IF

What IF does

IF (If Cardboard Creations Ltd) is a UK-based B2B wholesale supplier that designs, manufactures, and distributes innovative consumer products to trade retailers worldwide. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Pickering, North Yorkshire, the company operates a trade-only model serving gift shops, book shops, pharmacies, department stores, and garden centres across 35+ countries through direct trade sales, international trade shows (GLEE Birmingham, America's Market, Las Vegas Market, Dallas Market Center, Minneapolis Market), and a trade-only e-commerce portal. The business does not sell directly to the public.

Name

IF

Legal name

If Cardboard Creations Ltd

Website

https://ifplc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

IF (If Cardboard Creations Ltd) is a UK B2B wholesale supplier designing and distributing innovative reading aids, stationery, bookmarks, and gift products exclusively to trade retailers across 35+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Gift and Stationery Products

NAICS

Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (45942), Office Supplies, Stationery, and Gift Retailers (4594)

SIC

Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)

akta.pro primary industry

Pop Culture, Licensed & Fandom Gifts Retail (CRALAJAK)

Keywords

• Wholesale gift products
• Reading accessories wholesale
• Bookmark manufacturer
• Stationery wholesale supplier
• Trade gift distributor

Headquarters

HQ city

Pickering

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Product Sales: B2B wholesale distribution of innovative consumer products to retailers worldwide. Products sold as trade-only through established trade accounts. Products include reading aids, stationery, bookmarks, and gift items. Revenue generated through one-time product purchases by retailers rather than recurring subscription model.
2. Licensing Royalties: Revenue from V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum) licensed products including V&A Bookaroo Collection, V&A Bookmarks, and other museum-branded items. Global license with no territory limitations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

IF designs, manufactures, and distributes innovative consumer gift and stationery products (reading aids, bookmarks, reading glasses, magnifiers, coordinated stationery collections, and licensed items) on a trade-only B2B wholesale basis to retailers worldwide. Products are sold as complete retail-ready programs including themed shelf displays and starter packs to support in-store merchandising. The portfolio is anchored by multiple award-winning proprietary designs across brands including Bookaroo, MAGNiF-i, Really Serious Reading Lights, Eclectionery by IF, and V&A Collection.

Product overview

IF (If Cardboard Creations Ltd) is a UK-based B2B wholesale company that designs, manufactures, and distributes innovative consumer gift and stationery products exclusively to trade retailers worldwide. The company operates from Pickering, North Yorkshire, and has been supplying retailers for over 30 years. The product portfolio centers around reading-related accessories and stationery, organized into distinct sub-brands and product lines: reading aids including the award-winning Really Tiny Book Light and reading glasses under the MAGNiF-i brand (Ready Readers, magnifiers, hobby glasses); bookmarks including Metal Bookmarks, TeethMarks (UK Gift of the Year 2016 Winner), BookTails plush bookmarks, and Electronic Dictionary Bookmarks; the Bookaroo coordinated stationery collection featuring notebooks, pens, pen pouches, glasses cases, and phone holders; book holders including Gimble travel book holder and Pop Up Book End; and gift items such as Show Offs Keys metal keyrings and Shhh! Ear Plugs. Products are sold under various collections including V&A licensed items, themed shelf displays for retail merchandising, and Gift of the Year award winners. The company is a trade-only supplier serving book shops, gift shops, pharmacies, and retailers globally, with participation in trade shows across Europe, North America, and Asia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bookaroo: Coordinated stationery and lifestyle accessories brand featuring notebooks, pens, pouches, and related products in coordinated color collections.
• MAGNiF-i
• Really Serious Reading Lights
• Eclectionery by IF
• V&A Collection
• Journals for Life by IF

Products and services

• The Really Tiny Book Light

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Knock Knock: US-based stationery, journal, and gift brand selling through gift shops, book shops, and specialty retailers with a coordinated, design-led range — comparable to IF's Journals for Life and Bookaroo collections.
• Present Time: Dutch design-led gift and home accessories brand distributed globally through B2B wholesale to gift and lifestyle retailers — comparable to IF on design-led B2B gift distribution into international indie retail channels.
• Rex London: UK-based gift and stationery brand selling design-led, giftable consumer products through B2B wholesale to independent gift shops, book shops, and department stores — directly comparable to IF's trade-only model and product mix.
• Suck UK: UK-based design-led gift and lifestyle brand that designs and manufactures its own quirky consumer products and sells B2B wholesale to independent retailers worldwide — closely matching IF's business model, customer base, and product breadth.
• Legami: Italian stationery and lifestyle accessories brand selling B2B to gift shops and book shops globally with a coordinated product range — directly comparable to IF's Bookaroo and Eclectionery collections in terms of category and channel.
• Wild & Wolf: UK-based design-led gift and homeware brand that designs and distributes playful, design-led products to gift retailers worldwide — comparable to IF on design-led B2B wholesale into the same indie gift-shop customer base.
• Sass & Belle: UK-based homeware, gift, and stationery brand with a coordinated, design-led product range sold B2B to gift and lifestyle retailers — closely comparable in customer base, product positioning, and wholesale distribution model to IF.
• Kikkerland: US-headquartered design gift and lifestyle accessories brand with a broad portfolio of small, giftable consumer products distributed globally through gift shops and specialty retailers — overlapping IF's design-led gift and stationery assortment.

Broad incumbents

• Moleskine: Global premium notebooks and stationery brand with established retail distribution and a strong consumer-facing brand — overlapping with IF's Bookaroo stationery and Journals for Life ranges, but at a significantly larger scale and more consumer-direct.
• Casio: Global electronics manufacturer with a long-running electronic dictionary product line that directly competes with IF's award-winning Electronic Dictionary Bookmark — the most direct product-level competitor in IF's range.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/newthingsbyif
• Facebookfacebook.com/Newthingsbyif
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ifplc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IF