They've kind of changed the game by partnering with Walmart to bring store experiences to those stores this summer.Īnd then you've still got looming interest from basically overseas. They started there in New York City- very cool stores that are a destination because of all the other experiential aspects that they offer. Couldn't have opened a new store at a worse time.Īnd then you've got a company called CAMP. And, of course, the COVID hit just four months later. Of course, we know the folks at Toys"R"Us are trying. And I think eventually, someone will step up and fill that gap. JAMES ZAHN: There is a place for a toy store. Especially in this type of environment where we all need a break, there's really no place to get toys other than Target. But on the same time, there are some instances, too, where specific retailers may fare better than others because of how those shipments have landed, essentially.īRIAN SOZZI: And James, I was thinking, I was driving past where my former Toys"R"Us used to be. Those shortages we talked about around toy fair season never really came to be. So we're in pretty good shape on the toys. So we've got stuff coming out of places like Vietnam and Malaysia and whatnot. What we have seen a little bit of, too, is that some of this stuff, the production has moved a little bit beyond China. The factories for the toys are up to mostly capacity, which they have been for a couple months. A lot of the product has already shipped, which is important because, again, these orders are always placed far in advance. JAMES ZAHN: Toys are in pretty good shape. How is this holiday season shaping up for the toy industry? They're either not open or not up to capacity. We're seeing right now- and I'll point to appliances, as it may be a good example.Ī lot of factories in China not able to get products out of the factories. But James, I do want to ask you about toy shortages.
SQUISH MALLOW WALGREENS LICENSE
And now they're the first to debut the Star Wars Squishmallows, which is under license from Disney and Lucasfilm.īRIAN SOZZI: Yeah, I- obviously, I don't know this one for sure, but I suspect gross profit margin on that doll about 99.9%. They've got deals with Mattel and Hasbro for different things, and now Kelly Toy. They've been building out a toy aisle that is filled with exclusive products. It's like a proprietary material.īut as far as Walgreens goes, they have been upping the toy game the last couple years. Really just showing it doesn't do it justice, because they really have a distinctive texture. JAMES ZAHN: Yeah, so $12.99- so this is a very affordable toy. How much does it retail for? And are you surprised Walgreens of all places stepping in here with this licensing deal? You're really- I want to squish that little guy. But this little guy here, September 24- he's going to be, I think, under a lot of trees this holiday season.ĪLEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: I think so. And it's making a- it's making an impact at the register. So you're going to see the Squishmallows brand expanding. Kelly Toy was acquired by Jazwares back in April.
But even the big mass retailers, like Costco and stuff, are carrying them.īut this is a licensed Squishmallow, which is something new for them as well. You can get them at independent stores, gift shops. And this is unique, because Squishmallows are available at a multitude of different retailers. The presale online, they sold out in less than 48 hours this week. JAMES ZAHN: Baby Yoda- this is a 10-inch plush. And starting September 24, exclusively at Walgreens, you can get a child. And they have sold more than 55 million Squishmallows in a variety of different characters, about 500 characters. JAMES ZAHN: So yeah, so switching gears from Build-A-Bear to another plush company, Kelly Toy has this line called Squishmallows.
And Baby Yoda Squishmallow, I understand you have it. But I've got to get to this Squishmallow. So there's some opportunity out there for Build-A0Bear to expand beyond what we know them as.ĪLEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: Yeah, you've got the Harry Potter line coming out as well, which can certainly help. They just did a deal with a company called Create-On for these little magnet tiles. Not only are they bringing in licensed products from outside, but they're also putting the Build-A-Bear brand into stores like Walmart, with premade kits and different things. It's a magnet.īut beyond the mall stores, there is a space for all this external licensing that Build-A-Bear is getting into.
And Build-A-Bear has been pioneering that for years. As they're reopening, of course, there's a lot of different opinions on how these places are going to evolve into entertainment spaces. JAMES ZAHN: There is, because malls are still a fun destination for families. Listen, is there a place in the mall for a Build-A-Bear? James, always good to speak with you here. Let's bring in The Toy Insider senior editor James Zahn.
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