Stationery and gift brand recalibrates British operation as Cardgains supplier
A well-loved household name in mainland Europe, stationery and gift company Depesche is refocusing its efforts on the UK market having invested in a brand-new sales set-up, appointed a British-based fulfilment partner, reduced its minimum order quantities and become a Cardgains/Bridewell official supplier.
Established in 1985 by Kjeld Schiøtz in Hamburg, today Depesche employs around 300 people with its products distributed in 41 countries, with designated companies in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and France.
As part of its quest to grow its UK presence and further build on the success of its brands – which include TopModel, Dino World, Miss Melody, Yivi and Princess Mimi – the last few months has seen Depesche ramp up on the sales side.
Drawing on the vast industry experience of Pete Goodman and Mike Apicella, who have both known Kjeld for years, are now heading up the sales team in the UK. New to the company are Mark Holland who has joined as national accounts manager; Jo Mills has been appointed area sales manager north west for independents, while Andrea Pitchford has joined as area sales manager for the Midlands, taking on the role from Daniel Charley, who has been promoted to general sales manager for independents and key accounts.
“Mike and I are delighted to be heading up the UK sales side for Depesche,” Pete told PG Buzz. “Kjeld and I go back to the late 90s when I was part of Hanson White/Xpressions, and Depesche was a distributor for us in Germany. It’s a wonderfully-run business which continually invests in its products and its people.
“While historically Depesche’s distribution in the UK has been more skewed to toy retailers, the expansion of the product portfolio means it’s now more relevant to the greetings, gifts and garden centre retail sectors too.”
Another signal of the firm’s commitment to the UK market is the appointment of Suffolk-based Set In Hand as its UK fulfilment partner, reducing delivery lead times for retailers as, previously, all Depesche orders into Britain came from Germany.
“With Depesche now an official Cardgains supplier, we look forward to building the brand’s relationship with many more card and gift retailers over the coming months and years,” Pete added.
Top: The TopModel by Despesche range has fans all over the world
