The largest listed toymaker. Around 80% of toys sold in America are made in China, making the industry particularly exposed to tariffs. Mattel intends that by 2027 no single country should provide more than a quarter of its global output, as part of a shift away from Chinese manufacturing.
Mattel is working with OpenAI to bring AI to its brands, which include Barbie and Hot Wheels.
Toy sales grew by 7% worldwide in 2025 thanks to rising spending by "kidults"—adults buying for themselves. A decade ago just 9% of expenditure on toys in Europe's five biggest markets came from over-18s; by 2025 that share had more than doubled. With birth rates plummeting, hooking grown-ups has become only more important. Mattel's Hot Wheels has collaborated with Gucci (Kering) and Formula One, with some items available only to paid-up members of a special fan club.
The possession of a book becomes a substitute for reading it.