By: Jasmine Jiang
Searching through the aisles of toys, young adults all around the country find their way to a hugely popular sensation: Squishmallows.
Over the last few years, Squishmallows have become one of the top-selling toys in the U.S. and Canada in 2022. The squishy animal toys also became viral from social media, gaining 11 billion impressions on TikTok. Surprisingly fans even over the age of 18 have also been collecting these soft, squishy plushies.
When asked about collecting the toys, a 27-year-old customer named Nick remarked, “It’s similar to the feeling of winning at a slot machine.” He spoke on the condition of anonymity for career purposes. “I try to ride that high because if the high goes away too quick … I’m at the store again two hours later looking for another one.”
“The toy isn’t a fad,” said toy expert and consultant Chris Byrne. It hasn’t become mainstream yet. Rather, it’s all about the fans. “They are loyal and they are passionate and they are buying enough to make Jazwares very rich,” Byrne said. “So, will these become classic? Absolutely.”
The plushies became very popular during the pandemic as they could comfort many kids with anxiety. They are soothing and stress-relieving, helping people feel a sense of relaxation. During the pandemic everyone was seemingly stressed out, so one squish from a Squishmallow could help calm them down.
Everything all started when Sunny Cho, a designer at KellyToy was told to design something squishy and soft fabric. She wanted to design something that resembled a Japanese style plushie.
Their first release date was 2017 and it was a huge hit; customers immediately loved the toys. However, the company KellyToy wasn’t able to manufacture many Squishmallows, according to James Zahn. In 2019, Jazwares bought KellyToys and Squishmallows were able to be seen in big stores such as Target.
Nancy Ferrel, a 31 year old, was given some Squishmallows when recovering from surgery. “It brings joy,” said Ferrell, who works in career services and community-based learning at Goucher College in Towson, Maryland. Soon after she recovered, she admits, she “started to become kind of obsessed.”
Many people also really like the diversity of Squishmallows. All of these plushies have their own unique character and original stories. Squishmallows have many different accessories such as pens and notebooks. “The plush is not something I can bring around all the time,” the 26-year-old said. “But I could use a notebook, I could use a pen, and it kind of makes the day feel a little more fun.”