With Aussies ready to start traveling again, soft toy supplier, Korimco, recently launched its latest brand Relaxeazzz, a travel cushion and eye mask in one.
Korimco owner, Andrew Casper, found the brand just before Covid hit and had to wait two and a half years before he could introduce it to retailers at Reed Gift Fairs Melbourne.
“To reconnect with a brand-new supplier two and a half years later was great as they still believed we were the right company to take this to market in Australia, with our wide distribution network throughout all the zoos and aquariums across the country,” he says. “We are now the exclusive distributor in Australia for this product.
“What has been good is that people have really picked up on the fact that it’s new, it’s fresh, it’s easy and it’s innovative.”
Also new for Korimco is its eco-friendly program, where all the soft toys are made of recycled water bottles, which currently represents about 35 per cent of the company’s total offering.
“Retailers love that it is eco-friendly, but buyers have been blown away by the fact how good and realistic the eco-friendly toys have become over the last two years. They are not just eco-friendly, they are gorgeous, soft and really good quality. To see, touch and feel these toys on the stand has certainly made it easier for them to make a commitment.
“We have been collaborating with a UK company for the last 15 years and we develop products together as we see the opportunity for those to hit the market.”
All in all, the gift fair has been very positive adds Casper, as everyone is trying to get back to some sort of normal.
“Exhibitors were happy to be able to show their products and meet their customers as we head into a busy time of the year from a retail point of view.
“People are making commitments and are happy to reconnect and build their relationships in a post-Covid world and everyone has been able to get some good feedback, get some orders in the system, so it has been good.
“Customers seem to be loving what we’re doing and they finally got to see it all because they haven’t in two and a half years. We had a good mix of customers—30 per cent of our orders have been new customers—and it’s something we can really build on as we now go out and carry our promotions through into Christmas.”
Related News
