Thu, 27 Mar 2025 | BUSINESS SALE
Licensed home textile company, Character World Brands, has been bought by global business Bioworld Merchandising.
Greater Manchester-based Character World Brands, founded in 1988, makes branded bedding products for well-known brands. It collaborates with top entertainment, gaming and sports brands to create licensed bedding and associated homeware products.
Its brands include Marvel Comics, Barbie. Lego and Liverpool FC and products include bedding, towels and furniture.
The business has been acquired by Texas-headquartered Bioworld, which is a global provider of lifestyle pop culture products. "This is a partnership that represents a mutually beneficial opportunity for both companies," said Raj Malik, chief executive of Bioworld. By leveraging our global reach and product expertise, we can create significant growth opportunities. This new venture aligns closely with our business and delivers exceptional value for our shared customers while increasing our footprint in the EU."
James Walker, chief executive at Character World Brands, added: "Joining Bioworld’s impressive ecosystem will accelerate our growth, allowing us to leverage its scale and support to reach more consumers with our comprehensive home solution. We will look to strengthen our home textiles offering as well as continue the growth of our new segments in hardlines that launched in 2025."
A Grant Thornton team advised the shareholders of Character World Brands. The team was led by corporate finance partners Pete Terry and Matthew Bryden-Smith and assisted by Cariad Lightfoot, Ammen Arya and Tilly Das-Gupta.
Bryden Smith said: "Character World Brands has an excellent tradition in the licensed brands market place and has long-established partnerships with some of the world's best-known companies, making it an ideal strategic acquisition for Bioworld Merchandising, which is looking to accelerate its growth in the UK and Europe."
The collaboration is set to accelerate brand and category expansion across all retail channels, capitalising on Character World Brands’ established market presence and track record of success.
Bioworld said it is actively exploring additional strategic acquisitions, investments, and partnerships.
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