Photos:

Bratz Iconz Yasmin:
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/photos/robyn-bratziconzyasmin.jpg

Bratz Iconz Cloe:
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/photos/robyn-bratziconzcloe.jpg

Bratz Iconz Sasha:
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/photos/robyn-bratziconzsasha.jpg

Bratz Iconz Jade:
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/photos/robyn-bratziconzjade.jpg

Related entries:
Fall 2009 Bratz Products And Collections: THE HUNT IS ON! (06.27.2009):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=37

Pennsylvania is Bratz Country, and don't you forget it!

Leave it up to five new Target stores that had their Grand Openings in Pennsylvania on July 26, 2009 to have made it possible for me to find the dolls from the new Bratz Iconz collection. All five of those new Target stores were within my shopping radius, including two I had already visited a few days prior to their Grand Openings: One at the new Airport Centre Shopping Plaza in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where I found the Moxie Girlz, the brand new fashion doll line by MGA Entertainment; the second in my hometown of Easton, Pennsylvania, located across from the Northampton Crossings Shopping Center.

The three other new Target stores that opened in Pennsylvania were located in Pottstown, Cheltenham, and Exeter Township. Of those three, the new Target store in Exeter Township had Bratz Iconz in stock.

Exeter Township is a suburb located outside Reading, Pennsylvania. I traveled 61 miles from my home to this new Target store in Exeter Township to purchase the Bratz Iconz collection. While some people may think I'm insane to travel 61 miles from home to a store somewhere "out of my way" to buy a bunch of Bratz dolls, 61 miles is nothing for me. I'm used to traveling these long distances to find the Bratz dolls I'm looking for. For instance, back in April 2009, approximately two weeks after I started my Bratz Heaven Blog, I traveled 216 (!) miles from my home to a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Clearfield, Pennsylvania to purchase the Bratz Passion 4 Fashion Spring 2009 Sabina and Dresden dolls.

Furthermore, because the Bratz products and collections for Fall 2009 are expected to be difficult to find, this is proof that Bratz fans are going to have to work harder to find the dolls they're looking for. It is not going to be easy, but this is the reality with Bratz now. The days in which you could walk into a Target or Wal-Mart store a couple of miles from your home and find any new Bratz merchandise are history. And it is not expected to get any easier, with five months remaining before MGA Entertainment is ordered to forefit all exclusive rights and ownership of the Bratz franchise to Mattel.

But wait a minute....didn't I declare that I would boycott shopping at Target, after Target disasterously screwed up with Bratz Passion 4 Fashion Spring 2009 Sabina and Dresden? This Bratz collection was the most difficult to find in the eight-year history of the franchise, and Target had a wonderful opportunity to fulfill the wishes of many Bratz fans by selling it at all 1,600+ stores in the entire chain. Not surprisingly, that did not happen: Target canceled selling Bratz Passion 4 Fashion Spring 2009 Sabina and Dresden when MGA Entertainment went into receivership in late April. It even went so far as to yank the collection off its online shopping website. Target did not apologize for its actions, and it was a perfect example of a retailer telling Bratz fans, "We don't care about you, because we don't have to."

Of all the disgusting and mean-spirited activities Target did to Bratz during the first six months of 2009, what this retailer did to Bratz Passion 4 Fashion Spring 2009 Sabina and Dresden was an eye opener. Enough was enough. I was fed up. When I declared that I would boycott shopping at Target following that horrible and horrendous fiasco, not only did it mean not buying anything from Target ever again, but also not visiting any Target store anywhere in the United States.

So, what is this all of a sudden, I'm visiting Target again and buying stuff from there? How many blunts did I smoke from that marijuana harvest I grew outside Lehigh Valley International Airport? How many pounds of crystal meth have I been inhaling?

It is because of Target's full commitment and support for the Moxie Girlz where I felt terrible about all the negative remarks I had written about this retailer on my Bratz Heaven Blog — including, in some aspects, the entry you are reading right now. When I visited that new Target store at Airport Centre Shopping Plaza in Allentown, Pennsylvania and made my way toward what is known as the Moxie Girlz aisle, I was amazed at the amount of Moxie Girlz merchandise that was in stock. I could not believe that there were so many Moxie Girlz products and collections for fans to choose from. It convinced me that Target finally owned up to its mistake and realized that abusing Bratz in the manner that it did during the first six months of 2009 was not good for business or for company reputation. I figured Target should be rewarded for its efforts, thus I purchased the three Bratz Iconz dolls that were in stock at this store (the fourth Bratz Iconz doll, Sasha, was purchased two days prior to my shopping trip, at a K-Mart store in Allentown, Pennsylvania).

