Between 3,000 and 4,000 visitors are expected for the open doors of the Doudou et Compagnie company, the leader in France in cuddly toys and premium plush, located in Saint-Leu-la-Forêt, from this Wednesday until sunday.
Discounted prices are practiced there on soft toys and cuddly toys, with up to 70% reduction compared to the usual prices.
From this Wednesday morning, customers were rushing not to miss their favorite reference.
With around fifteen products on hand, Céline and her mother Christine are fans of this event which takes place every six months.
“I have a bag full of them.
The prices are very attractive.
We come to all the factory sales, explains Céline.
All of my 10-year-old son Simon's stuffed animals come from here.
The advantage is that if you lose the comforter, you can recommend an identical one on their website.
It is very important for the children”.
"The other solution is to buy two but in this case, you have to run them because the child gets used to the smell," smiles the grandmother.
The two women live in the town but other customers come from all over the north-west of the Paris region.
Saint-Leu-la-Forêt, this Wednesday.
The prices are very attractive.
The opportunity also to make gifts.
A know-how soon to be found in Brittany
The Val-d'Oisian group Doudou et Compagnie, founded in 1975, sells 4 million soft toys worldwide each year.
It recorded 20 million in turnover in 2021, of which more than 35% was exported.
All the research and development part is carried out in Saint-Leu-la-Forêt, while the production of the flagship brands, Doudou et Compagnie and Histoire d'Ours, is currently carried out in Asia in their own factory with 5,000 pieces manufactured per day. .
The group bought the Maïlou brand in 2019, the last craft manufacturer of toad in plush established in Brittany, and has moved to a new factory in La Guerche-de-Bretagne (Ille-et-Vilaine) which has 25 employees in 2021 “We are going to make a big investment in equipment and train our staff in a very special sewing technique previously used by Histoire d'ours.
It is a know-how that has disappeared today, ”says Alain Joly, the CEO.
Saint-Leu-la-Forêt, this Wednesday.
Alain Joly, the CEO, during the Doudou et Compagnie open house.
The objective is to relocate to Brittany, from 2023, part of the Asian production in France, starting with the production of 1,000 pieces/day (i.e. 20% growth).
Added to this is “a big project for 2024”, for the time being confidential, but which will also be implemented in the Breton factory, making it possible to employ twice as many employees by next year.
Reunion between the cuddly toys… and their families
Doudou et Compagnie is a member of the Association of French toy makers.
"You should know that, on the French toy market, there are only 10% of toys made in France", underlines Alain Joly.
Each range developed now includes its organic soft toys, GOTS certified, the benchmark for organic textiles.
In addition to the creativity and the pretty reusable boxes, customers say they appreciate “the mix of materials” and “the little labels that children can handle to awaken their senses”.
The "cuddly toy guarantee" is also a particularity of the brand.
Each plush has its unique number that the family must register online.
Thus, a lost cuddly toy has a better chance of finding his family.
At 191 Bd André Brémont, in Saint-Leu-la-Forêt
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Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Presence of the mascot at 5 p.m.
Sweets from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
