Gift Focus - Jan/Feb 2020 (Issue 117)

INDUSTRY NEWS 9 THE WHOLESALER UK CELEBRATES 20 TH ANNIVERSARY Online directory, The Wholesaler UK, was started in 1999 when the internet was in its infancy with the aim of bringing together the very best UK-based wholesale suppliers and the independent retail trade. “It’s hard to believe that we are now celebrating our 20 th birthday, still going strong and pursuing our original goal,” says Sue Nayler, director. “We put our success down to our accountability, the fact that we personally vet all our content and our policy of linking only to bona fide traders. It’s what gives retailers the confidence to use the directory in their search for new suppliers. “A big thanks to our loyal customers for their continued support! We look forward to welcoming more wholesalers on board in the future, whatever products they’re offering, to join our ever-growing community. During our birthday year, we’re offering a 10 per cent discount off our normal rates for new advertisers. Please contact us for details. “As you can see, our dog mascot is getting in the party mood as well. He’s only three years old but that’s almost 20 in dog years! Here’s to another 20 years collaborating!” For further information, visit thewholesaler.co.uk The Pen Warehouse and Snap Pr oducts conf irm new premises The Pen Warehouse, experts in promotional writing instruments, and digital print specialists Snap Products have moved premises as of 20 th December, 2019. The space will allow both companies to continue their coordinated, reliable and swift response to meeting customer needs thanks to a variety of facilities designed to benefit production capabilities and staff wellbeing. Helen Dyl, operations director, commented: “Extensive renovations have taken place this year on our new HQ and the move date has been a topic of much deliberation. We knew we needed to pick a time that would cause as little disruption as possible to our customers and staff, so we decided it would be during the Christmas closure.” The new premises have been adapted to include a host of features to ensure the company continues its sustainability journey and reduces emissions wherever possible. You can keep up to date with these strategies over the coming weeks by following the EcoSense blog series at the website: pens.co.uk/news/blog. DPD UK WINS GREEN APPLE AWARD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL BEST PRACTICE The UK’s domestic parcels carrier DPD UK was named ‘Gold winner’ in the Service Industries category, with judges hailing the company’s achievements in reducing CO 2 emissions and its innovative all-electric micro depots in central London. The awards, founded by The Green Organisation to recognise, reward and promote environmental best practice around the world, have been running since 1994 and attract entries from Governments, Ministries and regional authorities as well as companies and organisations right across the private and public sectors. The award is recognition for DPD UK’s efforts to become the most responsible city centre delivery company and the leader in electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK. In October last year, DPD opened the UK’s first all-electric parcel depot in Westminster and plans to have a fleet of 500 electric vehicles by the end of 2020. The firm has also partnered with Oxford-based manufacturer EAV to create a British built e-cargo bike, the P1. The bio- mechanical hybrid electric-assisted pedal bikes have a range of 60 miles and with a 120kg payload can cover 100 parcel stops in a day and then be recharged using a normal 13amp, 240v plug socket. Last month, DPD UK issued a White Paper calling on vehicle manufacturers, energy providers, national and local Government to start working together to tackle the barriers holding back more widespread EV adoption and investment. Dwain McDonald, DPD UK’s CEO, commented; “We’re absolutely delighted with this award. We’ve made a huge commitment as a company to investigate, develop and invest in our own sustainable future. But part of that project is also about leading by example and that means sharing what we’ve learned and showing that there are better ways to deliver parcels and run logistics. “We can’t do everything overnight and we can’t do it all on our own. We’ve shared our frustrations as well as our successes, but we are passionate about this challenge and we know we can make a huge difference. Hopefully, we’ve shown through our all- electric micro depots that it isn’t just about switching to EVs, it’s about designing totally different business models and processes.” 