Mattel to launch Fisher Price children’s clothing

Toy manufacturer Mattel is launching a new line of children’s clothing based on its Fisher Price toys, and is considering introducing the range into the UK market.

The range for babies and toddlers includes sweaters, pyjamas and baby-grows. It is positioned as colourful and durable, using the line: “Fisher Price clothes for little people”.

The new range will be sold initially in the US through mail-order catalogues and the Internet.

Mattel, whose brands include Hot Wheels cars and Barbie, says the new line, which follows the launch of a range of Barbie childrenswear earlier this year, is a “logical extension of the brand”.

A Mattel UK spokeswoman says: “It is possible that we will be bringing it over here in 2001, but I can’t tell you anything more than that.” She could not say whether the clothing range would be stocked in shops or only sold through mail order.

The clothing initiative follows Mattel’s announcement at the end of last month that it intends to focus on existing brands, rather than developing new ones, as part of a financial realignment plan to generate cost savings and improve profits.

The company has already sold its educational software division, The Learning Company, to a private investment firm and has announced 350 redundancies in the US.

Rival manufacturer Hasbro last week announced that it will be slashing its workforce by five per cent and closing plants because of a fall in demand for Pokémon and Star Wars toys.