Christmas in February 2019

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NOMA CELEBRATING 80 YEARS OF INNOVATION. THE LIGHTING SPECIALIST SINCE 1939

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1950

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PART OF THE LEISUREGROW GROUP www.noma.co.uk

2019

Stand out from the crowd this Christmas WITH

sales@floralsilk.co.uk

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Come and see this advert brought to life at Spring Fair 3rd – 7th February 2019 Hall 2, Stand F04

01778 425 205

www.floralsilk.co.uk

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REGULARS

FEATURES

Leader

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G.C.A. Annual Christmas

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Noma celebrates in style

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Celebrating 30 years with DKL Brands go bigger

Display Winners – Cream of the crop, Judge Andy Campbell Shop Talk

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30th Year of Publication

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Perfect Presentation Premier’s John Athwal sets the Scene for their Spring Fair stand

Harrogate Christmas & Gift 18 Show review – Harrogate builds on success

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Plenty of new product from FDL

Spring Fair intro – Expect the Unexpected 24 Spring Fair Seasonal Exhibitors

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New Products

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Step back in time

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Publisher:

Malcolm Naish

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Production Director:

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Smart Garden Products debut At Spring Fair

Paul Naish

Rick Vickers

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A home to suit everyone Floralsilk unveil their 2019 Product selection

rick@lemapublishing.co.uk Circulation:

Smart move in Spring Fair

Sarah Welsh

paul@lemapublishing.co.uk Layout:

Lighting up Christmas for 80 years Noma’ has been doing just that

malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk Features Editor:

All around the world A world of magic from Kaemingk

28 A selection of Spring Fair exhibitors’ products

Quality, cost & innovation from FDL

Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

RETAIL INTERVIEW Published by: Lema Publishing Ltd 1 Churchgates, The Wilderness, Berkhamsted, Herts.

HP4 2UB Telephone: 01442 289930 Fax: 01442 289950 Email: info@lemapublishing.co.uk

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Rising proudly from the ashes Editor Sarah Welsh interviews Paresh Raithatha of the Ansell Garden Centre

The views of the contributors expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher. Comments, letters and criticism are welcome.

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16/01/2019

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Leader

The Leader

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arrogate Christmas & Gift always comes as a breath of fresh air, following so closely after New Year. It was very evident that visitors were in a buying mood, this coupled with a ten percent increase on the opening day for attendance, saw stands busy doing the business.

One theory put forward as to why we saw increasing numbers was due to December being a particularly mild month, allowing families to Christmas shop throughout the month.

Readers may recall that in 2017 snow across the country severely affected footfall, Noma’s 80th Birthday celebrations at Harrogate’s historic Royal Hall was a great evening of fine food, entertainment and dancing. With comedian Dara O’Briain, the Singing Waiters and a great live band, a terrific time was had by all.

Part of Dara’s performance seemed to centre around the fact that our table was right at the front of the stage and that I was wearing a rather flamboyant ‘Elvis’

xxxxxx

inspired gold lame jacket. This seemed to amuse him, further heightened by my rather colourful Christmas tie featuring Santa’s face plus snowflakes.

I guess if it got him a few laughs, then it all made for plenty of laughter at my expense.

Several of the guests thought I should have had a percentage of his fee!

Spring Fair opens on the 3rd February to the 7th, when the bulk of the Festive exhibitors will be showing in Hall 2.

A number of first-time exhibitors will be showing including Smart Garden Products who had a brilliant Harrogate show, National Tree and The Creation Group from Denmark.

Event Director Alison Graham has this to say about the show “It’s a National show with huge reach and international flair, but more than that – walking into the seasonal halls is like entering the largest and most fantastic department store in the world.”

The WOW factor will be well in evidence!

Our retail interview with Paresh Raithatha of the Ansell Garden Centre,

adjacent to London’s Heathrow is a testament to family hard graft following a deadly fire in late November 2016 that made the national news, as it almost closed down Heathrow. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but the family had to stand by and watch as 12 years of loving labour went up in smoke, taking 100 fire engines to end the blaze. Happily, as our interview will show Ansells will shortly be fully up and running.

One of the exhibitors at Harrogate was telling me of a somewhat upsetting experience. A man came on their stand and started to take pictures of certain of their range. When spoken to, he said that he wasn’t ordering, but simply wanted to place the pics taken, on their company website. I’m not surprised he was politely sent packing, I think I might have been a little more forthright!

We would love to see more golfers from the Christmas sector taking part in our annual golf day. This year’s event will take place on Tuesday the 25th June at Puckrup Golf Club near Tewkesbury.

A Hilton Hotel golf course with the hotel just a few yards from the first tee, room rates are competitive and once again we shall have a barbeque with the presentation following. It is a most informal day played off yellow tees, full handicap. Ladies are always most welcome. Cost £100 for the day. Give me a call on 01442 289930 or email malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk.

Finally dates for Harrogate 2020 is 12th-15th January.

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Feature GCA Christmas Competition

Barton Grange – Dramatic visual merchandising

Barton Grange – Powerful entrance display

The cream of the

Christmas crop

Barton Grange – Customer “How to” guidance

The GCA’s annual Christmas competition is always a joy, with some of the leading independent garden centres from across Britain competing for the festive crown. And as judge Andy Campbell told Sarah Welsh, last year’s contest was the hardest fought yet…

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hen it comes to which retail sector leads the way in terms of Christmas, garden centre expert Andy Campbell is in no doubt that the one he has specialised in for the past 35 years tops the list.

So it’s fitting then that Andy, an independent business development consultant working solely within the garden centre industry, should have been the judge for the Destination Garden Centre category of the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) annual Christmas competition – while the garden centre category was judged by Alyson Haywood.

The competition has been running for many years – and Andy has acted as a judge on several occasions - with the express purpose of encouraging participants to strive to improve Ruxley Manor – Great use of colour and storytelling

and learn from each other.

This year 24 of the larger destination garden centres from across the UK entered, and were personally visited and assessed by Andy against a strict set of criteria, over an intense three-week period. But as he explains, travelling to the four corners of the country ‘on the clock’ in order to select the best garden centre of the bunch is a challenge Andy loves.

“In my opinion garden centres lead the way when it comes to Christmas retailing,” Andy says. “It’s all about the festive experience, events and hospitality, and these are things garden centres do exceptionally well.

“Christmas has been steadily growing in importance for the industry over the past few

2018 Area Winners

Destination Garden Centre category South Thames North Thames Wales and West Midlands North East North West

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years. For some garden centres festive trade can be 10% of their total annual sales, and November and December can be two of the busiest sales months of the year rivalling April and May in importance.

“And don’t forget that this is outside of peak gardening season, so Christmas has transformed what were traditionally the quieter months of the year and is now hugely important to the sector.

Ruxley Manor Garden Centre Perrywood Garden Centre Whitehall Lacock Garden Centre St Peters Garden Centre Tong Garden Centre Barton Grange Garden Centre

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Feature GCA Christmas Competition

Whitehall Lacock – Authoritative artificial tree execution

Bents – Impressive theme setting displays

Perrywood – Consistent styling across all themes

Whitehall Lacock – Using the product to create the impact “When you think of the availability of shop floor space, the free parking, clean, safe attractive environment of a garden centre, and add great catering and teams of very creative people to the mix, you can see why garden centres ‘do Christmas’ so well.

“It’s certainly true to say that last year’s GCA competition was the best I’ve ever seen.”

The detailed judging criteria Andy used to assess each of the 24 entrants in the Destination Garden Centre category included a review of the website beforehand, first impressions on arrival, the product range, presentation, housekeeping, point of sale and cross-selling approach for all of the key product categories.

He also looked at the commerciality and promotion of the offer in each centre, customer reaction to their shopping experience and the all-important ‘ambience factor’ – which covers the overall impression of the garden centre and the temptation to buy.

