Christmas cheer

Last Christmas is a distant memory, but now’s the time to ensure you have the stock you need for the next festive season. And the good news is that, despite the issues with Royal Mail - which the Greeting Card Association continues to battle on behalf of the industry - suppliers are feeling positive about Christmas 2023.

As Iain Hamilton at Bewilderbeest says: “It seems that festive cheer is as strong as ever because we decided to significantly expand our Christmas card offering last year and had our best ever sales by some margin, despite Royal Mail seeming to lose the plot before Christmas.!’’

Jackie Collins at Cherry Orchard agrees: “With the Royal Mail strikes hitting the industry in the Christmas period of 2022 causing immeasurable damage, Cherry Orchard once again has surpassed ourselves, bucked the industry trend and supplied a 100% new Christmas offering to our customers, giving them the optimum chance of a successful trading Christmas for 2023.’’

Bewilderbeest is also expanding its offering: “There has always been high demand for our Christmas range, but completing the full set of the Twelve Days of Christmas (left) proved to be a good move,’’ says Iain. “The new designs are fun twists on traditional designs, and have been extremely popular. The Christmas period is steeped in tradition and nostalgia, so it’s no surprise that giving a nod to the more traditional elements of Christmas in their daft designs has been the best strategy for Bewilderbeest.’’

Best Kept Secrets is also banking on a successful Christmas with new introductions, says MD Vanessa Curry: “Our products always do well at Christmas, as they are so focused on occasion gifting, and have a price point that really works for people looking for that special, affordable gift. At Harrogate Home & Gift, we will be launching our new Spirit of Christmas range – our signature scented candles, each featuring different woodland animals.

There are 12 in the range, each using our bestselling fragrances and signature sparkle. There is so much festive fun embodied in this collection. Our mission has always been to make people smile with our products, and this collection is all about the joy of Christmas.’’

And what trends can we expect in Christmas ranges? Iain at Bewilderbeest has some promising news: “While some people look to buy large inexpensive sets of Christmas cards, many customers told Bewilderbeest that they were buying premium cards for their most special friends. Many of us are more cautious with our spending at the moment, but there will always be people who are willing to spend a bit more, and Bewilderbeest thinks that will continue in future. Premium cards will always be in demand.’’

Best Kept Secrets also nods to the personal touch when gifting. Vanessa says: “Sustainability, and personal, occasion-led gifting are two trends that have really inspired our new product development throughout the year. The Spirit of Christmas candles have all been lovingly hand-poured and created to be as sustainable as possible. The vessels are reusable or recyclable, our trademark sparkles are biodegradable, and we use environmentally friendly print on our FSC-registered packaging. So, you can gift the Spirit of Christmas knowing that it will bring joy to the receiver while being kind to the planet too!’’

So when should you get your order in?

Jackie Collins says that Cherry Orchard receives customers’ orders from January onwards. She says: ‘‘We always recommend that retailers put in their orders while their previous Christmas sales are fresh in their minds!’’

But Iain at Wildebeest adds: “Obviously, it’s good to be organised when ordering for Christmas – they do say that Christmas gets earlier every year, after all, but we also find that the public is always buying Christmas cards right up until the last minute. Last year we found that having a good stock of Christmas cards for trade customers, well into December, meant that we could send out top-up orders to them quickly, which helped shops snag a few more last second sales. We plan to do the same this year.’’