Message from the Publisher

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Message from the Publisher

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Here we are – 2022 and I would like to wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year. As it stands, apologies for using the ‘c’ word, Covid is still causing havoc and uncertainty. As we headed out of lockdown last year with restrictions having been removed in England, it did for a short while feel as though it was time to celebrate, then bam, along comes Omicron!

This variant may on the surface be a much milder version when looking at symptoms, it is causing a lot of problems for us all – are we likely to lockdown again, will this sneaky and fast spreading variant cause the gifting industry further problems – let’s hope not.

With the booster vaccination programme well underway, with a record breaking 904,598 booster shots given in one day (18/01/21) – with this news let’s hope the virus will slow in pace and here’s to looking forward to a much more prosperous year ahead for us all.

There is clearly a desire for trade shows to get back on track and as testament to this Top Drawer have announced that although the show has now been scheduled for February it has doubled in size compared with its autumn version, with show Director Russell Rule stating, “With the show dominating the whole of Olympia London, buyers will have access to more than 650 brands and thousands of the newest products on the market, at one safe and carefully designed event.” Registration to attend Top Drawer is now open, simply head to www.topdrawer.co.uk

Spring Fair, having been unable to open their doors in 2021, many are now eager to attend this mammoth trade event in February – watch out for our February issue when we will bring you a full round up of the show!

This issue you will have noticed that our Cover Star is Wax Lyrical. As a business, they are constantly looking at their ranges and gifting

selections. With over 40 years crafting inspirational fragrances, Wax Lyrical proudly unveils their latest collections, styles and inspired additions for spring and summer 2022. Within this you will find brand new collections, plus new fragrances and designs in fragranced candles, reed diffusers and nourishing hand care. Simply turn to page 10 to read more. You will also find a number of interviews in this issue, for example, Gifts Today had the pleasure to question Bolsius’s UK National Account Manager Kam Badesha. Bolsius have more than 150 years of knowledge and craftsmanship manufacturing candles and are currently one of the market leaders in Europe. You can check out this interview starting on page 20. With over 40 years crafting inspirational fragrances, Wax Lyrical proudly unveils their latest collections, styles and inspired additions for spring and summer 2022. ‘ ‘ We also had the opportunity to interview Bloomingville’s CEO Lars Krog. Driven by a fascination of Nordic style and fashion, Bloominville has grown to become an international business covering many categories. You can find this interview starting over on page 38. On the retail side, here in Gifts Today’s hometown, it’s all about the ‘quirky’ as we chat with independent retailer co-owner Paul Cheshire from &Quirky. This interesting gift store looks for ideas in store that offer that something different – if you’re feeling ‘quirky’ then turn to page 30! Of course, you will also find features nestling within the following pages with candles starting on page 12 which also contains Trade Talk where we speak to a number of the industry’s finest to find out their thoughts on this growing sector. You will find Stationery & Cards by turning to page 24, At Home over on page 32 and InStyle starting on page 44.