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University Games is on the move
University Games has moved from its London office to Royston, Hertfordshire. The new more modern office will allow for further expansion as part of University Games strategic growth plans following its acquisition of The Lagoon Group last summer.
MD Richard Wells says: ‘The Newington Green office has been the hub of the Paul Lamond business for many years and the home of the combined University Games group for the last three years. As a business we experienced some significant changes during our time there, especially over the last few years as both Paul Lamond Games and The Lagoon Group have come together under the University Games banner.
‘However, the new offices have plenty of character and will offer us greater flexibility to develop and grow the business over the coming years’. The new office address is: University Games UK Ltd, 4 The Lanterns, 16 Melbourn Street, Royston, Hertfordshire SG8 7BX.
Gibsons on screen
Independent jigsaw puzzle and board game company Gibsons featured on a recent episode of ITV’s Made In Britain, a behind-the-scenes look at how Britain’s most iconic brands are made.
The TV segment follows the creation of Trevor Mitchell’s 4x500 piece puzzle The Florist’s Round. First, they visited artist Mitchell, who has been creating artwork for Gibsons for 15 years and is well known for painting their popular 4x500 piece puzzles. ITV also spoke to Gibsons’ MD Kate Gibson and Operations Director, Geo Lee, who is responsible for ensuring the puzzle images are busy and colourful enough to piece together.
ITV visited the factories where the puzzles are produced in a thorough process including cutting the images to size, mounting the artwork to the board, cutting it up and scrambling the puzzle pieces. The pieces then get vacuumed sealed into a bag and placed into their boxes for delivery.
Samantha Goodburn, Marketing and PR Manager at Gibsons, says: ‘As a British company that was founded over 100 years ago, manufacturing in Britain and supporting the British high street is a core part of our company ethos and we feel honoured to share our story.’
John Lewis impose higher fees on brands
Brands stocked by John Lewis will be charged more by the department store for stocking their products.
Suppliers already pay 50 per cent of each sale made via the retailer in fees and commissions, compared with around 38 per cent which brands pay to M&S and Next. John Lewis chair, Dame Sharon White, has appointed Alix Partners to renegotiate fees with suppliers.
World-renowned stationery company Maped Helix has been announced as a headline sponsor of National Stationery Week, taking place 1-7 October.
The brand exports to over 65 countries and has been synonymous with both traditional and innovative stationery for more than 130 years. Competitions will be launched as part of Maped Helix’s sponsorship of Get Crafty Day on 6 October, one of the awareness week’s Seven Days of Stationery. Maped Creativ and Color’Peps prizes will be on offer, providing everything children need to get drawing, doodling, colouring and making.
National Stationery Week reaches almost 75 million people in 90 countries, celebrating the importance of handwriting and providing an opportunity for stationery fans to share their favourite products. Maped Helix marketing manager Lianne Fletcher said: ‘In this digital age it’s hard to overestimate the importance of spending quality time away from screens and National Stationery Week is a wonderful celebration of why we should all keep putting pen to paper, so we are proud to be supporting it.’
SmallBiz 100
Applications for the SmallBiz 100 2021 closes on 30 June. For the ninth year running, Small Business Saturday will be highlighting a hundred small businesses, one a day for 100 days, leading up for Small Business Saturday on 4 December. Successful applicants will be notified by email in August.
For the last eight years, the 100 have not only received exposure on Small Business Saturday’s social media channels and in the local and national press, but also joined the Small Business Saturday team in London at receptions in Downing Street, House of Lords and the Treasury Drum with the Chancellor of the Exchequer. smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/small-biz-100
Bounce back with Widdop & Co
This July, Widdop is launching its biggest ever autumn Bounce Back campaign and showroom event. Inspired by new season styles, up-coming trends and the return of retail post-lockdown, they have over 500 new products across gifts, home, and everyday occasion launching this season.
Their showroom event is on for 11 weeks, from 6 July to 17 September, in which you can visit their Covid-safe showrooms for an in-person viewing of their products, ranges and brands. Just book an appointment to enjoy a tour around their fi ve showrooms. widdop.co.uk
Something Di erent Wholesale invests £3.2m in warehouses
The Swansea company that began life trading from a market stall is investing £3.2m to purchase 157,000 sq ft of warehousing units and o ces at Morriston, Swansea.
The company is purchasing the 61,000 sq ft Building H it currently leases on Swansea Enterprise Park, and also purchasing the adjacent buildings, totalling a further 96,000 sq ft. It will spend about £1m renovating and remodelling the units to suit its growing business.
Founder and MD Jane Wallace-Jones has grown the business since it was established 25 years ago and the company now designs its own ranges of giftware items, which are manufactured in China, Indonesia, India and the UK and supplied to retailers, both online and bricks and mortar, across the UK, Europe and around the world.
Jane says: ‘We have seen our sales double over the past 12 months and that is thanks to our hardworking, dedicated team headed up by commercial director Anthony David and myself.
‘Our focus is to push our company in a much more environmentally-friendly direction in everything it does, and as a start that includes installing solar electricity panels on the roofs of the three warehouse units.’ somethingdi erentwholesale.co.uk
The Insights Family partners with InspiredConsumer in US
The innovative partnership will make 50 million US kids, parents, families and educators immediately available for research.
InspiredConsumer has over 20 years’ experience as a youth focused agency - operating the largest and most singular community centre network across the US, with clients such as Nickelodeon, Disney, and Mars.
The Insights Family has quickly established itself as the global leader in kids, parents, and family research, by providing real-time data to clients such as Amazon, BBC, Mattel, and Warner Bros. The exclusive long-term partnership sees the coming together of these two powerhouses to create unrivalled opportunities for kids’ research and insight. The partnership has already produced several turn-key qualitative research solutions, which can be further enhanced with quantitative research.
M&S closes 30 stores
Marks & Spencer is to close 30 of its stores as its clothing and homeware o ering su er the worst year of trading. The company posted a pre-tax loss of £201m for the year to March 27, the fi rst time the retailer has posted an annual loss in the past 94 years. In addition to the closures, 35 stores will be moved to new locations and 45 will be converted to food-only shops.
