Kidicraft has seen sales grow by a staggering 62%, requiring a much larger warehouse and premises, as puzzle production moves in-house.

Toy World caught up with Kidicraft owner and director Roy Greenwood to hear about the latest developments at the company.

Like many manufacturers, the Lancashire based company looks to China for its manufacturing, but challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic and port congestion have prompted it to look at ways it can avoid shipping delays and streamline the process of getting product to customers, as and when they need it.

Kidicraft’s new offices and warehouse close to the M65 are 10 times the size of the company’s former premises. Roy told Toy World: “The move is a big jump forward – in the last warehouse we could hold just over 100 pallets, but in the new property we can hold about 1,000.”

Availability challenges will be helped considerably by Kidicraft bringing some of its production in-house from next summer, just part of the future-proofing strategy of the company, which also has an agreement in place for a distribution centre and salesperson in the Netherlands, that it hopes to develop soon.

Roy also shared how Kidicraft is working to improve the quality of its puzzle board and at the same time be more sustainable, by aiming for 100% recycled board.

The Kidicraft team will be exhibiting all its new lines at Autumn Fair, where Roy is looking forward to meeting customers again and introduce his daughter, Katy, who has just joined the company. “Nothing beats meeting face-to-face and chatting about the products while you have them in your hand,” he told us.

To find out more about the company’s developments, plus the further expansion of Kidicraft’s jigsaw puzzle ranges, complementary plush lines, 3D stationery items and a new licensed range, read the full interview, which appeared in the August edition of Toy World here.