The great success of the “Barbie” film has also given the manufacturer Mattel a strong boost in the Christmas business. Gross business with Barbie dolls jumped by 27 percent to $473 million, Mattel announced after the US stock market closed. In the home market of North America there was even an increase of 43 percent. The film, released in the summer, has grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide and has also boosted previously flagging interest in Barbie products.
Mattel records the total invoices issued to customers in the gross business figure, excluding any discount campaigns, among other things. Group sales across all product categories rose by 16 percent year-on-year to 1.6 billion dollars (1.5 billion euros). Profit jumped to $147.3 million from $16.1 million in the same quarter last year.
