Mattel Creations Scales On-Demand with Shopify Collective

How Mattel Creations Met Barbie Demand in Two Weeks

When the summer 2023 Barbie movie hype hit its peak, Mattel Creations recognized a small window to merchandise exclusive Barbie products without stocking inventory themselves. They found a creative solution inShopify Collective, a tool built to let brands sell each other’s products directly. By tapping this native Shopify feature, they connected with Funboy—a Venice Beach pool float maker who had designed a Barbie-themed float—and built a frictionless storefront experience in just 14 days.

Identifying the Challenge

Mattel Creations needed to act swiftly: design, source, onboard, and launch a new Barbie product before the highly anticipated film premiere. Traditional wholesale meant upfront inventory risk and complex logistics. Their priorities were clear: no large inventory buy-in, quick partner integration, and automatic inventory syncing and fulfillment management.

Implementing Shopify Collective

Because Funboy already ran on Shopify, onboarding them into Mattel Creations’ store was a matter of inviting a partner and testing flows. Within days they verified import, inventory sync, and order flow. The teams set up financial automations so payments would route accurately, all without a long-term contract. In under two weeks, the Barbie float went live on the Mattel Creations site alongside evergreen products.

Measuring Immediate Results

By leveraging the buzz around Barbie, Mattel Creations saw 57% of float purchases come from customers new to their site. At the same time, the special edition float posted a 31% higher average order value than existing catalog items. Fast go-to-market meant capturing fresh shoppers and upselling them into the Mattel Creations community.

Building for the Next Drop

The success unlocked a new playbook: use Shopify Collective as an on-demand test lab for trending products or movie tie-ins without tying up capital. Mattel Creations can now rapidly connect with global partners, set up fulfillment pipelines automatically, and keep pace with fan enthusiasm.

Key Impacts at a Glance

• Launched a new, on-brand product in 14 days.
• Drove 57% of float sales from first-time site visitors.
• Boosted average order value by 31% on the float SKU.

Looking Ahead

Armed with simplified partner onboarding and automatic fulfillment, Mattel Creations is positioned to ride future trends—game launches, movie releases, or limited-edition drops—while minimizing risk and labor. With Shopify Collective powering their network, rapid turnarounds are the new normal.