Feedback: Looking Ahead

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Looking Ahead

Wishing & Hoping Inset: What does 2022 have in store?

As 2021 comes to a close, with Covid still dominating the headlines, and stock issues continuing to challenge both suppliers and retailers, PG&H asked some of the leading gift companies for their views on 2022, as well as what their New Year resolutions are.

More Of The Same

Julian Hunt, managing director, Lesser & Pavey...

Hopes for 2022: “We have lots of hopes for 2022, and wish to see a return to the pre-Covid normal as early as possible in the New Year. We’ve seen a healthy increase in business in 2021 from online businesses and garden centres, and are very encouraged by the recent significant upturn in business from high street retail customers. We also continue to find new customers and are delighted to see how many of these are young, enthusiastic and full of new ideas. So more of the same is top of our ‘wish list’ for 2022.” Feeling optimistic about the year ahead? “Yes, we are very optimistic. We are eagerly looking forward to the shows in early 2022 and will be exhibiting at Harrogate Christmas and Gift in January and at Spring Fair in February. With the success of Autumn Fair in September ’21, and the enthusiasm of customers who visited, we are confident the shows will be busy and well attended by buyers keen to get back to face to face contact with their suppliers and to see new products in the flesh. And with reports of excellent Christmas trading, we have even more reason to be really optimistic for the coming year.”

Any New Year resolutions? “We always set ourselves new goals for the year ahead, to improve our customer service level as well as bringing a continual flow of innovative new well priced quality products to the market.”

Equipped To Deal With Opportunities

Mike Winch, founder and managing director, Candlelight...

Hopes for 2022: “That we are in a good position to meet issues head on.”

Feeling optimistic about the year ahead? “I’m always optimistic. In 2022 there are some serious challenges for retail and the supply chain. All I can say is that Candlelight is better equipped than most to deal with the opportunities and threats that will occur.”

Any New Year resolutions? “The New Year’s resolution is to face up to the bullies!”

Hoping For Normal Trading

Paul Hooker, commercial director, Joe Davies...

Hopes for 2022: “Our biggest hope for 2022 is that the shadow of uncertainty the pandemic brings is left well and truly behind us. Independent retail has had a tough time and any return to normal trading will be well-deserved and welcomed by us all.”

Feeling optimistic about the year

ahead? “We have been working really hard on our new product range and are very optimistic for the year ahead, especially as many of these exciting new developments will make their debut at Spring Fair.”

Any New Year resolutions? “We really only have one resolution every year and that is to work harder than ever to support our customers. For us that means making sure we have plenty of great new stock available, backed up with our award-winning Joe Davies customer service.”

Confident Of Success

Helen Cottrill, marketing and product director, Enesco...

Hopes for 2022: “I hope that the world gets back to some level of normality and that we get the spontaneity back into our lives. While the shift to online shopping is here to stay, we are a nation of shoppers and love to socialise, and the two go hand in hand. Our independent and speciality channels are so important to us, and we will be looking to support them with our sales team, B2B website, customer service team, great products and in store displays in 2022.”

Feeling optimistic about the year ahead? “Yes, absolutely. If Covid has taught us one thing, it’s that we can adapt and be resourceful in most situations. The last two years have been extremely difficult and we are still being affected by the supply chain problems. However, we have a strong support team in Asia and we remain confident that 2022 will be a success.”

Any New Year resolutions? “From a work perspective, it’s to work a few less hours a week. As I am now in a home-based role, switching off is not as easy as it was. From a personal perspective, I want to do another hike for charity to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.”

A Prosperous 2022

Peter Delaney, managing director, Gallery Direct...

Hopes for 2022: “We hope all our customers and suppliers remain healthy and prosperous in 2022. We also hope and expect that global supply and logistics issues will improve. We were determined to maintain our supply chain and stock levels over the difficult 20-21 periods to date, and we succeeded, even though it was incredibly challenging. We will continue striving to achieve this no matter what the circumstances, but it would be fantastic if things became easier for all. Plus, we hope to be able to meet all our customers, both current and new, at trade shows and have more face-to-face meetings at our new showrooms, as well as visiting customers in their own retail environments.”

Feeling optimistic about the year ahead? “Absolutely. We have big plans here at Gallery, with over 1,300 new products being launched in January, with more to follow later in the year. Our huge additional new warehouse near Chesterfield is due to come into operation in January too, which will allow us to hold even more stock here in the UK. We will have around ¾ million finished pieces in the UK in Q1.”

Any New Year resolutions? “As always, to continue to develop new ideas and products to stay ahead of trends and bring exciting new lines to market, where we are proud to be ‘Leading by Design’.”

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Optimism Is What We Do Best

Katie Loxton, creative director and co-founder, Joma Jewellery and Katie Loxton...

Hopes for 2022? “It’s still a challenging time for all businesses to navigate, with continuing uncertainty about new covid variants and how that will affect the high street, but we’ve been very lucky that, with a lot of hard work, we’ve had a very successful year and are seeing some great growth. We’re hoping for a very successful 2022 and have a very strong Spring Summer collection that we are really excited to launch, with lots of new innovative products, as we continue to strive to lead in new product development.”

Feeling optimistic about the year ahead? “Yes very. There has been a huge amount of work internally this year, as we have reshaped many parts of our business to best navigate the world as it is. Our online business has had huge growth, while maintaining and growing our phenomenal B2B business which is so important to us as a brand. As always, we are customer first, so 2022 is all about giving our customers everything they could possibly wish for and more, and we have just signed off our AW22 collection. I’m sure that there will still be some challenges ahead with Covid, but we are so lucky to have such a dynamic team that being optimistic is what we do best.”

Any New Year resolutions? “With two little children and our business, life is wonderfully busy so I’m going to try to make sure I still take some little moments of self care just for me!”

A More Predictable Year

Andrew Nettleton, managing director, Ashleigh & Burwood...

Hopes for 2022: “Our hopes are purely for a steadier, more predictable year! Amid a backdrop of the many challenges our country and the world has faced over the past 22 months, we have also faced a unique set of industry obstacles. For us, we have been very much affected by new restrictions on transportation of certain product types, shipping issues, and European trading difficulties brought about since Brexit. However, we’re pleased to be entering 2022 having found resolutions to some of these challenges, so we have a decent amount of optimism for the year ahead, albeit tinged with a cautionary note, knowing that this continuing period of uncertainty can always offer up new surprises!”

Feeling optimistic about the year ahead? “As most would agree, a positive to come from the times we’ve been living in is a renewed focus on environmental issues. As a company, it’s been an ongoing process to examine and reduce our own impact over recent years, and this will continue with renewed vigour.”

Any New Year resolutions?

“2022 seems a great time to make a resolution to strengthen our environmental pledge, and we’ll be sharing our progress on this with retail partners and the industry throughout the year.”