Gifts Today Month: May/June 2021 Issue: 5 Volume: 32
Gifts Today May/June 2021
Contents p 14
Regulars 7 Message from the editor 8 News 10 The Giftware Association 12 Exhibition News 63 Bira
Cover story 14 Steiff
Founded in 1880, the world’s most famous soft toy company Steiff created the very first Teddy Bear in 1902. The company, whose motto is ‘for children, only the best is good enough’, is now looking to the future with a beautiful range of soft toys using sustainable materials. Introducing ‘Teddies For Tomorrow’
Retail 26 Menkind
p 16
Gifts Today team
p62
Editor
Sally Norton sally@lemapublishing.co.uk
With their 59 stores now reopened and exciting plans for the summer in place, we caught up with Fred Prego, marketing director of Menkind, to learn how the company is tempting customers back into its stores, and boosting online services to those who still prefer to shop from home
38 Retailers’ Panel
The latest members of our Panel – key gift shop owners around the UK and beyond – introduce their businesses and talk about life after lockdown
Advertisement Manager
Mark Horsnell markh@lemapublishing.co.uk
Special features
Layout/Design
16 Home & Gift sneak peek
Rick Vickers rick@lemapublishing.co.uk
Managing Director
p 20
Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk
Production Director
Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk
Home & Gift Buyers’ Festival 2021 is set to run this summer, and the organisers Clarion are full steam ahead getting everything in place. As well as a quick look at some of the ranges you can expect to see, we have an exclusive interview with Clarion’s Portfolio Director Zoë Bonser, to learn why her team felt it was so important for the show to run, and how they will ensure the show runs as safely as possible
28 At home
Chairman
Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk
Wonderful ways you can help your customers boost their living spaces and make them more comfortable than ever
40 Giftable stationery
Stationery expert Henri Davis helps identify what your customers’ stationery wants and needs are likely to be this autumn. And we take a look at some of the latest launches
50 InStyle
p 26 Lema Publishing Ltd
1 Churchgates, The Wilderness, Berkhamsted, Herts, HP4 2UB Telephone: 01442 289930
www.giftstoday.media
Jewellery and fashion accessory trends, products and must-buys in this exciting sector
54 New products 60 Games & puzzles
Profiles 20 22 32 56
Melt Mad Beauty Ceramic Design Heritage Personalised Memento Company
H
ROOM W O T H E NORTH
THE LAR G E S T
Harrogate, North Yorkshire
IN
S
18-21 July 2021
Get your free ticket at homeandgift.co.uk
H
ROOM W O T H E NORTH
THE LAR G E S T
Harrogate, North Yorkshire
IN
S
18-21 July 2021
Register today at homeandgift.co.uk
T 01359 250720 Handmade in Suffolk
www.manorhousehomefragrance.co.uk
Drawer Liners | Drawer Sachets Hand Wash & Moisturising Lotion | Pot Pourri Reed Diffusers | Room Sprays | Scented Candles
32
p 14
p 28
p 50
Message from the Editor
p 42
www.giftstoday.media Instagram: @giftstodaymedia
‘
will ensure it runs as safely as possible. You can read more on page 16. If you’re a retailer planning to visit the event or if you have some news to share, do drop me a line on sally@lemapublishing.co.uk. If you’re an exhibitor and would like to advertise in our July issue, our Home & Gift ‘special’, get in touch with Mark Horsnell on 01442 289930 and on markh@ lemapublishing.co.uk. We’ll been running regular updates on our website (giftstoday.media), to ensure everyone visiting or exhibiting at the show has easy access to all the information they need ahead of its opening. Signing up to our newsflash service will ensure the latest updates drop directly into your inbox. But back to the contents of this issue. This month we have an interview with Menkind, the brilliant retail chain known for their gifts and gadgets. With their 59 stores now reopened and exciting plans for the summer in place, we caught up with marketing director Fred Prego to learn how the company is tempting customers back into its stores, and boosting online services to those who still prefer to shop from home. You can read it on page 26. Then of course there’s our cover star Steiff. Founded in 1880, the world’s most famous soft toy company Steiff created the very first Teddy Bear in 1902. The company, whose motto is ‘for children, only the best is good enough’, is now looking to the future with a beautiful range of soft toys called Teddies for Tomorrow, that use sustainable materials. They really are beautiful. Read more on 14. There’s so much else to read in this issue we’ve got features on gift categories we feel are really strong at the moment. There’s our At Home feature on page 28, Giftable Stationery on page 40, and InStyle jewellery and fashion accessories on page 50. Plenty of news and views too. Mark and I hope you enjoy reading it.
‘
I
t’s been fascinating putting together the May/ June edition of Gifts Today. After months of uncertainty, it’s started to feel as though we’re getting back to some sort of normality. Retailers are beginning to see customers heading through their doors with more confidence, and many suppliers are reporting good business. As Donna Zurcher at Mezu Silk Flowers says: ‘My customers have been telling me they have been busy and customers are coming back into the shops, which is good news.’ Victoria Eggs from the eponymous company agrees: ‘We have had a lot more contact with our retailers which is really lovely and something we missed during this last year. Sales have increased which is also a hugely positive sign. There seems to be a real buzz and excitement amongst retailers and consumers alike.’ Retailers need to ensure they offer a great in-store experience, though, according to Helen Cottrill from Enesco. ‘I think everyone is ready to go shopping but physical shops are going to have to offer something different,’ she says. ‘It’s all about the experience, the display, the product offering. It’s about things like rewards schemes, offers or even a free coffee if you have that facility. They all go a long way to get repeat customers. Covid has opened up online shopping to a whole new demographic, who will continue to shop on line but nothing beats visiting your local independent gift shop.’ And now, at last, the trade fairs look set to return. As Ian Morris (pictured outside his shop), from the Map Gift Shop in London’s Archway told us: ‘We miss the trade fairs, seeing suppliers face to face.’ First out of the blocks is Harrogate Home & Gift in July. Here at Gifts Today we’re so pleased to be media partner to the event, as we have been for many years. We have a ‘sneak peek’ of the show in this issue, including an interview with Clarion’s Portfolio Director Zoë Bonser. She tells us why it’s so important for the show to run, and how they
p 38
Nothing beats visiting your local independent gift shop
The views of the contributors expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher. Comments, letters and criticism are welcome.
Present Time
p66
News
Helen Cottrill’s Mighty Hike for Macmillan
Puckator to open European distribution centre The leading wholesale giftware company is combating post-Brexit trading concerns by opening the EDC in Poland, With sales teams and B2B e-commerce sites in UK and throughout Europe, the EU represents 50% of Puckator’s sales, so the impact of Brexit, and the subsequent trading difficulties encountered with lengthy delays and the imposition of import tariffs between the UK and Europe had been significant. Puckator has signed the lease on a modern 4000 square metres unit located on a newly constructed logistics park adjacent to Wroclaw airport, which will serve as the group’s European Distribution Centre (EDC).
Enesco’s Marketing & Product Director is taking on the Ullswater Mighty Hike – 26.1 miles – on 19 June to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. ‘To raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support my best friend Caroline, also an ex Enesco employee, and I are taking part in the Ullswater Mighty Hike on June 19,’ says Helen. ‘It’s 26.1 miles around the hills surrounding Ullswater in the Lake District. Over the years we have lost several lovely Enesco colleagues and friends to cancer, so this is in their memory.’ You can sponsor them and follow their journey here: mightymiles. macmillan.org.uk/fundraising/ Helen-Cottrill1971
puckator.co.uk
Light&Living and Present Time join forces Light&Living has acquired PT Group BC, the successful group behind the brands Karlsson, PT, and Leitmotiv. The highly successful PT Group will be part of the Light&Living Group, alongside UK based brand Parlane Living which Light&Living acquired in 2020. The construction of a ‘house of brands’ creates a panEuropean company with a complementary brand and product portfolio with its own showrooms across Europe in Noordwijk, Almere, Oslo, Lyon, Bruhl/Cologne and Bourton-on-the-Water in the UK.
presenttime.com
Ashleigh & Burwood revamp trade website The home fragrance company have improved their website, making it easier to navigate and giving it a fresh new look. The overhaul also includes new digital resources to give customers better access to their high-quality lifestyle imagery, and follows on from the successful launch of their groundbreaking virtual showroom TheHouseOfAB.com last month. MD Andrew Nettleton explains: ‘Our investment in digital platforms, both our current trade website and our new virtual showroom, has not only helped to support our customers through this time, but will also provide a long-lasting component of our marketing that will complement the more traditional channels going forward.’
ashleigh-burwood-trade.co.uk 8 Gifts Today
Queen’s Award for St. Eval
The Cornish candle manufacturer has been honoured with a Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development, the first ever Queen’s Award for a candle manufacturer. CEO, Ian Greaves, believes a key element to St. Eval’s success has been the people at the heart of the business. From protecting wildlife on site and championing plastic-free packaging, to helping customers understand the benefits of sustainable production and much, much more. ‘As we have grown over the years, we have always strived to put sustainability at the heart of all we do.’
st-eval.com
John Lewis founder’s great grandson receives £1.54m payoff Patrick Lewis, who leaves in June after 26 years, will receive a payment that exceeds the annual salary of chairman, Dame Sharon White. She earned just over £1 million last year despite taking a 20 per cent cut to her base salary for three months amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Lewis, who spent more than 26 years at the partnership, stepped down as finance director late last year following a head office shake-up that led to 1500 job cuts.
E T N IN A uk PE L AY . O ON OD s.co UR T T vie YO UN da CO joe AC w.
w
w
:H KDYH PRYHG WR +DOO %
+$// % %
Just Saying Collection
Night Owls
Thoughtful Words Hearts
Equilibrium® Boho Chic
Tel: 0161 975 6300 *LIWV 7RGD\ )3 LQGG
Crystal Shades Aroma Lamps
Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk
www.joedavies.co.uk
GT CONTRIBUTOR: The Giftware Association
Getting back out there! We caught up Chris Workman, PR and marketing manager for the Giftware Association, to get his take on how the giftware business is faring post-lockdown
W
ith high streets now open, and lockdown measures slowly easing to the leisure and entertainment industry, life is slowly getting back to normal. The exciting news of the opening of trade shows on the horizon means our industry is getting back into routine or the ‘new normal’ as it was dubbed during lockdown. So, what can we expect from the new lie of the land? And how have companies adapted over the last year with many pivoting to online? In short, what does the ‘new normal’ look like for the giftware industry?
Chris Workman
‘
We are looking forward to Harrogate Home & Gift in the summer, the first show out of the blocks
‘
10 Gifts Today
The online marketplace Something that has been in our industry for quite a while now is making a massive resurgence - the online marketplace. It’s a safe way for buyers to shop and suppliers to showcase their products in virtual ‘shop windows’. With Spring and Autumn Fairs adding to their live show with a digital offering, it offers buyers and suppliers new avenues to sell and buy products. With quite a few on offer it’s best to research, much like you would if you were to exhibit at a trade show, and choose one best suited to your business or international market you want to get into. We are keeping a close eye on the evolving online marketplaces as a benefit to our members.
The trade show
Technology
It has been evident that trade shows have been missed, although companies have not had the overheads of stand builds, staff costs and promotion - there really is no other way of getting in front of a buyer. The process of meeting buyers, seeing the actual product and having a human conversation has been lost with the absence of face-to-face events. The digital offerings have nicely bridged the gap, and given us something to show the value of technology in our industry and the potential for hybrid versions of the shows in the future. We are all very excited to get back out there and have those (socially distanced) face to face conversations we have so sorely missed. We are looking forward to Harrogate Home & Gift in the summer, the first show out of the blocks.
The technological revolution over lockdown has been great for our industry.Yes, it probably means you can’t go a day without a Zoom or a Teams call, but it has actually increased communication and allowed us to be more productive without travelling up and down the country for meetings which otherwise would have taken a whole day out of our schedule. Technology has helped aid the digital shows and has encouraged business to pivot their business to get in front of buyers or change their offering to B2C. As an association we personally saw it as an opportunity to offer online events which we are now curating into an educational package for our members, covering everything from digital marketing, how to approach buyers and international support.
ga-uk.org
LONDON STATIONERY SHOW 5-6 October 2021 Business Design Centre
Register now Discover the largest selection of writing and paper products from around the world in one place. Register now at stationeryshow.co.uk
News Exhibition Home & Gift colocated with Manchester Furniture Show Both shows will run 18-21 July at the Harrogate Convention Centre and will each have their own registration process with separate registration and entrance points onsite at the HCC. Manchester Furniture Show will exclusively use Entrance One at the HCC with Home & Gift using all other entrance points as per previous years. Clarion will take extra space this year in the HCC to allow the Manchester Furniture show to occupy four halls, with Home & Gift occupying the rest of the HCC plus the marquees within the grounds of the Majestic Hotel. Home & Gift will see over 650 brands, with some key new names for the first time. You can read our interview with Portfolio Director Zoë Bonser and our ‘sneak peek’ of the show in this issue of Gifts Today, see page 16.
homeandgift.co.uk
London Stationery Show runs this October The show will now run 5-6 October 2021 at the Business Design Centre, London. ‘We understand that it will take some time for retail to recover from the recent lockdown,’ commented Event Director, Alex Butler. ‘We believe that the October dates will allow for a successful show for visitors and exhibitors alike. ‘We’re very grateful for the support of the industry and are looking forward to welcoming everyone to the Business Design Centre in October when we can finally meet and do business once again.’ At London Stationery Show you’ll find the biggest UK and international brands, exciting new designers and innovative start-ups, all under one roof. Explore exciting new products and brands, alongside established bestsellers. With hundreds of products that work perfectly as additional items to your core range, London Stationery Show is the must-attend event for stationery and gift retailers. The 2021 event has a long list of exhibitors set to attend, including ExaClair, eco-eco, Pentel, Staedtler (UK) Ltd and Pukka Pads. In the meantime, the team are working on an exciting new venture launching in the spring. Stationery365 is an online directory showcasing new products and collections, connecting suppliers with stationery and gift buyers all year round. Retailers will be able to browse brands and products all in one place, and message suppliers directly to place orders.
