Barbie is not turning heads like she used to.
Sales of the iconic doll were down 9% in Mattel’s most current quarter, the toy giant repored earlier this week Thursday. It was the third consecutive quarter Barbie gross sales were down — and the ninth since 2023’s blockbuster film starring Margot Robbie.
Sales of Barbie dolls have decreased for three consecutive quarters, Mattel reported. cabado – stock.adobe.com
Barbie is not alone. Overall doll gross sales are down 4.6% in the first half of this yr, with other toys like video games and squishies gaining share, according to Circana, which tracks retail information.
Barbie had been a dependable growth engine for Mattel years, producing gross sales growth in 14 of the 18 quarters since 2019, according to Seaport Research.
During that time, Mattel responded to guardian complaints about Barbie’s “unrealistic body proportions” and launched “dolls with a broader range of body types, skin tones and hair colors,” famous Seaport Research’s toy analyst Gerrick Johnson
Sales of Barbie spiked during the pandemic, when households were determined to keep their cooped-up kids amused.
The “Barbie” film introduced renewed demand for the 67-year-old doll, producing almost $1.5 at billion at the box workplace and more than $150 million in gross sales from dolls and other associated merchandise – until the momentum sputtered out.
The blockbuster 2023 “Barbie” film starred Margot Robbie. WarnerBros
“Casting Margot Robbie as Barbie, I think, reinforced the blond hair, blue-eyed stereotype Mattel had worked so hard to overcome,” Johnson said.
What’s more, children are shifting on to other toys.
Mattel’s “KPop Demon Hunters” dolls, impressed by the hit Netflix collection, are promoting out online and in shops.
The El Segundo, Calif.-based company said Thursday its general doll gross sales were up 4% to $703 million, pushed largely by “Demon Hunters” merch – and offset by the decline in Barbie.
Squishy toys like Schylling’s NeeDoh are often offered out. Albany Times Union via Getty Images
Meanwhile, the hottest sellers in the toy aisle are squishy toys – like the often sold-out NeeDoh made by Schylling – along with slime, plush and video games, according to specialists.
