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HARIBO, but make it squishy: Bubblegum Stuff's latest launch is already creating a serious buzz

Six iconic sweets. One of gifting's hottest categories. More than 160,000 units reportedly pre-sold before launch. Buyers, this might be one to move quickly on...

Every so often a product comes along that just makes immediate sense.

HARIBO sweets becoming squishy toys is definitely one of them.

HGA member Bubblegum Stuff has teamed up with HARIBO for its first ever licensed collection, transforming some of the confectionery brand's most recognisable sweets into oversized, palm sized Squishiez. And judging by the response so far, they may have created one of those products buyers are going to wish they had got behind early.

A ridiculously simple idea that works

The idea began in a brilliantly ordinary way. Bubblegum Stuff founder Courtney Wood was collecting the post outside the company's offices when he spotted children from a nearby primary school carrying two things: squishy toys and bags of HARIBO Starmix.

Put the two together and the concept almost writes itself.

Nearly a year of conversations, development, testing and approvals later, HARIBO Squishiez were born.

Meet the Squishiez

The collection takes the full line up of shapes found in Starmix and adds another HARIBO favourite, Happy Cherries.

And these haven't simply had a HARIBO logo added to them.

Bubblegum Stuff worked closely with HARIBO to recreate the sweets themselves, using their technical specifications to get the shapes, colours, gradients and translucency right. Even the Fried Egg was developed so there is a noticeable difference between the feel of the white and the yolk.

Why we think buyers should be paying attention

Squishies are already having a huge moment, particularly with younger consumers, but this collection has something that gives it a much wider appeal.

HARIBO brings nostalgia. For plenty of adults, those shapes are tied to childhood, cinema trips, car journeys, pocket money and party bags. For younger shoppers, they are instantly recognisable sweets combined with a product category they already love.

Then add the collectability of six different designs, the sensory appeal of the product itself and a £9.99 consumer price point, and you've got a gift that works for stocking fillers, Secret Santa, impulse purchases, teenagers, HARIBO fans and the growing number of adults who simply enjoy a good squish.

And the numbers are already doing the talking

Bubblegum Stuff has described demand for the collection as a completely different proposition to a typical product launch, with sales rapidly outpacing production before the Squishiez had even reached consumers.

Bubblegum Stuff's branding partner Studio Chong has reported that an opening order of 240,000 units was placed for the collection, with more than 160,000 already pre-sold before launch.

And that momentum hasn't slowed down since.

The collection had a phenomenal response at Autumn Fair this past weekend, with the level of demand resulting in additional stock orders needing to be placed. For buyers looking ahead to the Christmas period, that's a pretty strong indication that this is a range worth having on the radar.

Content creators are taking notice too, with Bubblegum Stuff reporting strong interest from both dedicated squishy creators and audiences sitting around the wider trend.

Missed them at Autumn Fair? Top Drawer is your next chance

If you didn't get the chance to see HARIBO Squishiez at Autumn Fair, there's another opportunity just around the corner.

Buyers heading to Top Drawer at Olympia can see the collection in person and, perhaps more importantly, give them a squeeze on Bubblegum Stuff's Stand G19.

With Christmas buying firmly front of mind, the range already performing brilliantly at trade shows and more stock being ordered to meet demand, this feels like one of those moments where waiting to see what happens could mean watching somebody else get there first.