CB PROMOTION
MAKE IT
Arne & Carlos
COATS
Jennie Atkinson’s Swarovski showpiece dress
Emma Irving, marketing manager for Coats Crafts UK, talks about their online downloadable patterns, the latest trends, and what the future holds... YOU HAVE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED A BOOM IN ONLINE DOWNLOADABLE PATTERNS; TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THIS AND WHY? We see our digital patterns as a great way of providing knitters with patterns on the go. In this day and age, knitters should be able to access patterns quickly and easily using a variety of platforms, from desktop PCs to tablets and mobile devices.
ARE ONLINE DOWNLOADS THE WAY FORWARD NOW IN THE KNITTING AND SEWING INDUSTRIES AND IF SO, WHY? As important as online accessibility is for craft, we don’t see digital being the end of print. Digital satisfies the instant reward, easily accessible demand, but pattern booklets and magazines are still important. An example of this is the Rowan Magazine, a collectible, coffee table style publication, which people keep as part of their hobby. They return to it again and again, using it for inspiration and ideas.
WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES FOR GOOD ONLINE/DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT? HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHAT TO FEATURE? It is important to keep ideas and content fresh and fashionable, ensuring that social channels and online presence reacts to everyday events and trends. We have seen how quickly content can spread online
and it is important to be a part of that where relevant.
HOW CAN RETAILERS CAPITALISE ON THE DOWNLOADABLE PATTERNS YOU NOW PROVIDE? The bank of pattern support available on our umbrella site makeitcoats.com and knitrowan.com is a huge resource for retailers. It provides the vehicle to promote our brands through design support in a way we can control and influence, which allows us to support retailers in their yarn, fabric, haberdashery and kit and canvas sales.
The latest trend we have also influenced is a huge return to sock knitting through our Regia partnership with the quirky Norwegian duo Arne & Carlos, who are currently taking the sock knitting world by storm. They will be joining us at Knitting and Stitching in October for their first UK appearance with Regia.
WHAT SEWING TRENDS HAVE YOU SEEN IN THE INDUSTRY THIS YEAR AND HOW DO YOU THINK THIS WILL AFFECT BUSINESS FOR 2016? Fabric demand increased rapidly over the past year due to the growing
It is important to keep ideas and content fresh and fashionable, ensuring that social channels and online presence reacts to everyday events and trends WHAT ARE THE THREE TOP KNITTING TRENDS WE ARE SET TO SEE THIS SEASON? For us it’s all about eye-catching knitwear, using the best textures, techniques, colours and patterns. The birth of the royal princess has definitely influenced a return to baby knitting and in particular the more traditional heirloom pieces.
trend for patchwork and quilting in the UK. As our FreeSpirit brand team is based in the US, the flagship market for patchwork and quilting, we are now able to work closely with our fabric designers to create beautiful quilt patterns for each collection we launch. The popularity of the Great British Sewing Bee is also still influencing the trend for dress making and home sewing, as well as introducing a new generation of sewers who want simple projects like bags and cushions for starter projects.
YOU RECENTLY COLLABORATED WITH SWAROVSKI, WHICH IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE INDUSTRY. TELL US MORE ABOUT IT: The partnership started in early 2014 when Rowan and Swarovski met at a trade event in Europe. Rowan teamed up with Swarovski as part of the ‘Create Your Style’ concept to
celebrate the elegance that crystals can bring to knitting, while creating a unique and personal touch. The collaboration between Rowan and Swarovski has enabled the creation of two exciting new collections of sparkling designs, a new Rowan Shine yarn, Swarovski crystal and bead packs and a spectacular showpiece dress by Jennie Atkinson, which is set to join the long list of iconic designs.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING UNIQUE THAT YOU ARE PLANNING ON BRINGING TO MARKET? We are very excited about our new Patons baby range, Baby Smiles, which will launch in July. This is a major achievement for Coats as we will be bringing unique and influential proposition to the UK market. Our focus on challenging ourselves and standing out for innovative products has led us to recognise that knitters are becoming more aware of the safety aspect of their knitting yarns. Patons Baby Smiles will carry the prestigious Oeko-tex Standard 100, class 1 certification, meaning that all our Patons baby yarns are free from any potentially harmful substances that could cause allergies or other health problems. The certification appears on all our baby yarns and in this category is unique to Coats. We are planning some big public relations initiatives across the brand, particularly as part of the Rowan and Swarovski collaboration. Stronger targeted press editorials, consumer competitions and blog partnerships will bring us a new and stronger consumer focus to the knitting market in the run up to the festive season.
with strong product innovation and a key focus on helping all our customers maximise their sales growth through meeting consumer needs and trends. We will look to replicate activities like our recent trade roadshow events where we hosted a special day in three iconic locations across the country for customers and prospects to attend. We presented our AW15/16 collections, had fantastic talks from two guest speakers focusing on how we can help retailers maximise sales and develop their business for the future. Jenna, from Exeter Sewing Machine Company was among many to write to us after the event. She said: “I had a fantastic time – the talks were of huge interest to me, I couldn’t have asked for better subjects myself. In fact I can honestly say that just one of Stuart Hillard’s merchandising tips was worth going to the event for alone! So if they do ask for feedback from customers in view of doing future events, I’d definitely say that talks of that quality and about such useful subjects are what will make me want to go again.”
CONTACT
Coats Crafts UK 01484 681 881 www.makeitcoats.com
WHAT’S NEXT FOR COATS CRAFTS UK? Looking to the future we will continue to stand out from the crowd www.craftbusiness.com |
13