Sales of Barbie dolls in the U.S. market grew by a quarter in July-August 2023, according to the research company Circana. The explosive growth was the release of the movie “Barbie”, which entered the top 20 in the collection in cinema history.
The authors note that the Barbie brand first ranked in the dolls category in July and August. Barbie held six spots in the top 10 in the top-selling segment in the doll category.
In early summer, Mattel, which owns the brand, announced a unique collection dedicated to the upcoming movie. It included Barbie and Ken dolls with the appearance of the characters of the new comedy, as well as a copy of Barbie’s three-story house from the movie.
Mattel expects demand for these products to continue soon and plans to release more of these products in the run-up to the New Year and Christmas sales. The company has entered into more than 165 partnerships with various manufacturers and retailers to sell a wide range of themed products, including toys, clothing, furniture, home accessories and even pasta, sushi and burgers.
“Barbie” is an adventure fantasy comedy directed by Greta Gerwig from a screenplay by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. Based on Mattel’s Barbie toy series, the movie was the first feature film about Barbie after numerous cartoons and specials. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling played the lead roles of Barbie and Ken.
The film grossed over $1.4 billion at the worldwide box office, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2023 and the highest-grossing film in history directed directly by a female director. The film also became the most successful Warner Bros. film and the 15th highest-grossing film of all time.
