ALBANY, N.Y. — The recent run of single-digit temperatures has Tina Carstensen craving the Snuggie she ordered in early December.
Now that the cult-like robe of hokey infomercial fame has become fodder for late-night talk shows and Twitter feeds, hers isn’t expected to arrive until February.
Yet soaring Snuggie sales may be about more than a midwinter chill and the need to save millions of Americans from the ever-frustrating blanket droop. Is the blanket with sleeves, like the high unemployment rates, another sign of hard times?
“The economy was a huge factor in the rise in sales of Snuggies,” says Todd Smith, spokesman for Shoppers Advantage, an online discount shopping service based in Norwalk, Conn. The company “positioned the Snuggie as a way to bring your energy bills down and stay warm at the same time.”
In early December, the $20 Snuggie ranked No. 8 on Shoppers Advantage’s list of top holiday gifts. It was the only nonelectronic nestled among the Wii, cell phones and GPS systems.
“As more people stay home with the heat down, the Snuggie has emerged at the right time,” says Jill Spiegel, a Minneapolis-based pop culture expert. “Going far beyond a blanket’s ability, the Snuggie easily cuddles with you, which is ultra-comforting for stay-at-home singles or for people who live in ‘affection-challenged’ families. Another niche it fills is that everlasting connection to our ‘blankies.’ The Snuggie is that faithful friend that gives us a sense of security.”
The Snuggie lured Carstensen, 24, last fall. She was watching TV, trying to keep warm under an ordinary blanket in her apartment, where the temperature is about 60 degrees, when the commercial came on.
“I thought, ‘That lady has the best life ever because she’s under her Snuggie, and she’s able to do everything she needs to do, and she’s warm,’ ” Carstensen says. “I always have a hard time operating my DVR when I can’t get my arm out from under the blanket, but with the Snuggie, I could text, operate my DVR remote and use my laptop.”
The body-blanket company, based in New York’s Westchester County suburbs, began airing the now-famous Snuggie commercial in August and got a strong response, leading to a multimillion-dollar ad campaign, says Scott Boilen, president and CEO of Allstar Products Group, a direct marketer known for its Aqua Globes plant-watering system and Smart Spin, an organizing device for food storage containers.
Now, the Snuggie maker can’t keep up with consumer demand. The product, which has been on the market for about a year, is back-ordered and taking four to six weeks to ship. The royal blue version available at Walgreens and Bed, Bath & Beyond reportedly sells out the day it reaches the shelves, Boilen says.
“People have obviously shown their desire to have a blanket with sleeves,” Boilen says.
Meanwhile, the company plans to expand the line to include high-end, kid-sized, outdoor-suited and patterned styles. Boilen sees Snuggie becoming the next OxiClean.
Despite Snuggie’s popularity, some question whether a traditional blanket can really be deemed restrictive. Others say the Snuggie has been around for a long time: It’s called a robe.
“People want things designed for the purpose,” says Gary Clegg, CEO and creator of the Slanket, a wearable blanket that has been on the market since 2005 and retails for $44.95. “No one wants to throw a bathrobe on their bed or on their living room sofa.”
Some styles of the Slanket are on back order, but Clegg says the company expects to be able to keep up with demand.
Carstensen has been tracking her Snuggie shipping status since Christmas. Now, she hopes to have it by Valentine’s Day.
“By the time I get it, it will be warm enough that I won’t need it anymore,” Carstensen says. “If I realized earlier (it would be back-ordered), I would have canceled it and gotten the Slanket instead.”