Progressive Calendars 2022

2022

L u n ar Living

WOR K I N G W I T H T H E M AG IC OF T H E MO ON C YC L E S

FROM THE BEST SELLING AUTHOR

KIRSTY GALLAGHER

Visit us at Hall 3 Stand 3P20/Q21 PLANNERS

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CALENDARS

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DIARIES

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MAKE PLANS WITH

DANILO’S 2023

CALENDAR & DIARY RANGE As we all look to the new year, Danilo are excited to be delivering an exciting portfolio of calendars and diaries for 2023. These include:

Disney, Star Wars and Marvel Hugely popular for Danilo, this calendar range features a wide variety of titles across the entire Disney portfolio from Disney Classics to new liveaction movies. The Star Wars portfolio has grown in recent years, building on the classic Star Wars movies, to include more recent Disney Plus series The Mandalorian, Bad Batch and The Book Of Boba Fett.

Plus we see Marvel making a welcome return to the 2023 collection, where different calendar formats will be created for characters across the Marvel Comics universe including hot movie and Disney Plus releases for the likes of Spiderman, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Thor and She-Hulk.

Gaming and Anime Over the past few years we have seen a huge increase in popularity in Gaming and Anime.

According to reports, total global spending on gaming is expected to exceed $200bn by 2023, and therefore consumer appetite for gaming merchandise looks set to continue growing.

For the 2023 range, Danilo will continue to publish popular gaming titles such as Minecraft, Super Mario, Animal Crossing and The Legend of Zelda.

Additionaly, with online streaming services such as Netflix offering an extensive array of anime programmes, this genre has become more accessible than ever before.

In line with this, Danilo have added new titles including Hatsun Miko in addition to existing titles like Dragon Ball Z, My Hero Academia, Hunter X Hunter and Tokyo Ghoul.

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Lifestyle A poll of 2,000 adults in 2021 by The Independent has found that more than one third in the UK have taken up a new activity since the start of the pandemic, including the likes of painting, gardening and baking.

Danilo’s 2023 collection captures this lifestyle movement with an array of official calendars and diaries such as The Great British Bake Off, The Van Gogh Museum, The Royal Horticultural Society and BBC Earth.

Sports Next year sees quite a few major sporting events.

With the UEFA European Women’s Championship and the FIFA Football World Cup both taking place, Danilo will have the official calendar available for both the England Men’s and Lady’s national teams as well as all the key premiership football teams.

The Six Nations tournament also kicks off at the start of 2022 and there will be official 2023 calendars published for the England, Scottish and Welsh Rugby Union teams.

The Ashes returns for another year, and so will the England cricket team calendar. Another addition for the 2023 sports collection is the official M-Sport Ford Rally Calendar for those motor sport fans out there.

published by 01992 702 900 | SALES@DANILO.COM | WWW.DANILO.COM Independent retailers contact Words ‘n’ Wishes on 01942 233 201

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FLAME TREE CAL EN D ARS & G I FTS

The

Artof Fine Gifts

FLAME TREE PUBLISHING See us at the Spring Fair, Hall 3, Stand 3K24 flametreepublishing.com

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CALENDARS & DIARIES STATIONERY & JIGSAWS

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CALENDARS: NEWS

READ IT HERE FIRST

Turning Up The Volume

Carousel’s Biggest Regional Range

Oceans

Above: Among the new WWF 2023 calendars from Carousel Calendars.

A C

Despite 2021 being another uncertain year, Carousel Calendars confirmed that calendar and diary volumes were up for 2022, with over 6.5m units sold - higher than the volumes before the pandemic.

“We also distributed a record 1,313 titles, our biggest distributed range yet, which has been helped by our expansion of export, finding more markets to distribute around the globe, and also producing more bespoke or exclusive titles for overseas customers,” explained md Steve Plackett.

The National Trust Coast and Countryside slim continued to be Carousel’s top seller. Charity too, proved to be popular with retail customers, with the company’s top ten sellers including two C A L E N D A R 2023 further national Trust titles, as well as WWF, RSPB and Help for Heroes. “With Carousel pledging a donation to all the charities we work with through the sale of the products, we are always pleased to see how well they are supported by consumers,” commented Steve.

Other Carousel top sellers included the ever-popular Emma Bridgewater titles, including the comprehensive week-to-view organiser, and the compact slim calendar. Highlighted Steve: “Slim calendars make up 50% of our top 30 bestsellers, no doubt because of the shape and size helping them to fit neatly onto walls in kitchens, bedrooms and workspaces, while still providing plenty of room to list appointments, accompanied by cheerful imagery.”

LE 2 N 3 DA R

Record sales for Carousel Calendars

Carousel Calendars’ range of regional calendars has grown year on year to become the largest available in the UK – perhaps even the world, claims the company. Offering over 250 calendars in a wide variety of formats, the regional range covers all English counties, as well as select counties in Wales and Scotland, along with major cities and towns. The range also offers titles that cover popular and much-visited regions, from the Brecon Beacons, Yorkshire Moors and Norfolk Broads to the Wye Valley and English Riviera.

“All the calendars contain stunning imagery showcasing the best that the locations offer, and it is no doubt the reason why regionals continue to be so popular year after year – presenting landmarks and scenes from slices of home or from favourite holiday destinations or locations that mean something to us,” says md Steve Planckett.

Above: Yorkshire Dales National Park is among Formats covering A4s, square wall calendars, over 250 regional A5s, slim appointment calendars and desk easels. calendars from Carousel.

