Palmer Agencies unveils new trade website

The new fully functional site has been designed to empower Palmer Agencies’ customers, offering realtime stock availability, an easy-to-understand ordering system, and all the product information needed ‘to run a 21st century business in the 21st century’.

The much-anticipated trade site is now live after a few months following upgrades in Palmer Agencies’ computer systems running the accounting and stock management. The premise the website has been designed upon is simple in its wording, yet complex in its execution.

Premise: ‘Palmer Agencies’ website must be modern, easy to use, intuitive in its functionality, with a distinctive clean design and reliable in its performance and ordering system; whilst offering stock level information for the 2,000 references and making the online ordering experience a usable process, where all relevant information is displayed in a clear, unequivocal manner on all platforms, including a mobile friendly approach.’

Palmer Agencies’ site is available to all registered users who have confirmed their interest in accessing the new online information and ordering solution.

Product information is clearly laid out and ranges from item number, description, contents, dimensions and weight of each item, barcode(s), manufacturer’s reference code, images, links to videos, image download capability, stock situation, availability to order as a backorder (clearly spelled out).

The ordering system is intuitive, and grows organically as items can be found by category, item description, or item code. Items that are sold in packs (6s, 12s…) can only be ordered in multiples of the pack quantity, etc.

Party Pieces collapsed owing £2.6 million

The business owned by Carole and Michael Middleton fell into administration with a shortfall of around £2.6 million owed to suppliers, lenders and in tax.

The company, which was sold to entrepreneur James Sinclair, in a pre-pack administration deal, blamed the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis for its demise. Sales fell to £3.2 million last year, from £4.5 million in 2021, with a net loss of £900,000 before tax as a result.

Administrators at Interpath Advisory reported that they were hired to oversee a rescue sale after previous takeover attempts were unsuccessful. The report said Party Pieces had an estimated £197,739 worth of assets to return to preferential creditors.

Party Pieces was, however, £2.59 million short of what it needed to pay its debts, according to the filings. The company, which only had 12 staff at the time of its administration, owed £612,685 in tax. Debts included £218,749 to the Royal Bank of Scotland for a Covid business interruption loan; while creditors including Royal Mail, Google and Solihull Moors Football Club, were owed £456,008.

Sergio Battaner, sales and marketing director at Palmer Agencies, commented: “This new ‘weapon of market disruption’ puts us at the forefront of customer service in the market and empowers our customers to deal with our company in the manner that is more comfortable for them. The new capabilities brought by the new website allow us to be part of the modern market landscape with a 24/7 tool that, to date, has received quite a lot of praise from its users, our customers.

“Our customers and their needs were always the guiding principle in its design.

Yes, we’ve had headaches in the design stage when, at times, it seemed the computer system would not allow to perform our requests but, I’ve always been a firm believer that ‘systems work for people, and not the other way around’.

“The recipe to a good clean, easy to use, modern, mobile friendly, usable and value adding website are an excellent and committed technical team, with high doses of wit and large servings of common sense. I could not be any prouder of the effort made by everyone at Palmer Agencies and our IT lead and partner.”

Disguise adds new Transformers movie to licensed offering

Disguise has signed worldwide rights to design, market, manufacture and distribute costumes and trunk-or-treat kits for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. The new line-up for the movie, which premiered globally on 9 June, 2023, includes classic characters Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, as well as newcomers Rhinox, Optimus Primal, and Cheetor.

The brand has been a significant contributor to Disguise’s retail success and, after years of collaboration and development with Hasbro, Disguise is confident that the new line will be a hit.

Tara Cortner, president and gm of Disguise, commented: “Disguise is immensely proud of our long-standing relationship with Hasbro, having collaborated on Transformers for several decades and achieving consistent success at retail year after year.

“I’m confident the success of Transformers: Rise of the Beast will make the costumes a must-have for dress-up this year around the globe. We look forward to continuing to work with Hasbro and bringing these beloved characters to life for years to come.”

The range will hit stores in North America, EMEA, ANZ and LATAM this autumn.

Above: The Transformers brand has been a significant contributor to Disguise’s retail success to date.