Zieler was founded by brothers Kiren and Raj Patel in 2017.
Our roots in art supplies go back to 1982, when our father bought a small group of stationery and art shops in Sussex, UK. We grew up in the business and eventually joined it ourselves — Kiren in 1992 and Raj in 2006. Over time, we expanded the family operation to 19 stores and broadened the range into toys and gifts.
Art supplies became the most intriguing — and eventually the most frustrating — category for us. As more retailers began selling the very same products we’d stocked for years, creativity and service were overshadowed by a crowded market and constant price competition. The rise of online retail only intensified this, making it harder for retailers like us to protect our margins.
When we raised these concerns with our suppliers, there was little empathy or recognition of the issue. Their typical suggestion was offering us their ‘private-label’ option, but the minimum order quantities made this financially unrealistic, Further, the designs offered lacked the appeal and distinctiveness we knew customers valued. It became clear that the existing supply chain wasn’t built to support resellers who wanted something truly different for their customers.
So, we created Zieler with a simple mission: to help art supply resellers thrive — with artist-tested products, protected territories and meaningful sales support that restores both margin and confidence.
Today, we export our products to over 20 countries from our distribution centres in UK, USA and China.