Good and bad news from Mattel

[auri]

Mattel has just released its third quarter report.Mattel Inc.

American Girl is up 12%. That's the good news. Net world sales are flat and Barbie appears to be in big trouble--down 18%.

Overall, it looks like Mattel will continue on its present, obviously very successful course with AG while attempting a major retooling of Barbie.

[moderator]

They made some big-time changes--it made the news! Barbie is now affiliated with Fisher-Price. Here's an article on the topic:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...lines-business

[Jeanette M.]

Wow!!! [img]eek.gif[/img]

[MareGathersDolls]

So...Barbie is now a Fisher Price product instead of a Mattel product? Or is Fisher Price part of Mattel? Help! The toy line ****s, but I love the Collector line.

[auri]

Fisher Price is part of Mattel. The guy who ran it, and did well, has been put in charge of Barbie, too.

Thank heavens AG is doing so well, otherwise who knows how Mattel would be tempted to tinker with it.

[Skittl1321]

So is Barbie going to be a fisher price product, or is it just the executive in charge of fisher price is also now in charge of Barbie?

It's a bit of a difference, considering the age group the fisher price division targets.

[auri]

Here's what Mattel had to say about the reorganization announced a few days ago:

"Robert A. Eckert, chairman and chief executive officer of Mattel, Inc. (NYSE: MAT) announced today the consolidation of its Mattel Brands and Fisher-Price Brands divisions into one division called "Brands." The new global Brands division includes the Barbie?, Hot Wheels? and Fisher-Price? mega brands as well as licensed entertainment properties, including toys for Batman?, Dora-the-Explorer? and Sesame Street?."

Neil Friedman, who was the head of Fisher-Price, is now heading up the new "Brands" division. I don't know Mattel's structure well enough to know whether this means the only remaining separate division is AG but at least that's doing well enough (up 12%) to be left alone.

[lscogbill]

Hmmm - maybe they'll make a doll similar in size to AGs. The new Teen Trends supposedly is the same size as Hopscotch Hill dolls. They could make AG their flagship line, but mass-market something similar. Think better quality than Tolly but not quite up to AG standards. Just no hoochie-mama looks please.