THE PEOPLE AND PRINCIPLES BEHIND EDB
Built on trust.
Growing through partnership.
EDB Exclusives is an independent, founder-led UK business built around responsible purchasing, honest communication and long-term supplier relationships.
Good business relationships are built by doing what you say, understanding what matters to the other side and thinking beyond the first transaction.
Russ Britton, Founder
INDEPENDENT • FOUNDER-LED • RELATIONSHIP-FOCUSED
HOW EDB STARTED
A business built from the ground up
EDB Exclusives started with a small amount of capital, a willingness to learn and a determination to build a serious trading business.
Russ developed the business through direct product sourcing and online retail experience, reinvesting steadily while learning what makes a product commercially viable and a customer relationship sustainable.
That practical experience now shapes EDB’s wider wholesale and distribution activity, with a focus on direct purchasing relationships, responsible inventory ownership and commercially sensible growth.
Real experience, measured expansion
EDB has developed through careful reinvestment, stronger systems and first-hand trading experience, not claims about scale or infrastructure that do not exist.
A BUSINESS OWNER’S PERSPECTIVE
We understand what another business is trusting us with.
Before building EDB, Russ spent around a decade developing and operating PawPrints North East, an independent local service business.
Running a business where reputation depends on the standards of the people representing it brings a clear understanding of what brand owners care about.
The industries are different, but the principle is the same: when another company handles your product, communicates with your customer or represents your name, their standards become linked to your reputation.
That is why EDB treats a wholesale relationship as more than an order form. It involves products, customer experience and the trust another business has worked hard to earn.
WHAT GUIDES THE BUSINESS
Six principles behind every commercial relationship
01
Do what you say
Make clear commitments, communicate early and take responsibility when circumstances change.
02
Think beyond the first order
Strong supplier relationships develop through learning, replenishment and better decisions over time.
03
Protect long-term value
Short-term sales should not come at the expense of product credibility or a lasting relationship.
04
Be honest
Not every opportunity is right. A useful commercial conversation matters more than forcing a poor fit.
05
Grow responsibly
Purchasing decisions should reflect genuine demand, operational practicality and sound commercial judgement.
06
Stay personally accountable
Suppliers remain close to the person making the decisions and responsible for the relationship.
FOUNDER & COMMERCIAL LEAD
Russ Britton
Founder-led decisions. Straightforward communication. A long-term view.
MEET THE FOUNDER
Close to the decisions. Accountable for the outcome.
Russ founded EDB Exclusives and remains directly involved in supplier relationships, purchasing decisions and the strategic direction of the business.
That means there are no unnecessary layers between a conversation and an action. When a brand or manufacturer discusses a potential opportunity with EDB, they are speaking to the person responsible for assessing it.
The aim is simple: build commercially sensible relationships, communicate clearly and create the conditions for repeat business where products perform.
We are more interested in earning long-term supplier relationships than making grand claims about where the business is going.
Russ Britton, Founder
RESPONSIBILITY BEYOND THE PURCHASE
Standards still matter after the stock changes hands.
EDB purchases inventory outright and remains responsible for the commercial decisions attached to that stock.
Physical product handling is supported through professional fulfilment partners, while product presentation, customer experience and onward supply are considered as part of the wider brand relationship.
This approach lets EDB stay focused on purchasing, supplier communication and responsible representation without implying ownership of facilities that belong to specialist partners.
START WITH A CONVERSATION
A good supplier relationship starts with a real person.
If you represent a brand or manufacturer and would like to discuss your products, wholesale terms or a potential purchasing relationship, Russ would be pleased to hear from you.