stationeryshowlondon.co.uk 12 Gifts Today
Hyve Group launch Spring and Autumn Fair Online Marketplace A brand extension to the live events, it offers the gift community an additional trading platform with existing and new partners throughout the year. This B2B online marketplace launched on 4 May and is a brand extension to the heritage brands Spring & Autumn Fair, two live events that are now complemented by a 365 digital trading platform. It will allow brands to access serious, vetted buyers all year round, deepen relationships started at the live events at the NEC, generate leads and take online orders. Buyers can find new products from loved and trusted brands, discover new brands online, build their collections and shop with ease throughout the year. Speaking on behalf of Hyve Group, Julie Driscoll, Managing Director UK Retail and Fashion says: ‘Spring and Autumn Fair are the first omnichannel retail trade events in the UK to do this. As we move forward, our focus is on refuelling retail for 2021 and beyond, supporting our community in recovering from the pandemic and building back stronger than ever.’ Autumn Fair is set to run as a live event 5-8 September 2021. Spring Fair will run 6-10 February 2022.
springandautumnfair.eventsunited.net
Messe Frankfurt cancels Tendence 2021
The show has been cancelled for the second year in a row, with online platforms Conzoom Solutions and Nextrade bridging the gap until the key shows return next spring. The organiser says that ongoing restrictions to contain the pandemic in Germany as well as abroad mean Tendence cannot currently be held on its planned date. ‘We have therefore decided, even though this is anything but easy for us, to cancel Tendence now for the second time in a row,’ says Stephan Kurzawski, Member of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt Exhibition. ‘All the more reason for us to concentrate, together with our exhibitors and visitors, on the coming spring and the successful staging of the leading trade fairs for the consumer goods industry, such as Ambiente, Christmasworld and Paperworld. And in July, as usual, we are planning Nordstil in Hamburg.’
tendence.messefrankfurt.com
Top Drawer returns this September Clarion Events announce the show will return to a live format for its A/W21 edition this September at Olympia London. Running from 12-14 September, the show promises to reunite design-led brands, buyers and designers for unmissable trade opportunities. To ensure the needs of its audience are best met, in planning for the show’s return to an in-person format, the team extensively surveyed its community of leading retail buyers and interior designers - an astounding 82% of whom said they intend to attend in September. The A/W21 edition of Top Drawer will include the full range of show sectors, showcasing the very best names and products across gifting, interiors, greetings & stationery, fashion, children’s products, hand-made craft, and giftable food & drink.
topdrawer.co.uk.
BCTF bought by Kerrison Exhibitions
The British Craft Trade Fair has been acquired by Kerrison Exhibitions Ltd from PSM Limited, following cancellation of 2020 and 2021 live events. The deal was completed on 14 April 2021 after the previous owner, PSM Limited, was forced to seek a new owner for the fair following the cancellation of events due to Covid-19, ensuring the handmade British craft show will have new investment for its future.
bctf.co.uk
Scoop and Pure London unite this September Designed to offer an exclusive and safe buying experience, Scoop X Pure will now take place 7-9 September 2021, at the Old Truman Brewery in East London. Scoop X Pure will also be co-located alongside the UK’s leading international fashion sourcing show, Pure Origin, bringing the entire fashion supply chain under one roof in the heart of London’s creative district.
scoop-international.com
Event pilots show promising early results
Clarion Events REVEALs all
Clarion Events, the team behind Home & Gift and Top Drawer has announced the launch of their much-anticipated digital offering, a trade e-commerce platform called REVEAL. Designed to complement the existing live show offering, for suppliers, it will be a 24/7 digital shopfront, placing products at eye-level for the UK’s largest network of soughtafter buyers. For retailers, it will be a daily dose of product discovery, and a unique opportunity to source, connect and buy, as well as learn and be inspired.
Large events could be one step closer to coming back, as trials to see how they might run with extra Covid-safe measures have reportedly had positive results, in a report published in The Times newspaper. Since April, the government’s Events Research Programme has anaylsed the Covid risk of various large-scale indoor and outdoor events, including the indoor Brit Awards with 4000 attendees, the FA Cup Final with 21,000 seated outdoors and an indoor Liverpool club night with 3000 people. The research team, who are working in partnership with local and national health authorities, will also analyse transport to and from events, duration of events, and catering and alcohol. A full report is due to be published soon.
info.clarion-retail.com Gifts Today 13
GT COVER STORY: STEIFF
Teddies for
Tomorrow
Founded in 1880, the world’s most famous soft toy company Steiff created the very first Teddy bear in 1902. The company, whose motto is ‘for children, only the best is good enough’, is now looking to the future with a beautiful range of soft toys using sustainable materials. Introducing ‘Teddies For Tomorrow’…
I
f Richard Steiff, the nephew of founder Margarete Steiff, were to invent the teddy bear again today, he would have a whole range of new materials to work with, as well as a completely different understanding of the environmental impact of these products. The creator of the Steiff teddy bear, known for its trademark ‘button in ear’, placed great emphasis on craftsmanship, creativity and innovation, and these qualities are just as important to the company today as they have always been. That’s why the company has created a new ‘Teddies
14 Gifts Today
for Tomorrow’ range, with a commitment to using alternative materials, like hemp, linen plush and even paper in the production of this very special collection. The quality feel of the bears is as good as you’d expect from a Steiff toy, and the range represents a long term vision and expression of responsible corporate policy that’s still going strong 140 years after the company was first founded. The first ‘Teddies for Tomorrow’ products were released in 2020 and the line is being extended for collectors as well as children in 2021. Highlights so far include:
After Midnight Paper Teddy Bear This handsome bear is made of paper plush, a material developed by Paul Steiff and Reinhard Schulte back in 1919. Today this is one of the vegan materials of the future, with a yarn produced from twisted paper strips and woven carefully into a firm fabric. This bear has glass eyes and is filled with wood shavings.
Materials of the future
Steiff use a variety of environmentally friendly materials to create their ‘Teddies for Tomorrow.’ Anton, Max and Tom Teddy Bears Ranging from 23-30cm, made from PET plush fabric and PET filling made from PET bottles. They’re all machine washable at 30ºC.
Hanna Teddy Bear She’s made from soft, beige coloured hemp plush, has vegan Violan felt on her paws and soles, and is filled with wood shavings.
Linus Teddy Bear A sustainable classic, filled with wood shavings, Linus looks at the
world through gleaming wooden eyes. He wears an outfit made entirely of plant-based material. His russet coat of soft linen plush goes beautifully with his paws and soles which are made from a high-grade vegan felt called Violan. He’s filled with wood shavings.
Lavender Rabbit Her gleaming soft plush is made from soya bamboo viscose, while the recycled PET filling defines her elegant shape.
Pendant Basko Teddy Bear An 11cm bear, five-way jointed and filled with PES fibres made from recycled PET bottles.
Hemp This fibre is very ecological because the plants don’t need a lot of water, are very resistant against pests, can be cultivated in cooler regions and produce a higher crop than organic cotton. Hemp is also is hardwearing, antibacterial and antistatic. With modern manufacturing techniques, it can be treated like cotton fibres.
Bamboo You can almost see it grow! Bamboo grows incredibly quickly even without the help of fertilizers. It is an inexhaustible raw material and can be used for food, building materials, musical instruments and much more. Bamboo can also be made into soft, fresh textiles and requires much less water than cotton.
Paper In 1919, mohair was in short supply and so Steiff began making plush toys using paper for the first time. Strips of paper were painstakingly woven together and then made stable. The company has rediscovered this craft, and today use recycled paper to guarantee long term recycling, to create the most beautiful Steiff paper plush teddy bears.
Linen Linen has been around for more than 5000 years, is hard wearing and barely requires any water. Steiff Schulte in Duisburg has developed a method for turning hard linen yarn into soft linen plush. The result is a wonderful vegan material for Steiff teddy bears.
Recycled PET Using recycled PET protects the environment three times over. First, the plastic doesn’t end up in the sea. Secondly, it saves using new material. And thirdly, recycling uses less energy. That’s why Steiff Teddies for Tomorrow feature PET plush fabrics and PET stuffing.
Get in touch Email: tradesalesuk@steiff.com Visit: steiffuk.com
Preview Home & Gift
Home & Gift is back!
Time to mark 18-21 July in your diary, because Home & Gift Buyers’ Festival 2021 is set to run this summer, and the organisers Clarion are full steam ahead getting everything in place. We caught up with Clarion’s Portfolio Director Zoë Bonser, to learn why her team felt it was so important for the show to run, and how they will ensure the show runs as safely as possible Zoë, you were named as Portfolio Director, Retail, for Clarion Events in December 2020. What’s your career journey to this position? That’s right! I have been working in the events industry for over 15 years now, most recently transforming Clarion Events’ The Baby Show. Prior to that I was the Event Director of Spring and Autumn Fair, which I know a lot of our Home & Gift customers will be familiar with. I have worked across trade and consumer shows in many different industries, and I can’t wait to see all of the team’s hard work on Clarion’s gift shows come to fruition this summer. Home & Gift will be the first event to run at Harrogate Convention Centre – as well as being the first trade show for the gift industry. How did you go about making the decision to run it during these incredibly uncertain times? 16 Gifts Today
We always knew that we wanted to run Home & Gift this year, but of course at the start of 2021 there was still a lot of uncertainty around live events. As an organiser we work closely with the Association of Exhibition Organisers (AEO) and that has been really important with making sure we can run the show safely and effectively. We have also been in close contact with our customers – we know that suppliers are crying out for the opportunity to do business, in-person, at a large-scale event, and in a recent survey, 87% of visitors said that they want to come to Harrogate this year. On your appointment, you mentioned your aim is ‘to create new opportunities through both live events and new virtual outputs’. Do you intend to create a virtual offering for Home & Gift this year, and into the future? Yes, absolutely. We can’t wait to share our fully
integrated live and digital offering for the first time with the Retail industry’s largest gathering at Home & Gift this summer. Our live events bring together over 100 years of trade-show experience, and we are launching our brand new digital platform, REVEAL, very soon. Why does the team feel it’s so important the show runs? The Home & Gift team is made up of live event fanatics – these shows are our bread and butter, so the team can’t wait to be in Harrogate for those four special days in July! Home & Gift is, without doubt, the industry’s favourite show, and the perfect place for our customers to meet, network, do business, and socialise. The industry wants Home & Gift to run, and we are here to make that happen. What makes Home & Gift different to other shows in the buying calendar?
Home & Gift is an all-inclusive, friendly buying experience, bringing together top brands and exclusive products, all in a relaxed setting, with plenty of opportunity to catch up with friends and colleagues with a gin and tonic or two. The beautiful Harrogate location gives the industry the chance to get away from their day-to-day and really enjoy discovering their next bestsellers, and hopefully we will get lucky with the weather again this year! Government pilot events have already been taking place and initial data seems positive. Have you gained any useful information from these so far? Yes, we have been delighted to see the pilot events running successfully. The government will release its findings at the end of May, and through our partnership with the AEO we expect to get even more insights then.
Will there be any changes to the layout of the show this year? The show layout is largely the same – marquees will still be a prominent feature of the show, with everyone’s favourite Sundowners still taking place outside around the DP areas. I look forward to seeing you there! What names – both familiar and new – can you confirm will be running at the show? Home & Gift 2021 is the industry’s first opportunity to return to in-person buying and selling, and a lot of familiar favourites are back in full force, including Joe Davies, Bronte by Moon, Gallery Direct, Big Metal London, Accessories by Park Lane and Caroline Gardner. We love to celebrate new brands too, and we’re excited to welcome Bookspeed, Captivate Brands, The Little Botanical, Blade & Rose, Ancient Mariner, Toasted Crumpet and many, many more.
‘The industry wants Home & Gift to run, and we are here to make that happen’
The UK is hopefully on target to exit lockdown on 21. Do you currently have plans to ask visitors/exhibitors to still follow basic safety measures, such as masks, hand sanitiser, social distancing, one-way systems, even though this may not be a government requirement? Safety is our priority, and we are working closely with the Association of Event Organisers (AEO), which is liaising with the government directly on live event guidelines to ensure the best possible experience for exhibitors and visitors alike. We have shared our All Secure Standard document with Home & Gift exhibitors, to give them an idea of the safety considerations that may be in place, and we will share similar information with our visitors nearer to the show dates, once we know which precautions, if any, will be in place. What Sectors can visitors expect to find at the show this year? As ever, at Home & Gift we look to cover all of the key areas that buyers are looking for. Sectors for 2021 will be Design Led Gifts, Gift, Home & Interiors, Design Now, Craft, Taste, Greetings & Stationery, Jewellery & Fashion. Home & Gift is known and loved for being a social show and a great place to meet friends and network. What are your current plans for social events? Home & Gift is the social event for the gift industry every July. We are really looking forward to Sundowners on Sunday to celebrate a successful first day back at live trade shows. This year’s show is even more special, as it will be the 60th edition of Home & Gift Buyers’ Festival - we will certainly be celebrating and raising a toast to 60 years of the industry’s favourite show.
homeandgift.co.uk Gifts Today 17
Preview Home & Gift
Joe Davies Hall B, stand 66 Joe Davies specialise in supplying to the independent retailer in their trademark ‘little and often’ quantities, with carriage paid orders of just £100 and free nationwide delivery.