My wonderful Mom accompanied me on this shopping trip and had never visited the Reading, Pennsylvania area before. She had not been too fond of Target herself, but she was really impressed to observe this change in attitude from me regarding Target. Because of this, she gave me a Target gift card, which I used to pay for my Bratz Iconz dolls and which I will use again for any future Bratz purchases made at Target.

In addition to those five new Target stores, my Mom and I also visited two Wal-Mart stores, two K-Mart stores, and one Ollie's Bargain Outlet store. Here's a summary of what was in stock at each store:

K-Mart, Reading, Pennsylvania:
- All the Bratz products and collections for Spring 2009, including Bratz Spring Break Jade

K-Mart, Shillington, Pennsylvania:
- All the Bratz products and collections for Spring 2009, Bratz P4F Doll Pack, Bratz Iconz Sasha

Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Shillington, Pennsylvania:
- Bratz Designed By, Bratz Fashion Pixiez Dee, Bratz Sweet Heart Yasmin

Wal-Mart, King Of Prussia, Pennsylvania; Reading, Pennsylvania (this store is expanding into a Wal-Mart Supercenter; the expected completion of this expansion is September 2009)
- Most of the Bratz products and collections for Spring 2009, including Bratz Passion 4 Fashion Spring 2009 Sabina and Dresden (four sets at Reading, Pennsylvania store; eight sets at King Of Prussia, Pennsylvania store)

About that Ollie's Bargain Outlet store in Shillington: I told my mom about an auction on eBay in mid-July where someone had paid an astounding $59.00 for one of the Bratz Fashion Pixiez Dee dolls. She was surprised that someone would pay that much for one doll, and she wondered who would be stupid enough to spend so much money for a doll I could easily find here in Pennsylvania and probably anywhere else where an Ollie's Bargain Outlet store is located? Every Ollie's Bargain Outlet store I've been to had TONS of Bratz Fashion Pixiez Dee dolls, and each doll is selling for $12.99. Hello? I could purchase five of these dolls for that one someone paid $59.00 for on eBay.

BTW, each Bratz Fashion Pixiez Dee doll I saw in stock at Ollie's Bargain Outlet did not come with the famous glitter bottle.

There were many other Bratz shopping trips I went on before, but they were not as successful as this one. I hope that I can go on another Bratz shopping trip such as this again (although I probably won't have that many more to go on now that the Bratz franchise is reaching the end of its tenure). At the end of our shopping trip, my Mom and I celebrated by having dinner at a Chick-Fil-A restaurant. Yes, I know that it was not the best place to celebrate a successful shopping trip — I would have preferred Tony Luke's in South Philadelphia instead. But it had been a long day, and we were both exhausted. I was very happy that I found the Bratz dolls I had been looking for. However, I know the many challenges that await in finding whatever Bratz dolls are remaining before January 21, 2010. I can hear that clock ticking. Five months.

Photos:

The following photos were captured at the new Target store at Airport Centre Shopping Plaza, located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. I apologize for the very poor quality of the photos — they were all captured on my cell phone's digital camera:

Moxie Girlz Basic Dolls Avery and Sophina:
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/photos/target-moxiegirlz01.jpg

Moxie Girlz Best Friends Doll Pack Avery and Sophina:
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/photos/target-moxiegirlz02.jpg

Moxie Girlz Magic Hair:
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/photos/target-moxiegirlz03.jpg

Related entries:
Get Your Moxie On! Introducing....Moxie Girlz (06.15.2009):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=32

Moxie Schmoxie: Moxie Girlz Revealed.... (06.18.2009):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=33

Moxie Girlz: What, Barbie Worry? (07.2.2009):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=39

Moxie Girlz: How Many Licks Does It Take....? (07.16.2009):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=42

Robyn Barnette: "I Will Not Do A Moxie Girlz Fan Website" (08.4.2009):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=45

Hold up, wait a minute: I found the Moxie Girlz in stock....at TARGET?

Target? TARGET????? TARGET?!?!?!!!

Is this some kind of sick joke? I found the Moxie Girlz in stock at TARGET? Really? What the frickin' hell? Didn't I declare that I would boycott shopping at Target — this after Target disasterously screwed up with Bratz Passion 4 Fashion Spring 2009 Sabina and Dresden, promising to sell this collection at all 1,600+ stores in the entire chain before it pulled the collection after MGA Entertainment went into receivership in late April? Even a spokesperson from Target Corporation confirmed this information to me, and I was appalled and infuriated that Target would make this decision. After all the nasty activities Target had done to Bratz in 2009, canceling Bratz Passion 4 Fashion Spring 2009 Sabina and Dresden from its stores was the icing on the cake (the collection was eventually sold at some Wal-Mart stores, after Wal-Mart picked up the shipments Target sent back to its distribution center).

