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Spotlight On... Men’s Gifts
With
Right: Among Swole Panda’s bright socks for men.
Men
In Mind
With Father’s Day around the corner (Sunday 19 June) gift retailers will soon be helping customers to choose that ‘something different’ for dads, stepdads, grandads and surrogate dads, to mark a special day on the calendar that says, ‘you are wonderful, we love you.’ But, of course, Father’s Day isn’t the only time that men are celebrated, with birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas among the occasions when male gifts really come into focus. What’s trending this year? PG&H took a peek. Although Father’s Day has never had the gift and card buying bonanza that Mother’s Day enjoys, it is nevertheless a much celebrated occasion, with women buying for their menfolk, and gift retailers bearing that in mind when sourcing product. With most products gender neutral nowadays, and suitable for both men and women, it’s all to play for. “Multi-tools make a great, useful gift for the handy person in the family but are especially poignant for Father’s Day,” points out Lesser & Pavey’s managing director Julian Hunt. “Ours are packed with tools that include pliers, screwdrivers, wire strippers and bottle openers. They’re great for jobs on the move, as well as for jobs around the house, or when out and about on, for example, on a camping or fishing trip.” Men’s jewellery too, has seen a huge resurgence of popularity in 2021 with the trend set to continue into 2022, predicts Joe Davies’ jewellery buyer Mary Caputo. “No longer considered a niche market, nowadays, men of all ages and walks of life are choosing to wear jewellery on a daily basis to complete their overall look.
Above: Gift Republic’s Hobby House cycling tin. Left: Chaps Stuff from Joe Davies. Below left: Lesser & Pavey’s Multi Tool kit comes in a canvas carry pouch.
The Equilibrium for Men jewellery collection from Joe Davies includes a timeless range of men’s sleek, minimalist leather bracelets and necklaces, along with braided leather bracelets featuring stainless steel embellishments.” Mary adds that 2022 also sees the continuation of the trend for water bottles and travel mugs in a quest to rid the planet of single use plastic. “The popular Chaps Stuff collection of men’s gifts from Joe Davies includes water bottles, travel mugs, hip flasks, beer glasses and coasters with a stylish range of ceramic mugs new for 2022, all designed with tongue in cheek humorous artwork to appeal to men of all ages.” At Gift Republic, head of product development, Paul Bisset, says: “The male purchaser is more engaged with the outdoors lifestyle, which we put down to being in lockdown for the last year or so, as well as reviving the board games market with a new-found love of games.” Explains Paul: “In the last 12 months, we have consistently seen more male-led designs in board games and DIY gifts sold through online and on the high street. Responding to the data we have gathered, our design team have been busy designing Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide
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