Digital Doll Sales Stay Strong

While still popular, Mattel-owned American Girl Dolls were in their prime about a decade or two ago and elementary-aged girls across America clamored for clothing and accessories for the dolls – as well as matching items for themselves. Today’s girls have the same interests in dolls, only the clothing and dolls they’re buying never leave the internet. Forbes reports that while teen-geared stores have experienced lagging sales for the past couple seasons, sales at StarDoll, the online doll community, is booming. On Stardoll.com, users can dress up their favorite celebrities, or their own avatars, in the latest fashions and compare with their friends.

YPulse.com says:

It is fascinating to me that teens (and parents, who most likely man the money) are willing to fork over a few dollars here and there for virtual clothes, yet they are spending less and less on actual wearable threads. What kind of satisfaction does purchasing online fashion for dolls bring?

Because Stardoll users are mostly tweens and a handful of teens, I think young, wallet-friendly stores like H&M, Forever 21, and even Old Navy would be able to build a new audience and get in-store exposure through the website.

…If these stores could set up direct links that enable users to buy clothes for their Stardolls’ wardrobes and their own closets in one click, it would be incredibly interesting to see what kind of affect this would have on profits.

Forbes: How Technology Can Save Retailers