Littlest Pet Shop (LPS) is a toy franchise and cartoon series owned by Hasbro, originally conceptualized by Kenner Products in 1992, and currently under license with Basic Fun!. Originally a line of animal figurines with magnets or movable parts, the line was relaunched as a line of chibi-esque bobbleheads in 2005, with over 3,000 different pet figurines produced since its relaunch. The franchise is highly successful and has seen numerous iterations.
Several spin-off media works have been developed based on the toyline, including three animated television series, a series of video games for the Nintendo DS and Wii consoles, and two distinct online world games. The first cartoon was produced by Sunbow Entertainment and aired for 40 episodes in 1995, the second by Hasbro Studios for The Hub in 2012, and the third in 2018.
The line was considered one of Hasbro's top-selling brands in 2007 and they were considered by publications such as USA Today to be one of the biggest Christmas toys of the time. A large collector community exists surrounding the 2000s incarnation of the brand, with some toys selling for high prices on second-hand online markets. A YouTube community also formed around the toys, known as "LPSTube", where fans create skits and web series using the toys as "actors," such as "LPS: Popular."
History
Kenner toys (1992-1997)
Introduced in 1992[1] and produced by Kenner[2] for children who weren't able to have real life pets,[3] the original incarnation of the toys consist of plastic animal figurines sold in playsets, which each came with a gimmick such as a magnet or a moving part (e.g. flapping wings).[4] The starter set was a suitcase-like plastic container with shelves and compartments, intended to simulate a pet shop.[5] Various kinds of licensed merchandise were produced.[6] A few lines of figures were produced between 1995 and 1996 based on the television show, but otherwise the two were largely connected only by name.
Reception
Generation 2 of Littlest Pet Shop, the most well-known generation, has primarily received positive reception. In 2007, Hasbro cited the brand as one of their top sellers,[26] having sold over 60 million of the toys in just two years.[10] In 2017, the VP of Hasbro, Andrea Hopelain, told Kidscreen that fans love "the collectibility of the Littlest Pet Shop figures".[27] Playthings listed it as one of the most popular collectibles for children in 2008.[28] Because of the brand's success, it was later launched in various countries outside of the United States, such as the UK, France, Italy,[7] and Chile.[29]
The "Biggest Littlest Pet Shop" playset, released in 2006, was noted as being "basically sold out everywhere" in a TV broadcast from
Other products
In 2006, Hasbro released the Littlest Pet Shop digital pet, a line of keychain attached electronic games similar to the Tamagotchi.[35][36] The digital pet is not the only electronic toy to be made based on the franchise – electronic diaries and plug-and-play games have also been produced.[10] Various plush toys based on the franchise have also been released over the years, including a launch of 6-inch and 4-inch collectible plush in 2025,[32] as well as plushes that tied into the Littlest Pet Shop VIPs and Littlest Pet Shop Online virtual worlds. In 2010, the LPSO Dancing Dog speaker was released, which would dance to music when plugged into a computer or MP3 player,[37] similar to another Hasbro product, the iDog.
Media adaptations
Animated TV series
Littlest Pet Shop (1995)
An animated series based on the original Kenner incarnation of the franchise that premiered in 1995, produced by Sunbow Productions and DIC Entertainment[7] in collaboration with Jean Chalopin Creativite et Developpement.[38] The series follows a group of five animal characters who reside in a pet shop on the fictional Littlest Lane.[7] It ran for a single season of 40 episodes.
Littlest Pet Shop (2012)
External links
References
- James Zahn. Newstalgia: Basic Fun!, Hasbro Ink Deal to Relaunch Littlest Pet Shop in 2024 The Toy Book, 2022-11-15, retrieved 2025-08-21^
- Rachel Spacek. Littlest Pet Shop show, now in downtown Las Vegas, sees growth The Las Vegas Review-Journal, June 23, 2019, retrieved 22 May 2020^
- Cincinnati Toy Heritage mural by ArtWorks