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Tag: mattel

  • Mattel to make most of its range colorblind accessible by year’s end

    Mattel to make most of its range colorblind accessible by year’s end

    Mattel says 80 per cent of its game portfolio will be colorblind accessible by the end of the year and 90 per cent by next year, as part of the brand’s commitment to creating more inclusive play experiences.

    To produce these new portfolio-wide changes, Mattel has collaborated with specialists in the field of color vision deficit and colorblind individuals. The debut follows the launch of Uno ColorADD in 2017, which was developed for colorblind people.

    “At Mattel, we are proud that our portfolio of games continues to bring people together – transcending languages and cultures – and this initiative to offer more colorblind accessible games is another proof point on our inclusivity journey,” said Ray Adler, VP and global head of games at Mattel.

    “We’re proud to help spread awareness for the colorblind community and make our products accessible for more people, so that all fans can come together and enjoy universal gameplay.”

    Mattel will donate colorblind-accessible games to local YMCA summer camps across the US. According to the brand, the donation will be a resource in celebrating this milestone and empowering children to attain their full potential via inclusive play.

    Mattel, founded in 1945, is a global toy retailer that owns brands including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, and American Girl.

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  • Mattel turning old Barbies, Matchbox cars and Mega Bloks into new toys

    Mattel turning old Barbies, Matchbox cars and Mega Bloks into new toys

    Toymaker Mattel is encouraging kids to return Barbies, Matchbox cars and MEGA Bloks they no longer play with to the company for recycling into new toys.

    The goal of the company’s new ‘Playback’ program is to recover and reuse materials across all products and packaging by 2030, Mattel said as it announced the program this week.

    “Mattel’s Playback program is a great step,” said Jim Silver, CEO of TTPM, a toy industry research firm. “The consumer is becoming more and more concerned about the future and becoming more eco-friendly; manufacturers are starting to step up and start to try and make the environment better.”

    The company is encouraging consumers to ship their old toys back to Mattel, where they are sorted and separated by material type, processed, and recycled. Materials that cannot be recycled will be either “downcycled” or “converted to energy.”

    Last month, Mattel unveiled the Matchbox Tesla Roadster, its first vehicle made from 99% recycled materials and carbon.

    Mattel is aiming to make all Matchbox die-cast cars, playsets and packaging with 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials by 2030.

    “More and more manufacturers are going to be going down this road,” Silver said. “I think Mattel, being one of the large companies in the industry, to start this recycling program, I think you can see others follow suit.”

    To participate in the program, consumers can visit Mattel.com/PlayBack, print a free shipping label, and pack and mail their outgrown Mattel toys back to Mattel.

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  • Barbie, Hot Wheels power Mattel’s holiday-quarter sales surge

    Barbie, Hot Wheels power Mattel’s holiday-quarter sales surge

    Mattel beat estimates for quarterly sales on Tuesday as parents splurged on Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars for their children during a holiday season that was dulled by the Covid-19 pandemic.

    The toymaker has seen a surge in sales since the latter half of 2020 as the easing of coronavirus-led curbs drove toy stores to restock their shelves and cater to young families dealing with canceled vacations and a dearth of social events.

    That jump in sales may be hard to repeat in 2021, Mattel Chief Executive Officer Ynon Kreiz told Reuters in an interview.

    “We do expect to deliver strong sales growth in the first half (of 2021) compared to last year, but it will probably be more challenging in terms of comparison in the second half,” Kreiz said.

    The toymaker said worldwide gross billings for Barbie, Mattel’s biggest brand, rose 19% in the fourth quarter, while Hot Wheels billings rose 13%. Gross billings excludes sales adjustments such as trade discounts.

    Mattel’s overall net sales rose about 10% to $1.63 billion for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, beating analysts’ estimates of $1.58 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

    Rival Hasbro Inc reported a 3.6% increase incomparable holiday quarter revenue on Monday, also beating analysts’ estimates on demand for board games such as Monopoly, as well toys based on “The Mandalorian” TV series.

    Mattel reported adjusted earnings of 40 cents per share, up from 11 cents per share a year earlier.

    The company also announced a new cost-cutting program, aimed at saving about $250 million in costs by 2023. Mattel said it expects to spend between $100 million to $125 million to implement it.

