Arts and crafts specialist, Craft Buddy has seen impressive first half year expansion with retail customers and distributors in the UK and Europe.
Since 2016, the company has evolved from making OEM own-label arts and crafts lines to establishing success with its own brands including Crystal Art and Paint by Numb3rs. Since 2020 it has also expanded in the licensing sector, securing partnerships with the likes of Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Warner Bros., and Penguin among others.
In the first half of 2024, Craft Buddy has secured more than 30 new retail partnerships, of which 20 are UK based, with the others spanning key European markets including Germany, Italy, France, Portugal, The Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Austria, Luxembourg and Slovakia.
In the UK, retailers including Ryman, The Entertainer, Asda, Forbidden Planet and John Hall Group (which owns Spar North) have come on board; overseas, Rewe, the German supermarket chain, has also recently onboarded Craft Buddy.
Strong performance of hit lines, such as the Disney 100 Crystal Art Sticker Album (which has now exceeded 1.6 million units in global sales to June 2024), has helped attract new customers and bring strong sales from distributors in new territories such as Portugal and Malta.
“We are delighted by this growth in the first half of 2024, which marks a significant uplift in our independent specialist stores and convenience retailers,” commented Dan Ward, head of sales at Craft Buddy. “Expanding our distribution at retail is a key factor in our strategic growth strategy across the UK and Europe. The uplift demonstrates that creative arts and crafts continue to appeal to consumers and the sector continues to thrive and grow.”
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