“For consistency I visit all of the entrants in a period of just over three weeks, but doing this in the shortest window possible actually helps in terms of comparing them – but it is an intense experience,” Andy reveals.

Preston-based garden centre Barton Grange, famed for their stunning indoor displays, took the top prize, having won the title for the past three years, closely followed by Whitehall Lacock as runners up, with Bents placing third.

“For me, Barton Grange provides a perfect combination and balance of great visual merchandising, commercial merchandising,

St.Peters – Strong integration of giftware in to main themes 8 christmas in february

shop floor displays and phenomenal attention to detail,” Andy says.

“There is total professionalism around how they approach Christmas. The customer journey maximises exposure to festive merchandise across the business and becomes a totally immersive experience.”

Andy advises that critical factors for garden centres fully exploiting the opportunity of the Christmas season, include: *Creating engaging themes that evoke emotions and draw customers in. *Striking the right balance between range that adds authority and bulks volume sellers. *Getting lighting levels right so the product still shines but the customer feels comfortable. *Ensuring displays are engaging and compelling, but are also easy to shop. *Exploiting the increased footfall across the business in all departments.

Andy says that being asked to judge the Destination Garden Centre category for another year was an ‘incredible opportunity.’

“It was a privilege to see the very best of Christmas retailing across all these member centres and I feel privileged to have been asked once again. The level of innovation and creativity demonstrated was outstanding.

“In my opinion GCA garden centres lead the way in festive retailing and creating magical experiences for their customers at this time of year. Thank you and well done to all the entrants.”

Tong – Comprehensive lighting shop

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Feature Retail Ringround

Shop talk From Christmas spending overtaking cautious festive buying, suppliers that go the extra mile and experiences with an emphasis on luxury, the festive retail season continues to be central to garden centre success, as Sarah Welsh discovers…

Audrey Forbes,

Owner/Head Gift Buyer, The Mains of Drum Garden Centre, Banchory, Aberdeenshire (www. mainsofdrum.co.uk) Tell us a little about the garden centre…

Mains of Drum is a bespoke-built, five star garden centre, which sits on the Castle Trail in Aberdeenshire – not far from Drum Castle. It’s a really beautiful setting. People come to us to buy gifts and lovely seasonal product and we try to stock things you can’t find elsewhere, plus we also have a high end awardwinning restaurant. We’re also really proud to have won the Best Garden Centre in Scotland 2018, awarded by the GCA. How important is Christmas for your business?

It’s really important, and not just in terms of Christmas goods, as sales of our gifts and clothing are also boosted during the final quarter of the year. We have a great mix of gifts for sale, including jewellery, wellbeing product, cook and glassware etc. customers see us as a one-stop shop during the festive season.

We have a dedicated Christmas shop, which is located where the outdoor furniture usually sits. We have events, prosecco and entertainment for the customers, carol singers, visits from Santa, we really enjoy putting on Christmas at Mains of Drum.

What festive colour trends were big for you last year?

Our Christmas shop is themed by colour, and for 2018 we had traditional green, red and gold, a pink theme, frosted tones of silver and white and copper. For 2019 we’re planning to carry these through and add a few more quirky themes to the mix.

Gisela Graham has a lovely theme with safari animals, giraffes, zebras and llamas, which is great fun. We’ll take some inspiration from that but being located where we are in Scotland, trends take a while to filter up here, so we’re subtle and quite selective with the themes we use.

What sells well for you at Christmas and what suppliers do you always turn to?

We sell both real and artificial trees, wreaths and garlands and also do very well with our lighting range – from welcome lights to novelty lanterns and LED lights. Food is also a big seller for us at Christmas.

We have our festive menu in the restaurant that attracts a lot of people to the garden centre, and we sell a lot of gift food – things like biscuits, chutneys and jams and, of course, chocolates. With giftware, candles from Marmalade, Wax Lyrical and Stoneglow sell really well, as does glassware from LSA and picture frames from Hampton.

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In terms of suppliers, a main one is Gisela Graham, and we also buy from NOMA, Konstsmide and a Dutch company Edelman, who put a real emphasis on Christmas styling.

And finally what trade events are important for you in terms of buying for Christmas?

We go to Harrogate Christmas & Gift with our festive plan in place, so we know what colours we are looking for to suit our themes and also what product that sold well for us that we are carrying through. We also go to Spring Fair and because clothing is such a big area for us, this year we’ll be going to the INDX show in Solihull.

our new e e s d n Come a

Find us at Spring Fair Stand 4E50-F51 Hall 4

Christmas ranges

NEC Birmingham 3 rd - 7 th February 2019

Feature Retail Ringround

Andy Parker,

Operations Manager, Brookfields Garden Centre, Banchory, Mapperley, Nottinghamshire (www.brookfieldsgardencentre.co.uk) How did you come to work in this sector of retail?

I’m actually horticulturally trained and knew I wanted to work with plants from childhood. I went straight into the industry after college, but moved from the plant side to retail management 15 years ago. I love the contact with customers and the challenge of matching last year’s sales figures. Also because we are an independent we really get to be creative when it comes to the buying side.

What suppliers have you built great working relationships with?

Festive Productions are a supplier we particularly enjoy working with at Brookfield. Like us, they’re quite ‘nerdy’ in terms of selecting product that sells brilliantly, and we quite often take exclusive lines from them.

Jonathan Hughes, the company’s Marketing Director, is brilliant. At trade shows he always personally takes you through all the season’s product, and that pays dividends with customers as I find people always love a back story to something they’re buying for Christmas. We also work with NOMA, Premier, Kaemingk and many others.

How early do you open your Christmas shop in store?

We actually have festive stock on the shelves from mid-August, as some customers want it, but we’ll put up a tongue-in-cheek sign saying something like: ‘Only come through here if you’re not scared by Christmas this early!’

The Christmas shop itself we open from early October, and we also work with a brilliant winter effects company called Snow Business.

They’re based in Gloucestershire and did all the snow sets on the Harry Potter films. So we have ‘snow’ all across the frontage of the store and

inside where feasible, and it’s a huge draw on social media.

Are events important to the store in the run-up to Christmas?

I think customer experiences have never been so important, and our Santa’s Grotto is a great example of this. A lot of garden centres make big money from this, but we choose to only charge a pound and give all profits to a local charity – last year it was Nottinghamshire Hospice.

The grotto is less of a commercial thing for us, but we put on a fantastic display with loads of different festive themes while you’re queuing and then each child gets to meet Santa and Mrs Claus, put a wish on the tree and take a candy cane. The hope is that people stay to shop and eat once they’ve visited the grotto.

In terms of the shop itself it’s also crucial to have a brilliant theme each year for that flavour of Christmas theatre. Our theme for 2019 is going to be The Secret Garden.

What product sold well for Christmas 2018?

Premier had a glitter spinner which was almost like a snow globe, but was a lantern and it sold very well for us. They also had a gold-wrapped snowflake that sold well and LED lighting was hugely popular. Novelty ranges always sell well, anything with lights that is battery operated.

We have a darkened room so they can be shown off to best effect for customers.

Finally, what trade show do you never miss?

I think Harrogate Christmas & Gift is brilliant. Firstly there’s the romance and history of the town, and because it’s such a focused show it’s a manageable size and you really get to meet and chat with people.

Ione Gow,

Owner, Appleton Christmas Barn, Appleton, Oxfordshire (www.appletonchristmasbarn.co.uk) What’s the background story to your business?

My husband David and I launched the barn back in 2008 as a side business to the busy arable farm we run. Our farm has historically sold Christmas trees for a long time, and we decided to launch a festive shop as well. We sell decorations, lights, floral garlands and core Christmas product like wrap and stationery.

When the business launched it was during the recession of 2008 so it was initially quite difficult to get going, but we’ve really grown in strength year on year. From 2015 on we’ve noticed that people are spending a lot more on Christmas, buying two or three trees instead of just one, and replacing all their festive baubles every couple of years. People do travel a long way to come to us – even from Wales. We sell an unusual type of Christmas tree called Lodge Pole Pine, which have very long pine needles and customers love them.