Funky Pigeon Ups Its Calendar Production Last November, Renz, a leading manufacturer in the punching and binding industry, installed a second Inline 500 Compact into Funky Pigeon’s manufacturing site in Guernsey to cope with increased calendar production for this year. Explained Renz’s sales manager Dermot Callaghan: “Funky Pigeon’s head of production & supply chain, Grant Bewey, increased his manufacturing capability after the success of installing an Inline 500 Compact in 2020. The machine can punch and bind up to 500mm width with automatic hanger insertion.”

Right: Renz’s Inline 500.

Undated Diaries

Trending Titles For Portico

Danilo is launching new A5 perpetual diaries, featuring designs for Disney and TV’s Friends. The diaries come undated but show the days of the week, with space for ‘to do’ lists, plans, achievements and even space to record water intake, as well as reminders of appointments and tasks.

Titles with an emphasis on nature and sustainability were winners for Portico Design last year. “The Joules Floral range was one of our most popular, while Go Green, Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Natural History Museum Botanical range and The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady all had a great season,” confirms Portico’s project manager Caroline Bromilow.

“We are running all these ranges again for 2023 with a new look Go Green calendar, and a new Portico own brand calendar celebrating our incredible oceans.”

Unsurprisingly, uplifting and positive captions and humour were also popular, as shown in the publisher’s licensed Caroline Gardner Positive Vibes range, Rosie Made A Thing, the Bright Side, Happy News and Hurrah For Gin. Animals are also continuing to do well for the company, most notably Joules Dogs, Simon’s Cat, Cats & Dogs of Instagram and Gruff Pawtraits. “Simon’s Cat also demonstrates a real trend for nostalgia, with Peanuts too, having a great season. Family favourites Dr Seuss, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Roald Dahl also did well,” adds Caroline.

Right: A Friends perpetual diary from Danilo.

Progressive Calendars is published by Max Publishing Ltd, publisher of Progressive Greetings Worldwide and Progressive Gifts & Home. It is distributed with the February edition of Progressive Greetings Worldwide.

Editor in Chief: Jakki Brown (jakkib@max-publishing.co.uk); Advertisement Director: Warren Lomax (warren@max-publishing.co.uk);

Editorial: Sue Marks: (suem@max-publishing.co.uk) Max Publishing Ltd, United House, North Road, London, N7 9DP www.max-publishing.co.uk Tel: 020 7700 6740.

Home of The Henries, The Retas and Progressive Greetings Live. Copyright: 2022

Left: Portico’s Simon’s Cat.

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Dog Breeds

Animals

Artists

Bikes

Cars

Flowers

Scenic

Travel

Over 250 Titles of 2023 Calendars to choose from.

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CALENDARS: NEWS

A Hat Trick For Liverpool Danilo Charts Success For Football Clubs It was great news for Liverpool FC on the calendar front with the football club holding on its first place title for the third year running in the Danilo ‘top ten’ licensed calendar chart.

Plus, the unexpected arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo helped to push Manchester United into the runners up spot.

There were lots of new entries too. Following BTS’ success as Artist of the Year at the AMA’s (American Music Awards), the popular South Korean boy band was a new entry at No. 6, while TV and gaming titles rose up the rankings. Minecraft was in fifth place and Pokémon in seventh place, with the new entries for 2022 reflecting gaming becoming increasingly popular behind bedroom doors and kids Top: Liverpool FC’s officially licensed playing against calendar took the No.1 slot in Danilo’s licensed calendar league tables for the third their friends. consecutive year.

Above: Friends moved up in Danilo’s Also making the calendar chart. top 10 were calendars featuring popular TV programmes, with Friends in third place and BBC Earth Landscapes a new entry at number nine.

As for the perennially popular Sir Cliff Richard, his calendar was as in demand as ever, remaining in the top five at number four, while the official Kelly Brook calendar, a personally curated selection of her favourite shots for 2022, held onto the number ten spot.

In addition, the popularity of the long-standing Star Wars franchise, which includes The Mandalorian on Disney+, kept the official licensed calendars in the top ten at number eight, proving that Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 have aged well, despite now being 45 years old!

The full top ten (with last year’s position in brackets) is: 1. Liverpool Football Club (1) 2. Manchester United Football Club (3) 3. Friends (4) 4. Sir Cliff Richard (2) 5. Minecraft (new entry) 6. BTS (new entry) 7. Pokémon (new entry) 8. Star Wars (5) 9. BBC Landscapes (new entry) 10. Kelly Brook (10)

Back To The Future For Flame Tree Following a successful year despite global shipping difficulties and late arrivals, Flame Tree Publishing will be continuing to distribute Andrews McMeel's calendars in 2022.

The list for 2023 is packed with returning best-sellers such as Far Side, Dilbert and Garfield, Disney Dreams and Thomas Kinkade, Sarah’s Scribbles, WeONLYRateDogs, Peanuts, as well as new titles including Bridgerton, Thomas Kinkade Star Wars Mandalorian and Frank Lloyd Wright.

Above: Andrews McMeel’s calendars are distributed by Flame Tree Publishing.

Advent Exports On The Increase According to Alastair Gregory, ceo of Longton Designs, the UK is not the only market to see growth in the Advent calendar market. “Thanks to sales of Advents in the USA and Germany, Longton Designs now generates over 40% of sales from exports,” he confirms. (In fact, the Department of International Trade has recognised this success by appointing Alastair as an Export Champion).

Alastair continues: “This role has been created to help businesses build and learn from exporting successes via business-to-business networking and peer-to-peer learning. Longton Designs Above: Longton Designs’ Miniature has probably got the widest range of Christmas Scene Silhouettes Advent calendar cards.

