A Gold Coast toy business that began with a bedtime idea has secured an international sporting partnership, with SquishOz producing officially licensed collectible plush toys for New Zealand's All Blacks.
Developed by Scout.Supply, founded by Gold Coast entrepreneurs Kevin Painter and Jase Alpen, SquishOz features plush toys representing major sports organisations. Having launched at the 2025 Australian Open, the business has grown to 15 employees while selling just under 100,000 toys in 18 months across wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels.
"The funny thing is SquishOz actually came about while I was putting my kids to bed one night. I thought there was a gap in the market for something fun and collectible that connected kids with the sporting teams their families love," Scout.Supply Managing Director Kevin Painter said.
"To go from that idea to almost 100,000 toys sold and now working with the All Blacks is something I never imagined happening this quickly."
The deal with the All Blacks takes the Australian brand across the Tasman, adding one of the most recognised teams in world sport to collaborations that includes NRL clubs, the Socceroos, Matildas, Wallabies, Manchester City, Cricket Australia, State of Origin, the Australian Open, Formula 1's Alpine Team, and Surf Life Saving Australia.
"To be working with the All Blacks is pretty surreal. They're one of the most recognisable sporting teams in the world, and to have our toys associated with that brand is something we're incredibly proud of," Mr Painter said.
"We've worked really hard to build relationships with sporting organisations and create products that fans genuinely love. To now be doing that internationally is a huge step for us."
The international deal follows rapid domestic expansion. Earlier this year, SquishOz sold out more than 20,000 licensed Socceroos toys through an exclusive national Coles promotion during the FIFA World Cup. The company has since signed as a supplier to Kmart, with stock arriving in stores in the new year.
"The Coles result was massive for us. We sold more than 20,000 toys and completely sold out, which showed us just how much demand there is for these products," Mr Painter said.
"Then Kmart came on board, and now we're working with the All Blacks. It's been a pretty incredible few months."
SquishOz products are online and sold through retails shops and venues including KidsStuff, Rebel Sport New Zealand, NRL matches, and Cricket Australia events. Having and Scout.Supply is looking at further growth across the Australia, United Kingdom and Europe.
"Hopefully this is just the beginning of seeing SquishOz in the hands of sports fans right around the world."