How did sales hold up for you last Christmas?

Christmas 2018 was brilliant for us and we saw a 14% growth, selling out of trees completely 10 days before Christmas. We’d been a little cautious in terms of buying because of the financial climate and Brexit, so this year we won’t be as conservative. The snow in 2017 hit us hard and we saw only a 5% growth then, so to push performance up this much year on year is great.

Which festive suppliers do you enjoy working with?

Decorations always do very well for us at Appleton so Gisela Graham is one of our main suppliers. I always find their customer service very good. We also work with Premier for lights, and Festive and Kaemingk for 12 christmas in february

decorations as well.

In terms of stationery we started working with Glick last year, and we also buy from Deva Designs and Caspari – their product is always very good quality.

I also often pick up smaller suppliers at the Harrogate Christmas show – this year it was Felt So Good who make lovely felted decorations and animals.

What festive trends were big news for you last year, and what colours and product do you think will sell well for 2019?

The woodland theme was really big for Christmas 2018, with natural tones, greens and browns and countryside animals such as hedgehogs and squirrels. Pink and copper were also quite popular colours.

For 2019 Gisela Graham had a lovely theme on display at Harrogate Christmas & Gift, combining white, silver, cream and plum. In terms of product, a range of lights by an Italian company called Twinkly were big news, so I think we’ll be stocking them. It’s a really clever product as you can use a phone app to map the lights on your tree.

How far ahead do you plan in terms of buying for Christmas, and how do you approach visual merchandising?

We start thinking about next Christmas as soon as the previous one is over, and my first call is always to Gisela Graham as the brand is so clever with their trends. I start calling stock in from the beginning of August and price everything up. However far in advance I plan I always seem to run out of time!

I have quite a small space to work with in the barn, so we have to be clever in terms of product placement. I tend to lay out the shop in terms of colour themes and often buy a central display piece from a company called Coach House that sell stunning ‘talking point’ pieces.

Let us

amaze you !

Seasonal decorations Christmas lighting Floristry Christmas Trees, wreaths and garlands Glass baubles

SPRING FAIR 3 – 7 FEBRUARY 2019 HALL 2 | STAND C04-D05 + C30-D31 BIRMINGHAM | UK

WWW.KAEMINGK.COM

Feature Harrogate Christmas & Gift

Noma celebrate their eightieth in style H

arrogate’s beautiful Royal Hall was the venue during the Christmas & Gift show for NOMA to celebrate their special birthday. The great and the good from the industry enjoyed a great night that included comedian Dara O’Briain and a fab live band that featured a most talented and gorgeous singer belting out a great selection of songs well into the early hours.

I think our pictures capture the moment!

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cell

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08/01/2019 16:36:24

Feature Harrogate Christmas & Gift

Harrogate builds on success H

All aboard the ‘Santa Express’ on the Widdop stand. This stunning steam train was the centre piece of Widdop’s stand.

It’s lifelike steam coming out of it’s funnel even had the Health & Safety people worried for a while, but all was well as Dan and Andrew Widdop were all smiles when this picture was taken.

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Laura Dutton of Wombat Retail was enjoying her 4th year of showing her quality Christmas jumpers for kids and adults in Hall ‘Q’. All individually created by Laura, they really do set the Christmas scene.

arrogate got off to a cracking start with its best first day attendance for ten years – up 10% on the same day last year. There is no doubt that buyers were there in droves when the doors opened.

One possible reason is that they were sold out pre-Christmas of all their Christmas products, as December had in the main enjoyed good weather, enabling shoppers and their families to get to the garden centres and High Street shops.

Whilst in certain retail categories sales were down, from the many quotes I received plus comments from visitors, everything is looking rosy despite Brexit fears within the garden centre and gift sectors.

As the first exhibition of the year, buyers love the fact that they can walk the show and spend quality time with their suppliers deciding what to have delivered for Christmas 2019.

Always the smart gent, Konstsmide’s Dave Smith shows Teana Gleave and Tom Joynes of the Victorian Christmas Shop in Bourton on the Water one of their latest items. “We started the show busy and have been much busier than last year. Konstsmide’s Water Spinners have been hugely popular with ten new additions for 2019.

Riffelmacher’s John King and Frank Marchl are pictured with David and Elaine Thompson of ‘The Christmas Shop on-line’. David & Elaine have 30 years of experience in selling Christmas and now concentrate on on-line only

Amanda Clark and colleague caught in a rare spare moment for the camera. Amanda told us “We are more than happy, a great show and so far excellent feed-back. We had several customers on our stand at 9 o’clock on opening morning and haven’t stopped since.”

Showing off their re-designed stand is Christopher May of Morris May/ Weiste with one of their regular customers Emma Chaplin and Nicola Grant from Gordon Rigg Garden Centre in Todmorden, West Yorkshire.

Ian Samuels of Global Journey is pictured with Kelly Wilbraham and Rebekah Appleson-McHugh showing off the company’s new ‘Retro Notes & Quotes’. In A5 format they retail at £17.99 and are displayed in the sales dispenser shown, which Ian tells me is only 14in. wide, therefore taking up very little floorspace.

I caught up with Jonathan Hughes of Festive, busy showing Andy Parker and Matt Beardsley of Brookfields Garden Centre, Nottingham around their stand. The boys told me that they place a large part of their Christmas buying with Festive.

I interrupted Ben Jeffery with Ipad in hand busy taking an order from Jim Carlile and Kelly Gray from Reeds Homestore from Downham Market in Norfolk.

The boss himself – John Athwal OBE of Premier is all smiles pictured with Mandy Bromwich and Phil Childs from the Old Watermill Experience, Barton-le-Clay near Bedford christmas in february 19

Feature DKL

Brands go bigger D

KL Marketing enters 2019 continuing its distribution and marketing of established high-profile brands and the acquisition of new

products.

Hama Beads sees many new products introduced for 2019, having been advertised on TV during 2018 – further encouraging creativity and imagination, and highlighting Hama’s endless possibilities. A major change for 2019 is the packaging, keeping up with the modern styles and trends as well as showing the opportunities that are available with Hama.

Brand new products to the Hama portfolio will be showcased at Toy Fair – new sets include 3D Rabbit and Fox Gift Box, alongside four new Hanging Boxes, which include Princess and Circus.

One of the fastest-selling ranges from DKL Marketing in 2018 has been the new Plus-Plus range. These building bricks are simple shapes with endless possibilities. Children can create amazing models that are only limited by their imagination. Since its launch in 2016, PlusPlus tubes has seen growth that has exceeded expectations (in the US more than one million tubes have been sold) and the range will expand further this year. New tubes include an exciting new space range with glow-in-the-dark features.

Breyer Model Horses has been synonymous with providing quality equestrian models and play accessories. Stablemates is the entry point range of horses, sets and accessories at competitive pricing. The brand has exceeded 2018 growth plans and the Classic Play Horses, Unicorns and Painting Set have been hugely popular. Keeping up with the popular Unicorn and Fantasy Horse theme, the stunning Aurora

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and Cupcake from the Classic Horses range will be unveiled during the show. The brand will also be expanding its Traditional Collectables and Arts & Craft range.

Bloco is the ultimate realistic construction toy, which consists of high-density foam pieces and uniquely designed connectors which interlink, stack and rotate at any angle to create the most amazing animals. Sets include popular themes such as Dinosaurs, Animals, Sea Creatures, Unicorns, and other loveable and captivating characters that can be played with or displayed as decorative items.

Scented Stationery goes from strength to strength and the Scentco range offers a wide range with scents that last two years! Scentco’s range of ecofriendly scented stationery offers Smencils, Smens, Smarkers, Smencil Buddies and more!

Each colourful product features its own delicious scent.

PlayMais can be used to make beautiful creations just by adding water.

