In partnership with Creative Kids UK, DKB Toys & Distribution will bring four key brands to the speciality channel: Play-Doh Air Clay, Kiddy Dough, Zzand and Little Tikes.

DKB Toys & Distribution has signed a deal with US Toy and arts & crafts company Creative Kids Group, which will see it distribute the company’s arts & crafts ranges in the UK & Ireland from this year.

Supplying the speciality channel, DKB will initially bring four key Creative Kids brands to market, with plans to increase this throughout 2023. Play-Doh Air Clay, Kiddy Dough, Zzand and Little Tikes licensed ranges will all be available from March alongside a range of POS options.

Founded in 1997, Creative Kids entered the market with the launch of its own-brand art activity line. The Creative Kids range spanned easels to crayons and everything in between. Since then, the Creative Kids offering has expanded to more than 12 categories with distribution in nearly 70 countries. The company says its success and strong growth year after year are due to its uncompromising commitment to innovation and quality-driven toys.

Now well established in the UK market, Creative Kids UK is partnering with DKB to provide broader distribution to speciality retailers throughout the UK & Ireland.

Showcasing the new collections at key trade shows including London Toy Fair, Spring Fair, INDX Toy & Gift and the Toymaster regional and May events, DKB believes the Creative Kids offering will have something for everyone and is focusing on introducing popular ranges at competitive margins – something it calls ‘great news for retailers’.

“This partnership could not have formed at a better time,” commented Chris Lohmeyer, managing director at DKB Toys & Distribution. “We have all seen the increase in costs across the board and we all have less money to spend on the things we love buying. Thankfully, Creative Kids has always priced its products competitively and its new ranges are perfectly positioned to give retailers a compelling margin, allowing price savings on fantastic products to be passed on to the customer. The brands being introduced to the UK in spring all offer unique play patterns kids are going to love, with brand names that are recognised and trusted. I cannot wait to see what people think of the Creative Kids range and look forward to being able to showcase at upcoming trade shows alongside our other collections.”

“Like Chris says, we’re aiming to bring value to shoppers when it’s needed the most. ‘Value’ being in our quality materials and expanded open-ended creative play all at affordable price points,” added Grant Gie, managing director of Creative Kids UK. “The partnership will help distribute our core brands throughout new channels in the UK & Ireland, providing retailers with additional opportunities to access our core items. As we expand into FSC wooden toys under Little Tikes, we see the speciality channel being key to its success.”

For more information on Creative Kids, visit www.creativekids.com or follow @creativekidsbrands.