Tiger Feet, described as the UK's largest wholesaler of greeting cards, balloons, party supplies, stationery, giftware and toys, has filed a Notice of Intention to appoint administrators in the UK, delivering unwelcome news to its many suppliers.
In a statement issued a few days ago, chief executive Andy Dodwell explained that the filing provides "a short statutory period in which to explore options to secure the future funding for the business." During that time, he said, the directors, together with their professional advisers, are assessing all available options.
Dodwell also assured that no administrators have yet been appointed, and that the business continues to trade as normal while the process is under way.
Recent headquarters and systems investment
The notice comes less than six months after Tiger Feet opened the doors on a new headquarters and flagship branch in Manchester, and after the business bedded in a new state-of-the-art enterprise resource planning (ERP) system intended to help operations run more smoothly.
The company's origins date to 1984, when it was founded as Budget Greeting Cards by Paul Lavery, later joined by his brother Martin. Investment group Ardenton Capital has been an investor since 2019 and is now the majority shareholder.
In March 2024, BGC acquired the trade and assets of Paul White Ltd and Tiger Feet Party Ltd, which traded as Tiger Feet Direct. Five months later, BGC Wholesale and Paul White Gateshead merged and the business was rebranded as Tiger Feet.
Seven branches and a dual supply role
Tiger Feet currently operates from seven branches: Manchester, Bradford, Birmingham, Nottingham, Gateshead, Belfast and Dublin. It closed its Bristol branch a few months ago.
As well as publishing its own greeting cards, Tiger Feet is a significant distributor to several wholesale greeting card publishers, placing it on both the publishing and distribution sides of the greeting card trade.
According to the company's statement, the statutory period exists to allow time to explore options to secure future funding, with directors and professional advisers assessing the alternatives while normal trading continues. The statement did not set out a timetable beyond that short statutory window, nor did it identify which funding options are under consideration, and the filing does not on its own confirm an outcome.
The Manchester headquarters opening and the ERP rollout followed the consolidation of several trading names under the Tiger Feet banner after the 2024 acquisitions and the merger of BGC Wholesale with Paul White Gateshead.