Jazwares senior vice president, Europe, Jonny Taylor & MD of UK & Nordics, Holly Oldham give Toy World the lowdown on the company.

Jazwares enjoyed a recordbreaking year in 2021, fuelled by its phenomenal portfolio of brands and with a host of new launches in the pipeline, another bumper year is on the cards for 2022.

As the company looks forward to celebrating its 25th anniversary and the 10th year of its UK office, Jonny and Holly chat about the year ahead, the runaway successes of Squishmallows, direct distribution of the Pokémon range and further European expansion.

Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, increased sales and expansion of the UK office have seen the Jazwares team nearly double in size. Bringing in resources to support the growth, which will continue as the range carries on expanding, has been a huge focus for the company.

Holly Oldham attributes Jazwares’ success to “having the right brands with some great products.” She adds that much of the company’s growth in recent years has come from acquisitions made by the company.

“A real highlight for us has been growing the business every year in the UK over the last nine years, and we are confident, based on the product portfolio we have, and traction at retail, that next year will be our 10th growth year in a row,” adds Jonny. “The thing that I’m probably most proud of is the quality of product that Jazwares has been making – and the product is getting stronger and stronger.”

The company has an enviable licensing portfolio which is performing well and is investing heavily in developing its own private IPs, working on broader IP propositions. Jazwares will also be launching a number of licensed collaborations for Squishmallows in 2022 and says more will be revealed at Toy Fair.

Jonny enthused: “Overall, we are confident of being in a position to have a really successful and enjoyable year. There really is a lot more to come over the next 12 months and beyond.”

To hear more about Jazwares successes with brands such as Roblox, Fortnite, Pokémon, Spidey & His Amazing Friends, Squishmallows and brand extension Squishville, and hear about the company’s exciting plans going forward, read the full article, which appeared in the January edition of Toy World, here.