So what happened? Why, then, did I decide to visit a new Target store that opened at the brand new Airport Centre Shopping Plaza in Allentown, Pennsylvania? Was I high on crystal meth? Did I grow a marijuana harvest at nearby Lehigh Valley Interational Airport and smoke a few blunts? What made me decide to visit Target after it pulled Bratz Passion 4 Fashion Spring 2009 Sabina and Dresden?

Well, I had read that everyone had been having a lot of success finding Moxie Girlz merchandise in stock at Toys R Us. It should follow, therefore, that I would have the same success finding Moxie Girlz merchandise in stock at Toys R Us, too, right?

Oops.

I visited several Toys R Us stores in my area. Guess how many Moxie Girlz items I found? ZERO.

Understanding that Toys R Us was probably not the best place to visit in order to find any Moxie Girlz merchandise, I made this ridiculous prediction that I would find the Moxie Girlz in stock at Target. I wanted to find the Moxie Girlz in stock at a retailer that was different than the one everyone else was finding the Moxie Girlz at. I wanted to find the Moxie Girlz in stock at the most unlikeliest of retailers. And, I wanted to find the Moxie Girlz in stock at the retailer where information about the Moxie Girlz first surfaced.

Prediction vindicated.

Of course, that does not mean I will boycott shopping at Toys R Us from this day forward because I did not find the Moxie Girlz there. Still, for me to have found the Moxie Girlz at Target says a lot.

I went to visit that new Target store at Airport Centre Shopping Plaza, and I made my way toward what is known as the Moxie Girlz aisle. When I arrived, I could not believe the staggering amount of Moxie Girlz merchandise that was in stock at this store! I saw all the new Moxie Girlz products and collections in stock: Moxie Girlz Art-titude, Moxie Girlz Jammaz, Moxie Girlz Best Friends, Moxie Girlz Magic Hair, Moxie Girlz Basic, Moxie Girlz Masquerade....it was Moxie Girlz Paradise!

The amount of Moxie Girlz products and collections that I saw in stock at this new Target store was not so much proof that my prediction was correct — it was proof that Target finally realized its mistakes abusing Bratz in the manner that it did and pissing off a lot of Bratz fans because of it. I am really pleased that Target is devoting its full support for this brand new fashion doll line, and I now can recommend Target to anyone interested in purchasing any merchandise with the Moxie Girlz brand on it.

As I stared at the massive amount of Moxie Girlz merchandise in front of me, I thought to myself, "....Why couldn't Target demonstrate this same support for Bratz? What took Target so long to finally understand that treating any toy line created by MGA Entertainment so unfairly and so horridly in the midst of the litigation was bad for business? It's about time Target did it right with the Moxie Girlz."

When I had first heard of the Moxie Girlz, I was upset that it was replacing Bratz and MGA Entertainment was unable to manufacture what I felt was a fashion doll line that would make any type of transition from Bratz to Moxie Girlz seamless. It is apparent that I have been too confined in the Bratz universe to make any transition to any other fashion doll lines, because Bratz is the only fashion doll line that I have ever really and truly identified with. Although I have chosen not to support the Moxie Girlz, that does not mean in any way that I dislike this brand new fashion doll line or want it to fail in any way. In fact, Moxie Girlz does not represent as much of a brand new fashion doll line, as it really represents a brand new beginning for MGA Entertainment and a brand new beginning for doll collectors everywhere.

There is plenty of excitement and enthusiasm for the Moxie Girlz, and I am happy to see that a whole new generation of doll fans have come together to embrace this brand new fashion doll line. After everything that has transpired between MGA Entertainment and Mattel over the rights to the Bratz franchise, the fashion doll market is in desparate need of a fresh start. The many wonderful people at MGA Entertainment responsible for the development and manufacturing of the Moxie Girlz represent an organization that fans are counting on in order for this fashion doll line to thrive and succeed in the coming years.

Meanwhile, I will continue to support Yasmin, Cloe, Sasha, and Jade long after the Bratz franchise arrives at the end of its tenure and establishes its legacy in the toy industry. However, I am at peace with myself knowing that the only girls with a passion for fashion are saying their final farewell to their fans and preparing to go off on many exciting adventures in their lives. I never imagined that purchasing my first two Bratz dolls from that Wal-Mart store in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on July 26, 2004 would change my life as dramatically as it has. Now the question is....what's the final Bratz doll that I'll be purchasing, and where?