Village Pottery Quirky ceramic houses that include tealights, planters, lanterns, money banks and, by popular demand, a new range of oil burners. These popular houses have a unique craft-look finish and there are many designs to choose from.
Heyland & Whittle Stand M25 Introducing the Eco Collection of fragrant, hand-poured and blended soy candles and reed diffusers, housed in 100% recycled glass and packaged in 100% recycled card, helping customers make more eco-friendly lifestyle choices in the home. This new Eco Collection takes Heyland & Whittle’s commitment as a business to care for the planet one big step further. For the first time, they have created a collection of hand-poured candles and reed diffusers that are contained in 100% recycled glass and packaged in 100% recycled card. The diffuser and candle vessels can be re-purposed again and again – as drinks glasses, hot beverage glasses, flower vases, biscuit and snack bowls, water and juice jugs and flower vases. 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 green, peppery geranium blended with sweet, smoky oud and fragrant hints of rose,jasmine and praline - an opulent aroma reminiscent of the East ■ Mint & Bergamot: Uplifting and refreshing cool Mint blended with zesty, citrusy bergamot - the ‘just picked’ aroma of summer ■ Hibiscus & White Tea: Calming and relaxing woody citrus notes of White Tea blended with gentle hibiscus, freesia and jasmine. A gentle aroma with feel-good benefits
Call: 01293 525825 Email: sales@heylandandwhittle.co.uk Visit: heylandandwhittle.co.uk 18 Gifts Today
Edison Lamps The Art Deco look is currently trending in home décor and the patterned, coloured glass, gold base and battery powered filament bulb ensure this sophisticated range really fits the bill.
Just Saying This collection features a range of ceramic mugs, coasters, hanging plaques, trinket trays and glasses each with a vibrant pop of colour and a heartfelt message.
Night Owl These cute owls sit on a softly coloured moon and feature affectionate messages all in delicate tones that are sure to melt your heart.
Equilibrium This continues to be the UK’s hottest fashion jewellery brand and the counter display units are always a sure winner as they offer retailers the opportunity to maximise sales using very limited space.
Call: 0161 975 6300 Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk Visit: joedavies.co.uk Visit: Stockport SK5 7GA
+HDYHQ 6FHQW GRLQJ WKLQJV QDWXUDOO\
Preview Home & Gift
Q&A with Trevor Hatch from Melt We caught up with the owner of Melt - a company that specialises in producing hand-made, fine fragrance candles of fabulous quality - to learn more about the heritage of the brand and discover what they have in store for Home & Gift, DP1-D68 Trevor, Melt is a well-loved and wellestablished home fragrance brand. What’s the story of the company? A turning point for Melt was December 2000. The last year had seen us migrate from the kitchen, to the garage, to a small basement unit in the local town, and now seemed like the right time to commit to bigger premises more suitable to lugging bags of heavy wax around. We knew it had to be practical but in an ideal world, and being country bumpkins, we also wanted somewhere idyllic, peaceful, and rural. After weeks of trying, and seemingly no nearer, the village pub beckoned and in we piled for a spirit-lifting beer. The local farmer followed us in soon after and found us gathered in a corner of the bar discussing what we could do next. He quietly earwigged for 10 minutes, coughed discreetly, and casually mentioned that he had a spare barn for rent. We moved onto Backridge Farm in April 2001 and have happily rumbled around the yard ever since. Obligingly, the farmer converted more barns at roughly the same pace as we needed bigger premises and so, we’re still here. Our last, and final, move saw
20 Gifts Today
us take up residence in the Open Barn in 2007 where all our candle manufacturing is now done, and we have slowly gathered the llamas, geese, rescue hens and beehives in the fields outside the workshop doors, which give a wonderful rhythm and heartbeat to our working day. Melt specialises in producing hand-made, fine fragrance candles of fabulous quality and it is our willingness to step out of the conventional fragrance arena, in order to seek out more unusual perfume combinations for which we are now known. We have worked hard to source our raw materials locally and over 89% of our ingredients and packaging comes from Lancashire companies, with the balance being from the UK. Finally, in keeping with how entirely handmade our products are, and our location in the beautiful Ribble Valley, we operate a ‘zero waste’ policy and our packaging is recyclable. Our products are vegan and we will not use beeswax or palm wax.
What makes you different to other home fragrance brands? Our willingness to step outside the usual fragrance arena and develop more sophisticated fragrances such as those you would wear yourself. There is nothing wrong with ‘Blueberry Muffin’, ‘Vanilla or ‘Coffee’ but you will not find them in the Melt stable of fragrances. Nor do we copy other people’s fragrancesso no
‘Pomegranate Noir’ for us. All our fragrances are unique to Melt.
You’re known for your pillar candles – what makes them so special? Their very distinct almost ‘bark-like’ look sets them apart, coupled with the beautiful colours and of course the fragrances.
What sort of retailers do you supply? By choice we supply smaller, niche, independents who care about the brands they stock and their provenance. They like to get to know their suppliers and products and so we know the Melt brand is in safe hands with them.
What products would you recommend a new retailer buys? Well, our Pillars set us apart, but the entire range sells very well with retail price points ranging from below £10 to £40.
How have the past 12 months been for the company? Fabulous! Watching our stockists innovate with new ways to trade and going the extra mile to keep their customers supplied has been a joy to see. It has been hard work for all but has been a creative and dynamic time.
You’re exhibiting at Harrogate Home & Gift. What will you be showcasing? You can find us in DP1-D68 and we will showcase the full range.
Call: 01200 443377 Email: info@themeltco.com Visit: themeltco.com
Looney Tunes Sheet Mask, Hand Gel and Scrunchie
GT profile MAD BEAUTY
Q&A with Mad Beauty We caught up with Trevor Cash, owner of Mad Beauty, to discover what the innovative company has been up to for the past 12 months, and their plans for the future Trevor, what have you learnt from the last 12 months? Working from home has helped us all to appreciate the hard work our people have put in. It’s helped us trust in their ability to deliver a great job even without having the team around them, and also to understand the importance of supporting each other either whilst at the office or working remotely. So I think that maybe the big take from the last year, although not new, is to value relationships both at home and in the workplace.
What can we expect from Mad Beauty in 2021? 2021 and beyond will be another great year for product development, but it will also be the year where many of our customers began to understand a little more that a gift is not just for Christmas. We have been launched as an all-year round supplier to Boots as an example but with self-care and wanting to show friends and loved ones you care, many other key retailers have grown their orders for Mad Beauty products as they deliver great quality and good price in design led packaging, which we hope is a winning combination.
Why do you think the beauty business has seen such continued growth during lockdowns?
Disney Mickey & Friends bath and body collection
As mentioned before, showing people you care 0was important during lockdowns and products to make you feel good were front and centre and the beauty industry has definitely benefitted from this,
We have seen you continue to launch big new collections through lockdown. Was this the right decision? Yes and yes. New product development is our core driver, we love design, and our teams have been just as creative, if not more during the lockdowns to come up with some fabulous new ideas. There’s lots to come
How are you feeling about shows restarting this year? Will you be exhibiting? We are excited to get back out and meet people one
22 Gifts Today
on one and to show off our new and core products. We are at Harrogate and Autumn Fair and we are looking forward to meeting old friends and making new ones,
What is the secret behind Mad Beauty’s success? We think it’s because we like to think outside the box a little bit. We are not afraid to spend money on moulding containers to create novel packaging ideas rather than just buying what is already available. We also think we do live up to our name a little bit and if a product idea makes us smile, we are hopeful it will do the same for the customer.
You’ve seen huge growth and international expansion in 2020. How is this goin 2020 was the year where we really started to push for global expansion. Of course this was not helped at all by the pandemic, but we launched Mad Beauty LLC in the USA, entered the Canadian market and launched in Walmart there this year. Additionally we extended our licence contract to the whole of the EMEA region with notable successes in the Middle East, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa as well as some of the Eastern European territories including Russia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and more. We even saw our products landing in Disneyland Florida and, when they re-open, we will be in Euro Disney, Disneyland California and we are also about to deliver our first ranges to Disneyland Hong Kong. All of these products are Mad Beauty branded or dual branded with the licensor’s name. 2021/2022 will see the continued growth. Just before the first lockdown we moved to new modern premises and have doubled our staff in the last 12 months, many of whom are yet to actually meet the rest of the team face to face, so we are looking forward to introducing everyone too.
Call: 020 8958 0555 Email: sales@madbeauty.com Visit: madbeauty.com
It’s all about the fragrance Lovingly Handmade in the UK
Harrogate Home and Gift 18th – 21st July 2021 Stand DP1-D68
Web: www.themeltco.com | Email: info@themeltco.com | Tel: 01200 443377
Preview Home & Gift
Heaven Scent During the first lockdown Heaven Scent had a good think about the way forward in terms of dealing with shops closing and creating an online presence and making products relevant. They looked at what they do well and discovered that the ethos of Heaven Scent has always been about selling products that aid wellbeing and are vegan-friendly and kinder to the environment. They continually work on the transparency of their ingredients and buy from sustainable sources. Their new ranges include:
Well-being Boxes Choose from a series of items to create a Wellbeing Box: choose a scent, create a theme and select the items like a small Himalayan Bath Soak, a Soap, a Body Oil and a Small Candle or a 10ml Essential Oil, a Bath Creme and a tealight. The company will be showcasing a few boxes at Home & Gift.
Botanical Candles Heaven Scent have created a new beautiful Botanical range that will be available from September – they’ll have samples you can see at Harrogate. They have created six new Botanical fragrances in their 120ml and 180ml Brown
Pharmacy Jars, the labels have been beautifully illustrated with the botanical plant.
Well-being Candles Heaven Scent will be showcasing their new Wellbeing Candle range, containing carefully chosen essential oils to create fragrances that are said to aid well-being. The range include: ■ Soothe - Contains lavender, sweet orange and bergamot – combined these are said to help with exhaustion and fatigue ■ Unwind - Contains orange, patchouli, clove and geranium - said to be great for depression and anxiety ■ Self Care - Contains sweet orange - said to be refreshing and uplifting as well as soothing anxiety
Visit: heavenscent.co.uk
The Wheat Bag Company Stand DP3-1 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 their own bespoke range of fabrics that 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. Check out their door stops. Each one is individually hand made from cotton fabric, weighted with cleaned English wheat
24 Gifts Today
grains and topped with padding to maintain their shape. Perfect for any home interior, these functional and beautiful fabric door stops are perfect for keeping heavy doors in place. They are available in a wide range of designs to suit all homes and tastes. This year the company are launching their brand new Luxury Velvet collection. Made from a selection of indulgent velvet fabrics, these will include Wheat Bags, Hot Water Bottles, Eye Masks, PADi Pillows, Door Stops and much more.
Call: 01747 840499 Email: sales@thewheatbagcompany.co.uk
Miss Milly DP3- 8 Miss Milly brings colour and style to your store at affordable prices. If you haven’t yet stocked this gorgeous range of jewellery and accessories, try it out now with a low £100 minimum order and no minimum order quantity. At Home & Gift, the awardwinning British brand will be showcasing both current spring/summer lines for immediate delivery as well as new designs and colours for autumn/winter. Miss Milly expects many buyers to still be understandably stocking cautiously as we tentatively emerge from our Covid cocoon and so is anticipating the traditional autumn/winter darker and jewel colour palette being most popular with dark red, navy, teal, purple and grey all featuring heavily. But it wouldn’t be Miss Milly without some brightness too so expect to see fuchsia pink, vivid orange and a bit of turquoise in the new lines. And the need for cheering us up has resulted in some very cute, matt silver squirrel, reindeer and donkey brooches, which are being added to popular cat and dog styles from 2019/20. It’s been a long time since buyers were able to see the full collection on display and brand new lines that were introduced virtually during the past year include the magnetic necklace gift sets, each featuring three interchangeable pendants in either a resin or metal finish, and beautifully gift-boxed. And Miss Milly’s first product for men, the resin cufflink range, incorporates eight different styles and colours presented in an attractive silver gift-box. Both lines will make great Christmas gifting ideas. The magnetic brooches collection continues to sell well and will be added to and the winter scarf range is in the final stages of development. The Miss Milly team is really looking forward to seeing retailers and industry colleagues and has its fingers firmly crossed for the best Harrogate weather.
Call: 01905 622509 Email: hello@missmilly.co.uk Visit: missmilly.co.uk
Alexander Thurlow DP1 – A49 Just when you thought you’d picked your favourite flower, along come more. Thanks a bunch, Alexander Thurlow, and we really do mean a bunch! With a variety of new products making their entrance into the Love Nature, Love Flowers collection, they’re delighted to see some gorgeous bunches and bouquets come to life through jewellery. Through a synergy of floristry and fashion, these colourful and well-coordinated pieces bring the elation of a traditional gift to a charming modern accessory, elevating even the simplest of outfits. The regal orchid and captivating gladioli also feature within the range and make pleasant alternatives to an already successful collection. Check them out in their new location at Home & Gift this year, or by contacting them below.
Call: 020 8766 6466 Visit: alexanderthurlow.com
Gifts Today 25
RETAIL INTERVIEW:
Menkind
Gifts & gadgets galore With their 59 stores now reopened and exciting plans for the summer in place, we caught up with Fred Prego, marketing director of Menkind, to learn how the company is tempting customers back into its stores, and boosting online services to those who still prefer to shop from home Fred, what’s your career journey to this role? I began my career in marketing with Kimberly-Clark, later moving to British Airways as head of marketing for Air Miles/ Avios. After this, I was marketing director for GAME retail before joining Gift Universe in early 2020. Does Menkind have a typical customer? Even though we are a gifts and gadgets store with a range that appeals more to a male audience, half of our customers are female, showing that we sell as much to men who want to indulge their thirst for gadgets as we do to women. We also have customers from a variety of different age groups, so our customer profile is very diverse. There is not much difference between those who shop in store and those who shop online as we have customers of all ages and different demographics visiting all our channels.