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  • Mattel to launch BTS doll this summer

    Mattel to launch BTS doll this summer

    Toy retailer Mattel has announced a comprehensive, worldwide licensing agreement with popular South Korean boy band BTS. The creative collaboration will debut the first-ever line of BTS fashion dolls this summer. Under a multi-category license with BTS under its label, Big Hit Entertainment, Mattel will create dolls, collectible figures, games, and more. The collaboration will launch with a toy line created to resemble the band’s seven members – RM, Jin, Suga, J-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook – styled after their looks from the YouTube record-breaking “Idol” music video.

    “BTS is a pop-culture music phenomenon that transcends age, culture and language, and through this partnership, Mattel will offer a new way for millions across the world to engage with the band,” said Mattel’s SVP & global brand GM Sejal Shah Miller.

    “Partnering with established franchises that have global appeal is a cornerstone of our strategy and given our creative expertise, we are perfectly suited to create products celebrating BTS”.

    The BTS fashion dolls were unveiled at this week’s Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair.

  • TommyXGigi Barbie Doll launches

    TommyXGigi Barbie Doll launches

    Barbie has launched a doll depicting supermodel Gigi Hadid, the global brand ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger womenswear.

    Designed in collaboration with the Tommy Hilfiger lifestyle brand owned by PVH Corp, the special-edition TommyXGigi Barbie is available on Barbie.com and Tommy.com as well as at select retailers. Celebrating the runway event where Tommy Hilfiger introduced Hadid as global brand ambassador, the doll is styled in a navy hoodie, white shorts with red trim and brand logo, and white slip-on sneakers. It matches Hadid’s closing look for an experiential runway event at which the first TommyXGigi capsule collection was introduced.

    Tommy Hilfiger - Barbie Gigi 1

    With a suggested retail price of US$50, the doll comes with a stand and certificate of authenticity.

    “Seeing the doll for the first time was surreal,” says Hadid.

    Tommy Hilfiger - Gigi

    The doll joins more than 80 designers and fashion influencers who have been honoured by the brand, owned by US toy company Mattel.

  • Mattel Indonesia exports toys worth $150m per week

    Mattel Indonesia exports toys worth $150m per week

    Toy maker PT Mattel Indonesia produces about 2 million toys, including Barbie dolls, a week with total exports worth US$150 million.

    The products of its factory in Cikarang, West Java, account for about 60 percent of the global market, said Mattel Indonesia vice president and general manager Roy Tendean on Monday during the celebration of the company’s anniversary.

    Mattel Indonesia, a subsidiary of Long Angeles’ based Mattel Inc., celebrated its 25 years of operation in Indonesia on Monday.

    He said that the company, which produces Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels, Thomas & Friends, etc., planned to set up a link-and-match program with five vocational schools (SMK) in West Java.

    “We want to contribute to human-resources development as education is the responsibility of educational institutions, the business community and the government,” said Roy.

    The five SMK involved in the program are SMK 1 Cikarang Pusat, SMK 1 Cikarang Barat, SMK 1 Cikarang Selatan, SMK Kerawang and SMK Mitra Industri Cibitung.

    “The link-and-match program is to ensure that students receive balanced teaching materials between the theory and real working experience at a company,” he added, during the event attended by Industry Minister Airlangga Hartanto and the Mattel Inc. chief supply chain officer and executive vice president, Peter Gibbons.

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  • Barbie To Release Its First Doll Wearing a Hijab

    Barbie To Release Its First Doll Wearing a Hijab

    Mattel is about to release its first Barbie doll wearing a hijab.

    This follows a partnership with fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, who made history last year as the first member of the US Olympic team to compete while wearing a hijab. The special-edition Barbie has been designed after Muhammad, who visited the Mattel factory to take part in the process.

    She saw her doll for the first time at this year’s Glamour Women of the Year Summit, introduced by model Ashley Graham who debuted her own Barbie at last year’s summit.

    Barbie hijab 1

    Muhammad’s face lit up when she saw her Barbie replica, that includes her fencing uniform and white hijab. She recalled her childhood experiences playing with Barbie and wishing she had one that looked like her. To compensate, she would sew a hijab for her Barbie and for her sisters’ dolls.