This all-natural crafting toy, which is 100% biodegradable, makes it easy for small hands to create imaginative 2D mosaic creations and 3D models.

Bath time can be made

fun for babies with the Escabbo range of Bath Toys. This range is full of colour and includes so many great items such as various Squirters, Fish Scoop, Bath Book, Bath Mats, Kissing Turtles, Cubes, Letters, Numbers and more.

DKL will be supporting all of its ranges with high-profile marketing campaigns to include instore activations, experiential activities, dedicated planograms, and extensive social media and PR activity.

DKL Marketing 01604 678780 www.dkl.co.uk

You can see our complete range of brand new gifts at the upcoming Spring Fair Show Over 2500 brand new gifts 10,000+ lines to choose from Only £100 minimum order ‘Little & Often’ ordering system FREE next day delivery Award winning customer service

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Feature Ansell Garden Centre

Rising proudly

from the ashes

In November 2016 Paresh Raithatha was forced to watch as the 12 years of hard graft that had built his family business, Ansell Garden Centre, went literally up in smoke.

But he has risen to the tough challenge of rebuilding and this West London gem is now set for festive success…

P

aresh Raithatha has had a passion for plants since the days when as a boy he used to watch his father sell them outside his village shop in Shepperton.

And when you’ve always found the company of ‘green things’ to be calming and therapeutic, it makes sense to combine this love with a background in economics and go into business in the garden centre trade. Which is exactly the path Paresh took when he took over Ansell Garden Centre, which sits literally a couple of miles from Europe’s busiest airport, Heathrow, back in 2004 and built it up as a joint venture with his Uncle Dilip.

But little did they know that a catastrophe that would see Ansells hit national headlines for all the wrong reasons 12 years later would test their business skills to the limit. Or that a shared determination to re-build and the support of loyal suppliers and customers would see them succeed against all the odds…

What’s your personal business background in terms of retail, and how long have you been working within the garden centre sector?

We opened Ansells back in 2004 – it was a former Wyevale site that needed much investment in terms of both time and money to make it into a great business again. I was 24 at the time and it was my first garden centre venture, but I’d grown up surrounded by plants and shrubs as my dad had sold them outside his village shop in Middlesex for as long as I could remember. It was a great environment and one that I found very therapeutic. Having studied economics at university it wasn’t an entirely natural progression but I wanted to start and build a business I could be passionate about.

Your business has faced a very challenging couple of years. Can you tell us more about the circumstances surrounding this and the community support you’ve received?

Back on the 20th November, 2016 – a date I’ll never forget – we sadly suffered a major fire at the garden centre. We were open at the time and it was a case of getting customers and staff out safely, and then watching 12 years of hard work just disappear in front of you.

A hundred fire fighters attended the site and we made national headlines as the fire nearly resulted in the closure of Heathrow Airport, which is adjacent to the centre. The heat became so intense and the fire ripped through the entire store and most of the plant area, so sadly not much was left. Of course it was tough watching all our hard graft go in a matter of hours but no one got hurt and we count our blessings for that

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“Of course it was tough watching all our hard graft disappear in a matter of hours but no one got hurt and we count our blessings for that.” .

How did you decided to proceed with the business in the days after the fire?

We decided it was a case of ‘do or die’ basically and opened up the outside area of Ansells and started clearing up what we could with the aim of getting some Christmas trees in. We wanted to make sure that customers knew we weren’t going anywhere.

The response was amazing and then the word got round on social media that we were open and customers came in to show their support. The Christmas trees sold extremely and we even had a tag line on all of our social media channels saying: ‘Come in for a free hug.’

Many people stopped by to make sure we were all okay.

You went on to run the business from a series of outside gazebos.

How challenging was this?

It was a real challenge as the space available for product was limited and it was frustrating knowing we couldn’t stock all the items

customers wanted. Plus of course we were governed by the weather.

Thankfully throughout 2017 the weather was kind and festive sales were strong, but spring 2018 was a lot tougher as the ‘Beast from the East’ hit and understandably customers didn’t really return until temperatures picked up.

When they did return it was in numbers though.

In terms of Christmas retail, sales held up well, but it was a tricky balance trying to ensure we had some element of broad product offering.

Customers knew our full range would be back in force though once the new building was up.

You had a soft launch for the new Ansells building back in November and put together last year’s Christmas shop in just nine days – as opposed to the couple of months it would usually have taken. How stressful was this?

It was a mission and not one many would have taken on! Our electric point of sale wasn’t live in time for the opening, but we had committed to stock and didn’t want to miss another Christmas season, so we took the decision to just get going. We had a team of five working on installation and visual merchandising for the Christmas shop, but it was also a case of calling in favours from suppliers, family and friends.

We managed to get the stock on the shelves and some trees dressed.

I’m possibly my own worst enemy and I would have loved to have put on the full festive show that we are known for, but it was one step at a time. I had to appreciate that from a customer’s perspective, they were just happy to have the store back in business and a good range of stock to buy.

Looking back at Christmas 2018 what product categories sold particularly well for you, and how will your retail performance affect planning and buying strategies for this year?

The Lemax Christmas collection did particularly well for us last year, as did Treebrights from Premier and the metal garden collection from Smart Garden. Plus our tree sales were the best to date, with a sell through rate of over 80%.

We plan to get back to our full displays next year and are already firming up themes to build ranges around. In terms of colours, crisp whites and blues look set to be big for this Christmas, as do traditional shades and then richer hues like purples, teals and gold. In terms of product

trends, battery operated lighting ranges seem to going from strength to strength.

We’ve seen the market and demand for particular products evolve over the past two years and we’re moving forward with that knowledge to make Christmas 2019 at Ansells really special for our customers.

“Being located near Heathrow Airport can actually mean some Christmas items sell early as customers like to take a keepsake home from London.”

How does your location near Heathrow Airport affect your gift and seasonal sales?

It’s actually a huge benefit to us as we get many customers that are dropping off or picking someone up at the airport and Ansells is an easy place to stop, have a drink and a bite to eat – and then peruse our lovely shop! Garden centres can all be different and even though they may have one near where they live, we will be stocking many different products and this is often the appeal. We also get lots of tourists through the door and this can actually mean some Christmas items sell early as customers like to take a keepsake home from London.

What trade shows and showroom visits are most important for you in terms of seasonal planning and buying?

Spring Fair and Glee are the two biggest shows for us in terms of the overall store, although over the last few years we have also been visiting the show rooms for the major suppliers we deal with, including Premier, Festive and Kaemingk. I’d expect to visit three or four this year and we will certainly use some of these for visual merchandising inspiration. We also take inspiration from many other places – including social media and putting our own twist on a competitor’s offering.

What are your plans for the official opening of the new store?

It will be in late March before Mother’s Day, and the local Fire Service will do the honours.

We’ll then be fully back up and running with our coffee shop and aquatics centre. We’ve got a strong series of events planned over the first three months.

Finally what does Christmas mean to you personally?

I’m single, but have a big extended family and two nieces aged three and five, and for me Christmas is all about spending time together – and going a little over the top! Life is busier than ever and it’s the one day of the year that you think about what really matters. *Ansell Garden Centre, Holloway Lane, Harmondsworth, UB7 0AE Visit: www.ansellgardencentre.co.uk, tel: 020 8897 6075 By:Sarah Welsh

What suppliers do you have a particularly close working relationship with?

Premier is located right on our doorstep and they have been very supportive through the rebuilding process we have gone through. Their team is great and very hands on when needed.

On the whole we’ve been very lucky with suppliers – there are far too many to name but I’d like to send a heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported us during the last difficult couple of years. christmas in february 23

Interview Spring Fair

‘Expect the unexpected and to be blown away...’

Spring Fair’s Event Director for Seasonal, Alison Graham, spoke to Sarah Welsh about colour trends, festive theatre and why seasonal retail is in great shape…

A

lison Graham is one woman completely ‘in the know’ when it comes to perhaps the most magical of all the exhibition halls at Spring Fair.

