Gifts Today Month: January 2021 Issue: 2 Volume: 32
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Virtual Showroom Coming soon. Enquire today
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The UK’s leading supplier of drop ship Personalised Gifts
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Message from the Editor
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www.giftstoday.media Instagram: @giftstodaymedia
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appy New Year! Well, I would and if executed properly clearly are a viable normally be saying that, but you alternative. know; Covid. But hold on it is not One of the biggest categories in gifting all doom and gloom, there and home decor which are glimmers of light. was the case prior Top Drawer and You might have to look to lock down and Spring Fair are a little harder for them, even more so now is having their virtual but they are there. As we candles. Indeed, the know the Spring shows Daily Mail that bastion events in the coming can’t take place, which of accurate, unbiased weeks and I urge all I know for the trade is reporting did a huge you retailers to take a disappointment for so feature a couple of many reasons, however the time to visit them weeks ago about the I have been impressed value of candles and with this industry’s ability to adapt to the how consumers can’t get enough of them. changing trading climate. Top Drawer and The feature starts on page 23 and there are Spring Fair are having their virtual events a lot of great new product releases that will in the coming weeks and I urge all you be well worth you grabbing a coffee, settling retailers to take the time to visit them. It’s into your favourite chair and seeing which taken both organisers a lot of time and ones would work well for your business. resources to get these off the ground and One of our retail interviews this month for all you buyers looking for something to is Martin Coles-Evans from Hargreaves put on your website, order for when you & Son. Astonishingly the shop has been can throw your doors open again or just to running since 1865 and within Martin’s reconnect with your favourite suppliers, it family since 1906 and despite the challenge would be of benefit to do so. To find out of lockdown has gone from strength to more about both events head to page 57 for strength, winning BIRA’s Festive Window of Spring Fair and 58 for Top Drawer. the year award, quite an achievement. Head But, the shows are not the only ones to page 38 for the full story. heading into the virtual world, many So, 2020 was a year we’d rather forget and suppliers are doing the same with both Joe 2021 appears to be the one we won’t be able Davies and Enesco being very active on to! However, with the continued ingenuity, this front. While we would all like to be at brilliance and just bloody hard work of both the Top Drawers and Spring Fairs of this retailers and suppliers I am sure we will world, virtual events are the next best thing come out of this stronger and better! The views of the contributors expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher. Comments, letters and criticism are welcome.
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Gifts Today
Contents
January 2021
p 16
Regulars 3
Message from the editor
8
News
10 Exhibition news 16 Cover Story Wax Lyrical We check out our cover star’s six super new collections as they boldly move forward in 2021
Retail 18 Hargreaves
p 22
Gifts Today team
Martin Cole-Evans discusses the business his family has operated for over a century and how adapting has been a key to their success
Editor
Sally Norton sally@lemapublishing.co.uk
p62
Supporting Editor
20 Retailers’ Panel Introducing the latest members of our Panel – key gift shop owners around the UK
38 Hawley Garden Centre
Rachel King rachel@lemapublishing.co.uk
Darrell East shares his views on operating during some of lockdown and his plans for the coming Spring season
Advertisement Manager
Mark Horsnell markh@lemapublishing.co.uk
42 Trade Talk
Layout/Design
Leading figures in the gift industry talk candles, sustainability and the year ahead
Rick Vickers rick@lemapublishing.co.uk
Special features
Managing Director
Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk
24 Candles With so many people spending more time at home, Candles have been big sellers and customers have plenty of options to choose from
Production Director
Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk
40
Chairman
Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk
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InStyle
44 Eco Feature Having products which are eco-friendly and sustainable is becoming more important, we look at some of the ways suppliers are meeting the demand
48 New Products Fabulous new ranges to discover from leading giftware companies
57 Spring Fair Preview 58 Top Drawer Preview
p 48
Opinion
Lema Publishing Ltd
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12 The Giftware Association 59 Small Business Britain
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News Enesco Launches Virtual Showroom Enesco has launched a virtual showroom to welcome customers unable to visit in person. With current restrictions limiting people’s movement, Enesco have launched a brand-new virtual showroom for customers to visit from the comfort of their home. The showroom can be accessed from anywhere at any time and links directly to their website, www.enesco.co.uk which has all the details of their January product launch. Orders can be placed, check stock or get the latest pre-packs at a time and place that is suitable to you. If you would prefer a catalogue, they will be sent to Enesco customers in late January. Customers can still contact their Area Sales Manager by phone, email or Teams for any other enquiries.
Gibsons Virtual Trade Showcase With many trade shows cancelled or postponed, the team at Gibsons are hosting their own virtual event in February for buyers to see new releases, confirm orders and more. The virtual show will be held from February 1-5 and take the form of an online conference. The event will give buyers the opportunity to partake in a private showcase of Gibsons’ new product releases, have one-to-one meetings with the Gibsons team and confirm listings for the year. Participants will also have exclusive access to the ‘Virtual Hub’, an online portal that features brand updates, new product collections and video content. “Our Virtual Showcase is the perfect chance for us to catch up with the customers who we haven’t seen since the trade shows last year,” said Samantha Goodburn, Marketing Manager. “We can’t wait to reveal our new product releases and hope this event really kickstarts the year.” Book your meeting at www.gibsonsgames.co.uk or email them at show@ gibsonsgames.co.uk
Flame Tree Signs AMP Distribution Deal Flame Tree Publishing have signed on to distribute calendars and diaries for the 2022 season of Andrews McMeel Publishing (AMP) in the UK and Ireland. Andrews McMeel are the premier American publisher of popular culture, savvy humour and progressive dated and undated seasonal products, and the catalogue includes properties such as Thomas Kinkade, Disney Kinkade, The Far Side®, Dilbert, Peanuts and Bob Ross. The ranges were previously distributed by BrownTrout UK. 8 Gifts Today
Joe Davies Postpone ‘At Home’ Show Joe Davies are remaining open to supply retailers but have rescheduled their ‘At Home’ show till March 1-12 due to the latest lockdown restrictions and to ensure the safety of visitors and their staff. Paul Hooker, Commercial Director explained “Moving the show to March will mean that many more of our customers will be able to safely attend. We really can’t wait to give them a warm Joe Davies welcome.” The company are remaining open with reduced staff throughout January and February to maintain supplies to essential retailers such as Post Offices, Pharmacies, Garden Centres and online retailers. Paul added, “We remain here for independent retailers to help in any way we can, we have a number of customers offering click and collect services along with essential retailers that are still trading. We also have deliveries arriving from the Far East for us to receive. We have implemented all the measures you would expect to keep our staff safe.” Joe Davies can be contacted on 0161 975 6300 where their staff will be happy to help with any enquiry.
Good Retail Awards Finalists The finalists for the 2021 Good Retail Awards have been announced, featuring retailers from a variety of sectors including Stationery and Gifts. The shortlists for the Good Retail Awards have been revealed with talented retailers from across the country vying for wins across six categories. Stationery Supplies in Marple has been shortlisted for two categories, the Bricks ‘n’ Clicks Award and the Community Award, the only store to achieve that feat this year. Proving that it doesn’t matter what aspect of retail you are in to be
considered as leaders in the field, a variety of sectors are represented among the finalists. Everything from wildlife products to clothing shops, cafes to kitchenware, a rug retailer and a deli, join Home and Giftware retailers such as Gracie Jaynes, Agha Home, eatsleepdoodle and Hoogaly as some of the entrants who have been shortlisted for their creativity, community involvement and innovation. The winners will be announced in a special ceremony during Spring Fair @ Home on February 8.
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News
International Consumer Goods Show cancelled Messe Frankfurt cancel the International Consumer Goods Show due to ongoing regulations and travel restrictions due to the pandemic. Back in September 2020, Messe Frankfurt postponed several events that had been scheduled for the first quarter and made the decision to combine Paperworld, Christmasworld and Ambiente into one consumer goods event in April. In light of ongoing regulations and travel restrictions, this International Consumer Goods Show has now been cancelled. Events are effectively banned in Germany, and ongoing international travel restrictions mean that it is impossible to make any trade fair plans for April or May 2021. “The coronavirus pandemic has taken centre-stage, and our plans have not escaped its impact. In light of the current situation, it would not be possible for us to satisfy our customers’ requirements for international trade fairs in April or May,” said Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt. An annual spring event is essential for the trend-based order cycles in the consumer goods and textile industries, which means that postponing these events until the second half of the year would not serve the interests of exhibitors. While physical events are not possible, Messe Frankfurt has created numerous digital offerings for its customers. Consumer Goods Digital Day on April 20, 2021, offer customers the opportunity to get together at a digital location where they can obtain information. This content will be supplemented by the opportunities presented by Nextrade, the first order and data management portal for the home and living sector. Detlef Braun said, “The ongoing shutdown of retailers in our visitor countries has made relevant up-to-date information and solutions essential, and we are satisfying this demand with our digital offerings during this volatile time. As you know, we are also continuing to do everything in our power to make safe and successful trade fairs possible, because nothing can take the place of face-to-face encounters.” New dates for the 2022 events are: Christmasworld from 28 January to 1 February 2022 Paperworld and Creativeworld from 29 January to 1 February 2022 Ambiente from 11 to 15 February 2022 10 Gifts Today
Harrogate Christmas & Gift Moves to May Festive trade show, Harrogate Christmas & Gift, has been postponed to May 9-11, 2021. Harrogate Christmas & Gift was fortunate enough to be one of the few UK trade shows able to experience ‘business as usual’ in January 2020, just weeks before COVID and subsequent social restrictions hit the news. However, in 2021 things have been different with the restrictions and logistics for staging trade events proving everchanging and complex. The show organisers have now made the decision to postpone the event until May 9-11 in the hope that restrictions have eased by that time. Simon Anslow, Harrogate Christmas & Gift Show Organiser explained, “After the first lockdown in spring 2020, our January show seemed a long way off and believing that the COVID situation would be under control by then, we carried on with plans as usual. By autumn, it became apparent that this was becoming less likely and with the Prime Minister stating that it could be a further six months before exhibitions could re-open, we started to look at Plan B.” With the Harrogate Convention Centre being used as a Nightingale hospital, the team have sourced an alternate location in The Yorkshire Event Centre (YEC) which is situated on the edge of Harrogate and has excellent modern facilities, great accessibility and is close to the town and amenities.
The local authority confirmed in December that multiday exhibitions would be allowed providing the correct Covid measures were in place but with the new variant, Tier 4 restrictions and January’s national lockdown, sadly it meant the show would not be able to go ahead in February as planned. Simon continued, “Ultimately the most important thing is the safety of everyone involved in the show and the majority of the exhibitors signed up are keen to participate in Harrogate Christmas & Gift as and when it is able to happen. We are delighted to confirm that we have now secured new dates for the show from Sunday May 9-11, 2021 at the Harrogate Convention Centre and will keep everything crossed that the Covid situation is under control and we are able to continue with plans by this time.” Visit the website at www.harrogatefair.com for the latest information and updates.
BLE 2021 Dates Confirmed The Global Licensing Group has announced the 2021 dates for Brand Licensing Europe and Licensing Expo and the new format for the events. Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) will be held at ExCeL London on November 17-19, followed by an online event two weeks later on November 30-December 1, 2021. This year has proven that the need to meet faceto-face is paramount, however the flexibility and convenience of an online event setting is also useful, particularly in terms of fostering IP exploration, new connections and thought leadership. The shift to a multiplatform format will blend the best components of inperson and online to create an enhanced experience for all participants no matter their circumstances or location. Supported by a robust online platform, exhibitors and visitors will have access before, during and after
the events to schedule and host meetings, enjoy on-demand content and discover the widest range of properties available for license anywhere in the world. “We truly understand the importance of relationships and in-person connections to the licensing industry and have therefore made the decision to move both events to a time later in the calendar year,” said Anna Knight, Vice President of the Global Licensing Group. “In addition, we have also seen a fantastic response to Licensing Week Virtual, which we ran in June, and October’s month-long celebration Festival of Licensing. Following consultation with many of our customers, we have decided to carry forward the successful elements of these virtual events and learnings from them to run alongside our in-person events in 2021 and beyond.
Design Nation at Top Drawer Design-Nation is delighted to return yet again to the January edition of Top Drawer London, this time in its virtual format. Design-Nation will present a group of original designer/makers who are creating the best handmade products for homes and gifts. Their nine exhibitors for the ss21 edition bring a selection of quality items including ceramic, jewellery, leather, textile and wood. The artworks, fashion accessories and homeware span a variety of styles, incorporating contemporary and traditionally-inspired artisan techniques. Their exhibitors being showcased are: BAKKA and Majeda Clarke (knitted and woven textiles respectively), Carin Lindberg, Lucy Spink and Mari Thomas (jewellery), Caroline Egleston (ceramic tiles), Linescapes (illustration-based products), Sally Burnett (wooden vessels) and Wolfram Lohr (leather goods for home and wear).
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BAG HIM THE PERFECT GIFT Buying him a gift doesn’t have to be hard. Mad Man, our new distributorship is bursting with cool and quirky tech and lifestyle gifts that put the fun in functional. The perfect gift is in the bag!
GT CONTRIBUTOR: The Giftware Association – Sarah Ward
Top Trends for 2021 The Gift of the Year competition is a great avenue to see what new trends are hitting the market, as Sarah Ward from the Giftware Association reveals.
