Pet-Supermarket

Our History
Back in July 2000 Mark Berriman a 21 year old entrepreneur from South Shields cracked open the bubbly in celebration after Gifts2Drink was granted a drinks license by South Tyneside Magistrates - the first North East based company to be granted a license to sell alcohol over the Internet.

Mark was co-owner of Gifts to Drink a web based supplier of luxury gifts based at TEDCO's South Shields business centre. Keeping it in the family, Mark and his father Tony came up with the idea of setting up a website to sell alcoholic gifts after Mark's mother, then an off-license proprietor, had a huge success selling gifts over the counter, direct to the public. The idea was born and the rest is, as they say, history! Mark and his mother were full-time partners in the successful business.

During a rapid two years of growth Gifts2Drink were finalists for the UK's regional e-commerce awards and Mark himself was short listed for the Express national newspaper entrepreneur of the year award and he narrowly missed out on this prestigious award. Gifts2Drink have led the internet gift industry with its innovative forward thinking approach.

Mark Berriman left Gifts2Drink in October 2003 and became the major shareholder and managing director of newly founded Viverdi Ltd.

Viverdi's prime objective is to be the complete solution to Internet sales & marketing bringing together the best minds and the best technologies. It was not long before Viverdi won large contracts working for TEDCO a local development company which assists small businesses and Business Link Tyne and Wear as internet marketing consultants, Mark Berriman used his knowledge of the internet to assist others.

However in November 2003 Mark was brought together with Charlie, his chocolate Labrador dog. After months of travelling on a 30 mile round trip to buy his specialist Hill's Science Plan dog food from his nearest stockist he suddenly realised, "The obvious answer was for me to buy this product online and I quickly spotted an opportunity in the pet market for a leader in e-commerce pet supplies as the market was undeveloped."

Pet Supermarket® became Viverdi's first wholly owned internet brand in August 2004 and has quickly grown to become the market leader in the online pet supplies marketplace by working closely with the leading manufacturers in promoting their products at the lowest prices.

Viverdi Ltd moved in August 2005 to its new 13,000 sq. ft warehouse in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear and with a choice of over 7,000 products by far the biggest independent store in Tyne and Wear.

Recent achievements include winning the STEP RETAILER OF THE YEAR 2007 as well as the proud moment I won the NORTH EAST YOUNG ENTREUPRENEUR 2007

It is clear that Viverdi will one day be a name recognised by many for the services it provides to a wide range of people.

For more information on our company please email us at the following address; Email: bizdev@pet-supermarket.co.uk

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