26 Gifts Today
How many Menkind stores are there now? Currently, we have 59 stores across Great Britain and, from May, all our stores were branded Menkind as the last Red5 store in Leeds moved to Menkind. And what about the pop-up stores for key periods like Christmas? Yes, we do open generally around 25-30 concessions or pop-up stores at Christmas time due to the busy period for gift giving. We’ve had great success with these pop-up stores in the past, as customers across the country loved the variety of our Christmas range. Bestsellers across gifts? It is difficult to pick a few as we literally have hundreds that we sell all year round. We have extended our wellbeing range that is doing very well and has been well received
with customers. Our Red5 tech gadgets are always favourites, in particular remote control toys and drones that don’t require registration, such as the Red5 Kestrel Drone with FPV. Any unexpected hits during lockdown? At the beginning of lockdown, we sold hundreds of jigsaw puzzles and adult games you can play remotely. Similarly, during the most recent lockdown we sold many beer-making kits and beer draft pourers, as people were keen to recreate the pub experience at home. Generally, stay-at-home entertainment product ranges have been quite popular, and we stock a great variety of items in this arena. How did the company deal with the first lockdown back in March 2020? As well as introducing new lines of products
such as games, puzzles and many other at-home entertainment items, we also worked on improving our online shopping experience, helping customers navigate our offering in a more streamlined way - we improved our website menu and added improved filters for the different product categories. We also simplified the ‘add to basket’ journey on our website and started offering more payment options. All of these small changes made a difference in offering our customers a more streamlined experience whilst shopping online. Did you introduce Click & Collect during lockdown, or was this something you already offered? We have been offering Click & Collect for a while on our website, and we continued offering the service during the second lockdown in November 2020. However, we discovered many loyal store customers were reluctant to venture out to pick up their purchase and chose instead to have it delivered to their home. Since the stores reopened in April we can see that customers’ confidence in Click & Collect has come
What do you predict are the top gifts for 2021? Given that the UK public has been stuck at home due to lockdown and there is still some uncertainty around travel, we expect more outdoor gifts and gadgets to be popular, such as BBQ related products, outdoor games and decorations, and other items that help us bring that holiday vibe directly to our gardens.
On your website, you say that if you can’t find an existing product you want to sell, then you just create it yourself. How does this work? You’re known for creating great theatre, We are incredibly lucky to own especially at the front of your stores. brands and product licences in many Will this continue? categories and have direct contact with We can’t wait to create store events again manufacturers and product design teams but the safety of our customers across the world. and colleagues is Feedback from customers paramount, so we can come from stores will wait until we ‘Even th or product reviews are sure these ough we are for example. We events are safe a gifts a gadget regularly meet with for everyone. n d s manufacturers to We have great that ap store with a ra peals m nge discuss these ideas, plans for audienc ore to a male with our mission the summer, e, half o being to offer great so fingers custom f o ur ers are quality products crossed! female’ at great prices. For example, when How was 12 April electric scooters started reopening in England to emerge, we developed our and Wales? RED5 eScooter model with all the Customers are still very cautious features customers wanted, such as a disk and in general follow the safety guidance brake, anti-puncture tyres, front and rear in place in our stores. We continue to do LED lights and built-in bell, at a fraction demos in stores when it is safe to do so and of the usual price points. customers are more likely to ask questions to staff that handle the products. Although How have you found sourcing new we have noticed lower traffic in shopping products without trade shows? centres than before Covid, customers We were very lucky to have strong still enjoy buying our products and our relationships with well-established conversion seems higher than in the past, so manufacturers and suppliers. It has been an we are hopeful for the future. interesting experience to develop products remotely, usually by video and in different Anything specific you’ve done to encourage time zones. We received more prototypes customers to return to the stores? than usual for us to test as we could not Yes, like many other retailers we opened visit the factories in person. It will be with a huge sale but we also introduced an great to go back to a trade show when they exciting prize draw, which was available in finally come back! every store, for one visitor or customer to win a gadget bundle worth £500. The bundle Feelings about the future? has been presented to visitors at the entrance One thing is for sure, Menkind will still be there. of the store and the entry mechanism was a very simple scratch card. We have already menkind.co.uk received thousands of entries. back, as we are processing hundreds of orders every week like before Covid.
Gifts Today 27
Product Focus At Home
Head for
home
If there’s one thing the past year has shown us it’s that our homes are more than places to simply live – they’ve been our places of work, schooling and relaxation. Over the following pages, you’ll find some wonderful ways you can help your customers boost their living spaces and make them more comfortable than ever
It’s teatime! Mosney Mill As the weather turns warmer our thoughts turn to meeting friends outside, catching up over a pot of tea and a few fancies. What better way to enjoy a leisurely cup of tea than in Emma Sutton’s Mosney Mill Fine Bone China whilst enhancing your table with their UK manufactured textiles? Inspired by Mosney Mill’s own wildflower meadow, their Hare and Wildflower range features a majestic hare nestling in the meadow with pollinating bees featuring across the design. Their Bee and Flower range coordinates with the Hare and Wildflower for those who love bees and the soft yellow vanilla background of the textiles raises a smile on the gloomiest of days. A particular favourite over at Mosney for that quintessentially British Afternoon Tea is their Blue Tit on Blossom range in a soft pink, turquoise or stronger blue. The delicate china and textiles showcase the flora and fauna Emma sees from her Lancashire studio with the product range featuring a delicate teacup, creamer, jugs and teapot. For true comfort relax on your seating supported by their cushion range supplied with either hollow fibre or duck down fillings. Particularly popular at present for those blustery summer days, Mosney Mill produce a range of Peg Bags in all designs that can easily be hung on a washing line and give a positive feeling to washdays.
Call: 01772 822525 Visit: mosneymilltrade.com
28 Gifts Today
Product Focus At Home
Simply London Collection Victoria Eggs
Fragranced hand care Wax Lyrical From the experts in home fragrance, comes the latest in hand care. Wax Lyrical celebrated its 41 years designing and manufacturing in England, by launching an exciting range of fragranced hand care products in its iconic Colony and Made In England collections. Commercial Director Warren Gell said: ‘Our products and fragrances have been inspired by our surroundings since the beginning, from the ingredients we choose to the patience and craftsmanship that goes into every fragrance we create. It only natural that our products now evolve beyond the home, to care for and enhance our every touch. ‘We are proud to bring our expertise in fragrances to hand care, creating layers of scent that keep rewarding our customers throughout the day. From gentle hand washes to enriching moisturisers, lotions, and the soft yet reliable protection of our rinse-free cleansers - we touch every segment of the market and extend a hand to new consumers as the year unfolds. Our inhouse team have crafted a unique blend of liquid hand washes to ensure hands are washed, cared for and moisturised, ready to reach for what life has in store.’ The Hand Lotion will renew, revive and protect, designed to restore the hands’ natural balance and provide both the softness needed and a range of layered fragrances which keep the hands gently scented throughout the day. Rather than harsh medical hand cleansers that can leave our hands feeling rough and uncared for the Wax Lyrical fragranced rinse free cleanser gives hands the protection and gentle care they deserve. The fragrance experts have mastered the art of bringing fragrances to new formats so we can enjoy every moment of touch throughout the day. With a unique blend of jojoba oil, Colony washes and lotions have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and moisturising properties. With the added care of Vitamin E, Colony delivers classic fragrances in a light foaming formula and an enticing new format. Gell adds: ‘It’s the quality of care you’ve come to expect from Wax Lyrical, making you ready to reach for every moment of the day. The perfect protection and moisturiser for everyday life, Wax Lyrical will care for your hands with fragrances you love and a fragrant finish which lasts.’
Visit: waxlyricaltrade.com 30 Gifts Today
The hand illustrated Simply London Collection is one of Victoria Eggs’ most popular designs and you can see why. It highlights a nostalgic and whimsical view of London landmarks and serves as a reminder of everything you love and cherish about the Big Smoke, whether you live on its doorstep or are admiring it from afar. The design includes London attractions such as Big Ben, the London Eye, the Tower of London and there is even a resident pigeon! This playful collection by Victoria Eggs has a charm that is certain to bring London into your home.
Call: 020 8013 3284 Email: nicole@victoriaeggs.com Visit: trade.victoriaeggs.com
Carly Dodsley designs Artopia Trading Company Carly Dodsley is a designer passionate about ceramics and homeware. Her award-winning mugs have a mid-century modern feel, decorated in her signature floral, fish and bird motifs. The use of a limited colour palette introduces a contemporary feel to these pieces, making them compatible with modern interiors. Produced in fine china, these exciting new mugs and lidded bowls are dishwasher and microwave safe, reflecting Carly’s commitment to producing pieces that are both stylish and durable.
Call: 01538 269984 Email: info@artopiatrading.com Visit: artopiatrading.com
Product Focus At Home
Sweet retreat St. Eval Inspired by the comfort of escapism and our need for a retreat from busy lives, St. Eval’s new Retreat Collection will take you on a journey of transformation across three evocative fragrances. Find inner peace and set your intentions with Purify, Meditate and Renew fragrances; enabling meditation, reconnection and rejuvenation as part of your mindfulness practice, or simply take time to focus and clear your mind. Dip into moments of retreat by choosing part of the journey, or empower yourself, or a friend with all three scents. Each step of the journey has a special mantra to help you surrender your thoughts, allowing the fragrances to captivate your senses. Chanting mantras is an ancient practice that calms your mind and soul. When you chant mantras, your mind releases positive energy that decreases negative thoughts and stress. Simply light your candle and clear your mind, allowing the scents to envelop you on a journey of renewal. ■
Purify Clear mind and space with soothing sage
■
Meditate Deeply relaxing copal for mindful practice
■
Renew Awaken and refocus with tangerine, lime & herbs Each fragrance is available in individual candle tins boasting a burn time of up to 25 hours, or as a gift set of all three; allowing you to enjoy the full Retreat experience. St. Eval continue to create new and exciting candles and fragrances, inspired by nature and following their core values; to protect, nurture and respect each other and the earth. If you would like to become a St. Eval stockist, please complete the online application form, email them or call their team. They are always looking for like-minded partners that share their values to grow with us and become part of their story.
Call: 01841 540 850 Email: info@st-eval.com Visit: st-eval.com
32 Gifts Today
Commission your own fine bone china range With 42% growth in Q1 this year, and the acquisition of the Museum Collection brand, Ceramic Design Heritage is perfectly placed to help you create your own bespoke range in their heritage Stoke on Trent factory. We catch up with Paul Travis, sales & marketing director, to learn more Paul, what is Ceramic Design Heritage known for? Its focus has always been on producing bespoke fine bone china and working with other UK companies to provide matching melamine and textile products. We offer a highly affordable bespoke design and production service with flexible minimums. All you need to do is send us your image and we can create your own unique brand. Who do you currently create ranges for? Museums and Heritage sites are amongst our largest customers, dealing with likes of Longleat, Belvoir Castle, Hever Castle, Royal Mint and Houses of Parliament as well as corporates such Fuchs Lubricants. No customer is too small to have their own branded giftware. We also create fine bone china ranges for well-known artist brands, including Robert Fuller, Katie Cardew, Tim Hall Powderhound, Aurina Lambert and Clare Campbell Hic Haec Hoc. What does the process involve for a new client? The first step is to set up a no commitment conception meeting with one of our skilled team headed up by myself. Then our in-house designers will work with your images to create your bespoke design at a low flexible cost. We can have your bespoke range sampled, complete and in your stores in under six weeks from concept to stock. We can provide repeat orders on a 14-day lead time, no long delays or stockout risk from Far East production. We do much more than just mugs, and our range encompasses cups and saucers, plates, teapots, jugs and giftware including trinket boxes, thimbles and clock boxes.
Call: Paul Travis on 07909 539574 Email: sales@cdheritage.com Visit: cdheritage.com and museumscollection.co.uk
Mezu
Exceptional Silk Flowers
Mezu is passionate about providing customers with the most realistic silk flowers that can be found inthe marketplace. For our full range of gorgeous stems visit: www.mezusilkflowers.com Or contact Donna on: T: 01248 422279 E: info@mezusilkflowers.com
Product Focus At Home
Contemporary style for the home Enesco
Visit: enesco.co.uk
Disney Facets New and exclusive to Enesco, the contemporary gift retailer is delighted to announce the launch of a brand new licensed offering from Disney that is sure to excite fans of the film studio. Disney Facets features beautiful figurines of superb quality, bringing the world’s most iconic and beloved characters to life through stunning ‘gem cut’ sculptures. With the look of cut crystal at a fraction of the cost, these multi-faceted high-grade acrylic figures sparkle and shine with show-stopping detail. Characters launching within this collection include everyone’s favourite little blue alien, Stitch, Peter Pan’s fairy sidekick, Tinker Bell, that silly old bear stuffed with honey, Winnie the Pooh, and of course, the main man himself, Mickey Mouse. Measuring between 9-10cm, each figurine retails with a SRP of £19.95, and is presented in a branded window gift box. Not a toy or children’s product, this new and exciting range of collectors’ items perfectly capture the dazzling personality of each character, with Disney Facets to set to be a huge success.
