Still, double-digit international Barbie sales and strong sales in the other girls products pushed the division to an overall sales gain of 3%. “We’re not anticipating Barbie revisiting a double-digit growth trajectory any time soon.” “Those numbers are history,” said Jill Krutick, an analyst with Salomon Smith Barney in New York. Worldwide, Barbie sales in 2001 fell 3%, to $1.55 billion, the company said, well off a 1997 Barbie peak of $1.8 billion. Barbie sales dropped 12% when compared with the same time a year ago, with sales of higher-end collectible Barbie dolls, a mostly adult product, falling 40%.
“No one would have believed they could do that.” “We criticized Mattel and the girls division for years for being a one-trick pony, and now they’re growing their gross margins” despite declines in Barbie sales, said Hayley Kissel, leisure industry analyst for Merrill Lynch. Among other products, Mattel this year will add pets and houses to the What’s Her Face line of write-on, wipe-off dolls and new baby dolls called Shining Stars that include materials to name and register them with the International Star Registry.
