Trans-Continental, the company behind the well-known brands SnowTime and SunTime,has taken the decision to consolidate its activities and focus mainly on fob and direct container business in future.

Chairman Mike Withers commented: "With the lease on our warehouse, which we have occupied for more than 20 years, coming up for renewal, and complications following the hacking of our systems by Russian criminals last year; we have decided to take this step. Many of our customers order in full container loads anyway and discussions as to the way forward have been ongoing within the company for a couple of years. The wild fluctuations in freight rates following the upheaval of the pandemic have rendered this step inevitable.

"In acknowledgement of the fact that some smaller sized products, such as Christmas lights, can make filling a container difficult, we have been working for some time on offering customers a service whereby goods from different manufacturers can be shipped together. We are now able to offer goods from five separate factories consolidated into one container.  There are no added costs for this service, meaning customers can be price competitive while not taking unnecessary risks with stock".

The company will be exhibiting at Harrogate where it will launch the new Wallace & Gromit range of licensed Christmas product.

Managing Director Sara Murray said: "This is an exciting opportunity to develop products based on such well-loved characters, known throughout the world. Our designers have been working for months creating an exciting product range which will be showcased to customers in the new year. It is particularly pleasing as the creator of the series, Nick Park, is from Preston, just a few miles from our offices in Blackpool."

The new range will complement the company’s other licensed brands, the highly successful The Snowman, The Snowman and The Snowdog and the hugely popular Richard MacNeil artwork.