The Nightmare Before Christmas A hauntingly good collection, your customers are in for a spooktacular treat this Halloween, with an ever-growing range of Nightmare Before Christmas collectables, homewares and decorative figurines, exclusively from Enesco. Help fans of Tim Burton’s box office hit get their gnarly-boned fingers on these frightfully fantastic pieces, featuring Jack Skellington, Sally his corpse bride, Zero the ghost dog and of course the villain of the piece, Oogie Boogie, across a range of exciting and innovative products. For something a little bit spooky, Enesco’s new levitating figurines from Grand Jester Studios conjure up the sense of a Halloween haunting. The first of its kind from Disney, the Jack Playing Fetch with Zero Levitation Figurine sees the Pumpkin King playing with his trusty friend Zero, who magnetically hovers when placed under the tree branch – a spooktacular example of technology and storytelling coming together to make a phenomenal collectable. For collectors who’d rather keep their feet firmly on the ground, there’s also the Jack and Sally Picture Frame to help immortalise a precious moment in time from Disney Showcase, or for fans of the festive season as well as Halloween, there’s the Ho Ho Howl stocking from Enchanting Disney. And for those who are looking for a frightfully good time, your customers are sure to be spell-bound by Gambling Ghoul from Disney Traditions by Jim Shore, featuring everyone’s favourite Boogie Man - Oogie Boogie - brought to life by artist and fanfavourite, Jim Shore, with his iconic American folk-art style. 34 Gifts Today
Carly Dodsley is a designer passionate about ceramics and homeware. Her award-winning mugs have a mid-century modern feel, decorated in her signature floral, fish and bird motifs.
info@artopiatrading.com 01538 269984 | www.artopiatrading.com
Create Your Own Brand with our flexible Bespoke Giftware Service Low Minimums Short Lead Times Great Value All items are exclusive to us and are produced in the UK
www.jhdesignpoint.net enquiries@jhdesignpoint.net tel: 44(0)141 339 4927
Contact - Email: sales@cdheritage.com Website: www.museumscollection.co.uk www.cdheritage.com Tel: 07909 539574
Product Focus At Home
Home in style PTMD As we become increasingly aware of our symbiosis with the earth, Biophilic philosophy has become a vital element of interior design. Founded upon mankind’s innate desire to surround oneself within elements of nature, whose properties catalyse the creation of positive wellbeing. This principle forms the architecture of PTMD’s interior identity; inspired by raw materials and the sculptural forms of nature, this Dutch design house venture to create positive interior spaces with their extensive interior and faux botanical collection. PTMD’s in-house team of Dutch floral artists carefully curate their best-selling faux-botanical collection. In a seasonally evolving catalogue of over 500 dried and faux designs, their team utilise their wealth of horticultural expertise to develop a selection that reflects the true form of each plant to ensure maximally convincing pieces. This season, PTMD embrace the serenity of the Japanese floral aesthetic of Ikebana: the art of making flowers alive. A tribute to the spirit of this aesthetic can be achieved by carefully arranging a balanced display of playful jewel toned pampas grass in complementary pastel toned vessels. PTMD’s vast collection expresses an eclectic glamour aesthetic. Their global design team draw their influences across the design spectrum, from chilled beach boho design to sophisticated monochromatic luxury. This summer season, bask in the dappled light mandala cast from PTMD’s Riv Parasol. This boho piece’s parasol is carefully crafted through hand-knotting and it suspended upon a suar wood base. PTMD’s SS21 lighting design influences draw from botanical and organic origin. They debut pieces formed of natural wicker materials and metal botanical light sculptures. From hanging lamps capturing the effortless elegance of horticulture, to statement table lamps with rough and raw architecture and playful monstera leaf desk lamps.
Their 2021 Dutch designed Christmas collection has a pre-applied 10-15% price incentive. This year, they present an alternative take upon festive aesthetics with thousands of seasonal designs; unconventional decorations, quirky seasonal interiors, and a winter edition of their faux botanical collection. All designs in this collection are limited edition so once a collection has reached its production limit, it will sell out, which ensures that their clients have an exclusive collection. Due to high volumes of interest, they encourage all interested customers to reserve their Christmas stock before lines sell out. In June, the PTMD Style Centre in Amsterdam will have been completely restyled with their new collection. Featuring thousands of new interior pieces, you can view the complete collection with a member of the PTMD showroom team in the Netherlands via a private live video tour. Please contact sales@theorangery.org to schedule your live video tour. Their pots and accessories collections are available for delivery as soon as 10-14 working days and designs can be reserved and sent over at your convenience. PTMD advise clients to reserve their stock as their SS21 and Christmas collections are limited edition, so it is always best to reserve designs in order to avoid disappointment.
Call: 07872 606299 | Email: sales@theorangery.org | Visit: b2b.ptmd.nl
Best of bone china JH Designpoint It’s a great time to stock up on giftware from JH Designpoint. There are baubles, vases, mugs and lots more. The company specialises in designs for heritage, museums and high-end retail. Flowers, animals, culture and history all do well. The dog designs are a particular hit.
Call: 0141 339 4927 Email: enquiries@jhdesignpoint.net Visit: jhdesignpoint.net
36 Gifts Today
Bring the outside in Mezu Silk Flowers We love real flowers but faux flowers have come a long way over the years and today silk blooms can look and feel deceptively real. Silk flowers are ideal for the home, office, show houses, events, and really can bring a bit of the outside in. A beautiful display can create a real eye-catching feature in a room whilst smaller arrangements can add colour and dimension to a space. There are many other benefits too. They are low maintenance, not restricted by seasons, non-allergenic, they last for ages, they keep their shape and colour, they don’t fade or wilt - and they don’t require watering and of course look beautiful! Mezu Silk Flowers’ portfolio is largely designed around the country cottage garden and include many of the UK’s favourite flowers - peonies, foxgloves, daisies, hollyhock, lupins, iris, sweet peas, lilacs, scabious, Love-in-a-Mist and so much more. Hydrangeas are an extremely popular range and for many customers, the pièce de resistance is the fabulous collection of Old English, Hybrid Tea, single and spray roses. All varieties come in a glorious palette of colours from fresh white and gentle blush to deep rich reds and mauves with a touch of apricot and lilac in between. Authenticity, quality and value are key requisites of Mezu’s business driven by the owner Donna Zurcher’s own personal passion to find silk blooms that could be enjoyed in the home all year round. Its dedicated team in China ensure every step of the silk flowers’ creation is of the highest standard with each stem individually handcrafted and painted using true-to-life colours. This passion and ethos is also reflected in the personal and effective customer service. The company works on the basis of being large enough to deliver and small enough to care.
Call: 01248 422279 Email: info@mezusilkflowers.com Visit: mezusilkflowers.com
Great new look! Manor House
So giftable Joe Davies Gifts for men are always difficult to find but Joe Davies have this covered with their new exciting Chaps Stuff collection. The range consisting of metal water bottles, travel mugs, beer glass and coaster sets and hip flasks combine graphic humour, on trend colouring and exceptional quality with products that every man will want, making this the perfect gift for the men in your life.
Call: 0161 975 6300 Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk Visit: joedavies.co.uk
Manor House are in the midst of launching a newly re-branded Manor House, with smart and very stylish packaging. There is an exclusive launch with a major retailer, which will then roll out to all their clients over the next month or two before being widely re-launched. 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. This will be their widest collection ever, and all fragrance collections include theirr signature Pot Pourri, Scented Botanical Candles, Gift Boxed Candles, Diffusers and Room Sprays along with Drawer Sachets, Liners and more. Weekly they are gaining new stockists, many of whom they met at last year’s Spring Fair or through their strategic advertising. After perusing the new catalogue, they have now come through to ordering - both at home and overseas - which has been great to see. Manor House are currently in the midst of spring production which is much more positive than expected with orders beyond all expectations - with many clients stocking up for reopening and some already confirming Christmas orders. The company pride themselves on producing all 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. They will shortly be relaunching a complete new collection of Luxury Hand Wash and Moisturising Lotions to complement each of their 28 fragrance collections. All products use mainly British packaging and fragrances, 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.
Call: 01359 250720 Visit: manorhousehomefragrance.co.uk
Gifts Today
RETAILERS’ PANEL
The latest members of our Panel – key gift shop owners around the UK and beyond – introduce their businesses and tell us what makes them so special
Laura Cooper Handmade Design Ashbourne, Derbyshire The story behind your shop? Handmade Design first opened its doors back in August 2015. An exciting new chapter started in October 2018, when the shop changed ownership and I became the new face behind Handmade Design. I have been passionate about handmade crafts since a very young age. At aged 16, I made jewellery from vintage buttons as a way to earn some extra income alongside my full time job. Fast forward ten years and I had the opportunity to live out my
childhood dream of owning my own little shop! After leaving my sales career, I went back to making and began selling my creations in Handmade Design. I had no idea what was coming and that six months later I would be the new owner! How has trade been since reopening? Trade is been great since reopening - we’re very fortunate to be in a tourist location. Reopening during the second week of the Easter school holidays, paired with sunny weather, has given us a steady flow of customers. What’s been selling well? We have recently expanded our jewellery range, adding lots of
‘
How was 12 April reopening for you? Reopening was amazing. It was fantastic to see lots of familiar faces making the effort to come out and support us on our first day of opening. It was a little nerve racking but, once the doors were open, all the nerves instantly went away. new brands. This has definitely paid off, as lots of our customers want to treat themselves to a little something. Earrings are also proving to be popular as gifts, too. How have you been choosing new stock? I’ve been using social media a lot
the flesh, and seeing how a brand displays their products, too - it makes it easier to imagine them in my store. Are you planning to visit any trade shows? I’m planning to visit two this year - Top Drawer and Autumn Fair. I’m looking forward to discovering new brands, stocking up, and meeting up with other shop owners from around the UK. It’s been a tough 12 months for us all so it’ll be a great to catch up with other retailers I know.
Fast forward ten years and I had the opportunity to live out my childhood dream of owning my own little shop!
‘
to source new stock. I’ve found Instagram is a particularly useful platform for finding new brands, though I have missed visiting trade shows over the last year. It always helps seeing a product in 38 Gifts Today
Plans for the rest of 2021?
To continue to grow and expand our online shop. The last 12 months have shown me the power of the Internet and that we can run a successful online shop alongside our bricks and mortar store.
Map Gift Shop Archway, London The story behind your shop? MAP was established in 1990 by the design partnership of myself, Ian Morris, and Kathryn Phalp. Renowned for our interior printed textile ranges, we ventured into the world of decorated china and glass, showing both in the UK and the USA. As our international reputation grew, we ran MAP mainly as a wholesale company supplying top retailers around the world. In 2000 we moved to our new premises on Junction Road and MAP became Map Gift Shop How was 12 April reopening for you? Good. We have been on this corner for such a long time, and are rooted strongly in our community. We have a fantastic local customer base, felt very supported by them through the lockdown and it feels good to be back doing what we do best.
new dedicated area offering essential oils, facemasks and diffusers. Customers are buying lots of cards, too. How have you been choosing new stock? Yes, we have had virtual showroom tours, and we bought most of our Christmas decorations via Zoom. We miss the trade fairs, seeing suppliers face to face. We have also missed the opportunity to discover new suppliers, but we have found the little guys have been brilliant at getting themselves noticed - there are some interesting new approaches to marketing. What are the first trade shows you’re planning to visit? Autumn Fair - we’ll obviously watch Covid developments. Plans for the rest of 2021?
What’s been selling well?
Staying healthy, staying safe and doing everything we can to keep our shop safely open. It would obviously be disastrous to have to close again. We are designing more exclusive collections; one of the best outcomes of the first lockdown was the time to re-discover our own design skills and focus on creating our own products.
Well-being products. In fact we have created a whole
Images by: Ibi Gowan Photography
How has trade been since reopening? Steady. We are expecting it to be even busier now that the schools are back and restrictions are lifting further.
Catherine Sayle Blue Moon Gift Shop Ramsey, Isle of Man The story behind your shop? I opened my shop in November 2014. Since leaving college I had always worked in retail. So after 10 years of working in a book/gift shop I decided I wanted to open my own shop. I got a second job in the evening as a cleaner and when I had saved up £2000 I handed in my notice at the bookshop and opened my little shop. I kept my cleaning job for a few years longer. Being a Manchester City fan I named my shop Blue Moon after the theme song sang at the home games. How was lockdown? I have been really lucky during the three lockdowns we have had here on the Isle of Man. I was able to get Government grants to help me and so was able to relax a little. I spent the time outdoors walking and taking photographs which I shared with my customers on the shop Facebook page and they can now buy some of my photos on canvas.
‘
I plan on supplying my locals with the best gift ideas and customer service - and to just keep smiling
‘
Ian Morris
How was reopening? Reopening after each lockdown was good for me as the locals have been amazing, supporting independent shops. What’s been selling well? Greeting cards and Laura Johnstone hand painted gin classes. Do you visit trade shows? It can be expensive to travel and so I have never been to one. I buy all my stock from my suppliers’ websites. Plans for the rest of 2021? I plan on supplying my locals with the best gift ideas and customer service - and to just keep smiling.