Advent calendars in the USA and now sells a significant proportion of its Advent candle production in Germany, arguably the home of the Christmas candle.”

Sowing The Seeds With seeded paper currently a big trend for greeting cards and stationery, 2021 was another successful year for Seedlings Cards & Gifts, with a high demand for the company’s Seed calendar range.

“We welcomed the RHS as a new stockist and were delighted to win the Kelvyn Gardner 'License This!' competition at Brand Licensing Europe 2021 with our new SeedFolk brand,” enthused founder Sara-jayne Mercer. “This marks the beginning of a new adventure for Seedlings Cards & Gifts as we venture into the world of licensing with our new range Above right: The new 2022 Seed calendar from Seedlings. designed to encourage children's relationships to nature. We will be launching the first of our products at Spring Fair In February.”

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WE’RE MAKING SERIOUS REDUCTIONS IN PLASTIC! Our Plastic-Free Packaging range has increased again this year in our ongoing commitment towards reducing plastic from our calendar packaging.

Now, well over 60% of our calendars and diaries are packaged without the use of plastic. These include the majority of our wall and slim calendars, as well as all our easels, page-a-day calendars and our diaries.

• Look out for our Plastic-Free Packaging logo on products for 2023.

• All Carousel products are FSC certified, which is another environmental issue that is important to us.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR WORK IN REDUCING PLASTIC AND OUR DRIVE TO BE A CARBON NEUTRAL COMPANY – SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS ON ‘WHAT WE CARE ABOUT’

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CARBON EMISSIONS As a group, we are committed to tackling our carbon emissions. We have measured our emissions and set plans to reduce them by 50% by 2030 in line with keeping global warming to within 1.5 degrees.

KEY STEPS: • All electricity to 100% renewables • Warehouse LED lighting installed • All company vehicles replaced with electric, PHEV or hybrid • Car charging points installed in our car park • Offsetting remaining emissions via Climatecare • Biodiesel for our heating pumps - COMING JUNE 2022

INDIRECT EMISSIONS We cause indirect emissions through the factories that manufacture our products.

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We are assessing and encouraging our supply base to measure and set targets for the reduction of their own emissions to also achieve a 50% decrease by 2030.

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CALENDARS: WHAT’S TRENDING

TURNING THE PAGES When Waterstones’ head buyer Hazel Walker delivered her keynote speech at the last Calies calendar awards event (in 2019) she delivered a challenge to calendar companies - to follow what was already happening in the greeting card sector, and improve their sustainability credentials.

Those words did not fall on deaf ears as Progressive Calendars found out.

Above: Plastic-free is high on the agenda for calendar publishers.

Below: A selection of Paper House Advents from GBCC which are now plastic-free.

While work has been underway on the sustainable front in the calendar sector for a number of years, certainly the pace of change has quickened with noticeable improvements from the likes of Carousel, Danilo, Museums & Galleries, Portico, Avonside, Wrendale, GBCC and Woodmansterne.

The Mint Group (which incorporates Museums & Galleries, Mint Publishing and Real and Exciting Designs) has gone completely plastic-free on the packaging for its wall calendar collection. The same can be said for the Advents from GBCC, while over 90% of Woodmansterne’s Caltime Advent range for this year is now plastic-free.

Carousel Calendars too, has made huge progress on the environmental front, in

Soaring Freight Charges Shipping issues and huge cost increases have been a bugbear for many sectors, including those in the calendar market. As Avonside’s md David Higgins sums up: “The massive additional shipping charges we and other companies have had to bear for containers from China has been shocking. Plus, the shipping delays experienced have made for a very challenging year. Add to that the lack of HGV drivers and additional difficulties getting product into and around Europe, makes 2021 a year to forget. However, thankfully we have been very busy and business has been has been good. We are therefore looking forward to a return to normality over the next year.”

On the sustainability front, David highlights that the company will be producing 2023 calendars with plasticfree packaging. “We’re trying to do our bit to reduce plastic shrinkwrap ending up in landfill,” he stated.

Left: Natural beauty captured on an Avonside 2023 calendar.

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terms of both product as well as how the group operates.

“We continue to be committed to reducing our carbon footprint and increasing our use of plastic-free packaging,” states Carousel’s md Steve Plackett. “This is alongside our other longstanding environmental principles, such as using FCS materials and going ‘beyond the audit’ with regards to our ethical trading standards.

“We are pleased to see that, since our first small trials with plastic-free packaging just three years ago, now over 50% of our products have plastic-free packaging or no packaging at all. Our developments in this area means that almost all calendar formats include some form of plastic-free packaging, including square wall calendars, desk easels, slims and our popular regional range. Looking back at our bestselling titles lists, we’re also pleased to see that 21 of the products in the top 30 are plastic-free packaged, which means this initiative is similarly being welcomed by retailers and consumers.”

As Steve points out, “reducing plastic is an issue that affects us all, and as such we have shared our developments with all major publishers in the UK and USA in order to improve the environmental performance of not just our company, but the whole calendar industry.

