Mattel gets some sparkle thanks to new barbies, Elmo and Pixel Chix.Dressed like a princess and lit from within, the latest incarnation of Mattel Inc.'s icon Barbie is ready to kick those cheeky Bratz in their designer denim-clad fannies. Barbie's 12 Dancing Princesses and toy bin compatriots Elmo, Power Wheels The creator of this article, or someone who has substantially contributed to it, may have a conflict of interest regarding its subject matter. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. , and Pixel Chix Pixel Chix are interactive electronic games based on teenage girls, fashion and so forth. They are very similar to Tamagotchi in that they have an LCD screen and controlling buttons, although they are larger. helped boost Mattel to third-quarter earnings last week that lifted the company's stock 5 percent. The El Segundo-based company said third-quarter net income rose 6 percent to $239 million, or 62 cents a share, beating Wall Street expections by a penny. Sales were up 7 percent to $1.79 billion. And Mattel stock has gained 35 percent over the past year, now trading at around $22 a share. Chief Executive Robert Eckert said the company showed good performance across its portfolio. Its girls unit, which includes Polly Pocket--toothpick-sized dolls with rubber clothing--and Pixel Chix, an electronic game in which characters earn money and shop, was up 16 percent. The new TMX TMX Translation Memory eXchange TMX Trimix (mixture of oxygen, helium and nitrogen used by divers) TMX Tandem Mirror Experiment TMx Time Management System TMX Transparent Matrix (switch; Hekimian) Elmo, a souped-up, $40 version of the beloved Sesame Street Sesame Street is an American educational children's television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. character, already has parents brawling in the toy store A toy store, or toy shop, is a retail business specializing in the services of selling toys. No longer held to the limitations of the brick and mortar outlet, the toy store has successfully created a presence within the e-commerce industry. aisles, with many stores in August selling out their first two-week supply in one day. It's part of the Fischer-Price unit, where sales were up 9 percent. "They've had some good new product introductions," said Tim Conder, leisure analyst for AG Edwards & Sons Inc., who credits Mattel's creative team for the company's success. He said MatteI's acquisition of techno toy firm Radica in August also shows much promise for the company. And after 11 quarters of faltering sales, the Barbie product line was up 1 percent. Barbie's makeover isn't over, either. Last week Mattel introduced a line of Barbie dolls designed by pop princess Hilary Duff. But Barbie's designers still have their work cut out for them. The competing Bratz fashion doll Fashion dolls are dolls designed to be dressed and redressed to reflect fashion trends or occasionally fantasy play. The dolls are typically plastic or vinyl, and are manufactured both as toys and as collectibles. They are enjoyed by many age groups. line, owned by Van Nuys-based MGA Entertainment MGA Entertainment is a manufacturer of children's toys and entertainment products founded in 1997. Its products include the Bratz fashion doll line. External links
Jakks, which also reported strong earnings last week, didn't break out its Bratz sales figures for the quarter. |
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