Just don’t ask her to talk about exhibitor previews – it’s all apparently top secret in a James Bond kind of way. And it’s not hard to see why.

For huge names in the Christmas retail trade such as Kaemingk, Premier Decorations and Festive Productions, the legendary show that takes place each February at Birmingham’s NEC, is of massive importance – both to showcase their fantastic product offerings and to blow visitors away with truly innovative show stand theatre.

Which is why Alison, Event Director for Seasonal, Party and Greetings, and who has been involved with the show for 19 years, says walking into Hall 2 and 3 (Christmas Gifts, Floral and Seasonal Decoration) early on the Sunday morning before Spring Fair opens its doors is one of the highlights of her year.

“There is a reason why Spring Fair is the one trade show of the year that absolutely should not be missed,” Alison says. “It’s a national show with huge reach and international flair, but more than that – walking into the seasonal halls is like entering the largest and most fantastic department store in the world.

“Companies involved in the Christmas trade are really ahead of the game. They are constantly evolving, they never sit on their laurels, they’re always moving in a new and exciting direction and that makes festive retail a really exciting place to be. My advice to visitors to the show is to expect the unexpected – but also expect to be blown away!”

Some of the seasonal exhibitors at Spring Fair can take up to a week to build their intricate show stands, and the wow factor never fails to surprise Alison. One of her personal favourite memories was the time Kaemingk used beautifully dressed upside down Christmas trees as a centrepiece!

Spring Fair’s scope and reach as a retail extravaganza is truly massive, encompassing 15 carefully curated show sectors, around 56,000 visitors from all areas of the industry and

24 christmas in february

between 2,500 and 3,000 exhibitors. Many of the companies who come to showcase their ranges at Spring Fair have a seasonal product offering – and that can seen be throughout the show.

This year the show opens on Sunday, 3 February, running to Thursday, 7 February, and includes a programme of exciting theatre and workshop spaces and a wide range of expert speakers.

For seasonal, Alison says Spring Fair is getting a lot of exhibitors travelling to the NEC from overseas, which is perhaps an interesting insight into how global Christmas companies are viewing the current tough financial climate and the dreaded Brexit.

“The peak in the seasonal halls this year has been with overseas exhibitors,” Alison says. “It seems the UK could be worrying more about Brexit than other global companies are and that has to be seen as really encouraging. We’re also getting a lot of overseas buyers coming to the show.”

Alison says specialising in the seasonal side of retail for 11 years now means that she has to truly love Christmas to do her job, but the speed at which seasonal manufacturers and suppliers develop and refresh their product ranges makes this easy.

“The days of just baubles and trees and traditional Christmas colours have gone” she says. “Festive retail is all about home styling now.

Yes some people may still dress their trees with sentimental family baubles that come out each year, but we’re seeing many more consumers buying new ranges of decorations each year and theming their tree to their Christmas table and throughout the home.

“You only have to look at companies like Kaemingk, Swift Imports, Premier and Festive Productions to see that festive retail is now all about beautiful colour trends and staying ahead of the competition.

“Kaemingk is so much about interiors and home styling now, with stunning Scandi-inspired products and beautiful rugs and throws. Premier are the go-to brand for traditional Christmas, trees, lights and garlands and Festive are equally as important with their clever product lines.

Every year there is something ingenious on their stand that goes on to be a best seller with garden centres.

“Our list of seasonal exhibitors is very exciting this year as we have many companies coming back to Spring Fair and some lovely new people as well. Snowtime are back at the show this year, as are Mercer Agencies and the National Tree Company, and in terms of new brands to check out don’t miss Hogewoning, which is a Dutch exhibitor.”

Alison reveals that in terms of colour trends for Christmas 2019, baby blues and pink pastels will be big news, and in terms of products the Scandi and wooden trends are still very popular, as are animated pieces.

“That natural, earthy style of decoration is still something we’re seeing a lot of,” she says. “It’s quite Germanic in style. And I’ve also seen a few ranges based on the Nutcracker theme.

“One particular exhibitor has themed everything in pink and white, with a shade of almost aqua blue. Also everything is frosted, glass-like and metallic in finish, while the big colour trend from last year – copper tones and burnt orange – is also still popular.”

Yes when it comes to seasonal retail they don’t come more well informed than Alison, but what does the personal side of Christmas mean to her?

“I generally spend Christmas with my parents in West Sussex and my mother absolutely loves Christmas and literally changes their house into a very tastefully decorated winter wonderland!

“It’s wonderful to go down there, see them and then of course get back to business. It’s funny you’re never really off duty though. I took Mum shopping to her local mall this year and I saw a load of animated penguins and knew the deal to buy them had been done at Spring Fair. There’s a reason why, as far as I’m concerned, we’re the show that should never be missed!”

Show stats What: Spring Fair 2019 When: 3-7 February Where: Birmingham NEC, B40 1NT Web: www.springfair.com

HARROGATE Christmas & Gift

Thank you to everyone who contributed towards making 2019 a hugely successful show!

We look forward to seeing you next year 12th - 15th January 2020 Booking for next year opens in March www.harrogatefair.com

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Interview Spring Fair

Spring Fair Exhibitors list 3rd - 7th February 12 Days of Christmas Hall: 3-3A | Stand: 3F13

Gisela Graham Hall 8, Stand A20/B19

Hall: 2,Stand: 2C31

C B Imports Hall: 2, Stand: 2D20--E21

Hamac Trading Company Hall: 2, Stand: 2H02

Premier Decorations Hall: 2, Stand: 2H04

C B Imports Hall: 2, Stand: 2E04-F03

Hogewoning BV Hall: 3-3A, Stand: 3A10,3B07

Premier Decorations Hall: 2, Stand: 2H03

Jeno Floral Ltd

Hall: 2, Stand: 2H35

Robin Reed Ltd Hall: 2, Stand: 2E01

Kaemingk Hall: 2, Stand: 2C04-D05

Sincere UK Ltd Hall: 2, Stand: 2C32-D33,2C38-D39

Palmtree Products

Christmas Time Hall: 2, Stand: 2H01 Creation Group A/S Hall: 3-3A, Stand: 3E10-F11 Dijk Natural Collections Hall: 2, Stand: 2C01

Kaemingk Hall: 2, Stand: 2C30-D31 Sincere UK Ltd Hall: 2, Stand: 2C21

Enchante Ltd

Hall: 2, Stand: 2F40

Kolor Trendz Decor Hall: 2, Stand: 2C33

FDL Ltd

Hall: 2, Stand: 2D02

Konstsmide UK Ltd

Festive Productions Ltd Hall: 2, Stand: 2F30-J31,2H32-K33 Festive Productions Ltd Hall: 2, Stand: 2E30-F31 Festive Productions Ltd Hall: 2, Stand: 2F30-H31 Floralsilk Ltd

Hall: 2, Stand: 2F20

Floralsilk Ltd

Hall: 2, Stand: 2F04

Hall: 2, Stand: 2H30

Lotus Imports Limited Hall: 2, Stand: 2C15 Lesser & Pavey Hall 5, tand 2D10 Lows of Dundee Ltd Hall: 2, Stand: 2D30-E31 Mercer Agencies Ltd Hall: 2, Stand: 2G01 Mezu Silk Flowers Hall: 2, Stand: 2C23

Florelle Import Co Hall: 2, Stand: 2E32-F33,2E40-F41

Mirza Export

Florist Supplies UK Ltd Hall: 2, Stand: 2E50-F51

Norfolk Leisure Lifestyle Ltd Hall: 3-3A, Stand: 3D10-E11

Gifts 4 All Occasions Hall: 3-3A, Stand: 3F10-G11 Giftware Trading Hall 5, Stand A02

