Talkin’
Toys KD GROUP PLANS EXPANSION IN THE U.S. The Toy Book chats with Eric Levin, strategic director, KD Group. THIS YEAR MARKS THE RETURN OF KD Group as a North American International Toy Fair exhibitor. While the company is better known in Europe, KD Group is no stranger to the U.S. toy and kids’ electronics businesses. The company’s Kurio line has been a leading kids’ tablet brand in the U.S. for the past four holiday seasons. The Toy Book sat down with KD Group’s Strategic Director Eric Levin to learn more about the company’s plans for U.S. growth and expansion. What is KD Group’s background? KD Group has been the leading manufacturer of innovative kids’ electronic toys throughout Europe for more than 20 years. Under our Kidz Delight (KD) brand, we offer a wide range of toys that help build early learning skills for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. They are sold at mass and specialty retailers in more than 20 countries. Tell me about your plans for expansion in the U.S. KD Group is most known in the U.S. currently for our Kurio line of kid-safe Android
and Windows tablets. Under that brand, we give kids the latest technology they want, but with the safety features that bring parents peace of mind. Meanwhile, our KD line of toys has been available in the U.S., but has been largely “under the radar.” We are committed to changing that this year and beyond. We believe KD Group has the experience, resources, and commitment needed to be a significant player not only in the kids’ tablet market, but also in the toy industry more broadly, expanding into categories that include preschool electronics, traditional toys, and licensed products. KD Group is committed to building a talented and experienced team here in the U.S. to ensure that we who are close to the market are creating products that work for American consumers and retailers. Where do your new product ideas come from? Do you work with outside inventors? KD Group has always sought to be innovative by adapting new technologies, whether it is motion recognition, voice recording, or image projection, for example, to guarantee cutting-edge educational toys that are ergonomically designed for children. We have an in-house team of product engineers, scientists, and educators who collaborate on product development, and we also work with established outside inventors. In fact, our doors are always open to new opportunities and we welcome inventors to help us innovate. continued on page 246
136 THE TOY BOOK | FEBRUARY 2016 | TOYBOOK.COM
Top: Animal Trio. Middle: Tinyboo. Bottom: Kurio.