Nov 12, 2020

Chronicle Books acquires Wild + Wolf’s three signature game and toy brands

Chronicle Books announced the acquisition of Wild + Wolf’s three signature game & toy brands: Petit Collage, eco-friendly toys and gifts with high play value for babies and young children; Ridley’s Games, imaginative and original trend-led games for all ages, including bestsellers like Avocado Smash, Selfish, and Drawsome; and Games Room, trivia decks and games featuring bespoke, iconic designs. The acquisition spans approximately 350 active SKUs and more than 10,000 existing retail partners across 60 countries. New products will continue to be produced under the Petit Collage, Ridley’s Games, and Games Room brand identities.

With consumer demand for games, activities, and all-ages entertainment continuing to increase, the acquisition is a major step in Chronicle Books’ strategic growth strategy. This move greatly extends Chronicle’s already substantial reach in the gift, game, and entertainment categories around the world.

Petit Collage, Ridley’s Games, and Games Room have won numerous industry accolades and awards over the past few years and have achieved significant sales growth across a wide range of retail environments. They bring with them a loyal and diverse international fan base.

“The Ridley’s, Petit Collage, and Games Room brands align seamlessly with our mission to spark the passions of adults and children worldwide and will complement Chronicle’s distinctive publishing program, as well as those of our distribution clients,” Tyrrell Mahoney, president of Chronicle Books, said. “The integration of these three much-loved and admired brands, and the addition of extremely talented members of their creative teams, supports our strategy to serve even wider consumer interests in all types of retail stores and environments.”

“We are very excited to have Ridley’s, Petit Collage, and Games Room become a part of the Chronicle Books publishing universe. We have long admired Chronicle for their inventive and diverse range of books, games, and gift products. Their creative ingenuity and sales acumen will propel these popular game and toy brands to new heights in the marketplace,” Paul Taylor, CEO of Wild + Wolf, said.

As result of this transaction, Chronicle will establish a subsidiary, Chronicle Books Limited, in the United Kingdom and will bring on board a number of Wild + Wolf creative staff to lead and develop the future program out of Bath, England, and in San Francisco, California. For the remainder of 2020, sales and distribution will remain unchanged. Beginning January 2021, all distribution and sales representation will move to Chronicle Books in the United States and to its partners Abrams & Chronicle Books in the United Kingdom and Europe and Raincoast Books in Canada.