Feature - Plush

Let's hug it out

The Plush supercategory is outperforming the overall Toys & Games market, driven by innovative new launches, a strong focus on collectability and the introduction of standout themes and trends that have consumers lining up to get their hands on (or arms around) the latest cute and cuddly companions. Rachael Simpson-Jones speaks to a selection of leading Plush suppliers about how they’re keeping their ranges at the forefront of consumer minds as well as how they’re supporting retailers with display solutions and more.

Plush is lush, according to Circana. In an otherwise challenging year, it’s a major growth category and one that retailers of all sizes are enjoying success with. In fact, it’s been the top-gaining supercategory for several years, generating an additional +£23m since 2021. Traditional Plush is the hero subclass, coming in second only to Construction Toys in terms of speed of growth, adding +£2.76m in value since June 2023 YTD. Circana’s Emilie Erktan reveals in this month’s column (pages 32-33) that for the first half of 2024, the Top 10 best-selling assortments in the total UK toy market were plush - generating an impressive 19% of total market sales overall.

Squishmallows remains at the forefront of the Plush revolution, in large part thanks to its huge, extremely passionate fanbase. Holly Oldham, managing director UK & European Distributors at Jazwares, explains that the emotional connection fans have to Squishmallows, and the community the brand has built, play a crucial role in maintaining strong sales despite reduced consumer spending. Frequent ‘Squish Drops’ - new waves of product - and strategic collaborations are keeping the brand fresh and exciting as demand for the cute and cuddly characters shows no sign of slowing down.

“The Squishmallows brand is committed to continuously innovating and expanding our product lines to ensure we surprise fans and keep them engaged,” says Holly. “Additionally, we are expanding our licensing partnerships to include more beloved franchises and emerging trends, both to remain fresh and allow us to appeal to a broad audience. Q3/Q4 will welcome two very exciting new launches: Squish-a-longs and Micromallows. Squish-a-longs offers kids a range of 1” scale Squishmallows made from a new squishy material, while Micromallows is a 2.5” Blind and Multipack plush range. This will launch with substantial marketing support behind it, targeted primarily at the younger Squishmallows fan as well as our dedicated squad of Squishmallows collectors.”

While Squishmallows is now an established plush player, new brands are fuelling sales in a major way, with Zuru’s Snackles range of adorable plush characters that come holding their favourite licensed foods making its way into Circana’s Top 5 Gaining Properties (YTD June 2023/24). Will Collinson, who was recently promoted to general manager, Zuru UK & Europe following the company’s significant UK success, tells us that Snackles has become the No. 1 new property in the UK market thanks to two main factors: Zuru’s strategic partnerships with on-trend licences and the expansion of its character assortment to include unique and whimsical creatures. He says: “Unconventional characters such as axolotls, once obscure, are now trending and are set to dominate the toy market in 2025.”

Indeed, hot licences and on-trend characters are arguably the two most important elements of any top-performing Plush range out there in the marketplace, and consumers also can’t seem to get enough of anything that could be deemed kawaii (a Japanese term encompassing objects that are especially cute, childlike and happiness-inducing) or food-themed. Keel Toys new Snackies range comprises snack-size collectible characters, while PMS International’s Softlings Foodies line offers kids more than 50 delicious styles in a range of sizes, as well as seasonal and themed sub-collections.

Seeking to answer the growing calls for new anime product, Posh Paws has developed a brand-new plush IP called Kawaii Kuties. Kawaii Kuties plush bag clips launched in April and have already sold over 75,000 units, with repeat retailer orders coming in weekly. Posh Paws is understandably very excited to now be rolling out its larger 10” characters. Posh Paws isn’t the only supplier making the most of kawaii fever this year either. KAP Toys is celebrating Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary year with the launch of its Hello Kitty Squishii plush range. Each of the eight squishy, slow-rise characters is scented, dressed in a themed outfit, and comes in a cute box with a collectible sticker.

Rainbow Designs, meanwhile, is eagerly awaiting the big-screen release of Paddington in Peru. The company’s Paddington plush range will play straight into the hands of fans seeking new ways to show their love for the little brown bear, who enjoys a prominent position among Rainbow’s suite of classic characters. While the company’s collections are based on some of the most well-known and much-loved characters from children’s literature, such as Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit, Disney’s Winnie the Pooh and, of course, Paddington, Rainbow regularly adds complementary licences or sub-licences to its portfolio. For this year, the company is launching its new Disney Baby Lion King and Harry Potter Wizarding World ranges, both of which inject fresh, contemporary product designs and new formats to the range, which nonetheless remains firmly traditional.

