More than 1 million Rainbow High dolls are primed for the holidays — but first they need to make it out of China.
The popular toys have already overcome their share of hurdles, including short-staffed factories and record-high plastic prices. But now there’s a shortage of the shipping containers that ferry them from Asian factories, warehouses and ports to American fulfillment centers and stores.
“I’m afraid there is simply not enough time to get products on the shelf this year,” said Isaac Larian, chief executive of MGA Entertainment, the toy giant behind Rainbow High and such popular lines as L.O.L. Surprise and Little Tikes. “The holidays are going to be very tough and, frankly, a lot of families are not going to be able to get the toys they want.”