Toca Store - Toca Boca AB.

This review of Toca Store was completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 7 May 2017.

About the app

This section contains details about the app provided by an ACCM Reviewer.

ACCM review

This review of Toca Store contains the following information:

• The level to which the game was reviewed
• App description
• Reviewers comments
• In App purchasing
• Online information
• Gambling
• Advertising and product placement
• Gender stereotypes and sexual references
• Coarse language
• Game playing behaviour which may be of concern to some parents
• Other

The level to which the game was reviewed

The game was played from item selection to completed sale five times.

App description

Toca Store allows players to select from a store catalogue to fill 5 baskets. Players then invite a customer and select items, enter a price and pay for them before additional items can be purchased until the customer sale is complete.

Reviewers comments

This shopping app allows players to run their own store by selecting which items to sell from a catalogue and determining the price at which to sell them. Players can enter a number from 1 to 5 on the  register and then become the customer by tapping the customer purse to select that number of coins. Pressing the trolley symbol on the register completes the purchase and players then place the item in the customer’s shopping bag. Additional items can be purchased until the purse is empty. The game concludes by printing a receipt.

Toca Store allows children to alternate between being a store owner (deciding which items to sell and what price to sell them at) and being the customer who purchases the items. Fine motor control is required to drag and drop items onto the store counter, operate the register and drag the correct number of coins into the register from the customer purse for payment. Younger children who may have memorized number words in the proper order, but do not yet understand the concept of one-to-one correspondence will require guidance on how many coins to select, although this is also prompted with empty dark circles in the register drawer. There is opportunity for parents to discuss with children how much things cost and why some items are more expensive. Unfortunately, as only single digits can be entered, the costs are not particularly realistic. Co-play would also be useful to discuss the items selected to sell and purchase. Parents could discuss healthy “every day” eating choices like fruit and vegetables and “sometimes” foods like chocolate and donuts.

Parents can also discuss the amount of money left in the purse after each purchase and the implications of this for the next item purchased. If the child selects a cost for an item that is higher than the number of coins remaining in the purse, it closes and winks with stars appearing around it. As if by magic, the purse then reopens with the additional number of coins required to make the purchase. This may communicate the message that even when there is not enough money to purchase something, it can magically increase, an idea which parents may find unhelpful when trying to educate their children on the value of money and its finite nature.

In App purchasing

There is advertising of other Toca Boca apps on the home page, which when clicked take the player to a page advertising Toca Life hospital and a variety of other apps. To remove this in-app advertising and the ability to purchase other apps, parents should disable “Toca News” in the settings area of their device, by clicking on the Toca store app.

Online information

None. 

Gambling

At time of review, the reviewer found no simulated gambling content.

Advertising and product placement

The Tocal Life hospital advert can be viewed by clicking on the advert for it on the app home page. This advert shows a variety of potentially problematic scenes for young children including a character dying in the hospital and another taking a pill and then “floating”. To remove this in-app advertising and the ability to purchase other apps, parents should disable “Toca News” in the settings area of their device, by clicking on the Toca store app.

Gender stereotypes and sexual references

No concerns. 

Coarse language

None. 

Game playing behaviour which may be of concern to some parents

The message that even when there is not enough money to purchase something, it can magically appear in your purse is an idea which parents may find unhelpful when trying to educate their children on the value and limits of available money.

Other

N/A.

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