    “Ibtihaj is an inspiration to countless girls who never saw themselves represented, and by honouring her story, we hope this doll reminds them they can be and do anything,” says Barbie VP of global marketing Sejal Shah Miller.

    Muhammad’s Barbie will be released next year as part of Mattel’s “Shero” line, which includes Barbies inspired by role models such as Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas and director Ava DuVernay.

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  • Mattel plays with digital toys to triple China business

    Mattel plays with digital toys to triple China business

    Mattel expects to grow three to four times in the more than $31 billion toys and games market in China by 2020 through digitally connected toys, as it intensifies its efforts to take on LEGO Group and Hasbro in the country.

    Mattel — which cut its dividend by more than half to fund the new efforts — said its emphasis on e-commerce and repackaging its core brands as educational toys and connecting them to the internet would propel its position in the fragmented market. The toymaker has about 2 percent market share in China, lagging behind construction toy maker LEGO which has 2.8 percent control over the market. Hasbro is catching up with 1 percent, according to Euromonitor International.

    Mattel has been revamping its toys, developing AI Barbie Holograms, smart sensors-enabled Hot Wheels cars and virtual reality powered View-Masters to make them relevant to millennial parents.

    The new, digitally connected toys will be launched globally in fall 2018, the company said on Wednesday.

    “In China, there is a lot of recognition on linear learning and development. There is a real need for development of EQ, primary motor skills and social-emotional skills,” Mattel’s Chief Executive Margo Georgiadis said.

    Georgiadis, a former Google executive, took over the reins of the toy company in February and was hired for her tech expertise and e-commerce know-how.

    Mattel also said it would launch a network of play clubs with retail spaces to sell its toys in a joint venture with investment company Fosun Group (0656.HK) adding to a slew of major tie-ups in China.

    The joint venture is the third major partnership after Alibaba and Baby Tree, aimed at promoting the company’s educational products.

    One such product is Mattel’s Hotwheels Speedometry, play-based lessons which teach children about subjects such as measurement, distance, potential and kinetic energy, through building miniature race tracks.
    The company said it aims to enmesh more educational content with other brands such as Fisher-Price and Thomas & Friends, which are popular in the Asian country.

    “As we think about the opportunity in China … it is driven by the basic fact that there are 210 million kids in China, while there are 55 million in the US,” Georgiadis told.

    “Just the sheer size of the market … it’s an enormous market opportunity.”

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  • Mattel sales beat estimates, shares rise

    Mattel sales beat estimates, shares rise

    Mattel Inc’s quarterly net sales topped analysts’ estimates for the first time in six quarters as new Chief Executive Christopher Sinclair focuses on turning around the business in the face of flagging sales of Barbie (pic) dolls.

    The toymaker reported a 2.5 percent decline in net sales in the three months ended on 31 March, during which Sinclair was appointed as interim CEO. He took the post permanently this month. Worldwide sales of Barbie dolls fell 5 percent on a constant currency basis, while sales of Fisher-Price preschool toys rose 3 percent.

    Sinclair, a former PepsiCo Inc executive who has been on Mattel’s board since 1996, has said the company needs to move with a “sense of urgency” to create toys that connect with young customers.

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  • Mattel appoints new chairman and interim CEO

    Mattel appoints new chairman and interim CEO

    Mattel recently announced the appointment of Christopher A. Sinclair as the company’s new chairman and interim Chief Executive Officer.

    inclair, who has served as a member of Mattel’s Board of Directors since 1996 and as Independent Lead Director since 2011, has extensive experience in leading global, multi-brand, consumer-focused companies.

    He was Chairman and CEO of Caribiner International Inc. from 1999-2000, President and CEO of Quality Food Inc. from 1996-1998, and prior to that served in senior roles at PepsiCo, including as Chairman and CEO of Pepsi-Cola Company, and President and CEO of PepsiCo Foods & Beverages International and Pepsi-Cola International.

    “I look forward to engaging with the entire Mattel community as we work to deepen our connections with children and parents through expanded product innovation and improved retail execution. We will be working during the coming months to revitalize the business and to identify the right leadership for Mattel as it enters its next phase of growth and value creation,” Sinclair said in a statement.

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