Ring in the old, ring in the new

Ring out the old ring in the new

Since the Harrogate Christmas and Gift show last year Snowtime have had four chancellors of the exchequer, three prime ministers, two monarchs and the partridge has had to sell the pear tree.

The relentlessly bad economic news on our television screens and in our newspapers paints an almost apocalyptic scene in which the end of the world is nigh. This, naturally, frightens people into limiting their spending on non-essential goods (Christmas) and recession becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

We must counter this narrative and present an optimistic and confident outlook in the face of such doom and gloom. With that in mind here is some

GOOD NEWS

Freight rates have recently fallen as precipitously as they rocketed. Having risen ten-fold to a staggering $18,000 they are now back at a much more sane $1,500.

The problem is, following a difficult season, many businesses are holding a lot of stock priced at the top rates. The lower prices will work their way through to the consumer in due course and, with inflation reducing, (I write before Christmas) we may have ridden out the worst of the storm and be heading into calmer waters. Let’s hope so.

The pound/dollar rate is moving in our favour, further reducing prices as it does.

Oil prices are again below $100 a barrel despite the malevolent efforts of Tzar Putin.

Having lived through several recessions in my 40 years in business I can vouch for the resilience of the British people, they will not be cowed for long by hysterical commentators.

ONLINE AND OFF

Retailing evolves with increasing rapidity and the expectations of the consumer increase commensurately, driven by the likes of Amazon to expect home delivery within 24 hours of ordering.

Anecdotal evidence, though, appears to show that ‘bricks and mortar’ retailers have fared rather better this year than online businesses, in a complete reversal of the trend in the previous two years. Does this mean that people are once again more inclined to go out and see products in the flesh before they buy? Who knows? But all good retailers will be alert to any and all trends and be fleet-footed enough to adapt.

NEW FACES

A SLOW BOAT FROM CHINA

It is still not feasible to travel to China but there are signs of a relaxation of the rules, so things in that respect may change soon. Regrettable though it may be, the fact is that 90% of the goods in our industry are manufactured in China and that will not change in the foreseeable future. It is difficult to design and select new products without being able to hold face-to-face meetings with the factories, even with the new technology.

Notwithstanding the barriers, our design and sourcing team has worked wonders in putting together an unsurpassed collection of products, licensed and unlicensed, for Christmas 2023 and beyond, thus cementing SnowTime’s reputation as leaders in original and highly commercial seasonal design.

SNOWTIME BIGGEST AND BEST

At SnowTime, we have always been aware that the Christmas trade requires constant re-imagining, new ideas and new ways of presenting product.

Two ranges introduced last year which have been outstandingly successful, with customers trying to re-order before the end of September, are the Microdot range of trees and the Infinity collection of illuminated figures both of which have been expanded with the new items on show at Harrogate.

In order to display the new collections in the best possible light, SnowTime has taken virtually the whole of hall D. It will be our biggest and best stand since first exhibiting at Harrogate in 1995.

Our showroom in Blackpool has been open since early December and we have welcomed many customers already. Buyers are urged to book appointments soon as availability will become scarce.

We welcome to the SnowTime sales team and wish every success to Courtnay Hardy (Northern England) and Ross McFarlane (Scotland).