“We started our measurements regarding our carbon footprint from the production of our 2020 dated products, at which time we made several commitments in order to reduce it. Such endeavours included making changes at our office to reduce energy consumption, switching to hybrid or electric for company cars, and monitoring our electricity usage. We are pleased to say that we are now carbon neutral for our direct emissions. Our indirect emissions are more

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CALENDARS: WHAT’S TRENDING Taking Stock Portico’s project manager Caroline Bromilow says that during the past couple of years, retailers seem to have been concentrating on the tried and tested and have been buying into the large, established brands, “so we have been focusing on this during the pandemic,” comments Caroline. “Now we are hopefully moving into less turbulent times, we think that there will be a real appetite for something new and different, so we have introduced some exciting new brands into our offer and have also done a lot of work with our existing brands and our own brand ranges - such as Go Green - which we have totally redesigned, as we think that there will be an increased interest in these types of titles. Plus, our sustainability goals will be a real focus for the 2023 season but are very much a work in progress.”

Right: Portico Designs has totally redesigned its Go Green own brand range. Shown is the top of the January section.

challenging however.

Currently we use offsetting schemes that provide help and assistance to areas in need overseas, while we work with our suppliers to lower their emissions. This is our shared responsibility.”

Danilo has also significantly committed to investing in sustainability.

“Both the calendar and greeting card industries clearly recognise the importance of sustainability and have already taken major Above: One of the steps towards incorporating many Carousel Calendars that comes in the consideration of the plastic-free packaging. environment into its practices we can respond quickly to a crisis, and that with plastic-free alternatives now industry collaboration is an achievable goal. commonplace in the market,” comments So more than ever, it’s important that the Danilo’s marketing manager Claire Bates, who is a lead in the company’s Green Team.

Societal Drivers As Claire highlights, the effects of the Danilo’s marketing manager Claire Bates pandemic has thrown up some extra shares some of what the company feels challenges, accepting that, “it’s important we will be the drivers this year… try to and find the right balance between financial necessity and sustainable responsibility. Covid-19 has shown us how Below: The People, Profit, Plant to depict Danilo green team thrust.

Above: Squid Game has become Netflix’s most watched series to date with over 100 million viewers since September.

l Netflix/Streaming: “The last couple of years has seen a rapid increase in viewing figures for streaming platforms such as Netflix and there have been some stand out

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industry continues to work together to share sustainable ideas and practices about how retailers and publishers can work together and balance the cost vs environmental return debate.”

Claire confirmed that Danilo is moving towards becoming a carbon neutral company, “but within that, there are many individual targets we want to achieve, and these are split into the three areas of people, profit and planet.

From an environmental perspective, we are primarily looking to further integrate a circular economy and closed-loop system within the business. This includes actions such as to eliminate single use plastics, move to 100% FSC, with the next step after that being recycled paper and much more, but we are on track.” shows as a result, from the likes of Stranger Things to Squid Game, the most recent show to capture the public’s imagination.” l Gaming: “Over the past few years we have seen a huge increase in popularity in gaming. According to a WGSN report, “gaming is no longer just a hobby, it is now emerging as a full blown lifestyle category in its own right. We have added new gaming titles to the portfolio each year, to include Minecraft, Super Mario, Animal Crossing, X Box and many more.” l Anime: “What was once a niche subculture, ACG (anime, comics and games) has seen a significant surge in popularity in the UK in recent years. We have introduced a number of anime titles to our portfolio, including Dragonball, Naruto Shippenden and Tokyo Ghoul, as well as new additions such as Hunter X Hunter, My Hero Academia and Attack of the Titans.”

Longton Designs

THE LARGEST SELECTION OF

Distributor of Alison Gardiner – top advent illustrator Distributor of Coppenrath – Germany’s largest Advent publisher Made in UK Advent Candles

ADVENT CALENDARS IN THE UK

WE ARE EXHIBITING! Longton Designs Tel: 023 92 755 378 Email: support@longtondesigns.co.uk 82 Elm Grove, Southsea, Hampshire, PO5 1LN

6 - 9 FEBRUARY 2022 NEC, Birmingham, Hall 3

Stand: 3R14

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www.longtondesigns.co.uk GERMANY 1768

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CALENDARS: ADVENTS

OPENING DOORS Advent calendars continue to be among the best sellers for many UK card and gift retailers, with consumers buying earlier than usual in 2021 to ensure that whatever the government restrictions, they would not miss out.

Publishers open the doors of what’s in store for the next clutch of Advents. great pick up line for a wide variety of shops selling gifts and cards.”

Meanwhile Danilo is expanding its innovative 3D musical Advent calendar collection, which includes magnetic stand-up characters attached to a moving mechanism in the base which glide around the scene as the music plays. Three new titles - Only Fools and Horses, Peppa Pig and Peter Rabbit – join the existing designs for Liverpool FC, Frozen, The Gruffalo’s Child and The Snowman and The Snowdog.

Also on the Advent front, Flame Tree Publishing has a new licence, welcoming a Robin Robin Advent calendar featuring beautifully crafted images from Aardman’s new animated musical film special, produced for Netflix, about an optimistic young robin raised by a family of mice, who sets off on a journey of self-discovery.

Meanwhile ‘self-discovery’ continues at Woodmansterne, where, in addition to its new designs of Advents (including its licensed titles with National Trust), the company has ensured that over 90% of its 2022 range is plastic-free.

Meanwhile, another company which is going for it on Alison Gardiner.

Top left: Flame Tree’s Aardman Robin Robin Advent. the sustainability front is GBCC, “New for 2022, Alison has Top right: One of the latest Caltime with its entire Paper House created another great design,” Advents from Woodmansterne.

Above left : A Peppa Pig, 3D Advent calendar range being says Alastair, “which is available musical Advent from Danilo.

Above : One of the plastic-free plastic-free for 2022. as either dinner or pillar size Advents from Paper House.

