We do like to sell beside the seaside!
HOSPITALITY AND HOLIDAY PARK RETURN WELCOMED BY WHOLESALERS
SUPPLIERS serving reopening businesses are looking forward to meeting pent-up demand with all eyes on tourism and hospitality. Alongside non-essential retail, today marks the return of holiday parks and pubs, bars and restaurants with outdoor space - and all will have a strong demand for food.
Self-contained accommodation has been given the go-ahead - huge news for the East Coast’s staycation sector - as thousands of park homes can be e unlocked.
Grimsby- headquartered wholesaler Dee Bee also has operations s in Hull, collectively serv- ing many of the small l shops providing vital l goods to those staying in n Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Trading director Andy Morrison, pic- tured, said: “We’re getting mixed messages from our customers s about the Covid recov- ery.
“Some are going to o give it a go on April 12 when they are able to open outdoor spaces and we expect further activity from May 17 and a lot more from June 21, assuming everybody sticks to the timetable.
“We expect serious demand when we reach those points on the road map.
“There are 23,000 holiday caravans between The Wash and the Humber and a lot of people will be desperate to get into them so we think there will be some real pentup demand.”
Dee Bee takes the first initials of founder and Grimsby retail entrepreneur Dudley Ramsden, who went on to co-found Nisa - now part of The Cooperative. From the huge distribution site equidistant from the Cleethorpe Road empire three generations of Ramsden contributed to and the Doncaster homeland of the cof founder Peter Garvin is a national distribution centre and headquarters - serving 4,000 conv venience stores.
Head of retail at Nisa, Victoria Lockie, is looking forward to those located on holiday parks - including Haven and Center Parcs - opening up.
She said: “In excess of 130 holiday shop sites are supplied by Nisa – and they will be opening on Monday, April 12 across England and Wales. This includes sites at Haven Holidays, Center Parcs and all the stores operated by J&J Wilson at sites across the country. “We’ve provided additional support to these shops during the closure period, investing resource including a dedicated marketing expert from the Co-op who has carried out a huge piece of research work and surveys. This has then been applied to the logical thinking of range and planograms [a visual merchandising tool to aid product placement] - including developing a welcome bundle for holidaymakers at certain parks.
“Our range has allowed the onsite shops to become a destination in their own right. The pubs and restaurants will not be allowed to open fully for a while yet so many visitors will be looking to prepare and eat in the caravans and lodges.”