Survey: Frozen merchandise ousts Barbie as top holiday gift for girls

Let it go, Mattel: Elsa, Anna, and Olaf are more popular with girls than Barbie this holiday season, a National Retail Federation survey reports.

That knocks Barbie from the survey's top spot for the first time in its 11-year history. Twenty percent of parents plan to buy Frozen-themed gifts for their daughters this year, compared to 17 percent for Barbie.

The bad news for Mattel comes just after an artist released "normal Barbies" sporting acne and stretch marks. The company has also faced backlash over a book suggesting computer engineer Barbie would need help from men to execute her programming project.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

The toy at the top of the boys' survey was no surprise, though: Lego reigns supreme.