The independent jigsaw puzzle and board game company celebrated its 100th anniversary in May.
Gibsons, a family-owned business, has announced that – despite the current retail climate – it’s seen rapid growth in international sales over the last 12 months.
After seeing a steady increase of international sales over the last decade, sales director Nicki Gumbrell hired Alice Tournaire to fill the role of international sales manager last May. Nicki commented: “We felt that the time had come to re-evaluate the resource and effort going into international sales, and to that end we decided to create a new, full time role that would be entirely committed to growing the brand overseas. We were delighted to welcome Alice into that role a year ago, and she has worked extremely hard over the last 12 months to build strong foundations with our export business, including representing Gibsons at the Hong Kong Gift Fair for the very first time.”
Gibsons expected international sales to increase but, thanks to Alice’s tenacity, reported substantial export growth (YTD May 2019 + 90% vs 2018) after working with new markets such as Australia and China.
Alice commented: “I am really thrilled to take part in this venture; Gibsons is an established brand that has built its reputation from a rich heritage. Our products offer a good mix of quality and character. They bring something different to the international jigsaw landscape, which is why we have such a strong and dedicated following. With fantastic new partners, our international presence is growing fast and we are confident this will carry on over the coming years.”
Based on rate of sale, Gibsons was the UK’s best performing manufacturer in adult puzzles for the whole of 2018* and continues to be the home of the thickest 1000 piece jigsaws on the market. The company is looking for more international distributors to work with, and will be attending Nuremberg, New York and Hong Kong Toy Fair’s in 2020.
Please contact Gibsons’ international sales manager, Alice Tournaire, for any further information on alice@gibsonsgames.co.uk.
