![]() Now, collectors go to great lengths to find what they want.Ĭhoquette said customers drive from all over the state, including many Greeley regulars, and even visit from other tourist destinations in the state. In fact, most stores didn’t begin selling out until 2020. They were well-received at the time, but they weren’t flying off the shelves. Kellytoy created Squishmallows in 2017 with a limited release of eight characters. I have a lot to thank them for.” The challenges of collecting It should’ve been bankruptcy, the landlord suing me and taking pretty much everything I have. “In my mind, it was what (Kellytoy) helped me do that kept me open,” Choquette said. And, as a company, Kellytoy has sold more than 73 million plushies with additional releases set for later this year. Kelly cannot provide specific numbers on northern Colorado growth, but he said store orders for spring/summer/fall 2021 are three times larger than the 2020 collections. Just three months into 2021, it’s sold more than 9,000. Learning Express Fort Collins alone sold about 11,000 Squishmallows in 2020. The animals brought comfort to millions during a time of fear and uncertainty. It was something they were buying to feed their souls,” Choquette said when asked why they took off during COVID-19. “A lot of people latched onto Squishmallows because they helped them with their anxiety, and it was kind of calming. Suddenly, phones were ringing constantly with inquiries about the stuffies, and the store began shipping nationwide. Last April, one of Choquette’s daughters - whom she assures doesn’t get first dibs - color-coded the store’s Squismallow wall and posted the photo on Facebook. ![]() Learning Express has sold Squishmallows for years, but it wasn’t until the pandemic they became the top-selling item. “Then, I started seeing more and different characters and was like, ‘These are super cute.’” The impact of Squishmallow popularity “I got my first Squishmallow, and I don’t know how, but somehow TikTok started giving me Squishmallow videos,” Popowski said. Others post about their collections or make videos “squish hunting.” Plus, the app’s algorithm has, in a way, enabled collectors by suggesting videos featuring them. ![]() Kelly said increased screen time due to the pandemic and organic videos helped boost their notoriety.įollowers of famous creators have purchased en masse after seeing them in videos. Videos featuring Squishmallow-related hashtags have been viewed more than 1.6 billion times, as of Friday night. The biggest online contributor is likely TikTok. Some fans created Instagram accounts solely for sharing their mallows, while Facebook groups allow collectors to connect, buy, sell and trade. ![]() Social media played a large part in Squishmallow popularity. Squishmallows appear to be for young children, but 10 to 30 year olds have become the primary market.Įxpand When and how did Squishmallows become so popular? “I remember there used to be lots in King Soopers, and I could wait a couple days after (seeing them) to truly decide what I wanted, but nowadays you have to get there the day they stock them or you risk not getting any.” Who collects Squishmallows? “It is definitely harder to find Squishmallows lately,” said Mackinzie James, 18, of Greeley. The popularity increase, however, has made these cuddly creatures more difficult to procure. Learning Express regularly carries Squishmallows, while several big-box chains offer them for holidays and store-exclusive collections. The style is reminiscent of plush toys in Japan, Kellytoy co-president Jonathan Kelly said. Each character - with more than 800 created - has a name and biography on its tag. Squishmallows are stuffed animals made of soft fabric and squishy stuffing, pun intended, manufactured by Kellytoy. Learning Express, a franchise about 35 minutes from Greeley, survived COVID-19 due to the rise of “ Squishmallows.” Customers began arriving just three minutes later, despite it being 2:12 p.m. On Monday, the store announced online a new shipment had arrived. Seventy-eight people stood outside a Fort Collins toy store before it opened on Saturday, like it was Black Friday, hoping to purchase new characters of a popular plush toy.
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