As a child, Alyssa Fletchinger Higgins was an eager volunteer, helping her father, Daryl Fletchinger, launch a business centered on joy and celebration.
“As the first official ‘product tester,’ I’ve been involved in choosing and stocking inventory since I was eight years old,” says Alyssa. Today, Alyssa serves as Vice President of Plush Appeal – The Mardi Gras Spot, which has grown from distributing toy-grabbing cranes to supplying the city’s Mardi Gras krewes and people around the world with products that delight.
“I feel so lucky to have grown up in this industry, and in this city, surrounded by all the joy that New Orleans has to offer,” says Alyssa. “I think that’s why I feel so strongly about spreading joy to our customers each and every day.”
Carrying on the family legacy, Alyssa acts as a trusted resource for customers—including Mardi Gras krewes—and provides counsel on innovative product design and development. Featured in Vogue and Forbes magazines for her work, she loves pushing the envelope and providing customers with items that surprise and elate them.
Plush Appeal – The Mardi Gras Spot is making a conscious effort every year to make Mardi Gras more sustainable. Eighty percent of beads sold are made of recycled materials, and the company works with local nonprofit organizations that resell used beads to krewes.
Community-minded, Plush Appeal also works with the Junior League of New Orleans and the philanthropic arms of krewes. After Hurricane Ida, the team collected nearly 3,000 diapers for families in need in partnership with the JLNO Diaper Bank.
Plush Appeal – The Mardi Gras Spot
2812 Toulouse St., New Orleans
504-482-0000
mardigrasspot.com
