Gifts Today
RETAILERS’ PANEL With two big gifting opportunities on the horizon, we ask retailers: how is trading for you, and what products do you predict will do well for Father’s Day and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee? Photos: Clive Rose
Chris Beards
Owner, Mantons Gifts & Cards Port Erin, Isle of Man
“With the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee fast approaching, we are getting very excited”
Bryony Taylor-Edwards
Head of Marketing and Home, Gift and Toy Buyer Yarnton Home & Garden, Yarnton, Oxfordshire
With the sun shining, we are expecting Father’s Day to be all about outdoor cooking and living. We have some fantastic Weber Smokey Joes BBQs and Tubby Tom’s BBQs rubs in stock and ready. On the smaller gift side, we have some fantastic Swole Panda recycled woven belts [each made from seven plastic bottles]. We love their bright colours. With the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee fast approaching, we are getting very excited. The word on the street says that the plan for a lot of our surrounding villages is a good old-fashioned street party - so we have made sure we are fully stocked with Union Jack bunting from Powell Crafts and everything required for a brilliant Jubilee tea party from Talking Tables. Pimm’s Jam anyone?
Claire Leigh Director, Two Ducks Woking , Surrey
For Father’s Day, we think our new men’s bracelets from Pig & Hen [a brand producing handmade bracelets in Amsterdam] will do well. It’s a new brand for us with a variety of price points and styles to suit all. Our Orbitkey gifts and Secrid wallets continue to do well all year round but particularly for Father’s Day. And we tend to bring in deli food such as chutneys, pickles and marmalades, as these are always popular for this occasion. For the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, we have just brought in a beautiful commemorative line from British brand Victoria Eggs, which includes tea towels, mugs, coasters, tins of biscuits and tea. We know lots of people may do the more traditional bunting, so we’ve avoided buying this in.
“We know lots of people may do the more traditional bunting, so we’ve avoided buying this in” 54 Gifts Today
The good news is that another lockdown seems unlikely, but the bad news is the amount of people going out as little as possible to try and avoid catching Covid, and people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. I think the next 12-24 months could be the most difficult ever for many businesses, especially non-essential retailers. We aren’t stocking anything new for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee but we are hoping that people will still treat dad to a gift this year. We have a large selection of men’s gifts covering lots of interests including sport, gardening, and drinking. Our main concern this year is if we will sell as many of the high-end gifts, due to the economic situation.
“We have a large selection of men’s gifts covering lots of interests including sport, gardening, and drinking”
Photo: Eddie Judd Photography
