SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGIES
It’ s a nerve-wracking experience all parents know – watching your child’ s face as they unwrap their long-awaited Barbie doll, hoping Santa got it right. These moments are looking a little different than they did five or 10 years ago. Mattel, a global leader in toy manufacturing, has taken a big step forward in ensuring stocking fillers spark moments of inspiration for young children, especially girls.
It has launched Team Barbie, a series of dolls inspired by professional women’ s rugby players, aimed at satisfying growing consumer interest in women’ s sports.
The catalyst for this initiative stems from the record-breaking success of the Women’ s Rugby World Cup 2025. The tournament sold 444,465 tickets, with the final game drawing 81,885 spectators.
This surge in demand reflects an expanding market opportunity for merchandise linked to women’ s sports, a sector that McKinsey notes grew 4.5 times faster in revenue than men’ s sports between 2022 and 2024.
Mattel’ s strategically timed introduction of the Team Barbie dolls aligns with this rising demand, both capitalising on commercial opportunities and promoting role models who encourage greater female participation in sport.
114 January 2026