The Toy Book - 2016 NY TOY FAIR EDITION

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
Top: Animal Trio. Middle: Tinyboo. Bottom: Kurio.
136 THE TOY BOOK | FEBRUARY 2016 | TOYBOOK.COM