Simba’s acquisition is expected to further increase the international footprint for Exit Toys in the outdoor toys sector.

Exit Toys, a Dutch enterprise that develops and sells outdoor toys and allied products in the international market, intends to sell the majority of its shares to the German toy manufacturer Simba Dickie Group. This collaboration fits both the Dutch and German company’s strategy. The companies, which together account for a turnover of more than 730m euros, want to further increase their international footprint in the outdoor toys segment. The transaction, that has been supervised by Marktlink, is subject to the approval of the German competition authority and detailed terms of the transaction remain confidential.

Exit Toys was founded in 2011 by Leopold van Os, Marcel Dijk and Stijn Driever. In less than 10 years, the developer and distributor of outdoor toys has grown into an international player. The company has 35 employees and a turnover of approximately 30m euros, of which 75% is made up across international territories. Exit Toys sells its products via major European retailers and etailers.

Leopold commented: “Exit Toys and the family-owned Simba Dickie Group have an excellent fit in both strategy and corporate culture. By having them aboard, we can take full advantage of each other’s experience, knowledge and networks to grow internationally and further expand the Exit Toys brand.”

The Simba Dickie Group reported a turnover of 702.3m euros in 2019. The company has over 3,000 employees and a toy product range consisting of more than 4,000 items and 20 brands, such as Smoby, Steffi, Majorette and Eichhorn. Over the few past years, the group has expanded its product and brand range by selectively acquiring other companies.

Co-CEO at Simba, Florian Sieber, commented: “Leopold, Marcel and Stijn are a great team. With this friendly and highly competent trio we immediately recognised a very good working atmosphere. In the last nine years, they have done an outstanding job in building up Exit Toys. They have managed to convince with their attractive outdoor range, especially in the online sector, and we feel there is still a lot more potential to be tapped into as part of our acquisition.”