WELCOME Thank you for reading this foreword. As for so many others, the start of this year came with its challenges and we know that this still applies for some of you but, fortunately, restrictions are lifted more and more. This will allow you to reopen and run your business again as usual, to receive customers, and to focus on your trade. Still, some things have not yet gone back to normal, such as the rates for sea freight containers that have gone through the roof as the logistic chains were so seriously disrupted, and we don’t expect this to change anytime soon. On top of that, the shortage of resources has also led to increased prices. These are all factors that significantly affect cost prices and, as such, we need to find ways to tackle this issue. Sadly, we also increasingly hear that the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in India is resulting in a shortage of employees, making delivery times unpredictable. Fortunately, we anticipated this so, early this year, we bought more items than we normally do. Our buyers Maaike, Elke, and Yvonne not only created a wide range of new collections but also managed to buy larger stocks to ensure that we can deliver the items you need this fall as much as possible. We are here to handle your orders, whether you buy via our website, cash & carries, our agents, distributors, or your account managers. We are also looking forward to 2022. We sincerely hope to meet you once more at one of the trade fairs – after all, there’s nothing better than meet and talk in person. Until such times, it goes without saying that we will stay in touch via email, phone, or video calls. Besides that, to realize our ambition to grow and improve our services even more, we have expanded our sales back-office department. Viola, Leonie, Justina and Anouk can’t wait to answer all your questions and pick up your comments so make sure to contact them whenever you feel the need. They will do everything they can to make 2021 a smashing year after all. With kind regards, Dick van Raalte CEO Mars & More
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