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| Product type | Stuffed toy |
|---|---|
| Owner | Jazwares Berkshire Hathaway |
| Produced by | Kelly Toys Holdings LLC |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 2017; 8 years ago (2017) |
| Markets | |
| Website | shop |
Squishmallows is a brand ofstuffed toy that was launched in 2017 by Kelly Toys Holdings LLC and is owned byJazwares, aBerkshire Hathaway company.[1] Squishmallows are round and come in a variety of colors, sizes, animals/foods/objects, and textures. The brand has created over 3,000 Squishmallow designs.[2][3][4]
Kelly Toys Holdings, headquartered inLos Angeles,California, was founded in 1986 by Jonathan Kelly[5] In an interview withYahoo! Finance, Kelly stated that he came up with the idea for Squishmallows when he went to Japan and saw a variety of appealing toy products, including plush toys. Kelly and his team then spent several months creating a toy that emulated the “soft, cute, andkawaii” look of the Japanese plush toys.[6]
Judd Zebersky, CEO and president of Jazwares, announced a strategic partnership with Kelly Toys in 2019 to "reinvigorate and expand distribution" of itsRuss Berrie brand, which Jazwares had acquired in 2018. After collaborating for a year, Jazwares acquired Kelly Toys to expand its marketplace position and obtain additional marketplace licenses for the brand. Kelly Toys was acquired byJazwares, aBerkshire Hathaway company, in 2020.[7] The official partnership was announced in April 2020 by Zebersky along with Kelly Toys and their parent company,Alleghany Corporation.[8] Kelly Toys Holdings was Jazwares' second acquisition following their acquisition of Wicked Cool Toys in 2019.[5]
Squishmallows first gained success during theCOVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21 through social media outlets such asTikTok, where Squishmallows collectors would post about their collections. The TikTok hashtag #Squishmallows has gained over 550 million views. Squishmallows has acquired nearly 120,000 followers on Twitter as of 2023,[9] 456,000 TikTok followers[10] and nearly 890,000 followers on Instagram. As of May 2024, the brand has more than 13 billion views on TikTok and has been tagged more than 1 million times on Instagram.[11]
As of August 2024, 400 million Squishmallows units, in 3,000 styles, have been sold.[12][11]
Since the company’s partnership, Squishmallows has collaborated with many other brands, further expanding its position in the market. Some notable collaborations include Squishmallows xHello Kitty, announced on Jazwares’ official website in April 2021,[13] and Squishmallows xPokémon, which debuted at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con where guests could view the upcoming launch of Squishmallows characters.[14] Other brands and franchises that Squishmallows have collaborated with includeDisney,Star Wars,Marvel Comics,Harry Potter,The Wizard of Oz,SpongeBob SquarePants,The Muppets,Sonic the Hedgehog,Peanuts,Five Nights at Freddy's,The Lord of the Rings,Wicked,Stranger Things,Elf,Peppa Pig,Cocomelon,Paw Patrol andBluey.
The company has also collaborated withMonopoly and created a Monopoly board game involving purchasing Squishmallows instead of properties.[15] The game also includes a special version ofCam the Cat which is exclusive to this game.[16]
In December 2023,McDonald’s announced Squishmallows x McDonald’s. This collaboration presented 12 Squishmallows toys as collectibleHappy Meal toys, including a special-edition Grimace design.[17]
The most recent collaboration as of March 2024 is Squishmallows xPUMA, which released a select few Squishmallows characters as sneaker and apparel designs available to consumers at retail stores and on the PUMA website.[18]
Squishmallows are made from softspandex and filled withpolyester fiber.[19] As mentioned by Squishmallows on theirTwitter account, they are manufactured inChina.[20] Squishmallows originally came in four sizes, but are now sold in 12 different sizes ranging from a clip-on 3.5 inches to a large 24 inches.[21]
Authentic Squishmallows can be identified by their three attached tags. Squishmallows have also extended their line to include HugMees, Squish-Doos, Heroes, FlipAMallows, FuzzAMallows, Squish-a-longs, Squisharoys, Squooshems, Squishville, Mystery Squad, Micromallows, and Stackables.[22]
Squishmallows were originally sold directly through the KellyToys website and later became available in retail locations through partnerships with stores such as Walgreens. Squishmallows can now be found in many stores, includingClaire's,Party City,Real Canadian Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart,Save-On-Foods, PriceSmart Foods, Urban Fare,Costco,Target,Walgreens,CVS,Kroger,Hot Topic,London Drugs,Mastermind Toys,Five Below,EB Games,GameStop,Walmart andHamrick's and online retailers such asAmazon, and the official website. Squishmallows are sold in more than 60 countries around the world, includingCanada,Mexico, theUnited States, theUnited Kingdom, andAustralia.[23][24]
Due to the demand for the toy, Squishmallows are often sold by resellers for an increased price. The average resell price for a Squishmallow depends on the size, condition, and rarity of the specific style. Some limited edition or high-demand Squishmallows are sold by resellers and collectors for hundreds or thousands of dollars. Jack the Black Cat, known for its closed white eyes and white whiskers, is one of the rarest Squishmallows sold to date. KellyToys introduced the limited edition stuffed animal on their website in 2020, where it sold out within two hours.[25] Third-party websites like eBay host listings for Jack the Black Cat valued at nearly $20,000.[26]
Among the many Squishmallows that are sold, some of the most popular include Connor the Cow, Malcolm the Mushroom, Archie the Axolotl, Benny/Brina the Bigfoots, and Philippe the Frog. There are reports that resellers are harassed and doxxed by the community. Controversy surrounds the concept of resellers and Squishmallows traders within the community.[27]
Event-exclusive Squishmallows are generally considered rare and the odds of winning can be as low as approximately 1 in 10,000 such as the prize for Squishmallows Trading Card Sweepstakes: JSK Business Cat.[28]
| Year | Award | Organization | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Toy of the Year | Toy Association | Won | [29][30] |
| 2022 | Toy of the Year | Toy Association | Won | [30] |
| 2022 | People's Choice | Toy Association | Won | [31] |
| 2022 | License of the Year | Toy Association | Won | [31] |
| 2022 | Plush Toy of the Year | Toy Association | Won | [32] |
| 2023 | Toy of the Year | Toy Association | Won | [33][34] |
| 2023 | People's Choice | Toy Association | Won | [29] |
| 2023 | Plush Toy of the Year | Toy Association | Won | [29][35] |
| 2023 | Collectible of the Year | Toy Association | Won | [29][35] |
Jazwares, Squishmallows' parent company, has a philanthropic arm called Jazwares Cares, which supports children's health, wellbeing and educational development through play, via donations, sponsorships, educational programs and volunteerism, primarily on Jazwares staff. The program often donates toys, including Squishmallows. In September 2023, it donated 10,000limited edition "Star" Squishmallows toMake-A-Wish Foundation chapters in the U.S. and Canada.[36] In December 2023, it partnered with theStockton Kings to donate 1,700 toys to local families.[37]
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