Helen Fletcher looks at how one of the key plush distributors has grown to meet all operator needs

With over 1,500 different plush toys now in its product range, Whitehouse Leisure has come a long way in a relatively short amount of time and can be considered one of the market leaders across Europe.

"We work closely with a large number of licensing companies to ensure we bring the most up-to-date trends and products to market as early as possible," said Phil Setter, managing partner 

"Our licensed plush collection now numbers over 100 different product codes and continues to grow. We carry an extensive collection of retail quality plush suitable for crane and redemption operations as well as a vast range of family plush suitable for games and operations and so on."

One of Whitehouse Leisure’s most successful licences was the Crazy Frog. From the moment Setter and business partner Nigel Siddall became aware of this character they were confident the annoying creature would be an instant success and "it was a spectacular success."

"Our licence initially covered the UK only but we quickly added mainland Europe after the first few months," said Setter. "We then managed to secure the US and ultimately signed a worldwide deal for what will probably be the biggest licence of our lifetime. We simply couldn’t keep up with demand and at one point had 16 factories in full production."

According to Setter, during the past couple of years the introduction of redemption and pusher prize products into the range has increased considerably and the business has evolved over the years to the changing needs of its customers so that it now covers the majority of the arcade, amusement park and redemption customer requirements.

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"The amusement sector has changed significantly over the past 11 years most noticeably with the quality of products it now uses," said Setter. "Our customers have become much more aware that high quality products produce much healthier cash boxes and that applies to all areas of the leisure business.

"Consumers are no longer satisfied with a cheap and nasty prize and expect to win something that represents value for money and has high appeal. We spent a considerable amount of time throughout the year talking to our customers in order to understand what consumers are demanding.

"We are at the forefront of innovation and are always prepared to take a chance on something different. It is only by keeping our collections continuously fresh and appealing that we can expect to maintain our position within the industry."

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Setter went on to explain that redemption now looks as though it has finally secured a foothold in the industry. He told InterGame that many of his customers are investing heavily in redemption equipment and as the public becomes more aware of this concept it can only continue to grow.

"This is a mature market in many countries but the UK should continue to see steady growth over the next few years and our own ranges will be expanding to take advantage of growing demand."

Looking forward Whitehouse Leisure will introduce a number of new products at the EAG Expo later this month and although the coin-op industry has endured a tough few years with further consolidations likely before the market stabilises, it believes there is a strong demand for quality leisure entertainment venues.

"As long as the industry continues to innovate and offer the consumer good value for money then there is no reason whatsoever why we shouldn’t all look forward to a healthy and successful future and we very much look forward to being a part of that."

 

First published December 2009