Horses, dinosaurs, Smurfs: Schleich figures can be found in many children’s rooms. The traditional company has had a new boss since the beginning of the year. Now a change is imminent.
The toy manufacturer Schleich is restructuring and moving its headquarters to Munich after almost 90 years. This was announced by the company, known for its plastic figures. The move is planned for January 1, 2025. The toy manufacturer’s previous headquarters is in Schwäbisch Gmünd in eastern Württemberg, where Friedrich Schleich founded it in 1935. The Schleich office in Munich has been there since 2021.
In the future, a new location in the Czech capital Prague will also take over financial tasks and customer service, among other things. The employees in Schwäbisch Gmünd will therefore be offered the opportunity to move to the two new locations. A spokeswoman initially declined to comment on how many employees will be affected by the move: “Discussions with our works council began today. We will respect these.”
Logistics should be handed over to external partners
The reorganization also affects Schleich Logistics: It is to be handed over to an “external logistics partner”. The aim is for the employees there to receive takeover offers. The exact number of employees affected remains open here too. In 2023, the company said it would employ around 480 people worldwide.
According to the information, the new management team led by Stefan De Loecker wants to use the restructuring to strengthen core competencies, combine functions and improve collaboration. The former Beiersdorf manager is quoted as saying that this will prepare Schleich for the next phase of growth. De Loecker took up his post at the beginning of the year.
After years of growth, Schleich recently suffered a drop in sales. Revenue fell by around 15 percent to 234 million euros last year. Schleich cited a lack of purchasing power as one of the reasons for the drop. The number of figures sold fell by more than a tenth to around 35 million units. The company does not generally provide any information on profits. Schleich says it sells its figures and play sets in 60 countries and now does more than 60 percent of its business outside Germany.
Announcement Announcement Annual figures Factsheet Schleich
Source: Stern
