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In Profile: Gallery Direct
Investing In TheFuture Left: Chris Lewis. Below: A colourful toucan, among the new accessories in the Curious + Chic collection. Below middle: Retreat brings the outdoors in. Bottom left: Orangery creates and oasis of calm.
Last summer, Chris Lewis joined Gallery Direct as head of sales & business development (Accessories), with his remit including identifying fast moving products and gaps in the market, as well as working with the product design and development teams to source and launch new lines to the market. With a significant investment in the accessories side of the business, PG&H put Chris into the hot seat to find out more about what will be driving sales for the company this year. As the saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going, with Gallery Direct among the leading companies in the gift and home industry working hard to keep on top of the business during the pandemic. This has included maintaining stock levels, despite global supply chain issues, and investing across all product categories, to include accessories. “We have re-invested and expanded our categories, adding a huge new selection of exciting accessories including Christmas,” confirms Chris Lewis, who joined the company last August, bringing with him a wealth of experience to the accessories category, having held a similar position with Parlane. (Prior to that, he ran the family’s furniture business for some 20 years). “We have also recently redeveloped our two
showrooms in Kent and Yorkshire which heavily feature accessories and soft furnishing ranges,” he adds. “Plus, among the initiatives we have introduced for our accessory customers is drop shipping, with all of our new accessories in drop shipping packaging.” Chris continues: “Even though we’re coming out of lockdown now, we know there is a significant opportunity, as customers are
‘At Home’ Visits Gallery Direct has large showrooms both at its head office in Sittingbourne, as well as in Leeds, with both showrooms open and Covid secure. “We are currently booking appointments for customers to visit, giving them the opportunity to view the products in person,” confirms Chris. “Visitors can be assured that appropriate measures are in place, following Government guidelines, to help ensure their safety as well as the safety of our staff.”
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Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide
spending more time at home. They will be continuing to think about freshening up their rooms, whether with a full re-style or by simply adding different accessories to give a room a new look. Therefore, our new Spring/Summer accessories collection adds to our current range, focusing on design, quality and value for money.” The new accessories, along with all of Gallery Direct’s other new products, are featured in the company’s 2021 Lookbook, which was launched at the beginning of the year. In the absence of trade shows, the Lookbook can be viewed online as a flipbook, with individual products available for customers to order on Gallery’s website. “It’s a fantastic document for the trade, with over 1,300 lines that have been added to our already extensive catalogue,” points out Chris. “It features over 570 accessories, including a vast array of faux plants and stems, an eclectic selection of vases, pots and planters, and a brand new tableware range.” Among the key accessories trends is Curious + Chic. The concept embraces all
