Parents are letting go of a long-time favorite this season, planning instead to buy a cool new toy for their little girls, according to the annual National Retail Federation's Holiday Top Toys Survey.
For the first time in the 11-year history of the poll, Mattel's Barbie was not the winner for girls' parents. Instead, merchandise for Disney's "Frozen" is the survey's clear victor—with about one in five parents saying they plan to buy a toy related to the hit animated film.
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"Barbie has been the top girls' toy for over a decade, but it is no surprise that Disney's "Frozen" has taken the top seat, as children have had it on the mind as far back as Halloween," Prosper's Consumer Insights Director Pam Goodfellow said in an NRF press release.
"Frozen" debuted in theaters in November 2013, but its snowball of popularity—and merchandising—has gained speed ever since. In box office sales alone, it has generated more than $1.25 billion in global revenue.
Although she may have lost the top spot to the snow queen of Arendelle, Barbie still managed to win over a large swath of parents. The survey found that 16.8 percent planned to purchase a toy from the Mattel mainstay.
For boys, Lego, manufactured by Denmark's privately held Lego Group, retained its No. 1 spot, followed by the generic "Cars & Trucks" category.
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The survey also found that many parents are planning to buy their kids tablets; that gift option came in the top 10 for both boys and girls.
The NRF polled 6,593 consumers for the survey.