Related entries:
Get Your Moxie On! Introducing....Moxie Girlz (06.15.2009):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=32

Moxie Schmoxie: Moxie Girlz Revealed.... (06.18.2009):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=33

Moxie Girlz: What, Barbie Worry? (07.2.2009):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=39

These Girlz Got Moxie: I Found The Moxie Girlz At Target! (07.22.2009):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=43

Robyn Barnette: "I Will Not Do A Moxie Girlz Fan Website" (08.4.2009):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=45

How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?

I'm sure you're wondering what that question has to do with the Moxie Girlz, the brand new fashion doll line developed and manufactured by MGA Entertainment. Ever since it was first announced back in June 2009 that Moxie Girlz would be replacing Bratz, there has been plenty of speculation about this fashion doll line — specifically, is it a worthy successor to Bratz?

Over the past few weeks, I have written a few blog entries about the Moxie Girlz. I have also seen photos of the Moxie Girlz dolls and playsets. Based on what I have seen so far, the initial Moxie Girlz product lineup is impressive and much better than what I had originally perceived it to be. All right, so the Moxie Girlz dolls look like 10-year-old little girls. Fine. I can appreciate these dolls which look like 10-year-old little girls having their own passion for fashion, their own diversity, their own individuality, their own style in expressing themselves, their own personalities reflected in their fashion passion....

So why am I still not supporting this brand new fashion doll line by MGA Entertainment?

This goes back to the question I asked about how many licks it takes to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop. The Moxie Girlz is like licking that Tootsie Pop without ever getting to that Tootsie Roll center: It has everything other fashion doll lines in the market currently have, but it's lacking that one feature which makes it stand out. It's especially lacking that one feature which makes it stand out from Bratz.

Now some might point out that the slogan "Be True! Be You!" is what distinguishes the Moxie Girlz from all other fashion doll lines past and present. However, Bratz has similar messages about positive attitude, confidence, courage, energy, and just being yourself. So does Barbie. So do a lot of other fashion doll lines that have come and gone.

Yet, Bratz was the exception, because these dolls were unlike anything anyone had ever seen before in the toy industry. These girls with a passion for fashion were not afraid to stand up and express themselves in making their reputation known, not afraid to take risks, not afraid to elevate themselves to a newer and higher plateau, not afraid set new trends that were well ahead of their time. They had funk, they had style, they had grace, they had attitude, they had audacity, they had it all. And, just like world-renowned supermodel Tyra Banks once stated, they were FIERCE. The Moxie Girlz dolls don't blow you away like Bratz. Upon first glance, they're....plain, generic, ordinary. There's nothing edgy or sassy about them.

I think there are a number of issues affecting the potential success of the Moxie Girlz. I'm sure that there are many more issues than what I have noted, but here are three of them:

First, MGA Entertainment rushed through development and manufacturing of the Moxie Girlz. It seemed like the company didn't really put forth a concerted effort in creating a quality successor to Bratz. Instead, it was all about creating a Bratz replacement, in the event that MGA Entertainment lost all exclusive rights and ownership of the Bratz franchise to Mattel. If the company established a timeframe of approximately eight to ten months conducting research, design, planning, development, and focus group testing on the Moxie Girlz, perhaps this brand new fashion doll line would have created a bigger impact. MGA Entertainment is hoping that the Moxie Girlz will compensate the imminent loss of its Bratz franchise to Mattel once the litigation is finalized at the end of 2009. However, losing ownership of the biggest competition that knocked Barbie off her pedestal will be enormously devastating for MGA Entertainment. It will take years before the company fully recovers and returns to glory and prominence once again.

Second, the Moxie Girlz dolls themselves look like the demographic that MGA Entertainment is targeting with this brand new fashion doll line: Preteen girls between the ages of 10 through 12 (i.e. "tweens"). The dolls will certainly appeal to them, but....what about the young adult and older doll collectors, especially those who loved Bratz? Well, they'll probably be less than enthusiastic, although I suspect that the select few of them will purchase the dolls anyway — likely because they want to support MGA Entertainment and save the company from spiraling into financial ruin. What will make it difficult for the Moxie Girlz to emerge a serious competitor is that other fashion doll lines developed and manufactured by other toy companies have evolved too big for MGA Entertainment to compete against. Without proper promotion and building of the Moxie Girlz to help set the brand apart from other fashion doll lines in the market, Moxie Girlz may find itself overwhelmed by the competition. And let's not get even started on Barbie: Mattel has warned the entire toy industry that any fashion doll line which competes against Barbie is in danger of being litigated into bankruptcy and destruction. The Moxie Girlz is no exception, as Mattel is already conceiving a war plan to cripple this brand new fashion doll line and eliminate it from the marketplace.

