The Character Group
- Company typePublic
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersNew Malden, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
The Character Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Character Group
- Legal name
- The Character Group plc
- Website
- https://thecharacter.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Character Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Toy Design and Distribution
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gaming Collectibles, Merchandise & Toys Retail (CRACAFAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Dolls, Plush & Action Figures Retail (CRALAFAD)
Keywords
Where The Character Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New Malden
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
The Character Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Toy and games product sales: The company designs, develops and international distribution of toys, games and giftware. Products are primarily sourced from overseas third parties and distributed internationally.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels2 records
The Character Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Character Group plc designs, develops and internationally distributes toys, games and giftware, marketing products under both proprietary subsidiary brands (Character Options, Proxy) and licensed character brands. Physical products are designed in-house and manufactured by overseas third-party manufacturers, with worldwide distribution handled through UK, Scandinavian, Hong Kong and China offices.
Product overview
The Character Group plc is engaged in the design, development, and international distribution of toys, games, and giftware. The company primarily distributes products sourced from overseas third parties and holds licensing agreements for various character brands. The group operates through its subsidiary companies including Character Options Ltd and Proxy AS, distributing licensed character toys primarily in the UK and Scandinavia with a growing presence in the USA and EU.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use The Character Group
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Character Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Character Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Proxy AS (Nordic Toy Company)coreCharacter Group acquired 55% equity holding in Nordic based toy company Proxy AS. The company operates with offices in Denmark and has privacy policy referencing proxy.toys domain.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Character Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Funko: Pop-culture licensed collectibles (figures, plush) company. Most direct public-market comparable for monetising character IPs through collectibles and merchandise.
- Flair Leisure Products: UK toy distributor marketing licensed and proprietary toy brands into retail. Highly comparable GTM motion, distribution-channel reliance, and European footprint.
- Vivid Imaginations: UK-based toy design, development, and distribution company with a similar licensed-character and branded-toy model. Closest direct peer in size, geography, and business model to The Character Group.
- Character Building (Character Group Limited): UK toy company focused on licensed collectible construction toys under the Character Building brand. Overlaps with Character Group's licensed-construction and collectibles categories.
Broad incumbents
- MGA Entertainment: Privately held global toy company behind Bratz, Little Tikes, L.O.L. Surprise. Competes in the same licensed/branded toy and gift aisles as Character Group products.
- Mattel: Global toy manufacturer and licensor (Barbie, Hot Wheels, plus major media licenses). Operates at a scale the Character Group benchmarks against in retail negotiations.
- Hasbro: One of the world's largest toy companies with extensive licensed (Disney, Star Wars) and owned IP. Sets the wholesale-retail standard the Character Group competes against for shelf space.
- Spin Master: Global toy designer, developer and distributor with broad portfolio including licensed and owned brands. Comparable business model at much larger scale.
Emerging players
- Moose Toys: Australia-headquartered fast-growing toy company with hit-driven licensed and proprietary lines. Comparable in terms of category overlap (collectibles, plush, action figures) and growth trajectory.
Others
- LEGO Group: Adjacent construction-toy giant. Not a direct competitor in character merchandise but competes for the same end-consumer toy budget and shelf space in retail.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Character Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Character Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
The Character Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Character Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
The Character Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
The Character Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Character Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Character Group
What does The Character Group do?
The Character Group plc designs, develops and internationally distributes toys, games and giftware, marketing products under both proprietary subsidiary brands (Character Options, Proxy) and licensed character brands. Physical products are designed in-house and manufactured by overseas third-party manufacturers, with worldwide distribution handled through UK, Scandinavian, Hong Kong and China offices.
Is The Character Group a public or private company?
The Character Group is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was The Character Group founded?
The Character Group was founded in 1991. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Character Group based?
The Character Group is headquartered in New Malden, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Character Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: toy and games product sales.
Who are The Character Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Funko, Flair Leisure Products, Vivid Imaginations and Character Building (Character Group Limited). Broad incumbents are MGA Entertainment, Mattel, Hasbro and Spin Master. Moose Toys is listed as an emerging player. LEGO Group is listed as an others.
Does The Character Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Character Group.
What industry is The Character Group in?
The Character Group's product category is Toy Design and Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRACAFAI, Gaming Collectibles, Merchandise & Toys Retail, with a secondary code of CRALAFAD, Dolls, Plush & Action Figures Retail. Its NAICS code is 45912 and its SIC code is 5945.