Company Profile
Just Play - going solo Earlier this year, 11 years after its inception, independent US toy company Just Play announced the creation of its first European subsidiary, which will open officially on 1st January 2022. Toy World publisher John Baulch and editor Rachael Simpson-Jones paid a visit to David Allmark, executive advisor, and Anna Chapman, VP marketing EMEA, to find out why the timing is right for this step, and how the European business strategy is set to extend the US success.
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e met with David and Anna at Just Play’s stunning new office in Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire. Located in an enviable position on the banks of the river - a lovely sunny spot for some lunch, we discovered - and just a 20-minute stroll from Henley town centre, the office has been strategically positioned in something of a hotspot for toy companies. This is no coincidence; it reflects Just Play’s aspirations within the European marketplace. The company has its sights firmly set on making the UK Top 10 rankings within just two years, edging towards the top of that list towards the end of the 24 months. Just Play’s pedigree makes this a realistic goal. It has enjoyed year-on-year growth since its inception, resulting in its current status as a leading toy company in the USA. The company is the US No. 1 in Licensed Plush, Pre-School and Role-Play toys, has won six TOTYs (no mean feat for a relative newcomer to the industry) and is now preparing to grow its global footprint even further. “Just Play is mainly based in Florida and Pennsylvania, with a further licensing hub and showroom in LA,” explains David. “There’s also a substantial manufacturing and showroom resource in Hong Kong, with around 150 team members, and in the latter half of 2020 we opened
the Australian subsidiary, with the UK office now hot on its heels.” While existing partnerships across Europe will continue, such as that with Giochi Preziosi, the new office will form the hub of Just Play’s European business and will serve the retail community in the UK & Ireland via direct partnerships. The building of the UK Just Play team is already underway. David and Anna have so far been joined by Ami Dieckman (VP sales EMEA), Amy Saunders (UK sales director) and Llyr Lewis (licensing director EMEA), and will soon be joined by Katie Gritt (head of marketing). Despite everyone’s set titles, Anna and David joke that each team member is required to don any number of hats depending on what needs doing and when, a situation many within small teams will be able to relate to. Just Play is also actively recruiting in all areas of the business, with a view to growing the headcount to ‘three or for times’ its current complement. Import Services, meanwhile, has been appointed as logistics partner, meaning Just Play is poised to benefit from the new £24m Southampton distribution hub detailed elsewhere in this issue. “Having a logistics company that can operate flexibly and get our products to UK retailers and also to Europe seamlessly and quickly is crucial to the success of the new office, and we couldn’t have picked a better partner,” says David.
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“Our ‘source to store’ ethos, whether that be via Hong Kong or Southampton, means we can get product to retailers however they want it.” This year’s spring/summer previews have been put to good use by Just Play, and accounts with retail partners are now being established. Timing has been everything in this regard, Anna explains. “If we’re going to be opening the business on 1st January, then we need to be previewing the business ready for that date. And if we’re previewing, then we need to make calls to explain our situation and book appointments. Everything we’ve done so far can be traced back to the preview timeline; once that process starts, and the ball is rolling, you’re in. We can’t turn up in January, clap our hands together and ask: ‘Right, what needs doing?’. We have to lay the foundations now.” Front of mind throughout the entire process has been Just Play’s relationship with Flair, which has done a fantastic job of distributing the company’s brand in the UK & Ireland for five years. The partnership has played a major role in getting Just Play to where it is in the UK. Conversations about the company’s intention have been taking place for some time, with full consideration given to ensuring information has come out in an appropriate manner, at an appropriate time. Just Play and its people clearly have enormous