Sarah Ward
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The judges have subconsciously judged the winning products with an eye for ethical production and sustainability
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12 Gifts Today
W
ith the absence of trade shows, consumer fairs, markets and any types of physical events so far this year, The Giftware Association finds itself in an extremely fortunate situation with the amount of trend information that our annual Gift of the Year competition gives us. It’s around this time where we will know who the winners and highly commended products are, and all entrants will have the long wait until Spring Fair to announce them on the first day. This year being slightly different for everyone, we have run 22 top secret zoom ceremonies for each of the individual categories to announce the winners and highly commended, don’t miss these recordings which can be viewed live at the Spring Fair @ Home event from February 8, 2021. Going back to the entered products and the celebrated gifts, it gives us a brilliant insight into what is happening in the home and giftware world, especially what the current trends are. We know a lot of the judges use the competition as a buying platform to find the best new gifts on offer from suppliers and manufactures but they also keep track of the latest trends which you can see throughout every category of the competition, and especially without live events to actually see which products are proving most popular. This year the main trending theme is sustainability. Nearly all
the products we have seen that have performed well have had some element of sustainability, whether that’s the manufacturing processes or the materials used. It has shown a real caring side to the industry and also proves that companies have been listening to what’s been going on in the world. The amount of recycled or sustainably sourced materials for products was much higher this year than previous years and so was the number of products that give back to society, whether that was a form of donation to a charity or the physical act of planting a tree or flowers for future generations. We usually ask the judges to judge the products on seven different factors including customer appeal, presentation and packaging and quality of build, but this year I think the judges have subconsciously judged the winning products with an eye for ethical production and sustainability. It hasn’t just been within the ethical category either, it has spilled into all categories which is fantastic to see. It is reassuring to know that giftware producers and manufactures are listening to the end consumers and their continuing desire for sustainable items. DIY kits have always been popular within the competition, and now kits that you can send through the post has never been more popular due to the lockdown environment. A lot of products
have evolved to be able to be sent flat-packed, especially home baking kits. With the increase of people working from home and home-schooling these kits have been invaluable to children’s and adult’s mental health and wellbeing. It has definitely been a year of baking and some of the finalists in our food and other categories have proved that. While these trends are hot for 2021, we will have to see how long they last, it is the nature of trends after all. The sustainability trend is probably going to continue as people’s consciousness of the environment and ethical work practices grows. While DIY kits will no doubt evolve and change as consumers get more adventurous in their cooking practices or want to take up new hobbies, and when restrictions are eased, post sized packaging may not be the top priority and something else will take the lead. Of course, there are also colour trends, popular materials and even the desire to buy local or UK made items too that should be remembered when thinking about trends for the year. But whatever considerations you make when it comes to trends, having something new, different and eye-catching will help draw customers in.
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Profile Flair
Give the Gift of Trudi! Flair Leisure Products Introducing Trudi This year, Flair has gifting all wrappedup, with its premium plush range Trudi. Founded in Italy, Trudi has long been a brand of choice among gift buyers, with its heritage spanning more than 65 years. The softest of first companions that will be treasured for years to come is the backbone of plush brand Trudi. Renowned for its high-quality, irresistibly soft toys with refined designs, Trudi recreates the animals of the world in the finest of plush. Carefully crafted to last a lifetime, these soft toys make wonderful gifts that will be cherished by children of all ages, including those in their infant years. Plus, because the range is so comprehensive, Trudi caters for all sizes and tastes.
14 Gifts Today
A peek into the portfolio A product line that has a particularly giftable nature is the Trudi Love Box collection. This special package includes a high-end Trudi plush pal, hidden love message and an envelope – all hidden inside its own surprise reveal gift box! Whether Valentine’s Day or other occasions the Love Box Long Ears Assortment of Elephant, Dog, Bunny and Donkey make for the perfect show of affection. Adorable and a great place to start with Trudi is the Classic plush range, which includes some of the world’s best-loved animals. Hand-made and carefully stitched, the eight animals in the collection are available in small and medium sizes. These are plush toys that should feature in every child’s collection! For an extra helping of cuteness, there’s the Trudini range! Carefully designed with the same level of detail as their older brothers, each of the six miniatures in the collection comes in its own adorable Trudini bag. Meanwhile, Fluffies are the super cute cuddly cub characters with longer plush. The extra-long fur enhances their full bodies and tender baby face impressions. Next up, the puppet show will go on, thanks to the lovely lineup of Trudi Puppets! Making for a
beautiful soft toy or a fun puppet for play, Trudi Puppets are designed to stimulate the imagination and encourage storytelling. Kids can collect a cast of eight colourful characters; each puppet is characterised by simple colours and an open smiley face. Last up, and offering something at a lower price point, Trudi Charms make for an ideal playmate that children can take wherever they go! Children will love the collectable nature of these adorable fluffy characters – the perfect back to school bag accessory! Their loop makes these cute little plush pals easy to attach to backpacks, loop over bedframes, hang on door handles, and more!
What’s to come? While Spring will see the arrival of new characters, as well as whole new segments added to the range, Flair has also committed to significant investment in the brand, with the promise of continual refreshments within the collection, as well as plenty of exciting marketing and PR activities planned throughout the year. Gift retailers can look forward to further extensions within the traditional plush range, with some incredibly appealing new gifts, such as the new Trudi Bags and the
Cremino Bears with Music Box! These new lines are expected to launch in Spring and come with some great instore display options.
A go-to brand for plush gifting Something that sets Trudi apart from other plush ranges at retail is that it’s not just great for cuddling – it’s also a brand of choice for Instagrammers, as these premium quality soft toys look beautiful in photographs! For this reason, Flair is choosing social media to connect with consumers and drive emotions with aspirational and highquality content over the course of the year. As part of its planned marketing and PR support for Trudi, Flair is running a fantastic social campaign that involves some familiar celebrity faces. This activity also involves many high-profile UK-based Instagram influencers and bloggers. The purpose of this campaign is to create a strong pull at retail by raising the brand’s profile and ensuring that Trudi is widely recognised for its exceptional quality and Instagrammable appeal. To find out more about Trudi, call Flair on 0208 643 0320 or email sales@flairplc.co.uk. To view the current range online, head to the company website: www.flairgp.co.uk/trudi
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GT COVER STORY: Wax Lyrical
Wax Lyrical Street Mythology
Yvonne Ellen with new Wax Lyrical range
Super Six If tomorrow is defined by the choices we make today then Wax Lyrical is choosing to be bold, beautiful and brilliant releasing six super new collections for 2021.
L
i ke everybody else, the team at Wax Lyrical are ready for 2021. After contending with all that 2020 dealt them including pausing to help manufacture hand sanitiser for the NHS, they kept looking ahead and designed visually gorgeous new collections with some irresistible fragrances for the new season and new year – with more to follow in the summer. The tantalising new collections instantly get plenty of positive reactions for both their look and smell. Visually, the collections for Yvonne Ellen and Street Mythology, are stand out candles and diffusers to enhance any home décor. Wax Lyrical launched the Yvonne Ellen home fragrance collection in 2018 and following its success, they are excited about Yvonne’s brand new 2021 premium collection, which sounds as fun as it is beautiful. Playful fragrances including Purrfect Day, Rock Your Spots Off and Party Animal feature saffron, jasmine, bergamot, lemon & lime, patchouli, vanilla, rosemary and oakwood, to name just a few. The premium quality candles and diffusers are housed in exquisitely decorated china. The 16 Gifts Today
unique designs have been inspired by vintage hat boxes and playful watercolour animals from Yvonne’s image library. The items make stunning gifts, with their detailed packaging and reusable elements. The ceramic vessel is in a trinket box style and is presented with a reusable Yvonne Ellen logo branded cotton drawstring bag, inside the luxury hat box style packaging, making them a desirable gift for a loved one. The fragranced reed diffuser is also in an exquisitely designed ceramic vessel to adorn the home beautifully, making the refill a must have purchase and creating a perfect gift and the potential for return customers. Meanwhile, Street Mythology is striking, eye-catching and different in all the right ways. The design and attention to detail holds the focus as more elements are noticed. Featuring stunning ceramics in a high-quality display rigid presentation box with gold foil branding - if pick-up-able was a word, Street Mythology epitomises it. The Street Mythology range have rich designs which were inspired by mystery, intrigue and exotic travel. The ceramic candle and diffuser vessels contain sophisticated
fragrances that were historically revered for their rarity and unique aromas. The New Year brings new opportunities as Wax Lyrical is very aware. Jacqui Gale, Chief Commercial officer of Portmeirion Group and Wax Lyrical says customers start refreshing their homes in January, as she Dahlia Bloom & Forgotten Fern
Yvonne Ellen’s with new Wax Lyrical range Sophie Conran Energies
explained, “For us, January is the new spring. Our customers are making changes in each room, brightening the gloom by making sure their home is their sanctuary and they are sending candles and diffusers to their loved ones to show they are thinking of them.” “We might have the new year vigour but one thing which remains constant, is our passion. It’s what we do. We faced 2020 head on and we
collections like Colony and Made in England remained very popular throughout the year and over Christmas. “Our Fired Earth and RHS ranges were also firm favourites, as of course was Wrendale, so we’re delighted to launch some new exquisite designs to the natureinspired, Hannah Dale collection,” she said. Classic British bone china Wrendale vessels will be adorned by six new candle designs. Each adorable candle illustrates life occasions through the eyes of the cutest bunny, including Hoppily Ever After, Grow Your Own and Hoppy Birthday. There will also be four new Meadowsweet scented character illustrations ready this spring and more new treats for Christmas 2021. Jacqui also unveiled another new collection, “We are delighted to be expanding the 10year partnership between Portmeirion and the wonderful designer Sophie Conran. Refined, stylish, balanced, Sophie Conran is bringing
Street Mythology is striking, eye-catching and different in all the right ways.
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Street Mythology can’t wait for customers to start getting their hands on our 2021 collections.” But says Jacqui, it’s not a case of totally out with the old and in with the new. “Our focus isn’t new, it is continually evolving to reflect what customers demand – new collections but also extensions to popular ranges.” While preparing to celebrate 40 years of manufacturing home fragrance, Wax Lyrical responded to the Government’s request for help last March and made hand sanitiser for the NHS. Candles and diffuser manufacturing resumed and Jacqui says long standing
her craft and style into home fragrance with the unique range of thoughtful scents - Energies. With seven Energies to choose from: Strength, Freedom, Purpose, Balance, Communication, Clarity and Wisdom each beautifully balanced fragrance is aligned to chakras, or, energy centres and designed to restore a sense of equilibrium to our lives. We could all do with that in 2021.” The HomeScenter range is already a very popular range of candles and diffusers designed specifically to remove unpleasant odours and replace them with a choice of six fragrance combinations. Wax Lyrical is extending this
range with two new fragrances. HomeScenter gives premium fragrances a place in the home, whilst controlling unwanted smells with the help of OdourazeTM which is skilfully blended in each product. The signature scent of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh has been released as No 7 along with No 8 which is White Tea & Jasmine. Stylish designs, frosted glass, a rustic lid and fabulous colours complete the joy. “We first created Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh twenty years ago,” says Jacqui. “It is a favourite we usually release as a limited edition each winter but it has proven its popularity to be deserving of a yearround availability. We are also launching HomeScenter Pets, a collection of three new fragrances, which will be leaping into 2021. Pet odours are taken care of, leaving us to love our furry friends even more.” Jacqui said there was even more to come in 2021. “Just like everyone else, we are very much ready for 2021. We’re kick starting the year with these super six new collections, perfect timing for Valentine’s and Mothers’ Day gifts. But we have more home fragrance collections to launch this summer and very soon we will be unveiling a whole new range of hand care products. It is very exciting times.” Wax Lyrical products have never failed to excite and please customers, something National Account Manager Gary Ponsford is passionate about. “We love to hear firsthand from customers who are delighted with the designs and fragrance of our products but the relationship is so much more than that. We work with customers to match which of our collections is best suited to their client base. In addition to point of sale for instore, we can provide digital assets to help our customers sell online – something which is extremely important.”
If the new Wax Lyrical 2021 collections have caught your eye, give Gary a ring on 01229 461100 or contact him on gponsford@wax-lyrical.com Gifts Today 17
Retail Interview:
Hargreaves
The Bira Award-winning Window
Evolving & Adapting Martin Coles-Evans from Hargreaves & Son in Buxton, Derbyshire recently took out Bira’s Best Festive Window Display competition. We talk to him about his long-running business and how the various lockdowns are impacting how he operates. How did you come to set up your own business?
Did you trade at all during any of the lockdowns?
Hargreaves has been trading since 1865 and has been in my family since 1906. I was brought into the business by my parents after leaving college education.
We have traded continuously through all of the lockdowns with our website and click and collect services taking over from our usual customer face-to-face trade.
How many of you are there on the team? Our team is 11 strong across our shop and café. How have the various lockdowns and restrictions been for you? They have been very tough mentally and financially with each lockdown bringing new problems, but we have overcome these hurdles so far and are stronger as a result. 18 Gifts Today
You won Bira’s Best Festive Window Display, why did you decide to enter? Why not? We always like to do a great window display at Christmas and a potential prize would be a great positive in a year of many negatives. What did your customers say about your win? We have a reputation of presenting great window displays and our local and national customers gave lots of praise via our social media.
Yankee Candles
What’s your online and social media presence like? We have a good presence online and our social media is very active. It has been the most useful tool for customer engagement for the last several years and even more important during lockdowns. What do you feel makes your shop so special/different to the rest? Our shop has its own unique style, steeped in history, but also offering new and trending products for our customers. We have a good mix of traditional and modern for all who visit us. As we are so well-established, we see many generations of the same families pass through our doors with some becoming good friends. What range of greetings and gifts merchandise do you offer? Our gifting department includes home fragrance, diffusers, candles, wax melts, soaps, wall art, vases, collectibles and sculptures, artificial flowers and greeting cards from specialist and wellknown brand names.
Gisela Graham
We always like to do a great window display at Christmas and a potential prize would be a great positive in a year of many negatives
Le Creuset
What are some of your biggest selling categories/brands?
research existing and new suppliers who can offer me these products.
Maison Berger, Bloomingville, Grand Illusions, Dartington Crystal are some of our biggest brands.
What’s next?
Bestsellers since lockdown? Maison Berger lamps and soaps of any kind have been very popular.
Last year has been a year of evolving and adapting to the new way of retail. This year will be no different and we will be investing time and money in the new ways we engage with our customers.
