From ‘money can’t buy’ signed Cliff Richard merchandise to tours of the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium; from Fortnum and Mason goodies to a choice of 1,000s of amazing gift experiences through a Thank You Smartbox, Danilo and Words ‘n’ Wishes are christening their first new year under their new distribution arrangement for indies with a prize draw bonanza. All independent retailers placing orders for Danilo everyday products with a Words ‘n’ Wishes salesperson, between January 1 and 31 March, will earn entries into a prize draw. The higher the order value, the more entries a retailer will receive (eg a £150 order will earn one entry into the draw, while a £500 one will see the retailer receive five entries).
There is an impressive roster of 25 prizes up for grabs, from the football-related (including a signed Arsenal shirt), to music-themed (signed Bon Jovi and The Vamps merchandise); from treats (£50 gift cards of a retailer’s choice) to sweets (a fab retro confectionery hamper).
This extensive prize draw coincides with the release of Words ‘n’ Wishes’ biggest ever January product launch – comprising almost 300 new designs. These include the publisher’s own collections (221 Christmas cards and 74 everyday designs), 24 new QH cards as well as 74 new Danilo designs.
As Rod Brown, md of Words ‘n’ Wishes told PG Buzz: “This industry is well blessed with a lot of good, strong independents, who are the foundations of our business. This prize draw adds a bit of fun and excitement to the new year’s launches. We are three months into the arrangement with Danilo and it is proving a great addition to our portfolio with our customers.”
To accommodate the continued growth Words ‘n’ Wishes is experiencing, the company has just expanded its sales team.
Bringing its salesforce up to 28 strong has seen Mark Roberts (formerly of Abacus and GBCC) join as sales agent for the North West, while Kate Randall (who has spent the last nine years working for UKG) joins as the sales agent for Essex. Meanwhile, Steve Brown (formerly of Carte Blanche) has joined as business development agent covering the North East and at the end of January Lisa Williams (also from UKG) will join the Words ‘n’ Wishes team as business development agent for Wales.
But it is not just on the human front that Words ‘n’ Wishes is growing as the Wigan-based business is taking on an additional warehouse, adjacent to its current premises, which will give the company a 18,000 sq feet capacity in total and accommodate its expansion.
“Trade is not easy at the moment, but there are still opportunities out there if you have the right products, a good team and a great set of retail customers. We are lucky!” said Rod Brown.
Top: One of the 25 prizes is certain to become a family heirloom – a copy of the Cliff Richard calendar, signed by Sir Cliff himself!
