Focus Plush
The soft sell Demand for plush toys is growing among greeting card shops, according to suppliers. We find out more about the category...
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Wilberry Toys
ith high street retailers having to work harder to attract customers, it’s probably no surprise that plush toys are in demand, as many retailers seek to diversify and create add-on sales from their customers. In fact, The Puppet Company has taken on more accounts than ever before, says sales director Sam Lockey: “We have opened more new accounts this year than in any other year. Our Wilberry Toys range has been part of that growth but our core puppets capture the imagination of consumers.‘’ Rainbow Designs’ sales and marketing director Zara Grindrod agrees: “The greeting card industry is tightly coupled with gifting; we buy cards to mark occasions and are often looking for a suitable present to enhance and celebrate with. With greeting cards now also readily available online, in gift stores and supermarkets, dedicated card shops Rainbow Designs need to offer more than
just greeting cards. We have seen a general increase in demand for plush gifts in this category; they offer great added value and make both a visual, tactile and sentimental gift.” So what can this category offer to the greetings retailer? Sam at The Puppet Company says: “Our plush and puppet ranges offer the opportunity to upsell with visually creative displays in certain parts of the store. For example, our knitted dinosaur range looks amazing as a feature with a few plants in the window. That will attract kids, parents and grandparents!’’ Rainbow Designs’ Zara agrees that plush toys add more visual appeal: “Products that complement and enhance the purchase of a greeting card will always prove popular. For the consumer, they offer added sentimental value, and being available in the same location as the greeting cards, makes this an easy purchase. For retailers, eye-catching, cute plush toys help create visual in-store theatre or great online content, providing a smart opportunity to increase sales.” If you are sold on adding plush to your in-store offering, what can you expect to see from this category in the near future? Zara says: “Rainbow Designs is constantly developing new products, and has plenty of
Keeping it in the family Sales Director Sam Lockey introduces readers to The Puppet Company and sister company Wilberry Toys “A family business started in 2001, we are now the world’s leading supplier of beautifully made and well-functioning puppets. Our puppets capture the essence of what makes a really fine toy - allowing the user to be creative, to entertain and have fun! We have a sister company - Wilberry Toys - that specialises in gorgeous soft toys. From our ever-popular Minis, to our stunning knitted and petite Collectables, there really is something for everyone. We have a new Eco range made from recycled plastic bottles. The Eco Cuddlies will feature 16 designs including animals, pets, and even a dragon! Our Wilberry plush range is spectacular and very different, from plush dolls, dressed animals, feathery owls, mini plush, large bears, Highland cows and a very traditional knitted plush range, which includes dinosaurs - something retail will be getting behind this summer! Stand-out ranges for card shop retailers would be impulse buys that include our finger puppets and Wilberry Minis; great gifts would be Baby Monsters and Wilberry Favourites and definitely Sockettes, which are very popular with adults! I could easily carry on as our dressed animals are great wedding gifts, with Feathery Birds Owls being completely gorgeous… I’ll stop now! This year’s new releases include Knitted Dinosaurs, Puppet Monsters, New Baby Monsters, our new Eco ranges and new Wilberry Minis to complement the range, which now has more than 40 designs. We will also have a new additional mini Eco plush range launching around Q3 or Q4. With more than 70 ranges across The Puppet Company and Wilberry Toys, and more than 600 product lines, there truly is something for everyone. Our customer service team is happy to talk ranges with
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retailers, what works, what is currently hot, and display options. We pride ourselves on quality, innovation and consumer friendly price points. We do not have quantity minimums and offer carriage paid orders for over £250 with regular promotions especially at trade shows. The Puppet Company has Blue Angel accreditation and is the only soft toy and plush manufacturer to receive this high standard of environmentally friendly excellence. Exhibitions and trade shows are really important to us. We have a very tactile range of products so the website or catalogue do not do justice to the toys. Spring Fair 2022 was our busiest year to date; all of our staff were busy during the first few days, which demonstrates that retail want to talk to us and place orders for great products. We are at eight to 10 trade shows every year; that is a significant investment to support our retailers across the UK. ‘‘
01462 446040 info@thepuppetcompany.com www.thepuppetcompany.com info@wilberrytoys.com www.wilberrytoys.com