With so much choice, clearly candles. They are made in the Advents make a lovely gift, as well as a UK at Longton’s factory in Longton, Stoketreasured self-purchase, for the countdown on-Trent, and for retailers who have not tried to Christmas.

Advent candles, it’s worth trialling as it’s a

when unfolded, the pack size is half this making it a perfect big impact product.”

Also new is Miniature Christmas Scene Silhouettes Advent calendar cards from Longton, a credit card size Advent calendar complete with envelope, Top: Four free standing Christmas which features six designs shops from Longton Designs.

Above left: Longton Designs’ Wonderful with its own CDO, as well Winterworld Advent calendar. as nativity Advent candle Above: A Nativity Advent candle by Alison Gardiner from Longton. dinner and pillar sizes by

“2021 was another good year for Advents,” states Longton Designs’ ceo Alastair Gregory, “and for the right product the consumer is prepared to pay. Our Vintage Gramophone Player Advent calendar was, once again, a top seller, despite an average retail price of around £40.”

New for 2022, Longton, (the distributor of leading Advent illustrator Alison Gardiner and Coppenrath, Germany’s largest Advent publisher), is launching a series of Advent calendar cards which are printed on paper made from grass! “This is a new method of making paper invented in 2014 in Germany,” explains Alastair. “The environmental benefits are quite significant. To make one ton of this cardboard requires a fraction of the energy and water required by wood pulp card, and the carbon footprint for such production is reduced to a fifth. Designed by British artist Lynn Horrabin, Wonderful Winterworld Advent calendar cards are a first for the UK market,” he highlights.

Other new Longton Designs products for 2022 include free standing Christmas shops, designed by Barbara Behr and printed in Germany. “Based on the concept of free standing Christmas, which has sold well for many years, this is likely to be a big success in 2022,” predicts Alastair. “Over 80cm long

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Stock and exclusive ranges, managed programmes, displays, advice and sales support from the industry experts.

To find out more, contact the Otter House sales team: phone 01392 824 300 email sales@gbcc.co.uk

2023 BRITISH

Wildlife

KEW IN COLOU R Calendar 2023

Calendar 2023

2023 Calendar

CALENDAR 2023

Inc month ludes help ly tips to your reduce cons plastic umpt ion

Buy this calendar to help support the RSPB’s conservation work

Supporting the work of the RSPCA

All these and more are part of our PFP range

Beautiful World C A L E N D A R 2023

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR WORK IN REDUCING PLASTIC AND OUR DRIVE TO BE A CARBON NEUTRAL COMPANY – SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS ON ‘WHAT WE CARE ABOUT’ Please note: Product covers subject to licensor’s approval

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WITH A RANGE OF AROUND 250 REGIONAL TITLES covering the UK and Ireland in a variety of popular formats, we are able to offer a comprehensive regional calendar display for most areas. A4 is currently the best-selling format and we have a wide selection of counties and cities available. Most calendars in our regional section come with enclosed postage envelopes.

T LAKE DISTRIC 2023

NORTH WALES

IN EN CLU V EL D O ES PE

GOGLEDD CYMRU

DEVON

CALENDAR

SOUTH WALES . DE CYMRU 2023

S E D PE LU C ELO IN N V E

CALENDAR

Includes Welsh-language text

DUBLIN

A TOUR OF

BRITA IN

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AROUND 365 PHOTOS

2023 C ALENDAR

2 0 23 Calendar

B R I TA IN 2023 CALENDAR

LONDO N 2 0 23 Calendar

2023 CALENDAR Includes Welsh-language text •

Yn cynnwys testun Cymraeg

2023 CALENDAR

Managed programmes, displays, advice and sales support from the industry experts

Hedgehogs

V IS H IT A US LL 3 AT ST TH A E N S D P 3P RI 20 NG /Q FA 21 IR

Calendar 2023

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CALENDARS: TAKE 3 RETAILERS

TALKING SHOP Progressive Calendars asked a trio of retailers for the lowdown on buying patterns and which calendars and Advents topped the charts.

Join The Club As the only specialist calendar retailer in the UK, Calendar Club’s 220 ‘pop up’ temporary retail outlets in shopping malls, both the UK and in Ireland, gives great insights into the nation’s calendar buying habits.

“The Liverpool A3 calendar [from Danilo] made it four years at the top of the charts and claims yet another spot on the wall in our showroom,” confirms Calendar Club’s marketing manager Natalie Taylor referring to the retailer’s top scorer for 2022 dated calendars. In addition, Rangers made the top ten for the first time, one of seven football teams in Calendar Club’s top ten, with football teams over performing! Calendar Club’s biggest non-football contender was of the furry variety, a Cockapoo calendar from Avonside which took the Far left: The Me To You Classic Family Planner (from Carte Blanche Greetings) was the seventh best seller in Calendar Club.

Left: The Cockapoo slim calendar from Avonside was the best selling dog breed calendar.

Customers Were On A Waiting List Celia Leeson-Cox, visual merchandiser, Yarnton Home & Garden . . .

“Calendars are part of our Otter House vendor managed business and outperform previous year sales year on year,” confirmed Celia. “Our best selling calendar was the Oxfordshire title, closely followed by Country Year and Garden Birds. There has been a very clear trend in British tourism – towns and villages - with the more popular locations for us being The Cotswolds - selling through in A4 and A5 - and Seaside Days, along with Steam Railways and National Trust: Coast & Countryside.

As expected, we had huge sales in garden birds calendars – Robins, The Dawn Chorus and Garden Days, celebrating one of our nation’s favourite pastimes.”

