Progressive Gifts & Home February 2020

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www.maxpublishing.co.uk The home of market leading trade magazines

EXHIBITIONS

THE HOME OF MARKET LEADING TRADE AWARDS

This Month

@Prog_Gifts

In a sea of gloomy retail headlines, it was refreshing to see ‘High Street Is Far From Down And Out’, which appeared in the Daily Mail on New Year’s Eve. In an article, written by city editor Alex Brummer, he asked: “is retail really doing so badly?”. While admitting that it’s up against some “immovable forces”, he stated that “those retailers in touch with their USP will continue to prosper.”

It’s something we in the gift trade know already and can heartily applaud, with numerous gift independents showing us how they have risen to the challenges over the past year, thanks to The Greats 2020 entries that are arriving thick and fast. There’s still time to enter just! - so if you want to see your retail skills recognised and rewarded, email me with your entry at suem@maxpublishing.co.uk on or before Friday January 31. For more information, visit www.thegreatsawards.co.uk.

Staying with gift retail, we asked a ‘magnificent seven’ shop owners how they fared over the festive season. To find out, turn to Feedback on pages 23-25. And with a re-edited Spring Fair around the corner, we also took a look at how suppliers are approaching February’s show (turn to pages 29-33), while highlighting the companies that are putting sustainability at the top of their agenda (turn to pages 35-39 and pages 93-97). Plus, we tell you all you need to know about who is doing what in home fragrancing, especially candles (turn to pages 61-65); jewellery and fashion accessories (turn to pages 83-87) and nursery and children’s gifts (turn to pages 93-97). We also take a look at what’s blooming for Spring/Easter (turn to page 81).

The PG&H team will, of course, be putting their best foot forward at Spring Fair and Ambiente so we’re looking forward to seeing lots of you there. Meanwhile, enjoy the issue!

Above: Sue recently met up with two of the gift buyers at leading garden centre Blue Diamond, Angie Goosen (front right) and Catrin Perry (left). (Turn to pages 41-43).

Sue Marks, Editor

Inside 7-19 23-25 27 29-33 35-39 41-43

Max Publishing Ltd, United House, North Road, London N7 9DP. Tel: 020 7700 6740 Fax: 020 7607 6411 www.progressivegifts.co.uk www.thegreatsawards.co.uk

45-47 49-51 53-55 57-59 61-65

News Feedback: Christmas 2019 Gift Of The Gab Approach To Spring Fair 2020 Spotlight On... Sustainability Retailer Face To Face: Blue Diamond Group Retailer Face To Face: The Hollies In Profile: Lesser & Pavey In Profile: Spode’s 250th anniversary In Profile: Ashleigh & Burwood Home Fragrancing: Candles

73-75 77-79 81 83-87

In Profile: Best Kept Secrets In Profile: Half Moon Bay Spotlight On... Spring/Easter Spotlight On... Jewellery/Fashion Accessories 93-97 Spotlight On... Nursery/Children's Gifts 101 Gift Of The Year Finalists 2020 125 Sounding Off 126-127 Best Sellers 130 Behind The Counter: Linda Tandy, Joco Interiors 130 Last Word: Designer Katie Alice

Publishers Jacqueline Brown, Warren Lomax and Ian Hyder Subscribe to Progressive Gifts from £60 (UK) to £90 (International).

You can organise this quickly and easily online at our secure site: Max-Subscriptions.net For assistance, please email maxsubscriptions@marketingreinforcem ents.co.uk or call 0207 700 6740.

Sue Marks Editor

Angie Bryant Ian Hyder Advertisement Manager Publishing Director

suem@max-publishing.co.uk

angieb@max-publishing.co.uk

Copyright 2020. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information in this magazine was correct at the time of going to press, the publishers cannot accept legal liability for any errors or omissions, nor can they accept responsibility for the standing of advertisers nor any organisation mentioned in the text. Views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers.

ianh@max-publishing.co.uk

ISSN 2515-7523 PROGRESSIVE GIFTS & HOME WORLDWIDE

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MODERN CLASSICS Simplicity is the key for this timeless collection, with classic designs and modern aromas, selected for their captivating fragrances. Our beautiful Modern Classic collection comes in eight luxurious scents, and for 2020 we have introduced Perfume Cards for fragrance on the move, and Perfume Mist Diffusers to effortlessly decorate your home with fragrance.

Find Us Spring Fair | The Summer House | Birmingham - February 2020 - Hall 20 Stand A30-B31

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Industry News

Last Chance To Enter!

Countdown To The Greats 2020

Have I Got News For You? Below left: Will your shop’s name be on a trophy this year?

Entries galore have been arriving at the PG&H offices as gift retailers of all shapes and sizes vie to see their shop’s name on a Greats trophy in May. With a closing date of Friday January 31, there’s still time to enter, but only just!

“The quality and depth of entries has been remarkable, with gift shops and gift departments doing everything they can in a challenging retail climate to drive sales,” says PG&H’s editor Sue Marks.

“As always, we want to discover, reward and recognise these outstanding, successful retailers who are a cut above the rest and continue to up the ante.”

For retailers who want to shout about exceptional members of their staff - those who go the extra mile - or the suppliers that provide the best service to gift independents, email ianh@max-publishing.co.uk This year, there is a brand new category, the Best Supplier Marketing Award, where retailers are invited to nominate suppliers who have demonstrated excellence in marketing over the past 12 months. Email ianh@max-publishing.co.uk Adds Sue: “In 2020 we are very excited to be celebrating the 18th milestone year of The Greats. Tying in with VE Day, which takes place five days earlier, we have taken The Victorious Greats as our theme at our new home of the Honourable Artillery Club (HAC) in London, where this year’s winners will be announced. All strands of the gift industry are invited to share in this very special day for gift retail.”

Tickets to the event are available from event organiser Clare Hollick tel: 01733 294524; email: clare@keystonecomms.co.uk; or from Max-Tickets.net.

Visit www.thegreatsawards.co.uk The Greats Awards, launched in 2003, are owned by Max Publishing and Progressive Gifts & Home magazine.

The Greats Sponsors 2020 This year, an impressive line-up of Greats sponsors include (in alphabetical order): Candlelight; Gift Republic; GiftsandHome.net; Gisela Graham; Good Housekeeping; Harrogate Christmas & Gift; Joe Davies; Progressive Gifts & Home; Premier Decorations; Progressive Greetings Live; Spring Fair and Autumn Fair; Wrendale Designs and The Giftware Association.

For remaining sponsorship opportunities, please contact Angie Bryant on 01993 212994; email: angieb@max-publishing.co.uk

Below: Team caption Paul Merton showed that he was greeting card savvy by correctly guessing the missing words in a PG editorial.

Over £100,000 Raised Lila Jewellery has raised over £100,000 each for military charities Combat Stress and SSAFA, the armed forces charity. Founder and managing director, Frank Ross, has been supporting Combat Stress and SSAFA for over five years through the sales of his poppy jewellery.

With 10% of RRP shared between the two military charities, Frank has officially donated £100,534 to Combat Stress, and has confirmed that he will be continuing his support.

Above: Lila Jewellery’s poppy pin.

The Comedian’s Comedian Among those looking forward to celebrating with the gift industry at The Greats Awards on May 13 is international award winning comedian, writer podcaster and host Stuart Goldsmith, who will be compering the event at the Honourable Artillery Club (HAC) in London on May 13.

In addition to his stand-up credentials, he has also built up a reputation as an engaging host through his The Comedian’s Comedian podcast where an impressive roster of guests have included Jimmy Carr, Tim Minchin, Russell Howard, Sarah Millican, Al Murray, Ross Noble, Tim Vine and David O’Doherty.

Tickets to the event are available from event organiser Clare Hollick tel: 01733 294524; e: clare@keystonecomms.co.uk; or from Max-Tickets.net. Visit www.thegreatsawards.co.uk Above: Comedian Stuart Goldsmith will be hosting The Greats Awards.

Celebrating 50 Years Having started out as a sales rep for the Feblands Group in Blackpool in 1970, representing Capidmonte, marketing agent Michael Pick is celebrating his 50th year ‘on the road’. “I still enjoy my work as much as I did 50 years ago,” he told PG&H. Current principals include Casa Grande; English Soap Company; A.C. Jade; Nobile Glassware Company: Pure Jewellery and W. Hunts Company.

“I love marketing new, innovative gift ideas, with my passion growing over the years,” says Michael.

Progressive Greetings (the sister magazine to Progressive Gifts & Home) played a starring role on BBC 1’s Have I Got News For You, appearing as the ‘festive guest publication’ on the programme on December 20.

“It has taken 29 years for the magazine to appear, but some things are worth waiting for!” stated Jakki Brown, co-owner of Progressive Greetings since 1990, (coincidentally, the same year that Have I Got News for You was first screened).

The episode was guest hosted by Charlie Brooker, with team captains Paul Merton and Ian Hislop joined by panelists Emma Barnett and Phil Wang.

Above: Michael Pick is celebrating 50 years in the gift industry.

Gift Shop Ramraided It was ‘business as usual’ at village gift shop The Cats Whiskers in Bishop’s Cleeve, despite a pre-Christmas 3am ram raid on December 19 that caused an estimated £10,000 worth of damage.

“Not quite the ‘smashing’ Christmas we had in mind!” quipped Cats Whiskers’ coowner Tracey Bryant. “The burglars nicked the safe which was empty - I would have loved to have seen their faces when they opened it!”

The shop reopened hours after the incident, with customers entering via a back entrance.

Above: The Cats Whiskers in Bishops Cleeve.

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Industry News

‘Shop Local’ Helps Raise Awareness High Street Retailers Worked Together To Drive Footfall With Visa among those encouraging people to Shop Local for Christmas, gift retailers too, were eager to get together with other local businesses to help to drive trade into their local high streets.

“Although it’s really hard to measure the exact impact that our Shop Local campaign had on our figures - the event kicked off in mid-November - we did have a very strong November with 10% growth on the top of 10% growth from last year,” confirmed Aga Gabrysiak, coowner of Highworth Emporium in Highworth.

Good news for Aga and co-owner Richard Marsden was that their Visa ‘Where You Shop Matters’ video was announced as one of competition’s top 50 entries, with Aga and Richard receiving a £150 pre-paid Visa card before Christmas. “We involved our customers in the video during our Christmas evening, with everyone singing along to Queen’s Somebody To Love, and had lots of fun making it. Our customers loved it too,” Aga confirmed.

At The Keekin’ Glass in Prestwick, the shop’s co-owner Heather Newlands added: “We were also involved in the Visa campaign, and were included in an advert at Glasgow Central train station and at also at Waterloo train station in London, both of which ran in December.”

At Mooch Gifts & Home in Bewdley and Stourport, co-owner Jon May said: “Shop Local was very much on the minds of many of our shoppers in both stores this Christmas - Bewdley in particular. The campaign we ran on Shop, Eat, Sleep Bewdley – a page we created to promote local Bewdley based traders - highlighted many of the faces behind the businesses thanks to Small Business Saturday’s Find Your Local Hero.

“We encouraged people to shop locally, and we also rallied the support of This Is Bewdley, another local community Facebook page, where they helped spread the message too.”

Confirmed Jon: “We’ve definitely seen increased footfall as people make that shift to keep their local high streets vibrant.” l To see how independent gift retailers fared in the run-up to Christmas, turn to Feedback on pages 23-25.

Above: Highworth Emporium was part of a Shop Local campaign. Owner Aga Gabrysyiak is shown on the right.

Gifts Ring Up Sales At La Cookshop at the Milkhope Centre, Blagdon in Northumberland, owner Keith Crowther’s “very good” Christmas, followed changes to the shop, which swapped round the giftware and cookshop rooms, with a bigger focus on gifts, such as men’s cufflinks, socks, women’s bags and jewellery. “We definitely increased footfall due to the visibility of gifts, with a fantastic response from customers,” Keith told PG&H. Right: An emphasis on gifts upped sales at La Cookshop.

Ethical Style At Ambiente Reflecting the meta-trend for sustainability, Ambiente’s Ethical Style Guide has increased by 66 companies this year compared with the show’s 2019 edition. The curated directory for 2020 features 340 exhibitors from 49 countries who follow eco-friendly and socially responsible production standards.

“Classic consumerism is currently giving way to an increase in ethical consumerism,” states Nicolette Naumann, vice president of Ambiente. “It therefore presents retailers with new challenges, such as deciding between recyclable solutions and fair trade projects as well as between good marketing and greenwashing: which suppliers and which products are genuinely sustainable and in which areas?”

The Guide will be available at the show as a free booklet and listings are shown on Ambiente’s online exhibitor search.

Once again, the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) will be at the show promoting worldwide fair trade through the development of alternative business models. l Making its debut at the show will be a special presentation, Focus on Design, highlighting the products of Brazil.

It Pays To Display Gift shop Bijouled, based in Parliament Street, Harrogate - winner of The Greats 2019 Best Gift Retailer of Jewellery and Fashion Accessories category - was the joint winner of the Best Small Shop Christmas Window category in the annual Harrogate Christmas shop window competition which was televised by Channel 5, and recently shown on Harrogate: A Great Yorkshire Christmas.

“We were delighted to receive an award for our very special Christmas window, influenced by the French style of a bygone era - dancing at Christmas and our 15 year love affair with Butler & Wilson jewellery,” Bijouled’s owner Georgina Collins told PG&H. The shop won the Best Window Display category in 2017 and was highly commended in 2018.

Below: Bijouled’s winning Christmas window.

Chilly’s Founders Make Headlines Having achieved the top place in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 in December, Chilly’s Bottles’ co-founders and owners, James Butterfield and Tim Bouscarle, were once again spotlighted by the Sunday Times in the newspaper’s ‘How We Made It’ column on January 5.

The brainchild of Leeds university student James Butterfield in 2010, who was joined by digital marketing colleague Tim Bouscarle the following year, the company has grown from James’ initial idea of enabling consumers to have cold water on the go in re-usable bottles to presiding over a business with sales of £31.4m in 2019. A year ago, the company added two new products to its offer - re-usable coffee cups and re-usable straws.

Below: A selection of Chilly’s Bottles on display at gift shop Jo Amor in Tiverton.

Left: The Koziol stand Ambiente.

FOR THE LATEST NEWS VISIT GiftsandHome.net PROGRESSIVE GIFTS & HOME WORLDWIDE

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Industry News

All Change At Spring Fair Keynote Speakers Include Mary Berry

PEOPLE Below: Buyers will soon be heading off to Spring Fair.

Visitors to Spring Fair, taking place at the NEC from February 2-6, will see a new look and feel this February, with two distinct sectors: Gifts (Piazza halls) and Home & Living (Atrium halls).

The new prime location for the revamped Summerhouse is Hall 20, located in between Living and Accents & Décor.

Among the keynote speakers will be Mary Berry, who will be appearing in the Inspiring Retail Stage (Hall 6) in conversation with Ashley Armstrong, retail editor for the Times, on Monday February 3 at 1pm. Mary will be talking about her life and how she has taken inspiration from her garden to create her own range of tableware in collaboration with Captivate Brands, and will also be visiting Captivate Brands’ stand in Hall 8.

Making a return to the Inspiring Retail Stage will be Queen Of Shops Mary Portas, among the keynote speakers at Autumn Fair 2019, who will be taking to the stage at 2pm on Tuesday February 4. Other keynote speakers at the show include Oliver Bonas, John Lewis, Selfridges and Harrods, as well as JML. “Our 2020 line-up is highly relevant for today’s challenges,” says Spring Fair’s portfolio director Charlie Cracknell. “It will help shape thinking, and we anticipate it to be our most exciting yet. We’re taking steps to embrace and indulge inspiring ideas from the industry’s most exciting innovators and disruptors. We want everyone to leave feeling invigorated, inspired and with a new mindset for the year ahead and beyond.”

For the first time, Spring Fair has partnered with Modern Retail for the Good Retail Awards 2020, celebrating retailers that are making a positive impact. Six categories - including Sustainability Initiative, the Community Award and Digital Impact Award - will be presented on Tuesday February 4 at the show.

Opening on February 1, Everyday (formerly Volume) is situated in Halls 9 and 10. Visit www.springfair.com

GOTY Winners Revealed Following a ‘live’ judging in mid-January, the Gift of the Year 2020 winners will be revealed at an evening awards ceremony held on the first night of Spring Fair, Sunday February 2, on the Inspiring Retail Stage (Hall 6) at 6pm. Among the 41-strong judging panel this year was PG&H/GiftsandHome.net’s editor Sue Marks. To see the full list of finalists, turn to page 101.

Paladone Wins A Top Award Paladone was the winner of the Large Business of the Year trophy at the recent Sussex Business Awards. The company has continued to work hard in its quest to become “the eco warriors of the FMCG gifting industry”, with Paladone’s marketing manager Alex Ryan commenting: “the judges’ enthusiasm for our eco efforts has reinforced that we are heading in the right direction.”

Right: Paladone recently won the Sussex Business Awards’ Large Business of the Year category.

Below: Part of MAKE International’s quirky Jane Foster mug collection.

MAKE Joins Forma UK exclusive brand distributor Forma House has signed a deal to distribute MAKE International across the UK. MAKE joins a diverse portfolio of ranges currently under the Forma umbrella including: Sagaform, Eva Solo, Zuperzozial and Dreamfarm.

MAKE was established in 2005 by director Dominic Speelman who joined forces with ceramicist Keith Brymer Jones, the company’s head of design, in 2008.

p Clive Harper (right) has joined Ashleigh & Burwood as a director, bringing with him over 20 years of industry experience in the home fragrancing market place.

“I look forward to the challenge of assisting the growth of the brand reinforcing the company’s commitment to work with their partners in the market,” commented Clive.

Candlelight Partners With Designer Katie Alice British lifestyle designer Katie Alice has brought her nostalgic style to an exclusive range of Candlelight candles and reed diffusers, with the collection officially launching at Spring Fair (Hall 3, stand H20-J21).

Explains sales director Debbie Isles: “The range captures the very best of vintage design, which is still very much on trend in homewares.” Katie will be making a personal appearance on the company’s stand during the show. (See Last Word on page 130).

Above: Among Katie Alice’s Wild Apricity designs for Candlelight.

Paddington Giftware Eddingtons has secured a new partnership to develop a collection of Paddington giftware and homewares, with the new collection making its debut at Spring Fair (Hall 8, stand E44-F45) - focusing on three key areas: Paddington ‘on the move’, ‘at breakfast’ and ‘baking accessories’.

The collection is centred around the original Peggy Fortnum illustrations, which have been applied to some of Eddingtons best selling lines.

Right: Eddingtons’ new licensed Paddington gifting and homewares collection.

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Industry News

Business Rates Discount Gift Retailers Give Their Views Following the General Election in midDecember, and the first Queen’s Speech of the new government, PM Boris Johnson announced that there will be a 50% cut in business rates from April 2020. All retailers with a rateable value below £51,000 will be eligible, giving independents a saving of up to £12,500, with some 500,000 businesses set to benefit.

Responding to the news, Florian Kleinlercher, managing director of multiple gift retailer Between The Lines said: “We've already seen an increase in turnover since the day of the election and this is the cherry on the cake. I do hope that the business rate system will get a proper overhaul, not just a discount, so that it is once and for all sorted and fit for purpose.”

Jeanine Laurent, director of Magenta Trends in Annesley Woodhouse in Nottinghamshire commented: “As a small independent gift business, this is welcome news and will go a long way to aiding the recovery of the high street. I would also like to see more grants and funding for ‘B to C’ retailers - business to customer - to become readily available. But this is a small step in the right direction.”

Added David Lorimer, co-owner of four Brocante gift and lifestyle shops in Cornwall: “Any reduction in rates will help support businesses and make them a bit more profitable, as the costs of running a business are increasing. Recycling, wages etc., etc., are going up annually.” l Following continued lobbying by trade organisations, to include Bira, there is likely to be a review of the outdated business rates system in the government’s March Budget.

Above: Some 500,000 small retailers will benefit from a 50 per cent cut in business rates.

Left: Magenta Trends, Annesley Woodhouse.

Bira Chief’s New Year’s Resolutions Andrew Goodacre, ceo of Bira, has made five resolutions for the new government that need to be implemented this year, to include supporting new businesses with an extended rates free period, sorting out car parking to ensure that all authorities offer shoppers friendly parking, and starting to level the playing field between traditional retailers and the giant internet businesses.

“We have entered a new decade and I believe that there is room for optimism,” states Andrew. “The ‘teens’ have been difficult for our members and many of the larger chains. We are now in the ‘roaring 20’s’ and independent retailers are ready for the challenge. However, they cannot do it on their own and the government - and local authorities - need to recognise this and do something about it.”

Fifty Years Of Fabulous Iconic British designer Dame Zandra Rhodes will be taking to Pure’s newly created Nomad stage, in the National Hall of London’s Olympia at 3.30pm on Sunday February 9, to talk about ‘50 Years of Fabulous’.

This year, Zandra, who has dressed Royalty, celebrities and fashion figureheads in her signature creations, will be celebrating her own jubilee in the fashion industry, with visitors able to hear her speak about the ups and downs of continuing to thrive in the fashion world.

Zandra’s current projects include a collaboration with IKEA and working on her AW20 collection. Visit www.purelondon.com Below: Dame Zandra Rhodes will be taking to the stage at Pure in February.

Hug In A Mug Home and giftware brand Yvonne Ellen will be donating 50% of the profits generated from the sale of a set of two mugs entitled ‘Off Duty’ and ‘Daydreamer’ to the Future Dreams breast cancer charity.

Yvonne, founder of the brand, commented: “I am delighted that my designs will be helping to support the incredible work Future Dreams does. It's truly an honour to be given the opportunity to help a cause which gives such invaluable and vital support to so many amazing women."

The mugs will also be present at tea stations in the Future Dreams House for visitors wanting a ‘hug in a mug’ when the centre opens in Spring 2020.

Below: Yvonne Ellen mugs will be raising money for Future Dreams.

Right: Bira’s ceo Andrew Goodacre.

Fundraising Initiative The IFLScience brand has joined forces with One Tree Planted and SHO to launch two limited edition designs of its stainless steel reusable bottles. Some 10% of the sales of the new SHO lines will be donated to One Tree Planted - an environmental non-profit charity dedicated to global reforestation.

Consumers will be invited to post a photo of their limited edition SHO Bottle, which will be available to buy online, to social media using #IFLearthmonth. For each photo posted, IFLScience will donate the funds for a further tree to be planted by One Tree Planted.

SHO was founded in 2014 with a mission of ensuring every human on planet earth uses reusable products rather than single-use items.

Left: One of two new SHO limited edition re-usable bottles.

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Industry News

Looking To The Future Advice From Top Drawer Speaker Holly Tucker MBE It was standing room only when Holly Tucker MBE, cofounder of Notonthehighstreet, and founder of Holly & Co, took to the stage at Top Drawer.

Holly, who champions small businesses, shared advice and inspiration along with the highs and lows of building both her businesses. “Do what you love, love what you do and trust your gut. Let it be your internal compass through your business journey,” she stated.

Looking to the future of small businesses, Holly believes that the progressive way forward will be for clubbing together. “People will be able to pay for a shelf in a shop to showcase their products and still make a good living,” she explained. “It’s already happening. From a small businesses perspective, it will be about sharing your commitment with the people around you. The Co in our name stands for not just Company but also connection, community and collaboration.”

Holly added that connecting with people through social media is hugely important for businesses. “However, you also have think, what if Instagram and Facebook were taken down?

You need to have many eggs in many baskets.”

She advised people not in their “passion area” not to waste another day. “Combine what you love with running a business and act now,” she emphasised.

Holly concluded: “When you are living your life with a passion, everything feels easier and life is full of excitement. However, there is no silver bullet.”

Above: Holly Tucker MBE is shown at on the RetailFest stage at Top Drawer.

Putting Up The Closed Sign Really Good and Soul are preparing to close down by the end of the summer. David Hicks, founder and owner of the two businesses, told PG&H: “I’m lucky enough to have enjoyed the highs of inventing new things on a regular basis, and made some great friends along the way. I’ve loved working with everyone in the company but it’s time to finish it all now.”

He continued: “It’s a fabulous industry and a wrench to leave it. I’ve had some great times, but there are other things to do in life - notably travelling and photography and I want to be able to do these while I still can.”

The announcement marked the start of a massive sale on all stock. “We will be exhibiting at Spring Fair, and are even showing some new ranges,” David confirmed. “It will probably take until the end of the summer to wind everything up.”

David, who started Really Good 33 years ago, and Soul a decade later, hopes to remain connected with the industry on a consultancy basis.

Above: Among David’s product ‘claims to fame’ on the gift front has been Brightside’s Man Tin.

New Delhi Fair Dateline Breaking with tradition, the IHGF Delhi Fair Spring show, which historically takes place in February, has moved its dateline, with the exhibition now taking place April 15-19 at the India Expo Centre & Mart in Delhi NCR. Organisers the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) confirmed that the new dates strategically fit into the Asia sourcing calendar.

With a focus on sustainability, fair trade, innovation and design led crafts from India, the show will feature over 3,200 exhibitors across 15 halls and 900 showrooms of leading exporters. More than 2,000 products and 300 trend specific design developments will be showcased, featuring home fashion and utility, collectables, gifting and fashion accessories.

Above: Colourful, decorative cushions reflect Indian’s heritage.

Visit www.epch.in

NEWS IN BRIEF p Eddingtons has announced the purchase of selected assets from manufacturing, sales and distribution business Tuftop.

Right: One of the many products by Tuftop.

p Heathcote & Ivory will be unveiling Lavender Garden at Spring Fair, (Hall 3, stand Q10-R11), the third in the company’s RHS Flower Blooms series.

Above: Lavender Garden.

p New research by brand purpose consultancy Given London, commissioned with YouGov, reveals that consumers were more cautious and conscientious when it came to their Christmas shopping, buying less due to sustainability concerns. p VENT for Change has teamed up with National Stationery Week, with the company giving away UK-made recycled pencils free to every business that signs up as a participating retailer.

Above: VENT’s recycled pencils.

p A donation of pillar and dinner candles by Stoneglow, to the Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers’ stall at the Red Cross Christmas Market, at Guildhall in the City of London, helped to raise funds for the British Red Cross.

Above: Festive Stoneglow candles.

Vegan Trademark The Somerset Toiletry Co. has been working closely with The Vegan Society, to register products within its brand Naturally European. The Vegan trademark will start to appear on relevant packaging from February. Products which have been registered so far include soap bars, hand cream, hand wash, shower gel, body lotion, bath salts, sachets, hand caddies, travel collections and gift sets.

Above: The Somerset Toiletry Company will be using The Vegan Society trademark on relevant products.

