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Revision as of 00:20, 21 May 2020 by Bosekgn (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) For the municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, see Schleich, Germany.| File:Schleich logo.png | |
| Industry | Toys, Figurines |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1935; 90 years ago (1935) |
| Founder | Friedrich Schleich |
| Headquarters | Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Key people | Dirk Engehausen (CEO), Erich Schefold (CFO) |
| Products | Smurfs, animals, knights, elves, dinosaurs |
| Owner | Ardian |
| Number of employees | 250 |
| Website | Schleich website |
Schleich is a German producer of handpainted toy figurines and accessories. The company is headquartered in Germany. The traditional market for Schleich products is Mainland Europe, with half their sales in Germany. However, their toys are sold worldwide and are now becoming quite popular in the United Kingdom, Australia and North America, where the Schleich figures are available from Target, Meijer, Schleich Toy Store , Toy Animal Shop, Toys "R" Us, and also in the prestigious FAO Schwarz toy shop on Fifth Avenue.
History
Schleich was founded by Friedrich Schleich in 1935. Its figurines were first released in the 1950s with the development, production and marketing of comic figurines such as Snoopy and the Smurfs. In the early 1980s they added animal figurines and Muppet characters to their range of products. Until the end of 2006, Schleich was a family-owned business. It was then taken over by the British investment company HgCapital, who paid 165 million euro for an 80% share.
Design, Production and Materials
The design of products and the creation of tooling is mostly in-house. Production is at the German headquarters and in production facilities in foreign countries, with the figures being hand-painted in China. In 2006, Schleich had about 250 employees and a yearly sales figure of around 80 million Euro.
Product Lines
The current line of figurines now includes six major brands owned by Schleich.
They also have a licensing agreement currently to produce smurfs. In the past, Schleich has licensed many major brands including Marvel, DC, Disney and Peanuts, to name a few.
The first major success for Schleich was JOPO, which were bendy figures with long legs. From there, they met success with their first launch of smurf figures. Since then, they have worked with a variety of brands to bring characters to life. But Schleich's overall success today is a result of its animal figures.
Schleich Flagship Stores
In 2019, Schleich wanted to expand its distribution in North America and partnered up with several key retailers throughout the United States with store-in-store concepts known as Schleich Flagship Stores. The longest continuously running Schleich Flagship Store is Maziply Toys, which was launched in March of 2019. The attraction features a 15 foot T-Rex, life-sized Schleich lion, play area with play table and a large selection of Schleich figurines.
Headquarters
Schleich is currently headquartered in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany
Notes
- Focus on Schleich
- Tagesspiegel on Schleich expansion
- ^ Playthings article on Schleich takeover
- HG Capital press release on the acquisition of Schleich
- Article on production of toys in China
- "First Schleich Flagship Store in New England". Maziply Toys. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
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