Supporting your industry for 28 years Month: August August /Septeber 2018 September 2018Issue: Issue:9 9 Volume: Volume:29 29
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www.personalisedmemento.co.uk The UK’s leading trade supplier of personalised gifts
Contents
Regulars 5 6 12 14 34 48 100
September 2018
p 30
Editor’s Letter News GA News Licensing News Ross Hewitt’s Social Media Julie Dodsworth New Products
Cover Story 30 Village Candle Our cover stars Village Candle unveil their fresh new look, along with new fragrances and collections for you to discover
Exhibitions 16 Exhibition News 20 Home & Gift Buyers’ Festival The team from Lema Media produced the Daily News at the summer favourite. We look back on some highlights of the show
26 Top Drawer Preview 94 Tendence Review Editor Sally Norton reports back from the Frankfurt show
p 35
Gifts Today team
Autumn Fair 35
Editor Sally Norton sally@lemapublishing.co.uk
Profiles
Advertisement Manager Mark Horsnell markh@lemapublishing.co.uk
32 Bailey & Brooke 40 Green Board Games
Layout/Design Rick Vickers rickv@lemapublishing.co.uk
Gifts Today catches up with Sarah Winter, head of sales, to discover what exciting plans the company has in store for Autumn Fair
Group Editor Mirella Cestaro mirella@lemapublishing.co.uk
82 Candlelight 102 Katie Loxton
Group Advertisement Manager Ryan Horwood ryan@lemapublishing.co.uk
Retail
Publisher
100 White Rabbit, Norwich
Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk
Owner Philip Hazlehurst opens the doors to his bigger and better store in the heart of the city
Production Director
62 Trade Talk
Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk
96 Retailers’ Panel
Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk
Key gift shop owners around the UK talk Autumn Fair, Christmas and social media
Opinion
Lema Publishing Ltd 1 Churchgates, The Wilderness, Berkhamsted, Herts, HP4 2UB Telephone: 01442 289930
38 Insights People With millennials making up 95% of today’s expectant parents, Nick Richardson, CEO and founder of The Insights People explores the issue of gift opportunities for this new generation of parents
A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation
74
Independently audited ABC circulation of 7,093 July 2015 to June 2016
Leading figures in the gift industry talk trends, consumer confidence and Christmas
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Managing Director
PUBLISHING
Our guide to the biggest trade show of the season, showcasing tens of thousands of new products for your store. MD Louise Young talks us through the highlights
p 102
Henri Davis The retail expert explains how a greeting offering in your store can be a great way to build sales
Message from the Editor www.gifts-today.co.uk Instagram: @giftstodaysally Our retail interview this month is with Philip Hazlehurst, owner of Norwich’s White Rabbit gift shop, who I met at Spring Fair earlier this year. He originally founded White Rabbit back in
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Not long now until I head up to the NEC for Autumn Fair
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t’s hard to believe as I write this on yet another sunny day that the autumn/winter show season is about to start! The team at Lema Media are still on a high after a great time at Home & Gift where we produced the Daily News for the show. The sun shone, everyone seemed in great spirits and good business was done. As Sarah Ward from the GA commented when I bumped into her outside the Design Points, people seem very grounded. ‘It’s definitely not easy out there but people seem quite accepting of it,’ she said. You can see some of our highlights on page 20. We’re already looking forward to Home & Gift 2019 and do get in touch if you’d like to advertise in next year’s paper. I love our cover this month, and I heartily recommend you turn to page 30 to learn more
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p20 about what’s new at Village Candle. They have a fresh new look and there’s so much to discover. Not long now until I head up to the NEC for Autumn Fair. It’s my second time at the show and I’m really looking forward to walking the halls, meeting as many people as I can and seeing lots of new product in the flesh. Green Board games is definitely at the top of my must-visit list. The company is well-known for inventing, designing, producing and distributing fun, learning-focused games that bring families and friends together. The team will be revealing a completely fresh and contemporary new look for their classic, familyfavourite Flights of Fancy range - read about them on page 40. Of course, then there’s Top Drawer to look forward to and, in this issue, event director Alejandra Campos tells us about the forthcoming highlights and gives her top ten pick of companies to visit. Read more about it on page 26.
The views of the contributors expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher. Comments, letters and criticism are welcome.
April 2016 but, after two years on the outskirts of Norwich, he made the decision to move the shop to Castle Meadow in the heart of the city into premises that are bigger, better and spread over two floors. Read his inspiring story on page 96. As well as all this we have news, views and some great retail insight from independent retail consultant and deputy chairman of the Giftware Association, Henri Davies (page 74), and Nick Richardson, CEO and founder of The Insights People (page 38). It’s been great fun putting together this issue and I hope you enjoy reading it. Here’s to a busy, profitable September and I hope to see as many of you as possible at the shows.
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NEWS
Jeremy raises £4k for charity
Premier Decorations’ party raises £20k A 65th birthday, 30-year business milestone and an OBE all paved the way for a lavish celebration for company founder John Athwal, as he raises £20,000 for the Fence Club charity And he used the party marking his big birthday as well as the company anniversary and receiving the honour from the Queen in recognition of his services to business and charity to raise more than £20,000 for his favourite charity, The Fence Club. Well-known in the toy, gift and party industry, John took the opportunity to mark 2018 as a momentous year with a gala event at the Dorchester in London attended by 450 guests including industry stalwarts, family and friends. Renowned for his outstanding hospitality, his latest celebration in June was no exception with 100 children from a stage school opening the ball, followed by a night of dancing to the Jersey Boys and Bollywood actress and singer Sophie Chaudry, who was flown in from Bombay to perform for his guests. However, while festivities were high on the agenda, John also used the event to raise much-needed money for charity requesting that, rather than gifts for himself, guests make donations to The Fence Club. Pictured with his family at the event, John is treasurer of the charity that supports children’s hospices, homes and hospitals as well as disadvantaged youngsters around the UK. John said: ‘This has been an amazing year for myself and Premier Decorations which celebrates 30 successful business years, and I extend grateful thanks to all of my industry colleagues and peers, and family and friends for sharing this special occasion with me.’
bira shortlisted for three accolades The prestigious Association Excellence Awards 2018 has voted the British Independent Retailers Association as finalists in three categories - Best Association Website, Best Association Newsletter and Best Association Magazine. The awards recognise and reward the hard-won achievements of UK trade bodies, professional membership organisations and associations. Alan Hawkins, CEO of bira, says: ‘We are so pleased to have been shortlisted for these categories as they have been key areas of focus for the bira marketing team over the last two years. We’re proud to be supporting our independent retail members with informative and relevant content through these channels.’ The winners will be announced at a lunchtime awards ceremony at The Kia Oval on Friday 12 October.
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Riding across the Gobi Desert on KTM 450 Enduro offroad motorbikes with eight friends on a self funded trip, Jeremy Corner smashed his fundraising goal of £3000 for the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation which helps street children in Mongolia. The Blue Eyed Sun MD and chairman of the Giftware Association has successfully raised almost £4000 (including gift aid amounts) for charity. The charity helps children and impoverished families in desperate need on streets of Ulaanbaatar, the coldest capital city in the world where temperatures drop to -40 degrees Celsius in the winter and unemployment runs at 60%. The funds raised will provide the children with access to warm accommodation and social support. Whilst there, Jeremy was able to see first hand the difference the money will be making when he visited the Blue Skies Village and met with the children and social workers living there. ‘CNCF are doing a remarkable job with these kids. I am very grateful for all of the generous donations we have received so far and for everyone’s support,’ says Jeremy. ‘It has been a real privilege to be a part of this incredible journey and I very much look forward to our next adventure. For now, I’m glad to be back in the UK safe and relatively sound.’ There is still time for you to get involved. If you’d like to support Jeremy’s fundraising please donate here: justgiving.com/gobidesertenduro. To find out more about the Christina Noble Foundation visit: cncf.org.
Half Moon Bay purchases Shruti Half Moon Bay has purchased the main assets of Shruti Limited (formerly Junction 18). It’s full circle for Peter Thompson, MD of Half Moon Bay, as he worked at Junction 18 in the early 1990s. ‘Chris Voisey and I both live in Bath and have always kept in touch, so when Chris said he was looking to retire it made sense to have a close look at Shruti,’ says Peter. Michaela Davies, Head of Product Development and some of the existing staff have transferred to Half Moon Bay. Chris Voisey is stepping away from the gift industry after 30 years and is looking forward to more travel and pursuing other interests. ‘My journey in the gift industry has been exhilarating, fruitful and sometimes challenging but also one I’ve thoroughly enjoyed,’ he says. ‘I’m delighted that Peter will be taking the business forward and I know his licensing knowledge combined with Michaela’s product flair will be a winning combination.’ Half Moon Bay are also moving their warehouse operation to Warminster and plan to make full use of the extensive showrooms there. The popular Shruti Open Weeks will continue but will now include the extended product range. halfmoonbay.co.uk
The Seasonal Range has had a facelift – with geometric inspired packaging and glassware that reflects interior trends. This range encompasses an array of products from Boxed Candles | Diffusers | Tin Candles | Cracker Gift Sets Botanical Gels and many more. Available in five festive chic fragrances.
Find Us Autumn Fair - NEC Birmingham 2nd - 5th September 2018 - Hall 3 QO6 – Summer House Maison & Object - Paris 7th - 11th September 2018 – Hall 5a F63
020 8595 8878 • stoneglowcandles.co.uk • sales@stoneglowcandles.co.uk
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NEWS
Elves Behavin’ Badly hit the road PMS International kickstarts its massive marketing drive for hit festive brand, unveiling a new livery for its fleet of lorries as the first part of its massive 2018 Elves Behavin’ Badly marketing campaign. PMS International has produced over 40 distinct and separate eye-catching lorry images of its Elves Behavin’ Badly, which have been applied across its entire lorry fleet. Distinctive and immediately recognisable, the liveried lorries will clock up in excess of a million road miles between them as they travel nationwide making deliveries between now and Christmas. Paul Beverly, Managing Director at PMS International, said: ‘With its distinctive visual appearance, the new Elves Behavin’ Badly livery will make PMS’ lorries some of the most recognisable on the roads. We are sure that the images of our elves will make people smile, and will become instantly memorable to all those who see them out and about.’ The full blown Elf Christmas consumer marketing campaign starts on 1 November, and will be overseen by renowned creative marketing agency Taylor Herring. Consumers can expect to see social media promotions, a viral video series, a Christmas advert and a number of high profile publicity stunts will also be rolled out nationwide, with a special focus on London.
Miss Milly’s on her bike! Sarah Watmore, owner of Miss Milly has qualified to compete for Team GB in the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Varese, Italy. The UCI is the international governing body for cycling and this is their top amateur competition with 22 qualifying road races held worldwide throughout the season. The qualifier events are open to riders of all levels with the top 25% of each age category qualifying for the final, which for the women is a 65-mile road race with 8000 feet of climbing. ‘I’ve only been cycling for two and a half years but have really taken to it, and the qualifier in flat Cambridgeshire was my biggest challenge to date; ride 80 miles without stopping.,’ says Sarah. ‘I almost fell off the bike at the end, burst in to tears and laughed unbelievably when I saw I’d ridden at an average of 21mph. I didn’t know I’d qualified until 48 hours later and still can’t quite take it in that I will be officially representing my country in the Italian lakes. The World Champs is a much hillier course so I have no expectations of achieving a podium finish; my top priority is to really soak in the atmosphere and enjoy being a GB athlete for a weekend.’
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Artline partner with Scrivens Stationery superheroes Artline have teamed up with eye care specialists Scrivens to launch a summer colouring competition with a difference. The specialist marker brand are inviting children to visit one of Scrivens’ 181 stores and design a pair of glasses, with a few lucky winners receiving an Artline Art Kit. Children can simply pop into their local store, pick up a colouring sheet and let their imagination run wild. Scrivens are asking budding artists to donate £1 to enter, with all funds going to the Alzheimer’s Society.
New Hire to Boost Sales of British Giftware in Garden Centres British product sourcing specialist The Great British Exchange has appointed John Hinde to increase the volume of UK manufactured gifts and homewares in garden centres. John joins from Kadai where he was sales manager, responsible for building the firebowl brand’s portfolio of retail and garden centre stockists and its in-house sales team. He will be working closely with garden centres nationwide to help them source unique gifts from British producers. John says: ‘The Great British Exchange works with some exciting and innovative UK brands which really appeal to garden centre shoppers and help stores diversify into quality giftware with a focus on buying British. We give them access to products that they don’t always get to see and become a supplement to their normal buying strategies, offering a one stop solution where they can mix their choice across multiple brands.’ Matthew Hopkins, managing director of The Great British Exchange, says: ‘We already have a strong working relationship with a number of garden centres including Dobbies and John’s experience in this sector will help us make life easier for retailers by saving them buying time and giving them a single point of contact for a varied and exciting product range from both established and up and coming British designers and manufacturers.’
www.aromatizetrade.co.uk Tel: 01254 300268 Email: sales@aromatize.co.uk
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GA news
Latest developments from The Giftware Association, the trade association serving the gift and home industry since 1947.
Gift of the Year open for entries The Gift of the Year 2019 competition is now open for entries until the end of November. The largest and most prestigious product competition in the gift industry, Gift of the Year celebrates the best products that will be on the market in late 2018 and throughout 2019. Winning and highly commended products are featured in the beautiful Winners’ Brochure which is distributed at all major trade shows throughout the year, and to GA retailer members. The top prize, courtesy of Autumn Fair, is a free stand for the winner of the Judges’ Choice award – the winner among winners. It isn’t just about the winners, though. Nominating one of your products for a Gift of the Year award will give you access to special logos you can use on your website, social media and even in print. The same goes if you are shortlisted, and you may even find your products featured on the Gift of the Year social media channels on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. On top of the publicity that entering can provide, every single entry placed in the competition is put before the panel of judges during the online stage of judging in December. It’s a fantastic chance to put your new products in front of buyers and, every year, judges ask to be put in touch with entrants to talk more about their products. Well worth entering! Entries cost £75, or £50 if entrants are members of the GA, JDA, GCA, BTAA or NAJ, and entries after the first cost even less. There is a 20% ‘early bird’ discount until the end of September. There is no limit to how many products you can enter into a category, or how many categories you can enter a single product or range into. giftoftheyear.co.uk
The GA and The Benevolent Society - working together The Benevolent Society is The Giftware Association’s connected charity, both supporting industry members who have fallen on hard times, and helping those who are embarking on a career in the industry The Benevolent Society is the charitable society of the British Allied Trades Federation, covering the giftware, jewellery, surface engineering and travel goods and accessories industries. The charity financially assists individuals who have previously worked in the industries covered by the British Allied Trades Federation and have fallen on hard times, and those who are embarking on or progressing careers in the industries. Recently they have: • Paid out £44,146 in grants to needy beneficiaries, many of whom are unable to meet their essential living costs. • Raised £34,687 from the industries’ annual charity ball. • Awarded bursaries totalling £25,998 to students within the BATF industries. • Received £30,201 in donations from members of the British Allied Trades Federation. If you are interested in supporting The Benevolent Society or require assistance from them, please contact Laura Banner on 0121 236 2657or laura.b.banner@gmail.com.
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Student Spotlight Annabel Large was one of the first students to be awarded a bursary from the Benevolent Society in 2016. Her bursary enabled her to study on the BA Design for Industry course at the School of Jewellery Birmingham City University. ‘As a result of receiving the bursary, I was able to create a fine jewellery collection that was to an industry level vel standard,’ d ’ says A Annabel. ‘My degree collection secured me a place as one of International Jewellery London’s (IJL) Bright Young Gems in August 2017. Then I was offered a job as a CAD designer at Hockley Mint where I gained more experience in workin g in a fast paced CAD environment, costing bespoke work and 3D printing waxes for production and in Febru ary 2018 I started working in the bespoke design depar tment at Charles Green & Son. ‘As a result of this initial bursary support I am now working in the jewellery industry and further develo ping my skills in design and new product developmen t.’
www.ga-uk.org
licensing news
RHS on trend - with artwork from 1600s! The Royal Horticultural Society has unveiled brand new artwork to support the continuing expansion of its licensing campaign and offer licensees new, on-trend options. This new extension to the RHS is called the RHS Licensing Geometric Style Guide 2018. The 22 new patterns in the guide, with evocative style names such as Pathways, Fleury, Dandy, Dance (shown) and Hearts, were created to reflect the current trend for geometric designs – and are inspired by two formal garden design styles dating from the 1600s and 1700s. While most of the original gardens have been lost, the RHS Lindley Library contains many artworks displaying the original garden plans and planting layouts that inspired these amazing places, patterns that are now being offered to new and existing licensees for the creation of packaging, home textiles, gifts, ceramics, clothing, stationery and much more.
Celebrate summer with a smile Check out the Happy News product lines designed by Emily Coxhead. The extensive new stationery and gift ranges from Blueprint and Widdop & Co are flying out of John Lewis and d will roll out across the high street over the next few months. ‘Seeing my products in John Lewis is a dream come true,’ said Emily. ‘So much love has gone into them and it makes me the happiest to see them making people smile.’ As a growing brand amongst DRi Licensing’s portfolio, The Happy News plays to the public groundswell for wellbeing and mindfulness. The bright and cheery new products feature uplifting and motivational messages, combined with Emily’s unique hand-drawn illustrations in contemporary colours and styling
Edward Lear nonsense at the V&A New from Creative Tops is the V&A Nonsense Alphabet collection, featuring a mix of ridiculous rhymes, hand-drawn sketches and a jumble of colours. There are 26 designs to collect, from A-Z, each featuring the work of the English poet, illustrator and world wanderer who is still known for his classic stories such as The Owl and the Pussy-Cat. Creative Tops is a leading tableware, kitchen and home décor company, specialising in the creation of trend-driven products for the home
Magic carpet ride for Julie Dodsworth BLE to relocate to ExCel London in 2019 Organisers say ‘flexibility of space offered by ExCeL will also support its future growth strategy for BLE.’ The transport links and thriving out-ofhours social scene the area offers following the 2012 Olympic regeneration programme is also a key factor. The move is part of organiser UBM’s ambitious strategy to evolve the show, attract even more European licensees, retailers and licensors and improve the customer experience for both visitors and exhibitors. ‘Moving BLE to east London makes perfect business sense on all sides,’ says BLE brand director Anna Knight. ‘Over one third of our visitors fly in from continental Europe and we have big plans to grow this. The Elizabeth Line (which opens on 9 December and will run every 2.5 minutes) is a game changer, offering a direct link from ExCeL to Heathrow Airport in just 40 minutes. City Airport is also close by and there are three DLR stations onsite.’
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The British artisan is launching a fabulous new collection of soft mats with market leader Turtle Mats this autumn. ‘Turtle Mats are a perfect fit for me,’ says Julie. ‘British made products that are top quality and affordable - they sit perfectly with the Julie Dodsworth brand.’ The collection will include four of Julie’s quintessential designs in her beautiful heritage colours. The mats are all British made and fully machine washable. Shown here is the Tanglewood design. Lee Smith, head of sales at Turtle Mats, is equally enthusiastic about Julie’s designs: ‘We are extremely excited to launch Julie’s work at the Autumn Top Drawer show. The combination of her romantic, colourful style with our manufacturing has created some very stunning pieces indeed.‘
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exhibition news
Look ahead to Ambiente 2019 With around 4500 exhibitors participating, visitors from all over the world are guaranteed to find an international range of consumer goods Ambiente at the show which will run from 8 – 12 February 2019. With so much choice, finding an individual product can be a challenge, so the fair offers a range of navigational tools to help visitors find specific products quickly. The Ethical Style Guide lists manufacturers who produce in accordance with sustainability and fair-trade principles. The Contract Business Guide helps visitors working in the contract business to find the right partners. And the special show Solutions speeds up the process of seeking out innovative kitchen and household appliances.
Ethical Style Guide These issues are now relevant in sectors extending far beyond food and clothing. Ambiente exhibitors producing sustainable products can apply for an entry in the Ethical Style Guide until 8 November and the submissions will be evaluated by an expert jury. The guide will be distributed during the fair and allow visitors to find sustainable products from Ambiente exhibitors quickly and easily. Ethical Style signs at the stands will identify sustainably produced consumer goods.
Solutions Solutions will present innovative products and solutions for kitchens and households
in the foyer of Hall 4.0. The featured kitchen and household appliances will be selected by the London designer Sebastian Bergne. He believes it is vital that the products offer new functionalities which provide real solutions to real problems. The special exhibition will feature short videos highlighting these functionalities and other capabilities of the new products. For visitors this means new product know-how is supplied directly and can be passed on more easily to the visitor’s own customers. Ambiente exhibitors can apply to have their products included in Solutions from mid-September to 19 November. The products must have been launched within the past year.
