The export power of British heritage

Business editor FINN SCOTT-DELANY talked to some of the companies looking to foreign markets.

THE best-dressed babies in South Korea will be wearing Hove’s finest clothing, after a fashion label secured a £200,000 deal a year to supply some of the country’s high-end boutiques.

Bonnie Baby, set up by acclaimed designer Tracey Samuel in 2005, won the contract after visiting in 2012 with Government export body UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).

The news coincides with UKTI’s export week, which encourages companies to start exporting.

The firm was inspired by Tracey’s first child Alice Bee, with one range bought by Hollywood actress Gywneth Paltrow in its entirety.

Director Gareth Griffiths said: “We began to get enquiries from across Asia in 2010, so we approached UKTI for help.

“Asia is now a huge market for us with 50% of our turnover from sells in Hong Kong, mainland China and Japan each year.

“We opened our flagship store in Hong Kong in 2012 and we now have four points of sales in Shanghai and Beijing. Hong Kong was the natural gateway to mainland China.

“The British brand and heritage is extremely popular in South Korea. They like the quality and playful designs. They trust it and customers aspire to buy British brands.”

The demand for UK goods in South Korea has risen 232% over the past ten years, with the country making the single largest contribution to UK export growth in 2012.

Meanwhile a Brighton plus-size lingerie firm has boosted profits after securing sales of luxury bras to Dubai.

Harlow and Fox was launched by Leanna Williams in November 2013 after she struggled to find lingerie she liked.

A year later orders are coming in from across the Middle East, Australia and the US.

Leanna said: “I always planned for the product to be international as it’s a niche item with a very specific customer base, and with help from UKTI we will be able to achieve this.

“Exhibiting at the biggest lingerie trade show in Paris last year certainly helped and led to approaches from stockists in both Dubai and Australia. Exports have helped me to almost double my predicted target turnover and I am now on track for unprecedented success in the first year.”

Luxury items and heritage brand values are working for Ditchling winery, Ridgeview.

Production at the estate has increased from 30,000 bottles a year to 250,000, since working with UKTI, and exports now account for 20% of its business.

After beating Champagne to win the 2010 Decanter World Wine Award for best sparkling wine, Ridgeview attracted huge international interest, including from New York.

Rather than Chinese markets, which prefer known brands, it is exporting to Scandinavia, Northern Europe and Japan.

The winery has also benefited from a grant from Coast to Capital LEP, which enabled them to invest in new bottling facilities and recruit staff.

General manager Tamara Roberts said: “Currently we’re exporting 15% but our ambition is to export 30% over the next five to ten years.

“Scandinavia has been really good for us because they don’t have an indigenous wine industry and they’re very open and eager to try new things, and go on quality over brand.”

Another company that has huge, measurable export potential, is mobile game developer Delinquent Interactive, based in Brighton.

Founded in February by Relentless Software founder, David Amor, Delinquent was recently awarded a £100,000 grant by Coast to Capital LEP to invest in six new staff.

The market for games is huge in the East, with Brighton’s thriving games scene forming out of the break-up of Disney’s Black Rock studios.

David said: “With games you can look at a map of the world and see who is playing, where and at what time.

“There’s more money being made in Eastern markets then the West, though it’s always dangerous to assume that games will be more successful.

“It’s the great thing about the digital age is you can create something in a small office in Brighton and it can go around the world.”

Delinquent hopes millions will play its mobile games each month.

A freight company advised businesses to pre-plan before exporting.

Mike Boarding of MB Freight, based in Haywards Heath, said: “Businesses should increase their export orders and be more aggressive.

“But they need to more pre-planning when it comes to organising, rather than going in blindly, in order to compete on a global scale.”

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