Gifts Today 39
Product Focus Giftable Stationery
Sarah Campbell notebook
Modena A5 Natural World Leather Conker Brown
What will we want from stationery this autumn? Henri Davis is a highly knowledgeable independent retail advisor who specialises in stationery, gifts, cards and souvenirs. With 35 years in retail, working for the likes of Habitat, Next, WH Smith and the National Trust, she is perfectly placed to identify what your customers’ stationery wants and needs are likely to be this autumn ‘With Covid-19 and its aftermath one of the biggest challenges for suppliers and manufacturers in every sector is trying to predict what we will want from their products and how and when they will be used. ‘Working from home has definitely impacted on our stationery needs. In most cases we are now buying our own
stationery and, if we are lucky enough to have a local stationer or gift shop in our towns, we now have the option to buy from them and not online or from a supermarket. We can now buy what we want to use for work. Sarah Laker who has two stationery supplies shops in Marple and Wilmslow saw a strong growth in products to help her customers organise their lockdown lives and others that encouraged children to do their schoolwork when the schools were closed ‘For many, stationery has been seen as a fashion accessory for a while, a reflection of our personal tastes and even if we haven’t been going out as much it is still nice to treat yourself or someone else to a little something special. This new range from Museum & Galleries uses designs by Sarah Campbell and I think it is really eye-catching. ‘Price points will still be relevant. While some of us have been lucky to save money during the pandemic, we are still uncertain about our financial
position as things move forward and we see price increases coming through, furlough finishes and companies have to stand on their own two feet again. ‘What is really exciting is to see companies have the confidence to innovate and develop new products. Railex is an established stationery manufacturer but they have just moved into the notebook sector with a stunning range of notebooks and journals called Modena with features like the horizontal elastic closure that offer users something completely different. ‘We all know a lot of people have struggled with working from home and the isolation of the lockdowns and so journals and notebooks to help with mindfulness and personal awareness are going to continue to be popular. ‘The environment and its protection is very much at the top of the agenda and stationery that uses recycled materials and can be recycled will
‘We can now buy what we want to use for work’
Vent for Change 40 Gifts Today
Henri Davis
continue to have real traction in certain sectors of the market. Mainstream retailers are asking more questions about a product’s eco credentials in terms of manufacture and the materials used because their customers’ expectations are increasing. A company who really embraces this is Vent for Change a sustainable stationery company that protects the planet and supports children’s education projects worldwide. They combine beautifully designed products like the Make a Mark range, with impeccable eco credentials to offer an ethical purchasing alternative for conscientious consumers. Vent for Change give 10% of their net sales turnover to supporting children’s education projects worldwide.’ henridavis.co.uk
Product Focus Giftable Stationery
5
minutes with... Lawrence Savage
UK Marketing Manager, Exacompta-Clairefontine (ExaClair Limited)
How should a retailer who is looking to introduce stationery make a start?
Journal journey ExaClair ExaClair Limited, the UK supplier of Rhodia and Clairefontaine, has launched 11 new warm and inviting colours into its popular A5 sized Goalbook journal and softcover notebook ranges to further satisfy all notetaking, journaling and task-setting needs. Incorporated within the Italian leatherette covers, the new colours range from deep reds to pastel pinks, earthy greens to complex blues, and have been chosen to ensure the ranges are aligned to the latest colour trends. Goalbooks come with an orange elastic closure, expanding inner pocket, a pen loop and two ribbon bookmarks, and include 120 sheets of Clairefontaine’s signature premiumquality, PEFC Certified 90gsm ivory brushed-vellum paper that’s loved by pen fans globally. With similar exceptional features, the softcover notebooks are available with 80 sheets of lined or dotted paper, to suit both written and graphical notetaking. Lawrence Savage, Marketing Manager at ExaClair, says the two ranges will inspire creativity: ‘Whether you’re journaling, organising your day, making notes or writing a novel, the new Rhodia Goalbooks and Softcover notebooks will add a splash of on-trend colour to your day.’ The environment has always been a large consideration in the way the group operates and environmental protection has been an integral part of their corporate strategy for over 40 years. They are continuously promoting recycling and waste limitation at our sites and use pulp from sustainably managed forests. Many of their products carry the FSC, PEFC and Blue Angel certifications. In addition to the wide range of notebooks and pads, an extensive choice of pencil cases, conference folders, desk accessories, meeting books and diaries are also available as part of the Rhodia range. To assist their dealers, ExaClair can offer a comprehensive selection of Rhodia branded marketing collateral, including instore merchandising and POS furniture, as well as online support for websites and social media.
Call: 01553 696600 Email: sales@exaclair.co.uk Visit: exaclairlimited.com 42 Gifts Today
Retailers should focus on ranges that will complement their existing stock lines and consumer base. For example, fun crafting activities like origami, card making and Décopatch minikits can make great impulse purchase editions for family orientated gift shops, whereas notebooks, journals and writing instruments are suited to luxury boutique stores. The key is for the dealer to take on a greater consultancy role, advising the consumer on the most appropriate products for their individual needs.
Key trends/colours for rest of 2021? Premium stationery and, more specifically, notebooks continue to be an area of growth, with recent trends in journaling primarily fuelling this. Offering products with environmental credentials is also becoming increasingly important, with more consumers now seeking ecofriendly items that can form part of a circular economy. ‘Ultimate grey’ and ‘illuminating’ may be the Pantone colours of 2021, but demand for other soft pastel shades and naturalistic designs continue to grow as more remote workers are seeking stationery that fits within their home environment.
:LOGÁRZHU Seed Cards 7R FHOHEUDWH WKH ODXQFK RI RXU QHZ VHHG FDUG GHVLJQV Buy 12 packs (6 cards per pack) and we will throw in a free pack of 6 (Worth £21 of retail sales) Just pick your 12 designs and we will add your free pack of cards when we dispatch your order
LQIR#PRVQH\PLOO FR XN WHOHSKRQH
ZZZ PRVQH\PLOOWUDGH FRP
*LIWV 7RGD\ )8// 3$*( $' ,QGHVLJQ LQGG
Product Focus Giftable Stationery
Stationery… and more Museums & Galleries
Just in time for summer Museums & Galleries Ltd have expanded their range of gift items. New this season are insulated drinks bottles (joining M&G’s successful travel mugs range); premium cotton tote bags and roomy zipped pouch bags. The drinks bottles feature designs from four of Museums & Galleries’ biggest licences – the V&A, Natural History Museum, British Museum, and Tate Gallery. The prints are bold, colourful, and stylish, with accent colour lids. Double-wall insulated and holding 500ml, the bottles are suitable for either cold or hot drinks (SRP £18.99), and will be joy to pack in your bag on a day out this summer. The same big four museums star on the coordinating totes and pouches. Made of premium organic cotton canvas, the totes are designed to be strong, stylish, and have real impact (SRP £14.99). The pouches (SRP £10.99) have a black lining and accent colour zip binding. Very flexible to use, they make great gifts. The Natural History Museum tote bag, pouch, and drinks bottle showcase a stunning amethyst specimen print from the museum. This print also features as a facial covering and in Museums & Galleries’ new sheet gift wraps, gift bags, and tissue collection. Geological specimens from the NHM are something of a trend, with the amethyst and a Laguna agate appearing in the new suite of A5 Luxury Notebooks just released. (SRP £9.99). Sarah Campbell’s gorgeously summery classic design Cote D’Azur and her Sandpipers repeat pattern feature on two other notebooks – the first stationery items M&G is releasing from this important new licence (greeting cards and gift packaging were released in the spring). The notebook set is completed by two designs by young designer Catherine Rowe – very bright and youthful bees and lobsters, making an upbeat and bold addition to this stationery range.
Call: 01373 462165 | Email: sales@mgml.co.uk | Visit: museumsgalleries.co.uk 44 Gifts Today
*
7KH 1HR 'HFR FROOHFWLRQ RI HOHJDQW SUHPLXP TXDOLW\ QRWHERRNV LV LQVSLUHG E\ WKH $UW 'HFR WUHQG RI WKH URDULQJ WZHQWLHV 7KH SHUIHFW JLIW IRU VWDWLRQHU\ ORYHUV
6HZQ VSLQH
*ROG SULQWLQJ
8OWUD VPRRWK JVP OLQHG LYRU\ SDSHU
&RQWDFW XV WRGD\ IRU PRUH GHWDLOV RQ DOO RI RXU H[FLWLQJ UDQJHV ZZZ H[DFODLUOLPLWHG FRP ť HQTXLULHV#H[DFODLU FR XN ť
Product Focus Giftable Stationery
Premium notebooks Railex x Modena
Filing, storage and stationery specialist, Railex, is partnering with Modena to bring a beautiful new range of notebooks to market. Railex is proud of its independent heritage but even more delighted to be partnering with Modena to bring these beautiful new notebooks to market – hand-finished with pride and passion – echoing the traditional bookbinding skills of generations past. Elizabeth Porter, Chief Executive of The Verat Group, that includes Brysdales and Railex, said: ‘Thoughtful attention to detail is at the heart of our new range, from the high-quality materials and hand-finish, to the expandable pocket on the inside back cover and the two-coloured page marker ribbons in every notebook.’ Each journal is fastened with a change from standard notebooks – a horizontal, colour-coordinated, flat elastic – carefully designed as a practical penholder when the books are closed and to tuck away when open. Available in genuine premium soft leather or luxury linen touch hardback, the Modena Journals have two size options (A6 mini and A5 midi) and a choice of ruled or dotted matrix, printed on high quality FSC-certified ivory pages. The premium leather notebooks have been shortlisted for the 2021 Gift of the Year Awards, by The Giftware Association and are available in six colour options. The Natural World collection offers Conker Brown, Honeycomb and Raven Black, whilst the Senses of Life collection includes Sage Meadow, Harbour Grey and Rose Dust. Eight more colour options are available with hardback luxury linen touch covers. The Classic British range includes Graphite City, Admiral Blue, Maroon Beret and Racing Green, and the Cocktail for One collection offers Mandarin Breeze, Lime Mojito, Raspberry Fizz and Blue Lagoon. Each journal features an emotive story starter, unique to the colour of the book, on the inside front panel – a daily reminder to create, chronicle, journey, invent, think and discover.
Call: 01704 222100 Visit: modena-journals.co.uk and railexdirect.co.uk Instagram: @modenajournals
Pens from bottles! Vent for Change
Vent for Change, the sustainable stationery brand that protects the planet and supports children’s education worldwide, launch their new pens made from recycled single use plastic drinks bottles. Vent is making use of some of the billions of bottles used each year to create their new Make a Mark ball pens. Available in four bright colours to match their recycled leather notebooks and journals. ‘It’s fantastic to give a longer and more purposeful life to some of the billions of bottles otherwise destined for landfill each year. Giving them second life that also spreads the message is amazing,’ said Vent founder Evan Lewis.
Email: retail@ventforchange.co.uk
46 Gifts Today
Sending seeds of love Free beautiful counter display stand with an order of 120 cards 100% biodegradable cello with a recycled envelope 10p from every card donated to The Bumblebee Conservation Trust Full planting instruction on the back of each card
Love Country has just launched a beautiful plantable seed card range. These special cards are embedded with flower seeds rich in nectar and pollen designed to support bumblebees and wildlife. After the card has been enjoyed, it can actually be planted to grow your own mini flower meadow, so the love sent in the card can live on in a new and very beautiful way. An eco-friendly choice, perfect for gardeners and nature lovers. This new range proudly supports the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.
Cards that hold a secret surprise! Each pack features 10 of our best selling designs
Click the trade section of our website to become a stockist. www.lovecountryuk.co.uk or contact support@lovecountryuk.co.uk
g
a e r
for garden s ft i er s tg
!
Product Focus Giftable Stationery
Plan ahead Love Country
Love Country have just launched their beautiful new stationery range, including Weekly Planners and Desk Jotter Pads. Featuring their popular watercolour artwork and lines of poetry they are beautifully illustrated to keep you feeling both organised and inspired.
Call: 01502 733035 Email: sarah@lovecountryuk.co.uk Visit: lovecountrybysarahreilly.co.uk
How novel! Rex London
Stationery is a key category at this great company and there’s lots to explore. From stickers to pens, this design-led company offers a great range of stationery. Expect novelty erasers, gorgeous notebooks and illustrations to appeal to children everywhere.
Call: 020 8746 1700 |Email: info@rexlondon.com Visit: rexlondontrade.com
48 Gifts Today
British design Emma Ball Ltd
Emma Ball have hundreds of lines in their giftable stationery collection. With their craft collection forever growing, they have launched both Washi Tape and Stickers for craft lovers - both products come with packaging suitable to be gifted to somebody special and come in an extensive range of designs. Other lines that have proved popular amongst the company’s giftable stationery collection include their magnetic notepads, and wipeboards (RRP £3.99 and £7.99), both made in the UK, and are the perfect little gift for a thank you - proving useful too. Running over 15 years strong, Emma Ball stock a vast collection of both Padblocks and Slant Pads in all of their artists’ designs. They have added lots of new designs for 2021, including penguins, buzzy-bees, and sunflowers amongst 10 other designs - all also made in the UK. Please get in touch with Lucy if you would like any more information:
Email: sales@emmaball.co.uk Call: 0115 9858081 |Visit: emmaball.co.uk
Cutiemals Puckator
Puckator gives children the chance, once again, to pick out their new rucksacks, pencil cases and pens ready to show off in the classroom. Puckator has everything you need to get your store ready. Their best-selling Cutiemals range features on a wide range of giftable stationery. On their website you’ll find fluffy notepads with matching plush rucksacks, plus adorable expanding silicone pencil cases with complementary pencils and erasers. And coming soon, there’s a new stationery set featuring a notepad, pencil case, sharpener, pencils, eraser and ruler all in one. As the Cutiemals design covers a wide assortment of animals, children also have the option to mix and match. Try mixing a fluffy clown fish notepad, neoprene octopus rucksack, silicone penguin pencil case and matching pencils to tie it all together. The little tykes can pack themselves off to school with all their favourite animals.
Call: 0800 011 6969 Email: customerservices@puckator.co.uk Visit: puckator.co.uk
Precision crafting innovative stationery since 1908
0RGHQDB$'BKOISSB*LIWV7RGD\ LQGG
@ModenaJournals
Gifts Today 49
instyle
On trend:
Thoughtful jewellery Life Charms As well as being beautiful, jewellery can send a message to someone you care about. This is so true when it comes to Life Charms. New to Life Charms’ range is the Birth Flower 14ct gold plated range, with adjustable chain clasp fastening. There’s a different flower for each month, along with special sentiments on the packaging. If you are looking for something modern and fast selling to add to your offer for 2021, get in touch to discuss becoming a stockist of Life Charms jewellery this year. To find out more visit their trade website and register for an account to view everything including prices.
