Character Options
Character Options is a UK-based toy company that designs, develops, and internationally distributes licensed and proprietary toys, games, and collectibles. It serves children, adult collectors, and gift-givers through its Character Online e-commerce platform and a portfolio of 23+ brands including Goo Jit Zu and Doctor Who.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersLees, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Character Options does
Character Options is a UK-based toy company that designs, develops, manufactures, and internationally distributes toys, games, accessories, and giftware through both proprietary and licensed brands. Operating as a subsidiary of AIM-listed The Character Group plc (LSE:CCT, founded 1991), it employs over 200 people across registered offices in London, Manchester/Oldham, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Copenhagen, and Shenzhen. The company runs the direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform Character Online (character-online.com, built on Shopify) alongside wholesale distribution into UK retail. Its catalog spans 336 SKUs across 23+ brands, and the company's pricing ranges from £2.99 budget collectibles to £99.99 premium playsets, with free UK delivery over £20 and a 28-day money-back guarantee.
The product portfolio combines four proprietary technology-led brands—Goo Jit Zu (stretchy, goo-filled action figures), ChillFactor (squeeze-and-freeze slushy makers requiring no electricity), Sticki Rolls (sticker bracelet systems), and Stuntman Stu (crash-and-rebuild action playsets)—with exclusive UK distribution rights for third-party franchises (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Fingerlings, Shimmer N' Sparkle, Mash'ems, LankyBox, Aphmau) and licensed-manufacturer arrangements with BBC Studios (Doctor Who), Hasbro (Power Rangers), Paramount (TMNT), Disney, and Entertainment One (Peppa Pig). Newer lines include blind-box collectibles (Kimmon, MagMiMi, MushyKinz), web-IP extensions (Skibidi Toilet), and YouTube creator collaborations (Aphmau, LankyBox, Moriah Elizabeth, Unspeakable, Preston Playz).
The company makes money primarily through one-time unit sales of branded toys via character-online.com and through wholesale distribution into UK retail as exclusive distributor for select third-party brands. Licensing royalty economics apply to products based on BBC, Hasbro, Paramount, Disney, and other entertainment properties. The end-customer base is heavily diversified—children aged 18 months to 9+ plus adult collectors—purchased predominantly by parents and gift-givers, marketed through social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube), email newsletters, content/SEO buying guides, and influencer partnerships, with operations supported by international offices for manufacturing, sourcing, and distribution.
Character Options firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Character Options
- Legal name
- Character Options Ltd
- Website
- https://character-online.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Character Options is a UK-based toy company that designs, develops, and internationally distributes licensed and proprietary toys, games, and collectibles. It serves children, adult collectors, and gift-givers through its Character Online e-commerce platform and a portfolio of 23+ brands including Goo Jit Zu and Doctor Who.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Character Options industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Toy Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (339930), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)
- SIC
- Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Traditional Toy Stores (CRALAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Collectibles, Trading Cards & Blind Box Toys Retail (CRALAFAI), Dolls, Plush & Action Figures Retail (CRALAFAD)
Keywords
Where Character Options is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lees
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices7 records
Markets served
Character Options business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Toys, Games and Playthings Sales: Direct B2C sales through character-online.com e-commerce platform. Products sold include action figures, playsets, collectibles, electronic toys, games, arts and crafts, and pre-school toys across various licensed and proprietary brands.
- Licensed Brand Products: Products featuring or based on popular film, television, comic and digital characters reproduced under licence from brand owners. Many products are based on major entertainment franchises including Doctor Who, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Peppa Pig, and Disney properties.
- Exclusive Distribution: Exclusive UK distribution rights for third-party brands including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Fingerlings, Shimmer N' Sparkle, Mash'ems, LankyBox, and Aphmau.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Budget toys under £10 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mid-range toys £10-£25 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium playsets £25-£50 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium collectible playsets £50+ |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Character Options product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Character Options designs, develops, manufactures, and internationally distributes toys, games, playthings and giftware spanning proprietary brands (Goo Jit Zu, ChillFactor, Sticki Rolls, Stuntman Stu, Kimmon, MagMiMi, Aquapets) and officially licensed entertainment merchandise (Doctor Who, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Peppa Pig, Teletubbies, Disney, and YouTube creator brands). Products cover action figures, playsets, blind-box collectibles, electronic toys, arts and crafts, games and preschool toys, sold B2C through the Character Online store and B2B via exclusive UK distribution rights to retailers.
