It's clear that the growing 'kidult' trend will remain one of the key disruptors in the coming years.
YuMe Toys, a company specialising in licensed collectible products, operates internationally with offices in Los Angeles, London, and Hong Kong. They have recently decided to start selling directly to retailers in the Spanish market. In this interview, Felipe Noriega, Vice President of YuMe Toys, explains the company's unique approach and its outlook in Spain.
What is YuMe Toys’ area of expertise in the toy sector?
YuMe Toys focuses on premium quality collectibles developed under licence from some of the most iconic entertainment brands in the world. With vibrant packaging design, affordable prices, and consumer-focused marketing, we’re helping to boost the collectibles category, bringing our products to more retail channels and reaching new consumers.
How is a company like YuMe Toys structured, and how do you operate in Spain?
As a global consumer products company, we have creative, marketing, and sales teams in three key locations: Los Angeles, London, and Hong Kong. Our Operations team, based at our Hong Kong headquarters, manages supply chain and logistics throughout the Far East. After operating for several years through distribution partnerships in Spain, we’re now successfully transitioning to a direct-to-retail model.
Why have you decided now is the right time to distribute directly to retailers in Spain? What led to this decision, and how will you implement the strategy?
Our product portfolio has grown to a size that justifies a direct retail operation. After seeing strong demand for our products in the Spanish market, we’ve decided to invest in reaching retailers directly from our European hub in London, working closely with our fantastic network of sales agents in Spain.
Why have you decided now is the right time to distribute directly to retailers in Spain? What led to this decision, and how will you implement the strategy?
Our product portfolio has grown to a size that justifies a direct retail operation. After seeing strong demand for our products in the Spanish market, we’ve decided to invest in reaching retailers directly from our European hub in London, working closely with our fantastic network of sales agents in Spain.
Which countries is YuMe Toys currently active in, and how is the company approaching international expansion, particularly in the Spanish market?
YuMe Toys operates globally, with the bulk of our sales coming from North America and Europe. In Spain, we’ve been fortunate that the strength of our product portfolio has opened the doors to all key retailers. It’s a tremendous vote of confidence, and we’re very grateful for it.
In such a competitive market, what do you consider the key trends in the toy sector that companies should be aware of?
For us, it’s clear that the growing 'kidult' trend will continue to be one of the main disruptors in the coming years. Toys are no longer just for children. The market is changing rapidly, and we’re here to help retailers adjust their product range to meet the needs of teens and adults seeking premium collectibles at reasonable prices.
How are you approaching the final months of the year and the upcoming Christmas and Three Kings campaigns?
Since we presented our 2024 product range to our new retail partners in May of this year, we’ve been working closely with them to ensure that the full breadth of our rich product portfolio is on shelves in time for the holiday shopping season.
What are YuMe Toys’ short-, medium-, and long-term goals?
In the short term, we aim to demonstrate to our new retail partners that our products generate significant demand and are a profitable business proposition. In the medium term, we hope to increase the number of stores stocking our products and grow our presence in the market. Our long-term goal is to continue our sustained growth and cement our position as a leader in the licensed collectibles segment.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
We’re incredibly excited about the YuMe brand in the Spanish market. We believe the market presents us with many opportunities to establish ourselves and grow our business further.