The Future of Fuzzy

I confess. Though I'm happily married to my husband of seven years, there's another guy in my life—Simon, the teddy bear I've had since I was a child. I can't imagine ever parting with him, at least not voluntarily. That's the kind of impact a simple plush toy can have on a child, or even an adult.

These days, plush manufacturers believe this kind of attachment is still a viable possibility for today's kids, and are going to great lengths to create fuzzy friends that will appeal to their ever-shifting preferences and sophisticated sensibilities. That means there's something for everyone in 2007, as companies fill a variety of consumer niches—trendy colors and fabrics, wearable plush, realistic wildlife, infant toys, licensed characters, eco-friendly plush, collectibles and even contemporary designs that appeal to adults. And to maximize their presence at retail, several clever companies have created separate, dedicated product lines to cater to several of these areas of the market at once.

The jury is still out on whether traditional plush has already, or will soon, fall victim to age compression, but manufacturers are taking stands on both sides of the issue. According to Rich Martinez, vice president of product development for Hansa USA, Grantsville, Md., plush—one of the first items we give newborns—retains its appeal throughout a child's life and into adulthood, representing love, care, individuality, gratitude, hope for recovery, and memories of cherished people, places and pets. “Even in this age where childhood is shortened by access to—and obsession with—technology and interactive gaming, plush animals still play a major role,” Martinez says.

“Plush appeals to not just our visual senses but our sense of touch,” adds Kelly Fontana, director of marketing for Mary Meyer, Townshend, Vt. “Plush toys offer physical and emotional comfort. Plush is family. We receive letters all the time from families who are looking for a lost toy they simply can't live without.”

According to Jonelle Raffino, president of Biltmore World Trade, Tempe, Ariz., which markets the eco-friendly SoySilk Pals, there will always be an audience for simple, classic toys, especially among parents. “The timelessness and nostalgia make plush an eternal favorite,” she says. “It is also one of the few toys left that offer children quiet time and a chance to use their own imagination to bring the toy to life with their own magic and creativity.”

Carreen Maloney, founder of Alfa's Fuzzy Town, Ferndale, Wash., agrees. “It has been around throughout all of our life spans and will continue for generations to come. No computer can provide the cuddle factor.”

And over at Douglas Co., Keene, N.H., marketing manager Erika Radich shares a similar sentiment. “There is always room in the market for a classic teddy or a family dog,” she says. “It is a symbol of comfort, companionship, connection, emotion—all those factors that breed hope. We all need that these days.” However, she also admits that, “It really troubles me that children need so much more stimulus to be engaged. All the hype around toys seems to diminish the need for creative play and creative thought.”

For Fuzzy Town, hype is just not important, Maloney says. “Our industry moves so quickly that by the time a company runs to get on board with trendy items, the trend is over already,” she says. “A child's love of animals isn't affected by trends, and this is what nurtures the love of plush.”

There are also those companies that don't bother debating the existence of age compression so much as use it as a source of inspiration for creating unique products in a crowded market.

“Everyone talks about the down trend in basic plush and kids growing up faster than ever,” says Serah Chae, director of business development for Hosung N.Y., which creates the organic MiYim collection. “I think it calls for plush makers to really bring innovation and originality to the category in order to stay competitive.”

At Torrance, Calif.-based Bestever, the age compression issue is tracked closely. “Kids these days are more mature and savvy when it comes to what will hold their attention,” Sandy Willens, managing director, and Stacy Harris, senior product development manager, tell Playthings. “The age at which a child will still desire a plush item has gotten younger and younger—but then again, the tween market has been making a comeback for plush. Hopefully this will create a balance.”

To appeal to this demographic, Bestever has expanded its plush offerings to include other soft categories, such as wearables and accessories (slippers, hats, purses, backpacks) and room decor (Hugga Pet Pillows), many of which have become top sellers.

Laura Perks, a founding member of Kids Preferred, Dayton, N.J., also says age compression can be combated by “offering plush purses, backpacks and tween items such as pillow/toys and purse pets.”

At Vernon, Calif-based Fiesta, fashion-forward plush includes a wide selection of purses and girls' accessories. “Staying current with styling and features is very important,” Michael Lauber, CEO and president, says. “We try to keep contemporary with new color palettes, fabrics and design trends...We are sensitive to the fact that toy design, like fashion and furniture, has design cycles and sometimes what was old becomes new.”

Recent top sellers for Douglas Co. include girl accessories such as the Sassy Pet Saks, Erika Radich says. “Our pet purses have that fashionable edge...It is always important to be fresh and innovative. We often try to keep some features that are familiar...then we tweak some elements to make a new look.”

