Panduro was born through sheer creativity when Carlo Panduro, of Spanish descent, began making his own 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 103 stores distributed throughout six countries.

In 2011, Panduro acquired Pipoos, the equivalent of Panduro in the Netherlands. In total, there are 27 Pipoos stores in the Netherlands and Belgium. In 2016, Kreatima was acquired, a well-reputed store for artists’ materials in Stockholm and online.

Panduro now employs around 650 people and has sales of SEK 845 million.

Panduro is since fall 2022 owned by Lekolar.