Something Different Wholesale

The loan has helped us to scale up our operations and supported us in supplying larger retail chains and buying groups.

Jane Wallace-Jones, Founder and Managing Director

Established in 1999, Something Different Wholesale Ltd is one of the UK’s leading giftware suppliers.

After growing the business organically for over sixteen years, founder Jane Wallace-Jones sought funding to be in a position to accelerate the company’s growth.

A six-figure loan from the Development Bank of Wales enabled Something Different Wholesale Ltd to invest in the expansion of the company premises and stock.

Something Different is a B2B company which designs, develops and distributes giftware to retailers worldwide from a 158,000 square foot warehouse in Swansea. During the Covid-19 pandemic it was one of a few companies which saw unprecedented growth with sales reaching £12.5m at the end of the 2020/21 financial year.

Maintaining strong relationships with suppliers and agents across the world, the company is able to quickly respond to supply chain issues and carefully select manufacturers in line with its values and ESG strategies. 

The good relationships they maintain with their manufacturers and network not only allows for the smooth delivery of operations but enables the business to re-negotiate supply and costs as levels of demand dictate.

The business was a market leader in 1999 when it launched one of the first B2B websites on the internet. For 2023 Something Different has a new platform in development that will again see them leading the market. Their dropship platform will use leading automation software to connect with their customers offering end to end integration not available from any other supplier.

In addition to the adaptations made by the business to ensure flexibility, they are now also working with the Development Bank on a sustainable energy project, which will help them to mitigate rising energy bills.