Other trends Douglas has been implementing are “softer materials, unusual materials, sparkles,” Radich says, noting that “pet-related plush,” plush for pets, and plush toys that connect to technology via the Internet—such as Ganz' hugely popular Webkinz or the new Shining Stars line from Russ—are also hot in the marketplace these days. Douglas Co. also has a line of sealife and equestrian plush designs that have done particularly well at zoos, aquariums and riding stores, helping to diversify its business across channels.

For some manufacturers, this kind of realistic styling is the bulk of their business, and they build on this customer base with appealing characters that fit in well at specialty toy shops and other more play-oriented venues. At Fuzzy Town, “Nearly all of our plush has realistic styling and features,” Maloney says. “We are animal lovers and believe consumers want realistic representation of these creatures.” As a trend, “the pendulum seems to be swinging back to realistic plush animals,” she says. Fuzzy Town's top sellers are regionally influenced, with its polar bear plush and igloos biggest in cold-climate areas like Alaska, for example.

At Hansa USA, its selection of realistic, heirloom quality plush animals “has evolved from standard, well-known plush animals to one that teaches about and raises awareness of endangered species and provides exposure to lesser known, exotic animals,” Rich Martinez says. Hansa's retailer base has also expanded from collector shops, galleries and department stores to online and specialty shops and the zoo/aquarium/museum circuit. “Trends seem to be moving toward unique, exotic plush animals...joining traditional favorites by riding waves of awareness and educational exposure,” Martinez says. Though whimsical styling and colors do have a niche, he says, Hansa is focused on details such as adding teaching tags, or steel frames so its plush can be posed or ridden.

Fiesta is also committed to realistic design for some of its plush, which is marketed to the zoo/aquarium crowd but sells nearly as well at toy stores, Michael Lauber says. “More than 30 percent of our everyday plush is realistic. We conduct extensive research on an animal's coloring and habitat. This, combined with soft fabrics, the right size for retail and great value, is part of our success,” he says. “We receive requests daily for animals I've never heard of! We do the research and decide if there's enough demand. If so, that animal makes it into the line.”

For Aurora World, Pico Rivera, Calif., “It is very important to have realistic styling and features,” Paul Roche, senior vice president of sales, tells Playthings. The company's new 12-inch Nature Babies, available in 24 styles of puppies, kittens and baby jungle animals, “look so realistic, no one can resist picking one up and adopting them on the spot,” he says.

And no discussion of realistic plush would be complete without mentioning Wild Republic, Twinsburg, Ohio, a division of K&M International. Its extensive catalog of realistic plush is a crucial component of the company's business—even as it has expanded to include gifts, arts and crafts and historical toys, according to Kim C. Hammeren, director of marketing.

“Plush is very important—it's how we got started, creating realistic plush that better replicated the visitor and exhibit experience in zoos and aquariums,” Hammeren says. “Since we're a nature oriented, wild-animal-themed company geared towards children, our realistic plush lines exemplify our mission.”

Wild Republic's Cuddlekins line offers velvety-soft plush that spans the animal kingdom, with animal species from Asia; North, South and Central America; Africa/Madagascar; and Europe. Collections of sea life (featuring species of whales, sharks and penguins), polar and desert animals are also available.

According to K&M president and founder G.B. Pillai, the attention to these creatures' design is critical to the company's success. “It's very important, because it is proprietary and protectable,” he tells Playthings. “[It's] like our Audubon line, which brings two equity points together, Audubon design and Cornell ornithology sounds.” The ever-expanding collection of noisy plush birds is a staple for Wild Republic, but the focus in 2007 will be on its Steve/Bindi Irwin toys, on which development began before the conservationist's tragic death in September. And though the company has made some forays into new colors and styling, “More important than contemporary for us is kid-friendly…that's the litmus test,” Pillai notes. Plush appeals because it's “soft, tactile, huggable,” he says. “And, of course, it makes a great traveling companion.”

There's even a sub-niche of the realistic plush category for pet lovers, according to Melissa Bernstein, founder of Melissa & Doug, Westport, Conn. Though the company is best known for its wooden developmental toys, it also offers realistically detailed breeds of life-size dogs and other large plush for specialty retail, and many stores use these in their window displays.

“It's an attention grabber and that's what we like,” Bernstein says. “This is just another way to help [our specialty stores] be different, and they do a lot of merchandising around them.” She adds, “We just like classic toys, and we view [plush] as a very basic category that kids have loved from the beginning of time. For us, it fits in well because it doesn't have bells and whistles and it falls into that basic play pattern.”

Although she believes there is a place for technology in plush, “I think there's a really good place for ours too,” Berstein says. “I like the fact that we don't have that, and [our plush is] literally a pretend play friend that keeps a child away from the computer.”