Do you have a typical customer? Almost all of our customers are ladies from their 30s - 65+. They know what they want and appreciate good quality items. How important are British-made and Eco products to you? Eco products are definitely a permanent part of retailing now and we offer a dedicated area for this in store. Britishmade products will be more important this year as we are all wrapped in Brexit bureaucracy. Sadly, there will be less choice for the customer for retailers not wishing to import because of additional costs and red tape. What trends do you predict will be big in 2021? We have seen great growth in home decor, as customers have invested in their homes because of the lockdowns and are having to work from home. Looking back, what advice would you give to others setting out on the same journey? Do it and don’t look back! You only learn from failing. Regret for not starting a new venture is not something you want to be remembered for. Where does most of your inspiration come from given physical trade shows aren’t happening at present? I follow trends on social media to see what is current and upcoming then
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Gifts Today
RETAILERS’ PANEL The latest members of our Panel – key gift shop owners around the UK – are both finalists in the Good Retail Awards and give us some insight into their stores
Do you carry any candles in your shop, which ones? Yes, currently we have True Grace, St. Eval, Branch D’Olive, Blomus, Sandy Bay, Royal Botanical Gardens and Kew. We also have Stoneglow and others seasonally.
Maria Aghababaie Agha Home Winchmore Hill How did you get into retail? We are artists and makers with a background in fine art, sculpture, interior architectural design and theatre. Inspired by our work in these fields we were excited by the idea of bringing creativity and design to the home so 15 years ago we launched our gallery/ shop to present our own furniture designs with 3D printed lighting, wall art, followed by homeware and gifts. What’s the story behind your business? Today we are still excited and continue to be informed by our artistic projects and are committed to sharing our passion for art and design in the home by bringing together carefully sourced and 20 Gifts Today
thought through collections of fine homeware and gifts with real wow factor and many with their own ethical story. What mix of gifts do you offer in your store? We offer home accessories, home fragrances, gifts for him, her and children, jewellery, wall art, preserved flower arrangements and bespoke centre pieces.
Where do you usually find inspiration for your stock? We are inspired by Scandinavian design so tend to go back to companies we have worked with but also ethnic design is wonderful too. We have certain brands we stay with but look also for small local businesses producing sustainably.
Will you be participating in any of the virtual trade fairs over the Spring?
Are sustainable or eco-friendly products something your customers want? What do you have that meets this need?
We are not taking part but will definitely be looking out for all that’s on offer in the virtual fairs!
Our customers definitely appreciate eco-friendly and sustainable products. So, we
“We are committed to sharing our passion for art and design in the home by bringing together carefully sourced collections of fine homeware and gifts”
have home fragrance ranges, reusable drinking bottles, wallets, stationery, and gadgets, jewellery all eco-friendly and sustainably made and packaged. What are your plans for 2021? We are thinking about designing and producing more of our own products and hopefully make them with local craftsmen and women.
What are your plans for 2021?
Gracie Jaynes Ibstock How did you get into retail? I’ve been in retail since I was 7, albeit a different kind to I am now. My parents own a car service and repair garage and I’ve always had a keen interest in business. In 2015 I had my little boy, Archie, and decided I wanted to start my own little business. It was genuinely only ever planned to be a bit of a weekend hobby. What’s the story behind your business?
‘
Having a keen passion for home interiors, when my son Archie was born in May 2015 and I had some time at home, I decided it was ‘now or never’. It’s a funny story as to how we started, we won a TV in a raffle and used the money we got from selling it (£800) to start Gracie Jaynes. I’ll always remember sitting at the kitchen table trying to decide which items we could start the business with, as a lot of the initial investment was spent on other things, like a website (which has since changed
twice!) a logo (which has also changed!) flyers, carrier bags etc. It didn’t actually leave a huge amount for stock, but we chose a few items and it grew from there. What mix of gifts do you offer in your store? We offer a range of gifts which complement our home décor ranges. East of India is a popular range for us, along with gift boxed candles from various suppliers and jewellery. We work with a local company ‘Just Jules’ to provide our jewellery ranges which our customers love. We also tend to find that gift vouchers are a huge hit, especially in the current times, as people can order an e-voucher on our website and send it directly to their friends, totally contact free. Our home décor range is vast and customers often choose to purchase a jar, bowl, vase, throw, cushion etc for a gift too.
There is no doubt that lockdown allowed us to reach new customers
‘
Gracie Hammond
Will you be participating in any of the virtual trade fairs over the Spring? Definitely. We loved Autumn Fair
Grow! We saw incredible growth in 2020, there is no doubt that lockdown allowed us to reach new customers, as so many people were decorating their homes and gardens, wanting to send gifts to friends they couldn’t see or just needed something to pick themselves up a little. We are actively taking on more staff, increasing our product ranges and looking at new areas to expand into which complement our current offering. at home last year and in some ways, we got more from it than when we visit! We never have the time in our days to attend seminars etc usually, but found it really useful that we could on this one. Don’t get me wrong, the actual shows are the best option, but it’s a case of looking at the positives right now! Where do you usually find inspiration for your stock? We always find a huge amount of inspiration at the trade shows and supplier showrooms but we also take a lot of inspiration from Instagram. I love to follow gorgeous home accounts. Do you carry any candles in your shop, which ones? We do, but no specific range. We’ve trialled different ranges and have generally found that actually our customers come to us for a variety of candles, rather than a particular brand being the same all the time.
Are sustainable or ecofriendly products something your customers want? What do you have that meets this need? This isn’t something that we specifically market our product offering to, but we are absolutely conscious of the environment. In August we totally changed our packaging systems, and invested in a Papillion paper machine, so we use scrunched paper where at all possible, it is more protective than you’d imagine! We also purchase all of our packaging from a company who input a percentage of all of the boxes we buy back into planting trees. We generally feel that an ecofriendly range should be vast and that at this moment in time, we wouldn’t necessarily put it alongside our products which aren’t catered to that specific market. Gifts Today 21
Profile
Product The Orangery Collection Focus Candles Fragrance
Exciting European Interiors Tell us about The Orangery Collection? The Orangery Collection is a home interiors agency with a passion for cutting edge design. We’ve just celebrated our fifth year in business. We travel all over Europe to discover exceptional and conscientious European design houses and introduce these brands to the U.K. & Irish retail scene. We are proud to be the exclusive partner of PTMD Collection, Amsterdam and Wax Design, Barcelona, who both exhibit admirable ethics and distinctive collections. PTMD Collection is a renowned Dutch lifestyle brand that unites design, craftsmanship, and affordable luxury to create interior spaces full of warmth, comfort, and well-being. The PTMD team collaborate with exceptional artists to create their signature daring aesthetic. With a boundless love for innovation and craftsmanship, their collection spans across over 8000 unique designs. This season, we’re very excited to introduce our new partner, Wax Design!
Imagined at their Barcelona design house, Wax Design’s home interiors collection is an emblem of thousands of years of Iberian heritage. Wax Design believe in careful sourcing and ecological responsibility; from vegetable wax candles fragranced with essential oils that transform into ceramic plant pots, to recycled glassware sculpted into artisan pieces in their signature Mediterranean colour hues; this brand has warm intentions. What home accessories do you supply to the U.K. market? PTMD are a home accessories powerhouse! With over 8000 unique, limited edition creations, their collection spans across their signature collection of interior house plant pots, faux botanical, statement lighting, elegantly industrial furniture, mirrors and wall art, home accessories and a vast catalogue of thousands of Christmas designs. Wax Design lovingly create a collection of luxury essential oil home fragrances, in the form of candles, diffusers and room sprays. They have recently presented a collection of exceptional Mediterranean home interiors. Who are your customers? Our customers are a colourful array of innovative, artisan companies with a keen eye for trends and quality. We supply independent home and interior stores, florists and boutique garden centres!
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What are some of your topselling products? With PTMD we always like to say our whole collection! Everything PTMD designs is a limited edition, meaning that once a design has sold through, we move onto a new and exciting creation. In terms of particular categories that are currently excelling, the houseplant revolution shows no sign of slowing down, so their signature collection of interior pots is always very popular, as well as their bestselling faux botanical collection which is fantastic to recreate this aesthetic without the need for upkeep. Wax Design is very new to the market, but their ceramic home fragrance collection is already doing well. Handcrafted in Portugal, their ceramic collection’s kaleidoscopic geometric surfaces harmoniously intermingle with their organic colour palette. Their vegetable wax is scented with the finest French fragrance with natural perfumes crafted from the purest essential oils designed to create alluring aromatic spaces. On a mission to create designs with longevity, Wax Design’s ceramic candle collection can enjoy a second life as an upcycled plant pot. Do you have any new ranges for Spring 2021? PTMD has just launched four brand-new catalogues. With thousands of new unique designs, PTMD’s collection of home interiors seeks to transform spaces into fantastical retreats away from the chaotic nature of reality. Tumbledown into an otherworldly oasis with their SS21 collection's organic design which include flora statement lights and regal predatory fauna statues, striking foiled wall art and
a dramatic display of their best-selling faux botanical collection. PTMD have also launched their 2021 Christmas Edition, featuring thousands of alternative festive designs. Their Dutch-designed items include unique decorations, festive faux botanical and quirky seasonal interior décor. This edition has a pre-applied discount of 1015% for booking your stock in advance. In Spring 2021, we are launching our new design house, Wax Design and every design presented is brand new to the market, so we’re really excited to develop this brand with our existing and future customers! What sets The Orangery Collection apart? We have a vision to refresh the U.K. and Irish retail experience with brands that bring something different and exciting to drive business forward for the independent sector.
Call: 07872606299 Email: Sales@Theorangery.org
St Eval
Crystal Collection
Isle of Skye Assorted Candles
Product Focus Candles Fragrance
Cosy Candles Candles were once simply something that you blew out on your birthday or that you might use for a romantic dinner for two, but now candles have gone so much further and the market is only getting bigger.
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andles have become common decorative features in many rooms in the home as well as fragrance items to eliminate odours or create a certain ambience or mood. There is a candle for every season or occasion as well as a multitude of colours, scents, shapes and sizes to choose from. Million Insights reported in 2020 that the global Candle Market was projected to be worth over US$6 billion by 2025, growing at an average of 8% per year. This growth didn’t factor in the significant boom the category experienced due to the various lockdowns throughout 2020 and consumers spending more time at home and wanting to make it as comfortable as possible. Prior to the UK’s second lockdown in November, customers flocked to buy candles and other scented products to create a sense of cosiness in their homes to make the best of the situation. “The prospect of spending less time out and about during winter means people are hunkering down with seasonal comforts and making the best of life at home. Sales of scented candles, pot pourri and essential oils for diffusers have grown by 29% compared with last year,” said Fraser McKevitt, Head of Retail and Consumer Insight at Kantar. John Lewis are predicting that “fragrance zoning” will emerge as a trend as people use candles to “create moments and moods throughout the at-home day: a refreshing peppermint spray in the morning, an energising citrus candle post lunch, a
Did you know...
“The global Candle Market is projected to be worth over US$6 billion by 2025”
relaxing lavender scent for evening.” With this in mind candlemakers across the UK can rejoice as they strive to meet this demand. But what candles should you stock and why? You can choose on the range’s aesthetic appeal, the smell or eco-friendliness in materials, manufacturing and packaging. Paraffin was once the wax of choice for many candlemakers due to its low cost and ability to be moulded and coloured as desired. But as a by-product of petroleum its environmental credentials aren’t as strong as other kinds of wax, such as soy, which is expected to grow in usage over the coming years. Soy is derived from a natural resource and has a lower carbon footprint than paraffin production. Soy wax also burns slowly due to its high melting point, allowing for long-lasting fragrance. Some makers use glass, ceramic or even tin to house their candles and these can often be reused or recycled. But ultimately it is the smell that has the lasting impact. A scent can take you to exotic seaside destinations, or remind you of wintery nights by the fire. It can create a sense of well-being or relaxation or even spark some energy if that is what you desire. So, follow your nose and see where it goes.
Heaven Scent
Natural plant wax candles
Retailer Views Jon May – mooch gifts and home, Bewdley & Stourport on Severn
“My favourite item in the store has to be mooch no.1 candle Rhubarb & Ginger, it’s the only candle I burn at home.” Annette Ritchie – Spirals, Sheffield
“St Eval Candle company are the best scented candles and diffusers and our customers come back time and time again for them - our shop always smells amazing too!” Sue Swearman – Blacketts Gift Shop, Bamburgh
“Notes of Northumberland only started last year and have quickly become our best seller with candles, diffusers and toiletries in the range.” Maria Aghababaie – Agha Home, Winchmore Hill
“We carry a wide selection of candles, currently we have True Grace, St. Eval, Branch D’Olive, Blomus, Sandy Bay, Royal Botanical Gardens and Kew. We also have Stoneglow and others seasonally.” Elizabeth Blandford – Blandfords of Ledbury & Broadway
“The lovely reed diffusers and candles from Marmalade of London are popular. We have also introduced a new home fragrance into our Ledbury store, Thomas Street candles, I love the smell of them and the packaging is eye-catching too.”
Gifts Today 23
Product Focus Candles Fragrance
Botanicals and Bees Marmalade of London
From humble beginnings selling handmade batches of candles at artisan markets, Marmalade of London has grown to an international home fragrance brand while maintaining their artisan aesthetic and environmental philosophy. To complement their popular Marmalade Home Collection, they added the Marmalade Mosney Mill Botanicals range to their collection in 2020. This range is a collaboration between Marmalade and Mosney Mill and features fragrances developed by Founder Piers Flook. The scents were inspired by the flowers bees are drawn to including lavender, rose, sweet pea and bluebell. Nature features prominently on the packaging with artwork from Emma Sutton. Emma’s drawings are inspired by the animals from the gorgeous scenery she is immersed in at Mosney Mill, her family’s 11-acre estate in the Lancashire countryside. The range features a signature golden bumblebee across everything. The Mosney Mill botanicals range is expanding with Winter Fir and soon three new Autumn/Winter Fragrances. The team will also be developing a range of candle and diffuser vessels designed by Emma Sutton and made in Great Britain. A further three collections will be added to the Marmalade brand family in the coming seasons. The Marmalade Well-Being Collection will be launched later in 2021. Each collection will feature their own unique fragrances, vessels, packaging and Pos. In addition to the various environmental initiatives Marmalade have introduced at their new factory and with their recyclable and reusable packaging, for every Bee range product sold, 5% of the profit will go to supporting the Bumble Bee Conservation Trust.
