Pudgy Penguins Expands Physical Merchandise Strategy with New Director and Retail Goals
Steve Starobinsky was appointed as Pudgy Penguins' director of business development and partnerships in March to refine the project’s consumer packaged goods strategy and pursue big-box retail deals.
The company is actively pursuing a physical-goods expansion with licensing partners such as Bearbrick, PEZ, and Penguin Random House. They aim to increase their retail presence in 2026 alongside a more substantial marketing push.
A critical retail event for the brand is the September Los Angeles cycle for manufacturers and retailers, as purchase orders for the next Christmas season depend heavily on participation at this event.
Pudgy Penguins has already sold toys in major retailers including Walmart, Target, and Walgreens, with sales surpassing 1 million units and generating over $13 million in total sales as of last October.
The NFT economics surrounding Pudgy Penguins are significant, with their NFT collection valued around 47,000 ETH (~$159 million) in market capitalization as of December. Two other collections have combined valuations exceeding $50 million, while the Pengu token was valued around $818 million according to CoinGecko.
Starobinsky brings relevant industry experience, having worked previously on brands like Paw Patrol and Minecraft and helped launch PopSockets. He and co-founder Luca Netz (Luca Schnetzler) have a shared history from their time at Gel Blaster, where Netz was CMO and Starobinsky head of sales.
Looking ahead to 2026, the plan includes increased physical merchandise campaigns and marketing spending, a retail sales target exceeding $20 million, and an initiative to extend the winter promotional window by securing longer retailer advertising commitments to 'own winter.'
