Spotlight On... Mugs

Getting A Handle On Mugs

If there’s one home essential that we can never have too many of it’s mugs! From those we use every day at home or in the office, to the quirky, humorous ones that we give as gifts, to the ‘posh’ ones we bring out for guests, mugs are a ‘must have’, with shapes, themes and designs catering for everyone.

PG&H ‘mugs up’ on what’s new for the coming season.

Most people will happily admit to forming an emotional attachment to a favourite mug, be it a much loved Mother’s or Father’s Day mug, a jokey mug given to them by a friend, one that’s themed to a hobby, or a more upmarket mug that’s deemed ‘special’.

And then there are the ‘go to’s’ for tea and coffee, the one for hot chocolate, or the oversized mug that’s perfect for soup. And what about children’s mugs that feature their favourite licensed characters? It’s no wonder that most family mug cupboards are full to bursting!

“In our experience, mugs really are a staple of most gift collections,” concurs Enesco’s marketing director Helen Cottrill. “We do extremely well with our limited edition fine bone china Beatrix Potter collectors mugs, and for humour and hobbies, we have our own Our Name Is Mud brand. These are a chunkier ceramic mug, larger in size, with occasion, sentiment and amusing messaging. With a SRP of £9.95, they come in a recyclable gift box and make an ideal gift. There’s no need to unpack them for retail display or to buy a gift box.”

At Portmeirion Group, senior brand manager Sara Dickenson says that the company’s perennial, best-selling mug collection is Royal Worcester Wrendale Designs. “Retailers and customers love Hannah Dale’s captivating animal designs because they’re so full of personality,” explains Sara. “This makes them perfect for gift shops. Not only can the customer buy them as a gift, because the recipient has an affection for that particular animal, but also, because that animal might remind them of their loved one, or the design might encapsulate how they feel about someone.”

Dunoon’s sales director, Peter Smith, points to some of the company’s high quality, fine bone china mug favourites, with all mugs manufactured in Stone in Staffordshire. “Best selling mug themes are animals, especially cats and dogs, as well as floral - people love free flowing watercolour patterns - and also abstract, bright colours. Additionally, anything that’s regional-specific, such as Highland cows in Scotland, or coastal designs for tourists visiting the seaside. We have a massive mug range to choose from, it’s just a case of stores tailoring the mug selection to cover a variety of tastes and local demand.”

The most successful mugs that Candlelight sells into gift retailers are boxed mugs that co-ordinate well with other items, says the company’s sales director Emma Yeardley. “This is apparent in our Oriental Heron range, with a co-ordinated display having a great impact in store. And now that we have the opportunity to meet up with others again, this range is ideal for sophisticated afternoon tea.” She also highlights Candlelight’s Wild Garden

Above: Puckator’s quirky Upside Down mugs. Left: Enesco’s Our Name Is Mud mugs come in kraft packaging. Bottom left: Royal Worcester Wrendale Designs Good Hare Day mug. Below: Cairngorm Hairy Highlanders from Dunoon.

collection in pinks, oranges and greens, which oozes Miami glamour. “This dining range comes beautifully packaged and is ideal for gifting too,” she comments.

“We love mugs,” enthuses Gisela Graham’s sales director Piers Croke, “especially our mini-mugs with matching mini-jugs, for warm milk on the side, made with home espresso kits in mind.”

New launches include four, in-house designed brand new Spring/Easter themes. “They’re pretty and commercial and include Daisy Days and Bluebells, with wild flowers the heroes of Spring Meadow, while Spring Song has bunnies and chicks to help with Easter Egg hunts.”

Above: Candlelight’s Wild Garden collection, designed in-house, features an urban garden and mythical jungle. Below: An embossed mug and jug from Gisela Graham.

Quirky And Fun

Humorous mugs can’t fail to be winners, with Puckator’s designer Laura Billingham highlighting the company’s ceramic upside down mugs which offer an opportunity to bring fun and colour into the home. “The ever-growing range features designs to suit everyone, with the mugs produced using high-quality, durable ceramic,” says Laura. “Retailers can create an eyecatching display by combining a mix of styles, colours and patterns, while showing off the impressive upside-down aspect.”

Boxer Gifts’ managing director Thomas O’Brien, says that gift mugs have always been a guaranteed seller for retailers, “and it’s why the industry has seen an explosion of online print-ondemand mugs. As a leading gift wholesaler, we’ve had to recognise this and help our customers fight back. Print-on-demand mugs are often plain white, boring and cheaply made, while we ensure that our mugs are fun, unique and of the highest quality. They include our new crochet, fishing and cycling mugs which are unique and stand out from the crowd, ensuring that our customers still have a competitive advantage. Gift givers want to make the receiver laugh, so mugs need to have an interesting, quirky sentiment that catches the eye.”

Above: A fun fishing mug from Boxer Gifts.

Below: A selection of mugs from KitchenCraft. Left: Lesser & Pavey brings nature into the home and office.

For Autumn/Winter, there are warm, interior colours of mixed metallics, with collections featuring plenty of new mugs many of which are part of a co-ordinated theme. “For maximum impact, they should be shown with their partners in theme such as coasters and aprons etc.,” adds Piers.

Lesser & Pavey highlights that its new range, with artwork by Jennifer Rose, covers a multitude of product spheres, including mugs. “With so many people having discovered the beauty and sounds of nature, we believe this range is going to be very

Sentimentally Speaking

Sentiment always sells, with Widdop and Co’s mugs combining heart-warming sentiments with timeless design. The Disney brand, which fuses contemporary design with classic features, offers an extensive selection of high-quality mugs across nine ranges - from classic illustrated mugs with electroplated features in Classic Collectables to fun, trend-led designs in the Winnie The Pooh range.

“Our next launch will bring more classic artwork, with a soft colour palette and gold foiled detail to our Magical Beginnings range,” explains creative director Stephen Illingworth, “while our Friends & Family range also includes luxury foils with sentimental titles and delicate tones to appeal to the female demographic.” popular,” says managing director Julian Hunt. “As people return to life in offices etc., they can take a memory of nature with them to enjoy during the working day.”

At KitchenCraft, part of Lifetime Brands, commercial and marketing director Claire Budgen says that mugs and gifting go hand in hand. “Our core mug collection includes china mugs and espresso cups in a host of on-trend designs that suit all personalities and pockets.”

With a wealth of designs to choose from, and the added bonus of so many mugs coming attractively gift boxed, they have to be a win/win for gift shops, especially in the run up to Christmas.