Barbie is on Her Deathbed, The Shocking Reasons That Say it All

Barbie is an iconic worldwide brand. Even Mattel’s Hot Wheels and Matchbox brands are widely recognized as imagination creators for children. However, something is seriously wrong with these brands as seen in their recent sales trends. Barbie’s sales have declined in a range of 13% to 15% in the past three quarters. In the second quarter alone, Barbie sales fell 15%. Mattel’s Wheels segment, which includes Hot Wheels and Matchbox, has logged four straight quarterly sales drops. While this has happened, in the last two quarters Mattel’s gross profit margin has been vaporized. TheStreet's Retail Contributor Brian Sozzi shares insights into what's plaguing these iconic toy brands.