Visit: www.marmaladeoflondon.com
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The Choice is Yours Heaven Scent
Heaven Scent have many different candle ranges for shops and other businesses to choose from. How it works: they have over 90 different fragrances to choose from, in several different candle vessels. The selection includes Clear Glass, Brown Apothecary Glass, Amber Glass, Black, White Frosted Glass, Aluminium Tins and Rose Gold Tins. Then there’s a selection of Heaven Scent Labels to complete your look or you can have your own label designed for you. The candles are all made with Soy, Rapeseed and Coconut Wax and customers can choose from the Essential Oil range or from their high-quality fragrance oil. In business for nearly 30 years Heaven Scent likes to work with customers to help them use their products to their full potential and help customers develop their ranges. This year Heaven Scent have been busier than ever and found the run up to Christmas quite challenging, “We had a high demand for our products during lockdown and the run up to Christmas and at times we just could not keep up, acknowledging these issues Heaven is planning to build a second production factory to address the increasing demand and building work will begin early Spring.”
Call: 01225 868788 Visit: www.heavenscent.co.uk
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Product Focus Candles Fragrance
Life in Bloom Ashleigh & Burwood
Positivity exudes from Ashleigh & Burwood’s new collection. For Spring/ Summer 2021, the home fragrance experts have launched a colourful new collection of uplifting scents which bring a burst of positive energy into the home. Within the vibrant collection, available from this spring, their Reed Diffusers in particular have already attracted significant attention, becoming a finalist in the Home Fragrance category, for a Gift of the Year Award. The Life In Bloom collection launches with four scents, delicate Pink Peony & Musk, revitalising White Tea & Basil, sunny Sweet Mimosa & Bergamot and fresh Cotton Flower & Amber. A floral theme runs throughout the fragrances created for the collection, evoking the fresh essence of springtime all year round. Complementing the scents are a palette of vibrant shades, as well as stylish grey to suit more neutral interiors. The collection’s air of positivity is continued through to the beautiful gift packaging, which is decorated with a motif based on the simple stems of gypsophila flowers, finished with gold detail. Each fragrance is available as Reed Diffusers and Refills, Scented Candles and Lamp Fragrances with matching mosaic Fragrance Lamps. As is expected from Ashleigh & Burwood, each product has been designed with enhancing the customer’s scent experience and home in mind. A finalist in this year’s Gift of The Year awards, the Life In Bloom Floral Reed Diffusers combine white fibre reeds for excellent fragrance delivery with beautiful stems of colourful real gypsophila flowers for a decorative floral touch. Lasting for up to 12 weeks, the diffusers’ beautifully designed glass vessels are inspired by the sleek shapes of perfume bottles. To enable diffuser vessels to be reused again and again, 200ml fragrance refills are available in each scent. The collection’s Scented Candles are made from a highly-fragranced, soy wax blend for a powerful scent release and boast a 38 hour burn time. Their square glass vessels are boldly coloured in the collections signature tones, to add a vibrant pop of colour to home interiors. For true fragrance fanatics, the Fragrance Lamps are a powerful method to fragrance the home, using a catalytic process to purify the air while scent is released. In uplifting colours chosen for their vibrant energy, the Fragrance Lamps sparkle with a decoration of handcrafted mosaic glass. The Lamps can be mixed and matched with Life in Bloom’s uplifting floral 500ml Lamp Fragrances for a powerful, purifying scent experience.
“Positivity exudes from Ashleigh & Burwood’s new collection”
Call: 01932 267060 | Email: cot@ashleigh-burwood.co.uk Visit: ashleigh-burwood.co.uk 26 Gifts Today
Product Focus Candles Fragrance
Bold, Beautiful & Brilliant Wax Lyrical
Wax Lyrical has launched six new collections to grab 2021 by the lapels and shake our spirits free. If tomorrow is defined by the choices we make today then Wax Lyrical have chosen to be bold, be beautiful and be brilliant. The team have designed visually gorgeous new collections with irresistible fragrances. Just like everyone else, they are so ready for 2021. There are more new things to follow in the summer but these collections will kick off the new year.
Sophie Conran Sophie Conran has partnered with Portmeirion for over a decade, now her sense of craft and style continues to expand into home fragrance with the unique range of thoughtful scents, Energies. With seven Energies to choose from: Strength, Freedom, Purpose, Balance, Communication, Clarity and Wisdom - each beautifully balanced fragrance is aligned to our chakras and designed to restore a sense of equilibrium to our lives.
Yvonne Ellen The unique designs have been inspired by vintage hat boxes and playful watercolour animals, paired with similarly playful fragrances: Purrfect Day, Rock Your Spots Off and Party Animal. All candle and diffuser vessels are fully decorated ceramics and are presented in beautiful hat box style packaging, making them a luxurious and desirable gift.
HomeScenter Wax Lyrical has added two new fragrances to its HomeScenter collection. HomeScenter gives premium fragrances a place in the home, whilst controlling unwanted smells with the help of OdourazeTM which is skilfully blended in each product. HomeScenter fills the home with a fresh fragrance and in 2021 the signature scent of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh will be released as No 7 along with No 8 (White Tea & Jasmine).
Street Mythology Rich designs inspired by mystery, intrigue and exotic travel, in ceramic candle and diffuser vessels which are reusable and contain sophisticated fragrances that were historically revered for their rarity and unique aromas.
HomeScenter Pets With three new fragrances, pet odours are taken care of, leaving plenty of time to care for our furry friends. Wrendale The phenomenal Wrendale range has some exquisite new designs. The nature-inspired bone china vessels will be adorned by six new occasion candles.
Visit: www.waxlyrical.com
A Steady Start to the New Year Manor House Home Fragrance
Manor House has just completed a brilliant Christmas season, which rivals previous Christmases in terms of orders received with many new stockists coming on board. The stockist response has been very positive with many advising that despite the shortened time scale that they were allowed to open – sales have been very strong. Manor House launched their extended offering of 28 home fragrance collections last year and this will continue into 2021 with some new additions throughout the year, which is their widest collection ever. All fragrance collections include the signature Pot Pourri, Scented Botanical Candles, Gift Boxed Candles, Diffusers and Room Sprays along with Drawer Sachets and Liners etc… Weekly Manor House are gaining new stockists, many of whom they met at last year’s Spring Fair or through their strategic advertising and they have since had time to peruse the new catalogue and have now come through to ordering - both at home and overseas which has been great to see. The team are currently in the midst of Spring production which this year is slightly delayed compared to previous years – but orders are looking great. Manor House pride themselves on producing all of their products by hand in Suffolk which comprise: Pot Pourri and Scented Pine Cones, Scented Botanical Candles, Room Diffusers and Sprays, Drawer Liners and Sachets along with Advent Candles, Scented Fabric Bags and Cushions. Manor House will soon be relaunching a new collection of Luxury Hand Wash and Moisturising Lotions to complement each of the 28 fragrance collections. All products are produced by hand, using mainly British packaging and fragrances, plus the finest botanicals from around the world, recyclable packaging, fabrics, hand woven silks from Suffolk silk mills and ribbons mainly from British companies thus creating a true Handmade in Great Britain Home Fragrance Collection. 28 Gifts Today
Follow the team on their social media pages, Manor House Home Fragrance Ltd on Facebook, @ManorHouseHome1 on Twitter and @ Manorhousehomefargrance on Instagram. Private Label Home Fragrance is increasing year-on-year and we are currently working with more and more leading retailers to produce private label collections incorporating client’s thoughts and ideas, fragrances and branding to offer bespoke and unique one-off collections.
Call: 01359 250720 Visit: www.manorhousehomefragrance.co.uk
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Product Focus Candles Fragrance
Inspired by Their Home, Created for Yours The Isle of Skye Candle Company Located in the beautiful Isle of Skye, this family run business may have started in a grass roofed bothy, but they have quickly grown into Scotland’s largest producer of natural candles, producing 1.2 million candles each year. Even when faced with the challenging circumstances of 2020, The Isle of Skye Candle Company continues to grow and supply its products to an ever-expanding number of delighted consumers. Inspired by nature, Isle of Skye Candles produce hand-poured, fully fragranced, soy-based candles, creating a cleaner and more long-lasting burn in comparison to traditional paraffin wax alternatives. Linen wicks provide the perfect complement, and a high natural oil content ensures a superb and luxurious fragrance in any home. Being kind to the planet is core to this Scottish business and is reflected in their refusal to handle “single use” plastics and
30 Gifts Today
various recycling initiatives operated by the company. The island features heavily in the products. From the carefully selected fragrances to the packaging design features, with the new large tumblers including the words “our island” and a brief explanation carved on the wooden lid. The breath-taking geometric landscape of the Cuillin Mountain ranges also make it on to the Signature range packaging in a stylish and contemporary manner. Creating a quality, luxurious, and affordable home fragrance range has always been the inspiration to founder James Robertson. “Even though hand pouring is more labour intensive, we believe that we offer a personal touch that other companies cannot achieve. Our staff have enormous experience and pride in what they do. They seek to create perfect gifts which will
leave a lasting impression on our consumers. This direct link between our production team and the consumer’s experience is at the front and centre of who we are and what we do,” said James, who is the driver and “nose” behind the company’s 27 unique fragrances. James’ journey began 15 years ago, in the local soap store. “Mixing different scents came naturally to me,” he explained. “I seemed to drop on nice combinations that customers loved. This is when I discovered my passion for natural scents and fragrances.” The company’s ranges are split between the Signature Collection with its extensive 19 fragrances, comprising of four different sized candles along with a reed diffuser and the Scottish Collection complete with eight beautiful and complex fragrances, supplied in three sizes of candles and a reed diffuser. Inspiration for the Scottish Collection can be found in the shores and mountains on the island, with
the latest addition to the family, Wild Mountain Thyme successfully launched in the second half of 2020. With five stores of their own, and a growing network of retail partners across the UK and around the world, this is a brand that delights in making highquality products which has found its firm place in the market, with more and more people learning about the secrets of Skye Candles. As James reflects, “It’s just so nice to see our products in our customers shops and our consumers homes. It’s even better when we hear first-hand about how loved the products are. We hope to keep brightening peoples’ days for a long time to come!” To learn more about trade opportunities, and to request your trade sample fragrance pack, please e-mail enquiries@skyecandles.co.uk
Product Focus Candles Fragrance
Mediterranean Mosaico The Orangery Collection
Discover warming, sustainable scents from the Mediterranean designed for positive well-being by Wax Design Fragrance House, Barcelona. The Orangery Collection are proud to introduce to the U.K. and Ireland, Wax Design. Established in 1992, Wax Design is a lovingly handcrafted candle and ceramic collection from Barcelona, inspired by the warming tones and scents of the Mediterranean. Please contact The Orangery Collection to find out more. Sustainable products are the future of home interiors. Responsible sourcing and ecological responsibility is at the heart of Wax Design’s candle collection design manifesto, whose candle vessels are created to be repurposed. Featuring hundreds of designs of vegetable wax candles from glazed ceramic designs that enjoy a second life as a plant pot, to clip top glass candle jars that can be recycled as mason jars and reactive glaze bowls which can be placed in the dishwasher and be reincarnated as unique pasta bowls. Wax Designs candle vessels are all carefully filled with hand-poured vegetable wax at their design base in Barcelona. Their candle scents are designed at their French fragrance house with natural perfumes that are crafted from the purest essential oils, which are designed to create alluring aromatic spaces. This season, we love Wax Design’s Mosaico Ceramic Candle Collection. Available in four sizes with co-ordinating essential oil reed diffusers, this collection is inspired the aesthetics of the glazed azulejo tiles traditionally found in Iberia. Wax Design’s Mosaico design is carefully hand-painted in ten hues inspired by the natural colours of the Mediterranean at their ceramic workshop in Portugal, and then scented with a variety of seductive, natural fragrances, including velvety red rose, creamy black vanilla and candied orchid. After you’ve finished indulging in their heavenly scents, these candle vessels can be placed in the dishwasher to clear them of any excess candle wax and then planted up with a wildly energetic fern.
Call: 07872606299 Email: sales@theorangery.org
Function, Fragrance & Beauty D & J Glassware
D & J Glassware’s stylish wax melt burners combine beauty and function. Simply light a tea light in the base of the metal burner and the unique mouth blown glass globe glows beautifully. The heat generated by the candle gently warms up and melts a wax melt at the top of the burner, releasing the fragrance. Four different colours are available and each set is attractively gift boxed. These cute Arty Jam Jar tea-light holders are a fun way to light up your home. Each one is decorated with an animal image and comes with a metal cradle to hold the tea-light. Perfect for use outdoors too, when the warmer weather arrives!
Call: 01953 450280 Email: dandj.glassware@btinternet.com Visit: www.dandjglassware.co.uk
Colourful Candle-pots Gisela Graham Fragranced products are great for gift shops, especially candle-pots, so Gisela Graham has added new ones to her big, fast-selling range. Every scent in the collection has been personally selected by a very discerning nose. The range tends towards the lighter notes for indoor use, and suggest citrus scents for outdoors. But what makes the Gisela Graham candle-pots specially giftable, is the packaging. All the products are boxed with their own artwork that echoes the fragrance – so it stands out on the shelf. They are well-priced too for impulse purchases or minor gifts.
Call: 0207708 4956 Visit: www.giselagraham.co.uk 32 Gifts Today
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Product Focus Candles Fragrance
Cornish Craftsmanship St. Eval
Nestled on a farm in the heart of North Cornwall, St. Eval are proud to use traditional, artisan methods to craft high-quality candles by hand, perfecting the art and science of candle making for over 25 years. Home to a range of unique fragrances inspired by nature and the beautiful Cornish countryside surrounding them, each candle is lovingly crafted using only the finest ingredients and materials from renewable sources with people and planet at the heart of the company. Drawing inspiration from a love of nature and the beautiful Cornish coast and countryside, St. Eval’s unique wax and fragrance blends are created for relaxation and enjoyment, perfectly complementing the home. Using a combination of traditional, artisan candle-making methods including Drawing, Pouring and Moulding, ensures that each candle is made with a personal touch and results in a finished product superior in both quality and style. These traditional methods require great skill and craftsmanship to master, creating a true work of art. St. Eval proudly produce their candles sustainably using energy generated via wind, solar and biomass; helping to reduce their carbon footprint and impact on the environment. With sustainability at the forefront of the business, their practises and candle collections are continuously evolving to keep with the promise to ‘tread softly on the earth’. This is supported with the reduction of plastics in their packaging and increased recycling initiatives, with St. Eval’s aim to be completely plastic-free by 2022. Launching in February this year, St. Eval are delighted to introduce fully recyclable kraft tealight packaging, eliminating plastics in this range completely. Smell is a strong sense, powerfully acting on the limbic part of our brain which controls emotions, memories and stimulation. When we surround ourselves with beautiful scents from nature, we can evoke wonderful feelings, helping to improve both well-being and happiness. St. Eval work hard to create collections and fragrances to help create special moments and spark happy memories – that is the essence of a St. Eval candle. If you would like to become a St. Eval stockist, please complete the online form by clicking the Trade Login on their website, emailing or calling their team. St. Eval would be delighted to welcome you on board.