On the Advent front, Yarnton’s in-house card shop featured the ‘pop and slot’ Advent calendars from Roger la Borde. “These sold through so quickly we had to re-order!” confirms Celia. “We literally had customers on a waiting list, which is not surprising as they are lovely and make a great gift too.”

She adds: “Although there were concerns about the uncertainty in the run up to Christmas, we didn’t see a dip in footfall, and with some fabulous products to sell we were really pleased with our Christmas season this year.”

Top right: The Oxfordshire calendar from Carousel Calendars was a top selling calendar for Yarnton Home & Garden.

Right: Roger la Borde ‘pop and slot’ Advents were a winner for Yarnton Home & Garden. Shown is Treehouse.

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Above: Calendar Club stores were busy in the run-up to Christmas.

number six slot while Sir Cliff Richard was the chart’s 11th biggest seller.

Advent sales were strong, confirms Natalie, despite a slightly reduced range in stores and online on the previous two years. “Store sales were 149% up year on year, but were skewed due to last year’s lockdown, and stores being closed in November and closing earlier in December. However, we saw a significant lift overall in year-on-year unit sales,” she reveals, with Calendar Club trading from 220 stores in 2021 compared to around 180 in 2020.

Interestingly, Calendar Club’s bestselling Advent, both in stores and online - selling more than double the Advent in second place - was the Nativity Bible Text A3 Advent [from

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CALENDARS: TAKE 3 RETAILERS Caltime by Woodmansterne]. “Once again, it seems that our customers are traditionalists!” states Natalie.

“Overall, we were very happy with our store performance against budget, despite high street and shopping centre footfall being down roughly 20-25% year on year throughout our season,” she continues.

“Difficult years to compare, as store numbers differed and we were closed for a number of weeks last season with the lockdown, so it was a bonus to be able to trade throughout our season without having to close our doors at different points.”

Online sales didn’t disappoint either. “Online sales have been strong – down on the previous year, but dramatically higher than pre-Covid sales,” Natalie confirms.

As for the uncertainty in December, she concurs that Omicron did seem to affect footfall further from mid-December, once the WFH guidelines were reintroduced, “and online sales may have been impacted by customer nervousness about delivery before Christmas, as stories circulated about the Royal Mail’s potential issues. We also saw freight issues - container shortages, staffing shortages, etc - which affected delivery dates for products printed in the Far East, eg desk

Calendar Club’s Top 10 1. Liverpool A3 2. Manchester United A3 3. Memo Calendar Image Planner A3 4. Tottenham Hotspure A3 5. Chelsea A3 6. Cockapoo slim calendar 7. Me To You Classic Household Planner 8. Arsenal A3 9. Rangers A3 10.Manchester City A3

Above: Calendar Club’s best selling Advent was a traditional nativity scene featuring Bible text and images from Caltime by Woodmansterne.

calendars, leading to some empty shelves for a short time, much like the supermarket shelves! However, the majority of our walls and slims are produced in the UK and the EU, so fortunately these were unaffected by freight issues.”

Windows Of Opportunity Tim Reynolds and Charlie Wheatley, manager and assistant manager of Medici in London’s Kensington...

Arguably, Medici has the best selection of Advents in the country, with its store in London’s Kensington not only dedicating a whole room to them, but also fanfaring them to great aplomb in its front window.

“We did really well with Advents,” confirmed Medici’s manager Tim Reynolds, proud of the selection sourced from all the UK publishers as well as German-based Coppenwrath, Richard Sellmer and Korsch. Assistant manager Charlie Wheatley added that what made this last year different from previous years was the fact that the Advents sold much faster. “People seemed to be a lot more organised and keen to buy their Advents in plenty of time, rather than leaving it until the last minute,” Charlie highlighted. “We had to get extra stock in,” added Tim. “We re-ordered Advents twice from Alison Gardiner, and also re-ordered from Woodmansterne/Caltime and Roger la Borde.”

Along with mini Advents and postcards from various suppliers, best sellers this Christmas were Caltime by Woodmansterne Milan Cathedral and Roger la Borde’s 3D Advents.“ Added Tim: “As we also do traditional nativity scenes and religious Advents, which you don’t find in many other places, we’ve made quite a name for ourselves because we sell them here.

Looking ahead we hope to have a smoother trading year this year, without restrictions.”

Above right: Tim Reynolds (right) and Charlie Wheatley (left) outside Medici in London’s Kensington.

Far right: Medici dedicates a whole room in the shop to Advents.

Right: A Richard Sellmer Verlag Advent..

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NEW PRODUCTS: FLORA, FAUNA & BIRDS

A FLORAL TRIBUTE Gardeners and bird lovers will love these calendars that put gardens, gardening and birds at their heart.

Birds On The Wing New to Portico is I Love Birds, an eyecatching collection

by Stuart Cox. The striking graphics and bold use of colour perfectly capture the characteristics of each type of bird, making a wonderful gift for any nature lover.

Portico Designs Tel: 01225 329494

Tips For The Green Fingered Horticulturalist Sarah Raven has been one of Carousel’s longstanding licensed partners and for 2023, the publisher is extending the range of content-rich, highly useful titles. The new Wild Garden square wall calendar will be joining the range and will also provide helpful tips and ideas from Sarah’s extensive knowledge on how to get the best from your garden.

Carousel Calendars Tel: 01392 826482

wild d gard den callendarr 2023

sara ahraven n.com

Colourful Florals Kate Heiss is a contemporary British printmaker who creates limited edition screen prints and linocuts on paper with this calendar showcasing some of her best work. The new calendar from Flame Tree features Kate’s inspirational depiction of the flowers and birds in her garden, the landscapes of East Anglia and her love of bold, colourful floral patterns found in textiles.