Tel: 020 3488 2656 | Email: info@lifecharms.co.uk Visit: lifecharms-trade.co.uk
Spotted! Miss Milly...
...brings colour and style to your store at affordable prices. From its very popular magnetic brooches to the adorable animal and bird keyrings, Miss Milly has some brilliant products when you delve into the collections. The flagship Floria Collection features resin, enamel and painted jewellery in a wide variety of colours that changes with the seasons and in classic, everlasting stylish designs. Co-ordination with different types of earring, bangles and rings is possible for many of the necklaces. And don’t forget to check out the pretty scarves and purses. Branded packaging and display stands are available. See Miss Milly at Home & Gift Harrogate or call the friendly team to set up a website trade login or arrange for an agent to visit.
Call: 01905 622509 Email: hello@missmilly.co.uk Visit: missmilly.co.uk 50 Gifts Today
5
minutes with
Paul Hooker, Joe Davies
Q: How should a retailer who is looking to introduce jewellery in particular make a start? A: There is going to be some pent up demand for fashion jewellery as people can once again get out. If a retailer was looking to introduce jewellery as a new product group we would always recommend asking what the best sellers are. Pick a good supplier to make sure you have a good spread across bangles, necklaces and earrings and keep bringing in fresh designs. The most successful customers with our Equilibrium Jewellery take the approach of try, test and refine until they find out what really works for them. Equilibrium is designed with this in mind, offering plenty of lines across many styles all available in small quantities. Q: Key trends/colours in jewellery for rest of 2021? A: There is a lot of talk of ‘lockdown fashion’ at the moment and casual comfort seems to be the trend. In jewellery that would be less dressy formal pieces and perhaps designs that reflect a lifestyle and feel good. Our flower themed jewellery and Kiss collections fit this perfectly. In colours polished two-tone gold and silver is simple and trending.
Visit: joedavies.co.uk
Feeling positive! The British Fashion Council is to host the first Institute of Positive Fashion Forum on 10 June, a day-long event to discuss all things sustainable and fashion. Caroline Rush, BFC Chief Executive commented: ‘The last year presented the fashion industry with an opportunity to reset its priorities. With the IPF Forum, we aim to bring the fashion industry together to make sustainable changes by providing practical steps from an incredible roster of speakers, each providing unique perspective on issues facing the industry.’
instituteofpositivefashion.com
instyle
reasons we love Joma Jewellery
1
Joma Jewellery are embracing a positive heart by welcoming their enchanting High Summer collection. Filled with new dainty designs, sweet sentiments and even more perfect gifting opportunities, there’s everything you need to embrace the summer spirit. As always, the brand’s signature rose gold, gold and silver-plated designs their customers know and love can be found throughout the new collection, while brand-new pieces make a showstopping entrance.
2
Beautifully boxed treasures filled with shimmering designs are ready and waiting to create the most heartfelt gifting moments this summer. All eyes are on Katie Loxton’s glimmering golden Capri collection designed with real semi-precious gemstones, while new Occasion Earring Boxes present a trio of enchanting earrings nestled within a slim gift box for the perfect presentation.
Did you know?
Even more sweet sentiments and dainty charms have joined the ever-growing collection of bestselling ‘A Little’ bracelets, while a spotlight shines on brand-new statement summer designs such as Confetti ‘A Littles’ seeing confetti fall from the packaging of mesmerising ‘A Little’ bracelets ready to surprise!
3
Exciting things have also been designed behind the scenes for Joma Jewellery’s upcoming AW21 collection. Shiny new eye-catching pieces with intricate detailing are being introduced, based on the much-loved styles their customers already know and love. As always, Katie Loxton believe the best is yet to come.
Call: 01295 250 879 Visit: jomajewellery.com
Summertime with Katie Loxton There’s nothing so refreshing as a brand new season. Katie Loxton are embracing a positive heart by welcoming their exciting High Summer collection. Filled with luxe new designs, special touches and even more perfect gifting opportunities, there’s so much to discover. To reflect the season, some of their much-loved colourways return and are joined by eye-catching new shades such as cognac and sage green. Fresh pastels take centre stage with hints of light blue, lilac and light pink. New Kensington Day Bags have been introduced for a touch of affordable luxury and Birthstone Perfect Pouches help to create the perfect gifting moments, while an assortment of stunning straw accessories help to celebrate every summer moment. A spotlight also shines on brand-new stylish Mini Fragrance Sets combining a Mini Sentiment Candle and Mini Reed Diffuser – the perfect gift. Great things have also been designed behind the scenes for Katie Loxton’s upcoming AW21 collection. A warm and earthy colour palette is applied to some of their bestselling styles while brand-new everyday silhouettes are introduced, based on the much loved styles their customers already know and love. The exciting news? New categories have been introduced, bursting with new products and sweet sentiments to help promote wellbeing. As always, Katie Loxton believe the best is yet to come!
Call: 01295 250 879 | Visit: katieloxton.com
Spotted! 40 Gifts Today
Neutral straw shades steal hearts for the summertime at Katie Loxton
SIMPLY GORGEOUS JEWELLERY AND ACCESSORIES X
HELLO! HOME & GIFT ‘21 STAND DP3-8
BUY ONLINE ONLINE BUY www.missmilly.co.uk www.missmilly.co.uk or tel: tel: 01905 01905 622 622 509 509 or
FIND FINDUS US
New products
Helping hands Richard Lang & Son
The giftware company have launched the Lang’s Helping Hands Platform which is full of downloadable product images, articles, shoppable brochures and so much more: langshelpinghands.com. You can also book a Zoom call or make an appointment directly on the platform. You can discover lots of home accessories, including these LED Balls with cutout stars, and the Gnome Stoneware Jug and Mug.
Call: 01332 340927 | Email: sales@richardlang.co.uk Visit: richardlang.co.uk
Flying high Present Time
Back by popular demand Ashleigh & Burwood
Ashleigh & Burwood’s extra-long Garden Incense is back! The product, which was first developed and sold over ten years ago, has never been forgotten by some retailers and customers who were fans of the giant premium incense sticks and so by very popular demand, they’re having a revival. With herbaceous notes of invigorating citronella, rosemary and thyme essential oils, well known for their insect repellent properties, they are the perfect accompaniment to outdoor picnicking or entertaining. With a long burn time of up to two and a half hours per stick, they will help to create the perfect al fresco space, as we meet up with family and friends outdoors this summer.
Call: 01932 267060 Email: COT@ashleigh-burwood.co.uk Visit: TheHouseOfAB.com
54 Gifts Today
While the company are well known for their clocks and timepieces, they also offer a wide range of home accessories, including furniture, kitchen accessories, home accessories and lights. They also have a fabulous new selection of indoor planters. Shown here are the Plant Pot Set Essence Straight in Warm Grey iron, and their Plant Pot Set in Matt Black Iron, with tripod legs. On the wall you can see their Wall Hanger Origami Birds in Warm Grey and Jungle Green.
Call: 07975 597855 Email: lf@presenttime.com Visit: presenttime.com
Lamp light Mandarin Arts
The company are excited to unveil two more new lamps, one depicting a repeating white fish motif on a cobalt blue background, 74cm high; the other lamp base is a ginger jar decorated with a traditional landscape scene with a palace, a lake, bridges and boats and an old man wending his way across the bridge, 63cm high. Both lamps are coming into stock very soon, as are many other favourites.
Call: 01873 812255 Email: info@mandarinarts.co.uk Visit: mandarinarts.co.uk
Story Time with Animal Friends Lesser & Pavey
Lesser and Pavey are delighted to launch a range of Kids Stools designed for younger members of the family, available in 22 wonderful animal designs including a dinosaur, butterfly and bumblebee, with three stools featuring fur and velvet designs. Whether it’s watching a movie or favourite TV show, reading a book or learning numbers, a youngster will find sitting on a friendly stool will make the whole experience so much fun.
Call: 01322 279225 Email: sales@leonardo.co.uk Visit: leonardo.co.uk
Gifts Today 55
GT Profile: Personalised Memento Company
Personalised gifts with PMC It’s another exciting and unpredictable year, but a company going from strength to strength is Personalised Memento Company. With a wide range of personalised items, covering all occasions, and a variety of selling solutions perfect for any sized business, there’s never been a better time to start selling personalised gifts with PMC
T
ake a look at PMC’s personalised licensed offering, combining household known brands with high quality personalised giftware - including the ever-popular Me To You brand. This well-loved Tatty Teddy is available over a range of items, suiting everything from Father’s Day to birthdays and more. The most recent launch is perfect for milestone birthdays with a touch of femininity. Fortunate in that they cater for every occasion, PMC can give an exclusive insight
of how consumers have been spending collection of wooden decorations. Their new throughout lockdown. Says Keren Dicken, additions have been designed exclusively insales and marketing director: ‘As we first went house, using innovative laser technology, to into lockdown the huge spirit of the Rainbow offer a range of exciting new styles and shapes gifts range took off, as the nation embraced the perfect for celebrating those Christmas moments silver linings and showing their support for the or sending a little love to those further away. NHS; then as we went into the second and third Whether you are a small independent retailer, lockdowns we saw more humour, launching or larger scale, shop-based or online retailer, PMC our metal signs, ready for hot tubs and personal have a whole range of different selling solutions beer garden gatherings.’ adapted to your needs. With no minimum Things changed slightly as lockdown order quantities, no set-up fee and the product restrictions lifted. ‘The occasions that 2020 information available in a range of formats, selling missed out are coming back very strongly for personalised gifts is as easy as 1, 2, 3. 2021,’ says Keren. ‘Weddings, Christenings, hen Place your personalised order and stag dos are all being prepared for, with a with PMC positive go-big-or-go-home feel. Customers are embracing all things personalised to add their They personalise the gifts stamp on their long awaited occasions.’ and despatch with a quick One milestone PMC are preparing for is the turnaround anticipated Baby Boom. Even though NHS The package arrives directly to maternity statistics initially showed a dip in the customer, or to store numbers, they’ve since rebounded with lots of families eagerly awaiting those new arrivals out of There are options for personalisation lockdown and those all-important first meetings. ‘preview’, meaning you can convert even more From baby showers to new arrivals, PMC have sales by the customer adding their personalised a whole host of personalised baby gifts and message and then hitting the preview button to keepsakes and, with their ever-evolving design see their unique gift come to life. Visit PMC’s style, successfully cater for both contemporary trade website to discover how personalised gifts and traditional tastes, from birth certificate can work for your business. holders to personalised baby milestone cards. Always forging ahead to be prepared for the next occasion, Email: sales@personalisedmemento.co.uk Personalised Memento’s new Visit: personalisedmemento.co.uk products ready for Christmas 2021 include a brand new Instagram: @personalisedmemento
1 2 3
56 Gifts Today
New products Ice & slice Widdop & Co
Their Ice & Slice range is proving to be a popular choice for the summer. Highly commended at 2020’s Gift Of The Year awards, this range of glassware is a unique concept, offering the perfect statement pieces for gifting or serving up cocktails. Each glass is carefully crafted to embed a refreshing piece of fruit or ice cube.
Call: 0161 688 1226 | Email: sales@widdop.co.uk | Visit: widdop.co.uk
Touch of velvet Mr&Mrs Fragrance
Call: 01270 335034 Email: sales@mrandmrsfragrance.co.uk Visit: mrandmrsfragrance.co.uk With the unlocking of the UK continuing, Mr&Mrs Fragrance have introduced a range of velvet car fragrances to their popular Niki collection just in time for that summer road trip. These refillable and giftable products will certainly brighten up any car journey or staycation with their vibrant colours, soft touch velvet finish and stunning fragrances. New for this summer are a range of cocktail inspired fragrances that capture the essence of freshness of ingredients. You can choose from Mojito, Pinacolada, Bloody Mary, Cosmopolitan or Pisco Sour. These products are also available as a refill so you can change your existing Niki Car fragrance but keep your favourite design. Broughton & Beech Ltd, the exclusive UK distributor, have also developed a modular display unit and a corresponding shelf merchandiser to accommodate most retail environments. Since they featured the company in Gifts Today’s Home Fragrance supplement last month, the company have been inundated with enquiries for their exciting ranges. ‘It has been such a positive reaction,’ said Richard Wood Director of Broughton & Beech Ltd. ‘We now have stockists from Scotland to London and Wales to Suffolk with a mix of retailers from gift shops to department stores and garden centres, so we are starting to see the reach of this impulse giftable range.’ With the freedom that unlocking starts to bring and the forecasted increase in UK holidays, the car is a space that can now be personalised and enhanced with all of the Mr&Mrs Fragrance products.
Gifts Today 47
New products Christmas collectables Enesco
Help your customers to spread a little Christmas cheer in preparation for the festive season this year, with a whole host of yuletide gifts, homewares and collectable pieces, from Enesco. With something for all the family to enjoy, both young and old, as well as fans of traditional and contemporary pieces, Enesco carries a wide range of brands for you to stock your shelves. From super soft plushes for little ones like the Peter Rabbit Christmas Large Soft Toy from Gund, through to tweens and teens (and not forgetting Disney collectors too) with the fabulously festive Mickey’s Ear Hat Shop from Department 56, there’s something fun that will guarantee to bring a smile come Christmas morning. For the more traditional, there’s a whole host of Santa Claus figurines like the Candy Man from Possible Dreams, featuring Father Christmas in his traditional red suit carrying boxes full of chocolate and other sweet treats. And don’t forget A King Is Born – a lovely new hanging ornament from Enesco’s eco-friendly and sustainable brand, Kloche. Finally, once all the Christmas shopping is done, help your customers raise a toast to the festive season with some well-earned fizz in a winter wonderland of a glass – Blushing Snowflakes – from American glassware artist, Lolita.
