting there on the couch playing video games and watching boxed sets of “The Office” over and over again. But while the other Tributes were busy fighting off one another, Best Buy’d be watching the Blu-ray version of the “Hunger Games,” discovering exactly how it ends. And more importantly, how to win. Well played, Best Buy. Well played.

 MAY THE ODDS  PRICES BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR.

Image Credit: Fandango.com

 

Top 10 Toys for 2010

JoeShopping.com proudly presents its Top 10 Must-Have Toys List for the 2010 Holiday Season. Consumers won’t be shocked to see many electronics still topping the Gift List charts this year. They may, however, be pleasantly surprised to see how some familiar toys now have an electronic spin.

Justin Beiber DollJustin Bieber Dolls
Can you hear it? Those screams are the shrieks of joy coming from tween girls everywhere who are madly in love with singer Justin Bieber. And starting in December, they’ll be able to grab they’re very own Justin Bieber Dolls featuring 30 second clips of his songs and outfits he wore in his music videos.

 

Nerf N-Strike StampedeNerf N-Strike Stampede Blaster
Nerf has really made a comeback these last few years with its assortment of dart-shooting guns in various sizes and configurations. The Nerf N-Strike Stampede Blaster packs a powerful punch that will continue the comeback. This ultimate Nerf gun comes with a real sight, a built-in bipod for aiming, a shield to protect against enemy Nerf projectiles, and a clip that holds 18 Nerf darts.

Fisher-Price iXLFisher Price iXL
Forget toy cell phones, Fisher-Price’s newest handheld learning device teaches reading, phonics, writing and more. With pre-loaded software, the iXL sports six activities in one: digital reader, game player, photo viewer, art studio, notepad and mp3 player. Additional software can be purchased featuring popular characters like Spongebob, Batman, the Disney Princesses, the gang from Toy Story 3 and much more.

Lego CreationaryLego Board Games
First you build it, then you play it. From simplistic to slightly complex, kids can put the board together and then dive into playing puzzle or racing games. Minotaurus lets kids build a labyrinth that players try to escape from, while Creationary is an interactive affair where players show off their building skills while others try to guess what they’re creating. There are dozens of games to choose from, including based on Star Wars, Harry Potter and Toy Story.

Fisher-Price Imaginext Big Foot The MonsterImaginext Bigfoot the Monster
It’s a remote-control Bigfoot that stands over 14 inches tall. He walks, flips and belches. “Emotion” buttons include happy, angry, sleep, fun, ball and exercise. This loveable RC even dreams while he sleeps. With over 80 actions and phrases, this BigFoot is big on activity, personality and interactive play.

 

Mattel The Sing-A-Ma-JigsMattel Sing-A-Ma-Jigs
They’re adorable, they make cute sounds, and when you bring more than one Sing-a-Ma-Jig together, they harmonize. Harmonized cuteness is certainly tough to beat! Available in an assortment of colors (and songs), every Sing-A-Ma-Jig has three modes of play where they chatter, sing their own song, or sing in harmony with their other Sing-A-Ma-Jig friends.

Kung Zhu PetsKung Zhu Pets
Last year’s big hit from Cepia returns with a more boy-oriented product this time around. The same lovable Zhu Zhu pets are now action toy hamsters, which come in “special forces” and “ninja” styles. Kids can customize them with armor to fight in a battle arena or train with various accessory sets.

 

Flip CamerasFlip Cameras
If they could, teenagers would display their entire social lives online. And with these small cameras with big memory, they can just about do that. Tiny in size as well as in price point, these unbeatable video cameras are as cheap as they are easy to use.

 

Rock Band 3Rock Band 3
The newest version of the perennial music game hit not only adds keyboards to the band but a new special mode that actually teaches players how to play a real guitar (the special controller is sold separately). Available for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and Nintendo DS.

 

Microsoft KinectMicrosoft Kinect for Xbox 360
Nintendo’s Wii may have just met its match. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 attempts to take the reigns as king of motion-controlled games — only it does it without any controllers at all. Based on players’ movements, gamers can kick soccer balls, match up funky dance moves, act like a wild animal or get in shape with an assortment of fitness games. It adds a whole new dimension to video games by turning the player into the controller.