BRISTOL BUSINESS SEES SIGNIFICANT OVERSEAS GROWTH

Luxury fabric exporter from Tewkesbury finds success in Japan and the USA

Tewkesbury-based fabric retailer Alice Caroline has seen turnover rise to almost £1.4 million in the 12 months to January 2021, of which more than half were export sales.

A Bristol business exporting well known UK food and drink brands has experienced significant growth in overseas sales over the last year.

British Corner Shop provides products from the likes of Walkers, Tetley and Heinz to expats and other customers across the world who have an appetite for UK cuisine.

Despite global restrictions hitting many of its export markets, revenues quadrupled on a monthly basis during the pandemic, thanks to help from the

Department for International Trade.

Mark Callaghan, Managing Director at British Corner Shop, said: “If it wasn’t for the help of UK Export Finance and the Department for International Trade, we would not have secured the custom of some businesses in key markets, and that would have set us back significantly.”

The company’s export turnover in the US reached £4 million in 2020, an increase of 146 per cent from 2019, while exports increased by 112 per cent in France, its second biggest market.

Alice Caroline was founded by Alice Garrett after a life-long passion for Liberty fabrics led to her creating handbags for student fairs, before selling the fabric on Etsy, and then eventually setting up her own business from home.

The company sells curated packs of fabric, quilting kits and patterns with its two biggest markets being the USA and Japan.

The company saw sales rise by 26 per cent over the pandemic, which it attributes to people taking up more stay-at-home hobbies.

Overseas manufacturers should reconsider the UK

Redditch-based multi-temperature supply chain company

Oakland International is encouraging overseas manufacturers to rethink the UK as a solution to their border challenges and expensive transport costs.

With around half of the company’s trade coming from overseas manufacturers, Oakland International believes there are opportunities for manufacturers located outside the UK to consider moving part or all of their manufacturing operations to the UK.

Oakland International’s CEO, Dean Attwell, said: “The UK has fantastic retail channels and probably the best supply chain network in the world.

“According to recent DEFRA stats, the UK is around 64 per cent self-sufficient in food. The debate over the need for food security needs to be tied into the need for some types of food to travel such as milk, water, eggs etc.

They can all be produced in the UK within regional supply chains and would drive significant environmental benefits and ultimately deliver against the sustainability agenda.

“Supermarkets have a major part to play in driving sustainability as they are the custodians of many brands’ frontline consumer engagement and have a role in upselling the benefits of sourcing locally and buying British produced and manufactured products.”