The news of this strategic merger first surfaced in May this year. As of November, 90% of shareholders have signed new contracts, paving the way for the unified central settlement and brand rights after the merger. The new alliance includes brands such as duo idee+spiel, duo schreib & spiel, Eurotrain, and provides high dividends, full-channel marketing, service support, and its own e-commerce platform.
Related suppliers and retailers also expressed support for this merger, believing that the new alliance can enhance market efficiency, promote resource integration and innovation acceleration, and strengthen industry resilience. The new management team of the alliance hopes to comprehensively enhance competitiveness by better resource utilization, faster innovation processes, and long-term support for physical retail stores.
According to our understanding, the new alliance covers Germany, Austria, Italy, and Belgium, with over 630 shareholders and nearly a thousand franchise stores. This merger aims to help our retailers achieve sustainable future development in the face of increasingly difficult market conditions, strengthen industry concentration and market influence, and create the largest toy and cultural merchandise retail network in Germany and even Europe.
China Foreign Toys Network learned that duo was founded in 1991 by 15 retailers, with headquarters in Berlin. As a professional trade cooperation organization, we aim to promote medium-sized cultural and creative stores and toy stores. Today, it has united 590 franchise stores from Germany, Austria, and Italy into a mutually beneficial dealer partnership. Members can benefit from centralized sourcing while enjoying bonuses and full-channel marketing targeting specific audiences.
idee+spiel was founded in 1977 by 33 toy retailers. Today, it has gathered 420 medium-sized toy retailers with approximately 540 stores in Germany, Austria, Belgium, and Italy. idee+spiel is headquartered in Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is currently one of the largest toy retail alliances in Europe, serving as a procurement, service, and marketing platform for toys, model hobbies, and trading cards.
The new alliance will make a grand debut at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair from January 27 to 31, 2026. At that time, the new alliance will showcase its extensive product line including stationery, creative supplies, toys, backpacks, models, railway models, and trading cards.