Third, the Moxie Girlz dolls may have their own passion for fashion, their own personalities, their own flair for expressing their style....but the comparisons between Moxie Girlz and Bratz should have ended there. MGA Entertainment should have separated everything else about Bratz from the Moxie Girlz and made it a different fashion doll line with ORIGINALITY. All MGA Entetainment did was simply transfer certain features from Bratz into the Moxie Girlz, such as the snap-on/snap-off feet, the straight outward arms, and even the names of the characters (e.g., one of the characters in the Moxie Girlz "core four" is named Sasha, who is an African American like the Sasha character in Bratz). The Moxie Girlz dolls may bear little resemblance to Bratz, but the similarities are still present. Replacing an established fashion doll franchise such as Bratz with a recycled watered-down version is not going to please many Bratz fans, much less inspire them to purchase the Moxie Girlz products and collections.

To be fair, there is one collection in the Moxie Girlz initial product lineup that demonstrates the potential for this brand new fashion doll line to do well: Moxie Girlz Art-titude. Yes, I know the collection name sounds cheesier than Kraft Cheese & Macaroni, but it was this collection that made me give the Moxie Girlz a second look. I like the colorful artistic fashions that each character in the collection comes with. It would have been nice if each doll in the collection came with two fashions, lots of fashion accessories, and tons of art-related materials such as crayons, pencils, watercolor paint, a sketch pad, and a coloring book.

Instead, each doll in Moxie Girlz Art-titude comes with a second fashion, a bicycle accessory, two markers, and a couple of plastic earrings. Not much, but better than nothing, I suppose.

During the early years of the Bratz franchise, each doll would come with tons of fashions and accessories crammed inside each package. You would get so much bang for your buck when you purchased a doll from those early Bratz collections such as Wintertime Wonderland, Slumber Party, Formal Funk, Girls Nite Out, and a few others. For instance, check out what each of the Bratz Wintertime Wonderland dolls came with:

• Two tops
• Two bottoms
• Two winter jackets
• One scarf
• Snow hat
• One pair of mittens
• One pair of tights
• One pair of earmuffs
• Two pairs of winter boots
• An exclusive "Sport 'N Style" winter-active item
• Tons of other stylin' wintertime accessories

That was in 2003, when the Bratz franchise was well on its way toward dethroning Barbie and becoming the most successful fashion doll property in the world. It sounds more like 1993 now that I've written it down. Today, you would be lucky to find a Bratz doll with even ONE bonus accessory. Heck, you would be lucky to find a Bratz doll, period!

Sadly, the glory days for Bratz are long gone. Even MGA Entertainment is not really committed in promoting and building the Bratz franchise anymore. But if Moxie Girlz represents a new beginning for the company, are the people behind the development and manufacturing of this brand new fashion doll line going to be the best damn organization to create some of the most innovative consumer products in the marketplace? Because that's going to have to be the catalyst behind MGA Entertainment's success — and survival.

I don't anticipate that the Moxie Girlz will generate the type of response where preteen girls will storm their local Target department stores and purchase the dolls and playsets like crazy. The last time I ever saw that type of response to a toy line was with the Power Rangers fifteen years ago. Furthermore, I'm not discouraging anyone from purchasing the Moxie Girlz. Consumers, including Bratz fans, are free to purchase whatever fashion doll lines satisfy their interests and makes them happy.

I wish the many wonderful people at MGA Entertainment the best of luck in their promotion and marketing of the Moxie Girlz. I hope everything works out for them. But if you're wondering how many licks DOES it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop, well, it's the same as if I asked how long will it be before I have a change of heart and support this brand new fashion doll line: The world may never know....

Wal-Mart Contact Information: http://www.walmartstores.com/7663.aspx

Related entries:
Wal-Mart No Longer Selling Bratz After July 2009 (04.20.2009):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=13

Wal-Mart: Different Store, Same Old Story (04.26.2009):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=16

Well, Wal-Mart, is it yes or no?

