Tiger Feet, 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, a step that brings unwelcome news to the many suppliers it serves across the greeting card, party and stationery trades.
Andy Dodwell, the company's chief executive, issued a statement a few days ago explaining that the filing provides "a short statutory period in which to explore options to secure the future funding for the business". He said the directors, together with their professional advisers, are assessing all available options.
Dodwell also confirmed that no administrators have yet been appointed, and that the business is continuing to trade as normal while the process is ongoing.
Recent investment precedes the filing
The notice comes less than six months after Tiger Feet opened a new headquarters and flagship branch in Manchester and bedded in a new state-of-the-art enterprise resource planning (ERP) system intended to help operations run more smoothly. The filing therefore follows a period in which the company had been investing in its physical footprint and its operating systems.
Ownership and trading history
The business was founded in 1984 as Budget Greeting Cards by Paul Lavery, who was 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, plus publishing and distribution
Tiger Feet currently operates from seven branches: Manchester, Bradford, Birmingham, Nottingham, Gateshead, Belfast and Dublin. Its Bristol branch was closed a few months ago. Alongside publishing its own greeting cards, the company is a significant distributor to several wholesale greeting card publishers, a role that places it between card publishers and the wider retail trade.
For suppliers across cards, party goods and stationery, the development is one to track. The company has framed the filing as a step that creates time to examine funding options, and it has stressed that trading is unchanged so far. The statement did not set out which options are under consideration, and no administrator has been appointed at this stage.