Call: 01841 540850 Email: info@st-eval.com Visit: www.st-eval.com
34 Gifts Today
Eco Collection Heyland & Whittle
Call: 01293 525825 Email: sales@heylandandwhittle.co.uk Visit: www.heylandandwhittle.co.uk Reed Diffusers & Candles Heyland & Whittle have released an eco-collection of fragrant, hand-poured and blended soy candles and reed diffusers, housed in 100% recycled glass and packaged in 100% recycled card. This eco collection helps customers to make more eco-friendly lifestyle choices for the home. This new eco collection takes their commitment as a business to care for the planet one big step further. The diffuser and candle vessels can be repurposed again and again – as drinks glasses, hot beverage glasses, flower vases, biscuit and snack bowls, water and juice jugs and flower vases, or anything else that can be imagined. The fragrant hand-poured candles are made with a sustainable soy wax and essential oil blend for a clean, slow, even burn. There are three new fragrances in this collection, available as both diffuser and candle options. Geranium & Oud Fresh and rich the Geranium is blended with sweet, smoky Oud and fragrant hints of Rose, Jasmine and Praline creating an opulent aroma reminiscent of the East. Mint & Bergamot is uplifting and refreshing, cool Mint is blended with zesty, citrussy Bergamot for the ‘just picked’ aroma of Summer. While Hibiscus & White Tea is calming and relaxing with the woody citrus notes of White Tea blended with gentle florals including Hibiscus, Freesia and Jasmine projecting a gentle aroma with feel-good benefits. 100% Eco-Friendly Soap Collection Heyland & Whittle are well practised in the artisan production of handmade, 100% natural soaps. They follow the cold processed method using only 100% natural, pure ingredients, including essential oils, herbs, spices and natural colourings. For this collection, Heyland & Whittle have chosen not to use Palm Oil in the production and have boxed the soaps in 100% recycled card - which is itself recyclable. All the soaps are paraben and sulphate free and not tested on animals. The six glorious fragrance choices are: Tea Tree & Nettle which is naturally cleansing and invigorating. Vintage Rose is gloriously fragrant and enriched with cocoa butter to gently soothe and moisturise. Citrus & Turmeric is refreshingly zingy featuring olive, coconut and citrus oils. Hemp & Walnut is moisturising and healing with hemp oil and walnut leaves. Patchouli & Goats Milk is indulgent with its blend of goat’s milk, cocoa butter and essential oils to help soothe and moisturise. Finally, English Lavender is relaxing and calming with its feel-good lavender oil for a soothing end of the day soak, perfect for sleepy heads.
Product Focus Candles Fragrance
Set for S/S2021 Prices Candles
Prices Candles has over 190 years of experience in designing and manufacturing candles, from ‘Fresh Cotton’ to ‘Tropical Citrus’ each fragrance makes a stylish statement in your home. 2021 will start with an immersive array of exotic fragrances which are rich with purpose. Prices have seen continuous demand for Fruity & Florals and high end Tropical inspired fragrances that take you on a journey to warmer climates and sunny days. A spotlight on these fragrances are available in their best-selling ‘Fragrance Collection.’
These fragrances will inspire you to step into 2021 energised and ready for a positive start.
Vanilla Cupcake - A delicious sugary combination of sweet vanilla and luxurious butter cream, this candle is utterly irresistible.
‘Limited Edition’ Tropical Fusion - These odour eliminating jar candles contain Prices exclusive Odourfoyl technology, which works by breaking down the molecular structure of unwanted odours and neutralising them rather than just covering up the smell. An uplifting, summary scent this tropical fruity cocktail has extracts of mouth-watering mango and sweet papaya alongside the Odourfoyl technology. It will immediately start work to rid your home of unwanted household odours, leaving a wonderful, lively fruity fragrance. These jar candles are made using the highest quality waxes and technology to leave your room smelling clean and fresh and with its clean burn and excellent throw of scent. Prices also have a clean start with their ‘Fresh Linen’ scent which is available also in a 100ml reed diffuser. Prices Candles will also be launching a new product for you in over 30 different fragrances, it will be cute and the smallest member of the collection by far, the team are sure you will love them, watch this space as they will be arriving in Spring.
Black Cherry & Mixed Berries - A delicious mix of ripe hand-picked cherries and bitter almond, this sweet ‘Bakewell tart’ fragrance will give a long-lasting and intensely mouth-watering scent.
Call: 01234 26450 | Email: sales@prices-candles.co.uk Visit: prices-candles.co.uk
Coconut - A magnificent, seductive fragrance that evokes memories of sun cream and tropical beaches. Enjoy the scent of exotic, creamy coconuts, and float away to a tranquil island paradise. Frangipani - A floral scent of sweet Polynesian flowers with hints of jasmine and tropical fruits. Float away to a tropical paradise with this Frangipani fragrance. Lime & Basil - An increasingly fashionable fragrance blend, combining the sparkling, vibrant citrus notes of lime with the herbaceous warmth of basil.
Sentimental Scents Katie Loxton
Pour a little rest and relaxation into every home this season with Katie Loxton’s collection of home fragrances. Their bestselling Sentiment Candles present the most perfect gifting opportunities, designed using soy wax and nestled inside beautifully boxed gift packaging complete with metallic touches for an eyecatching presentation. Sweet sentiments continue to surprise from ‘Forever Family’ to ‘And Relax’ and with luxe fragrances such as Grapefruit and Pink Peony or White Orchid and Soft Cotton. Brand-new Mini Sentiment Fragrance Sets offer the perfect gifting moments and promise to deliver a touch of wellness with every beautifully presented design to turn every home into an indoor heavenly retreat.
Visit: jomajewellery.com Visit: Katieloxton.com 36 Gifts Today
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The art of beautiful candles
RETAIL INTERVIEW:
Hawley Garden Centre & Nursery
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A Green Thumb For All Darrell East from Hawley Garden Centres reveals how trade has been during the various lockdowns as an essential business and why everyone is having a go at gardening. How did you get involved in retail? We were a small nursery only growing summer and winter bedding plants, we then developed the site in order to increase our range of core gardening, furniture, outdoor living and also in giftware, thus creating customer interest to more than just a few months of the year. How many of you are there on the team? We currently have 22 full-time staff which can increase at seasonal times. Garden Centres have been allowed to operate during lockdown while other retailers can’t, how have you managed that situation? Sadly, Garden Centres were not allowed to open during the first lockdown last March. This, as you are probably aware is our busiest time of the year. However, we are here for our customer during this current lockdown and provide essential products such as heating, gas bottles and heaters, logs, pet foods and wild bird care. We follow all government guidance and with our large open spaces and one-way system, we can provide a Covid-safe shopping experience for our customers. We are also operating a click and contactless collect or click and home delivery service from our website. How has trade been since you reopened after lockdown 1 and through to the latest lockdown? Business has been steady, with customers visiting for plants, herbs and vegetable plants and compost. We look forward to welcoming back our senior customers and those whom are most vulnerable who haven’t been able to visit. Did Christmas trading go better than you expected? We noticed that customers had put up their Christmas trees and decorations earlier this year, we had a good run on our cut and potted Christmas trees and lights. While sales were down on the previous year, we continued to sell logs and other garden essentials. 38 Gifts Today
What’s your online and social media presence like? We regularly update our customers on our Facebook page with Covid updates along with seasonal and special offers. It’s great to inform customers of new products arriving – such as our seed potatoes, which are shortly due in. Customers also receive free monthly gardening hints and tips, which can help to plan the garden and offers helpful advice to our newer gardeners. It is often quicker and easier to update our social media than our website. What do you feel makes your Garden Centre so special/different to the rest? Customer service has always been at our heart, whether that be in store such as advising on the best compost for specific plants or our carry to car service, assisting those customers that aren’t able to lift bulky items – this is how we have built our loyal customer base. We also offer a loyalty card to customers whom regularly shop with us, points build up on purchases, the customer can then build them up and redeem on a future purchase. What range of greetings and gifts merchandise do you offer? We have a huge gift and homeware section within the shop, our range is truly unique, where we guarantee you will find the perfect gift for that special person – older and younger. We also offer a wide range of children’s toys and games, gift wrap and greeting cards. What are some of your biggest selling categories/brands? Our summer bedding plants are all home grown, we are known for our good crops and customers bring back their hanging baskets year after year as we offer a service where we plant them up. Due to huge indoor floor space, we can display and offer a vast choice of garden furniture from rattan to wooden, in turn our prices are quite competitive and we keep most in stock.
Do you have a typical customer? For years we have had the same type of customer, towards retirement age with time on their hands. However, this trend has changed since lockdown as we have found many younger people are growing herbs and easy to grow vegetables, even those without gardens are using balconies as an alternative place to grow. How important are British-made and eco products to you? We do try and source British suppliers or British made products. We have started to sell eco-friendly bamboo pots, which have got off to a great start. Our organic farmyard manure and peat free compost is also popular. What trends do you predict will be big in 2021? As customers are spending more and more time in their gardens, due to lockdown or being unable to spend money on a family holiday, we do believe both garden furniture and barbecues will be popular this year. We also encourage customers to grow their own herbs and vegetables either from seed or our home grown plugs from our nursery – it really is very easy. Where does most of your inspiration come from given physical trade shows aren’t happening at present? We always plan one season ahead and our staff make very good displays which gives job satisfaction and shows great inspiration to our customers. Keeping up with the industry trends, trade magazines and the garden forum are also important to us. What’s next? Although, at the moment, customers are few and far between, it gives us plenty of time to plan for 2021 and different displays throughout the centre. We train our staff on products - such as barbecues and chemicals and widen their plant knowledge, this will ensure a successful 2021 season.
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This season at Katie Loxton, we’re embarking on the exciting journey of launching a brand-new Sustainable Style collection. Having always used PU vegan leather materials, we’re now taking one step further to ensure customers are doing good while looking good! This capsule collection features our new and bestselling designs in a gorgeous khaki colour - such as the Kensington Weekend Bag and Sophia Tassel Crossbody Bag. This showstopping collection has been created using RPET-based PU and RPET polyester lining - made by using recycled plastic bottles! We’ve already recycled over 56,000 plastic bottles for this collection alone and we’re only just getting started. It’s the most stylish way to lend the Earth a helping hand.
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Spring Season Lime Tree Design With the Spring season upon us, new lavender heart drawer sachets made from Liberty Tana Lawn and filled with fragrant lavender are perfect. They join the rest of Lime Tree Design’s Liberty collection which features gift boxes of hankies, lavender sardines and bird sachets which are all handmade in the UK. For those retailers developing their online sales these make an easy, post-friendly item to stock. Also available now are facemasks made with cotton, hand block printed fabric, 3-ply and elastic ties. They are washable and reuseable, so better for the environment. A pack of two is £6.25. New products in Lime Tree Design’s jewellery collection include sterling silver adjustable rings, with hearts and flowers, which work well for this season. Birthstone jewellery remains a strong seller with silver and birthstone cone shaped pendants joining birthstone studs and best-selling stacking rings. There are no minimum orders.
Call: 01636 894043 Email: studio@limetreecollection.com Visit: www.limetreecollection.com
Spotted! Flower Power
Alexander Thurlow Alexander Thurlow will be kicking off the New Year with their latest additions to their highly successful “Love Nature Love Flowers” range. The range features a beautiful selection of new bracelet charms, all based on the current bestselling flowers including Bluebell, Daisy and Forget-me-not. The charms are available separately along with the bracelet so any number of combinations can be put together. With all the early trade shows now cancelled it is best to contact the Alexander Thurlow team via their online web shop.
Call: 020 8766 6466 Visit: www.alexanderthurlow.co 40 Gifts Today
Stylish Yet Sustainable Joma Jewellery Out with the old, in with the new! This season, Katie Loxton have brought brand-new products centre stage featuring eye-catching new designs. An uplifting colour palette has been introduced to reflect this bright and refreshing new year, while even more personalised gifts can now be chosen to add a touch of style to the season. Ready and waiting to pour rest and relaxation into every home, brand-new Mini Sentiment Fragrance Sets have been designed in gift boxed packaging and finished with scattered metallic prints. A spotlight shines on Boxed Trinket Dishes complete with heartfelt sentiments, perfect for creating the most special gifting moments. Even more handbags have been added to their collection, including more compact versions of best-selling styles such as the Kensington Weekend Bag and Brooke Backpack. This season, Katie Loxton are also embarking on the exciting journey of launching a brand-new Sustainable Style collection. This new capsule collection features best-selling designs in a gorgeous khaki colour, created using RPET-based PU and RPET polyester lining - made by using recycled plastic bottles! As always, every stylish design is popped inside chic white gifts bags and tied with a ribbon bow for the most personal gifting experience. There’s a gorgeous, gift-wrapped surprise for every and any occasion.
Sustainable Style This season, Katie Loxton are embarking on the exciting journey of launching a brand-new Sustainable Style collection. Having always used PU vegan leather materials, they are now taking one step further to ensure customers are doing good while looking good! This new capsule collection features designs such as the Sophia Tassel Crossbody Bag and the Kensington Weekend Bag in a versatile and chic khaki colour. This show-stopping collection has been created using RPET-based PU and RPET polyester lining, which is made by using recycled plastic bottles. It’s the most stylish way to lend the Earth a helping hand.
