Deal sees greetings, balloon, party and stationery wholesalers join together
In big news for the wholesale sector, BGC has acquired long-standing fellow greeting card and stationery wholesaler Paul White Ltd and its sister business Tiger Feet Party along with the depots in Leeds, Nottingham and Gateshead.
The acquisition has been underway for some weeks and was finally settled in time for the announcement today, 19 March, after BGC ceo Akhtar Zahid and Paul White got together yesterday.
Akhtar said both businesses have been major supporters of the independent greeting cards sector, as well as the party and gifts categories, and stationery, across specialist shops, the convenience sector, post offices, and local party specialists.
All existing staff in Paul White’s branches and head office are to remain so customers will be dealing with people they recognise while work goes on behind the scenes to combine key practices and procedures across the businesses.
The Nottingham branches are to be merged into one with a re-opening scheduled for May as the BGC operation in the city is moved to the Paul White site.
First established in Leeds in 1979, Paul White Wholesale has steadily grown to include depots in both Nottingham and Gateshead, and Tiger Feet Party, trading as Tiger Feet Direct, is based in the Leeds branch having been established as an online balloon and party wholesale company in 2013.
BGL was set up in 1984, with its headquarters in Manchester and a network of branches in Gateshead, Bradford, Belfast, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Dunstable, Nottingham, and Dublin.
“Paul White and Tiger Feet are both established businesses operating across a similar customer base to those of BGC, and in similar locations,” Akhtar added, “so the joining of the two businesses makes it an exciting opportunity to better serve the independent sector.
“Our aim is to ensure the wholesale market remains competitive and delivers value to our customers as they compete with major high street retailers. BGC is proud to be making this investment to support both sets of customers.”
In a Q&A for customers on the Paul White website, BGC said its focus “is to ensure we continue to give our customers the range of products they need at the best possible price to stay competitive in the independent sector”, and this will include highlighting and taking on board areas of Paul White where it performs well, “to continue the great relationships built up with customers” and to review the workings of Tiger Feet Direct and BGC’s online platform to see how services can be increased.