I contacted Wal-Mart, again, ever since I broke the big news back in April about the retailer no longer carrying the Bratz License Modular Merchandise after July 2009. It was the tenth time that I had contacted the retailer. I asked if Wal-Mart was selling the Bratz products and collections for Fall 2009, after I came across this document:

Larger View:
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/photos/WalmartNoBratzAfterJuly2009Large.jpg

More importantly, why would Wal-Mart not sell Bratz after July 2009? And, what role did Mattel play in influencing Wal-Mart to stop selling Bratz? Was it because sales of Bratz branded merchandise were not meeting retailer expectations? Was it because of the ongoing litigation between MGA Entertainment and Mattel over the rights to the Bratz franchise? Given the serious nature and circumstances for the future of Bratz, with 2009 being the final year of Bratz availability, it is apparent that Mattel will stop at absolutely nothing in its pursuit of eliminating Bratz once and for all. The evidence is already noticeable at many retailers such as Target and Toys R Us: Not all the stores in the United States have a single Bratz product or collection for Fall 2009 available. And for those stores that do have the Bratz products and collections for Fall 2009 available, fans have to travel upwards of 100 miles from home just to purchase one doll.

Yes, this is the reality with Bratz now. It does not have to be this way. It should not have to be this way. But, it is this way.

The individual at Wal-Mart whom I spoke with told me that on Wal-Mart's system, it does not feature any notes or indication that Wal-Mart had any plans to discontinue selling Bratz at their stores. All right, fine. However, that does not tell the whole story. It could mean that Wal-Mart will sell Bratz for Fall 2009, but probably through its online shopping website and not at the actual stores. After all, the document stated:

and

This same Bratz Gooseneck Signing was posted in the Bratz sections at several other Wal-Mart stores in the United States, so it is not just the stores in my home state of Pennsylvania that are affected.

I don't know how else you can interpret those two statements. If a store "wants to be completely out of Bratz branded merchandise by July 2009," it means exactly what it says. And if a store is no longer carrying the license modulars to sell merchandise, that means the store is not carrying the license for the display shelves and units to arrange that merchandise on. So, if Wal-Mart is planning to sell the Bratz products and collections for Fall 2009 through its online shopping website and not at the stores themselves, then that's the decision Wal-Mart has made. And because Wal-Mart has a "Site-To-Store" option, customers can order any Bratz products or collections online and save on the shipping costs by having them shipped directly to their nearest Wal-Mart store for pickup. I think it is a very convenient option and recommend it to anyone who purchases items through the Wal-Mart online shopping website.

Ultimately, the response that I got from Wal-Mart about this situation regarding selling the Bratz products and collections for Fall 2009? The same response as it was the previous nine times I contacted Wal-Mart: "We cannot comment on any future Bratz merchandising plans at Wal-Mart at this time....it is business as usual for Bratz." The individual also thanked me for my time and told me to have a nice day.

Business as usual? During the July 4th holiday weekend, I visited a Wal-Mart store in Hatfield, Pennsylvania. The Bratz section at that Wal-Mart store had a grand total of two Bratz dolls. Two: One Bratz Play Sportz Fashionably Fit Yasmin doll and one Bratz Lil' Angelz Cloe doll. That don't sound like business as usual to me. At various other Wal-Mart stores I visited in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the Bratz sections at those stores were a disaster. Two Wal-Mart stores I visited do not even sell Bratz anymore.

Please understand that I am doing the best I can to find out if Wal-Mart is selling Bratz after July 2009. However, Wal-Mart is a LARGE corporation, so trying to reach the right people about this serious issue is an impossible task. And, even if I do reach the right people, their response will be, "....No comment."

If Wal-Mart decides to sell the Bratz products and collections for Fall 2009, well....I cannot say that I was incorrect, because I had proof that Wal-Mart was not selling Bratz after July 2009 (although, there will be the select few who will accuse me of "making up a story just so I can draw attention to myself"). Perhaps someone at Wal-Mart came across my Bratz Heaven Blog and realized that not selling Bratz at their stores after July 2009 would be a huge mistake, so Wal-Mart reversed its decision? If so, then I am gratified in knowing that my Bratz Heaven Blog played a part in the company realizing its mistake and committing to sell all Bratz products and collections for Fall 2009, even though I do not expect Wal-Mart to cite this blog as the reason for its sudden about face.

I will continue to stay on top of this situation and let you know of any updates. The good news (if there is any good news) is that the Moxie Girlz, the brand new fashion doll line by MGA Entertainment that will be replacing Bratz, will be available at all major retailers in Fall 2009 — including Wal-Mart.

Related entries:
Moxie Girlz: How Many Licks Does It Take....? (07.16.2009):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=42

These Girlz Got Moxie: I Found The Moxie Girlz At Target! (07.22.2009):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=43

Robyn Barnette: "I Will Not Do A Moxie Girlz Fan Website" (08.4.2009):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=45

For years, I have always insisted that MGA Entertainment was a company full of surprises. And it looks like this company and its President and CEO Isaac Larian may have pulled off a big surprise with its brand new Moxie Girlz fashion doll line. I got a chance to view more images of the Moxie Girlz products and collections, and I'm impressed. Moxie Girlz is actually much better than what I had originally perceived it to be.