Flame Tree Publishing Tel: 020 7751 9650

Boxing Clever Carousel Calendars’ longstanding partnership with Kew has produced a very extensive range of calendars over the years, including square walls, slim appointment calendars and beautiful diaries, showcasing both the highly detailed illustrative imagery and stunning photography from the leading horticulturist organisation. New for 2023 is a comprehensive box desk calendar, which will provide over 300 days of the amazing illustrations from Kew’s own historical library.

Carousel Calendars Tel: 01392 826482

Countdown To Christmas For 2023, Seedlings is launching a brand new Seed calendar, based on the seasons, which is aimed at children.

SeedFolk is an initiative aimed at connecting children with nature through a range of lovable characters, all of which tend to and care for our native flora and fauna. Seedlings will also be launching a new luxury Seed Advent, in a bigger, boxed format which has a handy surprise inside, turning it into a no-waste option for a greener countdown to Christmas.

Seedlings Cards & Gifts Tel: 01432 267967

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NEW PRODUCTS: ANIMAL KINGDOM

ANIMAL MAGIC From well-loved domestic pets to exotic creatures, the menagerie of animal-related calendars is a joy to behold.

Purrfect Addition

A True Picture Martin Truefitt-Baker is a fine art printmaker and painter living in the Brecon Beacons National Park, South Wales. The prints in this Flame Tree Publishing calendar are of the animals he has seen on his walks through the local landscape where he always tries to catch some of the magic in the way the animal moves and lives within its environment.

Flame Tree Publishing Tel: 020 7751 9650

Making Merry(n) New for 2023 is Carousel Calendars’ partnership with leading wildlife artist Bree Merryn. Her highly detailed, charming illustrations brim with personality and have proven to be very popular, adorning canvases, giftware, home furnishings and more.

Through Carousel’s new licensing partnership it is publishing a range offering a slim calendar, wall calendar and a deluxe slim diary.

Carousel Calendars Tel: 01392 826482

Wrendale Designs’ collection of calendars are back for 2023 with brand new designs, and four slim calendars to choose from, with the addition of a fabulous new cat calendar, all featuring the company’s latest artwork. The popular desk calendar is back, along with the family and landscape calendar, featuring new and bestselling designs. The calendars are printed on sustainably sourced textured board and now have plastic-free packaging. Wrendale has also refreshed its diaries with new artwork with each featuring a verse written by Hannah Dale.

Wrendale Designs Tel: 01652 680253

Fund Raising For Conservation Carousel Calendars has worked in partnership with eminent wildlife charity WWF for several years and is pleased to announce that for 2023, the company has expanded the range with five stunning new square wall calendars and two slim appointment calendars. New titles include Big Cats, Tigers, Giraffes, Beautiful World and Oceans, continuing to include facts and figures 3 2 0 2 R A D N E CAL about the fragile world we live in and its fauna and flora, alongside beautiful imagery. Each product sold goes towards supporting the organisation in its vital conservation efforts. As part of Carousel’s environmental commitments, all WWF products are in plastic-free packaging.

Carousel Calendars 01392 826482

Amazing Wildlife

Dog Lovers Rejoice

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Wild ild life l ffee li 023

Introducing the power of positive colour to Portico’s popular Joules Dogs range, this season’s collection uses a pick-n-mix array of uplifting brights as a backdrop for this charming collection of pooches.

The calendar joins the Joules Florals, inspired by the heathered hillsides of the Peak District, as well as Joules Wellness Planners, which incorporate botanical illustrations and seasonal activities which can help boost mood and ease stress.

Portico Designs Tel: 01225 329494

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NEW PRODUCTS: ART & ILLUSTRATION

ART FOR ART’S SAKE Calendars with art at their heart range from celebrating diversity to recognising emerging young artistic talent.

V&A Views Of Voysey Museums & Galleries’ latest square calendar collection (plastic free) is a feast for the eyes, spanning the colourful contemporary patterning of Sarah Campbell and Annie Soudain along with titles featuring the revered classical art of Eric Ravilious, as well as a delightful V&A CF Voysey calendar, among others.

Museums & Galleries Tel: 01373 462165

Celebrating Diversity Acclaimed black illustrator and storyteller Sharee Miller is the author of several picture books, including Princess Hair, Don't Touch My Hair and Michelle’s Garden. Her colourful happy characters celebrate diversity and are created using watercolour, coloured pencil and pen. The new Flame Tree wall calendar showcases 12 of Sharee’s inspirational and motivational artworks.

Flame Tree Publishing Tel: 020 7751 9650

Talented Young Artists Featuring 12 stunning artworks by young artists who featured in the third year of the RA's Young Artists’ Summer Show, this mini wall calendar from Flame Tree showcases the incredible levels of skill and imagination inherent in these pieces, some created by artists as young as five and seven.

Flame Tree Publishing Tel: 020 7751 9650

A Page Turner There’s nothing quite like the simple power of a good book. Artists throughout the centuries have been drawn to readers as their subject, depicting them absorbed by literature in a variety of different settings.

This calendar from Flame Tree includes classic works by the likes of Mary Cassatt, François Boucher and Jean-BaptisteCamille Corot.

Flame Tree Publishing Tel: 020 7751 9650

Inspired By India New from Portico, in conjunction with Sara Miller London, is the ‘India’ collection featuring designs by the highly talented designer. Portico worked closely with Sara to produce this beautiful dated range, focusing on her love of playful prints, vibrant patterns and exquisite use of colour.

