Toy collection becomes one of The Entertainer’s best selling preschool ranges.
Toy licensee Simba is reporting ‘exceptional’ sales for its line of Masha and the Bear products.
The collection launched exclusively at The Entertainer in October and has become one of the retailer’s best selling preschool ranges.
Masha and the Bear airs everyday on Cartoonito in the UK and is something of a YouTube sensation – with over 70,000 views a day it has taken one of the top spots on the newly launched YouTube Kids app.
2016 will see Masha and the Bear expand onto Boomerang.
As well as a growing platform in the UK, the property already has a healthy fan base in Russia, South East Asia, Eastern and Southern Europe.
Lisle International handles the UK licensing for the property.
The Simba range include plush, dolls, play-sets and construction lines, with further products due for release in 2016.
“Sales have been incredible and we have had to ship in more stock from Europe just to keep up with the demand,” said Richard Belford, sales director at Simba Smoby.
“It’s great to see so many mums and kids connecting with the show and buying into the toy range.”
Last year, Italian confectioner Ferrero sold 37 million chocolate bars with Masha and the Bear on the label in Russia, and Danone sold 33 million licensed yogurts in Ukraine. Burger King has been offering a Masha-branded kids menu in Russia since January, and German toymaker Simba Dickie is introducingMasha-themed plush animals and construction sets. Masha has “proven that it works perfectly for merchandising, not only for toys but apparel, school bags, and sweets,” says Michael Sieber, Simba Dickie’s chief executive officer. “It has great potential. It won’t be just a short hype but a long-term story.”