Visit: jomajewellery.com Visit: Katieloxton.com
Check Out
Equilibrium Jewellery & Fashion Accessories See these
The colourful Equilibrium Rainbow jewellery collection stylish items and from Joe Davies is a popular choice with retailers much more at their and customers alike and as a result many stylish new pieces have been added to the range. Elegant pastel diamante rainbows and brightly coloured painted rainbows ensure these pretty necklaces, bracelets and show in March. earrings give a much needed “pop” of colour – the perfect way to raise our spirits in these troubled times! There are many exciting new bags and scarves in the brandnew Spring/Summer Equilibrium fashion accessories collection including tie-dye tote bags. Tie-Dye is a huge trend in fashion at present and these colourful bags are sure to make a big splash! The entire Joe Davies range of gifts and jewellery is all available to order with a minimum order value of just £100 and free nationwide delivery. See these stylish items and much more at their ‘Spring Fair At Home’ show in March.
‘Spring Fair At Home’
Call: 0161 975 6300 Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk Visit: www.joedavies.co.uk
Gifts Today 41
Trade talk Helen Flook
Sales Manager – Marmalade of London Spring often sees the release of new ranges and products, what do you have planned? We are expanding the Marmalade of London Mosney Mill botanicals range with three new Autumn/Winter Fragrances. The Marmalade Wellbeing collections will be launched in 2021, followed by three other exciting ranges in 2022.
What trends are you predicting will be big in 2021?
Matthew Shaw
Sales Director - Puckator Spring often sees the release of new ranges and products, what do you have planned? Obviously Spring Fair is usually our biggest platform for showing new products. In the absence of trade fairs in 2021, we will be inviting customers to our UK and European Showrooms (when restrictions are lifted). In the meantime, customers can also use our virtual showroom at or request a video appointment.
Will you be participating in any of the virtual Spring Trade Fairs? We have a virtual presence at the Spring Fair @ Home, Maison and Objet, Toy Fair (Nuremburg) and Ambiente.
What trends are you predicting will be big in 2021?
We are predicting during lockdown people will be wanting fragrances that remind them of exotic travels, we think our Pacific Orchid and Sea Salt and our new Coastline fragrances will be very popular this year. We are yearning to be back by the coast and while we wait these two fragrances help to recreate memories of being by the sea and relaxing on a beach.
We think 2021 will continue very strongly for Home Fragrance and Home décor, especially in the first quarter when people are restricted to their homes. Looking at the summer, we hope Staycation will be big this summer and we have developed many new products to support our retailers based in the touristic parts of the UK.
What steps is your organization taking regarding sustainability?
Sustainability continues to be an area of growing interest among retailers and consumers, what steps is your organization taking in this area?
We care deeply about the environment. Our Tins are made in London using solar power. Tin can be recycled forever and now we have even printed this on the bottom of our tins. Our glass can be recycled or reused. Our outer packaging is carboard and can be recycled. Our plastic bottles can be recycled. Marmalade’s new factory has electric vehicle charging points and all our Forklifts are electric. We have planted trees and wild flowers around the new factory to encourage bees and other insects. Plus, we donate to the Bumble Bee Conservation Trust.
Paul Hooker
Commercial Director – Joe Davies What do you have planned for Spring? Our trade thrives on new products and it’s full speed ahead at Joe Davies. We’re having our own ‘At Home’ Spring Fair in March and it’ll be packed with new ranges and developments to our best-selling collections.
What trends are you predicting will be big in 2021? One thing 2020 did do was focus people on the importance of family and friends. Sentiment trends will continue on home and general gift and we have some great new developments with a bit of twist. Jewellery will also see an uplift as life returns to some form of normality and people dress up, go out and can socialise again. There is also a strong trend in home fragrance, particularly wax melts and oils rather than candles.
How optimistic are you for the year ahead? We’re more optimistic about 2021 after a very hard 2020. It’s great news that the vaccine program is underway that will see a return to normal life, but the first half is likely to still be tough. We’re very lucky that our industry is filled with lots of hardworking, independent retailers that are very resilient. Our job at Joe Davies is to make sure we have plenty of new products so everyone can make the best of trade through the recovery. 42 Gifts Today
We have spent a lot of time and resources trying to create more reusable and recyclable products, in addition we are working with our suppliers to reduce packaging materials and where packing is essential, make it from biodegradable or recyclable materials.
How optimistic are you for the year ahead? Well, I don’t think this year will be the greatest, but we hope that when restrictions start to be lifted, retail will be buoyant and the second half of 2021 will be much better.
Keren Dicken
Sales & Marketing Director – Personalised Memento Company
What do you have planned for Spring? We have lots planned! After a very busy Christmas period we have been sourcing lots of new products and created lots of new designs for the upcoming occasions this year - the best place to find our new products is our website www.personalisedmemento.co.uk. Gifts for the home and garden will feature prominently in our launches for Spring. We are also looking to our new offering for Christmas 2021.
Will you be participating in any of the virtual Spring Trade Fairs? Yes, we are pleased to be a part of the Spring Fair @ Home event and also planning on bringing our showroom to our customers virtually! It’s a shame we aren’t able to meet and engage with our customers as we have done before, but as many of us are finding, the current situation has created opportunities to try something new!
Sustainability continues to be an area of growing interest among retailers and consumers, what steps is your organization taking in this area? Where possible all of our packaging is recycled and recyclable. In fact, our alternative to bubble wrap, which is 100% biodegradable, 100% recycled has saved over 494 trees. Our products are designed as keepsakes and built to last with sustainability in mind. Our new reusable range of eco travel cups and refillable water bottles are a great way to cut out single use plastics. In addition, all of our products are robustly audited and measured against quality and safety standards to ensure where possible they meet our high standard of ethical trading policies.
Product Focus Eco Gifts
More Than Words
It’s no longer enough to just say we care about the environment, or that we recycle, everyone has to step up and do their bit to help the planet and there are plenty of ways as retailers, suppliers and consumers that we be a bit more eco-friendly.
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co-friendly and sustainable are no longer just buzz words flitted about. Thanks to the likes of David Attenborough and his documentaries highlighting the impact plastic is having on the environment and Greta Thunberg activating millions of teens and others to rally against governments globally to do more on climate change, companies big and small have to be able to back up their environmental credentials to meet customer expectations. Whether it is a change in ingredients, using more recycled materials during production, reducing the use of plastic in manufacturing and packaging as well as making more packaging recyclable, lots of different steps have been taken by many to do their bit to help the situation. Larger manufacturers and organisations are off-setting their carbon through various schemes and Danilo have signed on with Ecologi to plant a tree for every £5 spent on their website. They are responsible for planting over 20,000 trees since they rolled the scheme out in September. The first Sustainability in Licensing Conference was held in November 2020, and it saw publishers, retailers and licensors come together to see what they could do to keep moving forward on environmental initiatives and sustainability.
Participants shared ideas and current practices and looked at ways they can work together in the future for the benefit of each other and the environment. Collaboration and being open to new ideas are key ways everyone can make environmentallyconscious steps to improve their individual, family or work footprint. Kids learn about the principles of reuse and recycling at school and are encouraged to do it at home as well. Retailers can look at their bags, wrapping or other packaging and see if there are areas for more eco-friendly options. Last month Gifts Today spoke to Mark Mitchell, who has made the decision to take his toy store, Crocodile, completely plastic-free. He said of his decision “The aim was always to bring things back to basics and encourage the public to rethink their approach to buying toys. We personally believe the industry is one of the worst culprits for encouraging waste and damage to our environment.” When it comes to giftware often is about finding the right balance in the stock options that are environmentally-friendly or sustainable in one way or another. From soy-based candles, veganfriendly fashion accessories or food products sourced locally that are potentially organic or have a minimal carbon footprint. Then there are
products made from recycled materials, products themselves that can be repurposed or reused, or items that only use sustainable materials in production. Home fragrance items, drink bottles, clothing, accessories, greeting cards, wrapping paper are just some of the items that can made from eco-friendly materials, produced in an ethical way or can be recycled, so by featuring them in your store you can happily respond to any cu stomer enquiries about what you are doing for the planet, in your own way.
Retailer Views Maria Aghababaie – Agha Home
“Our customers definitely appreciate eco-friendly and sustainable products. So, we have home fragrance ranges, reusable drinking bottles, wallets, stationery, and gadgets, jewellery all eco-friendly and sustainably made and packaged. Martin Coles-Evans - Hargreaves
“Eco products are definitely a permanent part of retailing now and we offer a dedicated area for this in store”
Paper Puzzles
Art & Fable Puzzle Company Art & Fable love that their paper jigsaw puzzles tread lightly on the earth. All Art & Fable merchandise is made from recycled paper content - the puzzle, box and insert are all fully recyclable. They purposely selected a box size for manufacture that has a reduced carbon footprint compared to standard puzzle boxes. They also provide a resealable bag in every box so you can keep your puzzle for years to come and re-experience the joy! There are three key features that set an Art & Fable puzzle apart: High Quality Print Art & Fable are all about the art. Before the company name was even decided, they knew a beautiful print would come with every puzzle. Not only does it serve as another image to refer to when putting together your puzzle, but when you’ve completed your project you can frame the print and enjoy the art long after you’ve finished. Box Top Stand Is there anything more annoying than a puzzle box top that’s constantly falling over while you’re trying to put together your puzzle? Everyone has had pieces knocked to the ground never to be seen again, glasses of wine spilled all over the table...but A&F have thought of a solution! Their box top stand is uniquely designed to eliminate topsy turvy accidents so you can puzzle in peace. Resealable Bag There comes a point when you need your dining room table back and it’s time to pack up your puzzle! A resealable bag is provided in each box, so when you want to revisit that jigsaw heaven, everything is where you need it to be!
Call: 07739358707 | Email: sales@artandfablepuzzlecompany.co.uk 44 Gifts Today
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Product Focus Eco Gifts
Animal Instinct
PlanetFriendly Puzzles Gibsons
Gibsons jigsaw puzzles are now planet-friendly which means all their new designs come in compact boxes without any shrink-wrap plastic. They are sealed with biodegradable stickers and the box has a gloss coating for extra protection. All their puzzles are made from the thickest board on the market which is 100% recycled and are produced in the UK and Europe. Gibsons’ White Logo Collection of design-led jigsaw puzzles for adults will be expanding in 2021. The range was developed in 2019 as Gibsons spotted a wave of young adults wanting to take a ‘digital detox’ and refrain from using their devices that can sometimes take over everyday life. Puzzling is becoming a popular hobby as it is an excellent way to relax and focus on the present moment. Now available in 23 distinctive designs, the White Logo Collection is perfect for puzzlers who are looking for more contemporary designs rather than traditional puzzle scenes. What’s more, they are also in planet-friendly boxes so you can be sure you’re getting the same great puzzles and know that they are kinder to the environment. Every puzzle in the range is manufactured in the UK and designed by an array of diverse designers. Lazy Sunday is a new quirky 1000pc puzzle created by Tabitha Brown. Tabitha is a freelance illustrator who blends drawings, found textures, and vintage papers to create “digital collages” of women enjoying life and nature. Her colourful and whimsical style is a mixture of 70s soul funk, noir, and minimalism.
Call: 020 8661 8866 Email: sales@gibsonsgames.co.uk Visit: www.gibsonsgames.co.uk 46 Gifts Today
Posh Paws
If you’re looking for high-quality soft toys that are eco-friendly, then Posh Paws have the perfect range, with their licensed BBC Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II collection. All Posh Paws’ BBC Earth soft toys are now produced using stuffing made from 100% post-consumer waste, recycled plastic bottles and they have reduced the overall amount of packaging used on the products and the hang-tags are produced using 100% recycled craft paper and use soy-based inks. Posh Paws added six new animals into their portfolio last year with their baby animal collection. The adorable animals include a baby Giraffe, Husky, Snow Leopard, Seal, Hippo and Penguin. Working closely with BBC Earth and collaborating on digital promotions, Posh Paws have been targeting their social media fanbase, to build, inform and create awareness of the sustainable production methods and create demand for the toys. The new baby animal collection joins their successful portfolio of BBC Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II animals that fans have seen and fallen in love with from watching the popular documentaries. With six animals available from each of these ranges, you can pick up fan-favourites like the Sloth, Elephant, Lion, Great White Shark, Sea Turtle and many more. There are 18 beautiful animals to collect currently and Posh Paws are developing new additions for autumn/winter. The Posh Paws BBC Earth collection has been carefully handcrafted to bring each animal to life, using only the finest of fabrics and featuring the iconic BBC Earth emblem. From the plains of Africa to the frozen Arctic, there is a soft toy animal for everyone.
Call: 01268 567317 Email: sales@poshpawsinternational.co.uk
GOTY Finalist
Whiz Kid Games
Whiz Kid Games has launched Passport to Genius, a range of educational board games that support key stage 1 and 2 teaching and has been shortlisted in the Gift of the Year awards. Aimed at children aged 7+, the games have players racing each other to the finish line by answering multiple-choice questions on curriculum subjects! Whiz Kid Games is the brainchild of former Lagoon Group MD Heather Watherston. She said, “When my children were younger, I used to make games to help them spell, tell the time and learn their times tables. I believed that engaging them in games helped them to learn. With the help of a group of teachers, we’ve made the content topical, fun, varied and as visually appealing as possible in order to engage the children to play and the more they play, the more they learn.” The range is designed with sustainability in mind and is environmentally-friendly. “Passport to Genius is being manufactured in Europe not only to avoid the damage of longdistance travel on the environment but because our partner there prides itself on its green credentials using 100% renewable energy to power its plants. We’ll print on FSC paper and playing pieces and dice for the games will come from local, sustainable forests while colours will all be water-based and non-toxic. All materials will be 100% recyclable.”
Email: Heather@whizkidgames.co.uk
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Puckator
Over the past decade, education and information regarding consumption and waste and how these factors affect the planet has increased dramatically. Puckator understands the small changes that everyone can make in their day-to-day lives that will help support green initiatives. A wide eco-friendly range is available, which provides people with excellent quality, well-designed products, while also giving them the peace of mind about where these items come from and how they are made. Three of the most popular and high-quality materials available are used to create the Puckator eco range: bamboo, rPET and stainless steel. The way these materials are made is even more impressive. The bamboo is recycled using the offcuts from chopsticks, and the selection of rPET bags are created using recycled plastic bottles. The wide range of stainless-steel bottles provide the perfect opportunity to make the switch from the everyday plastic drinkware found in most supermarkets, to a product that shows style and personality, and will last you for years to come. The outer layer remains free from condensation, whilst keeping drinks cold for up to 24-hours and warm for up to 12-hours!
