London-based cash & carry HT & Co Drinks has joined forces with Gift Creation & Design to open up the gifting market to independent retailers.

The partnership will result in the expansion of the range of alcohol gift packs on offer at the cash & carry. The gifting concept will be supported by PoS developed exclusively for independent retailers, starting with a trial in Today’s retailers. There are also plans to introduce free-standing display units with changeable headers to help retailers respond to different holidays.

“We hope that the partnership will help us to grow our suppliers’ brands by opening up new channels,” said Sanjay Thakrar, director of HT Drinks. “We’re offering no minimum order requirements for our retail customers. In five years’ time, we hope to be the largest gifting company in the UK.”

Gift purchasing in the independent channel is becoming lucrative for many suppliers. Earlier this month, Chris Shead, Pernod Ricard UK off-trade channel director, told Retail Express that Pernod Ricard was trying to drive spirits purchases through gifting.

“We’re working on a new evolution of back fixtures, which includes oversized pricing and shelf talkers, promotional hotspots and adding gift bags to the fixture so you can buy the spirit and put it in a gift box or bag,” he said.