Product overview
Character Options operates as a UK-based toy company engaged in the design, development, manufacture and international distribution of toys, games and playthings. The company maintains a portfolio of proprietary brands including Goo Jitzu (stretchy goo-filled action figures), ChillFactor (slushy makers), Sticki Rolls (sticker bracelets), and Stuntman Stu (crash-and-rebuild toys), alongside exclusive UK distribution rights for major licensed properties including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Fingerlings, Shimmer N' Sparkle, Mash'ems, LankyBox, and Aphmau. The company also holds Doctor Who, Peppa Pig, Teletubbies, and Skibidi Toilet licensed brands. Their product portfolio spans action figures and playsets, collectable blind box toys (Kimmon, MagMiMi), electronic toys, arts and crafts, games, and preschool toys. The company markets through its Character Online eCommerce platform and distributes internationally with offices in London, Manchester, Denmark, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and China.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Goo Jit Zu: Stretchy goo-filled action figures featuring various characters including Meteor Madness, Minecraft, Sonic, and Marvel crossovers
- ChillFactor
- Flying Heroes
- Kimmon
- Sticki Rolls
- Aquapets
- Fingerlings
- Mash'ems
- MushyKinz
- MagMiMi
- Shimmer N Sparkle
- Mushmeez
- Lama Tama
- Squish Berries
- Jelly Cakes
- STUFFS
- Unspeakable
- LankyBox
- Preston Playz
- Moriah Elizabeth
- Stuntman Stu
- Cra-Z-Art
- Cra-Z-Slimy
- Warrior Cats
Products and services
- Goo Jit Zu (Heroes of Goo Jit Zu) Stretchy, squishy action figure range filled with gooey materials, featuring themed lines including Meteor Madness, Minecraft, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Marvel crossovers, designed for tactile sensory play for children.
- ChillFactor Squeeze-freeze-and-sip slushy makers that allow children to make real slushies at home without electricity, including Toy Story 5 and Disney Stitch licensed designs and the Colour Shock collection.
- Kimmon Blind box plush toy collection featuring anime-style poseable characters with oversized eyes and whimsical costumes, designed for collecting and display with removable accessories and ID cards.
- MagMiMi Mystery magnetic plush toys featuring palm-sized collectible plush pals with built-in magnets in limbs and premium metal keychains, sold in collectible metal display tins.
- Aquapets Interactive water pets that float and dance inside their own waterdrop case, responding to voice, touch, and each other, with built-in games and collectible characters.
- Sticki Rolls Sticker bracelet product line including Sticki Station maker kits, Jumbo Mystery Rolls, pendant packs, and Aphmau crossover collections.
- Stuntman Stu Crash-and-rebuild action playsets featuring launch cars, cannon blasts, rocket launches and smash-apart vehicles with reusable figure.
- Fingerlings Interactive finger pets including baby monkeys, axolotls, unicorns and birds that wrap around fingers and react to touch, sound and movement with sounds, blinking eyes and unique personalities; exclusive UK distribution.
- Doctor Who (licensed merchandise) Officially licensed BBC Doctor Who merchandise including Vortex Edition collector figures, role-play props, replica sonic screwdrivers, and limited edition sets featuring Daleks, Cybermen and various Doctors.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (licensed) Officially licensed TMNT toy range including Mutant Mayhem collection, action figures, role play masks, Mix and Match figures from Tales of the TMNT; exclusive UK distribution.
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (licensed) Reimagined classic 1993 Ranger team merchandise including Auto-Morphin action figures, combinable Dinozords, Power Morpher belt buckle, and Ultimate Megazord; licensed from Hasbro.
- Peppa Pig (licensed) Preschool toy range including Whizz-Around track and vehicle toys, talking soft toys, plush figures, magnetic scribblers, and family playsets; licensed from Entertainment One.
- Teletubbies (licensed) Soft plush toys and talking figures featuring Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po, with squeeze-activated responses and familiar character sounds; licensed from Allspark.
- Aphmau (licensed) YouTube creator licensed range including MeeMeows mystery plush, collectible figures, squishy characters and Sticki Rolls crossover products; exclusive UK distribution.
- LankyBox (licensed) YouTube gaming duo licensed range featuring Mystery Squishies and collectibles featuring animated characters Boxy, Foxy, and Rocky; exclusive UK distribution.
- Moriah Elizabeth (licensed) YouTube creator licensed range featuring Georgie plush, mystery hanger collectibles, Blob Universe squishies, and blind bag figures.
- Skibidi Toilet (licensed) Blind pack plush soft toys and mini figures from the popular web series, including the Battle Bucket playset.
- Mash'ems (licensed) Flexible, collectible character figures featuring licensed properties including Disney, Harry Potter, and Toy Story; exclusive UK distribution.
- Shimmer N Sparkle (licensed) Creative and beauty toy line including bead bracelets, nail art studios, beauty cases, makeup purses, and hair extension kits; exclusive UK distribution.
- Character Online E-commerce Storefront Direct-to-consumer Shopify-based e-commerce storefront at character-online.com retailing 336 products across 23+ licensed and proprietary toy brands with UK and international delivery.
Quantifiable outcome
- 336 products across 23+ brands available for immediate purchase
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Character Options
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Character Options technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Character Options partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlescoreExclusive UK distribution rights for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles branded toys including Mutant Mayhem collection, Tales of the TMNT figures, and related merchandise.
- FingerlingscoreExclusive UK distribution rights for Fingerlings interactive finger pets including baby monkeys, axolotls, unicorns, and birds.
- Shimmer N' SparklecoreExclusive UK distribution rights for Shimmer N' Sparkle arts, crafts, and beauty toys.
