The world’s largest retail chain, Walmart, seems to be making a name for itself with its steps in the Web3 field. After its move into the metaverse, the company is now preparing to sell the famous NFT collection Pudgy Penguins’ toy series in its 2,000 stores in the US. Following the announcement, the trading volume of the NFT collection increased by 530% and the floor price rose by 25% to 5.2 ETH.
Introduction to Pudgy World
As part of this campaign, each purchased toy will provide access to Pudgy World, a digital social platform where users can create their “Forever Pudgy” characters and interact with other players. The Pudgy Penguins team announced on September 26 that 26 different Pudgy toys will be available for sale at Walmart stores.
The Pudgy Penguins team also added that some of the toys sold in stores will include a surprise box, increasing excitement. Plush toys will be available for sale between $2.99 and $11.97. Brittany Smith, Vice President of Walmart US Toy Merchandising, stated:
“We know that our customers are looking for the latest trends and innovations to gift themselves or their loved ones. Pudgy Penguins truly fills the gap between our physical and digital gaming worlds for children in an intriguing way, and its price point aligns perfectly with our goal of offering low prices every day.”
Physical Products Come with Surprises
Pudgy Penguins stated that each toy contains a unique QR code, and scanning this code will provide a certificate for requesting unique features for Forever Pudgy characters within Pudgy World. As the plush designs are inspired by the NFT collection, NFT owners will receive a royalty fee from each plush toy sold.
In addition, Pudgy toys sold at Walmart will offer consumers a chance to find a golden ticket that provides access to a rare feature for Forever Pudgy Penguins in Pudgy World. The plush toys will be available not only at Walmart but also on Amazon. The Pudgy plushies will be produced by PMI Kids’ World, which also produces toys for Fortnite and Among Us.
According to crypto data analysis platform CryptoSlam, Pudgy Penguins ranks 19th in terms of all-time sales volume. The Ethereum-based collection, consisting of 8,888 NFTs featuring cartoon penguins, was launched in 2021. During this time, after a vote was opened for the removal of the project founders, entrepreneur Luca Netz purchased the project for $2.5 million in 2022.