Just Their Cup of Tea

An order from a prestigious new customer was the icing on the cake for fine bone china manufacturers Royal Crown Derby, following an English tea party at the British Embassy in Mexico supported by UK Trade & Investment.

Before 2000, the export strategy for the Royal Crown Derby’s range of fine bone china had been driven by their parent company, Royal Doulton. Other brands within the group were often prioritised for overseas markets which meant that the majority of Royal Crown Derby’s sales were concentrated in the UK. After a management buyout in 2000, managers at Royal Crown Derby became entirely responsible for their own export activity and were free to develop a global sales portfolio.

Develop your strategy

“Growth in overseas trade is a critical part of our strategy and we set ourselves an ambitious target of increasing the share of exports from 30% to 50% of total sales,” explains Sales and Marketing Director Simon Willis. “The current economic climate in the UK makes success in export even more important.”

“When you have limited resources, you have to choose what you do carefully,” says Alison Peverley, Export Manager. “We have worked with UKTI over the years and we cherry pick those services that fit well with our strategy. For instance, trade shows are an important part of what we do and we have received support from UKTI to visit a variety of key exhibitions and events in places such as Paris, Frankfurt and Dubai.”

Royal Crown Derby’s International Trade Adviser is Gordon Binnie, “The company is now an experienced and successful exporter with a clear idea of priorities,” he says. “Even so, accessing UKTI’s range of services can often add considerable value. One of the most recent examples was an Explore Export event that was held in Coventry ”

With over 50 market experts from around the globe on hand to provide one-to-one advice, it was an ideal opportunity for Simon and Alison to meet with commercial officers from British Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates to explore export opportunities.

Explore export opportunities

With a programme of seminars and several half-hour face to face appointments they were able to make essential contacts in the markets they were interested in pursuing.

“We found the event really useful,” says Simon. “One-to-ones with embassy trade advisers are extremely valuable, and you can’t get that on the internet!”

Within weeks of the event, the trade team from Mexico had invited Royal Crown Derby to participate in a tea party, in conjunction with Twining’s Tea, at the British Embassy in Mexico City.

“The tea party was hosted by the Ambassador herself and special guests and prospective customers from across Mexico were sent invitations from the embassy.” Alison continues, “With 12 tables with different pattern on each, we were able to display our full range in a wonderful setting and get our products in front of a specially selected audience.“

Simon adds, “To participate in such a well themed and typically British event was an excellent opportunity to showcase our brand“

As a direct result, new connections were forged with potential stockists and a further visit to Mexico followed. Just six months after the tea party, Royal Crown Derby is now on sale in Mexico’s premier upscale department store, El Palacio de Hierro, with the distinct possibility of further patterns being stocked in the not too distant future.

Says Alison,“The whole process worked well for us. From that initial contact with the UKTI commercial officer at the event in Coventry and their idea of the tea party, we’ve managed to secure a high profile customer in one of our prime target markets.”

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UKTI Support

Doing business in another country can be a challenge, so it’s good to know that UK Trade & Investment is there to help you succeed.

Through a range of unique services, including participation at selected trade fairs, overseas missions and providing bespoke market intelligence, UK Trade & Investment can help you crack foreign markets and quickly get to grips with regulations and business. Find out how we can help.