- Mash'emscoreExclusive UK distribution rights for Mash'ems collectible squishy figures.
- LankyBoxcoreExclusive UK distribution rights for LankyBox branded toys and collectibles featuring YouTube gaming duo Justin and Adam.
- AphmaucoreExclusive UK distribution rights for Aphmau branded toys including MeeMeows plush and collectibles, plus Sticki Rolls collaborations.
- BBC Studios (Doctor Who)coreLicensed manufacturer of Doctor Who merchandise including action figures, collector sets, Vortex Edition figures, Sonic Screwdrivers, and the Collect & Build series featuring iconic monsters.
- Hasbro (Power Rangers)coreLicensed manufacturer of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers toys including the Re-Ignition collection with Auto-Morphin figures, Dinozords, and Megazord.
- DisneycoreLicensed manufacturer of Disney-branded toys including Lilo & Stitch, Toy Story (ChillFactor slushy makers), and related merchandise.
- Entertainment One (Peppa Pig)coreLicensed manufacturer of Peppa Pig toys including Whizz-Around vehicles, soft toys, playsets, and related merchandise.
- Allspark (Teletubbies)coreLicensed manufacturer of Teletubbies soft toys and interactive toys.
- Genius Brands (Kartoon Channel)minorLicensed manufacturer of Stan Bobalook character merchandise.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Character Options competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Moose Toys: Australian-headquartered independent toy company of comparable scale, specializing in licensed and proprietary toys including Magic Mixies, Bluey, and collectible lines. Closest comparable in business model — multi-brand portfolio, licensing-led, mid-sized independent competing against majors.
- MGA Entertainment: US-based privately-held toy company behind Bratz, LOL Surprise, and Little Tikes. Direct peer in the licensed and proprietary collectibles space, with comparable multi-brand portfolio approach and strong D2C and retail distribution.
- WowWee Group: Creator of Fingerlings — the brand for which Character Options holds exclusive UK distribution rights. Direct upstream partner and comparable in scale, with similar proprietary toy innovation pipeline and licensed collaborations.
- Zuru: New Zealand-based privately-held toy company with comparable multi-category portfolio including 5 Surprise, Rainbocorns, and Bunch O Balloons. Similar mid-sized independent profile with strong licensing partnerships and trend-driven product cycles.
- Basic Fun!: US-based toy company focused on licensed and nostalgia brands (Care Bears, Lincoln Logs, Tonka). Comparable in size and licensing-led model, with similar mix of proprietary and licensed toy categories.
- Funko: US-listed collectibles company built on licensed Pop! vinyl figures and broader character-driven merchandise. Direct competitor in the blind-box and collector toy segment where Character Options competes with Kimmon, MagMiMi, and licensed collectible lines.
- Vivid Imaginations: UK-based independent toy company specializing in licensed and proprietary toys including Crayola, Vivid-branded ranges, and licensed character products. Direct UK market peer of similar size and distribution model.
Broad incumbents
- Spin Master: Large Canadian-listed global toy company behind PAW Patrol, Hatchimals, and Bakugan. Larger and broader incumbent operating across the same product categories, with deeper retailer relationships and licensing portfolio.
- Mattel: Global toy major behind Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Fisher-Price, plus IP licensor (for which Character Options holds certain licensing rights). Competes broadly with Character Options across categories and dominates shelf-space at UK retailers.
- Hasbro: Global toy and games major; simultaneously a licensor (Power Rangers) to Character Options and a broad incumbent competitor across action figures, games, and collectibles. Strategic counterpart rather than pure competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Character Options social profiles
Digital presenceCharacter Options financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Character Options leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Character Options subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Character Options funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Character Options M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Character Options
What does Character Options do?
Character Options designs, develops, manufactures, and internationally distributes toys, games, playthings and giftware spanning proprietary brands (Goo Jit Zu, ChillFactor, Sticki Rolls, Stuntman Stu, Kimmon, MagMiMi, Aquapets) and officially licensed entertainment merchandise (Doctor Who, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Peppa Pig, Teletubbies, Disney, and YouTube creator brands). Products cover action figures, playsets, blind-box collectibles, electronic toys, arts and crafts, games and preschool toys, sold B2C through the Character Online store and B2B via exclusive UK distribution rights to retailers.
Is Character Options a public or private company?
Character Options is a public company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Character Options founded?
Character Options was founded in 1991. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Character Options based?
Character Options is headquartered in Lees, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Character Options make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Toys, Games and Playthings Sales are the primary driver. The others are licensed Brand Products and exclusive Distribution.
Who are Character Options's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Moose Toys, MGA Entertainment, WowWee Group, Zuru, Basic Fun!, Funko and Vivid Imaginations. Broad incumbents are Spin Master, Mattel and Hasbro.
Does Character Options have an API?
No public API is recorded for Character Options.
What industry is Character Options in?
Character Options's product category is Toy Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAFAA, Traditional Toy Stores, with a secondary code of CRALAFAI, Collectibles, Trading Cards & Blind Box Toys Retail. Its NAICS code is 339930 and its SIC code is 3944.