Edison, N.J.-based Gund will also expand in the life-size plush area, according to Shallu Chhabra, marketing and licensing manager. “We're introducing a new jumbo line in June, which includes five very realistic models—a sheepdog, a St. Bernard, a polar bear, a lion and a seal—all measuring at least 50 inches.”

Another key area of growth for Gund is in baby and infant products, especially toys that stimulate baby's development through role play, Chhabra says. Gund offers nearly 30 bestselling soft playsets in familiar themes, such as train, pirate, princess, zoo, farm, cowboy and fire station, and even Sesame Street-themes with popular characters licensed from the series.

Similarly, Aurora's new interactive Play and Learn items also “are really hot,” Paul Roche says, as is Aurora's Baby Talk line “because it encourages learning and development in children. Kids use the playsets to associate shapes with words and sounds—each plush item is embroidered with its name and makes its corresponding sound when squeezed.”

The growing popularity of these kinds of toys that do, rather than just are, have many manufacturers pursuing lines that offer creative, interactive play.

At Fiesta, for example, “Toys that encourage role playing like puppets, stick ponies and rocking horses maintain appeal because they allow children to be children...these classic toys enable children to stretch their imagination,” Michael Lauber says.

According to Debra Joester and Joanne Loria, whose Joesta Loria Group represents the Baby Genius DVDs, plush will be a key component of the brand's new early learning line of toys. “All of the products—which are designed to stimulate sensory skills in babies and toddlers—will either include a sound component or will be packaged with a CD or DVD,” Loria adds.

For Mary Meyer, “Instead of marketing to a broad age demographic, we focus on creating products that enhance creativity for the infant, preschooler and young school age child,” Kelly Fontana says. Steady movers include the FlipFlops, Pufferbellies and Sweet Rascals lines, while licensed Taggies plush is also popular. Mary Meyer is also debuting Ready Riders ride-ons and the Food for Thought food-themed activity toys.

And at North American Bear, New York and Chicago, plush play products and playsets have moved to the fore in recent years, president Barbara Isenberg tells Playthings. Recent bestsellers include Fairytale Topsy Turvy dolls, Rosy Cheeks baby dolls, Baby Cozies and Sleepyhead Bunnies, Isenberg says, adding, “As a company filled with parents of boys, we are trying to offer more designs; it's an area that we believe could benefit from more distinctive offerings. This includes our My Own Monsters [see sidebar], baseball musical and tooth pirate/mate” products.

Contemporary decor themes are also a big factor in the baby market, Isenberg, Mary Meyer's Fontana and Sarah Powers, marketing coordinator for Princess Soft Toys, Minneapolis, say. “We try to identify trends from seemingly unrelated markets like fashion, home decor, etc., which we adopt into our own distinctive styling,” Isenberg says. “A child is never too young (or old) to appreciate good design, and we've used that belief to guide and shape our contemporary styles.”

At Mary Meyer, Fontana says, the company has introduced several items with design and decor in mind, such as the Caramel Cremes, a line of muted beige, brown and sage green animals, and the Dimples, six animals in a distinctive velvety soft dimpled fabric.

For Princess Soft Toys, the reception for its new Soft Safari and Nouveau Nursery lines of infant products has been “incredible,” Sarah Powers says, and will likely be an area of expansion. “I think the Baby Boomer generation becoming grandparents has made plush a hot commodity again! They desire to spoil their grandkids in a way they may not have been able to before with their own children.”

This is also an observation shared by Jim Glime, president of Jaag, Madison Heights, Mich. “We are spending more on toys now then we did 10 to 20 years ago!”

Though primarily a mass-market phenomenon, manufacturers who spoke with Playthings acknowledge that licensed properties are a major sector of the market.

“Some companies live and die by it,” says Fiesta's Michael Lauber. “There is no doubt that hot licensed product sells, there is also no doubt that when it's over, it's over…We take the approach of licensing artist and designs as opposed to characters.”

For Kids Preferred, keeping a stable of book-related licenses (such as fall releases tied to Charlie & Lola, The World of Beatrix Potter and Emily Goes Wild) is the goal. “The plush toy enhances the reading experience for the child as well as the parent or grandparent or teacher,” Laura Perks says. “Licensing plays a major role in plush simply because of the popularity of well-known books, brands and characters. Consumers create a demand for their favorites.”

According to David Allmark, manager of Fisher-Price Friends, East Aurora, N.Y., plush is the perfect complement to most properties, especially those from television. “It provides open-ended play by bringing these beloved characters to life right in a child's home.”

