Christmas must-haves for children usually follow a pretty similar pattern: find the most beloved character in the biggest blockbuster of the year – Elsa in Frozen, say – and buy anything in their likeness.

Not so this year.

Despite new entries in both the Harry Potter and Star Wars franchises, the biggest seller of the year has caught retailers by surprise: a new range of furry robots called Hatchimals. The toys, launched by Toronto-based Spin Master just two months ago, have been a surprise hit around the world – including in Malta, where they are sold out at most shops a few days before Christmas.

Similar in appearance to the Furbies of previous generations, Hatchimals arrive sealed inside a plastic egg and come to life when they are removed from their packaging.

The bird-like robots begin to break their way free of the egg as they’re played with – the more you play, the faster it hatches – and once out of their shell, can be taught to walk, ‘talk’ or spin.

“There hasn’t really been anything like it before,” Karl Camilleri, owner of the Model Shop, told the Times of Malta. “It’s a concept that’s never been presented before; part of the appeal is not knowing exactly what you’re going to get when you open it.”

The relatively high price point, around €100, seems to have done nothing to dampen demand, with the Model Shop depleting its stock weeks ago, along with a number of other retailers.

The price of prized Hatchimals is rising online, including on Amazon.

Parents hoping to try their luck online are also largely stuck: most outlets in the UK are sold out, and many sellers on online platforms are now cashing in by selling the toys at up to twice the retail price.

Also popular among Maltese children this year, according to Mr Camilleri, have been ranges such as Paw Patrol, based on a TV show starring a pack of puppies, anthropomorphic-grocery figurines Shopkins, and Beanie Boo, a range of animal plush toys with big eyes.

Traditionalists, however, will be disappointed to find out that the ever-popular Lego sets seem to have suffered an unexplained slump this year, while tablets and other electronic games have continued their stratospheric rise, according to some sellers.

As for film tie-ins, a sales manager at another leading toy shop said the Harry Potter and Star Wars instalments had not made much of an impact on toy sales, but the Trolls film released in October had inspired a comeback of the small dolls of the same name, first released back in 1959.

While retailers generally agreed that last-minute shopping has been as prevalent as ever this year, some outlets appear to have taken a hit from online shopping, as parents opted for the convenience and often lower prices of international sellers.

“It’s been increasing every year, but this time round, we’ve seen a much bigger impact than usual,” one sales manager said.

“We’ve had a lot of people coming into the shop just to compare prices before going back home and ordering online.”