Steiff is one of the oldest companies for stuffed animals. It’s known for the high quality of teddy bears, but now wants to expand into new ranges.
Steiff was established back in 1880 in Germany. Today it has customers all over the world. It’s most famous for its mohair teddy bears, but it also makes quite a few other stuffed animals.
Now, Steiff has even bigger plans, TRBusiness reports. “We have [had] a very good partnership with both Lufthansa and Heinemann for years, since our German heritage connects us,” said Ken Wakatsuki, Head of Sales Asia Pacific and Global Travel Retail. “We are obviously delighted with these listings and some other existing ones, but this year at Cannes we are looking to add additional airlines and sales points in duty free shops across the world.”
For a while now Steiff was focusing mostly on the collectors’ market. This line will continue, but the company will also add more toys for kids.
As a result, Steiff introduces the Hello Baby Range of small, cuddly stuffed animals. “The Hello Baby Range includes Hello Baby Lea/Hello Baby Levi products such as Teddy Bear in a gift box – a great gift for a new family; Teddy Bear Comforter in a gift box – to comfort a young baby; and Teddy Bear Grip Toy with Rattle in a gift box for fun and entertainment”, TRBusiness notes.
There’s also the Soft Cuddly Friends range. It features a variety of stuffed animals for all age groups. My Bearly on the other hand is a beautiful brown bear that would make the ideal companion for any child’, while Pinky Dangling Flamingo adds plush with a different animal twist.
Steiff will also continue its classic lines. This includes special collectors’ bears and personal gifts. The company also keeps the “Button in Ear” trademark.
“Travel retailers can really benefit from incremental sales from plush and both our children’s and collectable ranges can create a compelling offer from a relatively small footprint. We feel strongly that there is still huge potential for retailers to develop the children’s offer instore and plush is a universal favorite for all ages and all nationalities. Authenticity, quality and safety are paramount, of course, and every Steiff piece offers the very best of all these requirements with craftsmanship that is second to none, ” said Wakatsuki.