Several people within MGA Entertainment came across these two entries I posted on my Bratz Heaven Blog:

Get Your Moxie On! Introducing....Moxie Girlz (06.15.2009):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=32

Moxie Schmoxie: Moxie Girlz Revealed.... (06.18.2009):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=33

This company was so infuriated with what I wrote that their objective was not so much about creating a successor to Bratz — it was about vindicating me after I slammed the Moxie Girlz for all the nasty things I wrote about them. Yes, I will admit that I stated the Moxie Girlz was doomed to fail. Yes, I will admit that I stated the Moxie Girlz was "just another fashion doll line that would be ruthlessly disposed of and entombed in Barbie's wake." Yes, I will admit that I stated the Moxie Girlz will end up at the nearest Dollar General store. And yes, I will admit that I thought the name of this brand new fashion doll line reflected something that MGA Entertainment created at the last minute....or to be more exact, five minutes.

Then again, I'm not the only one who expressed pessimism about Moxie Girlz: Several other doll collectors believed the same theories I mentioned about this brand new fashion doll line, and their initial opinions were a lot more harsh than what I wrote! If a couple of blog entries can inspire MGA Entertainment to prove me wrong and create a quality successor to Bratz, then I am somewhat comforted knowing that I did my job in making this company aware of what is expected when the Moxie Girlz hit store shelves during Fall 2009. However, I also think MGA Entertainment and Mr. Larian have a much more ambitious objective in mind with the Moxie Girlz, and it is beyond creating a brand new fashion doll line intended as a successor to Bratz.

I guess I've been too confined in the Bratz universe to expand my horizons, that I anticipate any new fashion doll lines developed and manufactured by MGA Entertainment to be just like Bratz. Yummi-Land was a completely different fashion doll line than Bratz, but I thought that it was a very unique and creative fashion doll line because of the sweet colorful environment it created. In fact, the Bratz Heaven colors (fuchsia, blue, violet, pink, hazel, orange) were inspired by the Yummi-Land Crème Soda Pop Girls collection, and that's quite odd since Bratz Heaven was intended to promote and support the only girls with a passion for fashion — not girls who "were as sweet as they smelled." Although I found Yummi-Land too "kiddy" for my taste, I still believed it would be something of a successor to Bratz. Unfortunately, MGA Entertainment discontinued Yummi-Land after two years due to poor sales. In retrospect, Yummi-Land was overshadowed by Bratz, quickly becoming a "forgotten" doll line. It never really built the fanbase that it could have and never really gathered the momentum to become an established product line for the company.

While Moxie Girlz is not the same as Bratz, it appears MGA Entertainment has a great opportunity to get back in the race and remain a serious competitor in the fashion doll business. Okay, so the names of these Moxie Girlz collections such as Moxie Girlz Art-titude and Moxie Girlz Jammaz sound cheesy. And based on the initial images of the Moxie Girlz, the dolls themselves look....well, they're okay, but not spectacular enough to convince me to purchase them. They look more like 10-year-old little girls! That's what makes the Moxie Girlz such a hard sell for me, but I guess that's the demographic MGA Entertainment is targeting with the Moxie Girlz, not so much adult collectors such as myself.

What I am impressed with about Moxie Girlz is that the products and collections demonstrate how the characters in this brand new fashion doll line have their own passion for fashion, their own individuality, their own style in expressing themselves, and that each character has a certain personality reflected in her fashion passion. I'll give credit to MGA Entertainment for harnessing those attributes into the Moxie Girlz, since these were the same attributes that made Bratz the overwhelming phenomenon that it is and that it will forever be remembered as. It emphasizes how this company pays attention to trends that click with teenage and preteen girls (i.e., "tweens"), without doing things the old-fashioned standardized way.

With all these attributes about fashion passion, individuality, expression, and personality, will it be enough for the Moxie Girlz to be successful? The big, bad world of Mattel seems to think so, and it is conceiving a war plan to cripple this fashion doll line with the misconception that MGA Entertainment is a company which creates consumer products by stealing ideas and employees from other toy companies. MGA Entertainment has lost a lot of trust with its vendors, its licensees, and its customers because of such misconceptions, never mind the ongoing litigation against Mattel over the rights to the Bratz franchise. The company will have to work assiduously to earn that trust again, and Moxie Girlz represents an opportunity to convince a skeptical public that it can develop and manufacture some of the most innovative consumer products in the marketplace without stealing ideas, employees, or anything else to accomplish its long term objectives. Every ending in life is a new beginning, and for MGA Entertainment it's a new beginning to start fresh and put behind all the recklessness of the past eight years. But what a great eight years it was.