Contract Business Guide with HoReCa To equip larger businesses such as hotels or restaurants with crockery and furniture, manufacturers have to offer large quantities of products which can meet the special challenges of these environments. To help interior designers and outfitters to search for these suppliers, Ambiente will again publish its Contract Business Guide in 2019. This lists all the exhibitors who offer products for the contract business. Easy to find, with their precise location in the hall, and a sign on the stand. Exhibitors still have time to apply for an entry in the guide – applications must be received by 15 November. Ambiente exhibitors who have already been included in the guide do not have to reapply. ambiente.messefrankfurt.com
New hall for Christmasworld 2019 The world’s leading trade fair for festive and seasonal decoration will also be running over Hall 12 next January 25-29 to launch the show into a successful future with new opportunities. ‘Christmasworld is the world’s most important order fair for seasonal and festive decoration,’ says Julia Uherek, Group Show Director Consumer Goods, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH. ‘To ensure that this remains so in the future, we are creating a new and exciting mix of products from over 1000 exhibitors. We are taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the new Hall 12 in the western section of the Exhibition Centre to provide a circular tour for buyers. At the same time, new experiential concepts in the halls will generate impulses for our visitor target groups.’ With their wide ranges of products – from hand-blown Christmas-tree baubles to large-scale lighting installations for shopping malls and town centres – exhibitors reach trade buyers from all different channels of distribution. From little gift shops to shopping centres, from DIY stores and building suppliers to furniture and furnishings retailers, from florists to garden centres and even representatives of local and municipal authorities, as well as hotels and visual merchandising companies. At the same time, exhibitors benefit from the growing international participation in the event, with visitors to the last event coming to Frankfurt from 129 different countries. christmasworld.messefrankfurt.com 16 gifts today
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exhibition news
Asian Gifts & Premiums Show Head to Asia’s HK Show This October for your gift buying Presented and managed by Comasia Limited, the annual Asian sourcing bonanza featuring four concurrent shows during every 20-23 October at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre has become a regular fixture of the autumn Southern China sourcing for global buyers looking for on-trend and novel gifts and premiums, toys and games, housewares, home decor, kitchen and dining wares. Among the four concurrent events, Asian Gifts & Premiums Show has been an all-important showcase and sourcing platform staged in Hong Kong every October for made- and designed-in-Asia gifts and premiums over the past two decades. In 2017 the gifts show featured 1342 exhibitors from 19 countries and regions mainly of Asia, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, India, the Philippines, Vietnam, etc. to present their latest best in 1800+ booths. Over 37,000 international import and export houses, wholesalers, distributors, agents, mail order companies and retailers from some 130 countries and regions attended the show.
The 2018 edition this coming October sets to fill the world-class venue with an even wider and more fascinating range of gifts, premiums and gift-wrapping supplies, catering buyers’ every sourcing need and keeping them up with the latest market trend. Being a highlight within the show, the specially dedicated zone Design Studio will continue to showcase a fine selection of innovative ideas and design-driven products. Buyers looking for original, creative, functional designs and innovative products can meet with talented designers and young but promising startup companies here. As the global demand for personalised gifts continues to surge, the show will encompass a wide array of customisable corporate gifts and promotional products. Popular gift choices such as tech and smart gifts as well as artistic designs will also be featured. Be sure to visit this sourcing gala in Hong Kong this October for lots of great networking and business opportunities. Pre-register online now for your free admission badge and apply for a special buyer sponsorship to receive up to HKD2,800 cash towards your expenses during your visit to the show. asiangnp.com
Plan early for great 2019 sales Space at Harrogate Christmas & Gift, 13 - 16 January 2019, is already selling fast and companies hoping to grab a share of the show’s growing success are invited to secure a stand as soon as possible. ‘Harrogate Christmas & Gift has seen significant growth in the last five or six years filling seven halls of the Harrogate Convention Centre and attracting almost 5000 serious buyers,’ says Simon Anslow, show organiser. ‘We have added new halls to the show to cope with the growing demand – but in turn, this is also selling quickly.’ Products on show have diversified from simply Christmas decorations to a large range of toys, gifts, greetings cards, aromatherapy products, confectionery, garden ornaments and even furniture ranges. The show is a favourite with garden centre buyers – so almost anything found in this type of retail setting can now be sourced at the show. Consequently, this is a not-to-be-missed event for
manufacturers and suppliers of festive, all-year-round gift and garden ranges as the show is a favourite for multiple, independent and garden centre buyers sourcing new products. Festive is a leading supplier of Christmas decorations and James Marshall, sales director, added: ‘This year was a record show for us in terms of footfall, physical orders and quotations. Harrogate Christmas & Gift is the most important show of the year for us; our customers prefer Harrogate.’ The Playwrite Group is an importer and wholesaler of party bag toys, inflatables, Christmas stocking fillers, party products, novelty toys and gifts and have been attending Harrogate for many years. James Cornelius of the company said: ‘We had one of our best years ever at Harrogate Christmas & Gift 2018. Orders were up nearly 50% on last year and we took a large number of high quality enquiries to follow up. We are very much looking forward to next year.’ harrogatefair.com
An exhibitor says… ‘We’ve been coming to Harrogate for 17 years and this year we had our best ever year for orders taken and new customers gained.’ Simon Lightbrown, Sincere Floral
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In association with
t c e f r A pe
g n i sell tunity r o p op y r a u in Jan
Harrogate Christmas & Gift 13th to 16th January 2019
Are you looking for: • • • •
Garden Centres Gift Retailers Museum and Souvenir Retailers Independent Retailers
After a successful Harro gate Christmas show this ye ar we are really looking forw ard to returning for 2019. The show was very well organised an d had a great atmosphere. We met new customers along with ig niting old accounts, and it was th e perfect place to launch our Ch ristmas ranges. Rosanna Rossi – Troy Ne lson Co Owner
If the answer is YES then Harrogate Christmas & Gift hosts visitors from all of these areas. So if you’re producing greetings cards, stationery, to have We are pleased t a it to exhib calendars, gift ranges, etc, the opportunity w o sh s a m st ri h the 2019 C for these key buyers, get r speaking particularly afte o h rs w in contact now for more to fellow exhibito ow and sh r’s a ye is th d attende information. t feedback ave us excellen g nisation and about the orga visitors great venue, Harrogate is a ing and visited always welcom customers. by many of our t show of It will be the firs are looking the year so we ing the forward to show itions in our new design add g Christmas. ranges includin
With more than 5,000 buyers visiting over four days you can be assured of a great show.
We a r e d eli at the 20 ghted to be exh ibiting 19 Christm Harroga a s & G if te! tF ver y goo We have heard air in d reports some a show an d that, c bout the 2018 o u reasona ble price pled with the ve ry for a sta booking nd made a comple te no-br are look ain ing opportun forward to this er! We early ity to sho w off ou releases r fo n old favo r 2019, along w ew ith some urites, in such ple surround asant ings! Natural
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And it gets better, Harrogate Christmas & Gift has the lowest cost John Parker Berni Parker – r Co Owne per square metre of any rt comparable show, making rst time The A This was the fi te a at the Harrog it extremely cost effective with File exhibited e picked mas show - w st ri h C rates starting from as low as £152psm for space only customers up some new n’t necessarily and £185psm for shell scheme. that we would show, Don’t take our word for it, here’s just a few testimonials To find out more and to book your space call Simon Davis on 01442 289940 or email simon@lemapublishing.co.uk
er trade find at any oth g valuable as well gainin our brand-new feedback from collection. Christmas 2018 xt iting again ne We’ll be exhib year. James Mace The Art File eting Manager Sales & Mark
U N C OV E R T H E U N C O M M O N
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FEBRUARY 3 - 6, 2019 J AV I T S C E N T E R , N E W YO R K C I T Y
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exhibition news
What a show! The Daily News at Harrogate Home & Gift in July was produced by the team at Lema Media, publishers of Gifts Today, Greetings Today and many other UK and international B2B magazines and websites. We take a look back at just a few of the highlights... Oi oi! A Love Island story The Talking Tables team were responsible for decorating the venue for the Sunday Sundowners at the show. Their Tropical range also appeared on ITV2’s Love Island on the same evening. They were delighted with making the front page on Day Three of the show.
‘People are adapting’
‘Talk was about the quality, selection and fresh new products and new exhibitors being presented’ Louise Morris, show director
The Daily News caught up with Sarah Ward, CEO of The Giftware Association walking the show. Commenting on what a lovely feel they show had, she mentioned how ‘grounded’ people seemed. ‘It’s definitely not easy out there but people seem quite accepting of it. As Tom at Little Spring told me, people are paying attention to detail. They’re buying carefully, analysing all their stock, and trying to be as efficient as possible.’
Home & Gifts beats retail blues A Daily News survey revealed that the home and gift trade remains staunchly buoyant in the face of rising business rates, high street closures and the continuing impact of Brexit uncertainty. In a show of strength despite these pressing issues, 58 per cent of home and gift retailers who responded said their business was doing at least as well or, in many cases, better than this time last year.
Getting inspired
Buying and selling! We caught up with Donna McDonald-Macnaughton who wasn’t just running her stand for Melt, but also buying for her shop in the Ribble Valley – also called Melt! ‘This is our first show and I’ve really enjoyed it,’ she said. ‘We’ve had some great leads on the stand, and are planning to place orders for the shop once we’ve taken in what we’ve seen.’ 20 gifts today
The Retail Hub in Hall G proved to be a great hit with exhibitors and retailers alike. Shown here is Rosie Davies, founder of PR Dispatch, explaining how to get your brand noticed by editors without spending thousands on PR. ‘Such an interesting talk and I’ve picked up loads of useful tips! So useful to know how to get coverage when you’re on a budget,’ said Tracy Ridley, owner of Created By the Ridleys.
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exhibition news
New sponsors for BCTF Awards 2019 Organisers of the British Craft Trade Fair (BCTF) have announced that three new sponsors are on board for the next edition of their prestigious awards, to be presented live during the show on Monday 8 April 2019. The three are: Pyramid Gallery in York, Heart Gallery in Hebden Bridge (Alison Bartram pictured) and ACID (Anti Copying in Design). They join existing award sponsors The Giftware Association (GA), NAJ (National Association of Jewellers), Lema Media’s Greetings Today magazine and DesignGap/ArtGap. bctf.co.uk
It’s Glee, but not as we know it! During 44 years as the go-to event for the garden retail industry, Glee (10-12 September, NEC Birmingham) has undergone many changes. The 2018 event will be updated to a vibrant and revitalised Glee exhibition.
• Increased footprint at the NEC In 2018 Glee will be benefitting from a complete relocation into NEC halls 6,7,8, 19-20, providing the show with a much bigger footprint, and an even larger and more exciting exhibition.
• Bigger content programme Building more content to help support the continuous growth of gardening in the UK will be a key theme of the 2018 event. Garden retailing is continuing to buck the trend, with growth for both garden retailers and suppliers continuing to grab the headlines. Glee’s Seminar Theatre will also be getting an upgrade in 2018, including a relocation to hall 8. Glee will be working to bring even more highprofile speakers to the stage in 2018 such as Charlie Dimmock, The Skinny Jean Gardener, Romeo Sommers and Lee Bestall.
• Pets at Glee Bigger and better than ever before, ‘Pets at Glee’ will be a thriving section of Glee, designed to make it even easier for garden centre pet buyers to directly source 2019 ranges, whilst also benefitting from unrivalled networking and educational content.
• Retail Lab set to return in 2018 The Retail Lab @ Glee was introduced in 2017 to showcase the latest trends within the garden industry, whilst also providing retailers with hands on advice and inspirational content that they can take back to their own stores to drive sales in the coming season. The response to this new area surpassed expectations, with suppliers and retailers remarking on the immediate ‘take home’ value of the Lab’s content.
Student Stationery Design competition winners Students from Staffordshire University managed a clean sweep in the inaugural Student Stationery Design Awards, managing to win all three placements – with entries from one hardworking student being chosen twice! Leanne Haycock, a third year student in Graphic Design, created entries for both the Portico Design and Paperchase design briefs, and was chosen by both design directors as their placement winner. The entry from Zoe Benjamin, also a third year student, but studying 3D Design Ceramics, was selected by Nicola Breen, design director for Caroline Gardner. This is the first time The Paper Library and Stationery Show London have collaborated to encourage stationery suppliers and retailers to support student design. 22 gifts today
exhibition news
All set for BLE On the 20th anniversary of the show, Gifts Today caught up with Anna Knight, director of Brand Licensing Europe. Anna, congratulations on BLE’s 20th anniversary this year. How are you celebrating? It’s a pretty big deal to reach 20, isn’t it? We’ve reached this milestone because we never lose sight of our number one purpose, and that’s to provide a relevant platform for everyone in Europe who is involved in licensing to come together and learn, do business and network. We have always listened to our audiences – suppliers and visitors – to ensure the content we provide them each year is up to date, on trend and will help them do business better and smarter. We must be doing something right because last year was our biggest show to date with over 7500 visitors (including 37% from outside the UK) and 289 exhibitors. We fully expect this year to be even better. How has BLE changed over the last 20 years? BLE has changed so much since we launched 20 years ago. We originally launched as Brand Licensing in 1999 - a small hotel-based event in London. We moved to the Business Design Centre, then Earls Court and then to Olympia, which has been home ever since. The show was re-branded as Brand Licensing Europe in 2007 to reflect the true international nature of its exhibitors, properties and visitors. Who’s exhibiting this year? We’re expecting to have around 300 suppliers exhibiting at BLE this year from character & entertainment, brands & lifestyle and art, design & image licensing. We provide the most comprehensive, diverse and exciting sourcing opportunity for licensees and retailers anywhere in Europe. How many new exhibitors, who are they and is there a common theme? One theme that shines through is sports – after focusing so heavily on sports last year, we have even more sports brands exhibiting in 2018, which is fantastic. It’s a really exciting and relatively untapped category. There will be more than 50 new exhibitors across many different areas from gaming to sport, toys to heritage. They include Elves Behavin’ Badly, Royal Museums Greenwich and University of Cambridge. How big is the range of fields/business sectors that exhibitors come from? We pride ourselves on representing every corner of the licensing industry – whether evergreen sectors or up and coming areas; that’s why we break down the event into three key areas: Character & Entertainment, Brands & Lifestyle and Art, Design & Image. It’s a wide range. Tell us about this year’s conference? BLE hosts top quality, free seminar content every year – 30 sessions across The Licensing Academy and Brands & Lifestyle Theatre; content that’s inspirational, practical and forward-thinking. What’s new at the show this year? We’ve reconfigured the floorplan – so we are now in the National and Grand Halls at Olympia for the first time. This means that all our exhibitors are on the same level, increasing their discoverability and making it easier for visitors to be inspired by licences they may not have otherwise seen. Our theme for 2018 is food and beverage (F&B). It’s one of the fastest-growing and most robust categories within licensing. Health and fitness has been a huge influence over the sector since the 80s, but most recently the whole wellbeing and clean-eating phenomenon has had a huge impact on the category. 24 gifts today
What about License This!? The competition returns for its 10th outing this year. Launched in 2009 to give unlicensed brand and image owners the opportunity to enter the licensing market, this year’s will have two award categories for the first time – Brand & Design and Character & Animation – giving entrants an even greater chance to win and enjoy valuable exposure to industry experts and mentors. The winners will get a free stand at BLE 2019, plus a year’s membership of industry tradeshow LIMA and PR and marketing support.
Fact File When: 9-11 October 2018 Where: Olympia, Kensington, London Visit: brandlicensing.eu
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9â&#x20AC;&#x201D;11 SEPTEMBER 2018 | OLYMPIA LONDON
DEFINE DEF D E EFI FIN IN INE NE E YOUR YO Y OU O U UR R STO SST TO T O
Create an irresistibly unique edit for your customers from our curated selection of over 1,000 design-led brands
Register at topdrawer.co.uk/lema
PRODUCT CREDITS (Clockwise from top) GARDEN TRADING / PERNILLE CORYDON / STAY SIXTY
EXCLUSIVE LAUNCHES NEW PRODUCTS TOP BRANDS UNSEEN DESIGNERS LATEST TRENDS
Top Drawer
Get inspired at Top Drawer Head to Olympia to discover a stellar line-up of leading brands and new names. With over 1000 brands at the show, buyers will have the opportunity to preview a unique selection of beautifully curated and commerciallyappealing design-led products.
W
Top Drawer A/W18 9-11 September Olympia, London topdrawer.co.uk 26 gifts today
ith a refreshingly diverse and innovative selection of products as well as new launches and exclusives, the section will offer creative retailers an exceptional choice for a successful new season ahead. Leading the way with trend-led and influential designs, GIFT presents the latest collections from the likes of Bombay Duck, Caroline Gardner, Cubic, Dassie, Manta, Nkuku, Kate Spade, Moxon and Kikkerland. New names include UK based Seedlip, SoL Cups, Mindful Bites, and Keep Me Keepers and international newcomers Pieskot, About Blanks and Lilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ledy. Luxury beauty, grooming and home fragrance products from leading brands can be found in WELLBEING. Here buyers can discover the latest collections from the likes of L:a Bruket, Ashleigh & Burwood, Bloomtown, Charles Farris, Charlotte Rhys, Fellowstead, Nathalie Bond Organics, Nini Organics, Plum & Ashby, The Harrogate Candle Co and many more. This season in Greetings & Stationery, retailers can discover a vast array of distinctive stationery, wrapping, greetings cards and more from exhibitors including Rifle Paper Co, Ohh Deer, Katie Leamon and Portico Designs Typography, Katie Leamon, Gestalten, Roger la Borde, Art Angels, Old English Company, Hex & Ginger, UWP Luxe, About: Blanks and Stengun Drawings.
OUT NOW!
The new BBC Earth greetings card and gift stationery range features breathtaking imagery and environmentally friendly production, including the innovative ecoBand*. Contact your local agent or visit our website for more information. *ecoBand patent applied for: GB1807894.9.
Email: sales@mgml.co.uk Tel: 01373 462165 museumsgalleries.co.uk The BBC Earth logo is a trademark of the BBC and is used under licence. Blue Planet logo © BBC 2001. BBC logo ™ & © BBC 1996.
Top Drawer
2. Top Drawer Q&A
1.
Catherine Colebrook J20
Wally & Whiz FE200
3.
4.
With Top Drawer just around the corner, we catch up with event director Alejandra Campos who tells us about the forthcoming highlights and gives her Top Ten picks for the show.
‘Top Drawer has a unique formula which has made it a buyers’ favourite for over Eduards Accessories CP3
Rachel Jackson London Fashion 451
thirty years’ Why should gift retailers visit Top Drawer A/W18 this september?
5.
Ferrar SP125
7.
6.
Top Drawer has a unique formula which has made it a buyers’ favourite for over thirty years. Our team of experts travel the world in search of the best design-led brands and present them alongside established favourites and new comers in one easy-to-navigate event, this saves buyers valuable time and money in their quest to discover their next best seller. The show has also grown in recent years and it really is an unmissable event nowadays, occupying the entire Olympia complex covering four halls and two floors, yet our unique selection process and clearly defined sectors make it super easy to locate the products you need from nine best in class sectors.
What’s new at the show this year?
Jetro E49, E53
SGW Lab CR503
8.
9.
Top Drawer stays ahead of the competition by consistently delivering new concepts and product sectors. This season, we’re particularly excited to be launching ‘Play’, a dedicated sector in the show offering buyers a design-led edit of all things kids – Fashion, Interior Accessories, Toys and Gifts, ‘Play’ will showcase the best of everything for the kids’ sector. Within Fashion, we are proud to present ‘Capsule’, a new platform dedicated to jewellery and accessories capsule collections. Greetings & Stationery welcomes the return of PaperPitch, an exciting opportunity for exhibitors to pitch their products to a panel of three expert retailers representing different markets. The panel will offer feedback, constructive advice and, if the product is right, orders for their stores.
Any new gift exhibitors you’re particularly excited to welcome? Nkuku D11
10.
SevenSeventeen P02
We are very excited about all of the new lifestyle exhibitors at Top Drawer this edition, each one of them adds something very unique to our edit offering buyers more choice for the new season.
What gift trends/designs can we expect to see coming through at the show? We are just about to publish our looks, so check our social media or website soon to find out the latest trends.
