Message from the Editor

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Summer is right around the corner, which means it’s time to start planning for the next buying season. So get your diary ready and turn to our previews of four key upcoming trade exhibitions: The Exclusively Show, Glee, Home & Gift Buyers’ Festival, and Autumn Fair.

We’re also heading into the summer wedding season and, to get you in the mood, we’ve compiled a selection of gifts for soonto-be brides and grooms. According to the UK Wedding Report 2023 (from wedding planning site www.bridebook.com), after a few challenging years with Covid, couples marrying in 2022 were finally ready to partyand weddings are still big business. The average cost of a wedding was up 16% year-on-year to £19,184 and the average wedding reception hosted 88 guests - that adds up to a lot of presents!

Surprisingly, the most popular dates to get married this year are Saturdays in August and September. So just as the betrothed need to prep themselves for the big day, it makes sense to ensure your wedding (and anniversary) sections are well-stocked into autumn.

As for the ‘let’s tie the knot’ moment, the most popular days to get engaged are the winter holidays, particularly Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve. Valentine’s Day and Leap Year are also favoured occasions.

The Report predicts that for 2023 and beyond, ‘today’s Gen Z couples (born after 1996) are all about modernising traditions and rewriting the rules for dating, proposing and getting married, so we expect to see increasingly more personal and non-traditional wedding elements to truly reflect the individual couple’s unique priorities and interests’.

Our regular columnist Anna Berry, director and co-founder of Retail100 Consulting, concurs with this view. Couples are requesting quirky, more individual gifts that are ‘desired’ rather than ‘required’, she says. Turn to page 46 to read more of her insights.

This issue also includes a special guest diarist: Greg Rose, managing director and coowner of the three-strong gift chain Maybugs in East Sussex. When he wrote his diary, he was looking forward to attending two award ceremonies in which Maybugs was in the running to scoop accolades.

As we went to press, we heard that Greg was celebrating after achieving a double win! Maybugs took top honours in the High Street Hero category of the Small Awards, organised by Small Business Britain, and triumphed in the Best Retailer Initiative category of The Greats Gift Retailer Awards, for its Supporting Independents This Christmas campaign. Our hearty congratulations go to Greg, his co-owner John Dale, and the Maybugs team.

We know you love reading about the experiences of other retailers, so we’re proud to say that we have interviewed half a dozen very different independent businesses for this issue, from a stationer and a farm shop to a contemporary gift store. Two of the six indies are relatively new - Snoop in Shrewsbury opened on Good Friday, while Fern & Ivy in Cirencester made its debut in 2021 - and the owners have shared some refreshing perspectives on our industry.

Finally, don’t miss our Trade Talk section, in which leading suppliers divulge their current best sellers, predictions for summer sizzlers, and exciting plans for their brands.

We are always keen to hear from readers who would like to take part in our features and interviews. You can email me at clare@lemapublishing.co.uk or connect with me on LinkedIn. I look forward to hearing from you!

Clare Turner, Editor clare@lemapublishing.co.uk

NEWS

PHOTO: The Giftware Association

Pens, by IF

Gift of All Time:

Bottled Baking Co. Baking Mixes in a Bottle, by The Bottled Baking Co

Thoughts of a chief executive

The 2023 winners of the Gift Of The Year Awards were announced on May 11 at a prestigious awards ceremony in central London.

The Royal Lancaster Hotel hosted the black-tie ceremony which saw retailers, suppliers and industry experts gather together to celebrate the year’s best gifts.

Winners were crowned across 20 categories which showcase a cross-section of the industry’s most innovative and creative products, with the totally unique and highly practical Fabulously Flat Paper Pens from IF winning the coveted Judges’ Choice Award as well as the cards, wraps & stationery category, and The Bottled Baking Co.’s Baking Mixes In a Bottle (which are handmade in Yorkshire) winning the sought-after My Gift Of All Time accolade.

The categories encompass all aspects of the world of gifting from beauty, bath & spa, food & drink, and ethical & sustainable gifts, to novelty, tech & gadgets - and this diverse selection is reflected by the judging panel of passionate industry leaders and experts including retailers, buyers, industry press, bloggers, vloggers and influencers.

Now in its 43rd year, the awards programme recognises the gifting industry’s most sensational new products. Attracting a growing number of entries each year, the awards are completely inclusive, inviting both small and global businesses to enter.

The competition gives a unique platform to all entrants, elevating businesses through exposure at trade shows (including Spring Fair which hosted the 2023 judging),

The Gift Of The Year Awards are vital for the health and prosperity of the gifting industry, not only providing a platform for small and global businesses launching new products but also acting as an opportunity for those who attend to network and connect.

The Awards are a fantastic celebration of the imagination, innovation and talent of our industry, and I’m excited to watch the journey to come for all our finalists and winners.

For full details of the Gift Of The Year Awards winners and how to enter the 2024 awards, visit www.giftoftheyear.co.uk

Call: 0121 236 2657

Email : sarah.ward@ga-uk.org

Visit : www.ga-uk.org