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The home of Christmas
Gisela Graham’s 2022 Christmas collection is another worldbeater - 20 themed collections with hundreds of unique products of her own design, totalling around 2,500 SKU’s.
Gisela Graham puts a novel design twist to familiar genres like the Scandinavian and Frosty white styles. But as ever, she springs some real surprises, such as a cream-and-gold collection as you’ve never seen it; a charmingly naïve Christmas folk art collection; a flock of Christmas birds; a visit to a fantasy jungle – all accessorised with hundreds of original glass ball designs.
Plus a score of new angles, another Gisela Graham speciality. It’s all on show at Harrogate Christmas & Gift Fair, 16-19 January 2022, Hall M, Stands 14 & 16.
Speaking of Gifts, Harrogate is also the launchpad for Gisela Graham’s hugely successful homewares and gift collection – covering a broad range of styles, tastes and price points, with dozens of new design concepts.
If you can’t make it to Harrogate make an appointment to see her amazing showroom or call the office to get a salesperson to call on you – sadly, they aren’t able to make the Spring Fair this year.. or call the office. Tel: 020-7708 4956 www.giselagraham.co.uk
Quirky home décor
The huge success of the popular ‘ Village Pottery’ collection from Joe Davies is a firm favourite with retailers and customers alike.
Quirky ceramic houses which include planters, lanterns, tealights, money boxes and by popular demand a brand new range of oil burners. Each piece has a unique craft-look finish and there are many new designs and styles to choose from including town houses, heart houses, skandi style houses and country cottages. These are sure to make the perfect gift and stylish home décor accessory.
Ordering from Joe Davies couldn’t be easier with their ‘little and often’ ordering system and their minimum order value of just £100 for carriage paid orders. Tel: 0161 975 6300 Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk www.joedavies.co.uk
At the heart of the home
Bring some contemporary luxury to your home with this double heart ornament from the Personalised Memento Company (PMC).
Featuring a metal heart on a solid wood base, this minimalist design perfectly incorporates personalisation to create a stylish and sentimental gift to accessorise the home.
PMC are constantly developing their range of gifts to ensure that they remain at the cutting edge of the personalised gift market. As the UK’s leading supplier of personalised gifts, PMC offer a one-stop-shop solution. Their reliable dropshipping and production service also allows customers to order with complete confidence. Visit PMC’s trade website to discover more about personalised gifts and how they can transform your business today. Email: sales@personalisedmemento.co.uk www.personalisedmemento.co.uk
The secret to scent
Gifts Today caught up with Best Kept Secrets Managing Director, Vanessa Curry to delve a little deeper into this truly scented company.
You are a family run business, when did you launch your first product to market?
Who doesn’t love cake! In June 2021 we celebrated our 25th birthday. Best Kept Secrets was founded by Alan and Denise Edwards in June 1996, when they left their corporate jobs and decided to run a business of their own.
The first products were wax face mask, you must remember in those days that The Phantom of the Opera was huge. Business was going ok and growing year on year. Then disaster struck. At the time Best Kept Secrets manufacturing unit was on an industrial farm. In 2001 the devastating news that many farms were subjected to Foot & Mouth disease. Nothing was allowed in or out and pretty much our whole business stopped. We were not allowed to send any goods out of the farm. During this time Denise decided to manufacture scented candles in tins and here was born the Seriously Scented range. Only 6 to begin with, unlike the 50 different fragrances we have today.
2021 was such a turbulent time for many in the industry, did you experience any particular difficulties and if so, how did you overcome these?
What wasn’t hard about 2021! Business continued to be strong with a huge amount of online orders but our main priority was keeping our staff safe. We worked in two separate teams, had one way systems, temperatures checks and big screens were installed so we work face to face, but with reduced risk.
Our staff shone through again. The schools were closed and lots of us were juggling home life, kids and work. But with their flexible attitude we managed to maintain a full compliment of staff and orders continued to be processed. Planning ahead was essential. All components of a candle were in short supply so we needed to plan ahead and order far earlier than we would normally. Pretty much we’ve managed to keep most lines in manufacture.
How do you create your current ranges and keep abreast of consumer trends?
Our retailers are great at telling us what they want, after all they are face to face with the public. So many products are born from customer feedback. One reason for attending trade shows is to keep the relationships going so we can find out what’s heading our way next. Fragrance houses are also excellent at forecasting new trends and we work closely with them to launch new fragrances that are bang on trend.
You create your range using only premium locally sourced supplies & use traditional production methods with hand finishing on your products – does this mean premium price?
Our candles are manufactured in the pretty market town of Morpeth, Northumberland. All hand made by our master candle makers. The majority of our ingredients comes from the UK and Europe. Rarely do we import from the far east. We pride ourselves on top quality fragranced products so buying from UK companies we achieve a better quality. A better standard.
Our retailers tell us that candles and gifts under the £10 price point are optimum. So that’s what do! The majority of our candles have an RRP of under £10. Great value for money and an easy present.
You’re not just known for your beautiful array of tin candles, can you tell us about other products that you produce within the scented gift sector?
When the Seriously Scented range was started, selling just six different types of candles way back in the early 2000’s, today we have 50 different fragrances in our portfolio. From fresh and fruity, floral to the heavier more fine fragrances. There really is a fragrance to suit all tastes. Just Because candles have been in production since 2017 and I’m delighted to say we have rebranded them and they look fabulous! An extension to this range is the introduction of the brand new Just
Because Three lites.
The top six selling lines are now available in not only a candle tin but a pretty gift box, with three large tea lights in different fragrances.
Our sparkly diffuser lines are hugely popular. Available in two sizes – 100ml and 50ml. Again, we have met the £10 price point with the 50ml diffuser retailing at £9.99.
Our handmade natural soaps are also a real treat. Beautifully handmade and wrapped in mulberry papers. There are no nasties in our soaps with all being suitable for Vegetarians and almost all for Vegans.
What about the future, are there any exciting plans on the horizon you would like to share with GT readers?
We can’t wait for January. Launching our new Just Because candles and Three Lite gift boxes. In February we are expanding into new premises. A lovely new manufacturing unit…. It won’t be long until it’s covered in wax and sparkly glitter!
And then its trade show time again. Heading off the Spring Fair in early February. Hall 4 Stand 4B36.
www.bestkeptsecrets.co.uk
Give the gift of wellbeing 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 which include Rainbows, Highland Cattle, Donkeys, Swimming Penguins and Bumblebees.
Each Wheat Bag is filled with cleaned English wheat and optional Lavender buds. Lavender does not only smell delightful but is well known for its natural aromatherapy qualities of helping to aid sleep and relaxation.
They are an all over body pillow which simply heats up in the microwave to provide soothing warmth, relaxation and creates an overall sense of wellbeing.
Paired with their new essential lavender oil they make a wonderful personal gift.
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