FOR THE LATEST NEWS VISIT GiftsandHome.net PROGRESSIVE GIFTS & HOME WORLDWIDE

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Immerse yourself in the extraordinary world of Spode at Spring Fair, Hall 8, Stand A60-B61 Ambiente, Hall 4.1, Stand D05 www.portmeiriongroup.com Copyright Š 2020 Portmeirion Group Limited

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Our Christmas 2020 collection is now available to pre-order via our webshop, sales office or sales agents. Order before 30th April to guarantee your chosen designs.

Visit us at

2nd-6th Feb on Stand 2F50-G51

You can now order online. Go to trade.glick.co.uk to register.

01274 655980 sales@glick.co.uk www.glick.co.uk Unit 1 Allenby House, European Ind. Park, Knowles Lane, Bradford BD4 9AB

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Christmas 2019

Christmas Cheer According to the retail analysts, the all-important weekend before Christmas was a bit of a disappointment for both the high street and online retailers, with ‘Super Saturday’ on December 21 not living up to expectations.

However, happily, for many independent gift retailers, it was a rather different story, with the tills jingling merrily on high.

A Sell-Out Christmas “Despite the General Election on December 12, which was predicted to affect Christmas trade, the Christmas shop was surprisingly earlier compared to last year,” highlighted Adam de Wolff, coowner of The Indigo Tree in South West London’s Streatham and Crystal Palace. “We started to get busy from December 7, the first Saturday of the month, and it didn’t really stop for us. We timed the opening of our new Crystal Palace shop so as not to miss out on the Christmas season, but we had to buy somewhat blind as we were not 100% sure of what our prospective customers would be looking for. Thankfully for us, the demographic proved to be very similar to Streatham.”

He said that customers were looking for something funny, useful and, most importantly, below £20. “Within this budget, we therefore offered a wide range of items to suit all ages, and we had at least four customers tell us, or our staff, that they had done all of their Christmas shopping at The Indigo Tree this year!”

Continued Adam: “There was a re-run of a local campaign, organised by retailers in 2018, called SE19 Lates, where two late shopping nights were heavily promoted on social networks and flyers. This year there was more advertising and additional street banners, and we more than doubled the day’s take on both nights.”

Among The Indigo Tree’s best sellers were eco-friendly gifts to include re-useable metal straws from Legami, Uberstar and Valerie Graham, and Swig insulated metal drinks holders. “They did very well despite being widely available from supermarkets and garage forecourts etc. We also did really well with the usual suspects - hand creams and soaps, scarves and gloves and jewellery - but a significant contribution were the huge range of Christmas decorations and baubles where we always do well with Gisela Graham, especially the ’dog and cat in clothes’ ranges. This year Transomnia provided some great additions too, with a small grey resin hanging angel decoration doing amazingly well. We also loved The Shoeless Joe cut out metal decorations. In fact, I was very concerned by the end of the weekend before Christmas that we had nothing much left to sell! Monday and Tuesday were the two best days of December with our stock room virtually empty, apart from photo frames.”

Our Busiest Day Ever At Alligator Pear in Tadworth, buyer/manager Jenni Taylor revealed that Christmas was more of a slow build up this year. “It was 100% due to the General Election, making everyone more cautious, but once people started coming into the shop it was really good and pretty steady, with the shop’s best day ever on Monday December 23,” Jenni confirmed. “Our strongest product sector was fashion accessories where we did exceptionally well with fur, to include fur trimmed gloves and scarves. Christmas decorations were big

sellers too, and we also did particularly well with our silver and white sparkly story across a wide range of products. Other winners were gin related giftware - a hit with customers for a second consecutive year - and anything featuring animal print, with cushions and throws, sourced at Autumn Fair, also very popular. With the average spend at £20 and under, for 2020 we will be taking a look at our pricing to ensure that we stay competitive.”

Above: Fur products and animal print were huge Christmas ‘hits’ at Alligator Pear.

Top: Among the Gisela Graham Christmas decorations at The Indigo Tree.

Above: The new The Indigo Tree store in Streatham.

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Christmas 2019

Up Year On Year "We had a great Christmas 2019 at Utility,” confirmed Utility director Kate Cowie. “Both our Liverpool stores and websites performed really well and we were up year on year. Our new Manchester store too, had a great first Christmas. All stores and websites were busy from Black Friday onwards, right up to close of play on Christmas Eve, with our busiest ever trading day being Monday December 23.”

Kate adds that Utility’s standout department was greeting cards, where sales of Christmas cards were 18% up in terms of volume on the same period last year. Fashion accessories, jewellery and home fragrance also performed very well. “All in all it was a great finish to the year and now we’re looking forward to seeing some great new product for 2020!"

Christmas Kicked Off Early “We had a good Christmas, with trade starting in November,” confirmed Denise Laird, owner of Spirito in Glasgow, “and we continued to do well until Christmas Eve, so I was very pleased with how things went. Our best sellers were jewellery, scarves, candles and greeting cards.”

Visitors Shopped Early “Our Christmas shop window really increased footfall, as did the fact that a Channel 5 TV programme we featured in - Harrogate: A Great Yorkshire Christmas - was repeated,” highlighted Georgina Collins, owner of Bijouled in Harrogate.

“Otherwise, Christmas trading was as we expected, with shop sales steady. However, we were delighted to experience an increase in online sales.”

Georgina adds that she has often been afraid to put out Christmas product too early, “but as we get so many visitors in the summer who feel they may not see similar products again, these customers are not afraid to buy early, so we will probably follow this pattern again in 2020.”

Above: Bijouled’s award winning, eye-catching Christmas window.

Right: Spirito, Glasgow.

Lots Of People About Up On Last Year “Although it’s really hard to measure the impact that our Shop Local campaign had on our figures - the event kicked off in mid-November - we did have a very strong November with 10% growth on the top of 10% growth from last year,” confirmed Aga Gabrysiak, owner of Highworth Emporium in Highworth.

“December was much more challenging and very inconsistent,” she continued. “It started very slowly and, at one stage, we were 20% down. However, the last few days before Christmas were extremely good and we ended being up versus last year by £150.

Overall, our third quarter was up by 4% and the whole year 5% up, so we super chuffed with that.”

Looking ahead to Christmas 2020, Aga says that Highworth needs to start its Shop Local campaign at the beginning of November, or maybe even October, to capture early Christmas shoppers.

“Because we are a small market town, there is always the risk of people going to the bigger towns to buy things that are not available in Highworth. We’re aware that people shop around and that we lose some sales, so the earlier we make people aware of what we do the better. Nevertheless, this year’s campaign was very well received and all the shops involved had lots of media coverage. Also, our customers see us - different businesses - as one big family now, and that’s the relationship we need to build. With a small effort we sent customers an important message, ‘thank you for shopping local’. Overall, 2019 was amazing for us, and I hope 2020 will be at least as good!”

On the South coast, festive trade was good for Bob England, owner of England At Home. “We saw a sharp rise in internet sales, with the busiest time around December 16-18, when we were looking after real life shoppers, receiving more stock and sending out parcels to ensure they arrived in time for Christmas. The last weekend, December 21 and December 22, and Monday December 23, were particularly pleasing days, and we were very lucky with the weather which meant that lots of people were about.”

Added Bob: “ Christmas Eve was OK, but it seemed that, in our area, people had mostly finished their last minute panic buying over the preceding days. Also, people seemed happy to pay a little more for quality and more thoughtful gifts, so we will be looking for new products that reflect this in 2020.”

Below: England At Home, Brighton.

Above: Highworth Emporium was part of a Shop Local campaign. Owner Aga Gabrysyiak

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HALL 4 STAND L10 - M11 (WIDDOP and Co. Village - top of the stairs between Halls 4 and 5)

2nd - 6th February 2020 Birmingham NEC

Inspiring home and giftware since 1883 T: +44(0)161 688 1226 I F: +44(0)161 682 6808 sales@widdop.co.uk I www.widdop.co.uk Broadgate, Broadway Business Park, Chadderton, Oldham OL9 9XE

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Left: Nic Stone.

Below: The Lakes are one of Nic Stone’s favourite places are reflection time.

GIFT OF THE

GAB

Reflection Nic Stone, owner of The Bottle Kiln in West Hallam, emphasises the importance of taking time out to reflect not just on our lives but on our businesses too.

“Top Drawer, Spring Fair, Valentine’s, Mother’s Day, Progressive, Harrogate… the gift industry can feel like groundhog day sometimes, or like some gigantic Ferris wheel with Christmas trade as the long final section of a slow ascent to the top; the anticipation, the climbing, more climbing, the fear and the excitement. Then as we peak, how much can we see, how high did we get? before plunging down again as the ground hoves into view and we wait to go round again. Sometimes the years can feel very alike and it’s tempting just to roll on with it the same as before.

But if Christmas is the peak, the payday, Spring Fair is review and reappraise time.

From small questions such as ‘do I need a new supplier of home fragrances?’ to big ones like ‘where next for retailing?’, it’s a great place to take the pulse of our industry; how healthy it is, how innovative and dynamic, how bold or fearful, how effective in reflecting our society back to us. It’s also a great place to walk around and stuff our heads full of a thousand impressions, a hundred opinions and a handful of nuggets of true wisdom. Just being there is, in lots of little ways, time well spent. But it’s probably not the best place to stand back and reflect on our lives and our businesses.

But reflect we must, and most particularly at this time of year. Like the rudder on an ocean liner, small variations from the correct route are magnified over time and distance and can result in our straying a long way from the path we were aiming for. In my view, to achieve quality thinking, we need time away from our

usual work places and preferably somewhere peaceful, calm and altogether other from our normal lives.

Ever noticed how most staff resignations come right after a long holiday? Being at a distance, with time to think, allows us to see the big picture and should give clarity on what changes may need to be made.

My preference for life/work reflection is a long walk or a run (I am a keen runner), though ideally we should take a whole day off for it and perfection would be sitting on a mountain top, with nothing to see but the sky. Reflection is important because our default setting as humans is to repeat the patterns we have developed in the past, but do they serve us best now? Are we using the best suppliers? Opening the right hours?

Marketing to the correct customers?

Increasing average spend? Changes are scary and risky, and in precarious times, when they have the potential to help us move forward, they also carry the most risk.

How do we decide what changes to make? For starters, identify the really good people in your industry, watch them and learn. What direction are they taking?

What can you take from their experience?

Retailing is wonderfully public and it’s all there to see if you look. But don’t just copy them; take the bits that will work for you and also develop a clear attitude of your own about what you are doing. All excellent businesses have a style, a point of view. They are never look-a-like but plough their own furrow.

Last but never least, is it making you happy? That can seem like a trivial question, but in fact you will be unable to perform effectively over time if your heart’s not in it, and anyway, what’s the point? Life’s too short to give it this much time otherwise.

And if there are particular areas you hate or are lousy at, can you find someone better to do them? Being successful doesn’t have to mean being great at everything, just using great people. And while you’re at it, which of your skills would you like to work on this year to make your business better? I am often amazed how many free resources there are out there, with talks at trade shows a good place to start. Then write all your thoughts down and bring them back into work.

Straightaway some will seem like nonstarters in the harsh light of day, and some will be maybe’s. Don’t try to do everything all at once; try one thing at a time and see what works. But do try something. We have never lived in such challenging and dynamic times for retailing, and the habit of sticking in our comfort zones is extremely strong. I don’t know about you, but something about the new year makes me a little braver and open to new ideas.

Suddenly, after the vital Christmas trade, the stakes seem so much lower and it feels OK to take a few risks. And anyway, it’s way too risky not to.”

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Explore We bring together every kind of gift product to create special moments from the show floor to your shop floor.

50,000+ visitors 2,500 exhibitors 17 show sectors Get your free ticket: springfair.com

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Spring Fair 2020

High-Kicking

Showstoppers

Above: The NEC, Birmingham.

Below left: Round metal vases from Parlane.

Below: Polkadot, one of three shops owner by Tracey and Chris Bryant.

With Spring Fair (NEC, February 2-6) undergoing a re-edit, companies are on the move this February.

Exhibitors tell PG&H about their showstoppers, and how they are rising to the challenge of a new ‘home’ at the NEC. Plus, read their tips for how to make the most of the show.

Celebrating 50 Years “The Summerhouse moving to Hall 20 worked well for us at Autumn Fair in September, where we were extremely busy and met some great new customers,” highlights Parlane’s head of sales Chris Lewis.

“This year, we are excited to be celebrating our 50th anniversary at Spring Fair (Hall 20, stand C20-D21), and will be serving glasses of fizz and nibbles to visitors on our stand. We’ve developed a special black and gold anniversary shopper for customers to take away our latest brochure (and accompanying price list), which offers a comprehensive overview of our full product range, including inspirational lifestyle photos.”

Chris highlights that the new 2020 collection is full of the latest interior fashion trends as well as the Parlane classics.

“Feathers, in both form and texture, is an emerging trend and we have developed mirrors and light shades created from beautiful ivory feathers, with feathery patterns and textures decorating a variety of accessories. Pampas grass is a big look and can be used to create flamboyant floral installations. Plus, big cats, especially the leopard, are a glamorous presence in gold.

Vases and planters with humorous faces are also a strong theme. Overall, we will be launching 50 brand new products at the show, including vases, planters, wall art, mirrors and furniture.”

Chris’s top tips: “Drink plenty of fluids as the atmosphere in the halls can be very dehydrating. The Summerhouse café is located near our stand in Hall 20, where Parlane customers can obtain drinks vouchers from our stand to use there. For those planning to collect brochures around the halls, a small wheeled shopper can be beneficial and save a lot of pain!”

I Do My Homework “My husband Chris and myself will be going to Spring Fair for four days, and this year our manageress at Expressions will be joining us for a day,” confirms Tracey Bryant, co-owner of Expressions, Cats Whiskers and Polkadot.

“I usually do ‘my little black book homework’ before I go, highlighting suppliers I definitely want to see and some maybes. On arrival at the NEC, Chris heads off to the card halls for a slow mooch and a catch up with industry friends, Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide

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Spring Fair 2020

while I whizz off to the farthest gift hall and go round every hall making notes of anything that catches my eye.”

Highlights Tracey: “our buying habits are very different so we get more done that way.

Anything either of us is not sure about we seek each other’s opinion. We meet up for the odd coffee - as long as we are not at opposite ends of the NEC! - and usually places orders both at the show and when we get back, as I always run out of time at Spring Fair.”

Tracey’s top tip: “Travel light. I use the smallest handbag that I can cram everything that I need into.”

We Love A Deal

Above: Mooch in Olney.

New Launches, New Audience Highlighting Spring Fair’s re-edit, Helen Cotterill, marketing director at Enesco, says: “We are not opposed to change, and find that while we are a destination for many visitors, being in a new location (Hall 3, stand C20-D21) exposes us to a new audience who might not know how much Enesco has evolved.”

She continues: “We’ve made sure that all our pre-show marketing clearly highlights our new location, and we also do a significant amount of trade advertising prior to and during the show. The marketing team have spent many months working on our stand layout, making it more of an experience than just a buying event. For example, we have the wonderful Jim Shore with us for two days signing and talking to retailers, and our gin bar makes a return with new designs in Ginology and the luxury brand Lolita, with the gin bar open each evening from 5pm. We also have a Beatrix Potter themed tea shop. Plus, we have brand new collections and some of the strongest introductions to our key lines, including Heartwood Creek, Disney Traditions, Willow and Harry Potter.”

Helen’s top tips: “Plan your visit, especially this year with the re-edit. Sign up in advance to receive your ticket and the little black book, which is such a valuable tool.

Also, the show guide, which is handed out at the show, is a great source of information.

Cover as many aisles as possible, as who knows what is around the corner, and also talk to the exhibitors. You might be surprised how easy it is to open an account. For example, we have an ‘on the spot’ new account process now which has taken a lot of the paperwork out of dealing with us. As always of course, wear comfortable shoes!”

Below: Jim Shore DC Villains is new for Spring from Enesco.

“Spring Fair is really important to us, so we normally go for at least three days,” confirm Rachel and Paul Roberts, owners of three Mooch shops in Northamptonshire, and Mooch in Olney. “We make a list of everyone we want to see, so we do a fair bit of research first and identify all our potential new suppliers.

Paul and I are both quite organised, so we make a list by hall and aisle, and allocate an amount of time to each hall,” explains Rachel.

“While we’re walking the aisles, we keep our eyes peeled for new things that we haven’t thought of and make a note to revisit them if time allows. This year, we’re thinking of expanding our fashion and fashion accessories ranges.

Although we don’t go with a specific budget in mind, we do keep track of how much we are committing. Because our shops are small, our space constrains us more than our budget.

However, we love a deal and we always look for the show offers, so if we can strike a deal we will usually place the order at the show.”

Rachel and Paul’s top tips: “Have a plan and allocate time slots for the key people you want to see. Spring Fair is a beast of a show and you could easily leave after a few days without seeing the whole exhibition.”

A Bigger Offer “This year we have relocated our stand to sit between the Christmas and main gifting halls,” confirms Widdop and Co’s marketing manager Sue Grant. “This is the perfect place for us to showcase the full extent of what we have to offer - all of our 9000+ lines. The Santa’s Workshop Christmas collection contains over 2,000 products, and we wanted to be able to show them using some theatre. Our 23 brands all have their own stories, so we have chosen to allocate larger areas to properly allow brands like Bambino, Amore and Santa’s Workshop to shine.”

She adds that visitors will get a small stand guide, with the company hiring extra Above: New from Widdop and Co: Oh Happy Day! Birthday socks.

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Spring Fair 2020 help to point people in the right direction and ensure that they get the most out of their visit.

“We are launching 1500 new products for Spring/Summer 2020.

Celebrations unveils two new birthday collections: Oh Happy Day! is a colourful, affordable and fun collection perfect for card shops, while Milestones uses more classic silver plated and aluminium finishes. Memorial range Thoughts Of You introduces 100 new items including our weatherproof graveside cards with original poetry, while home brand Hestia welcomes five new looks following the year’s most vital interior trends, with our exclusive Disney wedding range Happily Ever After one to watch.”

Sue adds that the company’s range of counter and floor standing display solutions has also been widely expanded. “They are all available as quantity promotions with the stand free,” she confirms.

Sue’s top tip: “Be organised. Do your planning in advance and make sure you book appointments. Use the little black book and plan your route.”

Top, above and below: Also new from Widdop and Co: Thoughts of You graveside cards; Silver Luxe Hestia vase and Happily Ever After from Disney.

More Handmade Products “We're pleased to be back in Hall 4 again in 2020 (stand E90) as we had our best ever shows there in years gone by,” says Transomnia’s managing director Shane O’Mahony.

“Our new stand is located on a wide aisle, and open on three sides, which is ideal. We're going to be introducing a lot more products made from natural materials this year, and also increasing the number of handmade products we sell. Particularly pleasing is that we will be selling beautiful handcarved wooden products from Bali once more.”

Adds Shane: “We have no idea how this year is going to go. Our instinct is that there will be a bit of an upward trend in the first half of the year, followed by a renewed downward slide in the second half of the year, as the impossibility of concluding a satisfactory trade deal with the EU by December 31 becomes apparent.”

Shane’s top tips: "My top trade show tip used to be, remember to pack aspirins/ paracetamol. Now it's remember only to bring comfortable, well worn-in shoes!”

Above: Transomnia’s new range from Bali includes hand-carved wooden products.

Something Different “A re-edit for the show is always great news for exhibitors like us at Boxer, who are expanding their product offering,” says Thomas O’Brien, managing director of Boxer Gifts. “Great speciality retailers often find just what they’re looking for in the darkest corners of the halls, and let’s face it, these days we’ve all got to be specialists in our market in order to survive. A look from a different angle at the Boxer stand often incites the holy grail of responses: ‘where do they think these things up?’ Mundane it ain’t, so buyers should use their time wisely as these are the most productive days for their business this year - even if the closed sign is up.”

(Hall 5 Stand A10/B11) Thomas’ top tips: “Visitors should see as many products as they can from new suppliers, but also see old suppliers too, who will have new products. Speak openly to the staff on the stands. The Boxer team, and most other exhibitors, are not trying to trick you into a purchase, only to offer good advice to make products work for you. Also give yourself plenty of thinking and reflection time.”

Above: Chill Dog from Boxer Gifts will be among the new Spring launches.

Look What’s On The Cards

DATES: February 2-6, 2020 (Everyday sector opens on February 1) VENUE: NEC, Birmingham WEB: www.springfair.com

“It’s our second year at the show - we’ve moved to Debut II (Hall 2, stand 2F61) - and we have lots of new jewellery cards to unveil, with collections including a new children’s range and a more sophisticated collection that includes using rose gold and abalone jewellery,” enthuses designer and co-founder Jilly Mercer. “We will also be showcasing new greeting card ranges featuring Beach, Wedding, Mother’s Day and Christmas. We have planned a Spring flower and bee theme for our stand and will be bringing a kitchen dresser, which we will decorate with a Spring flower garland. We will have lots of bumble bee wall decals so there will be lots of bees buzzing around!”

Jilly’s top tip: “Research exhibitors before the show and plan your route.”

Above: Among the new children’s jewellery cards from Crumble & Core.

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Protecting

Spotlight On... Sustainability

The Planet Buzzwords come and go, but clearly sustainability is here to stay. With the world focused on environmental concerns, suppliers across all industries are taking action to ensure that they are manufacturing responsibly.

PG&H talked to some of the leading gift suppliers who are putting sustainability at the top of their agenda, while ensuring that products keep up with trends.

As retailers have been discovering, there has been a significant increase in ethical consumerism with people wanting to feel positive about the things with which they surround themselves. It has made them more mindful and critical in their buying habits, with increasing numbers of consumers becoming better informed, and not afraid to ask retailers about the origin, manufacturing methods, materials and social responsibility associated with a specific product.

The knock-on effect has been for suppliers to up their game, with Jeremy Corner, chairman of The Giftware Association and managing director of Blue Eyed Sun, explaining: “Sustainability is becoming more and more important for retailers and suppliers, with many making more transitions to sustainable practices. We also expect to see more legislation come into force on single-use waste in 2020. For example, Scotland will be introducing a latte levy on single-use coffee cups this year, therefore retailers not already taking

advantage of this trend should be looking for options at the Spring trade shows. We expect England legislation to follow soon, as was seen with the plastic bag charges.”

Highlighting his own eco credentials at Blue Eyed Sun, Jeremy says that the company is proud to be the distributor of the market leading BambooCup by chic.mic, which was recently found to be the number one choice in Stiftung Warentest’s assessment of 12 bamboo cup brands.

“Bamboo is a fantastically sustainable material as it’s fast growing and doesn’t Top: Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of protecting planet Earth.

Above: VENT for Change’s new recycled range of notebooks and pencils.

Above right: Wraptious’ recently launched a Dachshund design vegan-suede cushion which was shortlisted in the Gift of the Year competition.

Left: Bioloco water reusable bottles are distributed by Blue Eyed Sun.

require pesticides,” Jeremy points out.

“With new designs out for Spring Fair, and good stock levels, we are looking forward to a good year and are also excited about our new Bioloco brand of stylish water bottles, lunchboxes and food containers. There’s never been a better time to change our habits and to take a more sustainable approach to living.”

One company that has always had sustainability at its heart is VENT for Change, shortlisted in both the Gift of the Year 2020’s Ethical and Stationery categories.

“As the leading sustainable stationery company in the UK, we design every element of our ranges with the environment

in mind,” confirms founder Evan Lewis. “Our new Write range is proudly and unashamedly raw and recycled, using uncoated 100% recycled grey board with FSC certified sustainable paper making a clear statement of intent.” VENT will also be launching other UK made 100% recycled notebooks and pencils at Spring Fair. Adds Evan: “As well as protecting the planet, with every item sold, we also support children’s education Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide

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Spotlight On... Sustainability Left: By The Sea is new from Heathcote & Ivory.

Below: The Somerset Toiletry Company’s Plum Violet hand wash.

Below right: Lagoon’s Coffee Break puzzles come in a reusable bamboo coffee cup.

Bottom left: Paladone introduced Biodegradable Plastic (BDP) almost three years ago.

projects worldwide, combining design with a green and ethical philosophy.”

Wraptious too, has long been a champion of sustainability. Explains founder Simon Wadsworth: “We aim to limit our plastic packaging across all our products, using recycled board for the packaging of our new bone china mugs launching in 2020, with no plastic present. It’s the same for the packaging of our tea towels launching later in the year. We are currently trialling replacing plastic bubble wrap with 100% recycled and 100% recyclable and biodegradable paper bubble wrap. In 2019 we used 15km of plastic bubble wrap, so if we can do away with it from 2020 onwards, that would be awesome.”

The company also pledges to plant three trees for every order received - no matter what the size - through its partnership with Trees for the Future. “So far we have planted over 20,000 trees since we partnered in April 2019,” Simon confirms.

Bath and body company Heathcote & Ivory too, have taken big steps towards offering more sustainably sourced products with the company’s new By The Sea collection made in the UK. “With a more eco-considerate approach to packaging, the bottles and tubes are made of sustainably sourced sugarcane, with low carbon footprint, and are 100% recyclable,” highlights the company’s marketing, PR and business development manager Amanda Pullen. “The sugarcane used is from sustainable land thousands of miles from the Amazon rainforest and its cultivation helps to recover degraded pasture land for future use with food crops.” Confirms Amanda: “The By The Sea collection, along with all other Heathcote & Ivory collections, are also vegan friendly.”

Paladone meanwhile, continues to work hard in the company’s quest to become “the eco warriors of the FMCG gifting industry.”

Comments marketing manager Alex Ryan: “Our championing of sustainable practices in the gift industry recently helped us win the Large Business category in the Sussex Business Awards 2019. We use Breakdown Plastic (BDP) in over 50% of our products, an organic additive that helps plastic decompose at landfill without affecting either its structural integrity or the recyclability of the product. Since introducing BDP in mid-2017 we have delivered over 3.2m biodegradable plastic products to high streets around the globe. In addition, we are determined to avoid wasting unsellable products. We therefore distribute pallet-loads to charities and worthy causes around the world.”

Also introducing BDP this year is The Somerset Toiletry Company, with marketing and PR manager Lisa Moon commenting:

Did You Know...? l A recent report from Grand View Research values the global reusable water bottle market at USD 8.1 billion (2018) with expected growth of 3.9% from 2019 to 2025.

“BDP is a very exciting concept which we will be initially launching this February through Naturally European body care bottles containing our new fragrance Plum Violet. It will be phased into remaining plastic during subsequent years.” She adds: “As a company we are committed to identifying alternatives to plastic, reducing unnecessary packaging and increasing and encouraging recycling.”

At Lagoon too, sustainability is at the heart of the company’s focus. “From our head office to our warehouse we are working hard to ensure that we are looking after and protecting our environment as much as possible, not only when we are considering the design of new products but also in how we are sending them out to our customers,” points out sales manager Jessica Foreshaw. “Following the David Attenborough and Blue Planet effect, there is a significant demand for products which have been

thoughtfully designed with their environmental impact in mind, as much as in the fun of actually playing them. Our new 2020 Coffee Break puzzles, which have been shortlisted for a Gift of the Year award, are a good example of this. They come in a bamboo coffee cup so that players can reuse the cup for their morning caffeine hit, with the surrounding box also fully recyclable.”

