Squishmallows from Kellytoy: Plush with Star Power

The fat, fluffy critters started appearing on toy shelves in 2017. Within a few years, the Squishmallows — as the plush line from Kellytoy is known — were stars of TikTok, bopping to music in bedrooms across America. And when the pandemic locked America down, consumers took comfort in the squeezable toys, making Squishmallows a phenomenon on the level of 1990s Beanie Babies or 1980s Cabbage Patch Kids.

“Fans often mention that stuffed animals like Squishmallows help relieve stress and anxiety,” noted Kellytoy Co-President Jonathan Kelly. “So Squishmallows were very timely additions to people’s homes in 2020 and 2021.”

Squishmallows took off in a way Kelly could scarcely have envisioned when he first dreamed them up. On a visit to Japan, he saw a whimsical plush toy with rotund proportions and quirky features, and decided a similar product would stand out in the American market. The Kellytoy team worked for months to develop critters with just the right elements of softness and cuteness: Puffy Squishmallows have either a mouth, a nose or a snout right between big, round eyes, a nod to the animé aesthetic. They are made of marshmallow-soft, machine washable polyester, and come in a variety of sizes, from 3.5-inch clip-ons to the jumbo 24-inch stuffies. And like those Cabbage Patch Kids of yore, each Squishmallow has a unique name and storyline.

More than 83 million Squishmallows have sold in the four years since they hit shelves at Costco and Walgreens and websites like Amazon; these include not only the Original line, but also the HugMees and FlipA-Mallows spinoff styles. Last March, The New York Times reported that sales of Squishmallows had tripled during just the previous six months.

As of May 2021, there are more than 1,000 Squishmallows varieties, not including licensed characters like Baby Yoda. There are Squishmallows that resemble foxes, elephants, strawberries, unicorns, cupcakes, pineapples, koalas and avocados. Kelly said the brand plans to continue expanding the Squishmallows line with new and licensed characters, catering to demand from a mushrooming cadre of collectors who seize on every new addition (a collector’s guide is due out this summer at squishmallows.com).

With a turnaround time legendary in the industry, Kellytoy is able to respond effectively to consumer demand. The Los Angeles-based manufacturer moves its plush toys and gift products from design concept to store shelves faster than most by sourcing everything in-house, allowing it to control every cost along the way while keeping a strict eye on quality.

Founded in 1986, Kellytoy boasts a portfolio that spans market segments from gift, specialty and toy retailers to party stores, supermarkets and drugstores, warehouse clubs, and amusement parks. In addition to Squishmallows, other best-sellers include the Pillow Chums™, Kellybaby™ and Kellypet™ lines,

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