The Dutch enterprise EXIT Toys intends to sell the majority of its shares to the German toy manufacturer Simba Dickie Group.
EXIT Toys, a Dutch enterprise that develops and sells outdoor toys and allied products in an international market, intends to sell the majority of its shares to the German toy manufacturer Simba Dickie Group. This cooperation fits both the Dutch and German company’s strategy. The companies, which together account for a turnover of more than 730 million 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. The detailed terms of the transaction stay confidential.
EXIT Toys, Dutch Toys Group B.V., was founded in 2011 by Leopold van Os, Marcel Dijk and Stijn Driever. In less than 10 years, the developer and distributor for outdoor toys has grown into an international player. The company has 35 employees and realizes a turnover of approximately 30 million euros, of which 75% is realized internationally. EXIT Toys sells its products through major European retailers and etailers such as Hornbach, Spiel-Preis.de, OBI Baumarkt and Wehkamp.
Dijk: “It was the three of us in 2011, we started by developing and selling unique and distinctive football goals. Over the past few years, our product offering has expanded and we have added products like trampolines, playhouses and above-ground pools. We have noticed a steep incline in the demand for high-quality and aesthetically pleasing outdoor toys. This demand is the foundation of EXIT toys’ success. The brand is internationally recognized for its distinctive ability to combine both function and form.”
Ferry Nahon, partner at Marktlink Mergers & Acquisitions, advised EXIT Toys during the transaction. Nahon: “Over the past years retail has moved from the classic store to a more and more online and omnichannel approach.
EXIT Toys was ahead of this curve and focused on this from the get-go. They have a state-of-the-art drop shipment model with which it mainly delivers directly to the end user on behalf of the retailer. It sets them apart from competitors in the same market, and in turn makes the company very scalable. With the guidance of Marktlink the shareholders started looking for an experienced partner to enter the next growth phase.
The interest in companies like EXIT Toys became clear during the transaction. We received multiple bids from strategic partners and investors from both the Netherlands and abroad. In the end, the Simba Dickie Group proved to be the best partner for the future.”
Van Os: “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 network to grow internationally and further expand the EXIT Toys brand.”
The Simba Dickie Group realized a turnover of 702.3 million euros in 2019. As one of Europe´s top five toy manufacturers, 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. The past years the group has expanded its product and brand range by selectively acquiring other companies. Co-CEO Florian Sieber on the acquisition of EXIT Toys: “Leopold, Marcel and Stijn are a great team. With this friendly and highly competent trio we immediately had a very good atmosphere on a personal level. In the last 9 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. There is still a lot of potential to be tapped through our joint exchange of experience“.