Continued on page 39

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Eco-friendly - made from aluminium that is recycled & recyclable Ocean Friendly as plastic free Fairtrade & handmade by Indian craftsmen Individually gift boxed using recycled paper Makes a beautiful British designed eco-friendly gift Many New Ranges for 2020

Come and see us at Spring Fair Hall 3 Stand G50 2nd-6th February 2020 NEC Birmingham

COLLECTION

by Tilnar Art

01277 362 815 sales@tilnarart.co.uk www.tilnarart.co.uk PG_A4_Ad_12-19.indd 1 038_GH_February 2020.indd 1

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Spotlight On... Sustainability Left: Among the products in Belly Button’s new giftware collection, launching at Spring Fair.

Below left: Among the pieces in Spring’s Floria Spring collection from Miss Milly.

Below: Really Good’s reusable cocktail kit.

In the jewellery sector, Miss Milly’s founder and creative director Sarah Watmore says that, from mid-2020, the company will be introducing compostable packaging, “where we are able to, and have consolidated, our supply chain and shipping to reduce our carbon footprint.

We use recycled paper, recycle where possible and re-use all of our cartons, and are also careful about our utilities consumption. Every little bit counts.”

At Belly Button, which is aligning its giftware with greeting card products this year, the company is committed to creating a high-quality product “from the heart and with integrity.” Comments founder and creative

While there is still ground to be gained on the eco front, the gift industry is certainly embracing the journey to become more sustainable. l Also leading the way in sustainable giftware is the nursery and children’s sector.

Turn to Responsible Parenting on pages 93-97). director Rachel Hare, who is also the current president of the Greeting Card Association (GCA): “Looking to resource and manufacture responsibly, we choose to use FSC certified paper and boards, biodegradable glitter and compostable bags wherever possible. We are also working with retailers and independents to present product naked in a move to reduce plastic.”

Blurring The Gift Lines At KitchenCraft, creative director, Aimee Elliot monitors consumer, lifestyle and design/colour/style trends, with the company developing several products which are based around the demand for sustainability in the home and gifting, as well as obvious colour impacts. “It’s surprising what is termed ‘gifting’ now, as the sustainability culture has blurred the lines in an unprecedented way,” says Aimee. “When you know and appreciate someone's views on sustainability, everyday items such as beeswax wraps, lunch bags and coffee cups become a gift, in addition to serve and dinnerware, as part of the collection.”

The company began its route to sustainability some time ago, starting with a Natural Elements collection. The range has grown based on demand, where alternatives to single use plastic is the main driver. “In addition, our Built hydration brand, which is also going from strength to strength, is launching ‘lunch on the go’, where sustainability extends from pure hydration to glass lunch boxes. The sustainability message comes through loud and proud accompanied by the Built New York style on choice of pattern and colour.”

Also new from KitchenCraft this Spring is the launch of a collection of alphabet bamboo fibre mugs. “Retailing at under £5, they’ve been designed to fit on a hot spot merchandiser for an easy impulse gift purchase in-store,” Aimee adds.

At multi-award winning Huski Home, co-founder Lisa Scott confirms that the company’s most popular products are the reusable rice husk travel cups. “As long as rice continues to be one of the most consumed foods in the world we will always have an abundance of rice husk,” highlights Lisa. “It’s great to essentially be utilising Mother Nature’s waste.”

Inset: KitchenCraft’s A-Z lunch and bamboo fibre mugs.

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Retailer Face To Face: Blue Diamond Group

Going For

Growth There’s not much in the way of home and giftware that you can’t buy at Blue Diamond’s flagship East Bridgford Centre in Nottinghamshire, one of 37 garden centres owned by the Blue Diamond Group.

With seven new garden centres added to the portfolio in 2019, and two purpose-built garden centres currently underway for completion in 2021, PG&H met up with category managers Angie Goosen and Catrin Parry to talk growth, gifts and what makes Blue Diamond customers giggle!

It’s not hard to see why the Blue Diamond Group of garden centres are continuing to flourish and win plaudits. “We strive to offer something different, products that other garden centres and high street department stores don’t,” explains Angie Goosen, group category manager for gifts, gift books, stationery and greeting cards.

(Her remit also includes buying selected product for Christmas).

Angie joined Blue Diamond just over a year ago, having previously been a buyer with Mr Price, the equivalent of Next in South

Africa. “Each of our centres has its own store footprint,” she explains. “At East Bridgford for example, we want customers to come in and say, ‘ooh, we haven’t seen this before’. We love different, be it a new ‘look’ or interesting artisan products that customers won’t be able to find in other garden centres or on the high street.”

In total there are five category managers (covering gifts, home, Top: Stationery is a big focus.

Above: Angie Goosen is shown in Blue Diamond’s gift department.

Left: Catrin Perry’s remit includes buying for the art gallery.

kitchen and bathroom) all of whom are autonomous, giving them full reign to follow their hearts - and their instincts - as to what will work in a particular location. Buyers work remotely and make the day to day decisions, but major range changes and new product direction is formed as part of a committee.

(Angie reveals that she has a keen eye for the humorous and the quirky with her personal passions being stationery and sentiment giftware).

At the East Bridgford centre, which opened almost two years ago, in March 2018, the gift and home department – which includes an upmarket wall art ‘gallery’ at the front of the store - represents a massive 10,500 sq ft, with shoppers able discover everything from home fragrance and bath and body products to pick-up gifts, stationery, gift books, gift food, greeting cards, fashion and fashion accessories. There’s lots more besides too, to include a large gin section to include related glassware, and housewares.

On the home/interiors front, it’s very much about decorative home accessories, soft furnishings and on trend furniture items, presided over by category manager Catrin Parry, (who spent over 30 years as a buyer for Next, Debenhams, Boots, Sainsbury’s and George), with her remit spanning decorative objects, soft furnishings and the centre’s upmarket art gallery. She joined Blue Diamond last January and says that that she doesn’t get scared by the high price

Eco Friendly Blue Diamond puts a big emphasis on sustainability with packaging especially important to the business. “We always mention it to both new and existing suppliers to see if there are alternatives to plastic, cellophane and polystyrene,” confirms Angie. “There is also a focus on biodegradable glitter across giftware, cards and giftwrap.”

Adds Catrin: “We are, however, flexible with suppliers of all shapes and sizes and really try to help them, especially when it comes to smaller suppliers who haven’t got the same infrastructure as larger companies.”

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Retailer Face To Face: Blue Diamond Group points. “In the gallery for example, we have art selling for up to £450,” she highlights.

It's the same when it comes to gifts.

“Price points are on the higher side,” concurs Angie, but they’re in keeping with the premium positioning of the Blue Diamond garden centres.” All of which (correctly) suggests a well-heeled customer with money to spend. So what are they hoping to find when they come in to shop at Blue Diamond? “Mums and younger customers are usually looking for contemporary giftware, often with a humorous vibe, and our older, mostly retired customers are looking for more traditional products where there are plenty of options to choose from,” explains Angie. “Value for money is also a prime consideration,” adds Catrin.

Both Angie and Catrin put a huge emphasis on actively seeking out and supporting local artisans - designer-makers who are often working from home and who are only able to supply in small quantities.

“It’s something that really sets us apart as a garden centre,” emphasises Angie. “For example, I might only buy six or seven skus from a supplier. They’re products that our customers won’t find at any other garden centre.”

In the run up to Christmas 2019, for both Angie and Catrin, it was very much

Left: Gift books are an all year round best seller.

Below left: The Christmas table in 2019 featured plenty of games and novelty gifts.

Below: Part of the home department.

about trialling new suppliers, with Angie highlighting Lime Tree, Nina Now, Mary Anne Rogers and Crumble and Core. “In the instance of Mary Anne Rogers, there was a crossover, as I featured her artwork in the gallery and homewares section too, while Angie showcased her journals and diaries,” explains Catrin. “It’s a small company, and we’ve only just launched Mary Ann’s ranges, but we both love what she’s doing.”

Made In Britain is another big feature across all categories - to include the home fragrance and bath and body sectors - giving customers a further important reason to shop with Blue Diamond.

Although both Angie and Catrin source from the major shows, thanks to a new online sourcing initiative, suppliers are also invited to contact the company direct. “There are only so many companies you can see at exhibitions and it’s good to be aware as to what else is out there,” says Angie.

So what else do they feel gives the Blue Diamond garden centres their edge? They both agree it’s how the departments are merchandised, and the emphasis on in store

Blue Diamond Group: The Lowdown l The Dorey family has been a pivotal part of Blue Diamond - and its earlier existence as the

Fruit Export Company - since 1904. l The company has evolved from a small, plant-based horticultural business in Guernsey to

l l

l l

a portfolio that now boasts 37 garden centres, making it the third largest garden centre group in the UK. Managing director Alan Roper joined the business in 1997 with the aim of offering customers something unique.

He opened the first Blue Diamond garden centre in Le Friquet in Guernsey and subsequently introduced the concept of branding the garden centres ‘Home & Garden’ or ‘Garden & Home’ to reflect the product emphasis.

In 2019, Blue Diamond purchased seven Wyevale garden centres in key locations which have been added into the portfolio.

Last July, Blue Diamond won two categories at the prestigious Retas greeting card retailer awards: Best Garden Centre Retailer of Greeting Cards and Greeting Card Retailer of the Year.

‘theatre’. “Most department stores and high street outlets play it safe,” comments Angie.

“However, we set out to give everything we do an edge.

Currently, I’m expanding the supplier base to bring in more unique, quirky product - and I’m not afraid to take risks.”

As for 2020/2021, it’s going to be an exciting time for Blue Diamond. In the longer term, plans are underway for two new purpose-built garden centres which are scheduled to open in mid 2021 - one in the North of England and the other in South Sheffield.

In the shorter term, there is going to be a bigger emphasis on own brand products which

will feature across all product categories. “We do a combination of own brand development and Blue Diamond ‘exclusives’,” highlights Catrin. “For example, it could be an exclusive colourway or shape. Plus, we deal directly with suppliers in, say, India and China, bringing in our own containers and working with a warehouse that distributes product to the garden centres direct. Own brand is much less about margin and everything to do with Blue Diamond having a point of difference. It’s a premium brand and we want to make our customers aware of that.”

Other ideas for growth over the coming year include expanding the men’s gifts ranges and introducing more reading accessories, such as book lights, glasses holders etc. Angie is also keen to grow the product categories that make customers laugh. “I spend a lot of time on the shop floor, and nothing makes me happier than watching people picking up our giftware - be it a novelty gift, a game, a gift book or something else - and hearing them having a really good giggle!”

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Retailer Face To Face: The Hollies

Best Of The Best Having started the business in 1959 with a vegetable stand and an honesty box on the side of the road, The Hollies in Little Budworth recently celebrated its milestone 60th anniversary with the destination retail complex - which includes gift shop The Barn, and the newly opened The Living Store - continuing to go from strength to strength.

PG&H headed to rural Cheshire to meet director and co-owner Ed Cowap to hear more about what entices people from a 40-50 mile radius to head into Little Budworth to do their shopping.

The Hollies’ Ed Cowap may have worked alongside his parents Hilary and Richard since he was a schoolboy, but he still relishes every single moment he spends at the inspirational Hollies retail complex in Little Budworth.

“I love working here,” he says simply.

“Although we’re open seven days a week and we all do very long hours, I still get the most fantastic buzz. The job is so varied and there are so many fantastic opportunities to grow the business. Plus, I meet such interesting people from all walks of life, with many becoming good friends over the years.”

With the Hollies 60th anniversary such a special year for the family business, there

has, of course, been much to celebrate. As well as Ed, his brother Phil and sister Suzie (who presides over The Hollies’ other site in Lower Stretton) their 87-year-old father Richard still works at the Hollies seven days a week where he is renowned for his homegrown fir trees, handmade Christmas

wreaths, hanging baskets and shrubs, plus some 5,000 pumpkins for Halloween. There is also Ed’s partner Sean Camm, in charge of merchandising, (assisted by another family member, Beverley Cowap). Sean is also behind the brand new The Living Store, an upmarket lifestyle outlet that opened last

New At The Hollies Following the success of The Lifestyle Store, there are currently exciting plans underway to open a cookshop at Easter, to complement the award winning Hollies Farm Shop whose frontage will be undergoing a refurbishment this month. “We’re winners of the Best Local Produce Shop category in the Taste Cheshire awards, so our cookware products will reflect that, and will also link into the fact that we have our own butchery,” says Ed. “We’ll be training our staff to know the products inside out, holding lots of demonstrations, tastings and food festivals throughout the year. Aside from stocking major brands such as Le Creuset and KitchenCraft, we’ll also be looking for quirky products, such as pizza ovens for use in the home, and, of course, we’ll also be looking to cross-promote products.”

Top: The Greats award winning The Barn gift shop.

Inset: Generations two, three and four of the Cowap family, who are currently celebrating The Hollies 60th anniversary. Ed Cowap (centre) is sixth from the left.

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Retailer Face To Face: The Hollies Easter which is so stylish that it could give Anthropolgie a run for its money!

“It’s merchandised quite differently to The Barn, and we’ve introduced some fantastic new brands to include Chalk - a great discovery at last year’s Spring Fair and One Hundred Stars,” explains Ed. “We’ve also successfully introduced the Danish brand Black Colour, a collective mix of products featuring new lines every two weeks.

Chilly’s re-usable bottles too, are amazing, and we’ve seen fantastic growth in sales. Customers are constantly demanding new, new, new so it’s companies such as these, introducing new designs on a regular basis, that help to keep the stores looking and feeling fresh.”

Interestingly, The Living Store stocks the full range of Farrow and Ball paints (“it was the starting point,” explains Ed, “the rest happened organically”), with the shop choosing a shade called Railings to decorate the walls. (In a rare quiet moment, the staff can be found dipping a paint brush into a pot of Railings to give the merchandising ‘props’ a coat of paint and the interior a coordinated look). “Railings has a wonderful blue/black hue, and with the interior lighting we’ve chosen it looks fabulous, so much so that we recently introduced the colour into the Farm Shop, which gives it the feel of the Selfridges food hall,” points out Ed. Other products that are taking the lifestyle store to another level include Neom Organics and Sophie Allport. “With Sophie Allport, we cross-sell into The Barn and the Farm Shop and the difference we’ve seen in sales is amazing,” Ed confirms.

At The Barn, which won the Best NonSpecialist Retailer of Gifts category at The Greats 2017, jewellery and fashion accessories brands such as Hot Tomato, Alex Munroe, Joma, Katie Loxton and Tutti all

Above and below: The new Living Store where Chalk is among the companies that have been a runaway success.

continue to storm ahead (“they’re easy gifting,” says Ed), with gift books also among the front runners. Ringing up sales on the home fragrancing front continue to be Marmalade of London, Bomb Cosmetics and Arran Sense of Scotland, while in men’s gifting, Swole Panda socks, spotted at Home & Gift last July, have been another winner.

With prices in the mid to high end range across all three shops, to include the Farm Shop, Ed explains that, right from the start, the objective has always been to offer stand out products - “the best of the best,” as he puts it. “It’s by maintaining a healthy margin that we can keep re-investing in the business. We don’t buy on price, preferring to go for top end products, items that fit in with the concept of each store.

What we are not looking for are products to fill the shelves that will subsequently be discarded. What we sell has longevity offering our customers value for money.”

If Ed is seeing any trends in consumer buying habits, it’s in relation to people becoming a lot more vocal about reducing their plastic consumption. “In 2019, we introduced paper carrier bags that not only show all the different Hollies

‘brands’ - to include our restaurants and hotels - but also enhance a purchase, as customers still want things nicely packaged.” (Other Hollies marketing activities include regular postings on social media and producing a monthly Hollies newsletter).

Of course, The Hollies wouldn’t be the major success it is without its staff. “They’re a very big part of our success,” Ed states. “They have to be passionate, interested and knowledgeable, and we are very lucky to have such fantastic people working for us. We’re small in so many ways, but we are big in terms of the number of people we employ - currently, across The Hollies Group, it’s 200.

Ed’s vision for 2020 is to ensure that The Hollies continues to create an amazing experience for its customers. “In everything we do we strive to be the best. We want people to go home talking about the positive experience they’ve had,” he emphasises.

After such an intense Christmas period, will Ed be able to take his foot off the pedal at the beginning of the year? Of course not!

“Our first trip this year is to Kaemingk in January, where we’ll be busy buying for Christmas 2020, with what worked well for Christmas 2019 uppermost in our minds.

And at the Spring shows, to include Top Drawer and Spring Fair, we’ll be looking for more inspiration to enable us to stand out in 2020. Our investment in The Hollies is continuous, and I feel so lucky to love and feel so passionate about what I do.”

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year For The Hollies, Christmas is, without a doubt, the most wonderful - and the most important - time of the year. In 2019, it was launched on October 8. “We took a bit of a risk in keeping The Barn gift shop closed for four days so that we could transform the shop and get the festive season underway, but the sales bounce we got on the opening day was incredible,” Ed recalls.

“In addition, we held a Taste of Christmas day on December 3 which saw amazing footfall across The Barn, The Living Store, The Farm Shop and our Christmas shop. There was a really festive buzz, with music, food tastings from 15 different suppliers, free mulled wine and Christmas cake for our visitors, all adding to the spirit of Christmas and our visitors’ enjoyment.”

Left: Ed is shown outside The Barn during A Taste of Christmas which was held at the beginning of December.

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In Profile: Lesser and Pavey

Positive Thinking With a new year and a new decade unfolding, Julian Hunt, managing director of Lesser & Pavey, is feeling very positive about the future. “Although 2019 was challenging, with a tough market place and all the Brexit issues pending, fortunately it didn’t hold us back as a business. As a company, we’re always optimistic,” he points out “and with the uncertainty over Brexit removed and very positive results and feedback from Christmas trading, we have seen and heard a lot more optimism for the coming year.” He continues: “January has been an excellent month for us and we have been inundated with customers visiting our showroom to place urgent orders to fill the gaps on their shelves after better than expected trading in December.”

One of the main reasons for Julian’s optimism is that the company will be showcasing more product than ever this Spring. Fresh from a hugely successful Harrogate Christmas and Gift show in midJanuary, it’s off to Spring Fair in February, and the company’s new home in Hall 3, stand N20/P21. It's a new location and new bigger and better stand.

“The last three months of 2019 were fantastic for us, and we literally sold out of all our Christmas products. So much so that, building on the success of 2019, we have

Optimism for the future is certainly the name of the game at Lesser and Pavey, with the company - just one year shy of its milestone 50th anniversary - excited to be unveiling thousands of new products at Spring Fair.

PG&H met up with managing director Julian Hunt, and fellow director Jonny Greves, at the company’s Dartford HQ to hear more about what will be driving sales in 2020.

Top left: Julian Hunt.

Top right: Jonny Greves.

Above: New for Spring: Steampunk figurines.

Right: Gin glasses hand painted by Lynsey Johnstone.

Below: Dragons are returning to the company’s portfolio.

greatly expanded our Christmas offering, with hundreds of new festive designs - many featuring new and exclusive designs from Jennifer Rose Taylor and the Macneil Studio.

In addition, we have literally thousands of brand new everyday products that will build on the success of the previous 12 months.

Plus, we are also adding to our most popular and successful ranges such as Busy Bees, Country Life Farm, Desire candles and diffusers, Lavender, Mad Dots, Oh So Charming and William Morris to mention just a few,” highlights Julian.

So what can buyers expect to see when they visit the company’s extensive open plan stand at the NEC? “One brand new product range we’re really excited about is our new cold cast resin Steampunk Fantasy range, a genre of science fiction that has a historical setting and typically features steam-powered machinery,” explains director Jonny Greves, who joined the company five years ago.

“We’ll be introducing this range of figurines inspired by the Victorian era, science fiction and fantasy machines like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne. And we’re also bringing back Legends and Dreams, a stunning new range of vividly

coloured dragons. These are products we haven’t offered for ten years, but with the huge and growing popularity of dragons and fantasy in both film and TV programmes, we’ve been inspired to reintroduce these back into our product range.”

Plus, the Olympics in Tokyo this summer has created a lot of interest in Japan and its wealth of art and talent. In fact, such is the interest this has inspired Lesser and Pavey to create fine china mug sets using the famous wood block print, The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, by the Japanese artist Hokusai, with sets of gift boxed mugs depicting these scenes.

Meanwhile, the company’s William Morris-inspired collections continue to go from strength to strength, with two brand Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide

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In Profile: Lesser and Pavey new ranges - the very striking and colourful Compton, and a new version of the ever popular Golden Lily - both launching at the Spring Fair. “Our William Morris ranges continue to be extremely popular both at home in the UK, in Europe and as far away as Japan. We have expanded our existing ranges like Strawberry Thief by adding new products such as storage tins, gift bags and even drinks bottles,” comments Jonny.

Interestingly, children’s products are one of the company’s fastest growing sectors, driven by the Little Stars Collection launched two years ago at Spring Fair. This year, there are a myriad of new designs and new products ranging from back-to-school items such as rucksacks and pencil cases to storage, melamine tableware and even educational puzzles. “Space is still a big trend, along with ever popular Fairy Tales

and we are introducing two new ranges featuring exquisite artwork created by our talented in house art department,” points out Jonny.

While mermaids, unicorns, pandas, sloths and sequin products have all “gone off the boil” as Julian puts it there are plenty of themes that customers can’t get enough of, one of which is sentiment, with a striking new range of Heart to Home sentiment mugs and matching heart wall plaques focusing on family, friendship, love and humour. “We’re even doing sentiment on our oil burners,” he points out.

Talking of home fragrancing, it’s another of Lesser and Pavey’s success stories in 2019.

“We initially launched 12 Desire aroma lamps and half a dozen Desire humidifiers at last year’s Spring Fair and the range has grown exponentially as have our sales,” Julian explains. “This year at the Fair, we are offering more than 100 options which include stunning new designs and colours in 3D mirror finish, new materials such as mosaic glass and ‘crystal look’, plus innovative new functions such as colour change, dimmer switch option and even remote control.” He continues “Without doubt, in nearly 50 years of trading, we have rarely seen such high volumes of sales from products at these price levels. It’s been amazing, and we’re very grateful to our fantastic factories who have worked so hard to develop these products with us and to ship, in some cases at very short notice, the huge volumes that we sold in the run up to Christmas.”

Candles and reed diffusers too, are ringing up fantastic sales. “With our Desire branded candles, we’ve moved to using soy wax which is far more ecofriendly than paraffin wax.

Complementing these, and launched some18 months ago, our Desire reed diffusers are proving hugely Top: The Heart To Home sentiment collection.

Above left: Aroma lamps have been a runaway best seller.

Above right: Compton, a brand new William Morris range.

Left: One of the new Christmas 2020 designs by Jennifer Rose Taylor.

Planet Friendly Bamboo children’s tableware and bamboo travel mugs, first introduced in 2017, have been a growing sector for Lesser and Pavey, with the company expanding its range of eco-friendly products in 2020 to include tableware and picnicware. “We’re doing our best to use more eco friendly materials - our soy wax candles are another example - and we have removed as much plastic from our packaging as we possibly can,” Jonny confirms.

There is also a growing range of retro games from snakes & ladders and noughts & crosses to juggling balls, with the company doubling its offering for 2020 as customers seek out eco-friendly fast selling and affordable products.

popular and are all year round volume sellers for retailers,” Julian states. “It goes without saying that with these products, like all others, the quality and design of the gift box packaging is superb.”

As for drinks-related products - a winner for many gift retailers at Christmas - the company is launching a range of hand-painted gin glasses using the beautiful artwork created

by Lynsey Johnstone. With Mother’s Day and Easter, plus all other gifting occasions in mind, these delicately painted glasses are guaranteed winners say the company.

But it’s not only about product expansion. There’s been expansion globally too. “We see international growth as a huge opportunity for us this year,” Julian emphasises. “In 2019, we were particularly successful in Australia, a country where we’ve always done well. We have also grown in Europe where we’re finding new customers in different retail genres, and we are also seeing significant growth in Ireland.

Ultimately, being successful, both in the UK and internationally, comes down to having the right quality exclusive products at the right price that people want to buy.”

As always, there is a big emphasis on attractive gift packaging to ensure that products are giftable, with good perceived value. “Packaging has continued to be a strength for us, and we are continuing to be innovators. We see it as an important part of helping retailers to promote and sell our products. A lot of credit for this goes to our very talented, hardworking art department.”

Julian underlines.

Despite the vast number of new introductions this season, he points out: “What we are selling today and what we will be selling in six months time, will be very different. Our collections are constantly changing and evolving and, we believe, improving. We aim to answer the burning question that all our forward thinking customers ask: ‘What’s new?’”

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In Profile: Spode’s 250th Anniversary

The World’s Biggest Tea Party 2020 sees the Spode brand celebrate its very special 250th anniversary, with Portmeirion Group making a significant investment in launching a global social media marketing campaign - The World’s Biggest Tea Party - to build brand awareness and drive sales in this, the brand’s all-important year.

Portmeirion Group’s global brand manager for Spode, Royal Worcester and Nambé, Sara Dickenson, tells PG&H why we all need to have the kettle on the boil, a Spode teacup in our hand and our smart phones at the ready!

“There are very few British brands that can celebrate their 250th anniversary,” states global brand manager for Spode, Royal Worcester and Nambé, Sara Dickenson. It’s why for us, Spode’s 250th anniversary is an extra special occasion and one that we are going to be fanfaring very loudly this year.”

Featuring the tag line ‘Stealing The Show Since 1770’, the concept will be setting out to drive home the message that using an item of Spode tableware is a special occasion in itself. “We wanted to tap

Licensing Goals Spode’s 250th anniversary in 2020 sees Portmeirion Group become licensors of their iconic designs.

Explains Sara: “Our first Spode licensee is The Cambridge Satchell Company who have licensed Spode designs that will be appearing on satchels, bags and purses from April.”

into Britishness and British eccentricity, and decided that there was no better way to do it than through afternoon tea, especially when it’s enjoyed with friends and family,” explains Sara. “It’s a peculiarly British pastime, and has become a tradition over the centuries, becoming important to people all over the world. Today it’s a hugely popular way for people to get together - be it a cup of tea with a friend, or friends, or families enjoying afternoon tea to celebrate a special occasion.”

She says that while Spode is a tribute to the traditional, it’s much more than that. “It’s a nod to quintessential British brilliance, as well as a marriage of British style and

Left: Sara Dickenson.

Above: Spode Patchwork Willow cake stand.

Below: Spode Blue Italian.

craftsmanship. Spode is heralded as a great British brand with an abundance of designs that resonate with the modern consumer.

Craftsmanship and design heritage shine through in all the premium collections, and it’s why we want to bring a new audience into the brand while enthralling existing customers. We will therefore be setting out to re-ignite people’s passion for Spode on a global stage, as well as in the UK, raising brand awareness at a global level.”

