Lekolar, the leading supplier of learning environments for schools and pre-schools in the Nordic region, has entered into an agreement to acquire Panduro from the Panduro family. The acquisition enables Lekolar to broaden its operations to also include the consumer market and simultaneously create one of the most comprehensive platforms of creative and educational products, for both schools and consumers in Northern Europe.

Lekolar has entered into an agreement to acquire Panduro from the three brothers; Thomas, Jesper and Peter Panduro. With the transaction, Lekolar enters into the consumer market, while Panduro's customers will, in the future, be able to access Lekolar's wide range of educational products and pedagogic solutions.

- This is a strategically important step for Lekolar as we see great potential in the consumer market. Although we have had different target groups, Lekolar and Panduro have a great deal in common. Within hobby materials, we have a similar range and we are both passionate about inspiring creative people and providing conditions for both learning and joy. We also share focus and ambition around sustainability, quality and safety, areas where we respectively drive the development within our segments. Together, we create a complete offering for all customer groups that is very hard to beat, says David Persson, CEO Lekolar.

Panduro is today a market-leading supplier of hobby materials and creative products to the consumer market, including the brands Panduro, Pando by Panduro, Kreatima and Pipoos. The company has an established omnichannel strategy with e-commerce and a store network that spans Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium. The head office is located in Malmö, where product development also takes place. As part of the transaction, Panduro becomes part of the Lekolar group but will continue to operate as an independent business, under the continued leadership of CEO Rickard Kemfors.

-          I am well acquainted with Lekolar from before and am impressed by how they have developed their offering for schools and pre-schools, basic products have been developed into solutions for educational and creative exercises, with a strong focus on sustainability. Panduro does exactly the same thing, but to consumers. We look forward to an exciting journey together, says Rickard Kemfors, CEO Panduro.The transaction is expected to be completed in the autumn after customary review by competition authorities.

About Lekolar

Lekolar is the Nordic leader in creating inspiring learning environments for children and young people. With a high-quality range of safe and sustainable products, the company provides schools and preschools with solutions to run and improve their daily operations and gives children and young people the best conditions for learning – from single furniture and complete solutions to toys and educational tools. Lekolar was founded in 1971 and today it has around 370 employees in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, headquartered in Osby, Sweden. In 2021, the company’s revenues amounted to SEK 1.5 billion. Since 2017, the company is owned by Nalka Invest.Read more at www.lekolargroup.com

About Panduro

Panduro was founded in 1954 by Carlo Panduro in Denmark but is since 1962 headquartered in Malmö, Sweden. Today, Panduro is a market-leading supplier of hobby materials and creative products and includes the brands Panduro, Pando by Panduro, Kreatima and Pipoos. The group has a turnover of over SEK 1 billion and around 650 employees. Panduro meets its customers online and via its own stores in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium. The assortment consists of approximately 18,000 items.

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Lekolar acquires Panduro: Creating one of the most comprehensive offerings of creative and educational products in Northern Europe.