Portico Designs Tel: 01225 329494

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NEW PRODUCTS: FUN STUFF

BIT OF FUN calenndar 2023

A bit of fun and humour makes the world go round, with a selection of brand new calendars for 2023 sure to make everyone smile.

Mum Knows Best

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Down On The Farm The whimsical Irish Farmers calendar is back for another year from Carousel, displaying humorous and tongue-in-cheek photos of the burly Irish farmers as they go about their everyday tasks. Due to the popularity of the title, for 2023, it will be in an A3 format, more befitting for displaying these photos in their full glory!

Carousel Calendars 01392 826482

Popular Culture Danilo as ever is on the lookout for what will be chiming with popular culture, from the world of entertainment, sports and gaming.

It was among the first to spot the popularity of Animal Crossing which proved popular in its 2022 collection.

Danilo Tel: 01992 702900

YES, REAL LIFE.

Teaming up with the famous website Mumsnet, where millions of parents have sought advice, tips, support, and shared tears, love and laughter, Carousel Calendars is pleased to reveal the new Mumsnet Family Organiser. Just as the popular website seeks to aid in the ups and downs of parenthood, with a good dose of wit thrown in for good measure, so too, does this calendar, helping to keep parents smiling through all the family appointments!

Carousel Calendars Tel: 01392 826482

Fun With Puns New to Portico for 2023, the company is excited to present a new range of dated products from Snowtap. Based in Cambridge, and established by best friends Susy Snow and Gracie Tapner in 2016, Snowtap creates illustrative designs inspired by the extraordinary natural world.

Their work is full of character colour and humour. Working in partnership – Gracie the watercolour wizard and Susy the pun queen – their illustrations reflect the best of both worlds.

Portico Designs Tel: 01225 329494

Looking On The Bright Side Back by popular demand, the Bright Side is a collection of optimistic thoughts that celebrates the art of the silver lining and being rather nice to each other. Portico is presenting this bright and beautiful new rainbow colour palette for 2023 with gold foiled detail.

Portico Designs Tel: 01225 329494

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NEW PRODUCTS: MISCELLANEOUS

A CORNUCOPIA A cornucopia of calendar titles ranging from parenting and world travel to wellbeing and sustainability.

Lunar Living

Hey, Baby!

Danilo’s brand new Baby’s First Year loving keepsake calendars, featuring Disney Classic and Elmer the Elephant brands, enable parents to document every detail of their baby’s first year, with 12 undated pages ranging from ‘my first month’ to ‘I’m one’, with space for month names and dates and a monthly photograph.

Additionally, 50 stickers prompt parents to make a note of important milestones in their baby’s development, and at the end of baby’s first year, the completed calendar can be placed in a keepsake envelope (included) as a lasting memento.

Danilo Tel: 01992 702900

Carousel Calendars has announced a new licensing partnership with the Sunday Times Bestseller Lunar Living, written by Kirsty Gallagher, about the powerful effects of the moon on our wellbeing and how we can use its cycles to make positive changes in our lives. The square wall calendar is packed with the indepth knowledge and expertise from the book, combined with a useful calendar format that will help clearly track the cycles of the moon and apply the benefits from this unique self-help guide Carousel Calendars Tel: 01392 826482

F ROM T H E AUTHOR B E S T S E LL I N G AU

LLuunar Liviv ng 2023 C A L E N DA R

WOR K I NG W I T H T H E M AG IC OF T H E MO ON C YC L E S

Keen To Be Green With a bright, fun new collagestyle design for 2023, Portico’s Go Green calendar features ways to reduce, reuse and recycle for all the family. The calendar is full of fun facts and helpful hints on how to live a little greener, while making small sustainable changes!

Portico Designs Tel: 01225 329494

Fun With Animals A new licence for Portico for 2023, Percy the Park Keeper, is a modern classic, loved and trusted by generations of children, parents, grandparents, carers and teachers. Created by best-selling author and illustrator Nick Butterworth, the books have sold 10m copies in more than 35 languages.

Portico Designs Tel: 01225 329494

World Travel The new World Travel Destinations square wall calendar from Carousel displays wonderfully nostalgic images of famous locations around the world, giving a sense of globetrotting adventure throughout the year.

Carousel Calendars Tel: 01392 826482

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The GreATesT COLLeCTiOn OF GreeTinG CArDs in The WOrLD

Lots of happy, shiny people are looking forward to PG Live 2022…

“We can hardly wait to visit PG Live this June – great way to celebrate N&Q’s belated 40th anniversary with our UK friends and partners!”

“The PG Live show has such a happy vibe and energy. It is my favourite show of the year. I love that it focuses on just greeting cards and offers a mix of large publishers, established independents and new starters.”

Alan and Vanessa Harnik directors of Notes & Queries USA

SAVE THE DATE Don’t miss PG Live 2022

Tuesday 7 - Wednesday 8 June Business Design Centre, London +44 (0) 7734 111633 www.progressivegreetingslive.com @PGLiveLondon #pglive2022

IBC_Calendars_February 2022.indd 1

Georgina Black owner Pretty Shiny Shop London

“I really love Progressive Greetings Live – if you are a retailer reading this and have never visited, I implore you to put it on your list to go. We always come back with new and exciting ranges.”

Maggie Wynn owner Just Cards Honiton

The FuTure OF GreeTinGs Book your frEE TickETS now www.progressivegreetingslive.com

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