New licensing deals follow acquisition from Piccadilly Greetings group
Joe Davies has acquired fellow giftware company EastWest from the Piccadilly Greetings group.
While the two companies have been working together for several years, with Joe Davies distributing products, the deal sees the EastWest brand, stock and assets of the Hemel Hempstead-based company joining the Joe Davies portfolio.
EastWest was founded in 2014 by Jitesh Kaneria, managing director of Piccadilly Greetings, with gift industry stalwart Terry Taylor on board from the start as a director and minor shareholder. It has been run as one of the group’s businesses from the company’s Hertfordshire base with Terry fronting it on the sales side.
EastWest has successfully specialised in ranges of licensed kitchen and homeware gift collections, including those based on licensing agreements with several notable UK artists and greeting card brands. Now, under Joe Davies’ ownership, new licensing agreements have been signed with Bree Merryn, Emma Lawrence, LoveLilly Art, Paper Shed Designs, Sunny By Sue, Louise Tate, and Siobhan Harrison.
Joe Davies md Paul Hooker commented: “We have been working with EastWest for several years and know the collection and brand intimately. The range is perfect for independent retailers and a firm favourite with our customers. We are very pleased to have secured a number of licence agreements with some of the UK’s leading artists to help us develop the EastWest brand within Joe Davies into the future.”
Explaining the rationale for the sale from Piccadilly’s standpoint, Jitesh told PG Buzz: “We recently decided that we wanted to concentrate fully on our other core businesses, therefore decided to part with EastWest. Having worked with Joe Davies very closely through the years, we are very pleased that EastWest is in excellent hands. Joe Davies will be able to give the business their full concentration and maximise the full potential of EastWest.”
Sharing her endorsement of the deal, renowned UK wildlife artist Bree Merryn added: “I am delighted to have signed a licensing agreement with Joe Davies who has an outstanding reputation within the gift industry. The new agreement gives us the opportunity to continue to develop and expand my brand within the Joe Davies portfolio.”
Retailers can order the whole EastWest collection from Joe Davies immediately, and the range will be on display on the company’s Autumn Fair stand 7C30/E31 at the NEC from 3-7 September.
