Barbie Gets Slice of the Big Apple
<i> From Times Wire Services </i>
Mattel Inc. has opened a Barbie doll boutique at the Madison Avenue entrance of New York’s famed FAO Schwarz toy store.
The pink-themed boutique features a number of animated displays, including a moving fashion show of Barbie dolls and accessories, a larger-than-life Barbie with twinkling eyes and a new Madison Avenue Barbie that will be an FAO exclusive.
The shop will also boast home furnishings, health and beauty aids and video game software.
TV star Kathie Lee Gifford will attend a grand opening with Mattel President Jill Barad and FAO Schwarz President John Eyler.
In the last five years, El Segundo-based Mattel said, worldwide Barbie sales have more than doubled to a projected $1 billion this year from $430 million.
