ST. LOUIS — The the world’s largest rodent is having a big moment.
The capybara – a semi-aquatic South American relative of the guinea pig – is the latest in a long line of ‘it’ animals to get the star treatment during the holiday shopping season.
Shoppers can find capybara slippers, purses, bathrobes and bath bombs. There are cuddly plush capybaras and stretchy or soft capybaras. Little capybaras roam over bedding, T-shirts, phone cases, mugs, key chains, and almost any other type of traditional gift item.
Last year it was the axolotl that took pride of place on many products, and the endangered amphibian remains popular. Owls, hedgehogsFoxes and sloths have also been in the spotlight recently.
Trendy animals and animal-like creatures are not a new retail phenomenon; think of the talking Teddy Ruxpin toys from the 80s or Furby and Hat babies a decade later. But industry experts say so social media is getting bigger and bigger which animals are hot – or not.
“It’s really the launch on TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms that allows these characters or animals to blow up like crazy,” says Richard Derr, who has owned a Learning Express Toys franchise in Lake Zurich, Illinois, for nearly 30 years. and is also regional manager for the toy specialty store chain.
Social media also accelerates the cycle. Must-have animals can last just one season before recorded something new customers’ imagination.
“It’s really important to keep feeding that animal,” said Juli Lennett, vice president and toy industry consultant at market research firm Circana. “If you’re an influencer, you’re not going to talk about last year’s stuff.”
Skyrocketing sales of cuddly toys – fueled by a need for comfort during the pandemic – are also increasing demand for new and interesting varieties, Lennett said. In the first nine months of this year, sales of stuffed animals increased 115% compared to the same period in 2019, she said. Total toy sales increased by 38% during that time.
Consumers are increasingly seeking out exotic species that they see in online videos, games and films. Highland cows, red pandas and axolotls, a type of salamander native to Mexico, have all appeared in popular culture. According to Google Trends, searches for axolotls subsequently skyrocketed in June 2021 Minecraft added them to his game.
“Nobody knew what an axolotl was in 2020,” Derr said. ‘Now everyone knows axolotls.’
Cassandra Clayton, op Vermont Teddy Bear Company product designer, said Rising sales to adults also fuel the demand for unique – and collectible – plush toys.
“Stuffed animals are really becoming a timeless item,” she says. “Especially with the rise of self-care among adults and focusing on comfort objects to help de-stress and relax in your life.”
Clayton expects that the demand for special cuddly toys will continue to grow. One of the strangest she’s ever seen: a stuffed version of a water beara type of microorganism also called moss piglet or tardigrade.
“It doesn’t necessarily inspire you to cuddle with them, but you really see the industry starting to turn towards those characters,” she said. “I think this is the next trend.”
Figuring out the next “it” animal – or microorganism – is a challenge for toy makers.
“You never know exactly when they will hit and how big they will become,” says Sharon Price John, the president and CEO of Building a bear workshopa chain of nearly 500 stores that offers a growing menagerie of animals and characters for customers to customize, including capybaras and axolotls.
The St. Louis-based company looks to social media and gets ideas by talking to store associates and customers, John said. Typically, it takes up to a year for Build-A-Bear to introduce a new stuffed animal, she said, but the company can move faster if it spots a trend. Sometimes a small batch is tested online to make sure a trend holds, John said.
Annual trade shows in Asia, Germany and elsewhere are another place to spot new trends. Punirunes — digital, interactive pets that also come in plush varieties — are big in Japan right now and will likely take off in the U.S., says toy store owner Derr.
“Here, I can’t give them away. They’re too new. But give it a year or two,” he said.
Companies can also set their own trends in motion. Introduced in 2020, Build-A-Bear’s Spring Green Frog was an instant hit thanks to videos posted by customers. It remains popular, with nearly 2 million copies sold, John said.
John suspects that people are attracted to friendly, slow-moving capybaras because watching videos of them is so relaxing. But shoppers who want one should act quickly. A Build-A-Bear holiday capybara with red and green sprinkles on the fur — also called a “cookie bara” — has already sold out, she said.
___
Durbin reported from Detroit. Crawford reported from Lake Zurich, Illinois.