The central idea revolves around The World’s Biggest Tea Party with international marketing based around online and social media. Key will be a social media online

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Daily Moocow

Friday 8th May 2020 One Penny

VE - DAY!

To Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of VE Day, Moocow Studios are supporting SSAFA - The Armed Forces Charity We are Proud to be Finalists in the

Come and see us at

in the Commemorative & Collectable category for our VE Day 75 Gifts

2-6 February 2020 NEC, Stand: 3E58

SPRINGFAIR

Gift of the Year 2020

BRITAIN’S DAY OF REJOICING

Run it up the flag pole

Friday 8th May 2020, has been designated by the UK Government as a Bank Holiday to let as many people join in the VE Day 75th celebrations. At Moocow Studios we have created a range of items to remember and celebrate this important time; VE Day weekend of the 8th – 10th May 2020.

We are proud to announce our partnership with SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity providing lifelong support and advice to military personnel, veterans and their families. m Hi We are giving a m donation from all our Ar th a VE day 75 range.

Wi tor The large range of n Co commemorative gifts feature images from Pen the allied forces Full colour including spitfires, one side tanks and battleships as well as traditional imagery from 1945. Stainless steel 5oz hip The products all flasks with presentaion box feature the Union Jack’s colours of red, white and blue.

The range will be available on all textiles including tote bags, aprons, tea towels as well as coasters, wooden plaques and Moocow Studios is hip flasks. proud to be a UK

DON’T BE A MUG, GET A MUG!

Manufacturer.

les.

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Tea Towels Mugs Aprons Contor Pens Tote Bags Wooden Postcards Glass Coasters Fridge Magnets

and MUCH MORE!

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75th Anniversary Bunting

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handmade in Sussex using 100% cotton

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Tins 054_GH_February 2020.indd VE day range Full page ad.indd 1 54

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In Profile: Spode’s 250th Anniversary competition - #Spode250TeaParty - asking people to take a stylish selfie with a brew, in their favourite Spode cup or mug, with the senders of the 250 most interesting, unusual and/or entertaining selfie each receiving a piece of Spode. The outright winner will take home a Spode “grand prize”, as Sara puts it.

“We will be amplifying this through key bloggers and social media professionals, who will be shouting loud and proud about their love of Spode and what the brand brings to their lives,” she continues.

“Ultimately, we want the campaign to bring Spode to a new modern consumer.”

And if all of this wasn’t exciting enough, there will also be a movie of the winning selfies - The World’s Biggest Tea Party which will again be promoted through social media and online. “We want to encourage people to get involved and immersed in the extraordinary, exciting, historic world of Spode”, Sara enthuses, “and we want to share that excitement with Spode consumers across the globe.”

From a retail perspective, adding to the marketing mix will be Gin & Tea ‘pop up’ events, held in collaboration with (predominantly) independent Spode retailers.

“It will enable people to experience the joy of Spode in a unique and exciting way,” Sara highlights. “So these ‘pop-ups’ will be special afternoon teas that include, say, a gin and tonic or a gin-based cocktail for customers. We’ve been working with a craft distillery to create a Spode gin inspired by the flavours of tea and will be creating our own Spode gin cocktail!”

She adds that the events will tap into the current trend for “immersive experiences in store”, giving customers something that is unique and tangible. “We have put together

Spode: The Lowdown l In 1770, Josiah Spode I, born a pauper’s son in 1733, opened his own factory with a

mortgage of £500. l A master potter, he partnered with his businessman son Josiah Spode II, and together they

built a ceramic empire that is currently celebrating its 250th anniversary. l Launched in 1816, Blue Italian has become Spode’s most renowned and collected design. l With innovation at its core, Spode redefined the ceramics industry, spearheading the

production of English blue and white ware, and creating premium fine bone china.

a promotional calendar and have got a full year’s worth of promotions supported by point of sale material,” Sara confirms.

“As an example, we will be working with our retailers regarding exclusive special offers.”

Of course, there are also a myriad of new products to celebrate Spode’s 250th anniversary. Several new statement pieces will be launching in Spode’s Blue Italian collection: a 14in octagonal platter, a 9in octagonal platter, a daisy bowl and a cheese plate and dome.

“They’re all big pieces that will really make a display impact in store,” states Sara. “There will also be three new oven to table storage containers, and two sizes of travel mug, where users will be able to sip from porcelain rather than from silicon lid. After all, ‘Life Tastes Better Sipped From Spode’.

Following on from that, we will also be launching two display competitions across the full retail spectrum,” she continues. “One is centred around the joy of afternoon tea, and the other focusing on the joy of Christmas.”

Also helping to celebrate Spode’s 250th anniversary will be a giftable collection from Spode Heritage featuring a vase, platter, plate and mug - a reimagining of Spode’s archive designs. Plus, 2020 will also see the launch of a

Left: People will be asked to take selfies.

Far left: Spode Heritage.

Below: Spode Morris & Co.

capsule limited edition collection of Black Italian.

Comments Sara: “This collection features gift sets at various price points, with the entry level a single mug, going up to mugs and spoons, two teacups and saucers with spoons and four espresso cups and saucers.”

There is also more newness in a modern interpretation of the iconic Willow pattern, Patchwork Willow. In a striking teal colourway, the range includes a dinner plate, salad plate, cereal bowl, teacup and saucer, two different mug sizes, a cream jug, covered sugar bowl, teapot and cake stand. Another new design, Blue Room Sunflower, also joins Spode’s outstanding portfolio of remastered heritage designs.

Adds Sara: “In addition to our online and social media activity, we will also be driving awareness of Spode with our target audiences via key lifestyle and interior magazines, where we’ll be securing topical and seasonal coverage in the top titles. All of this will culminate in Spode reaching over 20 million people driving sales through all channels. Spode is a fantastic brand and thoroughly deserves its position in the spotlight, celebrating its past but also its present and its future.”

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Progressive Gifts Ad Feb 20.pdf 1 12/12/2019 10:34:50

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In Profile: Ashleigh & Burwood

Investing In

The Future Ashleigh & Burwood has started the New Year with a new tagline for the brand, and a strong plan that will enable more growth and success that the company’s retail partners can share in. There has also been an investment in people, to include a new director joining the board, and an investment in new products and new home fragrance formats, with the company excited to be unveiling a brand new stand design at both Spring Fair and Ambiente.

As managing director Andrew Nettleton explains, with a big focus on sustainability too, it’s going to be all to play for in 2020.

Having been a family run business for 27 years, there’s been a step change at Ashleigh & Burwood, with Clive Harper recently joining the company as a director, bringing over 20 years of gift industry and home fragrancing experience to the table. A new marketing role has also been created for Solenne Gissinger-Cowen who joined the company at the end of last year as marketing and campaign manager.

She too, brings a wealth of marketing experience, having held various roles in the world of fragrance. “2020 will continue to see our investment in people,” confirms managing director Andrew Nettleton. “Clive has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry and has come on board to help guide the company as we grow, to ensure we do the very best for our retail partners.”

He says that the company sees Spring Fair, as well as Ambiente in

Frankfurt, as an opportunity to share Ashleigh & Burwood’s vision for 2020 with both its UK and international visitors. “This year, we’re ringing the changes with the aesthetic of our stand,” highlights Andrew.

“We’ll be recognisable as A&B, retaining some of the most popular sections of our show stands in recent times, such as

Above left: Andrew Nettleton.

Above: A trio of Japanese inspired reed diffusers in The Scented Home collection.

Below: A candle and diffuser in The Design Anthology collection.

dramatic lifestyle sections and the A&B boutique gift store, which will house Christmas 2020 preview items. But regular visitors will also notice a new look, with new features including a Reuse & Repurpose section that demonstrates our commitment to minimising waste, which will be putting a focus on our many collections that incorporate refills that enable vessels to be used time after time.”

He also highlights that ‘Love Fragrance, Live Fragrance’ is a phrase that customers will be hearing a lot about over the coming months. “It speaks directly to all our customers, both our retailer buyers and end consumers, about our passion for fragrance.

It also inspires everyone to share in the love of fragrance and to make it part of their lifestyle. The tagline will be featured across all our communications, including on our social media platforms, as well as in our

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Gaeltag Keltika is excited to be bringing a whole new range of collectible owl figurines and associated products to market this spring form their new location at Spring Fair Hall 3 Q01 The owl has been a long standing symbol of knowledge and wisdom, ever since its representation of Athena, The Greek Goddess of Wisdom in ancient Greek mythology.

These are not the only attributes that the owl represents, this elegant bird is also associated with patience, balance, independence, power and protection. An owl will guide you and offer you the inspiration necessary to explore all the wonder and magic that life offers.

125mm

Wise Wings™ is a collection of decorative and contemporary owl designs accompanied by a meaningful quote of wisdom. Every beautifully packaged owl has a unique and colourful design making it the perfect gift for a friend or loved one to help guide and inspire them through life’s journey.

In addition the hugely successful You are an Angel™ ranges are having their ranks swelled by 5 new colourful arrivals and a stunning new Gratitude Journal a beautiful gift for life’s great occasions.

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155mm

Especially for Christmas the ever popular LED personalisable baubles will be updated for 2020 and for the rest of the year you can celebrate with the ever popular Here’s to You™ ranges of Wine and Gin glasses by renowned British designers.

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In Profile: Ashleigh & Burwood brochure and promotional materials.

Consumers are becoming increasingly educated about home fragrance, which makes them more discerning with their fragrance choice.”

On the product front, the company is very excited to fanfare the official launch of a new range called The Design Anthology.

“It’s a contemporary collection that adds a completely new aesthetic to our product portfolio,” explains Andrew. “The vessels in this collection are each decorated with one of three distinctive on trend prints - bright botanicals, tropical leaves and colourful animal print – with the colours featuring trend colours such as purist blue, neo-mint and mellow yellow. These colours are filtering through to the home after their presence on the catwalks,” highlights Andrew, “so it’s a really stylish collection that appeals to the style-conscious shopper.

“People want colours that match their interiors, or that make a statement, and we’re finding that this is equally as important as buying products for their fragrance and ambience.”

In Bloom is a modern interpretation of a floral scent with notes of tayberry and rose.

Botanical Retreat carries a sophisticated black and white line art depicting jungle landscapes and includes notes of volcanic clay and amber, while Rainbow Safari has fresh, floral notes dressed in striking animal print, aimed at the company’s younger customers. Alongside reed diffusers and scented candles in the collection, Ashleigh & Burwood is also launching fragrance lamps featuring an understated crown. They are available in each of the three designs, as well as in three complementary lamp fragrances, in both 250ml and 500ml sizes.

With all eyes on Japan hosting the Olympics later this year, Ashleigh & Burwood

has also introduced three limited edition fragrances, inspired by Japanese culture, with Arashiyama Bamboo evoking the tranquillity and natural splendour of Japanese bamboo forests; Matcha Green Tea, a zesty, refreshing scent inspired by the country’s tradition of intricate tea ceremonies, and Yoshino Waters capturing the beauty of Japan’s natural landscapes. They are available in 500ml lamp fragrances, as well as in the company’s 150ml reed diffusers and decorative tin candles within The Scented Home collection. “It’s been really interesting for us to work on the Japanese inspired collection,” comments Andrew. “Allowing ourselves to be influenced by different cultural tastes has resulted in new directions in terms of design and fragrance development.” An attractive wooden ‘heart blossom’ reed topper has been developed too, which can be used as an alternative to the company’s traditional reeds, complementing the Japanese theme.

Meanwhile, following on from the successful launch of Ashleigh & Burwood’s scented tin candles in The Scented Home collection last year, 2020 will also see the introduction of a 300ml interior and linen spray and new scented sachets, providing consumers with a wider choice.

Interior and linen sprays too, have been designed to bring instant freshness with just a spritz. “They are formulated for excellent room coverage and have special odour eliminating technology that will remove

Above: Turtley Awesome is a new addition to Wild Things.

Left: Scented sachets are among the new formats for 2020.

Below: The Heritage Collection candle vessels are perfect to re-use for planted succulents.

odours while adding beautiful scent,” Andrew explains, adding that they give a luxurious fragrance to bed linen, towels, wardrobes and drawers, while deodorising furnishing fabrics, car interiors, trainers and luggage.

“The new scented sachets are just as versatile,” he continues, “and can be placed in drawers, suitcases and bags. Each one has a colourful grosgrain ribbon which allow the sachet to be hung in cars, wardrobes and around the home to perfume the air, with both new products available in eight of our best-selling scents.”

More new products for 2020 include a new fragrance and design in the company’s Wild Things collection - Turtley Awesome.

It’s decorated in the theme of a bright underwater world, alive with shimmering aquatic creatures and intricate coral reefs in rainbow colours. “The new fragrance complements the visual, with sparkling citrus notes, fresh bergamot, juicy grapefruit and delicate musk capturing the clear, refreshing atmosphere of a hidden ocean haven,” says Andrew. Plus, the design is a limited edition, with each vessel carrying a unique edition number to highlight its collectability.

With the company’s offer constantly evolving, and new formats and fragrances bringing the company to the attention of different channels, Andrew says he couldn’t be more excited to see what the coming year will bring. “We've always been at the front of the new generation of products and we have so much that’s new to offer this year, including new developments for the second half, that are not to be missed!”

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Wrendale Designs New for 2020 Contact your sales representative or call customer services on 01229 461111 to make an order.

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Smells Like Spring

Spotlight On... Home Fragrancing: Candles

Candles continue to be one of the strongest – and most competitive sectors – with retailers constantly spoilt for choice, and reed diffusers and new home fragrancing formats continuing to up the ante.

With manufacturers and suppliers pushing the boundaries, and key gifting occasions Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day around the corner, PG&H reveals who is doing what for Spring/Summer 2020.

For the majority of gift retailers, home fragrancing products - from candles and diffusers to candle tins and scent sachets have been the lifeblood of the business for well over a decade, ranking with jewellery and fashion accessories in giving shops an important point of difference on the high street. Now, with a new decade dawning, fragrances and vessels are stepping up a notch, with natural wax products increasing, and suppliers ever more innovative and in sync with interior trends.

With re-use and recycle in mind, Rachel Holmes, product development manager for Wax Lyrical, highlights that containers that can be reused once the fragrance has been enjoyed, will be increasingly popular this year. “This Spring, we are launching a brand new collaboration with Wrendale where much-loved illustrations from the collection will adorn our home fragrances, with the vessels kept and reused around the home.”

She adds that ceramic candles too, are also becoming increasingly

popular, with home fragrance products reflective of interior design trends. “Our Fired Earth ceramics, for example, are a very giftable item, with a ceramic designed holder and lid giving the fragrance a premium, top quality finish.”

Candlelight too, will be pulling out all the stops this Spring, with new ranges added to its own brand candle collection. The company will be launching its first licensed home fragrance range at Spring Fair - Katie

Above: Rainbow Safari is one of three fragrances in Ashleigh & Burwood’s new The Design Anthology range.

Below: Wax Lyrical’s new licensed Wrendale Designs home fragrancing range.

Alice - with designer Katie at the show to unveil three exclusive new ranges, across candles, reed diffusers and votives, featuring her vintage floral designs.

The company will also be giving retailers a taste of the East, with a new Chinoiserie range featuring fragrances that include Oriental Lily, Aromatic Shea and Oriental Flower. Also new will be an Animal Luxe range, in Midnight Pomegranate, that features a ceramic leopard’s head wax filled pot, with the option of one wick or two, along with a set of three candle pots, complemented by a gold leopard reed diffuser and leopard print packaging.

The company will also be focusing on creating spa experiences at home with the launch of a new Spa Day range, featuring both candles and reed diffusers, where fragrances include Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide

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See you at

Hall 3, Stand 3P20-Q21

Contact us today to book your appointment Phone: +44 (0)117 316 1200

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Email: sales@yankeecandle.co.uk

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Spotlight On... Home Fragrancing: Candles Left: Katie Alice is a debut home fragrancing licence for Candlelight. Shown is Bohemian Spirit.

Right: Best Kept Secrets’ Whispering Bamboo.

Below: Stoneglow’s Urban Botanics Frangipani Neorli Blossom.

Green Tea and Lavender & Vanilla. Also new from Candelight this year will be Celebrations candle tins featuring the fragrance Pink Bomb.

In terms of Spring colours, Stoneglow’s commercial director Louise Dooley says that everyone will soon be obsessed with neo mint, a soft green Oriental tone. Picking up on the trend is the company’s new fragrance, Oroblanco & Cardamom, which features in Stoneglow’s Luna collection. “The fragrance is citrus based with warming spicy tones, a perfect Spring scent to kick start the year,” says Louise. Plus, with soft tropics evolving over the past few years, she adds that the trend has now stepped up a notch with ‘Jungle Warrior’, with rich tonal colours, enlarged flower heads and a key palm leaf motif. “Our new Urban Botanics fragrance Frangipani Neorli Blossom brings this tropical vibe into the home,” Louise highlights.

Another company that’s focusing on Oriental fragrances is Best Kept Secrets,

which has announced three new candles for Spring 2020, using paler, more subtle colours - Sakura, Japanese Honeysuckle, and Whispering Bamboo inspired by, and celebrating, the Orient. “Sakura has cherry blossom at its heart, peachy top notes followed by floral middle notes of rose and violet and a sweet vanilla base, while Japanese Honeysuckle is a delicate and sensual blend of Oriental honeysuckle and jasmine, and Whispering Bamboo, a harmony of fresh bergamot, rich amber, vanilla and almond,” explains Best Kept Secrets’ managing director Vanessa Curry. (See Sweet Smell of Success on pages 73-75).

“For Spring 2020, the need for candles and other home fragrance products offering amazing fragrances continues,” says Ashleigh & Burwood’s product development manager Anna Borrett. “Candles have become decorative items - style statements for the home - reflected by our highly decorative vessels such as the new Turtley Awesome Wild Things luxury scented candle, which is adorned with a rainbow seascape featuring sea turtles.”

And as Anna points out, fragrance trends have many influences.

“With Japan set to host the Olympics this summer, the country and its fascinating culture have already started to come into the spotlight, so what better Continued on page 65

All Lit Up In terms of formats, ultrasonic diffusers are gaining ground, with Xystos continuing to innovate through its own brand Cello. At Spring Fair, the company will be featuring the Cello candle ultrasonic diffuser that gives up to eight hours of fragrance. “This realistic looking candle product aims to take the stress out of modern living, and with this sector one of the most competitive, and with the apparent decline in jar candle sales, we were determined to offer something new to retailers and at the same time increase our share of the market,” says director Tom Sykes.

However, Tom emphasises that the company has not abandoned traditional candles, which it continues to offer through Shearer Candles and one of its more recent partners, Grace Cole. This Spring, the latter’s Signature Collection will see the addition of four new candle fragrances: White Nectarine & Pear, Wild Fig & Pink Cedar, Nectarine Blossom & Grapefruit, and Vanilla Blush & Peony.

Left: Xystos’ new Cello candle ultrasonic diffuser.

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Spotlight On... Home Fragrancing: Candles time for us to introduce three limited edition fragrances Arashiyama Bamboo, Match Green Tea and Yoshino Waters - which are inspired by Japanese culture and landscapes, available in scented candles and reed diffusers within The Scented Home collection as well as in our lamp fragrances.” (See Investing In The Future on pages 57-59).

But it’s not all about the scents of the Orient in 2020. Nicky Dawson, graphic designer at Price’s Candles, says that the company is excited to see the continued growth of the Scandinavian trend in Spring 2020. “People are beginning to move away from the elaborate floral trends we have seen over the last couple of years and are reverting to the natural, clean and crisp vibes of the Scandi trend,” she states.

“We are expecting to see the increase in popularity of natural, earthy fragrances with clean minimalistic packaging which complements any home and interior decor.”

At Pintail, managing director James Long says that 2020 looks set to be the year for botanical and green inspired fragrances invoking wild harvests and getting back to nature. “With Pintail Candles made at the foot of the Cumbrian fells and mountains, our Bilberry & Heather candle capture this wilderness trend, with notes of raspberry, blueberry and bilberry infused with woody and earthy notes portraying the natural beauty of our countryside,” says

James. The wild harvest concept is again explored in a further three new fragranced candles: White Grape and Pear, Kaffir Lime & Coriander and Orange Blossom.

Eco-friendly formulations will, of course, continue to be on trend for 2020, with Village Candle’s The Presence Collection made with elements of soy and essential oils. There will be three new fragrances in

Top: Pintail’s Bilberry & Heather and White Grape & Pear Paint Pot Candles.

Above: Bamboo, from Heart & Home.

the range, with other new Village Candle fragrances including two for Spring: Fresh Lemon and Wild Berry Freeze. “Plus, with the rising trend for self care, we are introducing a new Spa collection featuring seven fragrances,” confirms UK country manager Suzanne Chapman.

Also highlighting all things natural in the market place is Heart & Home.

“For us, it is about drawing attention to this key element through the continued use of our signature soy wax and quality fragrance, where we have deliberately chosen to celebrate our environmentally friendly credentials,” says group marketing & communications manager Jacquie Russo.

An eco soy boutique collection, Bamboo, features soy wax, natural wooden wicks and bamboo lids. “The square jar candles, wax melts, fragrance diffusers and new room sprays, all with natural essential oils, have organic and woody notes to further emphasise the natural aspect of the line,” states Jacquie. In addition, the company’s newest Spring range, Precious Scents, will be launching with three fragrances: Ruby Pomegranate, Rose Quartz and Ocean Sapphire. “We’re also focusing on our core fragrance formats, with gift sets and diffusers completing the offer,” she adds.

For retailers, with so much innovation for Spring, it’s all to play for this year, with fragrances, vessels and colours reflecting not only the season but the key trends that will dominating in giftware and interiors.

Home Sweet Home Home fragrancing companies are also pointing to growing sales for products that get rid of unwanted smells. “Functional odour-eliminating candles are set to be a big trend for 2020 and we are already seeing a massive growth in sales of our bestselling Fresh Air candles,” confirms Price’s graphic designer Nicky Dawson. “This range, made using our patented Odourfoyl technology, neutralises unpleasant odours in the air, with our current range of fragrances joined by two new scents this Spring, Tropical Fusion and Fresh Linen.”

Adds Rachel Holmes, product development manager at Wax Lyrical: “Products which fill people’s homes with beautiful scent, but also remove unwanted odours, have been popular for a number of years. However, odour neutralisers are rarely available in premium fragranced products and we see this as a key trend moving forward. Our HomeScenter range blends an Odouraze formula with six fine fragrances, with each one created for a different room in the home.”

Left: Price’s limited edition Fresh Linen.

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What’s New Progressive Gifts & Home highlights some of the latest gift products for the Home Fragrance market to be showcased this month Totally Awesome Ashleigh & Burwood unveils the latest limited edition Wild Things design - Turtley Awesome to join their colourful, nature inspired home fragrance collection. The new design, is decorated with a bright underwater world, with a fragrance of sparkling citrus notes of fresh bergamot, juicy grapefruit and delicate musk.

Luxury scented candles and reed diffusers are available in the fragrance.

Ashleigh & Burwood Tel: 01932 267060 Email: info@ashleigh-burwood.co.uk Web: www.ashleigh-burwood-trade.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand B10-C11

State-Of-The Art Combining state-of-the-art technology, a sleek modern design and the ancient healing properties of Himalayan rock salt, the Glo ultrasonic aroma diffuser brings you the best that aromatherapy has to offer. The soft, ambient glow of the Himalayan salt lamp and fragrant cooling mist envelope the user in an oasis of calm and tranquility. The perfect addition to any home, retailing at £89.99. madebyzen Tel: 0161 2573644 Email: info@europiumworld.com Web: www.madebyzen.com Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand A10-B11

Lighting Up Time

Maison Object Paris 17-21 Jan

This rustic wooden Edison lamp will be unveiled by Xystos at Spring Fair, while Cello’s core lighting will see 28 lines in new colours

Home Fragrancing Revolution

and shapes. There are also vintage-style LED

Xystos’ Spring Fair launch will

dairy lanterns; Novelty LED lighting in 20 new

feature the revolutionary Cello

styles, and natural looking Artificial LED

candle ultrasonic diffuser that

succulents. Porcelain lamp designs include

gives up to eight hours

new pattern Butterfly, available across the tea

fragrance. Silent ultrasonic

light burner, straight and barrel electric melt

waves work with water and

burner and dome formats.

Xystos Tel: 0191 499 1570

natural essential oils to create a humidifying mist, enhanced by colour changing lights. The

Email: sales@xystos.co.uk

ground-breaking ultrasonic

Web: www.xystostrade.co.uk

diffuser (pictured) uses

Spring Fair: Hall 3 Stand A20-B21

Bluetooth technology and also has soothing colour

Sleep Inducing madebyzen’s newest offering, the Olly ultrasonic aroma diffuser, is packed full of exciting features, to include a Bluetooth speaker and colour changing mood light. Designed specifically to aid sleep, the Olly will lull you into a peaceful slumber with your choice of soothing music and sleep enhancing light settings. A firm favourite, this diffuser sports a

changing lights, as does the frosted spiral vase diffuser. Cello ultrasonics have the same relaxing benefits. The Shearer Candles range will also be available.

Xystos Tel: 0191 499 1570 Email: sales@xystos.co.uk Web: www.xystostrade.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 3 Stand A20-B21

sleek modern design and retails at £69.99! madebyzen Tel: 0161 2573644 Email: info@europiumworld.com Web: www.madebyzen.com Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand A10-B11 Maison Object Paris 17-21 Jan

Scented Sachets Ashleigh & Burwood’s new scented sachets can be placed in drawers and suitcases to gently scent linens, or hung in cars, wardrobes and around the home to perfume the air. Available in eight of the company’s best-selling scents, the sachets, which have a luxurious grosgrain ribbon, have been added to The Scented Home collection, together with new interior and linen sprays.

Ashleigh & Burwood Tel: 01932 267060 Email: info@ashleigh-burwood.co.uk Web: www.ashleigh-burwood-trade.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand B10-C11

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What’s New Progressive Gifts & Home highlights some of the latest gift products for the Home Fragrance market to be showcased this month Vibrant Deco Detail Our Chinoiserie collection embraces an eclectic mix of beautifully painted birds, flowers and exotic leaves, over candles, diffusers and fragrance. Its full of vibrance and colour with ochre, ether and cantaloupe pink playing with rich greens, magenta and teal accents. The range also includes stylish footed mugs with deco look gold detail.

Candlelight Tel: 01709 723000 Email: sales@candlelight.co.uk

Opulent & Exotic Animal Luxe is an opulent collection of candles and fragrances extending to exotic mugs and dining, with black detail and strong gold metallic accents. It has stylish animal print patterns and quirky tiger shaped ceramics, exuding glamour and confidence and is a strong statement range for 2020. As you will see, we have taken it tastefully

Web: www.candlelight.co.uk

across to beautiful dining pieces.

