We sat down with Craft Buddy Co-Founder and Co-Director, Gary Wadhwani, to talk Hello Kitty, product innovation, and why a growth mindset is vital to success
With major licenses and an abundance of original concepts launching throughout 2026, the Craft Buddy team is gearing up for one of its biggest years yet – and it’s off to a flying start.
“Q1 is a busy start every year, as we do three shows back to back – London Toy Fair, Nuremberg Toy Fair and then Creativeworld in Frankfurt,” said Gary. “We went all out this year, with some large booths, particularly at the two German shows – and the consistent feedback from buyers was really strong, both on our new Crystal Art product formats and our exciting new brand Li’l Worlds, a new range of model kits and book nooks. There was also strong recognition of how far we’ve come in building complete product programmes around key formats and key licenses.
“Having had time to digest the fairs, I would say we came away enthused and encouraged, but also very focused. The market is more competitive, buyers are more selective, and shelf space has to be earned – and we’re ready for the challenge!”
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