News

Puckator to open European distribution centre

Light&Living and Present Time join forces

The leading wholesale giftware company is combating post-Brexit trading concerns by opening the EDC in Poland,

With sales teams and B2B e-commerce sites in UK and throughout Europe, the EU represents 50% of Puckator’s sales, so the impact of Brexit, and the subsequent trading difficulties encountered with lengthy delays and the imposition of import tariffs between the UK and Europe had been significant. Puckator has signed the lease on a modern 4000 square metres unit located on a newly constructed logistics park adjacent to Wroclaw airport, which will serve as the group’s European Distribution Centre (EDC). puckator.co.uk

Light&Living has acquired PT Group BC, the successful group behind the brands Karlsson, PT, and Leitmotiv. The highly successful PT Group will be part of the Light&Living Group, alongside UK based brand Parlane Living which Light&Living acquired in 2020.

The construction of a ‘house of brands’ creates a panEuropean company with a complementary brand and product portfolio with its own showrooms across Europe in Noordwijk, Almere, Oslo, Lyon, Bruhl/Cologne and Bourton-on-the-Water in the UK. presenttime.com

Ashleigh & Burwood revamp trade website

The home fragrance company have improved their website, making it easier to navigate and giving it a fresh new look. The overhaul also includes new digital resources to give customers better access to their high-quality lifestyle imagery, and follows on from the successful launch of their groundbreaking virtual showroom TheHouseOfAB.com last month.

MD Andrew Nettleton explains: ‘Our investment in digital platforms, both our current trade website and our new virtual showroom, has not only helped to support our customers through this time, but will also provide a long-lasting component of our marketing that will complement the more traditional channels going forward.’ ashleigh-burwood-trade.co.uk

Helen Cottrill’s Mighty Hike for Macmillan

Enesco’s Marketing & Product Director is taking on the Ullswater Mighty Hike – 26.1 miles – on 19 June to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

‘To raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support my best friend Caroline, also an ex Enesco employee, and I are taking part in the Ullswater Mighty Hike on June 19,’ says Helen. ‘It’s 26.1 miles around the hills surrounding Ullswater in the Lake District. Over the years we have lost several lovely Enesco colleagues and friends to cancer, so this is in their memory.’

You can sponsor them and follow their journey here: mightymiles. macmillan.org.uk/fundraising/ Helen-Cottrill1971

Queen’s Award for St. Eval

The Cornish candle manufacturer has been honoured with a Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development, the fi rst ever Queen’s Award for a candle manufacturer.

CEO, Ian Greaves, believes a key element to St. Eval’s success has been the people at the heart of the business. From protecting wildlife on site and championing plastic-free packaging, to helping customers understand the benefi ts of sustainable production and much, much more. ‘As we have grown over the years, we have always strived to put sustainability at the heart of all we do.’ st-eval.com

John Lewis founder’s great grandson receives £1.54m payo

Patrick Lewis, who leaves in June after 26 years, will receive a payment that exceeds the annual salary of chairman, Dame Sharon White. She earned just over £1 million last year despite taking a 20 per cent cut to her base salary for three months amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lewis, who spent more than 26 years at the partnership, stepped down as fi nance director late last year following a head o ce shake-up that led to 1500 job cuts.