From La Tour-sur-Orb, Les Chicos de France are the official plush partners of the little mouse

Céline Eckendoerffer et Sandrine Germier sont les fondatrices des Chicos de France DR

Deux sœurs réinventent la magie des dents de lait avec Les Chicos de France, des peluches en forme de dent chargées de garder précieusement les quenottes des enfants jusqu’au passage de la petite souris.

Sandrine Germier is a multi-entrepreneur with diverse experiences when she decided to create Les Chicos de France three years ago. She brings her sister, Céline Eckendoerffer, dental prosthetist, into this adventure. "The idea germinated from my daily family life and my multiple nocturnal searches for milk teeth lost under the pillow… smiles Sandrine. Associated with Céline's dental expertise, the concept evolved into a reassuring project for children. For some, the loss of a tooth can be experienced as a trauma, a bit like the loss of a piece of oneself." The duo then created their first Chicos, gentle characters who accompany children in the rite of passage represented by the loss of baby teeth. These companions aim to transform anxiety into a magical moment, while making the task easier for the little mouse and the parents.

A magical family adventure

While Les Chicos de France were born in La Tour-sur-Orb where Sandrine lives, the soft toys are first made by hand by Céline, located in Nancy. One thing led to another and the company grew. "We needed to find an Oeko-tex certified artisanal manufacturing workshop. We searched for more than a year in France. Without success, unfortunately, explain the two sisters. They then joined forces with a design workshop located in Portugal, while maintaining artisanal production in France for personalized orders. "We imagine stuffed animals a bit like a family. Today, it is made up of twenty-four members, each with a first name and a personality of their own and which reflect the diversity and richness of our society." Among them, the Dr. Carier, with his charming dressing, was specially created to instill in children a positive image of the dentist. In parallel with their Chicos, Sandrine and Céline are developing collaborations in France for derivative products, with the ambition of creating a complete magical universe around baby teeth. A carpenter located in the Vosges makes them magical little mouse doors and wooden boxes. "We also exclusively distribute Dr Wipf's book – a work that is both fun and educational on brushing your teeth, designed and printed in Loire-Atlantique."

"A teaching role"

In just a few years, Les Chicos de France have gained popularity, thanks in particular to word of mouth, their presence on social networks and their YouTube channel on which the two sisters tell and host a story every week for children. While Chicos are currently available almost exclusively online, one of the company's projects is to expand their distribution through partnerships with toy stores. Another area of ​​development: collaborations with dental practices. "The Chicos of France are not content to be simple toys. They play an important educational role in raising children's awareness of the importance of dental care. We have already created special editions of Chicos for dentists who then offer them to their young patients." The turnover, up 45% compared to 2022, testifies to the growing success of these comforting little soft toys. When talking about the current economic climate, the two sisters are positive: "The last weeks of 2023 promise us a good year 2024. We have plenty of ideas and projects to come. "

Dates and key figures

August 2021: creation of the company by Sandrine Germier
December 2021: Céline Eckendoerffer joins Les Chicos de France at 100%
Collection: 24 soft toys
Revenue growth: +45% in 2023 compared to 2022
Les Chicos de France in La Tour-sur-Orb: leschicosdefrance.com
 

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