Licensed tabletop and gift company Zrike Brands and its parent, R Squared, announced the acquisition of direct-to-consumer artisanal tabletop company Caskata.
With the acquisition, R Squared/Zrike Brands has launched Tabletop Group, which houses Caskata (pictured above) alongside Zrike Brands’ digital direct-to-consumer initiatives. Known for its licensed tableware, home and gift décor, Zrike Brands also serves major retailers including TJX, Costco, Target and Hobby Lobby.
Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
The transaction combines Caskata’s established consumer brand and direct-to-consumer following with Zrike’s manufacturing, sourcing, licensing, and retail distribution capabilities, creating a platform for long-term growth across multiple sales channels, said David Zrike, president of Zrike Brands, based in Fair Lawn, NJ.
The team of Wellesley, MA-based Caskata, founded by designer Shawn Laughlin in 2007, will continue to operate the brand day-to-day with the added resources and reach of Zrike Brands and R Squared behind them, Zrike noted.
“I’ve known Shawn (Laughlin) for years, and I’ve always admired her work with Caskata,” Zrike said. “She’s built something genuinely rare — a brand with a real point of view and a community that feels personal. Building a direct-to-consumer digital arm for Zrike Brands has been a long-held ambition, and there’s no better partner to do it with. What excites me most is the opportunity to hear from customers directly, learn from them, and create products that truly resonate.”
“This is a beginning, not an ending,” Laughlin said. “I’ve always felt that our everyday moments are the ones actually worth celebrating, and to me that means making them pretty, playful, and considered. To find partners who see that, who love what we do, and who want to help us reach more people, feels like a true gift.”
