Squishmallows, a brand of soft and simplistic plush toys, have been flying off the shelves. Since their release in 2017, founder Kelly Toys Holdings LLC has sold more than 100 million Squishmallows.
Although these plushies are marketed towards children, teen and adult collectors have also contributed massively to their success. What makes Squishmallows so popular among older audiences?
One major contributing factor to their success is their cute and identifiable design. Although there are many different types of Squishmallows between animals, foods and other creatures, two features are present on them all: their simple expression and their round and huggable shape. This iconic design distinguishes Squishmallows as a brand and separates them from their competitors.
Not only are Squishmallows simply just cute, but they are also fun, relatable characters. Each Squishmallow has a name, personality and interests, like video games, science and athletics. The relatability and personification of the toy adds an extra emotional connection between the consumer and the plushie.
Squishmallow fans do not just build connections with the characters, but they can also form relationships with other fans. Over the past two years, Squishmallow collectors have taken their interest to online communities on TikTok and other social media platforms. Adult fans share their collection and notify fellow fans of new characters. This increases interest in certain plushies and exposes the brand to those unfamiliar, further popularizing them and expanding the community.
With a growing fanbase and more than 1,000 characters to collect, Squishmallow fans may struggle to find their favorite ones in store. Some Squishmallows are harder to find than others, which increases the demand. Fans may wait in long lines or pay hefty resale prices for their favorite characters. Additionally, the high demand and low supply of Squishmallows may cause fans to buy out of impulse as they may not have the opportunity to buy it at another time.
The design, relatability, community, collectability and demand all contribute to the growing adult audience. Some claim Squishmallows are comparable to a new generation of 1990s toy craze Beanie Babies. Only time can tell if Squishmallows will increase in value over time, but right now, these cute and huggable characters have won over the hearts—and wallets—of many.