Spring Fair: Hall 3 Stand H20-J21

Candlelight Tel: 01709 723000 Email: sales@candlelight.co.uk Web: www.candlelight.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 3 Stand H20-J21

Whimsical Vintage Katie Alice is a self-taught designer whose whimsical designs, very much led by a love for vintage florals, have become household staples. The Katie Alice candles and scents

Scented Garden

collections will be revealed on the

The Yankee Candle

Candlelight stand by the designer herself.

Garden Hideaway

Three exclusive new ranges of candles, reed

collection gift sets are

diffusers and votives feature her beautiful,

perfect for gifting

unique floral designs, available from, and

occasions throughout

under licence, to Candlelight.

the Spring and summer

Candlelight

seasons. This elegant set

Tel: 01709 723000

includes ten tea lights

Email: sales@candlelight.co.uk

for those who want to

Web: www.candlelight.co.uk

sample a large range of

Spring Fair: Hall 3 Stand H20-J21

fragrances, as well as a

Oriental Tones

glass tea light candle holder to display the candles.

For 2020 we will all be obsessed with neo mint, a

Scents include Afternoon Escape, Sunny Daydream,

soft green oriental tone. Our new fragrance

Homemade Herb Lemonade, Camellia Blossom, Water

Oroblanco & Cardamom from our Luna collection

Garden, Garden Picnic, Black Cherry, Sweet

picks this trend up perfectly. The fragrance is citrus

Honeycomb, Calamansi Cocktail, and Clean Cotton.

based with warming spicy tones. The Luna Range

Yankee Candle

is available in nine decadent fragrances: lux 3-wick

Tel: 01173161200

candle; scented candle; diffuser; perfume card and

Email: sales@yankeecandle.co.uk.

diffuser refill.

Web: www.yankeecandle.co.uk

Stoneglow Candles Tel: 020 8595 8878 Email: admin@stoneglowcandles.co.uk Web: www.stoneglowcandles.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 20, Stand A30-B31

Urban Oasis Exotic aromas in vibrant ceramics will transport you to a relaxing urban oasis. The stunning collection of fragranced diffusers and candles are now available in six tropical scents with the new edition of Frangipani Neroli Blossom that will bring a touch of the tropics to the home.

Stoneglow Candles Tel: 020 8595 8878 Email: admin@stoneglowcandles.co.uk Web: www.stoneglowcandles.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 20, Stand A30-B31

PROGRESSIVE GIFTS & HOME WORLDWIDE

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cell

Ultrasonic Diffusers

Cello diffusers use silent ultrasonic waves that work with water and Cello essential oils, to produce a humidifying mist. The diffuser will help you destress on those extra long days by purifying your surroundings and the beautiful and soothing colour changing lights will help you relax.

USB & Bluetooth Pod Diffuser

Our Cello essential oils relieve stress when used with Ultrasonic diffusers. We have four triple packs availble; Vibrance, Elegnace, Inspire and Delight

See the full range at...

Xystos Well-Being •

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Flame & Fragrance • Gifting

Spring Fair NEC Birmingham 2-6 February 2020 Hall 3, Stand 3A20-B21 For more info, contact our Customer Service Team Email: sales@xystos.co.uk or Tel: +44(0)191 499 1570 www.xystostrade.co.uk

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What’s New Progressive Gifts & Home highlights some of the latest gift products for the Home Fragrance market to be showcased this month Smells Like Spring Home fragrance experts Wax Lyrical have unveiled a brand new design for one of its heritage collections, Made In England,

Handmade Natural Soaps

and have launched two brand new

At Best Kept Secrets, we are very

fragrances for Spring: Sunflower Fields

excited to launch our fully

and Exotic Fig. The new-look collection

rebranded hand made natural

includes ten fragrances, all available in

soaps. There are five of our bestselling

reed diffusers, room mist and five

soaps in each of the following ranges:

variations of candles, including jars, tins

Kindness, Calming, Awakening and Blissful. All beautifully hand

pillar candles and tealights.

wrapped in an explosion of colour.

Best Kept Secrets Tel: 01670 512222

Wax Lyrical Tel: 01229 461 111 Email: customerservice@wax-lyrical.com Web: www.waxlyricaltrade.com Spring Fair: Hall 5 Stand A20-B21

Email: sales@bestkeptsecrets.co.uk Web: www.bestkeptsecrets.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand C51

Celebrating The Orient With the Olympics in Japan on the horizon, Best Kept Secrets are delighted to announce three new candles for

New Licence

Spring 2020 inspired by and celebrating the Orient -

A collaboration between Wrendale Designs

Sakura; Japanese Honeysuckle and Whispering Bamboo.

and Wax Lyrical is set to launch this Spring

Using paler, more subtle colours, the candles not only look

where much-loved illustrations will adorn

great but smell great too!

home fragrances in a new gifting range for

Best Kept Secrets

the two UK brands. Woodland, Meadow and

Tel: 01670 512222

Hedgerow fragrances have been created

Email: sales@bestkeptsecrets.co.uk

from Wax Lyrical’s home in the English Lake

Web: www.bestkeptsecrets.co.uk

District and will be available in ceramic reed

Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand C51

diffusers and candles, each featuring classically British Wrendale creatures.

Wax Lyrical Tel: 01229 461 111 Email: customerservice@wax-lyrical.com Web: www.waxlyricaltrade.com Spring Fair: Hall 5 Stand A20-B21

New Wax Formulation At Price’s Candles we have made an improvement in our wax formulation. All candles will be made with 100% fully refined paraffin wax rather than using a blend of paraffin and vegetable waxes. After intense testing in our labs, following a lot of feedback from our customers, we've found that using solely fully refined paraffin wax provides the following key benefits: the colour of the wax will be more intense and vibrant; the fragrance will be released evenly while burning; there will be decreased candle sooting and a cleaner overall burn due to vegetable oil reduction. The wax will have a natural crystalised texture which creates a 'rustic' look as well as a more vibrant colour. As a business we are always looking at ways of improving our products and quality and we are very excited for this new change.

Price’s Candles Tel: 01234 264500 Email: sales@prices-candles.co.uk Web: www.prices-candles.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 3, Stand J22- K23

PROGRESSIVE GIFTS & HOME WORLDWIDE

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Best Kept Secrets Ltd Morpeth, NE61 6JT Tel: 01670 512222 Email: sales@bestkeptsecrets.co.uk Web: www.bestkeptsecrets.co.uk

Seriously Scented Candles

Beautiful Fragrances & Plenty of Sparkle!

Trade Price £3.75 + vat RRP £8.99 Extensive Range Of Seriously Scented Fragrances Spring Fair Hall 4 Stand C51 72_GH_February 2020.indd 1

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In Profile: Best Kept Secrets

Sweet Smell Of Success

It’s been all systems go for Best Kept Secrets over the past year, with business on the up, additional staff joining the company - both in the factory and on the sales front - and exciting plans afoot for expanding the candle factory this year. But even that’s not all that’s happening in 2020, as managing director Vanessa Curry told PG&H. For now though, with a brand new stand and repositioning at Spring Fair, the company is excited to unveil a raft of new products and fragrances, with a big focus on all things Japanese, home to the Olympics 2020.

If one sporting event is guaranteed to dominate this summer, it’s the Tokyo Olympics, with Best Kept Secrets taking the Orient as its inspiration for the company’s new Spring/Summer products.

“Traditionally, the cherry blossom festival is one of the most important events in the country, as visitors from around the globe flock to see the beautiful blooms - and they certainly are beautiful,” says Best Kept Secrets’ managing director Vanessa Curry.

“We’re therefore excited to announce the arrival of our newest candle Sakura, meaning cherry blossom in Japanese, where we have embraced the cherry blossom in fragrance,

Above: Vanessa Curry, managing director of Best Kept Secrets.

Left: Sakura is brand new for 2020.

Below: The newly rebranded soap collection.

colour and style. We think it looks great and smells wonderful and therefore feel confident that it will be a big hit with our customers this year.”

Floral and fresh aromas too, will continue to be among the company’s best sellers in 2020, predicts Vanessa. “When Spring arrives, we always see a change in direction from the warm, headier scents of Christmas to a shift towards clean crisp fragrances that evoke the feeling of new beginnings.

“Plus, our Just Because and Tracey Russell collections remain ever popular, and we are continuing to offer new phrases and sentiments that are reflective of current tastes and trends. We have some interesting new names too, for this year,

Top 3 Fragrances 1.Classic Cotton 2.Caspian Silk 3.Coastal Breeze

such as ‘Love You Lots Like Jelly Tots’ and ‘Tick Tock Gin O’clock’, with the translation of our labels in Welsh, Maltese and Czech really testing our proofing skills! We’re also able to personalise the candles making them one of our best selling collections.”

It's no wonder then, that Vanessa and the team are looking forward to February’s Spring Fair to showcase the new ranges and fragrances. “Following the show’s re-edit, we’re still in the same hall, hall 4, but have moved closer to the main walkways, and will be exhibiting in aisle C, stand number 51,” Vanessa highlights.

As we go into 2020, is she seeing any purchasing trends? “Currently, it seems to be more about the products that complement Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide

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Best Kept Secrets Ltd Morpeth, NE61 6JT Tel: 01670 512222 Email: sales@bestkeptsecrets.co.uk Web: www.bestkeptsecrets.co.uk

Just Because Candles

P.S. We can customise our labels to display any message!

Trade Price ÂŁ3.75 + vat

RRP ÂŁ8.99

Different fun messages for friends, family and special occasions Classic Cotton fragrance with a multi coloured topping and plenty of glitter!!

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In Profile: Best Kept Secrets people’s home décor, over purchasing solely for the scent,” she comments.

On the bespoke side of the business, things are continuing to go from strength to strength. “We began 2019 with a big order from a well known clothing brand. The company created a super label, using our best selling fragrance Classic Cotton, and I’m delighted to say that the combination really worked. Plus summer 2019 saw us complete our largest ever bespoke order.

However, it wasn’t without its challenges! When the long anticipated delivery of glass finally arrived at our factory, the heavens opened and the staff emptied the lorry in torrents of rain, clad in multicoloured ponchos! However, everyone who worked on the project was very proud of the end result and our client was extremely happy.”

With exports growing year on year, the company currently supplies customers in Australia, Malta, France and the Czech Republic, with both UK and international customers as keen as ever to source products that are made in Britain.

“We have always found that customers associate ‘made in Britain’ with higher quality products, so they are really impressed that everything we make is handmade at our premises in Northumberland,” Vanessa states.

“Today, people are more aware of where the products they buy from come from, with many retailers wanting to place their orders with local manufacturers, especially

“We have always found that customers associate ‘made in Britain’ with higher quality products, so they are really impressed that everything we make is handmade at our premises in Northumberland.” those who use British ingredients. At trade shows, retailers often ask us, ‘who actually makes the product’? It’s an easy answer for us - we do!

We make all the candles, diffusers and soaps here in our Morpeth factory.”

Talking of soap manufacture - the second major side to the company’s business the ‘war on plastic’ has given a significant boost to Best Kept Secrets’ sales, with Vanessa pointing out that people get more longevity from a bar of soap than from a pump soap.

“With an upturn to plastic-free toiletries sales of our handmade, natural soaps have seen a sharp uplift,” she confirms. “Therefore, with the increase in sales, the full range of 20 soaps has undergone a rebranding, and are now hand

Top: Lemon Sugar joined the Seriously Scented range last year.

Above: Classic Cotton is the company’s best selling fragrance.

Right: Caspian Silk takes its inspiration from the Caspian Sea. Far right: Coastal Breeze is another of the company’s most popular fragrances.

Best Kept Secrets: The Lowdown l Best Kept Secrets was founded by Denise and Alan Edwards in 1996. l When her parents stepped down, Vanessa Curry took over the business as managing

director two years ago. l A USP for the company is its Seriously Scented colourful, sparkly glitter candle toppings. l Based in Morpeth, Best Kept Secrets has two separate factories: one for the manufacture

of candles, and the other for the manufacture of soaps and bath bursts.

wrapped in fabulous colourful mulberry papers.” (The company’s reed diffusers were rebranded in 2019).

With soaps not only handmade, but also made from natural ingredients and essential oils, they are particularly aimed at people with sensitive skin. As Vanessa puts it: “our soaps really are extremely good, and now they’re looking just as good too.”

Going forward this year, the company will be doing everything it can to seek out products that are environmentally friendly, with research underway to find alternative packaging to bubble wrap. “We want to do our bit to reduce the impact on our environment while still getting the product to our retailers in tip top condition,” Vanessa points out. “Currently we are at the testing stage with some biodegradable packaging and I’m confident that we will find a product that meets our needs. The important thing is that it has to be right.”

As the business continues to go from strength to strength, it’s no surprise to hear that Best Kept Secrets is expanding its premises. “With the candle side of our business continuing to grow and grow, we are running out of space and are in the process of having major works carried out at the factory. Therefore over the coming months we are extending here in Morpeth. It’s been extremely exciting to plan our new factory and the good news is that the floor plans are finally finished,” Vanessa enthuses.

However, she is quick to point out that there won’t be any disruption to the supply chain. “We already have a plan in place to keep on top of orders,” she confirms.

As Vanessa puts it: “I never stop thinking about the business and love having something new for our existing and new customers to both see and smell. It’s something we work on and think about all year round.”

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MOSNEY MILL BOTANICALS

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In Profile: Half Moon Bay

Brands

New

2020 is an extra special year for Half Moon Bay, with the company excited to be celebrating its milestone 25th anniversary.

Having started out in 1995 distributing unusual giftware from America, the company now has an enviable roster of major global licences representing movies, TV and gaming.

PG&H caught up with Iain Wakefield, the recently appointed head of licensing and business development, to discover more about the company’s vision to expand the business this year.

With Half Moon Bay enthusiastically looking to grow its gift presence and its gift-led Ice House Books publishing imprint - both in the UK and on a global stage the appointment of Iain Wakefield last May was a meeting of minds.

Iain brought with him over 25 years of publishing and brand licensing experience, most recently managing the licensing division at Haynes Publishing, where he worked closely with Half Moon Bay on a range of giftware and ‘Haynes Explains’ gift books.

He highlights that at the heart of Half Moon Bay is a very broad product range and a very broad customer base, with the

company seeing a dramatic expansion over the last five years.

“Establishing Ice House Books was a significant step in 2018,” Iain states. “The aim is to produce high quality licensed books, as well as a combination book and gift package, offering something for both the gift trade as well as the book trade. We are therefore working closely with our in-house editorial team, and matching the book side with our long experience of the gift market, to enable us to produce great books in the right subject area, the right format and at the right price.”

Although the company partners some of the biggest international licences - to include

Half Moon Bay: The Lowdown l Half Moon Bay is an independent, family-owned manufacturer and distributor of licensed

and non-licensed giftware. l Founded by husband and wife Peter and Sally Thompson in 1995, the business evolved

l l l l l

from quirky gifts to the in house designing and sourcing of products, with a focus on retro classics and iconic licences.

In 2008, the company acquired Robert Opie which features nostalgic images on different formats, launching the company into the heritage, museum and gift markets.

Shruti Designs, which specialises in trend-led collections of home and fashion products, was acquired in 2018.

Also in 2018, Half Moon Bay launched Ice House Books, its own gift publishing imprint.

The same year, the company became the UK distributor of Huskup re-usable coffee cups.

Half Moon Bay, based in Bath, employs 75 staff. It also has its own distribution centre in Warminster.

Top: Iain Wakefield, Half Moon Bay’s head of licensing and business development.

Above left: Two Star Wars mugs.

Above: William Morris soft furnishings.

Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Warner Bros, D C Comics, Harry Potter, Frozen 2 and Friends - Half Moon Bay is also home to a wide variety of other types of brands such as the RHS, William Morris and the RSPB. But that’s not all. “We are also constantly on the lookout for other great ideas, an example being the licence May The Thoughts Be With You. We Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide

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In Profile: Half Moon Bay published this highly acclaimed, motivational book (based on creator Charlotte Reed’s issues with mental health) under our Ice House Books imprint and also debuted a complementary range of motivational giftware at PG Live last June.”

Product combinations are also helping to drive sales, highlighted by licences such as May The Thoughts Be With You and Wallace & Gromit, featuring mugs with mini gift books inside.

According to Iain, among Half Moon Bay’s major strengths is that all the design

Iain Wakefield: The Lowdown l Iain Wakefield started his career in the publishing industry working for HarperCollins. He

l l l l l l

stayed for eight years, working across all publishing divisions, with his roles including sales and marketing.

His licensing career kicked off when he joined Universal Studios where he was promoted to head of licensing.

He also enjoyed stints setting up UK offices for National Geographic and Marvel.

In 2005, he was invited to join Haynes by a former HarperCollins colleague, where he was tasked with expanding the company’s programme with a focus on publishing licensed brands.

Under Iain’s direction, the company propelled traditional Haynes manuals into a unique area of publishing, Haynes Explains.

He was also responsible for licensing out the Haynes brand to licensees which, in 2005, included Half Moon Bay on the gift side.

After spending 14 years with Haynes Iain joined Half Moon Bay in May 2019.

Left: Among the titles from Ice House Books.

Below: Friends giftware collection.

and editorial is done in house. “We are constantly working with licensors to create great product, and strive to work closely with all our partners to understand not only what they are looking for but also how we can add creative flair in relation to product development and design,” Iain states. “The objective is to develop the strongest ranges we possibly can.”

He continues: “Our breadth and brands are very strong and very deep, going across the whole gamut of retail, from independents and multiples to department stores, garden centres, visitor attractions, heritage sites, book shops and so on, with Half Moon Bay’s international business expanding very rapidly.”

An Emotional Connection A set of two egg cups from Half Moon Bay’s Friends collection - Chick and Duck - is Iain’s favourite product in the company’s licensed portfolio. “I’m a big Friends fan and I love a boiled egg,” he smiles. “The egg cups are clever yet simple.”

Right: Half Moon Bay’s Friends Chick and Duck egg cups.

Independents remain a strong part of the company’s business.

“We have our own UK salesforce who service this customer base,” Iain confirms. “It’s great to have our reps giving us feedback and market intelligence which we highly value.” Also critical for the company is its social media marketing, with the company working on this independently and also alongside its partners.

So what are gift buyers and selfpurchasers looking for when it comes to licensed and non-licensed giftware? “People want compelling ranges and innovative products,” he comments. “Therefore we are constantly being challenged which is a good thing for the business. You can’t rest on your laurels from either a range perspective or a design perspective. You always have to look to move on. Nevertheless, we also recognise where our strengths are, and where

the firm favourites are, in terms of formats.”

(Good news for licensed product collectors is that new product will be launching in 2020 that addresses the collectables market).

On the eco front, the company recently introduced Huskup, a range of re-usable eco coffee cups that are made from rice husks that would otherwise be burned. “The cups are 100% biodegradable, and the lid is made from silicone so it can be recycled,” he points out. “Offering both products and packaging that is eco friendly is an area that’s growing in importance for us.”

So what challenges will the company be facing in 2020? “To maintain our creative, innovative edge in the market in what are clearly challenging but also interesting

times,” says Iain. “We live in a fast moving world, and it’s product innovation that continues to move things forward. Our vision is therefore to further enhance our reputation in the licensed gift sector and to continue to build close relationships with our partners, agents and retailers. On a personal note however, having spent the vast majority of my career in publishing, seeing Ice House Books going from strength to strength is both a personal interest and my ambition for Half Moon Bay.” Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide

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- The leading supplier of Personalised Gifts for over 15 years -

personalised memento co - est 2004 -

THE ONE STOP SHOP FOR

Personalised Gifts WWW.PERSONALISEDMEMENTO.CO.UK

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Visit us at Spring Fair to see our full range of exciting new products for 2020!

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Spotlight On... Spring/Easter

Leaping Into

Spring With Valentine’s and Mother’s Day done and dusted in February and March respectively, the arrival of Easter in mid-April, and the Spring season in general, affords gift retailers an exciting opportunity to renew and refresh both products and displays.

With Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies already enticingly on the shelves in many of the major supermarkets, gift companies have wasted no time in bringing out ranges that reflect the season.

There’s something very special about the arrival of Spring. The fabled ‘green shoots’ and signs of renewal signal the shaking off of a long winter, with the days getting longer and the weather milder and brighter, evoking an overall desire for a fresh new approach to the coming season.

At Wrendale Designs, founder and creative supremo Hannah Dale says the company is excited to be launching several brand new giftware products this Spring, to include a range of compact mirrors featuring nine of Hannah’s best-loved designs. “The pastel colours of the collection are ideal for Spring/Easter and make an excellent gift idea,” she highlights. Other new products from the company include illustrated watches, with designs that include a hedgehog and bee, as well as Wrendale’s best-selling hare. Adds Hannah: “Keepsake gift tins make a great alternative to gifting chocolate at Easter, with our flower jugs, herb pots and a seed tin well timed for a bit of Spring gardening. Additionally, we’ve released new designs to add to our range of clocks, glasses cases and scarves.”

As Gisela Graham’s sales director Piers Croke points out: “Easter goes on growing as a second season for gift shops, and at Gisela Graham we have again seen good growth

Above: Gisela Graham’s Natural Easter collection.

Left: Madame Treacle eggs from Elite Tins.

Below: Two of Dunoon’s colourful Cairngorm Whoops! mugs .

Below left: A brand new Wrendale Designs compact mirror.

this year. It’s a terrific opportunity for display - a mini - relaunch heralding Spring - with our myriad of display items including faux flowers, hay bales and wood cut-out display pieces, with egg-hunt accessories another very good display concept.”

For Easter impulse and home gifts, the company is offering five co-ordinated themed ranges in 2020: country style, pretty pastels, vintage and a bright and buzzy bees range. “It’s been our surprise ‘star’,” adds Piers.

At Elite Tins, owner James Brierly confirms that all of the company’s Easter ranges are new this year.

“Chocolate filled tin eggs are a staple and best-selling line for us, with 2020 seeing five new products that develop on past designs, retaining the traditional warmth of gifting while ticking both newness and on trend boxes. These include Emma

Bridgewater designs on medium and small tin eggs, and we are also introducing Madame Treacle, a blend of paper collaged vintage images.”

“We are aware that Easter is a growing market,” comments Lesser & Pavey’s managing director Julian Hunt. “And while we don’t offer any specific Easter products we do have many items which are highly suitable for Easter and Spring sales, such as our Busy Bees and Lavender ranges, plus our new Cockerel & Hen range. Other products, such as our Bright Eyes brightly painted planters and animals, as well as our highly collectable Reflctions bronzed hares, suit this market extremely well.”

Meanwhile, using bold splashes of colour to reflect the Spring season,

Dunoon, is continuing to introduce mugs with bright spots, splashes and dots. “For Spring 2020 we will be continuing this theme with the introduction of Cairngorm Whoops!, a set of three fine bone china mugs, made in England,” comments sales director Peter Smith.

From a gift retailer’s perspective, with a long gap between Easter (April 10 - April 13) and Father's Day (June 21), Easter is clearly a Spring occasion to make the most of.

Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide

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FALL IN LOVE WITH OUR SPRING/SUMMER 2020 COLLECTION

TO VISIT ONE OF OUR SHOWROOMS PLEASE CALL CUSTOMER SERVICES ON 01295 250 879

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Spotlight On... Jewellery

All Things

BrightAnd Beautiful With a feeling of optimism hopefully returning in 2020, and sunnier days ahead, jewellery suppliers have put their creative all into designs that bang the drum for a colourful Spring/Summer, giving jewellery an upbeat, feelgood, vibrant vibe.

PG&H spoke to some of the leading suppliers about what people will be buying to jazz up necks, ears and wrists!

We may still have January and We’ve embraced contemporary February to get through, but shapes, with our handwriting remaining with Valentine’s and Mother’s cheeky and spontaneous. Plus, style Day fast approaching, it’s time flexibility is paramount, encompassing to start thinking about gifting short, mid and long lines.” or self-purchasing for a brand Frank Ross, managing director of new season, especially when Lila jewellery, concurs that there is an it comes to jewellery and increasing demand for colourful, vibrant fashion accessories. designs, especially those which are Among the jewellery different from the mainstream. “People suppliers renowned for their are not necessarily following one trend colourful collections is One but are looking for imaginative and Button, with founder and striking designs,” he comments. “Look creative director Amanda at the strikingly designed earrings Angless revealing that the that Jo Swinson wore during the company’s Spring/Summer ranges are General Election campaign for sophisticated yet simple, featuring robust, example. They were unusual, colour styling. and not everyone’s cup of “Pink is strong and unmissable, with hot tea, but she liked them!” fuchsia tones running right through the Carrie Elspeth too, is collections, from coral to blush and salmon predicting a colourful Spring. to powder peach. In addition, it’s refreshing “We’ll be covering all the bases to see the re-emergence of green, with strong, colourful rainbow fusing with milky auburn and designs which will be at dusty lavender, as well as the forefront of our diluted, subtle curated Spring collection,” states neutrals featuring veil creative director Carrie Above: Colourful earrings pink, milky mocha and Shapiro. “However, with from Lila Jewellery.

Inset: Carrie Elspeth’s neo nude.” ‘saving the planet‘ at Rainbow Polaris.

Points out Amanda, the top of the agenda, Right: Wish from Talbot Fashions.

“Our Spring collections catwalks are are about statement pieces forecasting that we will that are beautifully made, be going back to nature great value and gift packaged. with natural hues and semi

Top: Colourful, distinctive designs from One Button.

Above: Among the new jewellery items in Miss Milly’s Floria collection.

precious components appearing in abundance. By contrast, we will also see a resurgence of colour leading the charge, with rainbows and oceans acting as inspiration, and blues, greens and multi coloured accessories set to dominate.”

Colour is always a core element in jewellery designs from Miss Milly, with founder and creative director Sarah Watmore confirming that for Spring, the company is focusing on its signature range, the Floria Collection. “It features mainly resins and hand-painted elements and we have lots of new pieces ready to launch,” she confirms.

For Spring/Summer the company will be unveiling three main themes - Fresh, which includes on-trend neo mint - a coastal palette, combining mints, aquas and blues, with sand and grey or white cloud; Soft, which features a mix of pretty pastels, from peach to lilac, as well as iridescence to catch Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide

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Spotlight On... Jewellery the light, and Bright, packed with zinging colours from fuchsia to lime green.

At Talbot, the recently launched Wish brand is a diverse collection of fashion jewellery featuring pendants, bracelets and earrings, in varied materials, to include glass and stainless steel, with encapsulated dried flowers, along with enamel and faceted glass. “Themes include birds, cats and dogs, celestial, chakras, angels, woodland, flowers, druzy and many more, with new lines being introduced for 2020,” says the company’s buyer Ginny Bryant.

Left: A gold heart in PMC’s precious metal jewellery range.

Below left: Pastels flowers and florals define a new collection for Spring/Summer in Joe Davies’ Equilibrium range.

