A leading distributor of design-led children’s toys and accessories brands, which includes Little Dutch and Wildride, has opened a new distribution centre and head office in the North East of England.
Haus Distribution, which counts Harrods, Fenwick and John Lewis among its retail customers, has signed a 10-year-lease on a 30,000sqft industrial hub on the Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate.
The move follows a successful year for the business in which it saw turnover rise for the fifth consecutive year, and several new brands join its portfolio, including Mr Maria, Miniland, Bon Ton Toys and Zoo Family.
Haus prides itself on helping sustainable design brands from across Europe expand into the UK, by supporting them with everything from brand management to logistics, importing, customer service and sales aftercare.
The full-service approach has seen the firm grow rapidly since it was launched by chief executive, Lizzie Carroll in 2019, establishing Haus as an exclusive UK distributor for several top brands and helping it become a trusted supplier to numerous high street and luxury retailers.
The company is now hoping the new distribution centre will give it the capacity required to continue building on this success over the coming months and years, as well as providing it with the office space required to continue strengthening its team.
Lizzie said: “I am so proud of everything we have achieved at Haus. The brands we partner with are carefully selected and share our core values of kindness, positivity and passion.
“Making them successful in the UK is such an honour and the whole team bring such dedication and innovation. This has led us to grow sensibly over the last 6 years and it’s now time to up our game and move into a bigger unit.
“We’re gearing up for the best Christmas ever at Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate and we’re excited to have the room to work more efficiently and have the space we need to meet demand.”
As well as providing Haus with much-needed storage and office space, the facility will also provide the company with excellent links to the main roads and a blank space to set up their operations in the most efficient way and create a beautiful working space for the team, designed by local interior and architectural design firm And+ Studios Ltd, based in the Ouseburn Valley.
Nici Civico, Director and Chief of Operations, said: “The newly refurbished warehouses and office spaces on the Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate were exactly what we were looking for, enabling us to plan our layout from scratch for the warehouse team to maximise efficiencies. There was also the added bonus of solar panels and EV charging points as sustainability is close to our hearts. It is also great to have other local business around us like the fantastic Northern Rye, I’m sure the team will be visiting them regularly!”
The E2 industrial hub was refurbished speculatively by estate owner, UK Land Estates, to help address the shortage of high-quality, industrial workspace in the region.
This refurbishment followed several others on the estate, the most recent being Unit S2, which was let to national car retailer Lookers.
David Gibbs, Property Director at UK Land Estates, said: “We are delighted to have Haus Distribution joining us at Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate.
“We refurbished E2 in the knowledge that there was a real lack of high-quality, available industrial space in the region and this deal justifies that decision.
“It has allowed us to help yet another fast-growing logistics company expand its presence in the UK, providing a major boost to the regional economy and supporting the creation of more high-quality jobs.
“We are delighted to have been able to support the company and look forward to working with the team as they continue to establish Haus as a real North East and UK success story.”
Knight Frank acted on behalf of UK Land Estates on the letting.
Mark Proudlock, a partner in the firm’s Newcastle office, said: “UK Land Estates’ investment in Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate has created a modern vibrant estate with diverse occupiers doing great things. It’s been a pleasure working with them and Haus to help introduce another fantastic north east company to the Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate community.”