Latvia's Brain Games buys Lithuania's New Media Publishing

Take note – story published 4 years ago

Board game company Brain Games Ltd. which was founded in Latvia, has acquired Lithuanian board game, puzzle and toy retailer and wholesaler New Media Publishing Ltd, becoming in the process the largest chain of board game shops in the Baltics.

The move was described as a "strategic acquisition" by Brain Games that "will substantially expand the assortment of wholesale goods. Moreover, it has been the largest customer of leading board games company Brain Games in Lithuania for years."

Brain Games has been operating in the market for 15 years, and last year the total turnover of Brain Games Group was 3.7 million euros. By acquiring New Media Publishing, a turnover of 1.3 million euros is provisionally added to the company's business in the Baltics portfolio.

Galvosukiu Pasaulis store in Lithuania
Galvosukiu Pasaulis store in Lithuania

“Even prior to the acquisition of the company, Brain Games also distributed in the Baltics board games made in Lithuania. We acquired New Media Publishing, because it complements perfectly our chain of shops - Brain Games will be closer to end users and we will be able to take an even more active part in the shaping of the Lithuanian board game culture. Furthermore, this also helps us take a couple of steps closer to making our vision of board games becoming one of the most popular hobbies in the Baltics come true. According to the data at our disposal, the most popular board games - checkers and chess - can be found in almost 70% of Latvian households. We would like to boost interest in other games as well, and for this reason, over 2,000 games of various kinds are already available in our shops,” said Raivis Kalniņš, CEO of Brain Games.

Last year, Europe held a 37% share of the total games market, followed by North America, Asia, the Middle East and South America. Classic and economic theme games are the most common in Europe. According to a study carried out by Technavio, the board game business will grow by USD 5.17 billion globally during the time period from 2019 to 2023. This means that the game business will increase its market share more than two-fold, exceeding a value of USD 12 billion in 20233.

According to proponents of the activity, board games promote a sharper mind and bring people of various interests and ages together for a meaningful activity. The company's top selling games include Saboteur (for up to 10 players), Catan (a strategy game for the whole family) and ICECOOL (a dexterity game for families, parties and gatherings).

After the acquisition, Brain Games will own 12 shops. Two shops in Latvia (Riga), three in Estonia (Tallinn and Tartu) and seven shops after the acquisition of New Media Publishing, the Lithuanian Galvosukiu Pasaulis shops of which are located in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Panevezys and Siauliai. Moreover, it is also possible to purchase games from the Brain Games and Galvosukiu Pasaulis online shops.

As previously reported by LSM, Brain Games has developed a considerable international reputation and scooped international awards.

 

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