Hitwise Intelligence - LeeAnn Prescott - US
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December 05, 2006
Baby Alive is Back, Bratz Searches up 64% over Last Year
This week I was surprised to see that 'baby alive' was the #9 product search term sending visits to Shopping & Classifieds sites. It turns out that Baby Alive is back, and in a big way. Searches for the doll that was introduced in 1973 and talks, eats, and even messes up diapers increased by 268% in the past two weeks (week ending 12/2/06 vs. week ending 11/18/06). Searches outnumbered those for 'bratz' and approached 'american girl' in popularity.
As a former doll-loving little girl, I know first-hand how much time and money can be sunk into collecting dolls, as well as purchasing and making clothes and accessories for them. While Baby Alive is geared toward a younger child than some of the other dolls on this list, it's important to note a resurgence in popularity that could shift girls' interests away from other dolls or toys. Visits to the Hasbro Toy Shop were up 128% for the week ending 12/03/06 versus the same week last year, possibly due to interest in Baby Alive.
It's interesting to note on the chart below that searches for 'barbie' and 'bratz' show less of a seasonal trend, while searches for 'american girl' peaked last year during the holiday season. The data show that the share of searches for 'bratz' is up 64% from last year (week ending 12/02/06 vs. 12/03/05) and searches for 'american girl' were also up by 14% in the same period.
Posted by LeeAnn Prescott at 02:05 PM
Posted to Shopping and Classifieds
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