While a large number of stuffed animals must be made in China, the company’s Breton factory will increase its capacities.
A greater number ofPhrygeswill finally be produced in France. This Tuesday, the plush manufacturer Doudou et compagnie announced, on the sidelines of a visit to its factory, a strengthening of its production of mascots for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in its manufacture in Brittany. A way for the industrialist to “take up the challenge of reindustrializing stuffed toys in France“.
So far, Doudou and company had to manufacture 1.2 million “Phrygesout of the two million stuffed animals expected by 2024. At least 200,000 mascots were to be produced in the company’s Breton factory, the rest coming from the Chinese factory of Doudou and company. The first were to be sold for 49.9 euros each, for a size of 28 centimeters, while the seconds were to be less expensive: 26.90 euros for the 25 cm model – without the packaging – 44.90 euros for the mascot of 35 cm, 69.90 euros for the 50 cm one and 149.90 euros for the 80 cm plush.
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The large shipments of Chinese stuffed animals had however sparked controversy, while all the players are calling for the reindustrialization of France. “I want to believe that we still have a few months before the Olympic Games (OG) are held to be able to correct the subject“, advanced in mid-November the Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu. “We will try to have more ambition on the relocation of production to France, we are at work on that“, indicated for his part the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra.
Doudou et Compagnie therefore wished to respond to the criticisms, relying on its Breton manufacture to “manufacture 50% of its production of Mascotte plushes“, and “increase this figure in the course of 2023“. The “raw partswill be made in Asia, and the rest of the process – sewing, assembly, turning, finishing and quality control – will be carried out in France, specifies the company. “80% of the added value will thus be brought to France“, welcomes the founder, Alain Joly.
The group is also going to invest, by tripling the size of its factory, located in La Guerche-de-Bretagne, and by “from 15 to 60 seamstresses […] by the end of 2023“. The production of soft toys, which will considerably accelerate to reach 1,000 to 1,500 pieces per day, against 700 planned so far, should start at the beginning of January, for sale frommid-January“. In addition, the price of stuffed animals will be reduced by 20%, to 39.9 euros per unit. They will still be on sale in a large number of points of sale, such as King toy, La Chaise longue, Amazon or La Grande récré. Whether consumers will be willing to pay more for these toys remains to be seen.made in France“. A “bet“, according to the boss of Doudou and Company.
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