By: Anna Chuang

The incredibly soft, stuffed plushies, Squishmallows, are now one of the most popular and loved toys among all age groups. Even adults are crazy for these stuffed toys with adorable faces that depict animals, fruits, and other inanimate objects.

In 2019, Jazwares bought KellyToy, the original manufacturer of Squishmallows. Jazwares never advertised the brand but used business strategies to expand their consumers.

According to NPD, the 16-inch assorted Squishmallows Plush was the top selling toy in the U.S. in 2022, and the 8-inch assorted Squishmallows Plush was the top selling toy in Canada in 2022. Having over 11 billion organic mentions on TikTok, and a huge crowd of buyers and fans, Squishmallow is continuing to get wealthier and wealthier.

According to The Washington Post, Nick, a 27-year-old major Squishmallow fan, raced through Walgreens to find the plushie that he has been looking for. Nick eventually found what he was looking for, and said, “It’s similar to the feeling of winning at a slot machine.” He has around 400 Squishmallows and has spent more than $2,000 on these adorable toys.

Unlike other companies, Squishmallow’s business boomed during the pandemic. The price for the toys was reasonable and the children loved them. Having one of these super soft plushies around was comforting and calming for children and adults when they felt overwhelmed. As stated in The Washington Post, 31-year-old Nancy Ferell was gifted some Squishmallows after she got surgery, and she says that “It brings joy,” and she “started to become kind of obsessed.”

This unique brand has shown that no matter how old you are, you can still love the same things that children do. The brand Squishmallows has also shown that despite any economic circumstances, your goals can be achieved as long as you are strategic and thoughtful.