What are you personally looking forward to at the show this year? Portico Designs G41
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Seeing it all coming together and closing the doors knowing that once more we have delivered a unique and unrivalled experience for both, our exhibitors and visitors.
Village Candle
A Brand on the Move Better, Brighter with a Fresh New Look American brand, Village Candle continues to build its brand uniqueness with a fresh new look, exciting new fragrances, and new collections that appeal to today’s consumer. Earlier this year, Village debuted the bold Metallics collection at the Spring Fair. Now, months later Village introduces a fresh new look for their ‘Tried-and-True’ Traditions line with a premium chrome-finished lid and expands its fragrances and Metallics collection. This is only the beginning and 2019 will be Village’s most exciting year yet.
Feel the Fragrance, It’s What’s Inside: Quality Difference
New Fragrances, New Look, New Lid.
‘It’s important to stay fresh, be unique and establish an authentic brand voice, look and assortment – we want to stand out and not be the same as our competitors’ says Dana Schwartz, who is leading branding and product development at Village. ‘Consumers tastes and values are evolving and Village is committed to bring the best quality along with freshness to this industry and our consumers.’ Village introduces a fresh new chrome-finished lid and premium look in the UK at the Autumn Fair. ‘Making a bold move, and changing from the traditional glass lid was a needed change for us to continue forward growth for our brand and our identity in the market’ says Paul Aldrich, Founder and CEO. ‘It’s more premium, clean and sophisticated and sets us apart, it’s a time to be bold.’ The new look is now available for order. 30 gifts today
At Village Candle, it’s truly what’s inside that makes the difference. The new look will get attention, but what remains the best-selling ingredient for this brand is the quality candle and the mood-evoking, true-to-life fragrance experiences that Village brings to so many. One of the brands new taglines ‘Better, Brighter, Cleaner’ speaks to the Better Fragrance, Cleaner Burn and overall Brighter Candle experience. ‘Once a customer tries Village, they rarely make a different candle choice’ says Dana Schwartz. ‘Our customers continue to share their love for our brand and we are so humbly thankful for that, as without them, we would not be the brand we are today and continue to become in years ahead.’
A Sneak Peek - 2019 Spring/Summer Collection
Village makes its 2019 Spring Collection available for pre-order in August. The new fragrances will surprise, delight and round out the range. Look for newness in Village’s collections at the Spring Fair. A standout fragrance, Fresh Cut Peony, offers a full-bodied floral that announces Springtime. Peony is one of the most beautifully fragrant flowers. A bouquet of rose, jasmine and cherry blossom are settled into the heart of the fragrance. The base is comprised of lush, leafy greens with soft undertones of apple peel, brightened by lemongrass and grounded by crisp musk. A favourite amongst the Village team.
‘It’s important to stay fresh, be unique and establish an authentic brand voice, look and assortment – we want to stand out and not be the same as our competitors’
Metallics Collection Expands in Q4
The Metallics sold in earlier this year and continue to become customer favourites. Village added new fragrances for fourth quarter. Elderflower Prosecco makes its debut for early Holiday. ‘We felt it was important to bring a festive and celebratory trend fragrance to our customers for the holiday season and this delightful scent is both beautiful in look and fragrance experience’ says Dana Schwartz. ‘Elderflower is growing in popularity as an ingredient in fine cuisine, mixing of cordials and refreshing drinks, first in Europe and now in the US. This refreshing creation blends the delicate Elderflower white flowers and berries with a burst of sparkling prosecco.’
Visit us at the Autumn Fair at Xystos Flame & Fragrance Booth, Hall 5, Stand H01 For more information contact: enquiry@villagecandle.com villagecandle.com gifts today 31
Bailey & Brooke
Contemporary & classical Bailey & Brooke The complete gift solution has arrived. Bailey & Brooke is rooted in authentic design, creating innovative and complete gift solutions to the highest standards, continuously exceeding customers’ expectations and always ahead of the industry standard. The brand`s in-house design team have created a series of contemporary and classical collections within the giftware, jewellery and homeware sectors. Each exquisite piece comes complete with premium gift packaging - the complete gift. Their design philosophy across their comprehensive ranges, emphasises the creation of collections that exude a ‘refined style’. This is a style that is quietly confident, easily adaptable and versatile. The simple addition of a Bailey & Brooke piece to any home, office, ensemble etc will exude the very essence of Refined Style. Bailey & Brooke`s reputation for finely tailored pieces is renowned and this is clearly reflected in their new jewellery collection. Fresh, simple and wearable are the essentials of good design. All three are captured perfectly within this unique jewellery collection. Each piece is individually designed with subtle variations in styles from sparkling stone encrusted pendants to elegant refined earrings and bracelets. The luxurious candles are hand crafted using a natural blend of wax and a lead-free cotton braided wick. This combined with essence of essential oils means the candle is of the highest quality and produces at least 48 hours of burning. At the very core of the Bailey and Brooke philosophy is the creation of exquisite gift solutions for gifting occasions. The Bailey and Brooke Christmas Collection features an extension series of intricately designed tree decorations, gift sets and candleware. Each piece comes complete in specific festive packaging - the complete gift.
Email: bryn@alliedimports.com Visit: baileyandbrooke.co.uk
32 gifts today day ay
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Social Media - Ross Hewitt
Hollywood or bust! If you’re thinking about video marketing, here’s a run-down of some of the kit and software to get you up and running.
I
Ross Hewitt, Managing Director of Secret Pie and author of ‘Savvy Social Media’. Ross began his digital marketing career in 1998 when social networking was something you only did in a pub. He set up Secret Pie in 2010 and has been helping clients get found and loved online ever since. www.secretpie.co.uk | Ross@secretpie.co.uk | 01904 410027 | Twitter: @Secret_Pie
34 gifts today
’ve wibbled in previous articles about the importance of video marketing and explored some of the planning theory and the types of content that you can create, but it can be an intimidating prospect if it is a completely new thing to you and your business. It can also be an expensive thing to outsource, but if you’re up for giving it a whirl yourself, you’ll be relieved to see that it doesn’t have to break the bank. The most important part is the actual camera itself. You can spend a heck of a lot of money on this if you so desire, but often a lot of the features of a high-end camera are surplus to requirement when it comes to making online videos. You do not need a 4k camera. Mobile phones, tablets and even basic to very good quality TVs will not support proper viewing of 4k video for quite a few years yet, so stick to something that gives a good 1080p HD picture and slice hundreds and hundreds of pounds off the cost. Here are a few to take a close look at: • Canon EOS 1300D (£299) • Nikon D3400 (£370) • Canon EOS 200D (£490) If you really must be budget aware then the best entry level at under £200 is the Panasonic Lumix TZ50 (£199). Anything less than this and you may as well use your smartphone if you have a new model from the last 18 months as they are getting better and better each year. If you can stretch to the Canon EOS 1300D then you will have absolutely everything you need. I am using the EOS 200D and this will last me for a few years yet and is the best piece of kit for cost per use I
have spent Secret Pie’s money on in a long while, and it is also very good for normal photographs which will help in other areas of content creation. If your camera supports it then an external microphone is a very important piece of equipment and look no further than the Rode VideoMicro Compact On Camera Microphone, which costs around £40 on Amazon. It’s very, very good
“
The most important part is the actual camera itself. You can spend a heck of a lot of money on this if you so desire, but often a lot of the features of a high-end camera are surplus to requirement when it comes to making online videos
”
value and very easy to set up and use. Any of the cameras mentioned above though will give you good enough audio with their built-in microphones. That extra £40 is money well spent as it provides excellent sound as opposed to good. A decent camera and that microphone and you have addressed pictures and sound and it comes as no surprise that almost everything that is important in video production is now covered! That said, you MUST get a tripod. You can spend £15 or £150 on
one of these, but to get you started just get a low cost one that fits your camera and is able to be extended to be as high as yourself as it is just easier to stand behind a camera and film rather than crouch or stoop. A tripod keeps a steady consistent picture whereas holding a camera introduces shakes and wobbles. If the place where you are likely to record most of your videos needs a bit of extra light then a continuous lighting kit will be useful, and these are the lights that are attached to a stand and you can pick up a perfectly good one of these for £30 and that will include the softbox fabric that goes over the bulb if you want a ‘warmer’ lighting effect. That’s your lot…you can get kitted out perfectly well for under £300 or spend under £500 and have an almost professional setup. The difference between a good video and a great video lies in the editing software and the skill of the person using it. There are lots of very expensive video editing packages out there and some of them need years of dedication to be able to master… but slice through all of that and investigate Filmora by Wondershare. I now exclusively use this package… and it costs $60 to download for a lifetime licence! There are plenty of online tutorials from Wondershare on how to use the software and a complete beginner can pick up the basics needed in an afternoon. It is the BEST piece of software vs price vs learning curve I have ever encountered and has never let me down. It even allows you to create videos with an aspect ratio of 1:1 which is a perfect square for use on Instagram. Buy the kit, download the software and dive in…it really could make a difference to your business.
A10 at Autumn Fair com Previe w
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Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss our Flights of Fancy Preview!
Autumn Fair
Going for gold Kickstarting the Golden Quarter, Autumn Fair offers retailers a gateway for end-of-year success. We talk to MD Louise Young and discover some of the highlights ahead.
Theo Paphitis at the #SBS Pavilion
Autumn Fair is welcoming Theo Paphitis, of BBC Dragons’ Den fame, who’s set to host the new Small Business Sunday #SBS Pavilion, an area dedicated to celebrating new and unique products from ambitious start-ups and small businesses. Theo and Autumn Fair will be opening up the opportunity for 12 of the #SBS winners to secure free exhibition space at the show. Nominations will be assessed by a panel of retail experts from event organisers – Ascential – with 36 shortlisted and 12 being selected as Autumn Fair 2018 exhibitors. Theo Paphitis, founder of #SBS, said: “I am thrilled to be bringing #SBS to Autumn Fair, giving 12 small businesses a free platform to showcase their wares and access a brand new marketplace.” #SBS began in 2010 and each week hundreds of small businesses tweet Theo to secure his endorsement. Every Monday, six of these businesses are then invited to become part of the now 2,300 strong #SBS community, benefiting from boosted publicity and attendance at a yearly conference with access to motivational speakers and workshops. Theo will be on hand to impart wisdom on the retail issues that matter the most to attendees and their businesses. Visitors can attend his Q&A at 2pm on the Tuesday at the Main Stage.
gifts today
Autumn Fair
What exhibitors say…
‘For retailers who don’t attend Harrogate Home & Gift, Autumn Fair is the last big fair of the year for them to start or finish off their buying for the all-important run up to Christmas. For Joe Davies it’s a great venue for us to tempt visitors with over 2000 brand new products from our A/W Collection.’ Paul Hooker, Joe Davies 5C10-D11
‘We love this trade show, we get great feedback from our retailers at it and it’s a great opportunity for new accounts.’ Perry Simmons, Stoneglow 3Q06
‘Autumn Fair is our biggest chance to let customers see over 500 new products for the busy Christmas Period. For Puckator, the show’s timing is ideal, early September means we get in before all the other European shows, and customers have time to order and get the products delivered, well in time for the start of the Christmas rush.’
‘We exhibited at the first Autumn Fair in London and moved with it to the NEC. We see the autumn event as an important second half of the year launch platform as well as introducing and previewing new ranges for the spring 2019.’ Jonny Greves, Lesser & Pavey 5E02-F03
‘Autumn Fair is a great opportunity to engage with new and existing customers. The atmosphere is always great as the Christmas festivities displayed around the halls rub off on everyone and create a feeling of excitement for the season to come. The show itself is a great chance to showcase new products and fragrances and to draw inspiration for future winter collections.’ Lisa Fuller, Price’s Patent Candles Ltd 5JO6
Matthew Shaw, Puckator, 5D03-E03
A retailer says…
‘We always use the show to find new and exciting suppliers. I think this year we will mainly be looking for new jewellery suppliers and we are looking to expand into chocolate-based gifts products.’ Alison Chapman, Wonder Stuff, Treorchy, Rhondda, South Wales
gifts today 35
Autumn Fair
Q&A with Louise Young, MD Autumn Fair
T
he season’s number one home and gift marketplace kicks off this September with its unrivalled scale, variety and choice of merchandise. Autumn Fair will help buyers stock up for the end-of-year peak sales period and discover products with the power to deliver profit. Retailers attending this year’s event will get to experience a whole swathe of new features and areas, all dedicated to making sure that they can have the best possible golden quarter for their business. They will be able to buy the most innovative design pieces, quality British products or exotic and unique handcrafted goods. Expert and inspirational advice will also be available for those wanting to capitalise on the Golden Quarter’s increased footfall and understand how to respond to changing consumer expectations. A full program of speakers including BBC Dragon Theo Paphitis and Holly Tucker MBE co-founder of notonthehighstreet.com, will be scheduled with topics such as experiential shopping, e-commerce and social media. We caught up with MD Spring & Autumn Fair Louise Young to discover what’s in store for the show this September.
Louise, why should buyers visit Autumn Fair? Imagine going through the catalogues, social media feeds and websites of a few hundred suppliers – it would take ages – and that’s assuming that you have a ready list to go through. Autumn Fair streamlines this process – doing the hard work for you to bring you the only suppliers that matter. We also look to offer attendees unrivalled learning opportunities with seminars and speakers giving the most up-todate advice for retailers. Attending Autumn Fair also gives buyers and key industry players the opportunity to talk to never-before-seen brands, unearthing exclusive products in the process. These under-the-radar innovators can often be the source of the next season’s biggest trends and yet are frequently missed, celebrating newness whilst also offering scale. Irrespective of the size and ambition of attending businesses, there’ll be something for everyone (indeed, everything for everyone).
If you’re a regular visitor to Spring Fair, why should you also visit Autumn Fair? Primarily it’s about helping exhibitors and buyers to connect ahead of the Golden Quarter - a period of increased sales in the run up to Christmas; helping buyers to spot the products that will be flying off the shelves during the festive season and opening up an all-new clientele to exhibitors. Given the industry developments across the sector since Spring Fair, we’ve also been working hard to secure the most sought-after speakers for Autumn Fair. We have the likes of Theo Paphitis and Holly Tucker MBE co-founder of notonthehighstreet.com as well as speakers from Pinterest and Google Digital Garage.
Could you tell us about the Global Handicraft story at this year’s show? Global Handicraft will offer attendees the opportunity to explore a unique area of the market, which has enthused consumers up and down the country. Consumers have made it clear they want to connect with the products they buy – they want to know how they were created and the story behind their purchases. With this new section, buyers can get their hands-on products that are handmade, inspiring and steeped in culture, and get their orders in ahead of the competition.
Any other big news you can share with us for this year’s show? Autumn Fair is all about what’s new and what’s challenging the market status quo. It’s why we’re introducing DesignFirst across a number of our sector areas to showcase brands that endeavour to break new ground and be unique. With DesignFirst, we’re hoping to open up a window into the cutting edge for all UK retailers to find this, whilst also ensuring that innovative brands are exposed to opportunities to get ahead and reach out to established retailers. It will bring new talent, new blood and new brands to Autumn Fair.
What are you personally most looking forward to about/at the show this september? P Personally, I can’t wait to see visitors’ reactions to our new AF Product Match app. Autumn Fair has always been about maximising our customers’ investment, being A tthat money or time. The AF Product Match app is another step in that direction. Serving not only as an authoritative guide to Autumn Fair, its exhibitors, speakers S and products – it uses data provided by exhibitors and visitors upon registration and a overlays it with multiple algorithms that analyse the user behaviour to learn about o ttheir business needs. Ultimately, it’s able to tell attendees what the best use of their ttime is going to be.
What’s going to be big in gifts at this year’s show? W T year we have a number of new contemporary giftware exhibitors showcasing This products that we’re really excited to see. Amongst them will be publishers of quality p design-led stationery, gifts & calendars, Portico. Not to be missed also will be our d bellwether brands such as The Straits Trading Company, Puckator and Widdop & Co b who will be showcasing their autumn/winter and spring/summer ranges exclusively w at Autumn Fair for the first time anywhere in the UK. Straits Trading will also be joined a by their scented candle company, Aromatize. b
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Consumer Insights
With millennials making up 95% of today’s expectant parents, it’s time to discover the gift opportunities for this new generation of parents. Nick Richardson, CEO and founder of The Insights People explores this issue
Great expectations
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here were more than 760,000 new babies born last year. Just over 95% of today’s expectant parents belong to the millennial generation, and their experience of parenthood is taking place in a world completely different to that of generations before. As the landscape around us evolves, brands must evolve too. Parents Insights provides the most comprehensive data and insights to brands, which helps them develop strategies across their business including advertising, content, licensing and merchandise, marketing, product and sales. Whilst baby showers have been round for years, the trend for baby showers is showing to be a relatively untapped market showing a vast amount of opportunity and promise, and our data has uncovered some significant insights which are extremely prevalent to the gift sector. Popularised in the US, baby showers are now a commonplace event - with 39% of all expecting parents hosting a celebration. The trend is driven by the younger generation, with almost
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45% of parents under the age of 25 having one, compared to just 28% of parents over 35. The trend has gained momentum through social media channels such as Instagram and Pinterest, and through celebrity influencers who exhibit their elaborate celebrations online. The decisions involved in hosting this sort of event has seen related online searches rise dramatically over the past year. The growing trend for baby showers opens a new, celebratory channel for brands to engage with new parents, at a time when they are entering a new phase of their lives. Our data suggests that as well as sponsoring A-list events, there’s also a product development opportunity for brands to collaborate with new parents. So, what are today’s parents looking for in a gift? It seems that changing times lead to changing priorities. Our data shows that over half of expecting parents are purchasing free-range products, with almost a half buying either organic or local goods. With ethical, local and organic purchasing being
an important factor, brands must demonstrate strong values to this generation of parents. When it comes to research, parents are most likely to go online – with eight out of ten parents turning
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So, what are today’s parents looking for in a gift?
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to websites for information on parenting. However, family and friends are still important, with just over two thirds using them as a source of information. This suggests brands must appeal to more than just mum and dad, as many parents will be turning to their networks for purchasing advice. One area which currently seems to be underutilised amongst parents is YouTube. The site is the 11th
most-used resource when parents of babies are seeking information about parenting. This is interesting, given the data seen in Kids Insights, which shows how the next generation (born after the year 2000) utilise YouTube on a daily basis - often not just as a content destination, but as a gateway to self-educate and watch tutorials. It seems that YouTube is so far an untapped avenue for brands when it comes to reaching parents. This could be an area for growth over next year, as parents under 25 are twice as likely to be using YouTube than parents over 35. As we know, this generation of customers are tomorrow’s influencers. Through co-creating events and gift packages, brands could build a network of micro influencers, who will be eager to share their photogenic get-togethers with their engaged social media base – starting the influencing process with the next generation of parents. For more information on Parents Insights, including a sample report and free access of Parents Insights award-winning portal, visit www. parentsinsights.co.uk/gifttoday
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Green Board Games
Give play the green light! Gifts Today caught up with Sarah Winter, head of sales at Green Board Games, to discover what the company has in store for Autumn Fair. Sarah, can you tell us a little about Green Board Games? As a company, we are well-known for inventing, designing, producing and distributing fun, learningfocused games that bring families and friends together. Founded in 1991, we now have a vast portfolio of over 400 products, many of which are available to buy in over 60 countries and enjoyed in over 30 languages. The company ethos of ‘play together, learn together’ is reflected across our full product range, which promotes educationally-led, inclusive play. Having always had ecological and ethical ambitions, our products are recyclable and made from at least 70% recycled materials.
Why are you exhibiting at Autumn Fair? Events like Autumn Fair are critical to the process of creating winning gameplay formats at price points that deliver to the end consumer. As a progressive manufacturer and designer of games it is imperative that we stay ahead of what our audiences are demanding. Autumn Fair provides a great platform for spotting upcoming trends and getting to the heart of what our retailers are looking for. The show is also the perfect showcase in the second half of the year to present our portfolio of key ranges (existing and new) to retailers, illustrating where we can really add value to our partners. From promotions to expansive point of sale solutions, demo tables and an inclusive range of games covering all price points, we are focused not only on getting our games into shops, but also helping retailers get our games off shelves and into baskets. Seeing our new and popular lines on display at Autumn Fair highlights the comprehensive offering we have and illustrates to retailers that all their buying needs can be met with us in ‘one stop’. The show also facilitates that invaluable one-on-one time with retailers; it offers an opportunity to pull together solutions to meet their needs and it ensures the customer loyalty that we so truly appreciate.