Call: 0800 011 6969 Email: customerservices@puckator.co.uk Visit: www.puckator.co.uk
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@gibsons_puzzles @gibsons_puzzles facebook.com/gibsonsgames
Proudly Entertaining Generations Since 1919
sales@gibsonsgames.co.uk www.gibsonsgames.co.uk 020 8661 8866
Gifts Today 47
New products New Collections & Collaborations Enesco
Jim Shore & Beatrix Potter Contemporary gift retailer Enesco is proud to announce a brand-new collaboration between two of its biggest licensors to create a truly unique collectable offering. For the first time ever, Beatrix Potter is teaming with award-winning artist Jim Shore, to bring some of the author’s iconic characters to life in a way that fans have never seen before. Pairing the world-renowned classic brand featuring everyone’s favourite bob-tailed bunny – Peter Rabbit – along with his furry friends, the nostalgia of Beatrix Potter meets the man behind some of the biggest and best names in collectable figurines, including Heartwood Creek and Disney Traditions by Jim Shore. Sympathetic to the original artwork of Beatrix Potter’s classic tales of Peter Rabbit and his friends, Jim Shore has applied his synonymous American Folk Art-inspired style to each figurine, featuring motifs, quilting patterns and small details inspired by nature. The brand-new collection features figurines including Peter Rabbit, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Jemima Puddle-Duck, with each piece presented in a branded gift box. A perfect gift or self-purchase for any fan of Beatrix Potter memorabilia, as well Jim Shore collectors, pieces in this exciting new pairing are expected to sell out quickly.
Kloche Eco-Friendly Flower Figurines Enesco is proud to introduce the expansion of its first ever eco-friendly collection – Kloche by Millbrook Gifts. With a classic vintage style, these miniature decorative pieces make a wonderful gift or home adornment, perfect for any setting or occasion. Made from glass with a wooden base, each Kloche is designed in the UK and hand assembled, with a ribbon attached to the top of the glass jar, so the recipient can choose to display their piece free-standing or as a hanging decoration. As well as featuring nostalgic scenes that are worth celebrating, The Tiny Town collection now also includes brandnew Flower Figurines, with each piece presenting a different posy and sentiment, such as red roses for the Love You Figurine,
sunflowers for the Happy Birthday Figurine and daisies for the Fabulous Friend Figurine. Kloche is Enesco’s first eco-friendly collection, produced using sustainably sourced wood and glass domes instead of plastic. Each piece is also presented in a unique branded giftbox created from biodegradable packaging. Each piece measures 8.5cm and sells with a SRP of £12.95. The attractive price point along with the collectability of the range, plus the availability of a floor standing display unit for trade customers, means these little pieces are set to be a big hit with customers.
Izzy and Oliver Brand-new into its ever-popular Izzy and Oliver collection, Enesco is proud to announce the addition of a super-cute yet totally practical range of baby wear and accessories. Including onesies, sleeping bags, hats, bibs, hooded towels, car blankets, booties and tagalong comforters, each piece in the collection is suitable for newborns as well as older babies. Presented featuring jungle friends such as tigers and wonderfully whimsical creatures like unicorns, the collection also includes seasonal trends too, such as reindeers for Christmas and pumpkins for Halloween. With pieces made from polyester and being machine washable, not only does each piece look so adorable, they’re also convenient to throw into the wash when the inevitable little accidents and spillages occur. Items in the new collection range from £12 to £19.95 SRP, making them an affordable gift to welcome a newborn or to mark a first milestone like baby’s first Christmas, as well as a super sweet self-purchase. With high collectability too, customers are able to purchase multiple items from the same animal theme or mix and match the different creatures to create their own ensemble of items from the range.
Email: Helen.cottrill@enesco.co.uk Visit: www.enesco.co.uk
Heavenly Chocolates A Gift From The Gods
Call: 0161 946 1234 | Email: sales@mygiftstrade.co.uk | Visit: www.mygiftstrade.co.uk Chocolate is a gift from the gods, and the capsule chocolate bar range from A Gift From The Gods make ideal gifts for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Flavour favourites include Salted Caramel Milk Chocolate, Lovely Milk Chocolate, Seek Your Own Odyssey Mythical Mint Dark Chocolate and Get Your Goddess On Inspired Dark Chocolate. Each bar is 90g, protected in silver foil packaging and wrapped in a colourful branded wrapper - which are both recyclable. The chocolate is palm oil free and suitable for vegetarians. The dark chocolate is suitable for vegans. The chocolate gifts also make a great addition to subscription boxes with their attractive wrappers and inspirational catchy slogans for people looking for self-care pick-me-ups during lockdown.
Wholesale Offer Exclusively distributed by My Gifts Trade, we are offering a free box of 12 chocolate bars with every wholesale order of £300 which also includes free shipping. The chocolate bars RRP is £3.25 and are sold wholesale in packs of 12. A Gift From The Gods is distributed in the UK by My Gifts Trade. 48 Gifts Today
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Gifts Today Full Page Moocow.indd 1
05/01/2021 10:50:10
New products 11
designs to choose from they are perfect to fill up from your favourite coffee shop or a brew at home
Getting Personal Colour Everywhere Joe Davies Rainbow Frames Following on from the success of their scrabble sentiments gift range, Joe Davies have introduced a new rainbow coloured version. These bright sentiment photo frames are white with highlights of rainbows that will add a splash of colour to brighten anyone’s day. The rainbow coloured tiles spell out a sentiment and are finished off with a 3D iconic rainbow. There are plenty to choose from such as Mum, Friends and Family to name but a few. Combining the rainbow with sentiment wording is a strong message to send as a gift to a loved one.
Village Pottery The Village Pottery range of planters, tea lights and money boxes from Joe Davies is a firm favourite in their extensive collection of gifts. The countryside-themed range of glazed pottery houses, camper vans and owls have now been joined by lanterns with handles, townhouses, county heart houses and new simplistic Skandi style houses which fit perfectly with current home décor colour trends. These collections are available to order in Joe Davies trademark “little and often” quantities. See these colourful ranges and much more at their ‘Spring Fair At Home’ show, March 1-12.
Call: 0161 975 6300 | Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk Visit: www.joedavies.co.uk
50 Gifts Today
Personalised Memento Company Insulated Eco Travel Cups
Personalised Memento’s (PMC) hailing the flag for sustainability by launching a range of Personalised Insulated Eco Travel Cups. With 11 designs to choose from they are perfect to fill up from your favourite coffee shop or a brew at home to take with you on your morning commute. A great gift idea, the generously sized travel mugs feature a high-quality hard plastic screw-on lid to prevent spills and they are double walled to keep your favourite beverage hotter for longer! Each one is personalised with a name or a message and available as part of PMC’s huge range of giftware covering all occasions.
Personalised Scented Candle in a Jar The Personalised Memento Company have launched an exciting new range of homewares including this Personalised Scented Candle in a Jar. A beautiful delicately scented candle ideal for making any home smell like heaven! This is a perfect gift idea for someone you know who is expecting. PMC have a huge range of gifts in the wellbeing and beauty category including cushions covers, ornaments, dressing gowns, slippers, make up bags and accessories – all personalised! PMC’s industry leading production and shipping service is able to adapt effortlessly to seasonal peak demand. Every gift is individually personalised and drop shipped direct to the customer, meaning you don’t hold stock. This reliable service ensures that orders are fulfilled quickly and accurately, leading to an outstanding customer experience. Visit PMC’s trade website to register for your trade account today and discover how personalised gifts can work for your business.
Email: sales@personalisedmemento.co.uk Visit: www.personalisedmemento.co.uk
Our favourite Icons, boxed in lovely gift sets, ready to bring joy. A Miss Ă&#x2030;toile gift box says love in any language!
07769 738154 or 07553 473157 info@slocumhouse.co.uk slocumhouse.co.uk
New products A New Attitude Widdop & Co.
This year, Widdop are facing 2021 head on with positivity, inspiration and enthusiasm for a wonderful year with new brands, new ranges and a whole load of new products. The team want to push past the uncertainty of the past year and do everything they can to keep retailers supplied with an array of brand-new products for the new season. This year they haven’t held back and have launched some amazing new brands that they know your customers will love. Mad Man, their new distributorship, is all about gifting those really cool guys out there. Whether you’re shopping for your dad, brother, son, friend, or colleague, from awesome tech gifts and gadgets that really put the fun in functional, there is a gift to be enjoyed by all – especially those dudes on the move. Frida by SOPHIA® incorporates elegant designs and gold shimmering features to create beautiful gifts. From floral ceramics to animal print fabrics, this gift range is sure to brighten that special someone’s day. Based on the best-selling touch and feel children’s books, That’s Not My... gifts feature characters and faces from the most popular books. Lions, trains, unicorns and more are all brought to life in adorable style across a range of colourful and fun gifts and bedroom accessories. Country Living by the Seaside evokes the carefree and easy living atmosphere of seaside living with this range of beach-inspired home accessories and gifts. Pebbles, seashells, driftwood and rope feature throughout to
infuse the home with relaxation and calm. Oh, we do like to be beside the seaside... The new Meg Hawkins range of hand-illustrated gift and home accessories this year incorporates magnificent British wildlife from the beating heart of our famous countryside. Meg Hawkins is a multi-talented, passionate artist who takes inspiration from her countryside surroundings. Working out of her studio nestled in the rolling hills of Shropshire, Meg’s beautiful watercolour illustrations of wildlife and nature form the focal point of this delightful and colourful range of home and gifting products. This Christmas go on an exciting journey through The 12 Dreams of Christmas. From sparkling contemporary designs to traditional favourites, travel through a range of festive themes like never before. From simple to intricate, these range of items are certain to bring a festive ambience to any home. As well as all of these exciting new launches, Widdop have a number of product extensions to their existing brands and ranges to broaden their offering and add product that is trending in the gifting world.
Call: 0161 688 1226 | Email: sales@widdop.co.uk Visit: widdop.co.uk
Hoping For More Moocow Studios
At Moocow Studios they believe 2021 is the year of hope and inspiration. Not dwelling on what happened last year, they are looking forward and are hopeful that UK retailers and manufacturers will achieve great things by working together. Moocow Studios are proud to design, print and manufacture an extensive range of giftware products from their East Sussex HQ. The wide range includes cotton tea towels, tote bags, aprons, mugs, glass and slate giftware as well as postcards and greeting cards. The in-house design team are always working on new ideas and offer bespoke services too. The team recently launched the Know Your Dog range which features 50 different dog varieties, including Dick Twinney’s original 20 designs as well as 30 new breeds. Whether it’s an old faithful, or one of the trendier breeds, there is something for all dog-lovers in the collection. The delightful canine designs are available on mugs, plaques, tea towels, mounted prints or greeting cards. In preparation for a better Spring and Summer season, Moocow have a selection of bright fun seaside packs that are ideal for the staycations that are certain to still be popular as the sunshine returns. The colourful prints pop off the shelf and items can include your town’s name to make them must-have keepsakes for all holiday-makers. Moocow Studios are kicking off the year with their mug-tastic deals! Produced in the UK, you can have your own individual design on high-quality ceramic mugs that come in a number of shapes and sizes. Starting from just £1.60 and with a short production and delivery schedule, you can have a shelf loaded with eye-catching, unique mugs that make the perfect gift in the lead up to Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Moocow Studios offer UK manufacturing at it best. Their items are available in low quantities and by not relying on overseas imports you can have British designed and made products ready to inspire your customers in no time at all.
Call: 01424 310057 | Email: sales@moocowstudios.co.uk Visit: moocowstudios.co.uk
52 Gifts Today
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New products
Scandi-lous! Slocum House
The warm and cosy feeling of Scandi design is a hot trend that is continuing into 2021. Slocum House is home to four Danish home, lifestyle and gifting brands; Cozy Living, Bahne, Miss Etoile and Margit Brants. With a collection of over 3,500 items, Slocum House offers one unique central location for the best of modern international Scandi design. The Slocum House showrooms are located within the Grade II listed buildings of Manor Farm Court which is set in the countryside of Buckinghamshire, just five minutes from Milton Keynes. Open five days a week, the showrooms offer a safe and relaxed location for all their customers to see the Scandi designs for themselves. If you would like to visit please book in advance or if you are unable to travel you can request a personal virtual visit via video call. Catalogues or a local sales team visit are also available. As a customer you will be fully supported by their office and sales team. Working in partnership to assist your range selection, store execution and even managing order shipping on your behalf. With a wide range of home accessories, soft furnishings, candle, homewares and giftable items, there is always something new to inspire, with the following just a taste of what Slocum House has to offer.
RUSTIC CANDLE RANGE Beautifully handmade in Europe with the highest quality materials, the candles are intensively pressed to create a longer burning time. The perfect gift that will create a delightfully cosy atmosphere in any room.
BAHNE INTERIORS Bahne Interiors is a Danish home interior brand with a wide range of products for every room in the house. With a great mix of fashion-led products and some quirky details, there is plenty of opportunity to create your own individual expression and truly make your home your castle. With its wide selection, The Bahne collection offers great value to the gifting sector.
MISS ETOILE Miss Étoile is lifestyle with a lot of joy, a true Danish design brand with a European twist! Miss Étoile are always evolving and keeping up with current trends, all the while staying true to their brand DNA. The collection consists of many varieties of those famous eyes, inspiring you to mix and match new and old friends, creating exactly the look that you want. So, whether you follow the latest interior design trends or browse some favourite brands on social media, keeping an eye out for new ideas can help spark inspiration for your store space and ultimately your customer’s homes. Bring in comfort, style and a sense of the individual. Follow Slocum House on Instagram for more sensational Scandi design ideas.
