"We now will have 'The Child'"... AKA, Baby Yoda. Your go-to elementary school bday venue, Build-A-Bear is debuting a Baby Yoda stuffed toy to satisfy the unquenchable thirst for Baby Yoda-anything (aka the Yodaconomy). The adorable Star Wars character should be available within the next few months.
"Trending higher than all the presidential candidates combined..." That's what Build-A-Bear's CEO thinks of Baby Yoda. She's not wrong. Because Disney kept Baby Yoda a secret, Hasbro missed a huge opportunity (and millions of $$$) by showing up late to the yoda-bae party. Here's the deal:
- Hasbro's the exclusive official toymaker of Disney franchises (including Star Wars).
- But there's a carve-out for stuffed ~~animals~~ Jedi.
- Since Hasbro won't get yoda toys out until May, Build-a-Bear could be the only Baby Yoda option for a few months.
Timing and partnerships are key... But monetization is endless. When a character is as popular (and memeable) as Baby Yoda comes out, Disney's money-making possibilities hit galactic proportions. Licensing deals with companies like Disney are critical to Build-a-Bear's success — Almost 1/2 its sales are now from toys meant for tweens, teens, and (Star Wars-loving) adults.