Norfolk Leisure Lifestyle Ltd Hall: 3-3A, Stand: 3E12

28 christmas in february

Smart Garden Products Limited Hall: 3-3A, Stand: 3C10-D11 SnowTime Hall: 3-3A, Stand: 3G10-H11 Swift Imports

Hall: 2, Stand: 2A14

Swift Imports

Hall: 2, Stand: 2A01

Swift Imports Hall: 2, Stand: 2A04-C05 The Seasonal Group Hall: 3-3A, Stand: 3C11 Tree-Locate Hall: 2, Stand: 2D40-E41,2C50-F51

Hall: 2, Stand: 2C39 Williams (HS) Ltd Hall: 2, Stand: 2D04-E03 Yichun Zhongyi Commerce and Trade Co., Ltd. Hall: 2, Stand: 2C37 Xystos

Hall 4, Stand 4 H50/J15

Marketing and Distributing Quality Brands

0 facebook.com/DKL.Toys C) twitter.com/DKLtoys DKL Marketing Ltd, 11 Deer Park Road, Northampton, NN3 6QD, UK • tel. 01604 678780 · email. sales@dkl.co.uk · web. www.dkltoys.co.uk

Feature Premier

Perfect presentation A

s the doors closed on Harrogate Christmas & Gift 2019, editor Malcolm Naish caught up with Premier Decorations’ managing director John Athwal before he moved on to his next project…

Far from packing up and looking forward to a well-deserved rest after many weeks of setting up shop in Harrogate and four busy days manning a stand packed with customers; the Premier team was industriously preparing for its next port of call – Spring Fair at the NEC from 3rd to 7th February 2019.

On arriving in Premier’s exclusive hall in the Harrogate Convention Centre, the first thing that struck me was the fantastic change in the company’s stand design with an openness to the layout which allowed you to see a huge array of products at a glance. I was suddenly aware of things that I know Premier has produced for years, but simply hadn’t noticed before. According to John, this new layout has proved a huge hit with buyers loving the new design. This will be capitalised on at Spring Fair, where the stand will be recreated – if somewhat tighter, as Premier hasn’t expanded into its own hall in Birmingham yet!

With so many new products for 2019, the million-dollar question had to be; ‘what is the absolute winner of the show this year?’ John barely hesitated as he explained that the new Accent brand on decorations; and themes with eye-catching new lifestyle packaging topped everything attracting hordes of buyers.

Customers were delighted with the shatterproof range and were enthusiastically matching the colourways to their chosen themes – there were a number of special offers for these also which certainly attracted a lot of attention.

Decorative lighting is not just for Christmas and Premier’s revamped Microbrite brand of pin wire lights have been given a softer look which 30 christmas in february

sits effortlessly on the shelf all year. These are perfect for parties and of course weddings, which give them year-round appeal and pretty-much guaranteed sales for every possible celebration. These are available in battery operated and low voltage transformer powered, and the fact that these lights have reduced considerably in price makes them a major hit.

Premier has introduced some interesting products to this range, so well worth a visit at Spring Fair.

The extra bright snowflake range caused a bit of excitement of its own with many new additions including Christmas trees and hearts in all sizes.

Even though this particular collection isn’t branded, buyers knew exactly what they were looking for and this sold out first early season.

Novelty-wise, glitter water spinners topped the list of ‘must-haves’ and the original 27cm lantern sold out very early in 2018 at a promotional price. Don’t leave orders for Premier’s quality range late, as many buyers resorted to cheap imitations leading to disappointment last year. The majority of Premier’s products have a dual power source, both battery and transformer jack which are affordable and allow customers to use the product as a side lamp.

Flickabrights were also much sort after at Harrogate, having seen a major extension of the range with many new products including a stand and floor display. The range is the latest introduction by Premier and is selling well at retail alongside the dancing flame candle.

If you didn’t manage to catch up with Premier in Harrogate, then a visit to its stand in Hall 2 of the NEC at Spring Fair is a must – you will definitely be impressed by the new lifestyle packaging for the majority of Premier’s range – but if you can’t make the show, then get in touch for a visit to one of the company’s showrooms in Ruislip and Wrexham. Call 0208 624 5555 or email: sales@premierdec.com for an appointment.

Spring Fair: Hall 5, Stand E112/F113

Konstsmide ’Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten’

KONSTSMIDE (UK) Ltd Hardwick View Road, Holmewood Industrial Estate Holmewood, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S42 5SA, United Kingdom

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Tel. +44 (0)1246-852140 Fax +44 (0)1246-854297 E-mail: sales@konstsmide.co.uk www.konstsmide.co.uk

2018-12-13 11:37

Feature FDL

Firelamp Torch

Firelamp

Movinflame

Quality, cost and Innovation from FDL synchrone set

XP-XL

F

DL would like to welcome everyone to see them at Spring Fair in Hall 2 – Stand 2D02 FDL will continue to supply the wholesale, retail and commercial design markets with the focus very much on QUALITY, COST & INNOVATION. The company will be presenting many new lines for 2019, extending the range of firelamps and movin flame candle sets.

They will also be introducing a new range of XL-XP light strings and XP SYNCHRONE RGB remote controllable light strings.

FDL would like to invite you to make an appointment to view their complete range of products in their South Manchester showroom.

Alternatively , they can have one of their sales team visit you at your preferred location

FIRELAMP TM FDL firelamp range has been extended for 2019 FDL supplies lamps with both E14 and E27 fittings.

64 & 96 Surface Mounted Diode (SMD) versions are available.

FDL has the FIRELAMP TORCH, which has proven to be extremely popular for both the summer and winter seasons and have introduced the FIRELAMP TORCH with solar power for 2019.

They believe that there are many inferior copies on the market and suggest you come and visit them to see the original FIRELAMP range for yourself.

synchrone ropelight

MOVIN FLAME TM FDL now has an extensive range of movin flame

32 christmas in february

candles for 2019 The collection includes sets of 3, with both timer and remote in a variety of colours and diameters.

FDL also supplies single candles, with timer and remote in various colours, diameters and wax effects.

The company has a giant 15cm diameter candle range, which can be powered by battery, giving an incredible 1000 hours of burning time.

Alternatively , they can be used in conjunction with the MOVIN FLAME power pack and plugged directly into the mains.

FAIRYBELL FDL will be introducing new editions to the Fairybell range in 2019 The range includes includes Wall trees of 2m,4m,6m & 8m Door trees of 2m.

Free Standing 2m,3m,& 4m trees. Flagpole trees of 6m,8m,10m & 12m.

XP RANGE FDL has added XP-SYNCHRONE RGB light strings and XP-XL light strings to the already extensive range of XP products.

The XP SYNCHRONE is a remote controlled set with 8 colour modes, 6 function effects and 2 speed options.

The XL- XP is a 10mm LED with cap can be supplied either static or with a random twinkle.

This product is proving popular in both the commercial and retail sectors.

They look forward to seeing you on stand 2D02 in HALL 2.

Konstsmide Quality is never compromised as consumers deserve better

KONSTSMIDE (UK) Ltd Hardwick View Road, Holmewood Industrial Estate Holmewood, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S42 5SA, United Kingdom

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Tel. +44 (0)1246-852140 Fax +44 (0)1246-854297 E-mail: sales@konstsmide.co.uk www.konstsmide.co.uk

2018-12-13 11:37

Feature Kaemingk

Kaemingk All around the world 2019 Christmas collection

W

hether it’s freezing cold and everything is covered in a thick layer of snow or whether it’s hot enough to grab your swimming trunks and head for the beach, Christmas is celebrated, all over the world. And we all have our own Christmas traditions; beautiful trees are decorated, houses are lit up like fairytale palaces, the most delicious delights are cooked and Christmas carols fill the air. Gifts are bought and seasons greetings sent. One thing is certain: at Christmas, the world is full of glorious decorations!

