Taking a chance on Christmas

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Taking a Chance on Christmas

Giftware Trading started selling Christmas product three decades ago, due to a chance delivery mishap that turned out to be great for business. Now Managing Director Ben Jeffrey is looking forward to this year’s festive sales season…

This year marks Giftware Trading’s 13th outing to Harrogate’s Christmas & Gift show. What are you particularly looking forward to?

We’re really excited to once again be exhibiting at the Christmas & Gift Fair as we really missed the fair not taking place in 2021. Customers were very supportive in looking at our new ranges for 2021 without the first shows of the year taking place but I think we would all agree there is no real substitute than actually physically being able to view products in person. Christmas & Gift is such a great way to kick off the year and the early reaction we get to the new collection is always very important to us.

Giftware Trading is known for your breadth of product, and the fact you work with unique manufacturers in Asia. What lines sold well for you last year and what are you predicting will be big business for 2022?

Despite the challenges we all faced in 2021 sales were still very positive and many repeat orders were received despite the later arrivals of certain deliveries due to significant shipping issues. We always we try to find items which are a little unusual and quirky and these items once again proved popular. We will continue with some of our most popular items and these will be complemented with many new designs for 2022.

How big a percentage is Christmas product of your sales? Has it become increasingly important as a sector for the business?

We put a lot of emphasis on the Christmas collection and this would certainly be our main focus. However, our Easter and Spring collections also prove very popular, and we work with some of the same suppliers. This year we’ve taken more space in Hall A at Christmas & Gift and will also be showing some of our bestselling Easter and Spring ranges.

When did you first start selling Christmas?

It was in the late 1990s, and came about by chance rather than choice! One supplier accidentally sent us completely the wrong item in a delivery and we received hundreds of gold rattan stars. It was easier to keep them rather than sending them back, but as it turns out they sold very quickly. So the following year we put together a small Christmas range, and from that point on have always had a festive collection. I never did thank that supplier for sending the wrong item!

Will you be exhibiting at Spring Fair this year?

We’ll be there. Spring Fair has a different vibe to Christmas & Gift. It’s larger with many more exhibitors and customers often feel more under pressure at Spring Fair due to its size. I guess this is what makes the Christmas & Gift Fair so unique - it feels more manageable to the buyer and has a strong focus on Christmas where a lot can be achieved in a more relaxed environment.

How do you approach the design of your show stands?

We traditionally start planning the stand design quite early on and thinking about the different themes and ranges that will work well together. Every stand is slightly different in terms of size and dimensions so the layout will change from one show to the other but the more you do it the easier it gets.

Finally, how did you spend last Christmas?

Christmas is often quite a chaotic affair in our house, but it is filled with lots of laughter and love. We have three children so it usually involves me competing against my sons at the latest computer game, or perhaps telling my daughter that the dress she has been given is too short!

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Specialists, not Generalists

Visit us at our inspiring showroom in Hertfordshire where you can explore the NOMA forest, walk around our lighting wonderland, and enjoy a Grillstream BBQ lunch in the LeisureGrow BBQ lodge. For showroom bookings or a virtual tour contact your local sales representative or call 01462 744500 Alternatively visit our showroom remotely with our immersive, highly detailed virtual guided showroom tour. Visit our stand at the Harrogate show, 16th to the 19th of January where you’ll experience all our new and old seasonal favourites for Christmas 2022.