What can we expect from your company in the last quarter of trading?
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In the final quarter, you can expect to see our bestsellers widely advertised across popular children’s television channels. BrainBox, Qwirkle and new
game, Shaperise will be promoted this year on CITV, Cartoon Network, Cartoonito and Boomerang! Independent retailers can expect to receive lots of exciting new promotions to help increase their profits in the run-up to Christmas. To further support their sales of our products, we will also be expanding our repertoire of point of sale materials. And of course, we will continue to select and announce the winner of our ‘Independent of the Month’ award! We are working hard to best-serve independent retailers; to compete in the current retail climate and keep the doors open is certainly not an easy task and we want to see these stores not only open, but thriving in five, 10 and even 20 years’ time! We will also be launching our new pre-school ranges, ‘Foot Steps’ and Leaps and Bounds, bringing numerous new products to market – just in time for the festive period. Last, but by no means least, we will be announcing the winner of our annual Young Games Inventor Competition in the final quarter of the year! This competition encourages children aged 16 to submit a game of their own idea and invention. It is a great way to keep children engaged and learning important skills.
Where are you seeing growth? In recent years, environmental change and nature
‘As a company, we are well-known for inventing, designing, producing and distributing fun, learning-focused games that bring families and friends together’ conservation have received an increasingly high volume of media coverage. As a general rule, people are becoming ever-more focused on preserving our beautiful world for future generations to enjoy. Perhaps therefore it is unsurprising that we have seen an uplift in sales of the gift range, Flights of Fancy, which encourages families to immerse themselves in nature. Given its growing popularity, we decided to invest heavily in Flights of Fancy. We undertook research into best-selling giftware products and spoke at length with gift buyers to gain insight into what retailers are truly after. With a deeper understanding of what sells best in the current market, we made the exciting decision to rebrand the popular nature and creative kits. We will be unveiling this stylish new feel for Flights of Fancy at Autumn Fair! This year, we have also continued to see great results from our best-selling and award-winning range, BrainBox. This robust, all year-round consistent seller serves as a firm favourite for retailers who see remarkable success from the quick game play and accessibility to all ages. Additionally, we have seen phenomenal growth in the sales of our distributed range, Fat Brain Toys, which specialises in sensory products for young children aged six months and over. Recognising that the pre-school market is quickly expanding, we have bolstered our own pre-school offering. We will be launching a wide selection of new games for the early years’ market at Autumn Fair, which have a host of benefits including skill development and imaginative play. Key to our growth in certain areas is the time we take to understand what is really resonating with retailers and reflecting this in our new designs. For any new retailer we will support with full product information and complementary point of sale solutions and in-store activity relative to their needs.
What do you feel consumers are looking for when it comes to gift buying right now? Consumers are looking for a combination of factors – a gift which will stand the test of time, offers value for money, and provides entertainment. Our ranges do all three, with the added bonus that they support learning. As such, products from our portfolio have long been considered must-haves for retailers both across the UK and overseas. With a variety of price points and products pitched at all ages, there is something for everyone, whether it be a treat for the children or a considered purchase at Christmas time. Our games really do make the greatest gifts, promising hours upon hours of fun learning.
How price sensitive is retailing the moment? Retailers are certainly investing in products they know will deliver to the consumer and make an impact at the point of sale. Value for money is key, which is why we work hard to ensure that we continue to deliver quality merchandise, both in terms of the finish and the overall game play. We all know the high street is struggling and so we have recently launched a variety of initiatives to reward our loyal retailers. We are confident that our interactive points of sale, video demonstrations, support for in-store events and our awards scheme will support retailers in their sale of our products.
Any big news you’d like to share with us? Having invested heavily into product development this year, we will be showcasing a whole host of new and improved products at Autumn Fair. We will be revealing a completely fresh and contemporary new look for our classic, family-favourite Flights of Fancy range - retailers won’t want to miss this preview. Preschool buyers will be well supported with our new, beautifully illustrated ranges to promote fun learning: ‘Foot Steps’ has been created for children up to three years of age and ‘Leaps & Bounds’ for children between the ages of three and seven. These new ranges not only offer trend-setting designs and styling for new parents and gifters, but also tick the box for encouraging imaginative play and fostering the development of motor skills, memory, hand-eye coordination and lots more! At Autumn Fair, we will be launching the first ‘Foot Steps’ product: ‘Stacking Cubes’ to promote the development of sequencing and motor skills. We will also be introducing a selection of new games for the launch of our Leaps & Bounds collection, including ‘Miximals’, a fun matching game to strengthen memory and ‘Match-a-Rhyme’, for learning nursery rhyme sequences and some sing-along fun! Retailers can expect new introductions from firm favourite and robust-selling range, ‘BrainBox’. Sure to be best-selling for Christmas is the new seasonally relevant ‘BrainBox Christmas’ - the perfect way to get the family playing together during the festive season. Also new for the third quarter are the two new ‘BrainBox Spot the Difference’ titles: ‘In the Wild’ and ‘Holidays’ – ideal for keeping the whole family amused during the school breaks.
Top Tips for Christmas 2018 in terms of trends, products or licences? We could all have a stab at what the ‘next big thing’ will be, but winners for us tend to be games like those in the BrainBox range – after all, they make great stocking fillers and can be enjoyed by the whole family! With an exciting new seasonal product to add to the range, BrainBox Christmas stands to be the best holiday countdown for 2018! BrainBox Christmas is an advent calendar with a difference; it is a game, a decoration and an advent calendar in one! Starting on the first of December, children can play one card each day, using the pegs provided to hang the cards festively on a decorative piece of string.
Must Visit
Green Board Games Hall 5, stand A10 gifts today 41
Autumn Fair
Small but mighty Apples to Pears Ltd Hall 3, Stand T06 Gift in a Tin • Jake the Snake
Letter and number fun. Jake the Snake is an educational puzzle perfect for pre-schoolers. With double-sided chunky wooden pieces, little ones can learn both the alphabet and how to count. Once playtime is over, Jake packs away neatly back into the tin for easy storage. Available September.
• Scooter in a Tin
Responding to the astounding demand for Tractor in a Tin and Camper Van Construction Kit, Apples to Pears are launching a brandnew metal construction kit: Scooter in a Tin. Fantastic as a family activity or a challenge to face alone, there’s even a ‘target’ coaster included so your customers can have a drink while they build. Available September.
• Dinosaur Island
The newest giant Gift in a Tin is not one to miss. Dinosaur Island is a beautiful playset made of chunky, colourful wooden pieces. With everything from Triceratops and Diplodocus to Sharks, this set is perfect for children with a wild imagination. Once the playing is over, all the pieces can be packed back into the handy storage tin. The gift is available in September.
Garden Tetbury Folding Cushion / Kneeler
Due to the success of the new Apples to Pears garden range that launched in February 2018, the company have extended the range by adding a Tetbury Folding Cushion/ Keeler. This fantastic addition to the range is attractive, comfortable and easily transportable (due to the handle). It is also dirt and water resistant, so there’s no need to worry about using it in the garden on dewy mornings. While being a great garden kneeler, this product doubles up as a cushion to use when out and about.
Home BollyNice
BollyNice is a feel-good range that you’ll love. It brings aesthetic cheer to everyday living and homewares whether gifted or bought as a self-indulgent treat. Each item is created by hand and measured by eye, by artisans from India. The unique, authentic products harmonise contemporary designs with natural materials. The collection features an array of kitchen, gift and homewares such as sustainable mango wood bowls and chopping boards, storm lanterns and beautiful screen printed organic cotton fabrics. 42 gifts today
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Autumn Fair
Ethical and beautiful Heaven Scent Hall 3, Stand N40 Heaven Scent have always created products that are kind to the environment and animals and are sustainable and cruelty free. Heaven Scent create candles that are vegan friendly, and this for many years was thought by customers to be a niche product. Not anymore! They are pleased to find their products at the forefront of customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; now ethical concerns and love the fact that their natural products are seen as mainstream products now. Every product range Heaven Scent develops has to be created with many factors in mind, natural ingredients, sustainable packaging, free from animal products and cruelty free.
Call: 01225 868788 Email: contact@heavenscent.co.uk Visit: heavenscent.co.uk
Be my angel Something Different Wholesale Hall 5, Stand K02-L03 Angel Wings is a new collection designed by Something Different Wholesale that offers elegant angel figurines and beautiful gifts and home accessories filled with messages of love, light and inspiration. The contemporary collection has beautiful subtle glitter and metallic silver details for an understated appeal. Included in the collection are decorative home accessories such as photo frames, trinket dishes and wall art as well as sentimental gifts such as mini signs, angel wing jewellery and guardian angel tokens. The Angel Wings figurines make a beautiful choice as standalone ornaments or indeed a whole collection for an eye catching display in the home. The range is already proving to have worldwide appeal as the theme of angels transcends cultures and religions around the globe.
Visit: somethingdifferentwholesale.co.uk
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Autumn Fair
Present & correct Lesser & Pavey Hall 5, stand E02-F03 Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not wood From the animal kingdom to the natural beauty of the organic material of wood, Lesser & Pavey introduce a new range of style pieces. Hand carved to achieve an exceptional attention to detail, these style pieces offer the reflection of tigers, lions, elephants and horses as if carved out of a block of wood and are presented in quality gift packaging to enhance the overall appearance of the quality item inside.
Strong and dishwasher proof Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world and the new bamboo range from Lesser & Pavey is growing quickly. This new eco-friendly range features flamingo, llama, unicorn, bee, panda and zoo animals.
Home is where the heart is Lesser & Pavey bring the brand name Home Sweet Home to the show. Brand new for the autumn are quality soup bowls that are available in two new designs, each offering three assorted colours. Accompanying this range ange are a mugs, gift set mug, plate and spoon set - so whether a friend or member of the he fam family mily are lovers of healthy soup or traditional tomato tin soups, this new range will make perfect gifts this winter time at home or in the office for lunch.
Money, Money, Money Money boxes with the aim of helping to savers to save take the form of lustre glaze e unicorns and llamas and can be found on display at the show. Also new are noveltyy money boxes formed like dinosaurs, bees, toucans and other shapes to please a diverse audience of savers.
Call: 01322 279225 Email: sales@leonardo.co.uk Visit: leonardo.co.uk
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Julie Dodsworth
Ready willing and able! When it comes to recruiting a new team member, it’s all about attitude.
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Julie Dodsworth is a British artisan whose lifelong business in her plant and display company gave birth to her homeware business in more recent years. Gifts Today has invited Julie to share with us her inspirations, the great ideas of others she meets along the way and what she feels has been amazing advice in business.
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recent beautiful sunny day in London gave me the perfect excuse to walk from my appointment back to good old King’s Cross for my train home to Yorkshire. London is always a feast of ideas, well dressed windows, fragrant experiences and tastes to enjoy. With so many specialised shops en route (and a couple of Julie Dodsworth stockists!), it’s always great to be part of the scene. Waiting to cross the road, I marvelled at a beautiful sign-written van all themed in 50s colours and retro typeface telling passers-by of the goodies inside. I just loved the styling and the enticing wording, and I marvelled at the brand essence so clearly displayed. Lovely, just lovely. But then just as quickly as I’d been drawn to it, the image was shattered. The driver jumped out to make his delivery. He looked scruffy, fed up and harassed, and made a fuss about pedestrians in his way. He was certainly no cream bun! And so, I pondered just how easily we were taken from 50s Californian Rock ‘n’ Roll to London and harassed 2018. In our plant display business of the b last l 30 years, the t single most important factor i has h been that, as a team, we were ‘all on board’. Managing a small willing team that ‘gets’ every part of your ethos and brand essence really is the life blood of your business. Then, with this
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To assemble my dream team over the years I have looked at one thing and one thing only - a willing attitude
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cornerstone in place, you can all get on and focus on the greater goal. Adversely when a team member is not on board, I think of them as a ‘work terrorist’. Strong words I know, but when an individual grumbles and moans they can eventually bring others into their line of thinking. There is a great line in Dad’s Army where Captain Mainwaring has subordination in his troops and he tells Wilson that ‘three able men are better than a whole platoon of grumblers’. Oh, so true, I think. To assemble my dream team over the years I have looked at one thing and one thing only a willing attitude. Everything else, one way or another, we have always known we can teach, train, develop and evolve. Youngsters from school coming in as apprentices have been simply judged on their body language. We went on to win Team of the Year at the Orange National business awards, something of which
to this day – I am sure you can understand - I am immensely proud. So, I’m hoping today if you’re doing a little recruiting, putting a team together or simply need a little help, I hope you find your own little winners smiling, willing and loving your amazing business just as much as you so rightly deserve.
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Autumn Fair
Different by design Groovy UK Hall 4, Stand C40-D41 Groovy UK will be exhibiting with their distributors Fizz Creations at Autumn Fair. Groovy’s philosophy in the world of official licensed giftware is designing and creating original products, in house, across bathrobes, jumpsuits, loungers, slippers, bags, lighting and more. Harry Potter continues to be a fabulous licence for the company and the design team continually refreshing the range with fabulous new lines. A Golden Snitch range that includes a backpack, with silver wings, luxury wash and cosmetic bags, bathrobes and slippers with beautifully embroidered Golden Snitches. A brand new Kawaii range has been introduced with bathrobes, slippers, bags and lighting, Kawaii is the Japanese culture of cuteness and no matter what age you can’t help but love these adorable characters. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them have their second movie out at the end of this year and the team have done some amazing suitcase style bags along with weird and wonderful creature inspired products. Men’s grooming continues to be very successful. Comfort and pampering, in a masculine way, seems to be key and with Groovy’s new bathrobe and slipper ranges you can›t go wrong. Black Panther has broken all box office expectations and the robe and slippers, inspired by his outfit, has his superhero necklace embroidered around the neckline and his bold logo embroidered on the back of the supersoft fleece. Deadpool, the tongue in cheek Superhero, carries his twin swords on the back of his outfit bathrobe, so we are seeing the trend for men’s products which encompass strength and comfort continue and grow evermore popular. Licences include Star Wars, Marvel, DC Comics, Suicide Squad, Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Assassins Creed, Mr. Men, Frida Kahlo, Gudatama and Brandalised.
Call: 0844 372 7820 Email: hello@groovyuk.com Visit: groovyuk.com
Classic collection Heyland & Whittle Hall 3, Stand G43 The Heyland & Whittle team are excited to announce the addition of a brand new fragrance to their Gold Classic Collection: Amber & Oakmoss. Combining mellow yet sweet amber tones with earthy notes of oakmoss, this new scent is incredibly sensual, and will fill any home with warmth and promise. A hint of fresh bergamot balances out those strong aromas, for the perfect split between musky and refreshing: the ideal home fragrance. The company are delighted to be presenting the scent through their new Amber & Oakmoss Reed Diffuser, which - like all of the products in the opulent Gold Classic range - comes in beautifully etched packaging, with the fragrance itself housed in an elegant etched glass vessel inscribed with the Heyland & Whittle name. It is also available as an Amber & Oakmoss Candle in a Glass, which is the perfect accompaniment to a relaxing bath or cosy night-in. Amber & Oakmoss is such a classic scent that would be absolutely perfect as a gift for a loved one, with its warm, comforting aroma adding a homely, welcoming vibe to any room in the house.
Call: 01293 525 825 Email: sales@heylandandwhittle.co.uk Visit: heylandandwhittle.co.uk
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Autumn Fair
Time to dazzle Sea Gems Hall 4, Stand H04-J05 Sea Gems, Cornwall is launching hundreds of new additions to itss jewellery and gift ranges for autumn 2018. Exclusively designed in n Cornwall and reflecting their spectacular landscape and heritage, encapsulating a unique lifestyle both past and present. Nature’s dazzling array of floral and natural shapes are captured in the contemporary silver jewellery brand Pure Origins. The boutique collections draw on the creativity of Mother Nature and celebrate love and life, inspiring strong organic statement pieces, delicate wildlife designs and the intricate Beachcomber range. New long necklaces make a bold statement worn alone or teamed together for playful layered look. Celtic Lands silver jewellery collection evokes their rich and stunning Celtic heritage. Timeless designs capture the powerful werful motifs and beautifully elaborate knot work of this ancient culture. The art of fine enamelling with its vibrant and translucent colours creates stunning jewellery and gifts in the Mackintosh, Celtic and Nature series ranges. Inspired gift ranges include pens, compact mirrors, pillboxes, bookmarks and scarf rings.
Call: 01736 335840 Email: sales@seagems.co.uk Visit: seagems.co.uk
Gifts galore Widdop & Co Ltd Hall 4, Stand N6-N20 Widdop’s stand at the Autumn Fair will be busting once again with thousands of gifts all perfect for the important last quarter of the year. They have made it as easy as possible for every retailer to try any of their brands or collections by offering the majority of their lines in singles – what could be simpler? No big investment is needed to create an eye-catching display in store – they even have simpl simple le merchandising ideas across all brands. All of their flagship brands will be on show including The Aromatherapy Company with a new collection Smith & CO, a contemporary, gift-focussed offering of hand creams, diffusers and candles. Compendium gift books and stationery ery celebrate the best parts of the human spirit and highlight what it truly means to live inspired. To inspire visitors to the e stand, they will be giving away free goodies from both brands.
Animal Friends It’s rare to visit any store on the high street without finding a flamingo, llama or mermaid to greet you. 2018 sees Widdop and Co. break that mould, creating a new series of critters to fill your bag, desk or home. Animal Friends include all the favourites - from sloths to koalas, cats to foxes, whether it’s stationery or a coffee mug, you will never er be without a fun, cute, affordable friend to accompany you or give to your BFF! Animal Friends is a collection from our Now or Never brand (NoN) – with a focus on fast fashion-led trends it quite simply a brand designed to buy now or never capturing the trend in affordable and functional giftware appealing to adults and teenagers alike.
Pennies & Dreams Piggy banks have been part of the Widdop and Co. offer since time immemorial! They’ve appeared in all shapes, sizes zes and finishes across the years. In 2018 they’ve taken the concept one step further with a new collection of piggy banks nks guaranteed to bring a smile to even the dourest of faces. Introducing Pennies & Dreams - an exciting and playful new take on the traditional piggy bank design. We all know w that sometimes our best laid plans are side-tracked by temptation and this range plays on that, with stacked pigs seeing your pennies pass straight through ‘Sensible Savings’ and into ‘Holiday Fund’ or from ‘Tonic’ into ‘Gin.’ Featuring eye-catching colours and funny titles, there is a saving solution for any occasion.
Call: 0161 688 1226 Email: sales@widdop.co.uk Visit: widdop.co.uk
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0800 011 6969 cu ustomerservices@puckator.co.uk www.pu uckator.co.uk
Autumn Fair
Perfect puzzles Jumbo Games Hall 5, Stand A36 Jumbo Games will be retuning to Autumn Fair this year with a huge variety of new and eye-catching puzzles and games across its growing portfolio and you will be able to get the first look at the brand new Adult jigsaw puzzles that are being added to Jumbo’s hugely popular Falcon de luxe, Disney, Peter Rabbit and Wasgij ranges. Having already released over 30 brand new puzzles in their Falcon de luxe range this year, Jumbo have just released a further 9 new ones for the Autumn seasonal buying period, including Playing in the Snow, The Whitesmith’s Cottage in Winter’, Winter Birds 1000-piece puzzles and the adorable Christmas Cats 500-piece puzzle. Also being showcased will be the must-have Christmas puzzles in the Falcon range that Jumbo released this June with the Christmas Market 500-piece and the beautiful Christmas Shopping 1000-piece puzzle that also includes a free 1000-piece Christmas puzzle. With over 40 new Falcon puzzles released this year, Jumbo have all your needs covered. In addition to all these new releases, Jumbo has expanded its licensed Adult Disney Puzzle portfolio later this year, with the release the brand new Snow White and Bambi 1000-piece movie posters puzzles and to kick-off the celebrations of Mickey’s 90 Years, Jumbo have launch an eye-catching 1000-piece montage puzzle that shows the magic of Mickey throughout the decades. The Peter Rabbit license has been the newest addition to Jumbo’s Adult and Children’s puzzle portfolio’s and has proving a real hit this year! Jumbo have two new puzzles in the style of the classic Beatrix Potter books. For older fans, Jumbo have released a 1000 and 500-piece puzzle, depicting the classic artwork of Beatrix Potter and for younger fans, there is the adorable 4 Shaped Puzzle Set and 50-piece Giant Floor Puzzle. If you are looking for puzzles with a difference, then Jumbo’s leading adult puzzle brand, Wasgij, is ideal for you. Having already released nine puzzles this year, Jumbo will be launching their 10th this September, with the Original 30 1000-piece puzzle titled ‘Strictly Can’t Dance!’ – focused around one of the nation’s favourite celebrity TV Talent Shows. Other key releases include the Wasgij Mystery 15 A Typical British BBQ! and Wasgij Original 29 Catching Wedding Fever! and the must-have Christmas 14 Santa’s Little Helpers! puzzles, all in 1000-piece formats.