On 3 December, Kaemingk’s inspirational showroom measuring 5,500m2 reopens. We have realistic artificial Christmas trees, Christmas

lights for indoor and outdoor use and glass or shatterproof baubles. Here you’ll find anything and everything you need to put together a complete Christmas collection. You can extend your range with colourful candles, genuine Lumineo Christmas mas Village houses or floristry items. We have more than 13,500 home decor and gift items for you to choose from. Of course, they’re all displayed in fabulous settings with eight unique themes featuring the latest trends.

Share the cosiest of times What says ‘Christmas’ more than a landscape of snow and ice. Outside, huskies are waiting to take you on a sleigh ride through the fresh snow.

Ins Inside, it’s warm – the log fire is burning. The flo oor is strewn with magnificent hides and the fur furniture is covered with thick, warm throws an and pretty decorative cushions. Delicious w wintry treats are on hand, served on delightful ta tableware while hot chocolate is poured into u unique, earthenware mugs.

An elegant dinner A B Bright-red table runners, candlesticks cks and ccolourful velvet chairs in yellow aand purple. The dining table is surrounded by vibrant decorative bouquets in contr contrasting colours, set on high pillars. The warm light of the candles is reflected as a shimmer on the gold cutlery. On each plate there is a lovely, fresh flower and cut greenery, waiting for his or her special Christmass visitor.

Embrace Nature D Dusk is falling; soon the family house in the mountains will be h ssurrounded by complete darkness. ss.

A large, modern basket of logs is ready next to the crackling fire and re nd a wonderful, natural-looking garland has been w slung over the hearth. The kitchen bustles as sl dinner is prepared. Fresh herbs in pretty pots di brighten up the kitchen counter. Slowly, the br

34 christmas in february

scent of a stuffed turkey rises from the oven and fills the house.

Come and visit, you’ll find boundless inspiration. You are cordially invited to our showroom in Aalten in the Netherlands or visit us at the Spring Fair in Birmingham from the 3rd till 7th of February 2019. www.kaemingk.com

Konstsmide THE brand for all your quality Christmas Lighting

Visit us at: BIRMINGHAM NEC SPRING FAIR 3rd–7th February 2018 Our New Larger Stand Hall 2, Stand 2H30

KONSTSMIDE (UK) Ltd Hardwick View Road, Holmewood Industrial Estate Holmewood, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S42 5SA, United Kingdom

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Tel. +44 (0)1246-852140 Fax +44 (0)1246-854297 E-mail: sales@konstsmide.co.uk www.konstsmide.co.uk

2018-12-13 11:37

Feature Spring Fair

Lesser & Pavey Ltd Hall 5 – Stand D10/E11 Tel: 01322 279 225 Email: sales@leonardo.co.uk

As well as a gift range that covers many categories, Lesser & Pavey’s Christmas offering has been increasing year by year. Below are just two of the many stunning items to be seen on their stand at the show.

The Christmas Robin The tiny bird of Christmas is always a firm hit with buyers as it harps to nature; a cheeky, colourful red bird that has featured throughout history as a sentiment of this once a year festive time.

Lesser & Pavey introduce the MacNeil licensed Christmas Robin range for 2019. This range will include the fine china mugs, coasters, placemats and melamine trays. Complimenting the main range are fine china jug, salt and pepper as well as ceramic candle, glass candle plates, tea light holders and quality oil burners.

Angels in all their glory Buyers looking for spiritual inspirqtion for Christmas 2019 need look no further than these must have angelic dolls.

Available in silver, gold, red and white, these Angels have beautiful porcelain faces and hands with magnificent colour-changing fibre optic wings and intricately detailed dresses. In each colour, they offer a 16” tree top Angel, an 18” doll and 24” and 32” musical moving Angels that play eight different Christmas songs.

Giftware Trading Co. Hall 5 – Stand A02 sales@giftwaretradingco.co.uk

Managing Director Ben Jeffery comments “I am thrilled with the diverse and commercial collection that we have created for Christmas 2019. Despite some of the challenges retailers are facing many of our customers have been ordering and repeating regularly in the run up to Christmas, with very positive feedback reporting strong sales and confidence going forward into the New Year.”

Having moved into new office and showroom in 2015, this investment has really paid off with customers enjoying being able to view the entire range in a most relaxed atmosphere.

Harrogate has been instrumental in regularly attracting quality visitors who have found Giftware Trading’s highly original take on Christmas to their liking.

Easter continues to be an important part of Giftware trading’s offering and once again they will be showing a small selection of their current Easter collection. Ben told us “Easter has been really popular, particularly the smaller pick up products such as little bunnies on parachutes and bunny pot hangers.

Whilst Easter might be fairly new to Giftware Trading, and Ben believes it will never compare with Christmas turnover, never the less the Season of Easter eggs etc., is a growing market.

With a growing product range and sales heading in the same direction Ben looks forward to welcoming both old and new customers to their stand in Hall 5.

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Feature Konstsmide

Konstsmide Lighting the way E

ver since Konstsmide was founded as a company back in a southern region of Sweden, Småland, in 1942, it’s been focused on the importance of fresh and innovative product designs.

This love of all things ‘new’ was what first inspired founder Gunnar Johansson to give up his previous career as a bus driver to launch the business, and along with two employees he initially made forged products and flower boxes. Then in 1947 Konstsmide made Sweden’s first serially produced electric candle holders, and they’ve been illuminating the Christmas lighting industry ever since.

Now the market leader with more than 75 years of experience is rightly renowned for the unrivalled range of lighting products they offer, but the connection each and every piece has is that it is designed and manufactured to last. These are items lovingly produced to have a long life – not just for one Christmas season.

Konstsmide’s UK base is in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, and under UK Director, Richard Jerrom – who has been with the company since 1992 – it has seen steady growth and an ever-present commitment to quality and choice. A great example of this is

38 christmas in february

that Konstsmide’s LED light strings have been rigorously tested and lose minimal brightness over time – whereas some competitor products can lose more than 30% of brightness in just one Christmas. The brand’s antique white or amber LED lights have proved particularly popular in Sweden and look set to be big news over here for Christmas 2019.

Konstsmide are also famous for their range of ‘Welcome lights’, produced in both wood and metal, and these come in a wide range of designs, sizes and price points.

There will also be more app controlled lighting sets showcased for Christmas 2019 at Spring Fair, and the company have taken a slightly larger show stand for this year’s outing at Birmingham’s NEC. Animation is looking set to be a big theme at Spring Fair, and in particular Konstsmide’s collection of aeroplane models look set to be a talking point at this year’s show, as well as the company’s range of winter lanterns that can be pre-programmed to switch on at the same time each day.

There are over 20 water lanterns to choose from for Christmas 2019.

Spring Fair – Hall 2, Stand 2H30 Web: www.konstsmide.se

Spring Fair Feature

Xystos

Xystos will introduce eight new Splosh ranges at Harrogate Christmas & Gift. Hamptons features a variety of coastal homewares that incorporate soft white washed wood and deep blue coral reefs that capture the essence of beachside living, while the Magnolia homewares collection brings the simplistic elegance of magnolias into the home mixed with organic textures and trending tones of off-white and olive green.

The Splosh Mushrooms range features caring messages – such as ‘you are the sunshine that lights up my life’ – while Travel Maps enable the adventurous to ‘pin’ where they’ve been and want to go.

There are new Mini Change Boxes for savers and hanging Loving Hearts with sentimental sayings. And Message Boxes enable well-wishers to leave their kind thoughts on special occasions such as birthdays and weddings. Little Boxes of Love, bearing inscriptions such as Our Friendship, Our Love Story, Mum and Dad, complete the new introductions.

Hall 4 – Stand 4H50/J51 Tel: 0191 499 1570 Email: sales@xystos.co.uk

A century of success Spring Fair – Hall 5, Stand 5D50-E51 Email: info@joedavies.co.uk Tel: 0161 975 6300 Web: www.joedavies.co.uk

This year Joe Davies celebrates its centenary, and as its many satisfied customers – from independent retailers to multiples – know only too well, that’s a hundred years of awardwinning customer service.

