Baby Yoda toys could be delayed by coronavirus
"Star Wars" fans may need to wait longer than they expected for their Baby Yoda toys.
When Hasbro's full line of "The Mandalorian"'s littlest star was announced, the response was near Internet-breaking.
However, the outbreak of the COVID-19, or coronavirus, could cause shipping delays for the toys, which are manufactured in China.
Coronavirus originated in China about two months ago; since then, there have been more than 90,000 cases diagnosed worldwide.
"The biggest concern from the coronavirus should be the health of all people and eliminating the spread of this disease, [but also] the virus could create a shortage on some of the most popular toys this year," toy industry expert Jim Silver told ABC Audio. "Right now, this is a very fluid situation and changes almost daily, and it's nearly impossible to predict the overall impact," he said.
Silver noted that much of the Baby Yoda merch was already in the pipeline, but what happens in the next four months will be key. If there is a shortage of some of the most popular toys, he added, consumers will "pivot" and "buy something different, as there will be thousands of toys to choose from."
A representative for Hasbro told ABC Audio the company doesn't comment on the production status of its products.
"The Mandalorian" airs on Disney+, which is owned by Disney, parent company of ABC News.
