Having recently been invited to Buckingham Palace in honour of Wrendale Designs receiving a Queen’s Award recognition, Hannah Dale, co-founder of the company had another reason to connect with the people in power – to make her ill-feelings known about the Government’s late date change on next May’s early Bank Holiday that is causing so much upheaval to calendar and diary suppliers and retailers.
As previously reported on PG Buzz (https://www.pgbuzz.net/danilo-contacts-government-about-late-call-on-next-mays-bank-holidays-impact-on-calendars-and-diaries/), publishers and retailers are now having to face the fact that as so many of the 2020 dated products had already been produced before the date change was announced they show Monday 4 May as a Bank Holiday while it is now going to be Friday 8 May to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.
Having been contacted by Hannah of the ramifications of the date change, Andrew Percy, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Communities and Local Government and MP for Brigg and Goole, the constituency where Wrendale Designs is based, is now urging the Minister for an apology.
To minimise consumer confusion, Wrendale has contacted all of its retail stockists with an explanation. As Hannah explained in her letter: “The bank holiday date change at such short notice presents a very difficult situation for us as all of our stock of calendars and diaries for 2020 was in stock and in some cases already in the shops at the time the announcement was made.”
She highlights how unfortunately it is not only “logistically and financially impossible” for Wrendale to reprint its dated products to accommodate the change of date, she also said “it would be wrong and unethical to incur the huge amount of waste necessary to replace all of the stock.”
The company is to apply a sticker to each individual product to remind customers to make a note of the date change. “We anticipate that all other diary/calendar manufacturers will be in the same situation as us and are hopeful that our customers will be understanding of the difficult situation,” said Hannah.
On a much more positive note, Wrendale is inviting its retail stockists for drinks on its stand at Harrogate Home and Gift (14-17 July) to mark the company receiving a Queen’s Award for Enterprise. Glasses will be filled in celebration on Tuesday 16 July at 4.30pm on its stand in DP1-B6.
From this month, as part of its ongoing environmental measures, Wrendale is offering retailers the opportunity to receive its cards unwrapped or wrapped. “We just need to let us know when they place the order. The cards will be sealed using a low-tack sticker, which will not damage the board to keep them with the envelope and the packs of six will be held together with a paper belly band,” explains Lisa Marcuccio, the company’s head of sales. “We have decided to give this as an option and not roll it out universally because our uncoated cards are easily marked and we realise that this will not be suitable for many retailers. We will continue to look for alternatives to the cello bags as technology improves,” added Lisa.
Among the products that will be launched at the show is a whole range of reusable water bottles, satchels, new stationery as well as a charity collection of 32 mini cards that will raise funds for the Marine Conservation Society. Wrendale is to donate 13p from the sale of each card (RRP £1.30) to the charity. A spinner has been developed to display the range.
Top: Living and working in rural Lincolnshire, environmental matters have always been very important to Hannah and Jack Dale, co-owners of Wrendale.
