Toy maker Mattel sold almost twice as many Barbie dolls in the first three months of this year as in the same period last year according to figures published by the company on Thursday evening. In North America in particular, Barbie dolls sold en masse because households had more disposable income due to the government’s corona support package.
The first quarter is normally not a good quarter for toy manufacturers, because toys are mainly bought around the holidays. But last quarter was an exception. Consumers worldwide spent $ 276 million (about $ 229 million) on Barbies in the first quarter. That is 87 percent more than in the first three months of last year. In North America, sales of the popular dolls increased by 132 percent.
Mattel thinks the increase is mainly because parents want to buy more toys for their children due to the ongoing lockdown. In addition, American households have received an extra benefit from the government. The government wants to use this to keep the economy up to standard.
The company’s total revenue in the first quarter was $ 874 million, an increase of 47 percent. Despite significantly higher sales, Mattel was unable to make a profit. The loss amounted to USD 115 million. That was almost a half of the loss of the first quarter of last year, when the American company plunged 210 million euros into the red.
