Squishy toys take over Easter baskets
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Bright, squishy toys like NeeDoh are fueling a viral craze — and proving hard to find in stores. Photo: Courtesy of Ashley Pomerantz Blumstein
Easter baskets are getting a squishy upgrade this year, as parents hunt for toys like NeeDoh and glittery "dumplings" — among this season's hottest items.
Why it matters: The surge shows how viral, low-cost toys can quickly turn into must-have items — driving sellouts and resale markups.
- The squeezable sensory toys are used for stress relief and focus — driving demand across kids and adults.
The big picture: Retailers are leaning into fast-moving, trend-driven toys to attract younger shoppers.
- Five Below is riding viral hits like squishy dumplings, helping fuel a recent earnings beat and 24% revenue growth.
- Aldi is leaning into the trend, saying its focus on value "means we can offer viral, trendy items like NeeDoh at low prices," a spokesperson told Axios.
- NeeDoh, a soft, squishy toy made by Schylling, has gone mainstream, now sold at chains from CVS and Walgreens to Target, Walmart and Barnes & Noble.
State of play: NeeDoh sales are up more than 3x this year, Schylling president Paul Weingard tells Axios, and the company sold through six months of inventory in just six weeks.
- The frenzy is spilling online, where third-party sellers on Amazon, eBay and Walmart are listing squishy toys above retail — sometimes for as much as 10 times their usual price.
Zoom in: NeeDoh — launched in 2017 — has become a breakout Easter hit.
- They've already sold out at most retailers, Weingard said. "They've been so popular, some retailers have asked us to keep shipping our Easter items all year long."
- Social media is amplifying demand, with viral videos and unboxings turning restocks into events.
- Toymaker RMS USA says its Mystery Squishy Dumplings are also gaining momentum, with the glitter-filled collectibles becoming a viral hit and selling out "within the hour" after restocks.
Reality check: Shoppers are lining up — and even camping out — when stores get inventory.
- "I go to stores whenever I can … and I still find nothing because people buy entire boxes at once," said Ashley Pomerantz Blumstein, a preschool teacher in South Florida who has been collecting NeeDoh and squishy dumplings for years and uses them in her classroom.
- She said they've become harder to find as the trend has taken off, with prices surging — from about $6 to $45 or more online.
What's next: For Schylling, demand is outpacing supply.
- "Each year demand has increased faster than our manufacturing," Weingard said.
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