November 16th, 2010
A nursery products firm is looking to expand its export trade after clinching a deal to trial one of its best-selling lines with a leading retailer in Portugal.
Tippitoes, a leading independent nursery brand operating from East Bierley, Bradford, sees the deal as a stepping stone to boosting its presence in the Iberian peninsular and hopes it will lead to further expansion and some new jobs.
Tippitoes, which moved from Leeds three years ago, is selling a Moses basket and stand at the flagship Lisbon department store of Spanish retail giant El Cortes Ingles.
A successful trial could lead to permanent listings in the company’s 70-strong network of department stores across Portugal and Spain.
General manager Paul Walters said: “The trial is for a limited line and number of units, but we’re excited to have secured a potential ‘in’ with one of the biggest names in retail in that region.
“It could be huge in terms of where we go from here, so we’re clearly out to impress and make an impact.”
The El Corte Ingles trial resulted from a trade visit to Portugal organised by UK Trade and Investment that included bespoke networking events and one-to-one meetings. Tippitoes is one of several regional firms on the trip that is now actively pursuing potential leads.
Mr Walters said: “UKTI does a good job in assisting firms find their way into new markets. It helps to open doors but the rest is up to you to identify and take advantage of opportunities.
“The Lisbon deal expands our global reach into ten overseas markets, but there are hundreds more to go at and we’re determined to explore them through UKTI. Continental Europe is our primary focus for the time being, but our product range has universal appeal so we’ll go as far and wide as we possibly can.”
Graham Percival, UKTI’s regional deputy international trade director, said: “We received some excellent feedback from the Lisbon trip, but the best reassurance we can gain is that we’re visiting the right places and providing introductions to the right people through our teams in overseas markets for the likes of Paul and Tippitoes to secure this fantastic opportunity with El Corte Ingles.”
UKTI is running several more international market visits for regional businesses, including trips to India, France and Mexico. Details can be found at ukti.gov.uk.
Source: Telegraph & Argus