Below right: The Music Gifts Company’s sterling silver treble clef pendant with stones.

head of product development. Also new, and sitting within this trend, is Equilibrium’s Forever Petals assortment, featuring flowers in soft shades of pink and lilac.

Cara Beech, PMC’s new product manager says that both silver and gold plated precious finishes have been an essential category for the company. “These classic materials will be everywhere, from statement chokers, to classic chains. It’s also refreshing to see pearls making a comeback with the ‘queen of gems’ finding themselves centre stage once more.”

She adds that, as well as the more delicate refined pieces, chunky link chains and t-bars will also be a stand out trend this Spring. “Nothing will be held back, as this one time boy bad uniform will be even more eye-catching,” Cara continues. “From centre fold pop magazine posters to high class dinner parties, these unisex adornments are a nod to the ‘90s, with our established Meanwhile, Joe Davies’ personalised jewellery lines ready to Equilibrium collection is continuing welcome the trends. We are also to expand further still in 2020. working on new fashion and “For both jewellery and precious ranges, catering fashion accessories, for both ends of the gift trending for market, and have our Right: A card and animal earrings from Crumble and Core.

Spring/Summer 2020 eye on some beautiful Inset: Among the adjustable flower will be pretty pastel Lariat pieces!” bracelets from Shrieking Violet. colours and delicate At Shrieking Violet, florals which we have the company will be incorporated into our launching a new ranges with a botanical collection of silver florals that have hints of pastel colour,” comments Laura Leigh, the company’s

All ‘Set’ For Spring For Spring/Summer 2020, Lauren Hourihan, wholesale manager of Joma Jewellery and Katie Loxton, says that the company is anticipating a continuing trend for ready-to-gift jewellery. “This season, we’ve created even more sets with a wide appeal,” says Lauren. “From our sentiment sets to our occasion gift boxes, the gift sets make it easy to find a special present. We have also introduced gift-boxed editions of our ‘A Littles’, as well as birthstone bracelets.”

Right: Mum In A Million from Joma Jewellery.

collection of gold plated sterling silver bracelets at Spring Fair, which have been shortlisted for the Gift of the Year’s Fashion Jewellery category. “The bracelets are adjustable in size and comprise tiny heartshaped links with a real flower charm,” explains director Lash Marash. “There are ten bracelets in the collection with flowers including forget-me-nots, miniature roses, poppy, daisy, sunflower, purple haze and four leag clovers.” Other new designs for Spring/Summer include a collection of snake chain bracelets, friendship bracelets and a sun necklace.

Interestingly, David Gee, managing director of The Music Gifts Company, says that the company has seen a turnaround in the market for jewellery over the past 12 months. “It has always been price-sensitive, with silver-plated pieces dominating the demand. Now it’s overwhelmingly sterling silver items at higher price points which are the focus.”

At Crumble and Core, director and artist Jilly Mercer highlights the company’s animal range of earring cards. “They have gone particularly well and, with this in mind, we will be expanding our collection of animal designs this year. We also have a completely new and exciting younger age range which we will be unveiling for Spring,” adds Jilly.

At finally, for something completely different, Danish jewellery brand Dansk’s Spring/Summer 2020 collection features designer Malene Storm’s adaptation of the formations of Denmark’s west coast - a smorgasbord of sand dunes, ripple and sun reflection sparkles, which have been Continued on page 87

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Spotlight On... Jewellery

Accessorising The Positives Above: Gold earrings from Dansk reflect Denmark’s west coast.

translated into 250 designs that capture the characteristics of the different elements.

Although vibrant colour is very much a core theme that will be reflected in many of this season’s collections, clearly designs and materials remain diverse, with a true ‘something for everyone’ on offer for gift retailers looking for product to ‘wow’ their customers with.

Top right: A new make-up bag from Katie Loxton.

Above: Colourful Hem & Edge scarves.

Far right: The newest Equilibrium scarf designs from Joe Davies.

Right: Blue is the colour for A Gift From The Gods.

Below: A new Italian brand will be launched for Spring by The Music Gifts Company.

At Katie Loxton, the company has seen a big trend for faux-croc accessories with the love for this style continuing throughout Spring/Summer 2020. “We’re pleased to introduce even more bags and accessories to our Celine faux croc collection including new travel accessories, weekend bags and wristlets, in the same stylish colours and patent croc embossed vegan leather,” comments the company’s wholesale manager Lauren Hourihan. “We’re also seeing a trend for vibrant colour palettes where we’ve designed chic make-up bags and washbags that are finished with a contrast inner lining for an added pop of colour.”

Scarves, of course, continue to be ‘must haves’ regardless of the season, with the new season’s Hem & Edge scarf collection including the latest digital print technology. “We’re very excited to be launching stunning print, captured in micro detail, in deep saturated colours,” comments founder and creative director Amanda Angless. “We’ve been inspired by giant geometrics, timeworn texture, defined lines and sumptuous fabrics that drape and envelope. Plus, we also have new bags and fabulous fun, folding sunhats.”

Staying with scarves, a new Equilibrium range for Spring/Summer will be complementing Joe Davies’ jewellery collection.

“The scarves comes in soft shades of lilac, pinks and blue with stylised watercolour florals,” highlights head of product development Laura Leigh.

At a Gift From The Gods, managing director Jane Reucroft spotlights Pantone’s Colour of the Year - Classic Blue. “It confirmed something we already knew, that customers love blue and all its colour variations,” Jane states. “Our Get Your Goddess On range features blue at its heart to give a colour palette of confidence and stability with hints of gold and plum to add richness and flair. In addition, our notebooks and planners are complemented by vibrant washbags, contrast square cosmetic bags and versatile pouches, with fashion accessories completing the range with a flourish of fun tassel keyrings. Also new for 2020, are a sturdy range of canvas ‘retail ready’ fashion totes with a set of colourful designs for each of our design stories A Gift From The Gods, Calligraphy & Hearts, Dream Odyssey and Get Your Goddess On.” Meanwhile, at The Music Gifts Company, a brand new range will be making its debut this Spring. “As we will be celebrating our 25th anniversary, we wanted to offer something very special and entirely new for the British market. Therefore, for the first time, we are importing a collection from an Italian maker who handcrafts a range of leather accessories bags, kernings, make-up bags, credit card cases, passport holders, luggage tags and bracelets. We felt that this would be a quality range that the British would love and would be prepared to pay a higher price for.”

Once again, with so much diversity, both retailers and their customers are going to be spoilt for choice!

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2020 Collections available & IN STOCK

Order Online

(we are not attending NEC Spring Fair)

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What’s New Progressive Gifts & Home highlights some of the latest Jewellery & Fashions Accessories to be showcased this month

Magic Moments Deliver a little happiness with our most loved gifting set, turning every occasion into a magical moment. We’ve introduced even more of our bestselling Occasion gift boxes this season. Each design holds onto three stacking bracelets which are beautifully presented on a soft suedette pillow, finished with treasured sentiments and keepsake charms.

Joma Jewellery Tel: 01295 232 782

Sterling Silver Bracelets

Email: enquiries@jomajewellery.com

Shrieking Violet are excited to be launching a new collection of gold-

Web: www.wholesale.jomajewellery.com

plated sterling silver bracelets at Spring Fair 2020, which have been shortlisted for Gift of the Year 2020 in the Fashion Jewellery category.

The bracelets are adjustable in size, and comprise tiny heart-shaped links with a real flower charm. There are ten bracelets in the collection with flowers including forget-me-nots, miniature roses, poppy, daisy, sunflower, purple haze and four-leaf clovers.

The heart link bracelets retail at £39.99, to include a luxury gift box and info booklet.

There’s a new addition to the popular mixed flower collection too. The sun necklace retails at £39.99 and includes luxury gift box and info booklet.

Shrieking Violet Tel: 020 8521 9151 Email: sales@shriekingviolet.co.uk Web: www.flowerjewellery.com Spring Fair: Hall 1, Stand 1G10

Designed In Cornwall Sea Gems Cornwall is launching brand new collections for Spring 2020 exclusively designed in Cornwall. Silver Origins jewellery captures the essence of our iconic landscape, nature, wildlife and coastline. The Celtic Lands silver collection features timeless motifs and elaborate knot work, while the art of fine enamelling creates unique designs in our Mackintosh, Celtic and nature ranges.

Gifts include pens, bookmarks, compact mirrors, pillboxes and scarf- rings.

Sea Gems Tel: 01736 335840 Email: sales@seagems.co.uk Web: www.seagems.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 1 Stand F32-G33

Seriously Stylish Our Ayla tortoiseshell bag is a seriously stylish favourite, epitomising everyday luxe with a minimal silhouette and dreamy mock tortoiseshell chain link handle. We’ve introduced a gorgeous ochre shade, perfect for days spent under the sun, and adding a pretty pop of colour to every look.

Katie Loxton Tel: 01295 232 783 Email: enquiries@katieloxton.com Web: www.wholesale.katieloxton.com

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SIMPLY GORGEOUS JEWELLERY AND SCARVES

SPRING FAIR STAND

19C18

Carrie Elspeth BRITISH TRAVELGOODS AND ACCESSORIES ASSOCIATION

sales@carrieelspeth.com | 01446 771271 | www.carrieelspeth.com

Buy online at missmilly.co.uk or call: 01905 622 509

£200,000 DONATED to these chari�es

See our new Poppy collec�on Spring Fair Hall 1 Stand H86 Call: 01582 841158 Email: sales@lila.jewellery.co.uk www.lilajewellery.co.uk

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What’s New Progressive Gifts & Home highlights some of the latest Jewellery & Fashions Accessories to be showcased this month

Eye-Catching With on trend mint and soft raspberry at the forefront, the latest Miss Milly collection is a reasonably priced mix of beautifully crafted, stand-out jewellery, scarves and accessories. Our minimum order is only £100, no MOQs, and we’re happy to put starter packs together. We have a very loyal customer base for our unusual jewellery

As part of their 25th birthday celebrations, The

combining bold design with everyday wearability.

Miss Milly Tel: 01905 622 509

Music Gifts Company is expanding its range of

Email: hello@missmilly.co.uk

sterling silver jewellery following the launch last

Web: missmilly.co.uk

year. Each piece is crafted from silver, has a silver

Spring Fair: Hall 19 Stand C18

Silver Notes

chain and is presented in a lovely black gift box.

The jewellery, as well as the entire range, has 10% off for orders placed at Spring Fair (exclusions apply).

The Music Gifts Company Tel: 01202 57 00 57 Email: enquiries@musicgifts.co.uk Web: www.musicgifts.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 4, Stand B72

Bang On Trend Hair accessories are a growing category and Hot Tomato is bang on trend with these subtle, slimline Alice bands for the summer. Forming part of a wider collection, you can style them as you like – the bow can be moved around the band and is wired to either hold its shape or

Trendy Headbands

express your more extrovert side.

Hot Tomato Tel: 01225 422188

Joe Davies has introduced trendy headbands into their successful Equilibrium brand. Retailers can choose from velvets, pretty fabrics and embellishments such

Email: sales@hot-tom.com

as diamantés and pearls. These 90’s revival hair accessories, launching for

Web: www.hot-tom.com

Spring/Summer, retail from £5.99 to £9.99.

Joe Davies Tel: 0161 975 6300

Spring Fair: Hall 20, Stand E32-F33

Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk Web: www.joedavies.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 3, Stand K20/L21

Sentiment Collection Joe Davies are launching a new Equilibrium sentiment collection for Spring/Summer. Sweet sentiments for friends and family are combined with hearts, swirls and a tree of life. They are silver and rose gold plated and embellished with sparkly diamantés. All make stunning gifts at great pricing and are sure to be a hit with retailers.

Joe Davies Tel: 0161 975 6300 Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk Web: www.joedavies.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 3, Stand K20/L21

Bang On Trend Hair accessories are a growing category and Hot Tomato is bang on trend with these subtle, slimline Alice bands for the summer. Forming part of a wider collection, you can style them as you like – the bow can be moved around the band and is wired to either hold its shape or express your more extrovert side.

Hot Tomato Tel: 01225 422188 Email: sales@hot-tom.com Web: www.hot-tom.com Spring Fair: Hall 20, Stand E32-F33 PROGRESSIVE GIFTS & HOME WORLDWIDE

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Responsible

Parenting With sustainability such a huge global issue, the nursery and children’s sector hasn’t wasted a moment in rising to the challenge, offering parents and gift givers an eclectic range of products, with wooden toys and games, ecofriendly plush and sustainable children’s tableware high on the list of products that are driving sales.

With sustainably playing such a big part in everyone’s lives on a global scale, sustainable giftware for babies and children is a much sought after alternative to products that feature plastic, with longevity very much in the minds of manufacturers and suppliers.

“Raising the next world leaders, we are looking to our children to focus their attention on the world’s climate crisis,” says PMC’s new product manager Cara Beech.

“Our products are ethically and sustainably sourced, and this continues to be an important conversation that we are having with our suppliers.”

In fact, Cara predicts that ‘novelty’ products will become a thing of the past.

“Gifts are now being bought to last with our brand new wooden toys ticking all the boxes, featuring hard wearing materials and bright colours.”

She also predicts that ‘maximalist’ will be the new buzzword. “Nurseries won’t be viewed as clutter-filled. Instead, they with be ‘well nested’ and filled with personalised touches. With this in

Right: Rainbow Designs is bringing out a Peter Rabbit Signature collection showing Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny in their most traditional form.

Below right: A wooden ‘choo choo’ from House of Marbles.

Below: Part of Orange Tree Toys’ wooden Sea Life collection.

Bottom left: A colourful, personalised wooden rainbow from PMC.

mind, we are expanding our range of personalised prints, as well as our accessorise range to include personalised laundry bags and cushions.”

Phoebe Goodchild, a designer at Orange Tree Toys, concurs that plastic free toys and packaging is an important direction that many companies are taking, with Orange Tree Toys no exception. “We have two new ranges of wooden toys coming out for 2020, and are particularly excited about our Sea Life collection, which has a new look to the packaging and reflects our

evolvement to make our packaging more environmental, reducing the use of plastic where possible and making sure that it is recyclable.”

Also stressing the trend for wooden toys is House of Marbles’ trade marketing and online manager Lauren Woodsford. “As the interest in nonplastic toys continues to grow, so traditional wooden toys are looking to be

a key trend for Spring,” she highlights. “They make a much more environmentally friendly gift and have lots of nostalgic appeal too.

For 2020, products we are launching include bright, simple ‘lolly stick’ puzzles as well as a wooden train.”

Highlighting the company’s brand Petit Collage, Joelle Engolia, Wild & Wolf’s marketing manager, says that the company’s

ethos has always been about designing eco-friendly products with the health of the child and the planet in mind.

“We’re especially excited about our new baby collection for SS20, as it’s the first time that we’ve really expanded our nursery category for several seasons,” enthuses Joelle. “We’ve seen that baby lines that allow parents to document their little one’s growth have recently been especially popular within the market, and with this in mind, two of our SS20 lines include our wooden baby milestone blocks and baby journal, offering new parents the opportunity to capture special moments, such as the baby’s first Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide

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Miffy Stripes Collection See our beautiful NEW 2020 collections

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steps, first lock of hair and age milestones.

With all products featuring non-toxic inks, FSC-certified wood, polyester made from recycled bottles and plastic-free packaging throughout, we expect our Petit Collage lines to be best-sellers this season.”

On the plush front, Keel Toys has taken the first steps in the company’s new sustainability initiative. “Since November 2019, all items now carry a new Keel Toy icon, formed from FSC cardboard, saving plastic on the millions of toys we sell each year,” explains UK sales director Steve Cox. (Previously, there was an iconic red disc in the ear of each toy). “It is attached to the toy with cotton, and even the sew in label is recycled, with everything manufactured in an ICTI ethically audited factory.”

Continues Steve: “The next step for us has been to design a fully sustainable 100% recycled range, keelco. These ecofriendly toys are manufactured and stuffed with 100% recycled polyester from plastic waste. Weighted with recycled glass beads, the floppy toys have been designed for hugging, with traditional glass eyes replaced with cotton embroidered eyes.”

The collection features endangered animals from the four corners of the world including a turtle, sloth, tiger, snow leopard, panda, blue whale, great apes and a polar bear. Adds Steve: “For eco awareness, the range is clearly labelled with

the sustainable message and offered with a variety of retail solutions.”

Staying with soft toys, and tapping into current trends, Skip Hop’s marketing manager, Katey Sawyer, highlights a new plush range in the company’s Zoo collection, adding that toy phones also continue to be a popular gift choice, mimicking popular features of the real product. “An example is our new Explore & More selfie phone that has a mirrored front surface so that babies can see themselves,” Katey explains.

With sustainability increasingly upping its game, nursery and children’s giftware continues to be ever more innovative. And best of all, from a gift retailer’s perspective, when it comes to little ones, there’s always something to celebrate making it an all year round best seller.

Continued on page 97

Kids In The Kitchen

Top: Petit Collage’s wooden baby milestone blocks from Wild & Wolf.

Above: Skip Hop’s new Explore & More selfie phone.

Left: keelco toys are 100% recycled. Shown are some of the endangered animals in the collection.

Right: Among Nadiya’s children’s baking sets.

With cookery programmes a staple in the TV schedules, and the Great British Bake Off, and its spin off, Junior Bake Off, among the most popular cookery shows for young and old, a new licensing partnership with Wilton Bradley will see the release of gift-led children’s cooking and baking sets under the Nadiya brand, scheduled for release in Autumn/Winter 2020.

Featuring colourful baking and cooking utensils for children, each set comes with easy to follow recipe cards created by Nadiya from her bestselling Bake Me A Story cookbook, with Nadiya having been closely involved in all stages of product development.

Book It! Story books always make lovely gifts for young children, with David Morris, copywriter & PR executive at Signature Gifts, pointing out that customers are always looking for the most unique children’s gifts, with the company’s personalised books for children in high demand. “Our personalised Peter Rabbit books are as popular as ever as they make lovely nursery gifts, and we also have newer titles, to include our personalised Bible Stories for Children, a book with five of the most famous old testament tales in, alongside beautiful illustrations. It’s a book that’s great as a christening gift, or any other occasion for a young child.”

Right: Personalised Bible Stories from Signature Gifts.

“I love to cook with my family, and I am a true believer in involving children in cooking from a young age, teaching them a valuable skill while enjoying some family time together,” she comments. “I’m proud of what we have created with these sets and excited to think that they may encourage more children start their cookery journey.”

Nadiya will also be posting videos on social media, featuring her showing children how to make the most out of the kits.

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Banging The Drum For Bamboo Greenery and the outdoors were a big trend inspiration in 2019, and with environmentally consciousness an important topic that will carry on into 2020, the influence has not escaped the younger generation, says Puckator’s designer Lauren Billingham. “We can see a big trend in nature, the outdoors and a heavily green colour palette in children’s giftware,” she states. “And with planet saving parents leading the way, we are also seeing a big shift to reusable, eco-friendly products, with Puckator spending the past year focusing on eco conscious gifts.”

Continues Lauren: “Combining the ethos with artwork from our licensing partner Aardman, we are launching an exciting range of kid friendly, planet friendly, Shaun the Sheep giftware.

The range started with a compact children’s water bottle which was complemented with a stacking set of lunch boxes. Both products promote less waste with their reusable features, and both are BPA free.”

New for 2020, Puckator will also be introducing one of its top selling reusable children’s dinner sets featuring Shaun. “With clean white and green colours, it’s ticking all the boxes for 2020’s trends,” points out Lauren. “It’s made from a composite of fast growing, sustainably sourced bamboo, mixed with corn starch and finished with melamine for durability. It’s a much better alternative to disposable tableware.”

Also looking to increasing their bamboo tableware collection for children is Lesser & Pavey, with the company offering a range of bamboo plates, cups, and utensils for children, as well as novel eggcup plates with a matching spoon, divided plates with a matching knife as well as fork, cups and bowls. “The packaging is friendly too and can be recycled,” highlights managing director Julia Hunt.

Above left: Puckator’s Shaun the Sheep giftware.

Right: Bamboo tableware for children from Lesser & Pavey.

Traditional Nostalgia Emphasising the ongoing importance of nostalgia and longevity, Laura Leigh, head of product development at Joe Davies, says the direction for baby product within the gift industry is about taking it back to traditional style gifts.

“Items that evoke and capture memories are an important way to celebrate a new baby. As gifts for this occasion are generally kept for a long time, they also need to look extra special, with neutral colours and silver gifts trending for Spring.

Traditional, pink and blue still feature, but more as a highlight of colour to differentiate between boy and girl,” she points out, adding that stars, moon and hearts are still popular modern icons for baby gifts, as well as the more traditional teddy icon.

Rainbow Designs’ managing director, Anthony Temple, adds that in times of economic uncertainty, people tend to revert back to what they know and trust. “It’s no different in the nursery and early preschool market,” he states.

“Parents and gift buyers are looking for those muchloved and trusted characters and formats that have stood the test of time and enable them to share happy memories and traditional values of their own childhood with their children.

One of our new launches this year has been created with all of these elements at the forefront to create heirlooms for generations to come. The new nostalgic Peter Rabbit Signature Collection is a series of keepsake infant toys including ring rattles, comforters and soft toys that show Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny in their most traditional form.”

Continues Anthony: “This year we will also be celebrating the 65th anniversary of Dick Bruna’s iconic Miffy, with the launch of a new Miffy baby collection in a contemporary navy blue striped pattern, as well as introducing two new Disney collections - Disney Baby My First Classics and Winnie the Pooh A New Adventure.”

At Enesco, marketing director Helen Cottrill says that the company is seeing a continuing trend in licensed product for baby and nursery. “Our Peter Rabbit Baby collection, launched in 2019, has been a huge success and we are adding new formats for 2020. Consumers are still looking for functional gifts, and our award winning animated Gund products continue to be best sellers.”

Top right: Joe Davies’ baby photo frames come in neutral colours.

Above: Enesco’s Peter Rabbit Baby collection.

Left: Helping to reduce waste, Lanke Kade’s new by-product rainbow animal range will be introduced in 2020.

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What’s New Progressive Gifts & Home highlights some of the latest Children's & Nursery gift products to be showcased this month

Over The Moon A new arrival this year from Personalised Memento Company is the new Baby Moon & Back range which makes a great gift to celebrate the arrival of a little one.

With personalisation allowing you to commemorate all the details across a range of baby and nursery products, this range is set to be a firm favourite. See PMC’s website.

PMC Email: sales@personalisedmemento.co.uk Web: www.personalisedmemento.co.uk

Eco Soft Toys keeleco is the new 100% recycled range from Keel Toys, manufactured and stuffed with 100% recycled polyester from plastic waste. Weighted with recycled glass beads, animals from the four corners of the world include Turtle, Sloth, Tiger, Snow Leopard, Panda, Blue Whale, Great Apes and Polar Bear to name a few.100% recycled. 100% huggable.

Keel Toys Tel: 01233 506363 Email: sales@keeltoys.com Web: www.keeltoys.com Spring Fair: Hall 5 Stand E30-F31

Spring Fair: Hall 3 & 3A, Stand E22-F23

Heirlooms Of The Future There will be a host of exciting, new gift collections on display from The Home of Classic Characters at Spring Fair to include the new Peter Rabbit Signature collection. These beautiful keepsake infant toys in ring rattle, comforter and soft toy formats show Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny in their most traditional form, creating

Travel Pillows

heirlooms for generations to come.

Rainbow Designs

Puckator has announced their brand new plush travel pillows from their new

Tel: 01329 227300

Resteazzz line - shortlisted for Gift of the Year - which open to create a travel

Web: www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

pillow and eye mask set. When closed, the pillows are small enough to tuck

Spring Fair: Hall 5. Stand H10-J11

away in a bag, or be carried by eager little hands anxious to use their new cushion, with the pillows providing comfort for heads of all ages.

Puckator Tel: 0800 011 6969 Email: customerservices@puckator.co.uk Web: www.puckator.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand C20-D21

Gifts With Love Posh Paws is taking further steps into the gift industry in 2020 with new ranges not to be missed at Spring Fair. Visitors can meet Bailey Bear, a premium teddy bear from Posh Paws’ brand new Chic & Love collection.

Bailey Bear has been lovingly made from head to paw from the highest quality materials and presented in a hand finished gift box. Adorned with Swarovski crystals, Bailey Bear offers a unique gift giving opportunity to spread a special message. Complete with an exclusive Swarovski hologram, recipients are able to register its authenticity online. Another collection that’s sure to raise a smile is Posh Paws’ new ranges of Love Hearts, including two brand new themes.

Or take a trip to the era of rag dolls with the brand new Ragtales collection of British designed toys.

Posh Paws Tel: 01268 567317 Web: www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 5 Stand 5F24 PROGRESSIVE GIFTS & HOME WORLDWIDE

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The Finalists 2020 Following a ‘live’ judging in mid-January, the Gift of the Year 2020 winners will be revealed at an evening awards ceremony being held on the first night of Spring Fair, Sunday February 2, on the Inspiring Retail Stage.

The finalists in this year’s competition are: BEAUTY, BATH AND SPA l Bathing Beauty: Gift Tin l Danielle: Oil Infused Hair Turbans l Fikkerts: Botanical Range l Kushboo Soaps: Kushboo Soaps BRANDED GIFT l Big Potato Games: Blockbuster l Enesco: Beatrix Potter Baby Collection l My Icon Story: Mr Men Little Miss Love Couples l Wow! Stuff: Harry Potter Invisibility Cloak CARDS AND WRAP l Decorasian: Pyramid Gift Boxes l From You To Me: Wow! You’re...

Birthday Books l James Ellis: Paper Shakies l Wraptious: Sophie Corrigan for Wraptious CHILDREN’S GIFT l Apples To Pears: Build A Bee Hotel l Slipfree: Slipfree Shoes l Squelch Wellies: Squelch Wellies l The Den Kit Co: The British Woodland Den Kit COMMEMORATIVE AND COLLECTABLE l A Year of Dates: Things To Do When You Are… l Moocow Studios: VE Day 75th Anniversary l Professor Puzzle: Sherlock Holmes - The Case of the Priceless Coin l Woohooyoo: Woohooyoo CONTEMPORARY GIFT l A Year of Dates: New Parents Date Box l Nobile Glassware: Ice and Slice l Stone: Squireme l Talking Tables: Host your own Escape Room Below: The judges are shown browsing the shortlisted products.