Speculation abounds over the Moxie Girlz, and MGA Entertainment has been put under a microscope in order to defend itself from any criticism and cynicism intended to disrupt the potential success of this brand new fashion doll line. Among the questions that are being asked: Does MGA Entertainment believe the Moxie Girlz will be a successful fashion doll line? Will Moxie Girlz pose a serious threat to Barbie, much less Mattel's own "Bratz" dolls? Do consumers still have this negative impression that Moxie Girlz was "illegally" developed and manufactured by some former designer at Mattel who sold his trade secrets to MGA Entertainment so that this brand new fashion doll line would be realized? And, perhaps the most important question of all: Did the people behind the development and manufacturing of the Moxie Girlz previously work at Mattel?

The toy industry was a much kinder industry when Bratz was first introduced in 2001. MGA Entertainment was just your small neighborhood toy company, always searching for the next innovation that would catapult it into a recognized and renowned competitor in the industry. The company had hoped Bratz would be that next innovation to pull off this accomplishment and become a "Barbie beater." However, Bratz failed in its first year and most consumers believed Bratz was just a fad that would last one season, never to be heard of again. Even Mattel believed Bratz was a failure, and the thought of litigating Bratz out of existence never occured. Only when MGA Entertainment continued building the brand did Bratz start outselling and outperforming Barbie during the franchise's peak years from 2003 through 2006, and it threw executives at Mattel into a panic. Tim Kilpin, former Senior Vice President of Girls Marketing And Design at Mattel, wrote several documents stating that Mattel needed to develop a war plan to kill Bratz. One of those documents was an E-Mail dated April 2, 2004, under the title "Confidential: The Barbie Call To Action," where Kilpin mentioned that, "....the Barbie business is in serious decline....the old way of building the Barbie brand just doesn't work anymore. We have been out-thought and out-executed. And it stops now." (also, see this: http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/articles/timkilpinemail.txt)

That type of context illustrates how the toy industry has now become a very savage industry, and Mattel is a perfect example of how savage it has become. But many other toy companies also developed and manufactured consumer products that have evolved too big for Bratz to emerge a serious competitor: Playmates (Disney Fairies), Hasbro (Littlest Pet Shop), Play Along Toys (Hannah Montana). It isn't so much Mattel litigating Bratz out of the consumer marketplace, as it is the consumer marketplace has dramatically changed for Bratz to remain a profitable and iconic commodity. This is where the Moxie Girlz come in, and despite how successful this brand new fashion doll line aspires to be, it may not last long enough if consumers are not purchasing them — or worse, if Mattel threatens litigation against MGA Entertainment over the Moxie Girlz because of some pissy accusation about "laid-off employees working for a competitor."

MGA Entertainment is confident that with Moxie Girlz, it can once again knock Barbie off her pedestal and set the house on fire at Mattel. The initial product lineup indicates the potential for the Moxie Girlz to be successful, but I still do not see myself supporting this brand new fashion doll line. I've been a Bratz fan since July 2004, and any transition to any other fashion doll line would be immensely difficult. Bratz is the only fashion doll line I really and truly ever identified with. That could change over time if Moxie Girlz grows on me and becomes as much an overwhelming phenomenon as Bratz was during its eight-year tenure. Nobody is certain how long this brand new fashion doll line will last. If Moxie Girlz achieves its pinnacle of success two or three years from now, and if I see something about Moxie Girlz that I can identify with, that's when I will realize how stupid I was to say all these nasty things about Moxie Girlz, that I may end up supporting this fashion doll line after all. Heck, I didn't like the Bratz dolls when I first heard of them, but look at what has transpired with Bratz eight years later.

Of course, Mattel has other ideas, and you can be rest assured that it is keeping a very watchful eye on Moxie Girlz. The threat of Barbie still looms over the heads of Mr. Larian and the many wonderful people at MGA Entertainment. It won't be long before we endure this same vicious cycle all over again where Mattel eliminates Moxie Girlz from the consumer marketplace and litigates MGA Entertainment into bankruptcy and destruction. Even if the evidence finds that Moxie Girlz was not created by a former Mattel employee who breached his contract and sold trade secrets to MGA Entertainment, Mattel will come out aggressive and do whatever it takes to establish its complete and total domination in the toy industry. Mr. Larian was right: Anyone who dares enter the fashion doll business has a target on their back. Beware of the snipers perched high above 333 Continental Boulevard in El Segundo, California, because they're watching, they're waiting, and they're ready to fire the first shot.