CALIFORNIA (THE WASHINGTON POST) – Nick’s body buzzed and heart rate quickened as he zigzagged through the aisles of Walgreens. His eyes darted left and right.
Then, he spotted it.
The 27-year-old from Bel Air, Maryland, snatched the one thing that could soothe his nerves. In came the full-body rush.
“It’s similar to the feeling of winning at a slot machine,” said Nick, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for career purposes. “I try to ride that high because if the high goes away too quick . . . I’m at the store again two hours later looking for another one.”
No, it’s not a lottery ticket or a rare baseball card. It’s a Squishmallow – the soft, squeezable plush toy designed as animals or inanimate objects with big bellies and sweet faces. Nick has about 400 and estimates he has spent over USD2,000 in the past two years.
In just a few years, the toy, which ranges in size from two to 24 inches and costs between USD5.99 and USD39.99, has surged in popularity with all age groups. According to Jazwares, which acquired Squishmallow parent company KellyToy in 2019, fans 18 and up are driving sales.
And the growth has been organic. Jazwares has never done an advertising campaign for the toy. Instead, a combination of timing and strategic expansion has propelled Squishmallows to an elite status – named last year by market research firm Circana as a top toy property alongside Lego, Barbie, Hot Wheels and Fisher-Price. A private company, Jazwares does not release sales figures, but Circana reported the 16-inch Squishmallow was the top-selling toy of 2022 in the US and Canada.
With over 11 billion organic impressions on TikTok, the fandom is often likened to the Beanie Baby craze – and on its way to be an enduring brand like Hello Kitty and Pokémon.
The toy isn’t a fad, said toy expert and consultant Chris Byrne. It hasn’t become mainstream yet. Rather, it’s all about the fans. “They are loyal and they are passionate and they are buying enough to make Jazwares very rich,” Byrne said. “So will these become classic? Absolutely.”