Queen of Hearts Croquet l Squelch Wellies: Squelch Wellies l The Great British Card Co: Year in the

Garden - Garden Planner

DESIGN AND CRAFT l Berserks Glass: Pocket Hearts l Banjo Robinson: Banjo Robinson l Clockwork Soldier: Citygami Berlin l The Crafty Kit Company: Baby Bunny Needle Felting Kit

GIFT FOOD l COCO Chocolatier: Twelve Bar Collection l Tom Savano Cocktails: Devon Coastal Negroni l Ross and Ross Gifts: Veggie Roast Dinner Kit l Spice Kitchen: Gin Botanicals Tin With Silk Sari Wrap

ETHICAL GIFT l Milly Green Designs: Planet Happy Giftware Range l Playpress Toys: Space Station l Stib: Children’s Earth Lover Beeswax Wraps l Tikiri: Tikiri

HOME ACCESSORY l Aery: Orbital Candle Holder l Flaty: Handmade Flat Candles l Parlane International: Leopard Pot Hanger l Wraptious: Anatomy Vegan Suede Cushions by Sophie Corrigan

FASHION ACCESSORY l My Gifts Trade: Yvonne Ellen Eclectic Glamour Beauty Range l Peace of Mind.925: PoM Recycled Polyester Scarves l Sock Academy: Donuts l Squelch Wellies: Squelch Wellies

HOME FRAGRANCE l Aery: Aromatherapy Collection l Europium World: Olly l Purbeck Candles: Aromatherapy Range Blend No. 5 l Wax Lyrical: Yvonne Ellen Stacking Candles

FASHION JEWELLERY l Billys Beach Hut: Isla Jewellery Range l Carrie Elspeth: Spring Millefiori l Life Charms: Rosey Rabbits l Shrieking Violet: Heart Chain Bracelets with Real Flower Charm FESTIVE AND OCCASIONAL l 1 Tree Cards: Tree Planting Cards - Tree Wishes Festive Box l Talking Tables: BoHo Bride Activity Book l The Lagoon Group: Plasticine Christmas Advent Calendar l Wrendale Designs: Christmas Planner GARDEN AND OUTDOOR l Personalised Memento Company: Personalised Garden Printed Hanging Slate Plaque l Professor Puzzle: Wonderland Games

HOT NOVELTY l Bubblegum Stuff: Vegan Not Vegan l Puckator: Resteazzz l The Somerset Toiletry Co: Bubble Bath & Bubble Blowing l WITH Creative: Animal Suitcases KITCHEN AND DINING l Clayspoon: Wonki Ware l Iona Buchanan: Bread Warmer l Stone: W&P Porter Seal Tight Containers l Whispers of Wood: Wooden Bladed Cheese Knife PET GIFT l Apples To Pears: Dog Lovers Gift Range l HayPigs!: The Haypigs! Guinea Pig Circus Range l Norfolk Industries for Disabled People: Colour in Animal Houses l Wren & Rye: BowDangle STATIONERY l Busy Bee: Busy Life Planner l Hello Day: Sakana Daily Planner l Thinking Gifts: Pen Bookmark l Wild & Wolf: Yes Studio Stationery Collection UNDER £10 l Best Years: Fair Trade Vegetable Rattles l History Heroes: Art Game l My Little World: Airport l Sock Academy: Mini Me Left: Sarah Ward, ceo of The Giftware Association.

Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide

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Bread Warmers - a brilliant new idea in home hospitality

Inspired homewares Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand 4H109

ionabuchanan.com

A fragrant blend of tandoori spices. Perfect to dust over root veg, cauliflower, broccoli and sprouts

Roast Potato Oil. Rich in umami flavours and makes the crispiest roast potatoes

A sweet, smoky & spicy rub. Great used on roasted sweet potato, squash and jackfruit. Great added in a Nut Roast

A fragrant Umami seasoning. Use instead of salt and add into sauces, salads, potatoes and vegan yorkies

Handmade British Food & Gifts For further information about our Food Gifting ranges: orders@rossandrossgifts.co.uk or 01386 291004

PERSONALISED SLATE GARDEN PLAQUE GARDEN AND OUTDOOR 2020

CARDS THAT PLANT TREES! PERSONALISED WOODEN SOFA TRAY HOME ACCESSORY 2020

SPRING FAIR HALL 3 E22-F23 sales @ personalisedmemento.co.uk

www.personalisedmemento.co.uk

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HALL 2 - STAND 2E65 @ SPRING FAIR

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non-slip shoes for beach, pool & home

Helps prevent slips on wet & dry surfaces Protects feet on hot sand & floors Light, flexible and comfortable Easy to swim in

pa p er shak es ® Plastic free 100% recyclable

jamesellis www.jamesellis.com | 0117 927 7667 | info@jamesellis.com

Sun safe UPF 50+

• SWIMMING POOL • BEACH • SEA • INDOOR FLOORS • GARDEN • BATHROOM

Come and see our 2020 collection and NEW matching swimwear at Spring Fair!

Hall 5 - Stand 5M27 February 2nd-6th 2020.

www.iloveslipfree.co.uk

@slipfreeuk

CONTACT INFO : 0800 011 6969 customerservices@puckator.co.uk www.puckator.co.uk

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www.ayearofdates.co.uk

Thoughtful gifts for every occasion

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What’s New A selection of products launching at Spring Fair 2-6 Feb, NEC Birmingham

VE Day 75th Anniversary 'VE Day 75th Anniversary’ is an informative mug on Dunoon’s oversized Glencoe shape, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the end of WW2 in Europe on the 8 May, 1945. This colourful

Bright And Beautiful

mug features information and images and includes

‘Whoops!’ on Dunoon’s Cairngorm shape is a set of three designs featuring

a timeline relating to the period up to and including

bold expressive splashes of colourful watercolour. Shown here is the mixed

that historic day. Designed and beautifully Illustrated

colour version which is bright and fun and bound to lighten up the kitchen.

by Caroline Dadd. Made in fine bone china and

The mug also shows the translucency of Dunoon’s fine bone china.

handcrafted in Staffordshire, England.

Designed by Caroline Bessey and handcrafted in Staffordshire, England.

Dunoon

Dunoon

Tel: 01785 817414

Tel: 01785 817414

Email: sales@dunoonmugs.co.uk

Email: sales@dunoonmugs.co.uk

Web: www.dunoonmugs.co.uk

Web: www.dunoonmugs.co.uk

Spring Fair: Hall 8 Stand F24

Spring Fair: Hall 8 Stand F24

Ambiente: Hall 4.2 Stand E22

Ambiente: Hall 4.2 Stand E22

Striking Designs Introducing the new William Morris range that captures the original designs, class and quality of the artwork, presenting illustrations in practical forms for the home. On show to buyers at Spring Fair, Hall 3, stand N20-P21, this new range Compton, with its dark blue background and baby blue leaf design, surrounds new ranges of tinware, fine ceramics and environmentally friendly bamboo items. Golden Lily, with its striking red and blue colouring, will also be launched this Spring.

Lesser & Pavey Tel: 01322 279225 Email: sales@leonardo.co.uk Web: www.leonardo.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 3 Stand N20-P21

Blue & White Inspiration On Delft Blue, Clive Glover has taken inspiration from blue and white designs from Delft in Holland and created a stylised floral pattern using shades of blue, and has incorporated 22 carat metallic gold giving the design a sumptuous quality. On Tivoli he has used gold lined intricate white flowers which sit on a bold, turquoise background. Both are on Dunoon’s popular Skye shape. Made in fine bone china and handcrafted in Staffordshire, England.

Dunoon Tel: 01785 817414 Email: sales@dunoonmugs.co.uk Web: www.dunoonmugs.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 8 Stand F24 Ambiente: Hall 4.2 Stand E22

Bath, Body & Candle The new Naked Bee gifting range includes an everyday facial travel kit, with nine more Faith in Nature bath and body lines introduced by Xystos at Spring Fair. The new fragrances from Grace Cole’s Signature Collection of candles and reed diffusers are White Nectarine and Pear, Wild Fig & Pink Cedar, Nectarine Blossom & Grapefruit, and Vanilla Blush & Peony (pictured). Their Fruit Works pampering ranges will also feature, along with the Luxury Bathing Company’s Pink Peony & Vetiver; Lavender; Bergamot, Ginger & Lemongrass; English Pear; the Homme range, and Glitter Fairies.

Xystos Tel: 0191 499 1570 Email: sales@xystos.co.uk Web: www.xystostrade.co.uk Spring Fair: Stand 3A20-B21

PROGRESSIVE GIFTS & HOME WORLDWIDE

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SPRING FAIR NEC 2 nd - 6 t h Fe b r ua r y

HALL 1 STAND F32-G33 SEAGEMS.CO.UK T: +44( 0)17 3 6 3 3 5 8 4 0 E : s a l e s @ s e a ge m s . c o . u k © A ll desig n s prot ected by Sea Gem s C opyri ght & D e s i gn R i ght .

NEW

Find Lagoon at Spring Fair Hall 4, Stand D90-E91 www.thelagoongroup.com

MINIMA Miniature Works of Art

Only £27 retail Gift boxed

Various animals to choose from.

Visit our stand and see Sparky our new Cockapoo about to meet his new club mates.

These exclusive and innovative Dog creations continue to outsell all our predictions. Available in normal ‘Doggy’ sizes they also are included with other animals in our MINIMA collection - miniature works of art retailing at only £27 and gift boxed! AND even more a range of perfect small animals and African women and children in pure bronze made using the centuries old lost wax method. We are very excited by these so please stop by and take a look.

+44 (0)1666 577110

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www.frithsculpture.co.uk

SPRING FAIR Hall 3, Stand D32 AMBIENTE 9.1 B47

/frithsculpture

MADE IN BRITAIN

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What’s New A selection of products launching at Spring Fair 2-6 Feb, NEC Birmingham

Exclusive Star Wars Giftware Star Wars Episode IX, one of the most eagerlyanticipated movies in history, capped off the Skywalker saga after decades of onscreen storytelling, with Groovy UK’s unique Star Wars collection including the Jedi outfit robe, a Darth and Storm range and a new on trend graphic Death Star

Celebrating Wonder Woman

robe and slippers. The company designs and

On trend gold and animal print

manufactures unique gift lines including bathrobes,

feature in the new Wonder Woman 84 film, with Groovy

slippers, lighting, bags, accessories and homeware.

extending their current WW range to include the new ‘1984’

To see the full range visit: www.groovyuk.com.

inspiration with an iridescent bathrobe, slipper and bag

Groovy UK

collection. Bags include the on trend ‘bum’ bag, backpack,

Tel: 0116 23911

purse, washbag and cosmetic bags. All come with custom

Email: Hello@GroovyUK.com

made WW zip pulls and mini whip tassels.

Web: WWW.GroovyUK.com

Groovy UK

Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand C50- D51

Tel: 0116 23911 Email: Hello@GroovyUK.com Web: WWW.GroovyUK.com Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand C50- D51

Planet Bath Fizzer

Dining Alfresco

This Down To Earth bath bomb from Yes Studio is out of this

Take your culinary skills on the go with this functional 9-in-1 Alfresco multi-tool from Wild &

world! You'll have stars in your eyes after using this vegan

Wolf. Featuring a beechwood casing with trendy navy and yellow accents, it has nine

friendly bath bomb for a galactically good bathtime. A down to

stainless steel tools including corkscrew, cheese grater, peeler, serrated knife, spoon, fork,

earth mix of fresh, floral and tropical notes around a pear

paring knife, bottle opener and can opener. It's everything you need to whip up a

scented core, it’s packaged in 96% recyclable packaging. Gift it

delicious meal whether you're travelling, camping or at home.

to a girlfriend or keep it for yourself!

Wild & Wolf

Wild & Wolf

Tel: 01225 789 909

Tel: 01225 789 909

Email: ales@wildandwolf.com

Email: sales@wildandwolf.com

Web: www.wildandwolf-tradeshop.co.uk

Web: www.wildandwolf-tradeshop.co.uk

Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand D22-E23

Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand D22-E23

Super Cute Sparky Frith Sculpture-Blue Poppy Art are adding Sparky, another charming little Cockapoo sculpture to their collection. Managing director David Wilkinson says: “we have been making Frith for over 25 years and have never sold so many of any one product in a year. In 2019, three of our existing Cockapoo collection exceeded our record.” Many other new designs are being introduced by Frith in 2020 including exclusive solid bronze models.

Blue Poppy Art Tel: 01666 577110 Email: sales@bluepoppyart.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 3 Stand D32

African Artisans For the first time at Spring Fair, Blue Poppy Art – manufacturers of Frith Sculpture - is introducing incredible bronze sculptures from the African country of Burkina Faso. Manufactured by a small group of artisans there are many exciting and innovative designs to choose from, and although they are solid bronze, prices are reasonable. Blue Poppy is pleased to support this enterprising co-operative in a small way, helping to improve the economy of the area.

Frith Sculpture Tel: 01666 577110 Email: sales@bluepoppyart.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 3 Stand D32 PROGRESSIVE GIFTS & HOME WORLDWIDE

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The Walking Stick Specialists

SPRING FAIR NEC 2 nd - 6 t h Fe b r ua r y

HALL 1 STAND F32-G33 SEAGEMS.CO.UK

Visit us at the Spring Fair: Stand 1N22-P23 or please contact us for a trade catalogue:

T: +44( 0)17 3 6 3 3 5 8 4 0 E : s a l e s @ s e a ge m s . c o . u k

Tel 01460 75686 www.classiccanes.co.uk

Š A ll desig n s protected by Sea Gem s C opyri ght & D e s i gn R i ght .

Made in Italy

crafted from the finest leather Classic Canes_QPV.indd 1

Available exclusively in the UK with

15/01/2020 15:06

Music Gifts Credit Card Cases Passport Holders Luggage Tags Make-up Cases Shoulder Bags Bracelets Keyrings

To celebrate our 25th birthday, there is 10% discount off orders placed at Spring Fair - please quote Progressive Gifts (exclusions apply)

UK Launch at

Spring Fair Celebrating 25 years, established 1995.

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musicgifts.co.uk

Hall 4 Stand B72 enquiries@musicgifts.co.uk

01202 57 00 57

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What’s New A selection of products launching at Spring Fair 2-6 Feb, NEC Birmingham

Diverse New Sculptures 2019 was another fantastic year for Edge Sculpture. The market appreciation for the entire portfolio was pursued with energy and an appreciation that was nothing short of breathtaking, prompting investment in our production team from casters to fettlers, to painters and packers. This

Life In The Country

stokes the fire of motivation to continue to create, sculpt

Lesser & Pavey introduces a new Jennifer Rose range that captures

and release even more diverse pieces that serves to

the uniqueness of nature and wildlife through art, which will be on

maintain Edge's unique style of work. Going forward into

show to buyers at Spring Fair. Country Life is a range of 12 mugs,

2020, we have been sculpting some superb new

featuring illustrations by Jennifer Rose, depicting ladybird bugs,

subjects for Spring Fair, with a giraffe bust, angel bust and Tutankhamun just a teaser of what to expect when you visit our new

hedgehogs, a barn owl, highland cow, fox, hares, kingfisher and

Edge Sculpture

more, on fine Cambridge shape mugs that are individually boxed.

Lesser & Pavey Tel: 01322 279225

Tel: 01952 884804

Email: sales@leonardo.co.uk

Email: sales@edgesculpture.com

Web: www.leonardo.co.uk

Web: www.edgesculpture.com

Spring Fair: Hall 3 stand N20-P21

stand location in what promises to be an exciting Spring Fair!

Spring Fair: Hall 20 & 19 Stand 19E30-F31

Wild About Wildlife Winter Forest are hand painted watercolours featuring animals you might see in a countryside garden - a deer, fox, rabbit, pheasant and squirrel - on a clean white background with a scattering of natural branches. The images are depicted on the fine ceramics and homewares in this new range to include sets of fine mugs, single mugs, melamine trays of various sizes and other homewares items, such as individual coasters and placemats, jugs, a chopping board and much more.

Lesser & Pavey Tel: 01322 279225 Email: sales@leonardo.co.uk Web: www.leonardo.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 3 stand N20-P21

Seagrass Baskets Namaste have a fab new collection of home accessories, gifts and soft furnishings for Spring/Summer. Their new basket collection has everything - colourful pom poms, tonal hanging tassels, bright checks and a more subtle zig zag weave. All are folding rice basket style, made from sustainable fast growing seagrass, hand woven by skilled artisans. We have a big focus on recycled, eco-friendly, sustainable materials and upcycled products, and everything is produced on a fair trade basis.

Namaste Tel: 01756 700790 Email: sales@namaste-uk.com Web: www.namaste-uk.com Spring Fair: Hall 4, Stand C91

Festive 2020 Tableware New for Christmas 2020 is the MacNeil Studio range which will be unveiled to buyers at Spring Fair. The range features many favourites including sets of fine mugs, single mugs, melamine trays of various sizes, individual coasters, placemats, jugs and much more. The MacNeil Studio ranges feature all of the quality classic ceramic and kitchen items that make for a comprehensive Christmas array of products.

Lesser & Pavey Tel: 01322 279225 Email: sales@leonardo.co.uk Web: www.leonardo.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 3 stand N20-P21 PROGRESSIVE GIFTS & HOME WORLDWIDE

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SPRING FAIR NEC 2 nd - 6 t h Fe b r u a r y

HALL 1 STAND F32-G33 SEAGEMS.CO.UK T: +44( 0)17 3 6 3 3 5 8 4 0 E : s a l e s @ s e a ge m s . c o . u k

The widest range of

personalised gifts available.

WHY NOT VISIT OUR SHOWROOM? B O O K A N A PPO I N T M E N T TO DAY !

Call 03300 669 300 (option 2) or e-mail info@signature-pg.co.uk

© A ll desig n s prot ected by Sea Gem s C opyri ght & D e s i gn R i ght .

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What’s New A selection of products launching at Spring Fair 2-6 Feb, NEC Birmingham

Calming Coastal Parlane’s latest Coastal Living collection is full of distressed finishes that conjure up ideas of windswept seashores. Packed with salvaged pine and organic shapes, this collection keeps you in

A Whole New World

touch with nature and the ocean. It has a calming

Enesco has launched Disney Aladdin-themed kitchen pieces in its Disney

classic blue and white colour combination and a

ceramics collection to include the Sultan’s Palace cookie jar, a replica of the

relaxed, gentle style dotted with friendly octopus,

iconic building from the 1993 original animated classic. Standing at 28.0cm

characterful whales and quirky lighthouses.

tall, it features grand pillars of creams and golds. The towers of the Palace lift

Parlane

off to reveal an opening to stow away sweet treats. The cookie jar retails with

Tel: 01451 812700

an SRP of £85.00.

Email: sales@parlane.co.uk

Enesco

Web: www.parlane.co.uk

Tel: 01228 404022

Spring Fair: Hall 20 Stand C20-D21

Email: uksales@enesco.co.uk Web: www.enesco.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 3 Stand C20-D21

Wizard Collectables

Collectable Mugs

Enesco is proud to

Our Name is Mud’s range of on trend mugs feature

partner with Warner

lively colours and quirky sayings, as well as quality

Bros. Consumer

sculpted handles taking design inspiration from the

Products to present its

theme of each piece. Each mug in the brand new

latest Wizarding World

collection holds 454ml, retails with a SRP of £12.00,

additions to its growing

and is presented in a gift box, making the mugs the

Department 56

ideal gift or self-purchase.

collection. Expanding the

Enesco

Harry Potter Village range,

Tel: 01228 404022

Enesco is introducing

Email: uksales@enesco.co.uk

Gringotts Bank and the

Web: www.enesco.co.uk

Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon figurines. Enesco has also unveiled a

Spring Fair: Hall 3 Stand C20-D21

unique interpretation of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

All pieces are intended to be a collectors’ items and are not toys.

Loft Living

Enesco

Parlane’s new Loft Living concept speaks of statement wall art, contemporary

Tel: 01228 404022

furniture and industrial style lighting, softened with rugs, cushions and curvy

Email: uksales@enesco.co.uk

accessories in a striking black and white combination. The easy

Web: www.enesco.co.uk

monochrome palette is punctuated by flashes of feathery greenery, firmly

Spring Fair: Hall 3 Stand C20-D21

establishing this look into modern day living. This clean and calm style is for those who like bold statements and a pared-back approach.

Parlane

Mug of the Year

Tel: 01451 812700

The Mug of the Year for 2020

Email: sales@parlane.co.uk

features the ever-popular character

Web: www.parlane.co.uk

Jemima Puddle-Duck. The bone

Spring Fair: Hall 20 Stand C20-D21

china mug is rimmed with gold, with the same special feature highlighted throughout other elements of the design on the flowers surrounding Jemima. In this new collectable initiative, the mug measures 9.5cm, and is presented in a full colour box with gold accents, and retails with an SRP of £15.00.

Enesco Tel: 01228 404022 Email: uksales@enesco.co.uk Web: www.enesco.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 3 Stand C20-D21

PROGRESSIVE GIFTS & HOME WORLDWIDE

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www..lifecharms.co.uk

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What’s New A selection of products launching at Spring Fair 2-6 Feb, NEC Birmingham VW Licence Puckator is proud to be working with the Volkswagen license, launching a large range of brand new products in Spring 2020, with the company hoping to attract die hard camper van fans with a traditional design, and to dazzle bohemian fans with fun floral and surfing based designs. Both designs appear on a wide variety of products including Puckator’s popular reusable eco tableware.

Feline Calm Tail in a twist? Being a bit of a sourpuss? Get your paws on this Kalma Kitty and say goodbye to your stress and hello to feline calm!

This fun, cat-themed stress toy is made out of durable, squishy material, so when you’re feeling grouchy you can squeeze, tug and dig your claws in. Complete with bright yet relaxing gift packaging, this cute, novelty squishy makes a purr-fect gift.

Boxer Gifts Tel: 01133 955 595

Puckator

Email: sales@boxergifts.com

Tel: 0800 011 6969 Email: customerservices@puckator.co.uk Web: www.puckator.co.uk

Web: www.boxerwholesale.com Spring Fair: Hall 5 Stand A10-B11

Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand C20-D21

WiFi Ransom Board Hold the wi-fi to ransom with this hilarious yet stylish novelty to-do list board. Complete with a white chalk marker and decorative white text, this chalkboard ransom sign can be wiped and reused every time you need to change the password. This fun, classy sign will look great in any room, and will bring motivation (and fear) to all tech-addicted teens and adults alike.

Boxer Gifts Tel: 01133 955 595 Email: sales@boxergifts.com Web: www.boxerwholesale.com Spring Fair: Hall 5 Stand A10-B11

Crystal Classic First the idea. Then the work. Finally the sample. And you realise ‘this is beautiful – it’s going to be hugely popular!’ And so it has proved. Our crafts people have been working flat out on this gem. Embellished with jewellery quality crystals from Swarovski. Boxes available. See them on our biggest stand ever at Spring Fair.

Wild Things Tel: 01392 211268 Email: sales@wildthingsgifts.com Web: www.wildthingsgifts.com Spring Fair: Hall 3/3A Stand J30-K31

Birthstone Gems Launched at Autumn Fair, the overwhelming success of these little gems took us totally by surprise! Available in the 12 different birthstone colours, made here in the UK and embellished with crystals from Swarovski.

Wild Things Tel: 01392 211268 Email: sales@wildthingsgifts.com Web: www.wildthingsgifts.com Spring Fair: Hall 3/3A Stand J30-K31

Lucky Cats Who’s hoping for a lucky 2020? Puckator sure are with their brand new Maneki Neko Lucky Cat range. The main white cat is joined by boldly coloured red, gold and black friends, each of which represents a different aspect of luck to its owner. Check out Puckator’s latest range to find out what each lucky cat could bring to your store.

Puckator Tel: 0800 011 6969 Email: customerservices@puckator.co.uk Web: www.puckator.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand C20-D21

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0800 011 6969 customerservices@puckator.co.uk www.puckator.co.uk

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What’s New A selection of products launching at Spring Fair 2-6 Feb, NEC Birmingham

Faux Plant Collection Candlelight’s new Flower Patch collection features a large range of faux florals, succulents and mixed leaves presented in a huge array of different pots, bowls, bottles and containers, including glass, ceramic, concrete look and wood, covering a large range of looks and styles. The gorgeous collection includes stylish orchids in lush metallic glass planters, through to urban aloe vera leaves in embossed, patterned ceramic pots.

Candlelight Tel: 01709 723000 Email: sales@candlelight.co.uk Web: www.candlelight.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 3 Stand H20-J21

Making A Statement Animal Luxe is an opulent collection of candles and fragrances extending to exotic mugs and beautiful dining pieces. It’s an exciting, luxurious range with black detail and strong gold metallic accents, along with stylish animal print patterns and quirky tiger shaped ceramics. It exudes glamour and confidence and is a strong statement range for 2020.

Candlelight Tel: 01709 723000 Email: sales@candlelight.co.uk Web: www.candlelight.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 3 Stand H20-J21

Occasional Tables Candlelight’s new range of alluring, voguish occasional tables include quirky parrot, buddha and monkey designs. There is an opulent gold colonial finish and a slick, modern silver tone, but for a pared back, natural look, the

Eclectic Mix

collection includes simple but beautiful white pieces. It’s the perfect

The Candlelight Chinoiserie collection

conversational piece of furniture showing tasteful personality.

embraces an eclectic mix of beautifully

Candlelight

painted birds, flowers and exotic leaves

Tel: 01709 723000

across candles, diffusers and fragrance. The

Email: sales@candlelight.co.uk

range also includes stylish footed mugs

Web: www.candlelight.co.uk

with deco look gold detail.

Spring Fair: Hall 3 Stand H20-J21

Candlelight Tel: 01709 723000 Email: sales@candlelight.co.uk Web: www.candlelight.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 3 Stand H20-J21

Pocket Sized Notebooks New for 2020 from Belly Button Designs, pocket sized notebooks, 105 mm x 148 mm. Design-led, yet practical and functional with a hard-back cover and 192 ruled pages. Printed on FSC certified paper and board means this petite creation promotes responsible management of the world’s forest. A great size to slip into a handbag or pocket.

Belly Button Designs Tel: 0161 902 0200 Email: sales@bellybuttondesigns.com Web: www.bellybuttonbubble.com Spring Fair: Hall 2 Stand G10

Stationery Packs Key designs feature on social stationery, notelet card packs and gift wallets for full coordination with our greeting and giftware collections. Packaged in a new and innovative way to reduce plastic to create perfect products that are fully considered. Printed on FSC certified paper and board for eco minded purchasers. When more than a group chat is needed, we provide the means to say it in style.

Belly Button Designs Tel: 0161 902 0200 Email: sales@bellybuttondesigns.com Web: www.bellybuttontradeshop.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 2 Stand G10 PROGRESSIVE GIFTS & HOME WORLDWIDE

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Spring/Summer 2020 Spring into our brightest collection yet.

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Design-Led Gifts.

Visit us at Spring Fair NEC, Birmingham 2nd-6th February Hall 4, Stand D22-E23 sales@wildandwolf.com wildandwolf-tradeshop.co.uk

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What’s New A selection of products launching at Spring Fair 2-6 Feb, NEC Birmingham

Contemporary Vases For Spring/Summer, Joe Davies has introduced a stunning range of Geo Decor style vases.

Available in different sizes, they are teamed with a tea light holder and a decorative table orb. The vases make a striking contrast with the shiny silver and pewter grey colour palette, with the range

Thoughtful Words

opulent and modern, making perfect decorative

Exciting new designs have been added to the best selling

centrepieces for any home.

