Barbie sales have been choppy for the past several years. Along with that, Barbie’s parent, Mattel Inc. (NYSE: MAT), has been in trouble. As Barbie turns 60 years old, her sales have surged, pulling Mattel from a sharp spin downward.
Barbie sales in the most recent quarter rose 13%, a bigger increase by far than for any other Mattel product. Mattel’s revenue overall was up 4% to $962 million. Barbie was 20% of that total. Mattel’s other two large product lines posted mixed results: revenue for Hot Wheels was up 9% to $175 million, while revenue from Fisher-Price dropped 4% to $222 million.
What has Barbie done? Among the most critical things is she went digital. Mattel sells four Barbie apps. Most are priced at $5.99 and sell at Apple’s App Store. Unlike real dolls, which cost money to make, apps ad dollars without new material, factory and shipping costs. The apps also let children “be” what they want to be. Barbie can become a pilot, athlete, skateboarder, fairy princess or artist.
Barbie has gone on the road. Her line of travel toys includes accessories for trips by helicopter or airplane, to the beach, as well as ways to take along pets.
Mattel has invented videos for Barbie: music videos, digital movies and tours of Barbie homes. Barbie has her own videos games too, including racing, cooking and puzzles.
Countless restructurings have pushed Mattel’s shares down 60% in the past five years. No turnaround effort has taken hold. With its new earnings, Mattel’s shares recovered sharply, mostly because of a 60-year-old doll.
Take Charge of Your Retirement In Just A Few Minutes (Sponsor)
Retirement planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. The key is finding expert guidance—and SmartAsset’s simple quiz makes it easier than ever for you to connect with a vetted financial advisor.
Here’s how it works:
- Answer a Few Simple Questions. Tell us a bit about your goals and preferences—it only takes a few minutes!
- Get Matched with Vetted Advisors Our smart tool matches you with up to three pre-screened, vetted advisors who serve your area and are held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. Click here to begin
- Choose Your Fit Review their profiles, schedule an introductory call (or meet in person), and select the advisor who feel is right for you.
Why wait? Start building the retirement you’ve always dreamed of. Click here to get started today!
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
Our expert who first called NVIDIA in 2009 is predicting 2025 will see a historic AI breakthrough.
You can follow him investing $500,000 of his own money on our top AI stocks for free.