Panduro was born through sheer creativity when Carlo Panduro, of Spanish descent, began making his souvenirs and jewellery in post-war Denmark. His son Jörgen soon joined the family business and began selling hobby materials to the public sector. In the mid-1950s, the first Panduro store opened in Nörrevold, Copenhagen. The trip across the Sound was made in 1962, and Panduro’s first Swedish shop opened on Södra Förstadsgatan in Malmö.
The extensive product catalogue quickly became legendary, and through the 1980s, it was Panduro’s primary sales channel. A serious focus on retail began in the 80s. Today, Panduro is a market leader in hobby materials in Europe, with over 110 stores located throughout six countries.
In 2011, Panduro acquired Pipoos, the Dutch equivalent of Panduro. In total, there are 36 Pipoos stores in the Netherlands and Belgium, including the webshop. Pipoos employs approximately 275 people.
In 2016, Kreatima was acquired, a well-reputed store for artists’ materials in Stockholm and online.
Panduro now employs approximately 650 people and has sales of SEK 1 billion.
Panduro has been owned by Lekolar since fall of 2022.