Visit: jumbo.eu
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Autumn Fair
Sticks of style Classic Canes Hall 4, stand H71 Walking stick specialists Classic Canes have launched a new range of adjustable and folding walking sticks featuring designs of British wildflowers. The poppy, cornflower and daisy patterns were created by a local Somerset artist and have produced some very striking and contemporary walking sticks. Managing Director Charlotte Gillan of Classic Canes explains: ‘Fashionable walking sticks enable their users to make a style statement and treat their walking stick as a glamorous accessory. These new designs are exclusive to Classic Canes and will make very practical and convenient gifts.’
Call: 01460 75686 Visit: classiccanes.co.uk
SSeason sensations Richard Lang & Sons (Langs) R Hall 5, Stand H06-J07 H Autumn Fair at the NEC will see the launch of Langs’ gorgeous new seasonal collections. Autu T They are so excited to show you their new collections for mum – there’s have something for everyone! ‘Beautiful Mum’ is vibrant and feminine with hand-painted flowers. There are some every e vvery inventive new gift ideas in this collection, including a ‘mum kit box’ which comprises of a ha hanger, coaster and a keyring all in a useful keepsake box. They have also put together a sma small collection called ‘You’re Just Like a Mum to Me’ for when you want to say thank you to ssomeone special – a step mum, aunty, godmother or a great friend - who has played a big role in making you who you are! Finally, they have created a collection for remembering pre precious mums and grandmas who are no longer with us but stay in our hearts forever. T There will also be a fresh collection for spring featuring cute new characters on classic pro products such as coasters and word blocks. You’re going to love the new take on gifts for Va Valentine’s Day - the ‘I Found my Penguin’ collection is inspired by the way penguins fall in lov love and mate for life. Apparently, the male penguin searches for the best pebble he can fin nd to present to the female as a form of proposal! Have you found your penguin? They al also have a more traditional ‘Love’ collection with lots of bright red hearts mixed with some to tongue in cheek fun sayings! Langs will also be showing their autumn/win autumn/winter 2018 collections which have already been ve very well received. Two favourites for the new season are ‘Luxe’ and ‘Starry Skies,’ ‘Luxe’ is a richly c coloured home décor collection and ‘‘Starry Skies’ is a gorgeous, twinkly g giftware collection with lots of ideas for C Christmas presents.
C 01332 226891 Call: Vi Visit: richardlang.co.uk
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Autumn Fair
In design Ashleigh & Burwood Hall 3, Stand P50 - Q53 Toucan Play That Game Ashleigh & Burwood’s luxury Wild Things collection introduces three new unique designs by designer Sumitta Spencer-Townson for Spring/Summer 18. Bright, bold and bursting with vibrant colour, the three new designs include ‘Toucan Play That Game’ featuring playful toucans on ceramic vessels topped with elegant gold lids. Fragranced with the rich, refreshing scent of sun kissed mango, juicy guava and tangy mandarin, the scent evokes a tropical garden full of lush fruit trees and towering cacti.
New Season Fragrance Lamp Gift Sets Ashleigh & Burwood have created three new Fragrance Lamp Gift Sets for SS18, featuring new Fragrance Lamps in a modern glazed style. The new Lamps are co-ordinated with new scents Mango & Nectarine, Summer Rain and White Velvet and housed in colourful new editions of Ashleigh & Burwood’s chevron packaging in coral, cornflower blue and soft grey, ideal for spreading joy and happiness with friends and family on the key giftgiving occasions of the season.
Call: 01932 267060 Email: info@ashleigh-burwood.co.uk Visit: ashleigh-burwood.co.uk
Eye for colour Miss Milly Hall 4, stand H48 Miss Milly, the British brand for gorgeous jewellery and scarves, is introducing a stunning palette that includes Persian Red, Blueprint and Pantone’s colour of the year, Ultraviolet. The best-selling Floria Collection jewellery has evolved with revamps of popular lines alongside gorgeous new resin and enamel pieces. Look out for eye-catching colour combinations in this range with a growing, loyal fan base. The Carmen Collection has bold new lines with striking, statement metal necklaces in gunmetal, matt silver and matt rose gold featuring crystal highlights. Miss Milly’s Scarf Collection features seasonal tones
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alongside the launch of a poncho at a great price point and in three striking colours to co-ordinate with their jewellery. Miss Milly offers reasonable prices and great quality with no minimum order quantities so buy exactly what you need. Branded packaging and display stands also available. Register on the easy-to-use website for trade pricing or give them a call.
Call: 01905 622509 Visit: missmilly.co.uk
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serious about making cosmetic fun
+44 (0)208 958 0555 sales@madbeauty.com
madbeauty.com
Autumn Fair 2018 stand 3W02
Autumn Fair
It’s playtime House of Marbles Hall 3, Stand S60-V59 For a massive selection of stocking fillers and gifts this Christmas make sure you head to the House of Marbles stand at Autumn Fair. From traditional toys to quirky games, you won’t want to miss seeing this best-selling range. Look out for the company’s O-Deer game which was highly commended at this year’s Gift of the Year awards. In this hilarious party game players try to avoid being ‘hooped’ while wearing a pair of inflatable antlers! It has a recommended retail price of £12.99 and a great gift margin making it the perfect festive gift for all the family. You’ll find lots of additions to their sought-after Christmas range including a magical 100-piece jigsaw featuring a beautiful Christmas Eve scene and glow-in-the-dark stars. There’s also a selection of Moody Marbles with silly faces and a Mini Zoo playset filled with animals, fencing and foliage. Whether you’re an independent gift shop, garden centre or book shop, there’s a highquality selection of products to choose from. So, pop by their stand and you’ll see why House of Marbles is a leading supplier in the gift industry.
Call: 01626 835358 Email: uk@houseofmarbles.com Visit: houseofmarbles.com/tradeuk
Heavenly gift Joe Davies Hall 5, Stand C02/D03 The brand new Equilibrium Celestial Collection from Joe Davies offers something just that extra bit special! Showcasing embellished stars, moons and planets and influenced by the vibrancy of the Northern Lights, this stunning range encompasses high quality silver and rose gold plated lunar themed pieces; some featuring Swarovski crystal elements - right on trend and not to be missed. Join in with the excitement on the Joe Davies stand where you can see the Equilibrium collection in its entirety alongside their extensive range of new and trendy gifts. Everything is available to order in modest quantities with minimum orders of just £100.
Call: 0161 975 6300 Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk Visit: joedavies.co.uk
Cosy Christmas Intelex Hall 5, Stand J16-K17 If you are looking for a unique Christmas gift this year that your family will love, Intelex have created the perfect solution with their Long Hot Water Bottles. The elongated design will provide all over warmth during the cold winter nights. Simply fill them up with hot water and use them for snuggling up on frosty winter evenings, perfect for when you are home alone and need to warm up quickly. Proving so popular in the past Intelex have now expanded their range giving you even more choice of designs. This means you can now choose from a selection of fourteen new covers, ranging from fur to knit. If you would prefer to purchase something more traditional for your loved ones, they also have their Nordic design, which is the perfect festive themed gift. Not only are these a thoughtful gift, they are also incredibly practical to keep those you love warm all winter long.
Call: 01933 679 333 Email: sales@intelex.co.uk Visit: intelex.co.uk 60 gifts today
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Trade talk Leading figures in the gift industry talk trends, consumer confidence and top trends for Christmas.
Gifts Today loves to hear your views.
Jonny Greves Buyer and key accounts manager, Lesser and Pavey What can we expect from you in the last quarter? We are investing heavily into eco-friendly products and packaging solutions to assist retailing and the consumer.
Perry Simmons
Where are you seeing growth?
Director, Stoneglow
Through international markets, bespoke ranges and online retailers as well as destination retailers.
What can we expect from you in the last quarter of 2018?
What do you feel consumers are looking for when it comes to gift buying right now?
Our new look Seasonal Range has had a facelift – with geometric inspired packaging, and glassware that lends itself to interior trends. We just launched our first Wooden Wick candle range, and due to demand we started delivering this out sooner to our retailers.
Where are you seeing growth? Our UK customer base is growing with our experienced sales team offering guidance and service that is first class with quality products. Additionally, we are now working with more international distributors, and are now represented in South Africa, USA, Australia, Russia, Singapore, Japan as well as heavily supported in Europe.
How price sensitive do you think retailing is at the moment?
Fashion and trends are key with the consumer and they are very price conscious as well as seeking quality items that meet the style trends of the interior markets as well as the fashion markets and eco-friendly products.
How price sensitive is retailing at the moment? Lesser and Pavey have always prided themselves on being priced at affordable prices and we see today’s markets no different and so we continue to offer quality products, across a diverse range at affordable prices.
What are your top tips for Christmas 2018 in terms of trends, products or licences? Novel trends such as the unicorn, flamingo continues across ranges. We are launching a number of biodegradable products as well as new eco friendly ranges for the baby sector featuring a unicorn, flamingo, panda and bees.
For our Seasonal Range we offer price points £10 to £30, allowing the retailer to capture the sale to suit the consumer’s pocket.
Lisa Fuller
Top tips for Christmas 2018 in terms of trends, products or licences?
What can we expect from you in the last quarter of 2018?
Traditional colours such as Red, Green and Ivory are performing well for us, these are linked with chic festive fragrances. Not necessarily a Christmas themed range, but our new Infusion range with jungle botanics and infused fragrances is one of our AW18 success stories.
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National account manager, Price’s Patent Candles Ltd
With the weather turning cooler you can expect an exciting new selection of warming, comforting fragrances to evoke a relaxed atmosphere in your home. With high levels of demand over this busy period you can be sure to receive your usual reliable Price’s delivery service to keep your shelves stocked up and always ready to go.
Where are you seeing growth? We’re seeing growth across the whole business - fragranced, unfragranced, at home and abroad.
How price sensitive is retailing at the moment? Although candles are a price sensitive product, Price’s will never compromise on our quality at a lower price. Every range keeps the same highquality levels our customers expect but price points reflect different levels to appeal to different customers.
What are your Top tips for Christmas 2018 in terms of trends, products or licences? The candle trends lean towards traditional colours of red, green, silver and golds. Mulled Wine, Spiced Vanilla, and Winter Berry scents fly off the shelves.
www.straitstrading.com Tel: 01254 300260
Email: sales@straitstrading.com
Visit our stand at the Autumn Fair : Hall 5, Stand E1 *LIWV 7RGD\ LQGG
Paul Hooker Commercial director, Joe Davies What can we expect from you in the last quarter?
Matthew Shaw Sales director, Puckator What can we expect from you in the last quarter? Puckator will be launching hundreds of new products for the final quarter and after investing heavily in warehousing and logistics, we can be sure customer will receive deliveries promptly, so they can be sure to have stock of their bestselling lines.
Where are you seeing growth? Growth from the online retail sector is key at the moment, although retail destinations that combine with leisure such as garden centres and zoos are also an important part of our growth strategy.
Any big news you’d like to share? Puckator was recently ranked in the prestigious Sunday Times Lloyds SME Export Track 100 for 2018. Published in the Sunday Times on 25 February, the list ranks SMEs with the fastest growing international sales over the last two years. With international sales of just over £9m and average export growth of 38.99% all at Puckator were delighted to be included. The success justifies the investment made in International trade fairs and websites , warehouse and office extension at its head office in Cornwall and product design from its new Sheffield office at Urban Splash’s Park Hill development.
What do you feel consumers are looking for when it comes to gift buying right now? Consumers are looking for original products that are well designed. Gifts that were perhaps seen as everyday items, but now come with a design edge, like Puckator’s range of lunch bags and water bottles, have proven to be very popular with the final consumer
How price sensitive is retailing at the moment? Pricing is always important, but retailers appreciate the added value of original design and great packaging.
Top trends for Christmas? Unicorns and llamas are still huge, but our Retro Gaming range called Game Over is currently our fastest growing product theme. You can see our whole Game Over range at this year’s Autumn Fair, Hall 5 D02/E03
We have more new products than ever and have good stocks across the range to ensure full shelves at short notice right the way up to Christmas Eve and through the Christmas holiday season. All of us here are very optimistic about trade this Christmas as people shrug off the Brexit blues and enjoy themselves.
Where are you seeing growth? Our growth comes from our way of doing business. Our trademark ‘Little & Often’ ordering system and £100 minimum order with free next day carriage means independent retailer as are using us for ‘just in time’ delivery to keep their displays fresh, up to date and interesting for their customers without the burden of full stock rooms and tied up capital. Many customers order from us multiple times a week to keep a continual flow of new products and to repeat the best sellers.
Any big news you’d like to share? Our biggest, nicest bit of news recently was being voted Gold Award winner for Best Service to the Independent Retailer at the glittering Greats award ceremony in London. We are honoured to have won the award for a record 16 consecutive times now.
What do you feel customers are looking for? Social means trends are coming thick and fast these days, be it for gin, llamas or unicorns. It’s a big job keeping up to date. That’s where Joe Davies come in for many retailers as they can try a selection across the current trends without having to commit too heavily.
How price sensitive is retailing at the moment? Good value is probably most important than ever, but price alone is not enough, the trick is to have unique, up to date, eye catching products all at a great price too.
Top tips for Christmas 2018 in terms of trends, products or licences? All the current trends for unicorn, llamas, sloths and bees should perform this Christmas. Gin has certainly overtaken Prosecco as the tipple of choice this year so anything gin-related should fly off the shelves. Our top Christmas seller are snoozies!, the cosy little foot coverings from the USA and this year sales have gone crazy and the success has been shared by our fantastic Sock Society collection of bright, trendy socks at a great price. Take a look!
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Autumn Fair
In tune with trends Xystos Hall 5, Stand H01 In tune The new Cello home fragrance collection – candles, reed diffusers and accessories – hit the right note with buyers when it was launched in Harrogate. The own-brand range from Xystos comprises 12 best-selling fragrances, with each blend having a top, middle and base note: when combined they create a harmony of scents. The artful colourways and on-trend design features on each product are stylish and elegant, while all Cello products carry a subtle logo, ensuring authenticity and quality.
A Village Christmas Flame and fragrance specialist Xystos has introduced four new scents to its Village Candle jar range as the American brand continues to make inroads into the UK candle market. The new fragrances, which come in three sizes, are a nod to autumn, winter and the festive season – Fall Festival, Winter Clementine, Forest Morning and Christmas Spice, which conjures up images of a crackling fire and good times with friends and family advice.
In the pink WBM’s Himalayan Chef food products line being distributed by Xystos is ideal for gifting and selfpurchase, and perfect for foodies and those who want to display their kitchenware. There is a range of salt and pepper grinders – the salt is revealed in its natural pink – as well as a gift set featuring a cooking plate made of Himalayan Salt. After being heated in the oven, it can be brought to the table for food to be cooked healthily – without the use of fat or oil – in front of guests.
Call: 0191 499 1570 Email sales@xystos.co.uk Visit: xystostrade.co.uk
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Making memories Xystos has added several new Splosh ranges, including Signature photo frames and numbers which can be signed as a lasting memento by party guests instead of the traditional guest book. There are also Wish Jars, which enable guests to write their special messages to the receiver and insert them in the jars. And, following the success of Fairy Houses, Xystos has introduced the Gingerbread House and Santa’s Workshop featuring LED lights. Look out too for impulse purchase sentiment plaques and photo frames spanning the spiritual, tribal and botanical.
Bath & body with style Baylis & Harding has personal care covered from head to toe and includes products that range from a bar of soap to a luxury wicker hamper that includes bath and shower crème, body cleanser, bath soak crystals and even a wash mitt. Spearheading the nine new autumn/winter bath & body introductions from Xystos is the Sweet Mandarin & Grapefruit Collection, which sees the return of the best-selling fragrance. The stylish geometric print cleverly incorporates presents of all shapes and sizes and sets the tone for the gifting season ahead.
For pet lovers Two new Splosh ranges for animal lovers have been introduced by Xystos. The Art of Cats has images of furry friends on mugs, cushions, journals and notebooks, tote bags and sticky notes, while Precious Pets features pictures of different breeds of dogs on mugs and hanging dog signs, as well as photo frames carrying tributes to them.
Autumn Fair
Style solutions PoM (Peace of Mind) Hall 4, G31 PoM’s autumn/winter collection is brimming with new arrivals, timeless classics and on trend must-haves. Jewellery, scarves, bags and accessories have been beautifully curated into one stunning collection and will take any wardrobe to a whole new level. Scarves, wraps, hats and gloves are a winter essential so go bold with bright patterns, tactile textures and spirit-lifting pops of colour. Bags and purses are embroidered, beaded or mirror worked adding a touch of lightness and glamour to any outfit. Sterling silver and plated gift jewellery feels laid back and informal with shoulder grazing earrings, playful stud sets and statement necklaces plus a whole new range of silver spinning rings for you to fall in love with. So if you stock or are thinking of stocking accessories then there is plenty to get excited about, new products, new displays, new idea, a few surprises, always exceptional customer service and always fantastic quality.
Call: 01225 777749 Email: sales@pom925.com Visit: pom925.com
Scent-sational fragrance Stoneglow Candles Hall 3, stand Q06. Summer House Stoneglow will be in their new home at the Autumn Fair in the Summer House, which ch is perfectly placed to show case their recently-launched the Infusion collection of Natural Wax Candless with wooden wicks and matching High Fragrance diffusers. It’s a very different look for them but early sales are proving those who dare win! The new look Seasonal range has had a facelift – with geometric inspired packaging, and glassware that lends itself to interior trends. A Christmas range but inspired to fit in the home all thought the year.
Call: 020 8595 8878 Email: sales@stoneglowcandles.co.uk Visit: stoneglowcandles.co.uk
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Autumn Fair
What a doll! Orange Tree Toys Hall 3, Stand U42 Orange Tree Toys have some really exciting products to show at this year’s Autumn Fair. Along with classic wooden toys they are launching Orange Tree Kids. This will still complement the wooden range but provide a new selection of products for customers to choose from. This year will include beautiful soft toys and a selection of fun bamboo dinnerware sets. The soft toys feature both dolls and animals and come in two different sizes. All the designs are beautifully made with different fabrics making them a real luxury product to enjoy. The bamboo dinnerware sets are perfect for any parent wanting to make meal times fun! With two lovely characters to choose from this year and more coming out for 2019 these sets are sure to be great sellers. One of the key features of this collection is that they are made from bamboo fibre making them great for the environment without compromising on colour and design. These sets are also dishwasher safe! Orange Tree Toys can’t wait for all their existing and new customers to see both the soft toys and dinner sets first hand! Look out for the brand new Orange Tree Kids logo on their stand.
Call: 01242 244500 Email: sales@orangetreetoys.com Visit: orangetreetoys.com
Feline fine! Puckator Hall 5, stand D02-E03 If you’re ready for some, ‘pawsome’ new giftware this autumn, Puckator have extended their bestselling Feline Fine range to include new lines for all the glamourpusses out there. For everyone’s on the go beauty needs, the adorable feline fine design can be seen on products like compact mirrors and matchbook nail files. The mirrors come in fresh pastel colours and each features a mischievous kitty. Check out the pink ‘beauty purrincess’ compact. You can find a different set of glamorous felines on the nail files which complement the mirrors by using the same delightful hues. Pop them in your make-up bag to make a lovely little set to keep you looking and ’Feline’ fine. Speaking of make-up bags, your beauty kit simply wouldn’t be complete without something to house it all in. Puckator have the, ‘purrfect,’ accessory for this. An adorable cosmetics purse decorated with these cute kitties and filled with personality. Following on from a positive response to exhibiting at the international beauty fair Cosmoprof, Puckator have expanded their collection of cosmetic accessories. On their stand this Autumn Fair, you’ll find a large selection of compact mirrors, toiletries bags, nail files, hand creams, lip balms and much more. So, if you’re looking for that purrfect pedicure, go and take a look at what Puckator have to offer.
Call: 0800 011 6969 Email: customerservices@puckator.co.uk Visit: puckator.co.uk
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01992 718033
sales@silplc.com
HALL 3 STAND T01-W01
www.silplc.com
© 2018 Frida Kahlo Corporation.