Call: 07769738154 or 07553 473157 | Email: info@slocumhouse.co.uk Visit: slocumhouse.co.uk 54 Gifts Today
Bags, Beads and More! The Wheat Bag Company
The Wheat Bag Company is an established company manufacturing Microwavable Wheat Bags and other unique items in the UK. The Wheat Bags come in a variety of designs to suit all tastes including the company’s own bespoke range of fabrics which include Rainbows, Highland Cattle, Donkeys, Swimming Penguins and Bumblebees. Each Wheat Bag is filled with cleaned English wheat and optional Lavender buds. Lavender does not only smell delightful but is well known for its natural aromatherapy qualities of helping to aid sleep and relaxation. They are an all over body pillow which simply heats up in the microwave to provide soothing warmth, relaxation and creates an overall sense of wellbeing. Paired with the new essential lavender oil they make a wonderful personal gift. The product range also includes handcrafted PADi Pillows, made from 100% cotton with a polystyrene bead inner. A stable, lightweight, hands free tablet stand. Perfect for holding and supporting any mobile device. Suitable for iPads, Kindles, phones and all other portable devices as well as books. The Wheat Bag Company are always coming up with new ideas and expanding their product collection. The latest products are handmade Door Stops. These handy home items are made from cotton, padded and weighted with wheat and are also available in a wide range of designs to suit all homes.
Call: 01747 840 499 Email: sales@thewheatbagcompany.co.uk Visit: thewheatbagcompany.co.uk
Staffordshire Shapes Dunoon
Dunoon is a UK manufacturer of Fine Bone China mugs, cups & saucers and teapots formed in Scotland in 1974 and is now in Staffordshire, England. Local craftsmen use a high-quality Fine Bone China clay from Cornwall which contains 50% bone to give the mugs a beautiful translucency coupled with bright whiteness and strength. The mugs are three times fired and feature a variety of patterns. With over 1000 different mug designs in the range at any one time, Dunoon introduces over 350 new patterns each year.
Kimono is a set of three striking and colourful designs on Dunoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lomond shape. Inspired by the Orient, designer David Broadhurst has created beautiful and intricate patterns embellished with 22 carat gold making these mugs really special.
Under the Sea is a set of two colour-themed mugs in reds and blues on Dunoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lomond shape. Caroline Bessey took her inspiration from the flora and fauna beneath the sea and has painted her designs in a loose watercolour style. Infuser Sets â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Satoriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Aquaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Harmonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; are three beautiful designs on Dunoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shetland shape. The Infuser Set contains a stainless steel infuser and a decorated lid which helps to keep the heat in hot drinks and can also be used as a tray for the infuser when turned upside down.
Chocolate Gifts sales@mygiftstrade.co.uk 0161 946 1234
Roseanne is a set of two beautiful classic designs on Dunoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impressive Skye shape. David Broadhurst has colour themed his designs in pink and blue and both feature intricately painted roses and 22 carat gold embellishments.
Call: 01785 817414 | Email: sales@dunoonmugs.co.uk Visit: www.dunoonmugs.co.uk
www.agiftfromthegods.com
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05/01/2021 13:23:0655 Gifts Today
New products Arty Gifts For All Museums & Galleries
Last year saw Museums & Galleries very busy behind-the-scenes ambitiously expanding its collection of gift products. Last Summer saw the launch of the popular museum design face coverings which has increased now to 22 designs. This Spring three new products follow, all imbued with M&G’s tasteful design, attention to detail and competitive price-points. All the new products are equally attractive to buy as gifts or as self-treats. Insulated drinks bottles (500ml) now accompany M&G’s retailer favourite bamboo travel mugs as stylish drinks on-the-go options. Designs selected for the launch range are sourced from the V&A, Natural History Museum, British Museum and Tate Gallery. The bottles have a suggested price of £18.99. The organic cotton canvas collection is enriched with two new formats - premium tote bags (SRP £14.99) and new zipped and lined pouch bags (SRP £4.85). Beautiful designs co-ordinate across both products. The pouches and totes are strong, stylish, spacious and have real impact. The pouches are suitable for a variety of uses. Designs feature some of M&G’s most popular from its roster of national museums, but also includes a brand-new standout gems design from the Natural History Museum.
Call: 01373 462165 | Email: sales@mgml.co.uk Visit: www.museumsgalleries.co.uk
For The Kids Global Journey
Global Journey’s new children’s hand sanitisers are an essential product for all little hands. These scented, non sticky, antibacterial pocket-sized hand gels can be clipped to school bags, lunch bags, belts or slipped into pockets. Retailing for £2.99 these trendy hand sanitisers are a must-have item for children of all ages and a perfect pick up line for retailers. There are 72 names and 24 fun generic designs with themes including Football, Flamingos, Superheroes, Mermaids and Unicorns. There are two display options, a 96-pocket spinner holding 72 names and 24 generic designs, and a 24-pocket table top display that holds 24 generic titles only. Keep the kids school lunch fresh with these colourful Coolbags. Fun yet functional, they are collapsible when empty and compact when full and easy to clean. These new bright, vibrant and insulated cool bags, personalised with the most popular kids’ names and generic designs are certain to be the hottest and coolest new product for 2021. Retailing for £4.99 these new kids lunch bags offer great value, with two display options, a personalised range and a generic range on a separate stand (24 titles). With fashionable designs including Mermaids, Flamingos, Unicorns, Dinosaurs, Space and Robots, these are sure to appeal to many children aged between 3 and 7.
Call: 0161 872 0333 | Visit: global-journey.com
56 Gifts Today
Preview
Spring Fair
The Show Must Go On Trade shows may not be allowed in person at present, but Spring Fair @Home is proceeding online in February.
A
fter the ups and downs of much of 2020 there was hope that Trade Fairs could operate again in 2021 but sadly the pandemic had other ideas and for now things are proceeding in the virtual space. Spring Fair @Home is taking place on February 8-10 and is keen to provide key industry insights, the latest products, trends and collections to be enjoyed from the comfort of your home or office. As much as the NEC is great for person-toperson interaction and is a social time as well as work, Spring Fair @Home hopes to still bring the industry together online. The virtual format will provide exclusive content sessions that cover trends, industry news and business tips and tricks. The exciting line-up of speakers will feature a keynote appearance from business mogul Theo Paphitis. In an exclusive interview, Theo Paphitis will chat with the BBC’s Sasha Qadri, offering an insight into his experience, his views on the future of retail, and sharing advice for other entrepreneurs and small businesses. Julie Driscoll, Managing Director of UK Retail for Hyve Group said, “I am delighted to be welcoming such key names as Theo Paphitis onto the Spring Fair @Home line up. Our speakers have so much experience and knowledge to share with our audience and I know that they will bring real value to many of the businesses involved in Spring Fair @Home.” Spring Fair @Home will also be joined by Beth Horn, Head of Industry, Retail & Ecommerce at Facebook who will share her insights into the role social media will play in the future of retail, one of the biggest opportunities for retailers to harness. In the Product Showcase you can see view showroom tours as well as watch product presentations from exhibitors across Everyday,
Home, Living & Décor, The Summerhouse, Beauty & Well-being and more. The Virtual Showroom is where you will discover new brands, find the latest trends, product updates, lookbooks and the contact details you need for new suppliers or your favourite exhibitors. Trend insights will also make up a key portion of the Spring Fair @Home line-up, with appearances from Mintel, Colour Hive and Trend Bible. EMEA Director of Trends at Mintel, Simon Moriarty will discuss consumer behaviour trends for 2021 and beyond, outlining the effects of the pandemic on shopping habits and purchasing decisions. Colour Hive’s Creative Director, Sam Donnachie, will share the latest trends in colours, materials and finishes, helping buyers to inform and refine
their purchasing decisions. Trend Forecaster, Owen Wright, from Trend Bible will also share the macro-trends informing the more niche product aesthetics. Of course, Spring Fair is also the home to a raft of Industry Awards as well and these have been especially co-ordinated for this virtual experience. Winners for Gift of the Year Awards and Good Retail Awards will be announced in online ceremonies – be sure to check them out to see who comes out a winner.
Spring Fair @Home is open to all buyers and takes place on February 8-10, 2021. Register at www.springfair.com to get involved.
How are you feeling about no physical trade fairs at present? Elizabeth Blandford - Blandfords of Ledbury and Broadway
“I love buying at Trade Fairs … actually I just love buying new products!! Luckily for us we did good new buying last Spring so these we will just carry through. I’ve been introduced to new companies that have contacted the shop through our social media and I have my eye on some others that I’ve spotted. We will be relying on companies’ agents, reps and visiting warehouse showrooms.” Annette Ritchie - Spirals, Sheffield
“We usually attend the Spring and Autumn Fairs at the NEC, although we find them too big to enjoy.” Helen Flook - Sales Manager, Marmalade of London
“We are going to miss the trade shows as we love doing them, we get to meet our stockists and it becomes a social event as well as work.” Paul Hooker - Commercial Director, Joe Davies
“At Joe Davies we are huge supporters of exhibitions and no Spring Fair is a big blow, that said trade must go on.”
Gifts Today 57
Preview Product Top Drawer Focus Eco Gifts
Meeting
the Demand Typically, Top Drawer kicks of the Trade Fair calendar for the giftware community but like many others, 2021 sees this event operating online, but you can still find plenty of new things to inspire.
T
op Drawer On Demand is the first buying event of the year and kicks off from January 25-29 with a week of live content and then the On Demand content will remain available until February 21. So, there will be plenty of time shop the brands and access all the latest trends from wherever you are calling your ‘office’ right now. The agenda features live product launches and expert seminar sessions throughout the virtual event. Attendees will be able to see a programme of product launches across the show’s offering including gifts, interiors, greetings and stationery, fashion, giftable food and drink, craft, and children’s goods. There will also be presentations from companies such as S-C Brands, Beyond Living and Raine & Humble plus some new names will be making their debut including pavilion presentations from Design Nation, University of Arts London (UAL), and Essence of Japan (JETRO). The Design-Nation network includes some of the most innovative designers and craftspeople across the UK. Their nine exhibitors for the ss21 edition bring a selection of quality items including artworks, fashion accessories and homeware that span a variety of styles, incorporating contemporary and traditionallyinspired artisan techniques. The exhibitors being showcased by Design Nation are: BAKKA and Majeda Clarke (knitted and woven textiles respectively), Carin Lindberg, Lucy 58 Gifts Today
Spink and Mari Thomas (jewellery), Caroline Egleston (ceramic tiles), Linescapes (illustration-based products), Sally Burnett (wooden vessels) and Wolfram Lohr (leather goods for home and wear). VENT For Change will be launching their new recycled leather journals at the virtual event. The new collection is made with recycled leather covers and certified sustainable paper and the range includes pocket and medium journals with mixed plain and lined paper content. “It’s exciting to be launching new ranges after the difficult year suppliers and retailers have had,” said Evan Lewis, Founder of VENT for Change. Industry experts will also share their knowledge and advice throughout the week, with virtual versions of the show’s two seminar streams, RetailFest and Design Talk. These panel discussions and interviews have been carefully curated to inspire and educate retailers and designers, helping them to evolve and grow for continued success in the changing industry landscape. Top Drawer’s week-long celebration of retail and design will be followed by three weeks of opportunities to network, source and discover through the On Demand platform before it closes on February 21, 2021.
Visit www.topdrawer.co.uk
GT CONTRIBUTOR Small Business Britain
Essential Shopping Shops are nothing less than essential to Britain according to Michelle Ovens CBE, the Founder of Small Business Britain.
J Michelle Ovens
‘
‘
For the retail industry the closure of non-essential shops, while necessary, is a huge blow
anuary is traditionally the time for a fresh start for small businesses and an opportunity to set goals and plan exciting developments. It can, of course, still be a time for this, but this year many business owners are understandably feeling less inspired, refreshed and positive than usual, given more lockdowns and the ongoing uncertainty and challenges. For the retail industry the closure of non-essential shops, while necessary, is a huge blow. But there are some reasons to feel positive, not least the response of customers to the crisis. While certain retail categories might not officially be deemed ‘essential’, in the eyes of the nation there is no such distinction and all types of retailers, from gift shops to fashion boutiques are valued highly. Indeed, when the high street opened back up again at the start of December, there was a record spend on Small Business Saturday, with over £1 billion spent at small businesses. Shoppers who took
to the high street demonstrated a real sense of community spirit, with 48% stating that they chose to spend money with small businesses as they wanted to support them as much as possible after a tough year. I have no doubt that this strong backing for small businesses has been driven by recognition of the critical role they played in our communities during lockdown. So many firms worked hard to pivot and adapt their businesses during this national emergency, often stepping in to offer useful services, vital products, as well as being a source of practical support and kindness, particularly for the NHS and frontline workers. Another big reason behind this demand is that shopping is a pastime and a leisure activity for many, which was sorely missed across the periods of lockdown in 2020 and continuing now into 2021. Indeed, many small firms that had an online presence, or were able to quickly create an e-commerce facility, did well in the first lockdown, as they found a way to engage and occupy an audience craving ways to occupy themselves with browsing and ‘treat’ themselves and others. From letter box brownies, to spa day hampers, slippers to jigsaws, consumers moved online, sometimes for the first time, at an incredible rate. While the country locked down, customers did not go away, they just adopted different habits and tastes and smart small firms have been able
to find them, often discovering new customers in the process. As lockdown lifted, we saw small shops, cafes and restaurants on local high streets become even more popular centres of their communities, as people increasingly worked from home and were attracted to places that felt safe, reassuring and manageable. Of course, this latest lockdown does feel for many like the hardest yet, despite the literal shot in the arm of the vaccine down the line. But for small retailers feeling despondent about 2021 I would say don’t give up. It is never too late to change your approach. There is still time to pivot your business, update your digital skills, embrace the power of online. There are always new routes to market, new customers, new ideas, new solutions. While the pandemic has clearly accelerated the structural changes that have long been coming on high streets, particularly in city centres, our communities and national love for shopping will not disappear. Small businesses remain hugely valued, and that will be a platform to build on in 2021. This year will no doubt be incredibly tough for many retailers, and we need to offer as much support as possible – from the government, from consumers, from the private sector. However, there is already a lot of help and advice out there, that can make a huge difference, so if you are facing challenges, do seek it out. Gifts Today 59