Koi, you! Carp import business takes off

A business venture to import specialist Koi Carp from Japan for UK resale has reached turnover of £788,000 in less than five years and spawned embryo businesses.
By The Newsroom
Published 20th Jul 2016, 19:13 BST
Updated 20th Jul 2016, 20:19 BST
the big fish: Ricky Stoddarts Koi Wholesale business boasts more than 60 per cent of the UKs Koi Carp trade despite the company being only four years old.the big fish: Ricky Stoddarts Koi Wholesale business boasts more than 60 per cent of the UKs Koi Carp trade despite the company being only four years old.
the big fish: Ricky Stoddarts Koi Wholesale business boasts more than 60 per cent of the UKs Koi Carp trade despite the company being only four years old.

Koi Wholesale was set up by 25-year-old Ricky Stoddart from Retford.

He first visited Japan at the age 12 with his father to purchase Koi for a family owned shop.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

His wholesale business now boasts more than 60 per cent of the UK’s Koi Carp trade. Mr Stoddart said: “Koi Wholesale has become a very successful company over a relatively short four-year lifespan.

“This year alone, Koi Wholesale imported more than 30,000 Koi.”

He added: “It has been a steep learning curve. My first trade trip to Japan was organised by an agent and didn’t open up the kind of trading opportunities I’d hoped for, so I thought I need to do this myself and scheduled a second, independent trip and made good in-roads which has since paid dividends.”

Success with Koi Wholesale has led the way for the entrepreneur to launch Bawtry-based Trade Dress, a project which specialises in web-based systems and ‘white-label’ products such as online payment systems and specialist website functionality for Koi retailers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The idea for Trade Dress came about after Mr Stoddart realised that the industry was underutilising digital capabilities.

“There simply wasn’t any engagement with online audiences across the industry and that had to change in my opinion.

“I teamed up with a web designer, Jonathan Day, and we’ve diversified from there,” he said.

Wake Smith Solicitors in Sheffield have provided legal advice to Koi Wholesale throughout its development.

Related topics:JapanRetfordSheffield