MIDDLETON, Wis., Aug. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- American
Girl®, a premium brand for girls and subsidiary of
Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT), today announced a multi-year partnership
with the world's leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer,
Toys"R"Us, Inc. The collaboration will make Toys"R"Us®
the first and only U.S.-based retailer to feature American Girl
shop-in-shops in select stores, and the exclusive retail partner to
carry American Girl's popular Truly Me™ line of
contemporary 18-inch dolls, doll outfits and accessories. The move
marks the first time the company has extended such a broad
assortment of its doll product outside of its existing
channels.
The inclusion of American Girl product at Toys"R"Us stores is in
addition to American Girl's 20 proprietary U.S. stores and its
online shop, americangirl.com. This expansion also comes on the
heels of the launch of American Girl's newest doll and content
line, WellieWishers™, designed for girls ages 5
to 7 years.
"For years, girls and their families have been asking for more
immediate and convenient ways to shop for and experience American
Girl," says Katy Dickson, president
of American Girl. "Partnering with a top retailer like Toys"R"Us
allows us to meet our customers where and when they want to shop
and to take our timeless life lessons to even more girls. We're
excited about increasing access to our brand by inspiring and
connecting with more families in more places than ever
before!"
From Sunday, September 4 through
Saturday, September 10, American
Girl's new WellieWishers product line will begin hitting shelves at
Toys"R"Us stores nationwide. Following in late October, Toys"R"Us
will debut an American Girl shop-in-shop in 97 select locations
across the country. Ranging in size up to 700 square feet, each
shop-in-shop will feature an exclusive selection of American Girl's
signature Truly Me 18-inch dolls, doll outfits and accessories,
plus WellieWishers. Additional Toys"R"Us stores will open
shop-in-shops in 2017.
"We are focused on finding new, exciting ways to bring our
stores to life, and are thrilled to be launching this exclusive
American Girl shop-in-shop in nearly 100 Toys"R"Us locations across
the country just in time for the holiday season," said Richard Barry, Global Chief Merchandising
Officer, Toys"R"Us, Inc. "The American Girl experience is something
that our customers won't want to miss and reinforces our position
as the leading retailer for all consumers' toy needs."
ABOUT AMERICAN GIRL
American Girl is a premium brand
for girls and a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel, Inc.
(NASDAQ:MAT, www.mattel.com), a creations company that
inspires the wonder of childhood. Headquartered in Middleton, WI, American Girl offers an
inspiring world of dolls, experiences, and entertainment to
empower and unite girls of all ages. Best-selling lines include
Truly Me™, Girl of the Year™, Bitty Baby™, WellieWishers™, and the
classic historical character line BeForever™. American Girl's
mission is to help build girls of strong character—a goal that has
already earned the loyalty of millions and the praise and trust of
their parents and educators. The company sells products
through its award-winning catalogue, on americangirl.com, and
in its experiential retail stores nationwide. Select American Girl
product is also sold via Toys"R"Us. Outside of the U.S, American
Girl products are sold at specialty boutiques with Indigo™ and
Chapters™ in Canada and with El
Palacio de Hierro in Mexico
City. To learn more about American Girl or request a free
catalogue, call 1-800-845-0005 or visit
www.americangirl.com, www.facebook.com/americangirl,
or www.twitter.com/american_girl.
ABOUT TOYS"R"US, Inc.
Toys"R"Us, Inc. is the world's
leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer, offering a
differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands.
Merchandise is sold in 871 Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores in
the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam, and in more than 755 international
stores and 250 licensed stores in 37 countries and jurisdictions.
With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com
and Babiesrus.com, the company provides shoppers with a broad
online selection of distinctive toy and baby products.
Toys"R"Us, Inc. is headquartered in Wayne, NJ and has an annual workforce of
approximately 62,000 employees worldwide. The company is committed
to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor
through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in
times of need. For more information, visit Toysrusinc.com or follow
@ToysRUsNews on Twitter. Follow Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us on
Facebook at Facebook.com/Toysrus and Facebook.com/Babiesrus and on
Twitter at Twitter.com/Toysrus and Twitter.com/Babiesrus.
Media Contact:
Julie Parks, American Girl
608.830.4631
julie.parks@americangirl.com
Meghan Sowa, Toys"R"Us
973.617.4947
Meghan.Sowa@toysrus.com
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SOURCE Mattel, Inc.