Christmas Holidays, Gifts & Shopping: Barbie Loses Most Coveted Toy for Girls Spot to 'Frozen' Movie Elsa, Anna Dolls
Merchandise from Disney's hit film "Frozen" has topped the list as the most coveted toys for girls this holiday season, bumping Barbie from the No. 1 spot for the first time in years, according to a national survey.
The National Retail Federation reported that 20 percent of parents asked in their annual study said they plan to buy "Frozen" gifts for their daughters.
Barbie was the second-most common answer, with 17 percent of parents indicating the doll as their picks this year. The iconic doll has been the top choice for parents of girls for the past 11 years in a row, when the survey began being conducted.
Lego toys were the most popular choice among young boys' parents, representing 14 percent of those surveyed.
Mattel Inc.'s has seen setbacks for its doll, as Barbie has lost ground to other doll brands after drawing criticism for her unrealistic body proportions. In the most recent quarter, Barbie sales dropped 21 percent.
"Barbie has been the top girls' toy for over a decade, but it is no surprise that Disney's 'Frozen' has taken the top seat as children have had it on the mind," Pam Goodfellow, director of Proper Insights & Analytics, said in a statement.
Goodfellow worked on the survey and said the popularity of "Frozen"-themed Halloween costumes have the film fresh in parents' minds.
The Barbie brand, which is the largest toy property in the world, still has over $1 billion in global sales. However, company shares have declined 34 percent this year, a counter pattern to the 12 percent gain for the Standard& Poor's 500 Index.
Despite the seeming competition, Mattel has actually benefited from "Frozen's" popularity. The company makes Queen Elsa and Princess Anna, the two heroines of the Walt Disney Co. film, dolls. However, in 2016 doll licensing for the movie will switch over to Hasbro Inc., Bloomberg reports.
"Frozen," released in November 2013, is the most successful animated film of all time, generating nearly $1.3 billion in worldwide box office sales.
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