Page 28 - Toy & Hobby Retailers Magazine Feb-Apr 2020

COMPANY PROFILE
OUTLIVING
Outliving: one to watch
Outliving is cementing itself as a meaningful toy supplier in Australia. Spearheading this strategy is the iconic FAO Schwarz brand and new leadership from Mark Zimmermann. Imogen Bailey reports.
FOR 15 years, Australian wholesale and distribution business Outliving has been representing high-quality gift, lifestyle and homewares brands.
For the same amount of time, toy industry aficionado Mark Zimmermann has developed his career in the Australian toy space.
However, it wasn’t until recently that both parties intersected, sparking new directions for both.
Reaching a natural revision point in December last year, Outliving embarked on a review, employing the services of Zimmermann’s coaching business, which was established as he was transitioning out of the toy industry.
Despite his transition away from the toy space, Zimmermann was quickly presented with an
opportunity to remain in the game, he explains. “It was through my coaching company which
saw Outliving contact me to come in and do some coaching across the business.
“At the same time, that created an opportunity for me to really explore options around buying into Outliving. Those discussions then quickly progressed to me being part of an acquisition team which eventually acquired Outliving from the Sunny Life Group.
“[Then] the team of investors who made it possible for Outliving to become a stand-alone business appointed me managing director,” Zimmermann says.
But it wasn’t without conditions that Zimmermann took on the MD role. He insisted
that Nicki Hutchings come on board to help guide Outliving on its new path.
“One of the conditions that I put in place was that Nicki came into the business to head up buying and brand management” Zimmermann says.
“Nicki was the toy buyer at David Jones once upon a time, she was part of the planning team at Toys R Us Australia so we knew that bringing her into the business would bring process and disciplines and a kind of mindset that was very important to support the next stage of the Outliving’s growth.
“Coming from a very strong people background and through my coaching I looked at Outliving as an opportunity to bring amazing toy brands into the business and help
28 TOY & HOBBY RETAILER FEBRUARY / MARCH / APRIL 2020