Visit: enesco.co.uk
Secret socks & rainbow ducks Joe Davies Secret Socks If you are bored of wearing the same old shoe liners every day, why not try these brand new Secret Socks. Available in four colours and five styles, these stylish socks are made from 100% cotton making them naturally breathable so they will keep your feet smelling sweet all day. There is an eyecatching double-sided display stand available for the socks and it offers the perfect display solution where space is limited.
Rainbow Ducks Joe Davies are introducing a collection of pretty Rainbow Ducks; a mix of their best-selling David’s Ducks with added splashes of bright rainbow colours and an attractive message plaque, the combination make this range simply adorable.
Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk Visit: joedavies.co.uk
58 Gifts Today
Incense Emporium Something Different Wholesale
Something Different are one of the top trade incense suppliers in the UK stocking over 320 different products including cones, sticks and backflow. Their selection includes Satya, Stamford, Karma, Tulasi, Esscents, Goloka and their own popular brand Elements that includes exclusive licensed products by Anne Stokes and Lisa Parker. Whether you like to shop by brand, theme or fragrance Something Different have a fantastic selection available at competitive prices.
Call: 01792 940288 Email: customercare@somethingdifferentwholesale.co.uk Visit: somethingdifferentwholesale.co.uk
Big is beautiful Lesser & Pavey
The company have launched a new, larger size of diffuser and candles. Make a perfumed feature of your living space with the new 100ml, 200ml and 500ml diffusers in red, pink, white, silver and gold, and the sweet burning soya candles in three sizes. Each product comes full of fragrance. Choose from Pomegranate Noir, Velvet Rose & Oud, Fresh Linen, Nectarine Blossom & Honey, Lavender & Chamomile, Peony & Blush, Lime, Basil & Mandarin and Magnolia & Mulberry. All in beautiful packaging, so no expense is spared in producing the finished gift item.
Call: 01322 279225 Email: sales@leonardo.co.uk Visit: leonardo.co.uk
Heritage brand Ceramic Design Heritage
Ceramic Design Heritage is pleased to announce it has acquired Museum Collection Ltd - this includes the brand, assets and, most importantly, artwork, thereby rescuing this 25-year-old brand from extinction. CD Heritage specialises in manufacturing bespoke products for the heritage and independent artist market, across a wide range of products from fine bone china, melamine trays, placemats & coasters and British-made textiles, making it a perfect fit for the Museum Collection brand. The Museum Collection range is already in production and available for delivery.
Email: sales@cdheritage.com Visit: museumscollection.co.uk
Gifts Today 59
Feature Games & Puzzles
Still
puzzling! Last year, 2020, was the one we spent more time at home than ever before, finding ways to entertain ourselves and relax away from the screen with traditional hobbies like baking, crafting and playing lots of traditional games. And the good news is, the trend looks set to continue
Nostalgic play
Fun and games with a traditional twist House of Marbles House of Marbles have been manufacturing high-quality, traditional games and puzzles for nearly 50 years and proudly offer a huge selection of nostalgic entertainment and retro fun. You can find all the classics that have been given a refresh with innovative design and eye-catching packaging to bring the fun to a whole new generation of consumers. House of Marbles are definitely the experts to call if your shop needs a little vintage style. New for 2021, Games on the Go are the perfect impulse buy for the busy summer season that we are all looking forward to. Each pack is bursting with lots of different activities, puzzles and games to play on long journeys or a rainy holiday afternoon. The games are available in an eye-catching display carton for easy retailing, with a tempting RRP of only £2.99. Or how about a traditional set of Dominoes? House of Marbles offers a gorgeous version in a traditional wooden box that will make a perfect Christmas gift for any age. So for games, puzzles and much, much more, House of Marbles is the home of traditional gifts for all the family!
Visit: houseofmarbles.com
Rex London In the days of technology, Rex London likes to focus on ‘undigital’ gifts when it comes to toys & games. It’s all about making emotional connections, not only with the toys themselves but also with friends and family. Many of their products have a classic retro feel with a modern twist, and can be quite nostalgic for older family members. With nearly 200 toys, games and puzzles on offer, Rex London has something for everyone. Their collection of flat puzzles range from small two pieces to larger 500 pieces for all different difficulty levels, as well as an array of 3D puzzles like this 3D wooden puzzle in a tin, perfect for travelling with. The 500-piece coral reef puzzle is a rewarding educational activity for puzzlers of all ages, featuring a vibrant coral scene packed with wildlife, from sharks to starfish! With the world’s coral reefs dwindling, images like this ignite the imagination of a new generation to want to push forward research and legislation in order to save our reefs. The puzzle also comes with an information sheet on coral reefs, providing insight and perspective into this amazing underwater world. In 2020 the best selling Rex London toy was their traditional diamond kite. It’s clear from the reviews that this lovely traditional kite, whilst being strong and easy to construct, is loved almost equally by parents and grandparents as it is by the children being gifted it. Other top performers include interactive activities and games like the Cardboard Learn To Stitch Activity and their Special Agent Spy Kit. 60 Gifts Today
Call: 020 8746 1700 | Email: info@rexlondon.com |Visit: rexlondontrade.com
0$77 9(/9( 9(7 728&+ 685)$&( : NLQJ R :RU RQ RXU SX X]]OHV LV D UHOD[LQJ DQ QG WDFWLOH S H SOHDVXUH E EHFDXVH RXU SX]]]OH H SLHFH HFHV DUH VPRRWWK WH[WXUHG DQG KDYH D JHQWOH YH KD HOYHW WRXFK IHHO 7KH QRQ UHIOHFWLYH H PDWW ILQLVK DOORZ ZV SX]]OHUV WR VHH HD DFK SLHFH HDVLO\ %2186 )($785(6 (DFK SX]]OH FRPHV LQ D D EHDXWLIXOO\ GHVLLJQ QH Q HG ER[ DORQJ ZLWK ERQXVV LWHPV
Classic cuddles
D KLJK TXDOLW\ SULQW R RI WKH SX]]OH RQ VVWLIII F FDUG D XQLTXH ER[ WRS VWD DQG ZKLFK KROGV \R RX XU XU XU ER[ XSULJKW IRU HDV\ UHIHUHQFH DV \RX X VVH HD HD HDU DUUFK UFK FK D SODVWLF UHVHDODEOH EDJ WR NHHS \R RXU X XU S ]OH SLHFHV VDIH D SX] DQG GU\
Rainbow Designs The award-winning Disney’s Winnie the Pooh Hundred Acre Wood collection features Winnie the Pooh and his friends Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet in a variety of soft toys and nursery essential formats, this beautiful highly-sought after collection brings nature to the younger generation of visitors. Rainbow’s Classic Paddington Bear range is inspired by the iconic Peggy Fortnum illustrations and adored by generations both young and old. Each Paddington Bear sports his distinctive super soft lined duffle coat, battered red felt bush hat and a suedette ‘Please look after this bear. Thank you’ tag.
Call: 01329 227300 | Visit: rainbowdesigns.co.uk
7 NEW
designs!
,0 ,0$*(6 $1' $57,676 ,0$ 7KH LPDJLQDWLYH DQG ULF FKO\ FRORXUHG LPD DJ JH HV HV X G LQ RXU SX]]OHV DUH G XVH GHVLJQHG E\ ZRUNLQ QJ J DUWLVWV 2XU ORQJVWDQGLQJ J JRDO LV WR VXSS SRUUW WKRVH DUWLVWV E\ OLFHQVLQJ J WKHLU DUWZRUN DQG H EOLQJ WKHLU ZRUOGZLGH HQD H H[SRVXUH 6R HQ QMR\ WKH DUW DQG HQ QMR\ WKH LQ QGXOJHQW $UW )D DEOOH SX]]OLQJ H[SHULHQFH +DSS S\ 3X]]OLQJ
VDOHV#DUWDQGIDEOHSX]]OHFRPSDQ\ FR XN ZZZ DUWDQGIDEOHSX]]OHFRPSDQ\ FR XN
6WHS LQWR WKH 6XQVKLQH with our bright new jigsaw puzzles!
@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 61
Feature Games & Puzzles
Spring puzzles Gibsons Gibsons, the family-owned jigsaw puzzle and board game company who turned 102 years old on 15 May are thrilled to have launched their spring puzzles. The new releases consist of seven puzzle designs in a range of piece counts that are sure to keep the whole family entertained. As with all Gibsons jigsaws, they use 100% recycled puzzle board, FSC paper and work with the best artists from all around the world. Amongst the new releases are four blue box 1000 piece designs. Steve Crisp has painted a perfect summer’s day and is getting us all dreaming about festival season with Make Some Noise. They also have a playful puzzle from the talented Linda Jane Smith who has created Gerty’s Garden Retreat and Derek Roberts has recreated the incredible Lake Windermere. Due to high demand, Gibsons will be producing one of their bestselling puzzles, Gardener’s Delight, in 500XL pieces as well as 1000 pieces. Gibsons are also pleased to announce that they will be adding two new designs added to the White Logo Collection of jigsaw puzzles which are perfect for puzzlers who are looking for less traditional puzzle scenes. One of the designs is Italian Riviera and it been illustrated by Bethany Lord. In this 636 piece panoramic puzzle you will be transported to a lazy summer’s day in Italy. Here, the only thing to do is take a dip in the blue riviera or escape the hot sun under the brightly coloured beach umbrellas! Gibsons have made some positive changes to their processes, so you can be sure you’re getting the same great puzzles and know they are kinder to the environment. Not only does the box have a fresh new look, but they’ve used biodegradable clear labels to secure the lid instead of shrink wrap, reducing their plastic waste. They also use vegetable-based inks and the gloss coating on the box gives it extra protection.
Call: 020 8661 8866 | Email: sales@gibsonsgames.co.uk Visit: gibsonsgames.co.uk
Quality jigsaws for adult Art & Fable Puzzle Company The Art & Fable Puzzle Company was forged with purpose. Their mission is simple - to kindle curiosity and ignite enthusiasm for visual art in the modern world through the simple and profound pleasure of puzzling. They believe classic jigsaw puzzles may be a simple and surprisingly effective way to spark genuine, long-lasting appreciation for art in the modern world. When reassembling a painting in puzzle form, we tend to notice details about the piece we hadn’t previously: The subtle shifts of colour and value, the variety of the brushstrokes. It allows us to interact with a painting in a more intimate way, and, perhaps even step briefly into the mind of the painter themselves. Through facilitating this kind of experience, they hope to deepen appreciation and understanding of artists’ works, processes, and individual stories. The dedicated team is a family of art enthusiasts and passionate puzzlers who strive to make the very best classic jigsaw puzzles available today. Each of their puzzles is carefully die-cut from 100% recycled paper and topped with their unique, non-glare Velvet Touch finish to ensure that each piece is not only a perfect fit, but also feels as great as it looks! All their puzzles are made with a painter’s eye for detail, and their take great pride in meticulously reproducing the art they feature to the precise specifications of the artists they work with. There are complete packages as well, ready to savour now and always with a frameable print, box-top stand, and resealable bags to ensure you never lose a piece.
Visit: artandfablepuzzlecompany.co.uk
62 Gifts Today
GT CONTRIBUTOR BIRA
Picture credit rawpixel.com for freepik.com
Retail needs support for the future
CEO Andrew Greenacre from the British Independent Retailers Association explains why indie retailers still need consistent support now their businesses are open again
and the furlough scheme, but couldn’t wait to reopen, see customers and start earning again. Heidi also showed us how she’s cleverly adapted her small store to help customers and staff feel safe complete with
‘
Footfall will take time to return to normal and there will be people who shopped online who won’t return to bricks and mortar retail
‘
T
he shop shutters have finally been raised. After a long, bleak winter in nationwide lockdown, we are back in business – hopefully, this time for good. As part of preparations for the reopening of so-called ‘nonessential’ retail, I accompanied Small Business Minister Paul Scully on a visit to indies in Stoke Newington, north London. It took place a week before 12 April – or ‘the glorious Twelfth’ – and it was to talk to retailers about the measures and efforts they were making to welcome back shoppers. First stop was Bira member and giftware retailer Heidi Early, who was preparing to reopen her shop Early Bird Designs. She explained how they had been closed for eight of the last 12 months and it had been ‘incredibly hard’. Her business had accepted the Government support including a Bounce Back Loan, a Local Restriction Grant,
Perspex screens, restricted capacity, signage to promote social distancing, and, of course, plenty of hand sanitiser. Minister Scully also visited jeweller and Bira member Roger Taylor of Metal Crumble, a nearby hairdresser, and then a pub in Mile End. It was an essential visit
that helped to highlight how challenging the last 12 months have been for the independent retailer. It also demonstrated the efforts they are all making so customers feel safe as they shop. What I hope Minister Scully took from day is that, while the Government support, has been greatly appreciated, it simply can’t stop there now shops are open again. Indie retailers need consistent support, financial and otherwise, for the foreseeable future. Footfall will take time to return to normal and there will be people who shopped online who won’t return to ‘bricks and mortar’ retail. Schemes such as shopping vouchers, reduced or free town centre parking, and further reduced business rates are all ways in which we’d like the Government to go further. And so Bira will continue lobbying for the long game, to ensure the future of high streets so that we can remain in business – for good. bira.co.uk
CEO Andrew Greenacre
Gifts Today 63
Winter is Coming… Pre-Order now Brand new and Exclusive
www.enesco.co.uk ENESCO LIMITED, Brunthill Road, Kingstown, Carlisle, Cumbria, England, CA3 0EN. UK Customer Services Telephone: 01228 404022 Email: uksales@enesco.co.uk Overseas Customer Services Telephone: +44 1228 404066 Email: eurosales@enesco.co.uk GAME OF THRONES and all related characters and elements © & TM Home Box Office, Inc (s21)
HQ JLIWV WRGD\ JRW DG LQGG