Thoughtful Words collection from Joe Davies, with the introduction

Joe Davies

of specially designed Mother’s Day items to sit with the Thoughtful

Tel: 0161 975 6300

Words original range. They have been designed to fit on one side

Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk

of the original spinner to complement the rest of the range but

Web: www.joedavies.co.uk

they can also be displayed as a stand alone concept.

Spring Fair: Spring Fair: Hall 3, K20/L21

Joe Davies Tel: 0161 975 6300 Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk Web: www.joedavies.co.uk Spring Fair: Spring Fair: Hall 3, K20/L21

Italian Leather Spring Fair 2020 sees the launch of a new collection of Italian leather gifts distributed exclusively by The Music Gifts Company. "For the first time in our history we are importing directly from the makers, offering a unique collection of gifts which are crafted from finest Italian leather.” As part of the company’s 25th birthday celebrations, there is 10% off orders placed at Spring Fair (exclusions apply).

The Music Gifts Company Tel: 01202 57 00 57 Email: orders@musicgifts.co.uk Web: www.musicgifts.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand B72

Test Your Knowledge Get back to the classics with Paladone’s ‘90s inspired Disney trivia quiz which includes 100 questions from the golden age of Disney films – think Aladdin, Mulan, The Lion King, 101 Dalmatians, The Little Mermaid and many more. It includes 50x quiz cards in the style of an VHS, 1x instruction card and full gameplay instructions.

Paladone Tel: 01273 230037 Email: info@paladone.com Web: paladone.com Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand E51-F51

Friends Colour Change Umbrella Could I be any dryer?! Paladone’s foldaway umbrella is a great, useful gift for fans of Friends, possibly the biggest sit-com of all time, featuring a white silhouette of the iconic New York skyline which, when wet, subtly changes colour to reveal the detail of the buildings. The umbrella comes with a matching cover and wrist strap.

Paladone

Etched Enamelled Bowls

Tel: 01273 230037

Namaste have a great new collection of home accessories, gifts and soft

Email: info@paladone.com

furnishings for Spring/Summer. The base metal used for these bowls is

Web: paladone.com

iron, which are hand-crafted on a fair trade basis in Moradabad, India. We

Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand E51-F51

would love you see our collection, as we have a big focus on recycled, eco-friendly, sustainable materials, as well as upcycled products. And, of course, everything is produced on a fair trade basis.

Namaste Tel: 01756 700790 Email: sales@namaste-uk.com Web: www.namaste-uk.com Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand C91

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www.enesco.co.uk ENESCO LIMITED, Brunthill Road, Kingstown, Carlisle, Cumbria, England, CA3 0EN. UK Customer Services Telephone: 01228 404022 Email: trade@enesco.co.uk Overseas Customer Services Telephone: +44 1228 404066 Email: eurosales@enesco.co.uk

International Spring Fair

NEC, Birmingham, 2nd — 6th February Hall 3, stands C20/D21 & D20.

Ambiente

Frankfurt 7th — 11th February Hall 11.1, stand E97

© Disney © Miss Mindy

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What’s New A selection of products launching at Spring Fair 2-6 Feb, NEC Birmingham Mind, Body & Soul Spring Fair will see the introduction of more on-the-go items from Built. New for 2020 is minimal 100% plastic free, recyclable card packaging features throughout. For the mind, body and soul, Built Mindful is a range inspired by soothing, intimate pastels and warm, earthy tones which provides a colour palette that has a trans-seasonal and gender-neutral appeal.

KitchenCraft Tel: 0121 604 1111 Email: sales@kitchencraft.co.uk Web: www.kitchencraft.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 8, Stand 7B31

Children’s Roll Wrap Our new Paper Salad range increases our juvenile offering with even more choice - neon pink princess tutus, roaring dinosaurs and a bus full of animals! All have matching flat wraps and we have a pink and blue Play Bus roll which can be purchased as part of our children’s roll wrap collection.

Glick Tel: 01274 655980 Email: sales@glick.co.uk Web: www.glick.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 2, Stand F50-G51

Embossed Gift Bags We’re adding to our top selling, Henries Award winning range by Paper Salad with a collection of bags which are all embossed with gold foiling. Our best seller from 2019 were the blue balloons bags, so we’ve added a pink version. All have matching flat wraps with gold foiling.

Glick Tel: 01274 655980 Email: sales@glick.co.uk Web: www.glick.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 2, Stand F50-G51

Brilliant Bamboo Sustainability will feature centre stage on the KitchenCraft stand at Spring Fair with the unveiling of the company’s SS20 collection. A colourful range of reusable bamboo mugs have been designed in the UK featuring every letter of the alphabet. They come in four lively colours and, for retail impact, a rotating merchandiser is available holding over 100 mugs .

KitchenCraft Tel: 0121 604 1111 Email: sales@kitchencraft.co.uk Web: www.kitchencraft.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 8, Stand 7B31

Gifts For Animal Lovers Royal Worcester Wrendale Designs welcomes a selection of exciting new designs by Hannah Dale for 2020. A collection featuring illustrations of vibrant sea creatures on mugs and travel mugs has been added to its extensive line of giftware, along with additional items to its tableware

250th Anniversary As Spode celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, we invite you to delve into Spode’s rich history with the new Heritage collection

collection and a range of textiles for the kitchen. There is also a new collection of glassware featuring charming animal

archive from the 19th century, showcased in a black and white

illustrations.

Portmeirion Group Tel: 01782 744721

colour palette. Welcome the exquisitely detailed designs of

Email: homesales@portmeiriongroup.com

Spode’s Heritage collection and celebrate Spode’s 250th

Web: www.portmeiriongroup.com

anniversary with key pieces perfect for gifting.

Spring Fair: Hall 8, Stand 8A60-B61

which features a medley of patterns taken from Spode’s design

Portmeirion Tel: 01782 744721 Email: homesales@portmeiriongroup.com Web: www.portmeiriongroup.com Spring Fair: xHall 8, Stand 8A60-B61

PROGRESSIVE GIFTS & HOME WORLDWIDE

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SPRING INTO SS20 three fabulous new gift stories, five new product categories, five fantastic card ranges, plus lots more!

If you missed us at Top Drawer you can still order via your agent, online or over the phone! info@carolinegardner.com tel: 020 8288 9696 www.carolinegardner.com

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What’s New A selection of products launching at Spring Fair 2-6 Feb, NEC Birmingham

Mix ‘n’ Match Voysey’s Nature Kingdom collection will make its debut at Spring Fair as part of KitchenCraft’s 2020 tableware and gift

Brand New

launch. The versatile collection of mix-

Aardman Animations and Start Licensing are working with

and-match bowls, small plates and

several gift licensees who are developing new products that

mugs features four fun patterns and

will be showcased at Spring Fair. Puckator have developed a

colourful touches.

KitchenCraft Tel: 0121 604 1111

new range of Shaun the Sheep products adding to existing

Email: sales@kitchencraft.co.uk

Start Licensing

Web: www.kitchencraft.co.uk

Tel: 0208 337 7958

Spring Fair: Hall 8 Stand 7B31

Email: ian@startlicensing.co.uk

products such as Solar Pals, while Half Moon Bay have created a range of gifting items.

Puckator can be found at Hall 4 Stand: 4C20-D21

Wise Choice Wise Wings is a collection of decorative, contemporary owl designs accompanied by a meaningful quote of wisdom. Every beautifully packaged owl has a unique and colourful design making it the perfect gift for a friend or loved one to guide and inspire through life’s journey.

Gaeltag Tel: 0208 998 1781 Email: sales@gaeltag.com Web: www.gaeltagkeltika.com Spring Fair: Hall 3 Stand Q01

Kids In The Kitchen Nadiya Hussain has announced a new licensing deal with Wilton Bradley which sees the release of children's cooking and baking sets for AW20. Featuring a host of colourful baking and cooking utensils for kids, each set comes with recipe cards created by Nadiya from her bestselling Bake Me a Story cookbook series.

Start Licensing Tel: 0208 337 7958 Email: ian@startlicensing.co.uk / scott.decker@wiltonbradley.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 5 Stand 5K10-L11

Precious Metal Jewellery Whether it’s silver, gold or rose gold, Personalised Memento Company’s personalised precious metal jewellery is sure to suit. With a wide range of styles to choose from – all available to be personalised - PMC supply gifts for all occasions. Fast turnaround, dropship services and a diverse range of products make them the front runner in personalised gifts.

PMC Tel: sales@personalisedmemento.co.uk Web: www.personalisedmemento.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 3 & 3A Stand E22-F23 PROGRESSIVE GIFTS & HOME WORLDWIDE

121

FRESH FACED

SPRING FAIR HALL 4 STAND E81

HYDRATING FACEMASK

(01242) 250 653 | enquiries@ladedaliving.co.uk | www.trade.ladedaliving.co.uk

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What’s New Progressive Gifts & Home highlights some of the latest gift products to be showcased this month

London Destinations New for SS20 we have launched lots of lovely gifts in the three new-look ranges, each named after our favourite London destinations: Marylebone, Carnaby St and Primrose Hill. We have added new colourways and prints in our bestselling gift products such as the key rings, hairbands and pocket mirrors to name a few. We've introduced more of our signature heart print, a multi-coloured glitter finish and a new Caroline Gardner floral. There are lots of summery bold colours adorning new items such as wellbeing

Pebble Art

journals, earrings and mini jewellery boxes. All can

Combining our best-selling Pebble art

be found online.

collection with stunning silver foiling detail,

Caroline Gardner Tel: 0208 288 9696 Email: info@carolinegardner.com Web: www.carolinegardner.com

we’ve taken this collection to the next level with a clean, contemporary take on the fun, loving sentiment of each design. With a full collection on offer covering all the main occasions, this range works successfully as a gift and home collection in-store and online.

See the entire range at Spring Fair.

La de da Living Tel: 01242 250 653 Email: enquiries@ladedaliving.co.uk Web: www.trade.ladedaliving.co.uk Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand E81

Roar-some Gifts For fans of the Jurassic World films, terrify and amuse your friends and family with a T-Rex

Stirring Stuff As seen in Liberty of London, our award winning cutlery is still causing a stir ten years on! With all occasions covered throughout the year, along with the option of offering personalisation in-store, this collection is truly unique. See the entire range at Spring Fair.

La de da Living Tel: 01242 250 653 Email: enquiries@ladedaliving.co.uk Web: www.trade.ladedaliving.co.uk

cup of tea. And keep your savings safe inside

Back To The Future

the belly of a Triceratops. These fantastic,

Great Scott! Here is the new BB Designs Back To The Future range. It

unique gifts will be loved by children and

features a mug and sock set, notebook and pen set, Delorean blueprint

adults alike. Also featured in this range are

wallet and Outta Time wallet (both wallets feature a metal badge). These

two wallets, both with embossed detailing.

products make great gifts for fans of the cult classic movie series. Get

BB Designs

them now before you run Outta Time!

Tel: 01923 804 805

BB Designs

Email: customerservices@bbdesignsonline.com

Tel: 01923 804 805

Web: www.bbdesignsonline.com

Email: customerservices@bbdesignsonline.com Web: www.bbdesignsonline.com

Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand E81

PROGRESSIVE GIFTS & HOME WORLDWIDE

123

The home of Pebble Art celebrating all occasions.

Exclusive personalisation service offered to trade.

Handmade with love in the UK

Visit us at SPRING FAIR Hall 4 Stand E81

(01242) 250 653 | enquiries@ladedaliving.co.uk | www.trade.ladedaliving.co.uk

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Stairway To

Christmas

JO AMOR

SOUNDING OFF Left: Jo Webber.

Below: Shop here for Christmas!

Bottom: Jo’s buying book.

With Christmas done and dusted, Jo Webber, owner of Jo Amor in Tiverton, looks back at Christmas 2019 which, for her started last July. Jo shares her festive diary.

“The stairway to Christmas lies in my buying book. I’ve learnt to put all my inspirations, notes and thoughts in a notebook, a good base to record our year’s adventures.

July: For anyone who thinks that Christmas just happens, if only they knew!

Our Christmas run-in starts in July at Home & Gift in Harrogate, a five hour journey from Devon, but what drives us is the need to move our shop on to find the new trends.

Last July, we were in Harrogate bright and early on the Sunday morning. There’s always lots to do plus missions to sort. In the weeks leading up to the show we discussed the best selling brands, so we had lists to re-order plus thoughts about new products we wanted to source. Four days of gifts and fashion buying were ahead of us - a great chance to catch up with existing suppliers and to find new friends to build new relationships with. To make a brand work well it requires a two-way partnership with the supplier and ourselves, something we have learned over 26 years in the shop. We particularly enjoyed the retail clinics featuring discussions with bloggers, as social media interaction and engaging is very important in today’s retail climate. We also networked with a cocktail or two on the Sunday evening. It’s important to work and play to enjoy your job, as that passion and fun can be reflected in the final shop edit.

Having placed in excess of 20 orders over the four days, the following weeks saw us checking them over, confirming and planning a schedule for delivery to the shop. Top finds included all the sustainable-led gifting from reusable bottles, cups and beeswax wrap to anything unwrapped!

August: We took a mini break to Copenhagen to tie in with CIFF at the Bella Centre. We trade over 2000sqft (three shops) plus have a quirky mix of gifts,

cards and fashion. This is our review of our fashion brands and accessories, a chance to have a sneaky peak before the London shows and buying appointments. We love the Danish style and picked up on a popular trend of hair accessories. Also, no trip to Copenhagen would be complete without a bike ride or two!

September: With the Premier Inn booked, plus lists at the ready, it was trainers on ready for the NEC and Autumn Fair. This show adds a more commercial element to our business, for repeat turnover and core collections. A few hours planning, plus researching your route before you go is advised. Top Drawer London at Olympia in mid September was the last chance to really complete the edit and pick up on any emerging trends.

It’s a great show to add originality to the shop, but it's sometimes hard to choose as there is so much new talent at this show.

However, knowing your shop and customers is the job of a good buyer.

October: It’s for real!

All the Christmas stock starts arriving, that

sick feeling in the stomach starts to happen as you display the new collections, watching your customers’ response. Have you got it right? The job of the buyer is such an important one. It’s the difference between a good or bad Christmas. Fingers crossed I’ve selected some winners!

Late October, the Christmas windows are created over a Saturday night/Sunday daytime. Munching turkey sandwiches as we go, the Christmas countdown has begun.

Photos are shared on social media and the Christmas tree is outside just in case anybody didn’t notice all the sparkly lights and festive candle smells!

December: We are now open every day until Christmas. My job is to keep topping up the key winners to maintain and build turnover. The final delivery dates are looming so we need to judge the right level of stock to trade well to Christmas. The last two weeks before Christmas are so important.

They are a cushion for January and February plus really test your skills as a buyer. The door closed 4pm on December 24.

Did we do it? Our gut feeling was that footfall was higher than ever before. Our transaction count was a new record, but figures say the average spend was down marginally - maybe in line with national figures.

What makes it special for me personally are the smiley faces, plus families and friends from many generations arriving in our shop from all parts of the country to do their Christmas shopping, knowing that we will have the right gifts and treats. They have grown up with us and trust us, making it all magical.

It’s not all about the money. A shop is a personal adventure full of emotion.

Always questioning, always wanting to do better, plus keeping up with the latest trends. Well, it’s my name on the shop front, that says it all. Off with the book now, another year is starting!”

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Best Sellers Progressive Gifts & Home asked a selection of gift retailers about the products which have been flying off their shelves this month.

Heather Newlands, co-owner of The Keekin’ Glass in Prestwick A small shop on a high street.

CATEGORY

SUPPLIERS/RANGES

COMMENT

Decorative Home Accessories

Transomnia: across the board;

Great range of gifts, with a small wooden reindeer with an LED nose our top seller.

Home Fragrancing

Aromatize: electric melt warmers; Shearer Candles: across the board;

Lots of gorgeous colours and designs.

The Couture collection always does well, with Highland collection’s Hogmanay candle making a great New Year gift.

Great for gifting as well as an everyday purchase. Lovely scents.

Heart of the Country: scented sachets Jewellery

Life Charms: Just Because

Gift boxed bracelets with a sentiment for every occasion.

Greeting Cards

Molly Mae

A huge range with a big Scottish collection that our customers love.

Giftwrap

Belly Button Bubble

Colourful giftbags that are great quality.

Other Hot Hits

Arran Sense of Scotland

We introduced this well known range towards the end of the year and it’s been a big hit.

Lara Wares, owner, Threads of Harpenden, Harpenden A large gift shop on a high street.

CATEGORY

SUPPLIERS/RANGES

COMMENT

Decorative Home Accessories

iBeanie: bean bags;

A popular gift for any age.

Customers really like the sentiments.

East of India: ceramics

Home Fragrancing

St Eval: scented tea lights;

Marmalade of London: across the board

Customers love the fragrances especially Bay & Rosemary.

Well packaged and very giftable.

Jewellery

Kit Heath: Dew; Tales of the Earth: across the board

Well priced, simple silver designs.

Sentiment jewellery that makes a gift for a special person.

Fashion Accessories

Roka London: bags; Katie Loxton: pouches

The new sustainable range is made from plastic bottles collected on the beach. It’s proving very popular.

The company brings out new product every season.

Greeting Cards

Rosie Made A Thing

Customers come into the shop specifically to buy the cards.

Giftwrap

Glick

Lots of lovely designs.

Other Hot Hits

Chilly’s Bottles: re-usable bottles

The bottles literally fly out. By far the best seller we have had in 18 years in the shop.

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Clare Jarvis, co-owner, The Tutbury Present Company, Tutbury A large gift and lifestyle shop on a high street.

CATEGORY

SUPPLIERS/RANGES

COMMENT

Decorative Home Accessories

Joe Davies: Village Pottery;

This is a very colourful new range at an excellent price.

Bright beautiful colours - products that we have sold for over a decade.

Namaste: fair trade aluminium

Home Fragrancing

Stoneglow: Christmas collection;

Bomb Cosmetics: tin candles

Jewellery

The small tree decoration candles sold really well, and at a good price point.

Great selection, great fragrances, great prices.

Carrie Elspeth: across the board; Joma: ‘A Little’

A constant best seller.

Peace of Mind: scarves and gloves; Nova Leather: bags

These were really great this winter, available in on trend colours.

Greeting Cards

Alex Clarke

These cards sell incredibly well.

Giftwrap

Glick

We do well with everything from Glick, especially Paper Salad.

Other Hot Hits

Charlie Bears

The bears are beautifully made and designed and have massive appeal.

Fashion Accessories

The ‘A Little’ range of bracelets are especially popular with customers.

Great colours and very affordable. David Jones did very well.

Gemma Guillmard, owner, Just Delights, Penryn A medium sized gift shop on a secondary site.

CATEGORY

SUPPLIERS/RANGES

COMMENT

Decorative Home Accessories

Kaemingk: ceramics;

These are great quality, handcrafted in Portugal and reasonably priced.

Gisela Graham: faux plants

Very affordable and a nice pick up.

Stoneglow: across the board;

Grapefruit is definitely our best selling fragrance.

The fragrances are outstanding and encourage repeat business.

Home Fragrancing

Potter Crouch: across the board

Jewellery

Katie Loxton: ‘A Little’

The ‘A Little’ bracelets are easily our best seller.

Fashion Accessories

Powder: gloves and scarves

Gloves and scarves sold brilliantly well this winter, with the gift bags adding an extra ‘wow’ factor.

Greeting Cards

Redback Cards

The humorous cards are our best sellers, but all ranges do well for us.

Giftwrap

Glick

Value for money, with the company constantly bringing out new ranges.

Other Hot Hits

Jellycat: across the board

A constant, all year round best seller.

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Market leading trade magazines

Jan 2018_April 2007 14/12/2017 11:30 Page 1

Gary Leadston

January 2018

January

2018

The B2B Publication For Preschool Products and Retailers

ISSUE 33 JAN/FEB 2018

Fair Facts

A guide to Toy Fair 2018

Fighting The Fakes

collection

Protecting IP with Snapdragon

The Tale Of Peter Rabbit

The iconic preschool brand

The Pick Of The Product Spring Fair highlights

Push It Real Good

Pushchairs and strollers update

G i f t G i v i n g… al l wr apped u p International Spring Fair NEC,Birmingham 4th–8th February 2018 Hall 4

4H81

4H91

4H80-J81

4H90-J91

4H100

Enesco Limited, Head Office & Customer Services, Brunthill Road, Kingstown, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 0EN. Tel: 01228 404022 email: uksales@enesco.co.uk Overseas Customer Services: Tel: +44 1228 404066 email: eurosales@enesco.co.uk

Come and see our NEW collection

© Disney. © 2018 Enesco Limited. Image background: © Africa Studio.

at Spring Fair NEC, Stand 3U02-V03 Hall 3

PG Cover_Jan18.indd 11/12/2017 15:36 - 1 FC_PG_January 2018.indd 1

(Cyan) (Magenta) (Yellow) (BlacK)

Trade Publication. Sign up to our newsletter at www.progressive-preschool.com and follow us on Twitter at @prog_preschool

13/12/2017 08:50

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Market leading trade awards

© 2016 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Untitled-1 1

29/09/2015 15:57

Market leading digital platforms Market leading trade exhibitions

Max Publishing, United House, North Road, London N7 9DP For further details please contact us on T: 020 7700 6740 or www.max-publishing.co.uk or email ianh@max-publishing.co.uk

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Best Sellers

What better testimonial for products than those of your fellow retailers. Here's all the information you need to get in touch and start stocking!

CARRIE ELSPETH T: 01446 771271 E: sales@carrieelsepth.com W: www.carrieelspeth.com

GISELA GRAHAM T: 0207 708 4956 E: sales@giselagraham.co.uk W: www.giselagraham.co.uk

TRANSOMNIA T: 01892 703660 E: ales@transomnia.com W: www.transomnia.com

GLICK T: 01274 655980 E: info@glick.co.uk W: www.glick.co.uk

JOE DAVIES T: 0161 975 6300 E: sales@joedavies.co.uk W: www.joedavies.co.uk

MARMALADE OF LONDON T: +44 (0)1242 257509 E: hello@marmaladeoflondon.com W: www.marmaladeoflondon.com

NAMASTE LTD T: 01756-700790 E: sales@namaste-uk.com W: www.namaste-uk.com

STONEGLOW T: 020 8595 8878 E: sales@stoneglowcandles.co.uk W: www.stoneglowcandles.co.uk

KAEMINGK T: 0031 543 498 800 E: info@kaemingk.com W: www.kaemingk.com Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide

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BEHIND THE COUNTER

Linda Tandy

Above: Linda Tandy.

Right: Dressed as a Christmas elf.

Linda Tandy - a finalist in The Greats 2019 Retail Employee of the Year category - is shop manager at Joco in Nuneaton, bringing a wide range of skills to the job. She tells PG&H why dealing with customers is her favourite part of her role, along with being Joco’s Christmas elf during the festive season!

“Having started out working for WHSmith many years ago - it was my first ever job - I came back into retail in 2015 working as a shop assistant at my daughter Jo’s gift shop, Joco. Due to my experience in care, schools and the hospital environment, I believe my customer service skills, and those relating to dealing with children, have been really useful in my current role. I enjoy training new team members, and although we tend to have long term employees, during the summer we also have various work experience young people from schools and colleges helping out.”

LAST WORD

Katie Alice

Above: Designer Katie Alice.

British lifestyle designer Katie Alice, whose collections are inspired by her love of vintage florals, is excited to be launching a range of candles and reed diffusers for Candlelight at February’s Spring Fair. Talking to PG&H she reveals what inspires her, and how she once took a drunken selfie with PM Boris Johnson!

Three words that best describe you?

“Creative, conscientious and clumsy.”

Is there a quirky fact that we don’t know about you? “I once took a drunken selfie with Boris Johnson while on a business trip in Japan. I also swear a lot more than my exterior might suggest!”

What was your first job? “Waitressing at a lovely village pub. I genuinely miss it sometimes.”

What was the best advice that you received when you were starting out, and who was it from? “Yeeeaaaaah just go for it.” My mum. Obviously this applies to pretty much anything, not just business.”

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What would your business advice to someone else be? “I’m a terrible business person so I’m not sure I should be giving out advice to anyone. But if anyone has any advice for me I’m all ears!”

What inspires your designs? “I love going to museums and galleries for inspiration. Also travelling and visiting local shops and markets, plus endlessly trawling vintage fairs.”

Where do you live and what’s your own home like? “A Victorian terrace in Stamford which we’ve been renovating for the past three years. It has lots of artwork on the walls and some vintage pieces. I’m currently saving up for some beautiful

Linda says that she finds working in a gift shop really fulfilling, with her favourite part of the role dealing with customers, whether helping them to choose a gift or simply by spending time with them. “I also enjoy setting up window and shop displays, helping to increase footfall with ideas that can be used on social media, as well as dealing with the team members and creating a very different experience to many of the other shops people visit. I also like to ensure that the shop is clean and a place people want to come back to.

“I guess one way I've made my mark on the shop for the past few years is by playing the shop elf at Christmas. We offer a ‘free letter to Santa’ service. and when the letters and small gifts are handed out, I dress up and hand them out to the children who have posted their letters.”

Adds Linda: “Celebrating Joco's award successes has created such proud moments for me, and I will continue to help build on that success, despite reaching retirement age. I don't want to stop watching the business grow.”

vintage inspired floral wallpaper for the bedroom and a velvet sofa for lounge.”

What’s your favourite TV show?

“Recently Fleabag, but historically Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

What’s your favourite film?

“Jean De Florette.”

What’s your favourite book? “I became a mum to Delilah18 months ago, so it’s The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read which is full of lightbulb moment advice.

Otherwise, any of the Harry Potter books. I also recently read and loved Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney.”

Where’s your favourite place to go on holiday? “We generally like to visit new places on holiday, but Thailand is a favourite.

My brother moved there over 15 years ago so it feels familiar and I love the food!”

Where’s your happy place? “A proper pub after a good walk in the fresh air with the family, our dog Luna, and really good pint of beer.”

What one thing would you take to a desert island? “A box of Ladurée macarons.”

Be a part of The Greats 2020… victorious celebrations that will truly reward the best gi retailers in the UK

THE GREATS 2020 AWARDS HAVE LAUNCHED!

…there’s fresh new branding …the awards event will take place on Wednesday 13 May …at the wonderful Honourable Artillery Company in the heart of London …and, in keeping with the 75th anniversary of VE Day, The Greats 2020 will take on a victorious theme “My dear friends, this is your hour. This is not victory of a party or of any class. It's a victory of the great British nation as a whole.” – Sir Winston Churchill May 1945

Contact PG&H’s Angie Bryant about becoming a Greats sponsor on angieb@max-publishing.co.uk or 01993 212994 Contact Clare Hollick of Keystone Communications about tickets The Greats awards on clare@keystonecomms.co.uk or 01733 294524 Keep your eyes peeling for entry and nomination forms, coming soon.

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