Barbie is not turning heads like she used to.
Sales of the iconic doll were down 9% in Mattel’s most recent quarter, the toy giant reported earlier this week Thursday. It was the third consecutive quarter Barbie sales were down — and the ninth since 2023’s blockbuster movie starring Margot Robbie.
Barbie is not alone. Overall doll sales are down 4.6% in the first half of this year, with other toys like games and squishies gaining share, according to Circana, which tracks retail data.
Barbie had been a reliable growth engine for Mattel years, generating sales growth in 14 of the 18 quarters since 2019, according to Seaport Research.
During that time, Mattel responded to parent complaints about Barbie’s “unrealistic body proportions” and introduced “dolls with a broader range of body types, skin tones and hair colors,” noted Seaport Research’s toy analyst Gerrick Johnson
Sales of Barbie spiked during the pandemic, when families were desperate to keep their cooped-up children amused.
The “Barbie” movie brought renewed demand for the 67-year-old doll, generating nearly $1.5 at billion at the box office and more than $150 million in sales from dolls and other related products – until the momentum sputtered out.
“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, kids are moving on to other toys.
Mattel’s “KPop Demon Hunters” dolls, inspired by the hit Netflix series, are selling out online and in stores.
The El Segundo, Calif.-based company said Thursday its overall doll sales were up 4% to $703 million, driven mostly by “Demon Hunters” merch – and offset by the decline in Barbie.
Meanwhile, the hottest sellers in the toy aisle are squishy toys – like the frequently sold-out NeeDoh made by Schylling – along with slime, plush and games, according to experts.
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