Business is blazing for the East Dundee company that manufactures Warmies, with their products twice making Oprah’s Favorite Things list and being lauded by such groups as Creative Child Magazine and Prevention Health.
Best known for slippers and stuffed animals, all of their products — boots, neck wraps, eye masks, hot packs, heat pads — are designed to be heated in microwaves to provide warmth, comfort and pain relief, Warmies President Scott Wehrs said.
Each is filled with specially treated flaxseed and dried lavender flowers from Provence, France, to provide weight and an aroma to relieve stress, ease anxiety and promote sleep.
If they’re placed in a plastic bag and put in a freezer for three hours, they can be used in situations where cold is needed, Wehrs said.
“We’re the only brand in the United States for this type of product,” he said.
The company launched in 1995 in London under the helm of Philip Gannon, who created a product called Hot-Pak, the first microwavable heating pack to be sold commercially in Europe. The bags were filled with grain and lavender and became a best-seller.
From there, they expanded to creating microwavable slippers and soft toys.
Entrepreneur Anthony Graffia Jr., who lives in Chicago’s northwest suburbs, saw the products overseas and made a deal with Gannon in 2015 to distribute them in the United States.
Wehrs, who had worked for Ty Inc., the company behind Beanie Babies, came on board in 2016. While the products are manufactured in China, the U.S. headquarters is based in East Dundee, Wehrs said.
“It’s our corporate office. All sales, customer service, finance, accounts payable, accounts receivable, product development, receiving, shipping, you name it, we do it in East Dundee,” he said.
Warmies were introduced to the American market in 2016 at a trade show in Atlanta, and things grew from there, he said.
Wehrs did not disclose sales numbers for the privately held company, but said Warmies items are stocked in 20,000 independent retail, drug and grocery stores. They also can be found at Kohl’s, Macy’s and American Eagle Outfitters stores, online at Amazon and through the Warmies website, warmies.com.
Oprah Winfrey can be credited with twice giving the company an unexpected boost — first in 2019, when Warmies slippers made her Favorite Things list, and again in 2022, when she selected the company’s weighted stuff animals as a favorite gift choice.
“That put our wellness line on the map,” Wehrs said. “Our growth has been explosive.
“Oprah had a major effect on sales, just like she does for all the companies named as her favorite things. Several of the SKU’s she selected came very close to selling out.”
The products also were named the 2023 Readers Favorite by Baby & Children’s Magazine, a Home Awards winner by Prevention Health, Product of the Year by Creative Child Magazine and the Top Choice Award winner by Baby Maternity Magazine.
Trade publication GiftBeat last year named Warmies a top-selling supplier in six categories and Gifts and Decorative Accessories Magazine’s Reader Rankings named Warmie’s a best kids toy supplier.
Warmies stuffed animals and soft toys come in two sizes, priced at $14.99 and $29.99. There are more than 160 styles, ranging from every animal imaginable to dinosaurs, sea creatures, fruits and vegetables, even unicorns and narwhals.
Eye masks and Hot-Paks are $19.99; slippers, neck wraps and heat pads $29.99; and boots $34.99.
Part of the company’s success is that the items appeal to both chilcren and adults, Wehrs said.
“There have been a lot of recent articles about our plush line being used by adults for comfort,” he said.
Warmies recently entered into a 3-year partnership with the American Heart Association through which they will be donating money from the sale of some items and promoting heart health.
But there will be no resting on their laurels, Wehrs said. They’ll be heading out to the gift industry trade shows in the new year to promote new products, including lines of books, children’s pajamas and children’s socks, he said.
“All (the new) product extensions revolve around our adorable characters,” he said.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.