Q&A - Haico

Creative thinking at Haico

Haico’s Katie O’Neill, buying director, Ravelle Leacock, creative director and Hayley Leacock, commercial director, tell Toy World what it was like to launch a company at the start of the pandemic, and what its goals are for 2022 now a raft of new product launches are taking place.

Can you tell us about your backgrounds and why you decided to start Haico?

Hayley: Establishing Haico has been a natural progression for everyone in the team. We’ve all been in the toy and creative industries for over 10 years, and our aim with Haico was to provide an outlet for all the creativity and innovation we wanted to share with the world. The team also wanted to work in a business in which the company’s culture and its successes stemmed from giving people the freedom to thrive in their own unique way.

Do you think your experience in the toy market has been a big help in getting the company established?

Hayley: Our experience has allowed us to build a robust, tried and tested infrastructure that supports retailers globally. Our skills as buyers and product developers have also enabled us to combine these two critical areas and build a business that is intuitive and flexible to the ever-changing landscape.

Not that you appreciated it at the time, but what a period in which to launch a new company: how have the last two years been?

Katie: We were as shocked as anyone to see how the pandemic hit our sector and the global markets. However, we’ve been able to use our infancy as a business to our advantage and avoided a lot of the major issues. We took time to develop and train our teams, establish our infrastructure, and nurture our supply base, meaning we were 100% ready and firing on all cylinders for when our much-missed customers were ready to buy again.

How challenging has it been to open new accounts when you couldn’t meet face to face with retailers?

Hayley: Great buyers are always looking for great product, so it hasn’t been a challenge. We’ve had really positive results and founded many new relationships which we’re sure will flourish into 2022 and beyond.

What products have you focused on and what do you see as the key strengths of the range?

Ravelle: We’ve looked at the toy and stationery markets cross-category and identified gaps which we’ve exploited to launch our own IPs and ranges, delivering product that was much needed and underdeveloped. A perfect example of this is Haico’s new MindFul product range, which is specifically developed for children with ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) and SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder). We know demand for this type of product is very high, especially post-pandemic, but sadly it’s not readily available in the market. From next year we want to make sure that everyone has access to this type of product should they need it. Each one of the MindFul products provides sensory feedback for each of the seven senses: Sight (vision), Hearing (auditory), Smell (olfactory), Taste (gustatory), Touch (tactile), Vestibular (movement and balance) and Proprioception (body position/awareness). Developing product with a true purpose is a core principle of Haico.

What have been the most successful lines so far?

Ravelle: Our Squidgems product range. This brand is unique because it brings toys, sensory play, compounds and arts & crafts together in one product. Most importantly, the items in this range are completely re-usable. Each child can create their own arts & craft masterpiece which they can either keep or wash clean, and then play with over and over again. Included in every product is a new compound that we’ve developed, Squidgems Gloop. Our gloop is a non-transferable, completely water-based toxinfree compound. It is safe and fun for children to use when playing with our products and it has had brilliant feedback from retail.

How is the range expanding for ’22?

Katie: Haico will be launching no less than five new brands in 2022. All the new ranges will be an extension of the successes we’ve had so far but with exciting new concepts and play patterns that are unique to each brand. All the magic has already taken place behind the scenes: all that’s left to do is present them to retail in product previews from this month onwards.

Where can retailers see the new products?

Hayley: All our products can be viewed at our showroom in Media City. Buyers are invited to visit for either a face-to-face appointment or a virtual link if they are unable to travel. We’re also always on the road and will be all over the country meeting buyers throughout January and February.

What are your aspirations for 2022 and beyond?

Katie: We can’t wait to see Haico’s brands launch in stores this year. We’re also looking forward to launching in new territories such as the USA and Australia, and to growing our team by inviting more like-minded people to become part of the incredibly exciting adventure we’re all on.

Hayley: Our personal aspirations are very much part of our core belief as a business. We know that if you put people at the heart of everything you do and you care about - your impact on them and our planet - the business will flourish in its own unique way.