Allmark sees technology as the future of his brand. “It is evident with our successful T.M.X. Elmo, what began with a giggle and a shake...has been transformed into even more lifelike play. You'll see this again in this year's Puppy Grows and Knows Your Name, as the plush grows before your very eyes,” says Allmark. “It's always important to stay ahead of the curve when developing new plush.” Fisher-Price currently has relationships with Sesame Street, Winnie the Pooh, Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go! and PBS' It's a Big, Big World. It's “an integral part of our business,” he says.

Gund also offers licensed plush, with characters from Sesame Street, Pinky Dinky Doo and Thomas the Tank Engine. Though Gund doesn't aggressively seek licenses, “We love opportunities to partner with great brands that compliment and fit well with the rest of our products,” Shallu Chhabra says.

For Play Along, a division of Malibu, Calif.-based Jakks Pacific, licensing also plays a key role in plush due to the Care Bears [see sidebar.] “Toys are the driver category for Care Bears and plush is the centerpiece of our toy program,” says rep Debra Joester.

Going beyond fashion and decor are new product lines exploring contemporary features, such as plush with technology, plush crafted out of unusual materials or “functional plush” that can be transformed into secondary products, manufacturers tell Playthings.

“While traditional plush continues to be very popular, there is a trend toward adding interactive elements,” Gund's Shallu Chhabra says. For the first time ever, the 109-year company is adding sound elements to its plush, and the response so far to its new GundFun line “has been very positive,” Chhabra says.

Sound toys are a strong area for boys, Bestever's Sandy Willens and Stacy Harris note. “Our Toys for Boys vehicles fill a niche for soft boys' toys, which can be hard to find. Boys still want soft toys but they get tired of bears and traditional plush early.” The line is a bestseller, with seven new styles planned, they say.

Jaag's Jim Glime also sees strength for “interactive” and “functional” plush. Though Jaag is known for its soft animals, it has expanded its baby lines to incorporate more functional plush such as the Baby Wrap and the new Wrap N Nap, a combined blanket/plush toy for naptime. The plush that was the biggest hit at the toy shows, however, was the Time's Up/Time Out line, which features a dial timer in the belly of a plush puppy, lamb, frog or bear. It's designed to help kids better understand time management. “We have been getting some great feedback,” Glime says.

Another functional line making waves is the Zoobie Pets, 12 vibrant plush jungle animals, each of which transforms into a pillow and a blanket. The product was named a finalist for the Innovation Awards at the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association show. “Zoobies have already been selling like crazy and we have reason to believe our success will not be short lived,” says Ryan Treft, a founding member of the State Orem, Utah-based, company.

A different kind of functional plush can be found in the organic and ecological plush markets, with a trend of “going green” being spotted recently, according to Kids Preferred's Laura Perks. The company's Asthma-Friendly line as well as Hosung NY's MiYim line, the SoySilk plush from BWTI and the new Eco-Pals, SoySilk animals inspired by the Seattle-based Matter Group's Xeko ecological card game, are also making strides at retail, manufacturers say. (For more information, visit www.playthings.com/eco-plush.)

For Play Visions, Woodinville, Wash., finding unique functions and materials is the focus for its plush efforts, according to president Mark Chernick, especially when introducing products like the company's new Zibbies line (which pairs soft plush animals with a hyperflex elastic material) into such a crowded market. “It's brutally competitive,” he says of the industry, noting that Play Visions looks “at the function or the cosmetic novelty in the product first” as it aims for uniqueness in its plush products.

“It's a lot simpler to design a piece of plush than it is to add a novel function to it,” he says. The company also distributes Stretch Zoo, in which the limbs of the characters are made out of the hyperflex material, allowing them to be “stretched or launched at will.”

In the Internet realm, Oakland, N.J.-based Russ is jumping in with both feet. “Obviously Web-based interactive plush products have been embraced with great affection,” says Jeffrey Bialosky, executive vice president of sales and marketing. “Our Shining Stars line, released in January, has taken the world by storm,” he says. Though the company is best known for its traditional plush, “Children are growing up faster and we are always looking for creative ways to attract them with our soft product,” Bialosky says. “It is a pleasant challenge given to our team to create products that will capture the hearts and hugs of the consumer.”

Yet on some level, manufacturers say, the more the plush category changes, the more it stays the same, at least when it comes to kids. As Jaag's Jim Glime puts it, “Traditional plush has always been strong and I don't see anything on the horizon to change that...For forever, children have had a love for plush toys and you can't put a price on the smile of a child's face when they receive that new plush animal.”

Adds Fiesta's Michael Lauber, “Plush doesn't have to do anything...Watch a child's face in the airport as he or she is about to take their first adventure. They're excited, nervous, in awe—and nine times out of 10 they are toting their favorite stuffed animal.”