Page 2 - News

Looking for commercial storage and fulfilment from an established wholesaler with network connections across the world? If the answer is yes then Puckator has the perfect solution for you.

Our European distribution centre in Wroclaw is continuing to move forward quickly and is still on schedule to open this Autumn. 

The internal office building work is almost complete so now it's time to focus on the warehouse itself.  Before we can accept stock at the location, we need to fit out the warehouse with racking, and this week our new racking was delivered. 

Piotr and his team were on hand to accept the delivery and are now working closely with the installation team to get the racking in place ready for the first delivery of stock which is due any day now.

Back in the UK, the team at our Cornish depot have also been working hard with the Polish staff preparing everything we need to get the EDC up and running.  Teams are working on getting computer equipment ready, developing our order management system to work from two locations, as well as preparing training programs for the new picking and packing staff in Poland and finalising logistics with our delivery partners.

Nothing in the giftware world quite beats the excitement of displaying new trends and meeting new and existing customers in the halls of the Autumn fairs.

Even without having any shows for the last 18 months we have still been working hard to expand our top selling ranges that have proved successful during the pandemic, but also our licensed collections and all the latest hot new trends hitting the market.

Our pet designs collections have been strong sellers for some time with favourites such as Simon’s Cat, Shiba Inu Adoramals and Feline Fine to name but a few.  This Autumn we are delighted to be adding a new licensed furry friend to this category which is guaranteed to be an instant best seller!

We have teamed up with the social media star, Pusheen the Cat, to create the perfect giftware range for lovers of all things cute and feline. The range will include beauty accessories, drinkware, numerous bags and much more. All the products feature the traditional Pusheen character in various

EDC Update

Our European Distribution Centre project is moving forward quickly and since our last update we have recruited the first 2 members of the warehouse team and moved forward with internal building works and logistics.

Staffing

Finding the right team for our Polish Warehouse was top of our to do list, and we are delighted to announce the recruitment of our EDC Logistics Manager Piotr Świstak.  He commenced employment with Puckator at the end of May and will be coming over to the UK later in the summer to meet our UK team and for familiarization and training on our warehouse processes.  Find out a bit more about Piotr in the quick Q&A below.

1. What was your first job?

So, my first job was in Material Management team in LG Electronics Wroclaw. I came for a summer job, stayed for 9 years.

2. Coffee or tea?

Tea, the greener the better. Gunpowder is my tea of choice.

3. What three items would you bring on a desert island?

For a desert island… machete, rope and salt.

4. What’s your favourite

As many customers will know, Puckator is a company that began life in the UK, but we have always felt we belong to Europe. From employing our first French member of staff in 2005, to creating websites in almost every European language over the following decade, to opening our first European office in Valencia in 2011 and continuing that trend with office openings in Italy, Poland, and The Netherlands over the next 9 years, we really are an example of how the EU works for business. It is now over 5 years since the UK voted to leave the EU and Brexit has become a reality, it was not something as a company we wanted, but we have tried to deal with it in the best way we can, and after a shaky start, things are now getting back too normal. Delivery times are improving, and of course all our customers In the EU are now served by our Dutch company, Puckator BV, so there are no customs formalities or taxes to deal with.

After careful consideration, we have decided it is time for the next steps

2021 marks the 5th year in which Puckator is collaborating with Endemol Shine Group to create a wide range of exclusive licensed Simon’s Cat products for the giftware wholesale market.

Over these 5 years our design team have been working closely with Endemol Shine to create an exclusive collection that has amazingly quickly become a best-seller.

Our first and highly successful range was, and still is, the one that features the best Simon’s Cat Quotes. Iconic sentences taken straight off Simon’s Cat are decorating mugs, door mats, insulated drink bottles, mirrors and lots of other products including LBOX16 (set of lunch box), LIP61 (lip balm in tin) and BAMB74 (travel mugs) that are all still best-sellers.  

Over these years we have also created seasonal ranges such as Christmassy Simon’s Cat that have been particularly successful. The Gift Bags, Christmas Mugs, and beauty accessories, like lip balms and mirrors, are perfect stocking fillers.

In this little re-cap of successful products,

“Have you done your Christmas shopping yet?” :)  It’s a question you might hear more and more often over the next couple of weeks.

As thoughts turn to gifts for friends and relatives, many will prefer to browse from home, and internet shopping will be the first choice for a lot of people this year.

Being as ready as you can be for your online customers will help you make the most of their visit to your store – and they’ll thank you for making life that little bit easier and saving them time!

We’ve come up with some ideas to help you make Christmas shopping a doddle for your customers – and more rewarding for you!

Bundle products together in themes

Matching items have a lot of appeal – whether for customers wishing to create a special ambience in their homes, or for those searching for presents. It’s always tempting to get the set!

As well as collections, Puckator has many themed items that work brilliantly as collectibles or stocking fillers. Our Flamingo range is one of our top sellers

Here at Puckator our designers have been hard at work in Puckator’s Christmas workshop… Simon's cat has put on his Santa hat and The Original StormTrooper has switched up his traditional white armor for a festive Christmas jumper!

Our festive range of fully licensed products, including four new Christmas themed Relaxeazzz travel pillows, are now available.  

Now more than ever, in these uncertain times, we here at Puckator believe everyone deserves a little extra Christmas magic this year… and we have gifts for all ages that will have them jingling all the way. 

We have joined forces with Shepperton Studios to create a jolly range of Christmas themed The Original StormTrooper products to temp customers to step over to the merry side! A range of eco-friendly travel cups, stainless steel water bottles and not to mention The Original StormTrooper solar pal that is sure to be dancing along to all the Christmas songs! Did you know our water bottles are thermal insulated and keep drinks warm

In a year where so many things seem to have been turned upside down, we’re truly thankful to our customers for their support and to the kind words of encouragement from colleagues that have made such a difference.

With retail restrictions lifting this week we know that many people will be working extremely hard to make the absolute most of these few festive weeks until December 25.  The Puckator team is also working around the clock to make sure the products you need get to you safely and on time!

Through the uncertainty and pressures of 2020 people have turned to simple pleasures – things like a walk in the sun, cooking and baking, and taking joy in nature.

Now the colder weather is here, people look to bring the natural world indoors with soothing scents, gentle, botanical prints and an emphasis on taking time to pause.

Eco products have been huge this year and our range of sustainably made and environmentally friendly products is growing month by month. Bamboo cups and travel mugs,

We know that small businesses and sole traders have a huge amount to cope with at the moment - keeping everything going as well as reassuring your customers you’re doing all you need to do to keep them safe.

With some uncertainty about what the coming weeks and months might hold in terms of restrictions, Puckator is very much open and ready to help you get through this testing time.

We know that with Christmas just around the corner, and many retailers currently having to pause physical sales, you may have worries over stock levels and delivery times.

We’ve put in place as many measures as we can so you can keep running your business smoothly and to help you cope when any curve balls come your way. 

We’re continuing to process orders with as little disruption as possible but there may be some slight delays during this busy period. Our minimum order value is still just £50, and we are as flexible as we can be with order size: we know it helps our customers test the water with new products