AUTUMN FAIR 2018
COME SEE OUR NEW COLLECTION AT THE
Autumn Fair
No problems, just solutions Alexander Thurlow Hall 4, stand H32 Do you have an idea for a piece of jewellery or scarf and want to turn it into reality? Well, Alexander Thurlow are the one stop solution to your bespoke design. With three generationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience behind them, your design can be produced exclusively for you, within very manageable minimum production quantities, quickly and to an excellent standard. The inspiration can be provided over the phone, from a sketch or photograph. The process begins with a detailed discussion, leading to the creation of a CAD drawing. Only once the visual design is approved, will a pre-production sample be manufactured, followed by full production on approval of that sample. The team at Alexander Thurlow are very easy to deal with, love what they do and would be delighted to hear from you.
Call: 0208 766 6466 Email: sales@alexanderthurlow.com Visit: alexanderthurlow.com
On trend fragrance Aromatize Ltd Hall 5, stand J11 Aromatize are pleased to unveil their new collections at the Autumn Fair. No other company offers as many candle brands and accessories and many new fragrances have been introduced to leading brands including Goose Creek, Kittredge, Kringle and Woodbridge. On trend fragrances including cocktail and alcohol combinations such as Passion Fruit Martini, Strawberry Daiquiri and Gin & Tonic have been added. New for Christmas are Gingerbread Lane, Cozy Christmas, Winter Wonderland, Frosted Cranberry, Snowflakes Glistening and Jingle all the way along with many more. In total an unprecedented 27 new fragrances are available. The Aroma Accessories brand goes from strength to strength with an unrivalled range of home fragrance related products all of which can be used with many brands available on the market. The ever-popular flameless collection of electric wax melt burners and diffusers has been increased and traditional, contemporary and Christmas-related designs have been added across the entire range.
Call: 01254 300268 Email: sales@aromatize.co.uk Visit: aromatizetrade.co.uk
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Autumn Fair
Calling cards Independent retail consultant and deputy chairman of the Giftware Association, Henri Davies has many years’ experience of buying under her belt for organisations including Habitat, WH Smith, Next and the National Trust. Here she explains why adding cards to your gift offer could be a good way of increasing sales and encouraging new customers to come in to your store.
I
n the past we have seen that periods of uncertainty lead to increases in spending on certain types of products including items linked to celebrations like birthdays, weddings and anniversaries. Depending on the products you sell, who is buying them and who they are buying them for, having a carefully selected range of cards for these occasions with the right level of finish and at the right price point might be just what your customers are looking for. It might be that someone can’t afford to buy a gift in which case they will make sure that those celebrating know they have been remembered by sending them a special, more expensive card instead perhaps printed on a heavier weight board, maybe embossed, foiled or hand finished with crystals ensuring that the recipient feels extra special. If you are thinking of introducing cards or any other new product categories into your shop you want to know they have a good chance of success, that the space instore is being well used and your money is not wasted. Here are 10 things to consider before going ahead to help ensure a range will be popular with your customers. 1. Is the product relevant? 2. Does the new brand reflect the same qualities as your shop? 74 gifts today
3. Are the retail price points absolutely right for your business? 4. Do you have space to display this range effectively? 5. Do you have the right fixtures to display this type of product? 6. You should confirm with the suppliers the best time of year to do a trial so if it is successful you are able to have a full range instore for the peak sales period. 7. If having considered these points and you still feel you want to go ahead, then you need to know that the supplier will allow you to place a small initial order, so you can run a trial. 8. First ask them to recommend a range of best sellers for you to test. 9. If your local competitors are stocking a similar range make sure your offer is distinct, different and better. 10. Be clear that you know how you are going to make sure your customers know you have this new range in stock.
‘It might be that someone can’t afford to buy a gift in which case they will make sure that those celebrating know they have been remembered by sending them a special, more expensive card’
Autumn Fair
Future of fashion Culinary Concepts Hall 3, Stand H30-J31 We’re delighted once again to see Culinary Concepts back at the NEC for the Autumn Fair 2018. Their exquisite stand is always a big draw at the event and constantly bustling with patrons enchanted with their unique wares. Amidst the popular classics, you’ll find their brand-new collections, proving just how right this company gets it when it comes to reading future fashions. Their beautifully upholstered occasional chairs and footstools are a must see, alongside fabulous leather bars and luxury drinks hampers. The new lighting is an exciting blend of industrial and classical themes, infused with their trademark modern twists and exquisite workmanship. The Christmas decorations are a delightful mix of contemporary and vintage styles and additions to their bar and tableware offer bold, metallic finishes and the longevity so recognised in this popular brand. Established in 1999, the Culinary Concepts name is fast becoming the must-have brand for many retailers.
Call: 01252 852235 Email: trade@culinaryconcepts.co.uk Visit: culinaryconceptsliving.co.uk
In the wild Edge Sculpture Hall 2, Stand L10 Pictured here are a Baby Orangutan and Tiger Cub from the unique and exceptional Edge Sculpture collection. Returning from a successful Spring Fair, Matt Buckley, the sculptor and creator of Edge Sculpture, has been busy in his studio working on new sculptures to unveil at the Autumn Fair. There are no pictures of these new pieces at this time, but as a little teaser Edge can reveal that a Polar Bear and Sloth are among Matt’s latest creations, so please visit the stand to be the very first to see these new sculptures in person.
Call: 01952 884804 Email: sales@edgesculpture.com Visit: edgesculpture.com 76 gifts today
Come see us at Autumn Fair
STAND 3T06 01453 826759
sales@applestopears.com applestopears.com
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Unit 3 Boston Court Media City Manchester M50 2GN www.global-journey.com
10 beautiful designs of Bamboo Travel Mug available
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Come and see us at:
Autumn Fair, NEC 2-5th September 2018 Hall 5 Stand G17
RRP
Autumn Fair
Great glass D & J Glassware Hall 5, stand F16 D & J Glassware is looking forward to exhibiting its new fused glass animals at Autumn Fair. The designs are the latest additions to the company’s ever-growing menagerie, which includes owls, cats, dogs and many more. ‘Autumn Fair is an important fixture in the show calendar’, explains Jocelyne. ‘There is no escaping the fact that Christmas is fast approaching and our customers need to make certain that they have the very best products on n their shelves’. Visit the show stand to see the finest quality Tree of Life balls, friendship collections, stylish tea light ht holders, vases and other beautiful handcrafted designs. Innovation, style, friendly service and sensible prices are e watchwords of the UK’s favourite glassware supplier. D & J Glassware is pleased to announce the addition of a select range of quality Pot Pourri to its popular fragrance collection. Handmade in Britain, the bags are finished with satin ribbon and look stunning in store. They ey complement the company’s fabulous Scent Diffuser range, which continues to be a favourite amongst stockists. Stylishly packaged and offering great value for money, there is now a choice of 12 British fragrance oils, all of which will be showcased at Autumn Fair. Also on display will be the popular English-fragranced Pine Cones, in their lovely gold and red organza bags: perfect for the festive season. Also new for 2018 is the gorgeous Christmas Pot Pourri, which complements the delicious Christmas Spice fragranced Scent Diffuser. D & J Glassware is the go-to place for beautiful festive glassware. The Company has an exciting Christmas collection, shortlisted for this year’s Gift of the Year award, which includes Trees, Angels, Hearts and Stars. New w for 2018 is the Christmas Wishes Globe.
Call: 01953 450280 Email: dandj.glassware@btinternet.com Visit: dandjglassware.co.uk
Cheers! Straits Trading Co Ltd Hall 5, stand E1 Straits are looking forward to seeing all customers new and old at this year’s Autumn Fair. Here, all their new collections for the autumn and winter seasons - including many Christmas specific items -will be showcased in a range comprising over 3000 items. A warm welcome is always offered on their stand where fine wines and prosecco flows freely. Please join them for a drink whilst looking at all their varied home accessory items on offer.
Call: 01254 300260 Visit: straitstrading.com
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Autumn Fair
Beautiful booth Wild Things Gifts Ltd Hall 5, stand H20
Q&A with Darren Ellis Manor House Home Fragrance Hall 5, stand L16 Darren, Manor House is best known for its pot pourri. Could you tell us about the company’s heritage in this category? Manor House was created around. 30 years ago and is probably one of the oldest British home fragrance companies around today, I took ownership just over 11 years ago and introduced many new lines to add to the original pot pourri that Manor House has always been known for. My aim was to bring a much more up-to-date and wider offering to clients, so they could buy pot pourri, candles, diffusers, room sprays, luxury hand wash and moisturising lotions, drawer liners and so on to provide a wide range to stock and offer to the end customer.
Does the company also offer other home fragrance products?
We offer 21 fragrance collections to the retailer, which include not only our signature pot pourris but also diffusers, room sprays, scented botanical candles and candles in glass in gift boxes, through to drawer liners and sachets, silk bags and cushions to perfume clothes drawers. Last year we introduced a stunning collection of luxury hand washes and moisturising lotions to complement each collection.
Where are you seeing growth?
We are seeing growth in our candles, diffusers and hand wash and moisturising lotions, but overall I would have to say the whole range is growing constantly. Many clients fall for our products as we are not in every shop on every high street, thus we make a more bespoke offering with the Manor House range.
Do you offer bespoke/private label products?
We offer a full private label facility from our pot pourris through botanical candles, candles in glass in gift boxes, diffusers and room sprays to drawer liners and sachets. All can be developed from bespoke fragrances through ribbons, printed gift boxes and labels.
What are your bestselling products? Our pot pourris still sell as well as ever as we are one of very few companies, especially in the UK, that still offer this. Our scented candles and diffusers are probably our strongest lines.
How does social media work for you and where can people follow you? We are finding a lot of new clients from social media. As well as our website, we are also on Facebook as Manor House Home Fragrance Ltd and Twitter as @ manorhousehome1.
Visit: manorhousehomefragrance.co.uk
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Wild Things have had a fantastic response to their new booth display – they claim it is the ‘best lit display on the market’. It has been a game changer with all stockists reporting a steep upturn in sales. They are offering it free with a minimum stock spend, with a guarantee to replace any slow-selling stock. They will be launching some quirky new designs at the show – these extend their best-selling Crystal Fantasy range which now stretches to more than 40 designs. All are made using Swarovski crystals and are designed and made in the UK. Next year sees the 35th anniversary of Wild Things, which had its pre-UK origins in a daily craft market in the San Francisco Bay Area back in the mid 1970s. They are currently in the process of rebranding, and some products are already showing a ‘sneak preview’ in time for the full launch next January. Exciting times ahead at Wild Things!
Call: 01392 211268 Email: sales@wildthingsgifts.com Visit: wildthingsgifts.com
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Autumn Fair
Leading Light Candlelight Products Ltd Hall 2, stand L14 If you want to stock up on candles at Autumn Fair, head straight to Candlelight who are set to become a major player and give the big names a run for their money! Founded by Mike Winch back in 1972, the company is one of the gift industry’s strongest and most successful companies, with three thriving businesses across the globe. They have experience in supplying home and giftware to most major UK retailers, including both branded and own brand product ranges – but their clear focus now is firmly on becoming one of Europe’s leading candle suppliers. ‘We had a brilliant Spring Fair earlier this year,’ said Mike. ‘Stock has even been flying out in July and, if candles are doing so well in the hot summer months, they’re bound to do well in the lead up to Christmas. We’ve got a brilliant name, loads of stock so, if you order, we can deliver. We’re really building the range and the brand. ‘We have unrivalled expertise in bringing the newest designs to market at the lowest cost. Our in-house designers constantly collaborate directly with our own Far East sourcing team to develop unique and inspirational products for the home that are highly affordable but closely in keeping with the latest trend predictions.’ At front and centre is Candlelight’s new candle collection. The range has a fresh and eye-catching look that combines luxury and warmth with statement pieces that are ideal for gifting.
Visit: candlelight.co.uk
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Come see us at Autumn Fair
STAND 3T06 01453 826759
sales@applestopears.com applestopears.com
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Autumn Fair
Design delights Temerity Jones Hall 3, stand T01-W01 Dutch Floral The Dutch Floral collection, inspired by the art of Rembrandt and the Old Masters, takes classical painting into new areas with bold and brilliant effect. Starting with canvas prints, edged with cord and upholstery nails for an authentic old-world finish, the range moves into Modesty Screens that can turn any room into an artist’s salon, and continues onto coasters and notebooks, as well as giftboxes and bags. The lampshades, which cunningly conceal the floral pattern on the inside, come with a pivoting fixture to adjust to ceiling lights or table lamps. There are also antiqued bamboo-style metal frames and a pair of stunning classic Staffordshire Dog figurine cookie jars.
Frida Temerity Jones have secured a licence from the Frida Kahlo Corporation to create wall tapestries, framed posters, a range of giftboxes and bags, and much more. Their Frida Modesty Screen is ideal for artists’ garrets and chic sitting rooms alike – but equally inspired are the lightboxes and storage tins, which bring glorious colour into everyday life. Temerity Jones have also extended the image onto a Tequila Slammer Set and Marga-frida Cocktail Set and also offer colourful Chilli Pepper String Lights and a fabulous flock parrot table lamp.
Moon They’re unveiling a new capsule collection that captures the majesty and fascination of Moon and Earth shapes and bring them into your home. At the centre of the range are their beautiful handblown glass table lamps, available in both Moon and Earth editions. Also in the range are some stunning lightboxes, as well as some beautifully mounted wall art, including a giant canvas and a set of three smaller pictures.
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Go on a journey Global Journey Ltd Hall 5, stand G17 Eco Friendly Bamboo Travel Cups are all the rage at the moment and currently one of the most on-trend products. Global Journey Bamboo Cups are well worth taking a closer look at: • They’re 500ml, taking a medium coffee/tea. • The cup designs are bright, colourful and vibrant with personalised sleeves to make a statement. • Global Journey can provide customised sleeves with your company brand/logo. • Cups are available for delivery September/October. • The display stand is only 50cm wide. Customer feedback at the Harrogate gift fair was very positive with many customers commenting on the great quality and great value the Bamboo cups offer. This product will be one of the big successes for Christmas 2018.
Visit: global-journey.com
On the ball! Emma Ball Ltd Hall 3, stand X21 Now’s the time to get talking to Emma Ball Ltd about bespoke orders. The order book for 2019 is filling fast and, with successful products such as tea towels, cards and stationery that could be exclusive to yourself, can you afford to miss out?
Call: 0115 985 8081 Email: sales@emmaball.co.uk Visit: emmaball.co.uk
Licence to thrill Half Moon Bay Hall 3, stand R28-S29 Join Half Moon Bay for an exciting launch of close to 100 new products at Autumn Fair. The additions include six new licences for the company – Disney’s Mary Poppins and Winnie the Pooh, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Warhammer Age of Sigmar, Overwatch and Sonic the Hedgehog – as well as additions to their successful Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and Warhammer 40,000 ranges. Hero products to look out for include the Mary Poppins mug, saucer and spoon set, Winnie the Pooh embossed honeycomb bowl, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Niffler coin purse, Warhammer Age of Sigmar Stormcast Eternal sculpted stein mug and a premium Game of Thrones decanter and tumbler set. Etta Saunders Bingham, head of licensing and product development commented: ‘We fully engage with the story of each licence we take on, building our product ranges on the creative base that already exists for the brand and then adding innovation to create product that combines quality, desirability and usefulness in equal measure.’
Call: 01225 473873 Visit: halfmoonbay.co.uk
HALL 4
STAND H04-J05 AUTUMN FAIR NEC 2 ND - 5 TH SEPTEMBER
SEAGEMS.CO.UK T : +44(0)1736 335840 E : s a l e s @ s e a g ems.co.uk © All d e sig ns pr ote cte d by S ea Ge m s Co p y ri gh t & D e s i gn Ri gh t .
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Autumn Fair
What a beauty Mad Beauty
Bright & beautiful Carrie Elspeth Hall 4, stand G40 Carrie Elspeth’s A/W18 collection builds on nearly 20 years of success, is all lovingly handmade in Wales, and ticks all the boxes for the coming season. You’ll find new pieces bursting with bright and colourful glass, semi-precious stones and crystals. There are additions to the hugely popular wellbeing Chakra Collection with new positive mantras and adorable charms. Last but not least, they have more of their best-selling leather bracelet range with new clasps, finishes and designs which are set to make your tills ring. To top it all off, they have gorgeous packaging, fresh point of sale and as always, amazing customer service. Get in touch for a full colour catalogue.
Hall 3, stand W02 Mad Beauty will be launching several new ranges and also releases from their new licensed products. Under the Mad Beauty label there are products entitled Houses, Splash of Gold, I Love Christmas, Oh Deer, featuring ranges of fabulous impulse purchase lines including sanitizers, hand creams, body butters and other great bath and body gifts. From Mad Beauty’s Never Too Old ranges, there are some beautiful products, including a range of limited edition products as well as Mickey, Marie from Aristocats, Mary Poppins, Goofy, Donald Duck, Disney Villains, Tinkerbell-inspired products for Christmas – Festive Fairies. Mad are also releasing a range from their newest licence – Barbie. There are also products from their core ranges and their award-winning Kellogg’s Vintage, Jelly Belly & Slush Puppie product line ups.
Visit: madbeauty.com
Call: 01446 771271 Email: sales@carrieelspeth.com Visit: carrieelspeth.com
Get wrapped up for Xmas! CID Hall 5, stand L36 CID are delighted to present a fabulous range of Harry Potter house crest scarves in Hogwarts house colours, just in time for Christmas and the release of the next instalment of the Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. CID have also added Tote Bags to their range, featuring designs from across their strongest range of licences including Harry Potter, Friends, Looney Tunes and DC Comic characters Wonder Woman, The Flash, Superman and Batman. The bags are priced very keenly as CID feel this is a market that will be driven by the RRP and are looking for volume sales rather than just occasional purchase from end users.
Call: 0116 284 4750 Email: salesteam@cidmerch.com Visit: cidmerch.com 86 gifts today
The art of candles St Eval Hall 3, stand H51 The Garden of Eden collection from artisan candle makers, St Eval. This beautiful range comprises fragrances Fig, Geranium and Tabac. Winter Thyme is a fresh, festive scent of rosemary and thyme herbs with earthy winter woodland notes. St Eval have created their collections so you can display them by fragrance as well as type of candle. St Eval’s festive favourites are also returning this year with the spicy warmth of Inspiritus, zesty Orange & Cinnamon and the fruity fun of Figgy Pudding. Look out for their new artisan logo on selected products.
Call: 01841 540850 Email: info@stevalcandlecompany.co.uk Visit: stevalcandlecompany.co.uk
H ALL 4 | STAND H 04- J 05 AU TU M N FAI R NE C | 2 N D-5 TH SEP TEMBER
Autumn Fair: Stand 4H71 or please contact us for our new trade catalogue. www.classiccanes.co.uk
SEAGEMS.CO.UK T : +44(0)1736 335840 E : s a le s @s e a g e m s . c o . uk © Al l d e s i g n s p r o t e c t e d b y S e a G e m s C o p y r i g h t & D e s i g n R i g h t .
Discover the Garden of Eden Collection and fill your senses with aromatic pleasures at Autumn Fair, Hall 3 Stand H51 Top Drawer, Stand Q29 FIG | GERANIUM | TABAC Each natural pot and pillar candle is hand poured with our unique blends for a premium quality.
The art of traditional candle making
01841 540850 | info@stevalcandlecompany.co.uk
www.stevalcandlecompany.co.uk
Autumn Fair
So creative! SIL Hall 3, stand B10-C11 Gold Leaf Lush greenery and foliage shapes are put in the perfect context for autumn, covering a range of items with a sophisticated and evocative tone. You’ll find gorgeous velvet relief cushions, leafshaped porcelain trinket dishes and a gourdshaped fragrance diffuser, as well as giftbags and storage boxes and dramatic canvas art prints that can make a room. There are also antiqued round mirrors - cluster them on a wall for an even more striking effect – and elephant ornaments to add an exotic feel.
Wild Safari This new collection is inspired by the colours and shapes of the jungles and plains of Africa. Stars of the show are the mirrored prints – superbly striking images of tiger, zebra and leopard surrounded by reflective glass, creating a sleek modern piece of wall art. These also come in canvas-print versions, and you’ll also find metal Serengeti trees that will convert a room into a safari lodge at a stroke. With this comes a stampede of animal print on mirror frames, plush velvet boxes and storage suitcases, and covering candles and fragrance diffusers that give off rich, heady scents. Finally, almost taking the prize of jungle VIPs, is a set of three wise monkey ornaments.