On the flip side, there are several new introductions in the Interactive & Feature Plush sub-category. Animals continue to dominate here, offering kids an array of fun and functional pets. Golden Bear’s Curlimals brand expands with the addition of Mummy & Mimi, a mum-and-baby hedgehog duo that introduces new patterns to the best-selling IP. Ideal for more nurturing play, Character Options is also undertaking a brand expansion with its new Fingerlings Care ‘N’ Cuddles Monkey, which features over 150 sounds and reactions, while IMC Toys welcomes the Love & Care Labradoodle to its Baby Paws range. The Labradoodle will react to commands and makes over 15 sounds and puppy noises for added realism. Eolo is introducing a new pet pal for kids with its Pixel Hugs range, which combines the cuddly comfort of plush with the world of video games and pixel aesthetics, and Just Play’s FurReal brand welcomes Daisy the Yoga Goat, who assumes yoga poses and farts when she’s relaxed. And if relaxation isn’t your thing, try Screamerz from Simba Smoby – they scream at you when you squeeze them.

All these new launches offer retailers plenty of newness to offer their customers, but an age-old issue remains – how best to display them in store. While many Interactive & Feature Plush come in boxes (which while neat, can still be bulky), loose plush can pose something of a challenge, becoming easily disorganised once kids have had a rummage and leaving shelves looking dishevelled. Happily, many suppliers are coming up with innovative POS solutions that help retailers keep their plush assortments looking their best, such as Ty with its branded stands (as highlighted by Stephen Barnes in this month’s Indie Viewpoint on page 38).

Jazwares provides a variety of POS solutions to help retailers effectively display Squishmallows. According to Holly Oldham, smaller ranges are merchandised in branded CDUs while a huge out of aisle programme sees core, seasonal and licensed Squishmallows displayed in more creative ways to drive excitement and sell through. She adds: “FSDUs and dump bins allow for increased, off fixture brand presence, highlighting new Squish Drops to customers in a space efficient way. This programme continues to grow in 2024 due to the great success we are seeing at retail.”

Will Collinson explains that Zuru understands the importance of maintaining a clean and organised shopping environment, an understanding that has inspired its best-selling Coco Cones pocket money plush range. Each cute character is nestled inside a cardboard cone (think of an ice-cream cone, only the ice-cream is furry) with two extra surprises to discover inside. “Coco Cones not only offers aesthetic and giftable qualities but also minimises store clutter typically associated with bulk plush items,” he says. “By considering the retailer’s perspective, we’re able to enhance the on-shelf presence and improve the overall shopping experience.”

Rainbow Designs recommends using its CDUs or FSDUs to display its plush ranges both neatly and effectively. The company offers its retailers a range of both permanent and semi-permanent FSDUs, some of which are single character branded and some of which support multi brands. Many of Posh Paws’ ranges also come in CDU or display boxes, while its plush bag clips are also supported by clip-strip solutions. Key ranges such as Kawaii Kuties or the company’s anime plush range are also available with FSDUs, so retailers have the option to display them off-shelf, turning them into a stand-out feature in-store.

Posh Paws is going even further to ramp up the excitement for Kawaii Kuties by running one of its biggest ever marketing campaigns in partnership with influential family and teen content creators to bring the brand to life across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

“We are working with some of the most popular and creative influencers on fun and engaging Kawaii Kuties content,” explains Lauren Shipman, Brand & Marketing director, Posh Paws. “Their fanbases are the perfect fit for the brand and will engage with the content they produce and further increase the reach of the campaign. Aligned with the influencer activity, we’ll also be running paid Instagram, Facebook and TikTok adverts across feeds and stories, to further amplify the influencer-created content created as well as our own Kawaii Kuties product branded content. The latter will be available for retailers to use, increasing the reach of our marketing activity and creating more buzz for the brand.”

Following a May half-term retail activation that visited seven locations around the UK and saw visitors lining up for their chance to take part in the interactive games, giveaways, selfie moments and memorable mascot meet & greets, Jazwares is placing substantial marketing and retail support behind Squishmallows as it heads into Q3/4.

“This includes robust advertising campaigns across digital and social, with a significant focus on our top tier TikTok influencer collaborations,” details Holly. “We are also investing in exciting experiential marketing events and strategic collaborations to amplify our reach and engagement. Organic social media content remains a crucial driver of sales, as it fosters authentic links within our passionate community. Squishmallows is a collectible phenomenon - a plush and lifestyle brand which has forged a connection with people of all ages. Each plush in the range is designed with fans in mind, ensuring we are delivering the styles and licences that customers really want to see.”