About the Coronavirus
The COVID-19 (otherwise known as the coronavirus) is a respiratory disease that originated from Wuhan, China. This virus has spread globally, and infected cases have been found all across the world including Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Iran, the United States and more. At the time of writing, the number of cases worldwide has just surpassed one hundred thousand. The virus has spread worldwide panic and hysteria to many. Impromptu hospitals are being made to accommodate the growing number of sick people. Cities in China are being quarantined and common places are being requisitioned. There are some regions in the United States that have closed schools until further notice and grocery stores are being rampaged for food and supplies. Procedure masks and N-95 respirators are sold out everywhere which is a huge problem for healthcare professionals because the masks and respirators are necessary for their line of work. This virus has affected many people’s daily activities such as school, work, and other public events. With the growing concerns related to Coronavirus, consumers can expect a negative impact on toy production as well.
How the Coronavirus Impacts Toy Production
China is the world’s largest manufacturer. Due to cheap and fast manufacturing rates, many companies opt for China when producing products such as clothes, shoes, and toys. Due to the coronavirus epidemic, many toys that are manufactured in China are predicted to be delayed in production, processing, and shipping. Not only is travel restricted, but many areas of China are under quarantine to prevent further spreading of the disease. In fact, some companies, workplaces, and factories have been shut down until further notice. This prevents employees and those who work in factories from assembling toys for shipment.
While many toys from different companies that are made overseas are expecting delays and shortages due to the coronavirus. Among these toys is one toy, in particular, that is a highly anticipated release: Baby Yoda.
Some may think that manufacturing and production could just be carried out at a slightly higher cost elsewhere in another country that isn’t being hit so hard by the epidemic. Besides the cost issue, however, lies another problem: China is the main source of resin and plastics that are necessary for making the actual toys. Certain raw materials in their desired form and quantity are exclusively available in China. Hasbro, the company that is producing the new Baby Yoda toy, has expressed interest in moving toy supply chains out of China, but many of the manufacturing and production plans were made prior to this expressed interest.
To make matters worse for Baby Yoda toy production, travel restriction isn’t just airplanes. Trucks and other forms of industry transport are limited due to the coronavirus. Trucks can’t get through certain provinces in China due to closures. Boats are also limited and can’t accommodate all of the containers that need to be shipped out. The global supply chain of toys is affected in almost every step of the way.
About Baby Yoda
Baby Yoda (otherwise known as The Child) made his first appearance in early 2020 in The Mandalorian Star Wars show on Disney+, Disney’s streaming website. Baby Yoda was instantly a fan favorite and broke the hearts of many worldwide with his incredibly cute appearance. His adorable facial expressions have been featured as a subject in many popular Internet memes.
Baby Yoda’s popularity was instantaneous and intense, so it only made sense for toy industry experts to create a Baby Yoda toy that would satisfy the increasing demand of the many fans worldwide. The toy Hasbro designed is supposedly a Baby Yoda life-size replica that can move and make baby sounds.
How the Coronavirus Caused Baby Yoda Toy Delays
Disney chose to delay manufacturing of Baby Yoda toys until after his first surprise appearance on the show, which wasn’t until November of 2019. Disney CEO’s decision to delay Baby Yoda’s reveal until the show aired prevented possibly millions in revenue that could have been generated from the 2019 holiday season. However, to avoid leaks, Baby Yoda remained a secret and was left off of toy catalogs and advertisements until his first debut in late 2019. Although the Baby Yoda toys have yet to be released, many pre-orders (priced at $59.99 at the time of writing) have already sold out! Unfortunately, it looks as though toy production could be destined for a grinding halt. Further production could be delayed due to current working conditions in China. This could eventually lead to Baby Yoda toy delays and a shortage of Baby Yodas on toy shelves.
Can Coronavirus Be Spread through Toys?
It has been predicted that the coronavirus is primarily spread through droplet infection, which is when an infected individual emits droplets (via coughing, sneezing, etc.) into the air, which is then inhaled by an uninfected individual. There has been no evidence that the coronavirus can survive in an environment such as a toy’s surface and infect the child who plays with it. Therefore, any products, including toys, that are imported from countries that are affected by the coronavirus are highly unlikely to transmit the disease due to the virus’s unstable nature in the environment and on surfaces. Despite this unlikely method of transmission, hand washing and good hygiene practice is encouraged to prevent other methods of contracting the disease.
Should I Be Worried about Baby Yoda Toy Delays?
First and foremost, the health and wellbeing of people worldwide should be the biggest worry in these times of trouble. If you are in an area where the disease is not prevalent or you are not part of a high-risk population, you should consider yourself lucky!
If your anticipated Baby Yoda toy delays have you in a state of anxiety, we have good news. Companies involved in the production of Baby Yoda and other popular toys have their manufacturing status as their top concern. Baby Yoda toy delays result in a loss of revenue, profit, and possibly business. This is the last thing companies want for their brand. As a consumer, you can sleep easy knowing that there are big outside incentives to get that Baby Yoda toy to you and thousands of other consumers as soon as possible!
In addition, it should be noted that at the time of writing, the state of the coronavirus is very unpredictable. It is difficult to say what will happen in the coming months. There are many predictions of the percentages of production declines that will occur due to the coronavirus, but at the end of the day, they are just that, predictions.
For Baby Yoda to hit stores for the Mandalorian’s second season premiere and the 2020 holidays, supply chains must resume by summer.
For the safety of workers in China and people worldwide, the sooner the disease is controlled or eradicated, the better. Once people are let out of quarantine, many will be able to return to work and resume toy production. Stay healthy out there and further updates about possible Baby Yoda toy delays are still to come!
Do you have any other questions about toy production or Coronavirus that we didn’t answer? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll get right back to you.
