She said they were also selling a lot of local author Tom E. Moffat's book Barking Mad and he was offering to sign copies too.
Kuwi the Kiwi series' new book Kuwi's Very Shiny Bum was also selling well.
She said a series they were selling by word of mouth because it was so good was Lockwood & Co.
A book was a good gift for Christmas because it took you on an adventure, she said.
"You are buying an experience rather than a thing, which is why it's special."
Kimberley Edwards, the owner of locally-owned independent store Monkey Kids, said one of the popular items was the Wishbone Flip Mix and Match, with eight different colourways for the seats, rockers and wheels.
She said it had only been released this week so was "hot off the press" and was suitable for ages 9 months-plus.
The store was selling a lot of beach toys and wooden marble runs were doing well, she said.
She said it also had a range of amazing kites available.
The store's mantra for this Christmas was 'buy less, choose well, make it last' from Vivienne Westwood, as it aimed to provide educational items with longevity.
Head toy buyers from both Farmers and The Warehouse have said Hatchimals, released world-wide in October, had far exceeded both their creator and retailers' expectations.
Hatchimals have been so popular they are now sold out in stores nationwide, with stock not expected to be available again until after Christmas.
But if your child is desperate for one of the interactive creatures within an egg - there may still be a way to get your hands on one.
Last night there were 84 Hatchimals listed for sale on Trade Me, with some sellers asking up to $350.
In the absence of Hatchimals, Lonnica van Engelen, head category manager for toys at The Warehouse, expected the Little Live Pets Dream Puppy to take out the top spot this Christmas.
The puppy moves, makes breathing sounds, can be fed and falls asleep. The toy followed a current trend in New Zealand towards nurturing play which taught children to care for something, she said.
During her last five years as a toy buyer, Lego and Nerf products had remained in the top 10 each Christmas, she said.
Kiwi-born toy company Zuru had also made the top 10 again this year, adding a baseball bat and launcher to its Bunch o Balloons water balloon range.
Board games were also continuing their "massive resurgence" of the last two to three years, she said.
Among the movie toys she expected the release of Star Wars Rogue One in mid-December to prompt merchandise sales but without the same huge attention as Episode 7 created at Christmas last year.
Disney movie Moana was also due for release on Boxing Day, with merchandise on sale prior.
Farmers toy buyer Stu Gray said he made annual trips to Hong Kong and the United States to buy toys early in the year for the following Christmas.
"You do have to make some calls quite far ahead of time. You've got to take a punt and just go with your gut sometimes."
He expected the new Shopkins range 'Happy Places' to be huge this year.
Also a range of outdoor ride-on toys, from toy company Razor, which had been out of the market for two to three years, was expected to be popular.
The success of Pokemon Go had seen a resurgence in Pokemon merchandise with a new Nintendo game released this week, he said.
Collectible Pokemon cards were also popular. "That whole brand's just gone through the roof this year," he said.
-Additional reporting by Michele Hunter