AW Artisan Wholesale Giftware

Greetings from Sheffield. I'm staying at the Kenwood Hotel as usual. I just woke up this morning after sleeping like a log… a full 12 hours out cold (I’ll explain why in a minute). It’s Friday 1st May — May Day… Labour Day across much of Europe… a full moon… and the eve of a bank holiday weekend. One of those moments where the calendar quietly lines up and says: pause, reflect, enjoy it. Last week I left you with my strange night in Guangzhou — if you missed that cautionary tale, you can catch up here … Since then… quite a journey. I made it safely to Kathmandu, caught up with our suppliers, checked on orders in progress… and yes, even squeezed in a wedding (as you do) see last weeks new.. But the real highlight — a short trip just outside the valley to visit a felt factory. Now this is interesting… the felt business in Nepal is booming . It’s not just a factory story — it’s a village story. Thousands of people involved. Most artisans actually choose to work from home, a...

Greetings from Kathmandu, Last week I was in Yiwu, China. This week, Nepal. If you missed the Yiwu update, you can catch up HERE . My newsletter has a slightly different format this week; it's a cautionary tale.. Sandra and Bryant (who were in China with me) are safely back in the UK, while I took a China Southern afternoon flight down to Guangzhou, planning to connect on to Kathmandu. Except (again)… my onward flight had been cancelled and replaced with an early morning departure the next day. No great problem, I thought. I remembered there was a rather nice five-star hotel somewhere in the airport complex. Oddly, I couldn’t find it on Trip.com. Expedia, however, showed me a hotel just eight minutes’ walk from the terminal. The room photos looked familiar. I even found the location on Google Maps. That must be the place.. Then came the first warning sign: the price. Seventy-five percent off. About £16. Too good to be true? Almost certainly. Did I book it anyway? Of cours...

Greetings from Yiwu, China Happy New Year! - Yes it is - I received messages from my Nepali contacts its 2083 in Kathmandu - and on the same day messages from Mr Chatterjee in Kolkata - it's Bengali New Year 1433 . I was actually in Kathmandu last year with Toni, the city is a full on party town for New Year..   So strange no? But here.. It’s been one of those full-on weeks … proper China pace. Sandra, Bryant and Coco… what a team. Long days, late nights, running between factories, samples appearing almost overnight… you get into that rhythm where you just keep going because you know you’re building something. Last week I mentioned the plan — 12 Days in China to get it all done . If you missed it, read here . Well… the twelve days are up . Sandra and Bryant have just headed off — a early morning taxi to Hangzhou, then onto Hong Kong. Bit of a strange moment really… that quiet pause after the intensity. But I’m still here. Just tying up the last loose ends… final check...

Greetings from Yiwu, China Hope you survived Storm Dave, enjoyed the Heat Wave and are ready for whatever weather comes next. Here in China we are also suffering/enjoying dramatic temperature changes—one day 15°C, today 32°C. But cracking on with work regardless.   Last week I was telling you about my journey here with an unexpected detour in Guangzhou.. our quick trip to Coco's hometown.. if you missed it you can catch up here .. Now we are back in Yiwu..And the thing about Yiwu.. There’s a certain energy here that’s hard to explain unless you’ve been here. Not chaos exactly… more like momentum. Everything always moving, everything possible. No time wasted, competent people - who get things done without fuss.  Bryant and Sandra arrived via Hong Kong a few days ago — It's Bryant’s first time here — and you can see it in his eyes… that mix of curiosity, excitement, and “blimey, this place is big”. And it is. Properly big. But also full of opportunity if you know where to...

Greetings from Dongxiang City, China. Ok… quite a week. Last week I was telling you about two dramatically different lease negotiations..one in Bali one in UK.. If you missed it you can catch up here . I finished up in Bali in that familiar last-minute whirlwind… squeezing in meetings - samples finalised with minutes to spare.. a bit of a creative last few days rush. Bondhan (our man in Bali) insisted on picking me up at 6am to take me to the airport. Not negotiable - and we got to see a beautiful sunrise as we drove over the spectacular road bridge to the airport.. We said our goodbyes there… hugs, and yes, maybe a tear. Bali airport was almost empty.. actually calm and peaceful, I think the Dubai issues are having a dampening effect. . (many flights to Bali connected via the middle east). But my flight from there with China Southern to Guangzhou landed in a massive electric storm with lots of turbulence! … and then a small surprise. I couldn't find my connecting flight...

Greetings from Bali, Last week I was telling you How Strangely Peaceful it was in Bali... and then abruptly not..   If you missed it you can catch up here .. Well the clocks went back this weekend.. SPRING is in the air.. it's time to get your bunny & bounce on! Bondhan and I bounced over to the main wholesale market in Denpasar Bali. See below.. as usual spilling the beans on where to go if you fancy importing yourself from Bali.. this is a good starting point. Meanwhile this week I’ve found myself deep in the world of leases… but in two very different worlds. Back in the UK, we’re in the middle of a rent review on our main warehouse—about 9,000 square metres of it. It’s all surveyors, technical arguments, comparables, yield calculations… the kind of conversations that can go round in circles for weeks or months.. Meanwhile here in Bali, we needed to renew our 2,000 square metre warehouse. A completely different experience. You won't believe the cost compariso...