Luscious Lashes This beautifully put-together boudoir set is a super-feminine splash of pink, white and gold, with a set of peppy messages to remind every lady just how fabulous she is. After all, who doesn’t want to be greeted with a ‘hello gorgeous’, or reminded that they’re ‘too glam to give a damn’? For the all-important business of beautifying, there’s a gorgeous manicure and make-up set in a luxe case, as well as matching mirrors and trinket dishes. There are also delicate coffee cups and cute cushions, fluffy keyrings and feel-good shoppers, not to mention the ultimate in comfort, a giant onesie slipper. Meanwhile, to ensure the ambience is just so, there are two room diffusers with suitably fine fragrances, Pink Prosecco and Gardenia Rose. And when you’re all done, there’s even a properly glam mask to ensure you get your beauty sleep.
Beautiful Baby SIL have taken the traditional themes of pink for a Gorgeous Girl and blue for a Beautiful Boy and run with them. As well as the colours, there’s also a lovely design theme based on traditional children’s toys, which runs across wall art, cushions and boxes, as well as the wonderful memoryincluding pegboards and multi-view picture frames. makers, inclu Also, of course, there are charming floppy teddy A and elephant soft toys. In the more neutral range, tthere’s a set of boxes and baskets with super-soft plush rabbits on the lid, as well as a sweet teddyp head shelving unit and enchanting dreamcatcher. h
FFires T There’s nothing like settling down around a real fire – but who needs the fuss? SIL have come up with a brilliant and elegant solution in the shape of their collection of mini Fire Lights. Drawing on (mostly) co tra traditional shapes, they’ve put together a set of lights, giving all the relaxation and cosiness of a log fire at giv the flick of a switch. Choose from the sturdy square lin of the Fireplace, the elegant Victorian curves of lines the Log Burner, or the compact form of the Lantern. There’s Th also a wonderfully quirky addition in the shape of a flaming television set. Inspired by the trend for ‘slow-TV’ ‘slo shows of burning fires, it lights up at the turn of a an old-school knob to glow through the screen.
Call: 01992 718033 Ca Em sales@silplc.com Email: Visit: silplc.com Vis 88 gifts today
SIMPLY GORGEOUS
JEWELLERY AND ACCESSORIES
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AUTUMN FAIR
Hall 4 Stand H48
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Buy online at missmilly.co.uk or call: 01905 622 509
Autumn Fair
A grand affair Grand Illusions Hall 3, stand N24-P25 Grand Illusions has been offering inspiring products for the home and garden since 1987, when founders Nick Ronald and David Roberts first opened their shop in Twickenham – welcoming droves of eager customers looking to give their homes a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’. The original core principles conceived when the company first started are as relevant today as they were back then: great taste and original design at an affordable price. Inspiration for product selection and design continues to come mostly from Scandinavia and France although, increasingly, the colonies are a big influence – to look beyond Europe and explore a rich seam of history and wonderment. Having developed a furniture paint range some years ago, the obvious next step for Grand Illusions was to meet the booming demand for painted furniture with supply. Nick and David set to work, perfecting the art of distressed paint techniques and the duo published three books on decorating techniques and design inspiration. In January 2012, Grand Illusions became part of the Virginia Hayward Group of companies, allowing the brand to flourish yet further, explore new genres and continue build upon the modern vintage style that is still thriving today. The brand has just launched its mid-season brochure, which includes three brand new vintage chalk paints – Bergen, Conifer and Oyster – taking the collection to a total of 36 different colours that are available to buy in selected independent stores and online. The mid-season collection also has a sneak peek of its 2018 Christmas range with a new handmade Star Gazing glass collection, timeless vintage decorations and adorable festive wool animals to turn your home into a spectacular winter wonderland. As well as the mid-season collection, the company is working on re-launching its website with a brand-new look and feel to make it easier for customers to browse and shop online.
Visit: grandillusions.co.uk
Playtime! Paul Lamond Games Hall 5, Stand B40-C41 Prepare to win this festive games season thanks to a host of new and exciting products from games and puzzles specialist Paul Lamond. On show at Autumn Fair and now in stock is Reveal, a trivia-style board with no questions, only answers; Stupid Deaths, a family board game of grave humour; and Gogglebox 2018, a brand new fun-packed TV trivia board game based on the BAFTA-winning observational documentary series. Also available for autumn is the fun new Scrabble Memo Board, now you can have some creative fun whilst keeping track of the whole family! New this year - and perfect for the children and families market - is Kersplatt, a fast-paced and creative modelling dough game; and the Jamie Raven Ultimate Magic Set which follows hot on the heels of the range launched last year. Footie fans are in for a treat this festive season thanks to the arrival of the brand new Nanostars range. This ingenious brick-based construction range is based on top football club licences including Liverpool FC, Chelsea FC, Arsenal,
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Manchester City, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. The new collection features pitch sets, changing rooms and team bus sets, and is for ages five and over. Brand new to the Nanostands range are Newcastle and West Ham stadiums, and football lovers will adore the new licensed football club Rubik’s Cubes featuring Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, West Ham and Newcastle United.
Call: 020 7254 0100 Visit: paul-lamond.com
Free floor stand with orders of 24 pieces or more
RRP ÂŁ19.95 By Intelex Group (UK) Ltd. www.intelex.co.uk
01933 679 777
14 cover designs to choose from
sales@intelex.co.uk
Visit Us at Autumn Fair on 2nd - 5th Sept. Stand 5J16-K17
Snuggle up to our Extra Long Hot Water Bottles
The perfect gift for yourself or someone you love
Fair n m u Aut and: St 6 5L1
Manor House Home Fragrance Ltd T 01359 250720 www.manorhousehomefragrance.co.uk
Autumn Fair
Takes the biscuit! Blue Eyed Sun Hall 4, stand 4A35 Blue Eyed Sun, are adding Valentine’s, Mother’s Day and Easter collections in their gorgeous fresh new range of Everyday cards called Biscuit. Biscuit has 30 Spring designs based on original hand-painted artworks by Jo Corner. They all feature decoupage elements and are hand finished with jewels in the UK. Covering a good selection of relations and loved ones, this cute range includes loads of relations and occasions captions. Sold in sixes to trade buyers only, all of their cards are blank inside, barcoded and cello-wrapped with a coloured envelope. All are printed on board from sustainable sources. Blue Eyed Sun’s cards are available to order through their easy-to-use, trade only website, their latest brochures and they also have a team of sales agents across the country that can come in to see you with samples and help you choose the right look for your shop.
Call: 01273 823003 Email: sales@blueeyedsun.co.uk Visit: blueeyedsun.co.uk
Flying high Pioneer Europe D40/F41, Hall 4 (Cardgains stand) Pioneer Europe will be returning to Autumn Fair this September with a colourful array of products across its Qualatex balloon and Pioneer Party ranges. Throughout the show, the team will also be demonstrating popular designs as well as offering visitors the chance to enter a prize draw. With a focus on eye-catching new Microfoil shapes, the Qualatex display will include a range of new trend-led designs such as the Colourful Toucan, Potted Cactus and Radiant Rainbow balloons. All of these make perfect decorations for tropical themed parties – ideal for the forecasted Indian summer! The balloon manufacturer will also be highlighting its range of licensed balloons with a spotlight on its new Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom range. The balloon experts have enjoyed a great reception for their giant 38” Raptor Microfoil shape and the party perfect 18” Raptor balloon. Visitors will get an insight into the huge variety of quality products and services that Pioneer Europe have to offer. They will also be in with a chance to win a bottle of champagne and a place on a Qualatex training course of their choice, simply by popping their business card in the on-stand prize draw.
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Lighting up Yankee Candle Hall 4, stand D40-F41 Give home décor a little lift with the company’s new Elevation Collection. It has an elegant silhouette and stylish aesthetic that is enhanced by integrating the lid as a base. The dual-purpose lid has been specifically designed to securely fit into the bottom of the glass, providing stylish protection for most surfaces and creating a unified look – the perfect home accessory.
Visit Us At
Autumn Fair 2018
Come and see the UK’s favourite glassware supplier: where quality meets design Autumn Fair, NEC Hall 5 Stand F16
www.dandjglassware.co.uk Tel: 01953 450280
Tendence Review
Tendence is a gift! Sally Norton headed to Frankfurt in June to visit a show that was full of ideas and inspiration.
Gifts on trend
T
endence is Germany’s most international show for the second half of the year. The wide-ranging product portfolio covers home, furnishing, decorating, gifts, jewellery, fashion accessories, tableware, kitchenware, home textiles and outdoor living. It offers special shows and a wide-ranging complementary programme of events, as well as a host of new products to give bulk buyers from the international trade the chance to place orders in good time for their spring and summer collections. ‘Tendence is the summer event for the sector where we show the trade the way to a competitive future,’ said said Stephan Kurzawski, Senior Vice President, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH. ‘In this connection, the high-grade special presentations at Tendence make the fair a unique platform with important value added, especially for small to medium-sized retailers. Our primary aim is to offer visitors innovative solutions for a competitive future’.
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The organisers summed up the trends as ‘individual, sustainable and creative’. Big trends making news at the show were: • ‘Llagom.’ This new trend from Sweden replaces the cosy ‘hygge’ trend. It’s all about finding the right balance in life, doing things in moderation, not too much, not too little. This is clearly helped by calm surroundings, creating a feeling of well-being with lots of wood, concrete, stone, basketwork and, of course, textiles such as linen and wool. • Seaside. Whether it’s about beachside-style or messing about on boats, it seems we’re all heading to the shore in the coming seasons. • Colour. The colourways to watch for the autumn and winter seasons 2018 / 2019 are Bordeaux, petrol and curry, as well as the colour of the year – ultra-violet, which is now developing its impact to the full. Looking towards the spring, we can expect fresh rosé and mint tones, as well as a bright mustard. Shades of blue, denim and indigo continue to be very much in vogue. • Animals in vogue. When it came to trends, it’s clear that flamingos, hares and toucans are definitely still on trend, but llamas were definitely the biggest new arrival on the scene. What’s more, word has it that sloths are also set to be big next year – time to take it slow and watch this space! • Shiny, shiny. Gold, brass and silver are never far away when it comes to creating accents across all trends and styles. Surfaces range from highly polished to traditionally patterned, engraved or perforated and include all sorts of patina effects. As for the materials used, tactile experiences have become an absolute must. Surfaces are finely polished or are appealingly and interestingly textured to create interest. • A bit of fluff. Fine velvets, cosy artificial pelts, fluffy blankets and soft feathers were seen everywhere through the show to give products added tactile appeal.
Retailers’ Panel
Gifts Today Retailers’ Panel Key gift shop owners around the UK talk Autumn Fair, Christmas, social media... and more!
New to Retailers’ Panel!
Joanne Williams Joco Interiors, Nuneaton
Joanne, What’s the story behind your shop? We opened in April 2015 on the outskirts of Nuneaton town centre. As a single mum to two boys, I worked crazy long hours to set up, spread the word and run the shop. After nearly two years, I made the difficult decision to move to a new location in the hope this would increase the sales enough to sustain the business – I have not looked back since! Sales increased five-fold and within days I had to take on two members of staff. In fact, there are now four permanent members of staff, with this set to increase during the seasonal months. We are known locally as the Harry Potter shop and a large section of the shop is licensed products. The shop has been nominated, been a finalist and won numerous awards.
Will you be visiting any shows this quarter? Autumn Fair for two or three days, as it’s just a short drive away. I’ll be looking for some new exclusive suppliers.
Alison Chapman Wonder Stuff, Treorchy, Rhondda, South Wales Will you be visiting any shows this quarter? We’re planning to visit Autumn Fair and already thinking about what we’ll be looking for ready for Christmas. We only manage to spend one day there so we plan everything before we arrive because there’s nothing worse than wandering aimlessly. We have to get our ‘buying heads’ on, otherwise it really is a wasted journey for us.
What are you stocking up on for Christmas? Lots of useful gifts such as gloves and scarves which are always a great ‘pick me up’ gifts, especially if customers aren’t sure what to buy someone or they want to fill a stocking. We tend to sell a lot of Joe Davies’ Equilibrium range of accessories because they are a great price and are gift boxed. We will be stocking up on essentials such as Yankee Candles and Life Charms jewellery. Companies such as Temerity Jones and Nostalgic Art offer gifts that are unique to us.
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What are you stocking up on for Christmas? It’s going to be a mixture of Winter Wonderland and Nordic styling. Many of our occasions gifts will only be available online during the seasonal period, to make way for the vast number of products that I have ordered. It’s an exciting time of year but I don’t plan to have it on display until the end of October.
How important is social media to your business? It’s key. It has increased the customer base locally and built word of mouth via competitions and giveaways. I mainly use Facebook and Instagram. We also have a Twitter feed but the amount we can post very much depends on the customers in the shop during the day.
Customer service tips? We greet all our customers and ask if they require assistance; we help them with ideas for gifts, offer gift wrapping if required and thank them for visiting whether they have purchased items or not.
How important is social media to your business? We use Facebook and Instagram, but I know we need to use it more. We go through phases of using social media, generally when we have new stock in, but I know it is a great tool and we should be posting every day, especially over the next few months and in the run up to Christmas. When I do post on our Facebook and Instagram we get people coming in to buy what they have seen in one of our posts. Used daily or a few times a week, it is a very successful tool.
Customer service tips? Whoever comes into the shop - whether they are browsing, buying or just having a look – all deserve a smile!! We consider the shop as a community hub, where people meet people, come in for a chat or just to find out what’s going on in our town. We change our windows every week so if the same people walk past the shop then they will constantly be seeing something different. I believe people buy from people – it’s a simple tip, but it works for us.
Dougal Philip
Chris Beards
New Hopetoun Gardens, Broxburn
Mantons Cards Isle of Man
Will you be visiting any shows this quarter? We established our main autumn/Christmas gift ranges at Harrogate – 24 orders worth £30k at cost, which we take as available immediately as this gives us a chance to spot the best sellers and reorder these in September for Christmas sales. We will visit the Scottish Gift Fair and Glee in September to pick up some interesting lines.
What are you stocking up on for Christmas? A huge offering of potential goods for gardeners and non-gardeners, at a range of price points to cover stocking fillers, secret Santas, right up to special presents over £50. So, novelties/jokey, handbags, scarves, chocolates, mugs, garden tools, doorstops and draught excluders, pictures, wall hangings, woolly hats and gloves, things to dust…although we try to make sure all things are either beautiful or useful á la William Morris.
How important is social media to your business? We have a Facebook page which gets quite a good following but I am still to be convinced that it generates a significant amount of business at the gardens… we still favour word of mouth after a great experience and a mailing list of hard copy newsletter five times a year to 7000 of our customers.
Customer service tips? Four percent of the general public are impossible to please and we all get our share of them – share them with your colleagues to reassure yourself that it is not because you are having a bad day. But, for the rest of the world, think that you are welcoming them into your own home, smile, wish them well and watch out for buying signals that you can respond to when the customer is ready to interface seriously with you. I had to reprogramme one of our keen younger members of the staff working on the till on Sunday to not say ‘see you later’ but say ‘see you next time, having checked that she wasn’t visiting them that evening.
Will you be visiting any shows this quarter? I will be visiting both Top Drawer and Autumn Fair, looking for quality gift products that fit in with the feel of our shop. Isle of Man exclusivity and a decent margin are of course important to us, so we will also be looking at show deals from some of our existing suppliers. I feel we have a couple of product gaps to fill but may have found the right companies at Harrogate if we can agree a suitable deal for both parties.
What are you stocking up on for Christmas? Nearly all of our Christmas ordering is done, so we will only add to it if something really special comes along. We always make sure we have an amazing selection of greeting cards but have increased our gift offering greatly over the last couple of years.
How important is social media to your business? We do use social media but we are finding Facebook isn’t producing results the way it was previously. We are on Twitter and have recently started on Instagram, so everyone is welcome to follow me @mantonscards if they’d like to!
Customer service tips? For me, the main part of customer service is wanting to do the right thing for both our customers and suppliers and also building a team that is proud of offering an award-winning service. We’ve attended training courses but without the right people they would be of no value at all.
JOIN OUR RETAILERS’ PANEL! Fancy having your say about the gift industry? Want to share news about your business? Just drop editor Sally Norton an email at
sally@lemapublishing.co.uk. Look forward to hearing from you! gifts today 97
Retailers’ Panel
Emma Paisey Daisy Park, South Molton, North Devon Will you be visiting any shows this quarter? We are off to the Autumn fair in September to look for additional Christmas goodies which include Christmas gifts, possibly some more Christmas cards and accessories.
Any particular ranges doing well for you? New Ecoffee cups are doing really well for us and we’ve already put in a second order in the first week.
What are you stocking up on for Christmas? We’ve stocked up on lots of smaller gifts this year so far, with items under £10 and £20 price mark. In addition, we’ve found quirky Christmas decorations increasing in sales year on year with great decorations from Shoeless Joe & Gisela Graham. The filled advent calendars from Heathcote and Ivory have proved popular and we have increased the units this year.
How important do you think social media is to your business? Social media is extremely important to us and we use all of the major five platforms. We treat each one with a slightly different approach and we find a scattergun approach doesn’t always work. What works on one platform might not work on another platform so we tailor it to each one. Facebook is great for lots of information, competitions with lots of images and videos, but Instagram is very visual and quick and snappy but we love how you can tag products to the image which sends customers direct to the online store. Twitter is again just more if you’re onboard with a current trend and it’s a quick and easy way to jump on the trend bandwagon. It’s really important in this day and age and we have Hattie our Saturday girl who teaches us something new every week. Young people are so on trend and know all about what’s great in social media and what’s definitely not. Employ a young person - they’re in the know for sure.
Customer service tips? It comes down to the basics, be friendly, welcoming and say hello or goodbye to customers in store and online acknowledge their purchase with a small thank you note and make them feel valued.
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Karen Greig Destined for Home, Edinburgh, Scotland Will you be visiting any shows this quarter? It’s been three years since I’ve been at Autumn Fair so I’m taking the plunge and heading there instead of Top Drawer. On my first visit, I was so in awe of the scale and felt quite overwhelmed - but I was a bit like a kid in a sweetie shop to be honest!
What are you stocking up on for Christmas? Dressing gowns, soy candles, bespoke signs and natural fragrances and soaps.
How important is social media to your business? Whether you love it or hate it, it’s become a very useful tool. I’ve come to love it especially Instagram which is very successful for me. I like the interaction with followers on Instagram and Facebook. I especially like that you can now tag the product cost into your Instagram post - I get customers messaging me to ask me to put the product aside so they can pop in and get it. Twitter isn’t as good for me, probably because it works best with text and conversations rather than showing pictures.
Customer service tips? Be helpful, be honest, be personal. I provide free gift wrapping and, as a small independent business, I am always happy to share any information I have - this could be pointing someone in the direction of another independent business where they might have what the customer is looking for.
Gillian Fisher Nest & Nestlings Garstang, Lancashire Will you be visiting any shows this quarter? I will be visiting Autumn Fair this September and I am excited to see the new addition of children’s ranges as Bubble is no longer taking place.
What are you stocking up on for Christmas? We are always busy on the Nestlings side of the business coming up to Christmas and we will have some good offers on our much larger wooden toys. Our Parlane delivery for Nest is always eagerly awaited.
How important is social media to your business? We do use Instagram and Facebook to showcase new arrivals and customers do comment and come into store because of it.
Customer service tips? When it comes to customer service, you can’t beat a smile and a warm welcome!`
www.raggedrose.com
Are you looking for AUTUMN 2018
agents... if so contact: Mark Horsnell 01442 289949 mark@lemapublishing.co.uk
Unique Cushions Products that make everyone smile! Now looking for stockists 01473 241811 | gaby@bait-tech.com www.facebook.com/UKGaby
Retail Profile - White Rabbit, Norwich
Follow the White Rabbit!
Even in these difficult times, there are gift retailers who aren’t just surviving – they’re thriving! Editor Sally Norton caught up with Philip Hazlehurst, owner of Norwich’s White Rabbit gift shop, to discover why, this year, he has moved his business into bigger premises slap bang in the city centre.
