David Albert of schleich North America on design, US growth and the company’s 90th anniversary

David, schleich has been celebrating its 90th anniversary this past year. Can you talk me through some key milestones that have shaped the company?
There are three key milestones I would like to mention. Schleich started out doing a lot of licensed toys – Snoopy, Mickey Mouse, Maya the Bee. Then in the 80s, we started creating animal figurines. The company emerged out of a fast-paced licensing business into a more long-term growth model with animal figurines that was more sustainable. Then, in 2014, when I started, we added playsets to the figurines, and that was a key driver for our success.

Licensing, animals, playsets – terrific! And on the animal figurines, they’re such as big part of what people associate with schleich. What is it about the design approach there that means that range resonates?
It comes down to making the figurines as realistic as they can be. With a lion, that’s simple, but when it comes to unicorns, we think about what a realistic take on that would look like, if that makes sense?

It does! A schleich unicorn looks like the real deal to me – as far as I’d imagine them to look!
That’s it! However these animals or creatures look in kids’ minds, that’s what we want our figurines to resemble. And it’s evolved over the years – our first animal figurines were limited by the molding capabilities of the day, so they look completely different. They were nice and cute, but over time they became more realistic and detailed.

And in terms of the 90th anniversary, what has been the key to schleich’s longevity?
We’ve taken that European approach to have sustainable growth. If you look back in the 50s and 60s when we were 100% reliant on licenses, it was up and down, but as we’ve shifted focus to building out our own animal lines and play worlds, our approach is much more sustainable in terms of growth.

And then when it comes to the figurines, research shows that more than 90% of schleich’s figurines are never thrown away.

Wow!
That’s massive and something we’re proud of. They are built to last.

And how would you describe the creative culture at schleich?
The design team is mainly based out of Germany. We have about 15 people in our design and product development team. And in terms of our creative culture, it comes down to our core values. We always say: ‘What if?’ and ‘Why not?’ That’s baked into our DNA. We always talk about what else could we do? How else could we develop? The other thing is that we are a very small team with very flat hierarchies. You basically sit on the same floor with the CEO.

Not all European success stories translate to the US. What has helped schleich grow internationally?
The first thing is the consistency of our line. The line is the line – it looks the same everywhere. That helps us. The other thing is that it’s a broad range that resonates across the globe. There are some regional differences – the Texas Longhorn Bull is a big seller in the US, but not so much in Germany – but the breadth of the assortment gives us the opportunity to be locally relevant.

The final thing is how we collaborate with retailers. A lot of companies struggle because they take one approach and try to force that into each and every market. We take a more bespoke approach and we’ve built tremendous success in the US.

Going back to your figurines, how long does a particular figurine stay in the line?
I don’t think a single item in the assortment has stayed there for decades. We do a lot of refreshes, but there’s no formula. It really comes down to how it’s selling or how it’s being received. We have items in the line that are older than five years because the posture and everything is resonating. Others are taken out after three or four years.

What have been some highlights in terms of launches this past year?
We had our 90th anniversary edition range – a special collection celebrating biodiversity. We had different animals – an elephant, a turtle, a lion, a tiger – all very colourful. We also launched a couple of new Eldrador playsets and some exciting new launches in Horse Club. The Horse Club Lakeside Truck and Trailer has been a highlight in the US, as has our our Eldrador BattleCaves.

I know sustainability is a big focus for Schleich – how has that journey been so far?
We are Cradle to Cradle Certified, which means we know exactly every ingredient that goes into the toy. We can break them down and be fully recyclable. We are currently in the phase of re-evaluating what works what doesn’t work. We are so proud of our quality, that we want to make sure that everything that we do is reflected in the quality of the products. We know we are sustainable in the long lasting sense because we know our toys are not being thrown away.

You mentioned earlier that Schleich began with licensing, and new launches include a Wizarding World line. What makes a brand attractive to Schleich?
Licensing is still super important for us. Harry Potter is a great license. We love working with Wizarding World and we are currently evaluating new licenses. We’ve actually just announced a upcoming collaboration with Pudgy Penguins for next year, so it’s important for us and it will be part of our growth journey.

We’ve seen a company like Playmobil embrace some ‘left-field’ licensing like Knight Rider and Magnum PI. How important is it to surprise and delight fans through licensing? Or can that be a risk?
It’s both. The main reason why things have changed with a company like Playmobil is that with declining birth rates, they need to embrace new audiences. The only reason the toy market is flat or growing is that kidults, teens and tweens are buying more toys. So from that perspective, it is something that is absolutely relevant for us.

We want to embrace that in a way that aligns our core DNA, but I think you will see some new licenses coming up where you might think: “Well, I never thought Schleich would do that!”

Nicely teased! Last question – what’s schleich’s most underrated product or range?
Well, I cannot go back 90 years, but since I’ve been at the company, I’d say our Knights and Dragons collection, which was super cool. Some fans still rave about them and try to find them. Otherwise, I would say it’s Eldrador. It’s growing and resonating hugely in Germany, but I think it has a lot more potential.

David, thanks for taking time out to chat. Let’s do it again soon!

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