Since launching to the gift and children’s market in October 2014, Huckleberry has grown at a rapid rate and will be introducing a new range of products at Reed Gift Fair this August in Melbourne.
The company has found success with its Make Your Own kits, and is adding a Make Your Own Bracelet range and a Make Your Own Origami Mobile to the collection, which already features DIY hair clips, earrings and lip balm.
Co-founder Michelle Chan says that while the kits were originally created for children, adults have also been interested in the range, both for themselves and as a quirky gift. This led Chan and her partner Cyndee Dorant to add more variety to the products.
Other new items include Super Stuf, which Chan says is targeting the older teen boy market and “has to be seen to be believed”, along with Let It Snow, a product that makes realistic, fluffy snow. All the products are designed and packaged in Huckleberry’s Perth studio.
Chan says Huckleberry aims to develop products that are unique and innovative but also affordable. “Our products are inspired by the latest trends, colours, or our imaginations,” she says. “When we are creating a new product, we ask ourselves whether this product ‘fits’ with the Huckleberry look and style and whether we can add our own unique twist to it.”
Chan and Dorant are also passionate about customer service, and regularly talk to their stockists to get ideas for new products. “We listen to suggestions from our store owners about products that they think their customers would like and up and coming trends,” says Chan.
“We love hearing their thoughts about what they would like to see in a new product range or gaps they notice in the market. If we can make their customers happy, then it’s a win-win all round.”
To cater to retailers, Huckleberry has developed product packs that stores can use to test the range, and will have a Let It Snow display at the fair so visitors can experience the new product and plan their Christmas ranges and displays.
“We believe in constantly innovating and coming up with new products so that our stockists have new options in their stores for their customers,” says Chan. “Customers love new ideas and products and we believe that if we continually bring out new products, customers will continue to come back to the stores to see what’s new.
“We are hoping that our new range of products will strike a chord with stockists and give them a unique product proposition for their customers that they have not seen before in the Australian marketplace.”