B
ased in the heart of Norwich city centre at the foot of the historic castle, White Rabbit was originally founded by Philip Hazlehurst back in April 2016. However, after two years on the outskirts of Norwich , he made the decision to move the shop to Castle Meadow in the heart of the city into premises that are bigger, better and spread over two floors An independent gift shop that prides itself on offering a mix of designer brands and the very best in handmade, it offers gifts that are high on style and design but with an affordable price tag. All this and a successful online offering, as well. Philip, what’s your personal career journey to opening White Rabbit? I opened White Rabbit Gifts after being made redundant from my job as bereavement counsellor. I was starting to create my own ceramic pieces under the name Hazlehurst Ceramics and these were starting to really take off. I decided to move forward in opening a shop and spent two years in the first location on the outskirts of Norwich city centre. It became 100 gifts today
apparent quickly that this location was never going to enable the business to reach its full potential. After a lot of soul searching and research, myself and my partner Jason decided to make a huge leap of faith to invest further into the business so we could move into the city centre.
ladies’ items while our upstairs section is men’s giftware. Myself and Jason are partners in White Rabbit as well as the business upstairs which is called ‘Boys Bits’ - it made sense to split the men’s section as it didn’t really work with the White Rabbit theme. Essentially, we have two businesses in one.
Who’s on the team? Besides me, there’s my partner Jason who runs Boys Bits, and my two puppies Evie and Winnie who make sure they greet every customer with a waggy tail and a lick!
How do you go about sourcing your gift offering? We’re always very careful what products we sell, especially now we’re in the city centre. We love to discover new brands from attending trade fairs regularly and seeing if they are currently available in Norwich. We aim to offer unique items to the city as we want to stand out from other gift shops and department stores.
How did you find the new store? Our lease was up in March and we decided we couldn’t continue in that location due to poor footfall. We were desperately trying to find somewhere suitable that had everything we needed. We saw the details of this shop and, when we saw it had a split level, we dismissed it. After thinking further on it and arranging a viewing we thought, yes, this is a great idea general giftware downstairs and men’s upstairs. My lesson is never dismiss something without looking at it first. Our first floor is general giftware and
At which shows do you do most of your buying? We’ve attended London Olympia many times and found some great products. With working full time, it can be hard to go to every show but I always go through the websites to see which companies will be exhibiting. I spend a lot of time doing this and sourcing new products that aren’t readily available.
Can you describe your store? The look and feel of the shop is definitely bright, colourful and something that little bit different. I’m always very drawn to colour and this reflects in my product selection. This business also has a strong animal theme as my love of colour and animals is always reflected in my products. Do you have an average spend? The average spend in store ranges from £10- £15, the website is higher at around £25 - £35. In fact, our website brings in a huge amount of our income and about 90% of our products are currently available online. We offer a 10% code for returning customers which can be used time and time again. We offer this for our online customers as we run a loyalty card in store which gives the customer £10 off when the card is full. Our postage is also fixed at £3.95 so no matter how much you order it stays the same. How important and useful is social media to you? Social media is huge for the business, and has enabled us to rank high on
‘We aim to offer unique items to the city as we want to stand out from other gift shops and department stores’ Google by driving traffic to the website. It can be very tiring having to do it every day but it does pay off in the end. I always try to update the blog when we have new products as this then allows Google to recognise certain terminology and helps us, again, rank higher. I really don’t think we would be in the position we are in now without using social media. What are the challenges you have faced since opening the store? Definitely establishing the business again. It’s been like starting from the beginning and it takes time letting people know we’re still here. It’s a very different audience, too, which means the business really needed to tidy up displays and so on which cost more money initially. Looking back, what advice would you give to yourself when opening the store? My advice would definitely be to try and keep a buffer of money! Lots of unexpected things can crop up, and it can be extremely stressful when
they all come at once - which they usually do! What next? The plan is to keep growing our name in the city centre, as well as opening up our basement level to customers who would like to see upcycled furniture and home accessories. The plan for the future would be that we move again, but this time to a much, much bigger shop still located in the city centre.
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New Products Q&A with Katie Loxton
The face behind the eponymous jewellery and accessories brand tells us the story behind her company.
Katie, what’s your career journey to becoming founder of Joma Jewellery? I began a PR career in London but didn’t feel it was the right path for me. I went travelling across Far East Asia with my now husband Geoff, and it was in Vietnam that we first stumbled upon beautiful pieces of jewellery. On the rest of our travels we collected pieces of jewellery and in Beijing discovered a small market where you could sit and design your very own pieces from a stand adorned with semi-precious stones and sparkling silver beads. It was here I created my first collection of jewellery and, with backpacks full of the creations we travelled home, hosting a jewellery party, where friends and family could shop the pieces. With amazing feedback, we headed back to suppliers straight away and began designing new collections. What was the inspiration behind the original sentiment-driven range? We saw a gap in the market for fashionable, contemporary products with meaning and heart behind them. When we first started, this wasn’t done as much in the industry and we were one of the first to change the way gifting products used sentiments. Which products in the range have been consistent bestsellers? The ‘A Little’ bracelet was an instant hit for Joma Jewellery as soon as it launched. Carefully crafted and designed to be collected, stacked and gifted, our ‘A Little’ bracelet range is ever-growing. We now offer over 300 designs and it’s still continuing to grow. For Katie Loxton, the first piece we created, The Perfect Pouch, still remains a bestseller, and the beating heart of the brand. Each piece is stamped with sentimental gold foil sayings, making each piece personal and relatable. How did the Katie Loxton range come about? The concept we had built within jewellery had the opportunity to grow into a lifestyle brand with multiple product categories, and so we started designing new ranges of accessories, again with sentiment behind them. It’s now sold worldwide and we have offices both in the UK and USA. Can you describe the typical Katie Loxton customer? She understands quality and loves little luxuries. She’s fashionable and still loves a classic, timeless design. I think she also likes to have a little fun with her colours and style. Where are your ranges stocked? We are very careful with our placement – we work with high-end independent gift stores, some garden stores and also John Lewis, Fenwick and other department stores. We are now stocked in over 3000 stockists worldwide! Could you tell us about the Katie Loxton Franchise Stores? Opening our franchise stores has been a key part of our journey. We launched our first store in Carlisle in 2016 and following its huge success opened a new store in Chichester in June this year. We want our shops to bring luxury gifting to life in a welcoming environment and hope to grow our collection of franchise stores in the future. What are the benefits of keeping design in-house? Designing in-house gives us complete control, end-to-end, of our products and also allows us to react quickly to trends and sales. We are a team of over 15 designers, now covering product, graphic design and digital. Our team is growing rapidly. What designs have proved to be successful in AW17 and SS18 seasons? Our Avery bamboo handle bag is a key spring/summer 18 piece and our new Summer Story earring and ring sets are a great gifting piece for this season. What’s new for AW18 and SS19? For Joma Jewellery, we’re really excited to launch our Signature Stones collection. Each piece showcases real semi-precious stones and is finished with a sentiment bar, to make it that extra bit more personal. Our brand-new Christmas Crackers are completely new and unique to the gifting market and make the ultimate festive gift. For Katie Loxton, our hero piece for AW18 has to be the Suki Bag. This fashion-forward design has buckets of style, enlivened by gleaming gold hooped handles for an eye-catching finish. Our Perfect Pouches are back in beautiful new shimmering material and make the perfect set, with matching purses and cardholders. Email: enquiries@katieloxton.com Visit: katieloxton.com Email: enquiries@jomajewellery Visit: jomajewellery.com 102 gifts today
New Products New from Enesco
There are some exciting new products in the contemporary gift retailer’s line-up this season. Snow White Check out the additions to the Disney Traditions by Jim Shore collection by Enesco. The Forest Friends (Snow White Figurine) stands at 20cm tall. It depicts Snow White’s woodland friends gathering eagerly around her feet in this hand-crafted design. The sweet scene is beautifully sculpted and hand-painted in a creamy palette of soft neutrals. Completing the new line-up is Precarious Pyramid (Seven Dwarves Figurine). Also standing at 20cm tall, it depicts Snow White’s sidekicks reaching new heights in their Christmas decorating. Dressed in white robes and Santa hats, they form a garland-covered pyramid as Dopey tops the festival pile. This piece is also hand-crafted and hand-painted. Each figurine in the Disney Traditions collection reveals Jim Shore’s artistry and skill, not only in capturing the essence and magical qualities of each Disney character, but also enhancing in his own unique American folk art-inspired way through his attention to detail and hand-painted finishes.
New coupe glasses in Lolita collection In a nod to the growing trend of all things associated with the roaring 20s and Great Gatsby era, Enesco is proud to present a brandnew collection of coupe glasses from Lolita. Known traditionally as a champagne coupe or a champagne saucer, the four new glasses are synonymous with the originals in their shape and style – featuring a long stem and broad shallow bowl. Available in different designs featuring patterns and colourways famous with artist Lolita’s style, the new coupe glasses include Lavender Lemonade, Pink Lady, Bee’s Knees and Eternite. Each glass from Lolita is wonderfully exclusive – no two glasses are identical. Every Lolita glass begins life as a sketch drawn by an artist. The glasses are then mouth blown using traditional techniques and are hand-crafted. As all of the glasses are made using this method, slight variations can occur in the thickness of the rim or the weight of the product – all adding to the charm that is a Lolita glass. Standing at 18.5cm tall, each glass in the new coupe collection is gift boxed.
The World of Miss Mindy Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind. Enesco adds new Stitch figurine to The World of Miss Mindy presents Disney Collection. Thanks to Enesco and its pairing with American cartoon folk artist, Miss Mindy, a much-loved character from Lilo and Stitch appears like you have never seen before. Enesco’s growing collectable figurine range – The World of Miss Mindy Presents Disney — offers a unique twist on the character. The Miss Mindy Stitch Vinyl Figurine depicts the mischievous little blue alien dressed as a rock star super hero. Complete with cape and pop-art surf shorts reminiscent of the island backdrop where the film takes place — Stitch holds a pink ukulele in his outstretched hand, as if lapping up the applause from his adoring fans. Miss Mindy figurines are totally on-trend, featuring big heads and eyes, juxtaposed against small mouths and noses. With bright colours and bold patterns, the Miss Mindy Stitch Vinyl Figurine is no exception. The Miss Mindy Stitch Vinyl Figurine is presented in a branded gift box. Visit: enesco.co.uk gifts today 103
New Products Gaby Cushions from Bait-Tech Ltd
We catch up with Hayley Goldsmith from Bait-Tech Ltd to learn more about Gaby Cushions. Hayley, how did a fishing bait manufacturer move into distributing Gaby cushions? It certainly wasn’t in our plans to diversify as we’re busy enough, however, I came across the cushions and just thought I needed to get involved as they are so fabulous. I am responsible for my own brand, therefore I know how important it is to partner with someone who you can trust to not only grow, but look after your brand. I put my proposal to Gaby in November and they were happy with it. They are a lovely company to deal with and we share the same strong family values. We’ve been distributing in the UK since January this year and we’ve had a good response within our own industry but they fit a very broad category of consumers. What makes the cushions so special? They are great quality and they make everyone smile! The patterns, colours and attention to detail is spot on as the designers study the fish species to get the patterns right. The fabric is a lovely feel, the cushions are printed both sides and they look realistic. How have the cushions been received so far? I have taken them to several consumer shows recently to help launch the brand in the UK and get people talking about them. And of course, to test the market. The cushions have been received exceptionally well and we pretty much sell out. Do you have a target customer? Certainly the fishing enthusiasts are the first on the list, however it is a lot broader than you can imagine. Due to the large range (39 species) and colours they appeal to all kinds of people for all kinds of reasons. Younger kids love them and go for the pretty ones or the more recognisable ones, the teenagers go with the cool funky ones, adults go with ones they have a story with, or they like the unusual ones. There are many that work well as unique cushion for the home and make a talking point for visitors. The new releases for 2018 included cushions that look like logs and that’s an endless list of customers. Which cushions are the most popular? That’s a hard question to answer as it changes. Within our own industry it has been the carp cushions, however there is a real demand for the sharks at the moment due to the new film coming out. And your personal favourite? The Piranha is very cool. Plans for the future? I work in a business-to-business environment and whereas I have enjoyed launching the brand and talking to the consumers I want to find retailers in a different industry to stock the cushions and reach new customers - I don’t want people missing out on these superb products. Call: 01473 241811 Email: gaby@bait-tech.com Visit: bait-tech.com
Sock Society
Winner of Australian Gift of the year 2018 and is proving a huge hit Down Under, Sock Society has finally arrived in the UK and is exclusive to Joe Davies. These funky, bright, unisex socks make the perfect gift and their top quality & design makes their RRP of just £4.99 very impressive indeed. The socks are available with a free attractive spinner display unit, which holds 16 assorted designs in a very small footprint to maximise sales per m2. Two new ranges of socks will debut at Autumn Fair; 16 new designs in three assorted, eye catching colours. Sock Society looks set to be one of the hottest lines out there this Christmas, so early orders are advised. Call: 0161 975 6300 Email sales@joedavies.co.uk Visit: joedavies.co.uk
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New Products All in a name
Personalised Memento Co Personalised First Christmas Baubles With Christmas just around the corner, the Personalised Memento Company have been expanding their range of festive personalised baubles. New this month are their Rocking Horse 1st Christmas baubles, which are available in both pink and blue colourways. These charming ceramic baubles are the perfect way to commemorate baby’s first Christmas and they can be personalised with a name and date on the front, along with a message on the reverse side. PMC’s fast lead times and high quality personalisation processes mean that they can offer a consistently reliable service to all of their customers, even during the busiest times of the year. This also includes the Christmas period. Their simple ordering and dropshipping service has been designed with businesses of all shapes and sizes in mind. Whether you are an independent shop, an e-commerce retailer or even a large high street store, PMC have the ideal selling solution for you.
Personalised Wooden Angel Decoration The Personalised Memento Company’s new Personalised Guardian Angel is a stunning wooden decoration that can be hung on a Christmas tree or prominently around the home. These decorations are adorned with a charming bow and white wooden hearts. What’s more, each Guardian Angel can be engraved with a personal message, and is suited as a stylish Christmas decoration or an elegant and thoughtful way to remember a loved one. As with many of PMC’s personalised gifts, their guardian angels can be produced and despatched in time for next day delivery, which makes them ideal as gifts right up to Christmas. PMC require no minimum order quantities and offer an efficient and reliable drop shipping service, which enables you to sell personalised gifts without investing in stock.
Personalised Rose Gold Cufflinks PMC’s stylish personalised Rose Gold Cufflinks are a must for any fashionable gentleman and will complement any suit and shirt combination. Available in a choice of two fonts, these cufflinks are perfect for a range of formal occasions, particularly weddings and anniversary celebrations. The cufflinks can be engraved with either initials, or a short name and are presented in a black gift box. PMC supply a fantastic range of personalised rose gold gifts, with something to suit all recipients and occasions. Their new cufflinks are the latest in a range of rose gold products that also include watches, jewellery and photo frames. All items in the range are personalised by PMC and drop-shipped to your customer, creating an easy way to sell personalised gifts.
Personalised LED Unicorn Night Light The Personalised Memento Company’s new LED Colour Changing Night Lights are a fantastic gift for children. Available in unicorn, rocket and football designs, each night light can be programmed to cycle through a spectrum of colour options or to display one colour, making them a fantastic way to illuminate a child’s bedroom. What’s more, the night light can be operated by USB or battery. PMC are constantly expanding their product range, with new and innovative personalised gifts added every week. With the demand for personalised gifts continuing to grow at a rapid pace, it’s an ideal time to discover how selling personalised gifts can benefit your business. Email: sales@personalisedmemento.co.uk Visit: personalisedmemento.co.uk gifts today 105
New Products
Ragged Rose
Q&A with Dawn Rose, owner Dawn, can you tell us a little about your journey to setting up Ragged Rose? After training at the London College of Fashion, I joined the Burton group. By 24 I was one of the youngest buyers and travelled the world sourcing and creating fashion ranges. By the time I got married and had two boys I was Head of Buying at House of Fraser and then moved onto Selfridges as Head of Home. I was approached by one of my suppliers to set up a brand as I was missing the creativity of putting a range together so, in 2011, I launched Ragged Rose, taking inspiration from my garden with its vibrant colours in the heart of the gorgeous Kent countryside. Is there a typical Ragged Rose customer? Ragged Rose is as far removed from a country chintzy cottage as you can get. By contrast, my lifestyle gift and home brand is glamorous, bold and edgy. I was originally known for floral prints but this has definitely evolved into jewel coloured velvet soft furnishings along with plain cotton home textiles in stunning colours. What’s new? My focus is on velvet furniture which we launched at Harrogate Home & Gift this summer, along with UV resistant showerproof garden cushions for next Spring 2019. Call: 01622 812897 Email: sales@raggedrose.com Visit: raggedrose.com
Figgy Fox
Julie Dodsworth A brand new collection has been launched this autumn by British artisans Julie and Beth Dodsworth. The mum and daughter team were keen to add to their already successful in-house, British made fragrance collections. The new Figgy Fox is a combination of Julie’s beautiful heritage design and Beth’s keen detail for fragrance , composition and ingredients. We caught up with Beth who was very excited about the recent launch: ‘I was very keen to meet the ethical needs of lovely retailers whilst guarding that all important price point. The products are manufactured by our lovely friends at Heaven Scent who assisted me to find the beautiful orangery fragrance to complement mum’s stunning winter design.’ The collection can be found on the Julie Dodsworth trade counter with free beautiful POS for early takers. Call: 01423 360818 Email: studio@juliedodsworth.co.uk Visit: juliedodsworth.co.uk
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New Products New from Enesco
There are some exciting new products in the contemporary gift retailer’s line-up this season. Snow White Check out the additions to the Disney Traditions by Jim Shore collection by Enesco. The Forest Friends (Snow White Figurine) stands at 20cm tall. It depicts Snow White’s woodland friends gathering eagerly around her feet in this hand-crafted design. The sweet scene is beautifully sculpted and hand-painted in a creamy palette of soft neutrals. Completing the new line-up is Precarious Pyramid (Seven Dwarves Figurine). Also standing at 20cm tall, it depicts Snow White’s sidekicks reaching new heights in their Christmas decorating. Dressed in white robes and Santa hats, they form a garland-covered pyramid as Dopey tops the festival pile. This piece is also hand-crafted and hand-painted. Each figurine in the Disney Traditions collection reveals Jim Shore’s artistry and skill, not only in capturing the essence and magical qualities of each Disney character, but also enhancing in his own unique American folk art-inspired way through his attention to detail and hand-painted finishes.
New coupe glasses in Lolita collection In a nod to the growing trend of all things associated with the roaring 20s and Great Gatsby era, Enesco is proud to present a brandnew collection of coupe glasses from Lolita. Known traditionally as a champagne coupe or a champagne saucer, the four new glasses are synonymous with the originals in their shape and style – featuring a long stem and broad shallow bowl. Available in different designs featuring patterns and colourways famous with artist Lolita’s style, the new coupe glasses include Lavender Lemonade, Pink Lady, Bee’s Knees and Eternite. Each glass from Lolita is wonderfully exclusive – no two glasses are identical. Every Lolita glass begins life as a sketch drawn by an artist. The glasses are then mouth blown using traditional techniques and are hand-crafted. As all of the glasses are made using this method, slight variations can occur in the thickness of the rim or the weight of the product – all adding to the charm that is a Lolita glass. Standing at 18.5cm tall, each glass in the new coupe collection is gift boxed.
The World of Miss Mindy Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind. Enesco adds new Stitch figurine to The World of Miss Mindy presents Disney Collection. Thanks to Enesco and its pairing with American cartoon folk artist, Miss Mindy, a much-loved character from Lilo and Stitch appears like you have never seen before. Enesco’s growing collectable figurine range – The World of Miss Mindy Presents Disney — offers a unique twist on the character. The Miss Mindy Stitch Vinyl Figurine depicts the mischievous little blue alien dressed as a rock star super hero. Complete with cape and pop-art surf shorts reminiscent of the island backdrop where the film takes place — Stitch holds a pink ukulele in his outstretched hand, as if lapping up the applause from his adoring fans. Miss Mindy figurines are totally on-trend, featuring big heads and eyes, juxtaposed against small mouths and noses. With bright colours and bold patterns, the Miss Mindy Stitch Vinyl Figurine is no exception. The Miss Mindy Stitch Vinyl Figurine is presented in a branded gift box. Visit: enesco.co.uk gifts today 107
FRYSHGLASSES
INTRODUCING
Gift Givingâ&#x20AC;¦all wrapped up Enesco Limited, Head Office & Customer Services, Brunthill Road, Kingstown, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 0EN. Tel: 01228 404022 email: trade@enesco.co.uk Overseas Customer Services: Tel: +44 1228 404066 email: eurosales@enesco.co.uk © 2018 Designs by Lolita. All rights reserved worldwide. © Enesco, LLC.
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