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Vape wholesaler shows remarkable growth

February 9, 2024

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Chris Kelly (Photo: PR Fire)

Hartlepool-based vape wholesaler Phoenix 2 Retail has been recognised one of Tees region’s best businesses.

Phoenix 2 Retail continues to increase its turnover rapidly – despite the challenges of an industry facing tougher regulations. The firm emerged as one of the biggest winners from VelociTees – the annual awards scheme for the Tees region’s best businesses in terms of job creation and turnover.

Phoenix 2 Retail secured  top honours for both large business turnover and overall turnover, fueled by their remarkable growth from £4.5m to over £90m in annual turnover, an incredible 1,911 per cent increase.

Last year, the firm also bagged two awards at the inaugural VelociTees, winning the job creation – large business and the overall job creation titles.

Speaking at this year’s event, Phoenix 2 Retail founder and chief executive Chris Kelly revealed the very latest figures, revealing another bumper annual rise – from £90m to £160m.

“We tried to do something a bit different to what others have done in the sector – we don’t own a brand, we work with brands to get them into main retailers and supermarkets. Sometimes, it’s not until you step back and realise it’s an incredible story,” Kelly said.

“Some days, you feel like you’re in the trench and keeping the machine turning. But we’ve won these awards, and we go back to the office now, go again and keep trying to deliver for our customers.”

Kiran Paul
By Kiran Paul
With a background that spans both the agility of startup environments and the established presence of Asian Media Group, Kiran tries to bring a well-rounded perspective to his work. His career as a journalist began at a dynamic news startup, where he honed his reporting and storytelling skills for five years, gaining valuable experience in a fast-paced and evolving media landscape. Since 2018, he has been contributing to Asian Trader, where a standout feature of his work has been his in-depth interviews with award-winning retailers, which he transforms into insightful profiles that appear in each issue. Since 2021, he has also been at the helm of the sister title, Vape Business.