The family-owned Stockport based giftware and seasonal supplier is also known for its flexible attitude to ordering, with everything from the company’s huge range of products available in sensible ‘little and often’ quantities with carriage paid delivery of just £100.

This makes repeat ordering of best-sellers simple and stress free, with delivery to suit all customer requirements.

Following the company’s third successful outing at Harrogate’s Christmas & Gift show, the team are now looking forward to meeting retail customers old and new at Spring Fair.

Joe Davies will be showcasing more than 750 items from their festive selection, with hundreds of new lines to check out and something for everyone.

LED lighting has been a huge Christmas trend over the last few years, and Joe Davies has a broad range of product on show at Spring Fair to light up 2019’s festive season. Top of the list is their ‘Xmas Rattan’ collection of Décor Christmas light ups which is expected to be hugely popular with visitors to the show stand. Plus there is the brand new collection of ‘Xmas Glow porcelain’, featuring elegant and traditional festive scenes, and with retail prices starting from as little as £7.99.

Joe Davies has long been known for its Equilibrium jewellery collection, and this year new additions to the range include brooches, necklaces, earrings and scarves, with each item coming beautifully gift boxed.

The company will also be showcasing its magical range of Christmas Eve boxes, and on the decorative front there’s a fantastic collection of ‘Glass Art’ LED festive baubles. Plus for fans of LED there’s a fun range of bottle stoppers, which would go well with Christmas gin glasses from the Sunny by Sue collection.

Joe Davies’ range of glass Christmas trees are selling well, as they do every year. They come in four different sizes and a range of styles and designs, and the company also offers and LED version.

Woodland Christmas is predicted to be a big festive trend for 2019, with Joe Davies ahead of the game with a raft of décor pieces, craft style items, message plaques and Christmas hangers inspired by this.

Also finally don’t forget the coveted Leonardo Collection from Lesser and Pavey, for which Joe Davies is largest distributor in the country. See it all and more at Spring Fair! christmas in february 39

Feature Noma

Lighting up

Christmas for 80 years!

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his coming year is set to be one filled with celebration for NOMA, as the UK’s oldest Christmas lighting supplier marks its landmark birthday.

Founded back in 1939, the same year World War II broke out, NOMA had initially been an American company, but became established here manufacturing basic sets of Christmas lights following war work. Now eight decades on, and this is a company that proudly combines a rich heritage with a reputation for innovative design.

NOMA is owned by Leisuregrow, which has an extensive showroom based in Hinxworth, Hertfordshire, but for customers further north there is also the company’s showroom in Killearn, near Glasgow.

Celebrations kicked off at Harrogate’s Christmas & Gift show with a spectacular gala dinner to mark NOMA’s 80th birthday, where Mock The Week presenter Dara O Briain performed, and many more exciting events are yet to come throughout 2019.

Design-wise things are also shaping up for a fantastic year for NOMA, and this is a brand that is constantly evolving – with cutting edge technology such as its 1,2, Tree system, the patented EasyTimer and the NOMA Add-A-Long-Pro system.

Fresh for 2019 is the new dual power festive outdoor lighting range, that can be operated by both mains power and battery, a USB lighting chain collection and a solar-powered pillar candle range.

Other new designs for this year include a very on-trend pre-lit natural rattan collection of garden animals, fun acrylic characters including a free-standing three foot flamingo, water fountain candles and stunning floating magical Christmas candles. Plus there are also new pre-lit Christmas door sets and wreaths and new tree scents to fit all NOMA’s beautifully realistic artificial trees.

LeisureGrow Marketing Director, Frank Kaminski, said: “NOMA is a great brand and we’re proud to be part of its recent history and also its future. We’ve got great ambitions for NOMA Christmas and NOMA Garden Lighting, and we’re excited about the innovations and designs we’re bringing in for 2019 – and beyond.” www.noma.co.uk/ www.leisuregrow.com

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Smart Garden Products Feature

Smart move in Spring Fair

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ollowing hot on the heals of a very successful Harrogate show, Smart Garden Products are about to debut at the Spring Fair. As experts in garden lighting and décor, it seemed only natural for Smart to create a Christmas range, starting with a modest collection which was launched at the Harrogate Christmas and Gift Show last year and that this should continue at both Harrogate and Spring Fair for 2019.

Jonathan Stobart, Managing Director, comments on the launch “We were absolutely delighted with our retail partners’ positive response to our inaugural launch under our new Three Kings brand last year and even more pleased that the range has sold so well in-store this Christmas season. We are still finding our feet in this dynamic category and have spent the last year seeking out and developing an exciting, innovative new range for 2019 with stunning new collections across Festive Lighting and Décor, all priced for maximum impact in store”.

The popular Festive Folk and Santa Stakes ranges have new additions, ensuring a warm welcome at the door, joined by the brand new In-Lit Statuettes, a collection of elegant, illuminated figures which will bring the Spirit of Christmas into every household.

The Elvedon

Christmas Collection remains a best-selling collectible range, with a delightful selection of battery lit houses, ideal for creating festive ambience around the home.

Squeezy, cuddly and irresistible, the Gonk Gang family of festive characters come in all shapes and sizes – fairies, snowmen, deer and our lovable “Gonkerts” – not to be missed!

Our Rattan and Faux Décor collections have also had an upgrade, and now include illuminated versions of our bestsellers. We continue to light up our collection with new Faux Fire Lanterns – complete with incredibly realistic flickering flames. Accompanying these are some fabulously Festive Lanterns and Woodland Lumieres.

Topping the tree is our beautiful BaubleEsque range – gorgeous glass baubles containing delicate firefly LEDs, and atmospheric Alpine scenes. We’re really excited about our range of 80 LED Meteor Shower baubles which are a must-range item for 2019. With a Try-Me function on every box, these will make a spectacle in-store as well as in homes all around the country!

Our Galaxy Mirrors and Neon-Esque style décor are given the Christmas treatment with festive options available as tabletops as well as striking wall mounted motifs in two sizes. We’ve also

added striking strips of neon flex guaranteed to make a bright and bold festive statement!

Classic String Lights continue to sell well, now priced even more competitively, whilst the ever-popular Firefly LED String Lights and new Glo-Globe options are a sure winner all year round.

Finally, we encourage you to check out our lighting string section where we have transformed the humble battery string light with our patented SP-i Eco String Lights that not only deliver great battery performance over Christmas but can then be “solar-enabled” to work all year round – how eco-friendly, convenient and Smart is that?!

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Feature Spring Fair

Keel Toys

Spring Fair – Hall 5, Stands 5E40-F41 Web: www.keeltoys.com Leading toy and giftware supplier Keels has a great range of pieces perfectly suited to Christmas 2019, and this year a demand for sequins is top of the list.

New for this festive season is Keel’s Glittermotsu’s, which come embellished with beautiful iridescent sequins in a range of favourite Christmas characters. Available in two sizes, 20cm and 30cm, you only have to brush the sequins to reveal the characters’ contrasting colours.

Keel also has a wide variety of soft toys with a festive edge, including elves, fairies, dangly characters and Winter Animotsu – all of which make great tree presents or stocking fillers.

Or make a child’s Christmas with something from the Puppy eyes collection. The new Signature Cuddle Puppies come with eyes that are bespoke to a specific breed of dog, with blue, green and brown colour variations. Available in 12 different designs in the 25cm size, including Labrador, Husky, Labradoodle and French Bulldog, larger versions also come in 32cm, 37cm and 47cm sizes. Plus there are also 12 standing puppies that come with a lead.

Pugsley, Keel’s beloved pug, again makes an appearance for Christmas 2019, with a new standing style dressed in festive character outfits, and there’s also a new Gingerbread Man and Blue Penguin design available in a variety of sizes and price points.

Keel Toys is known for offering retail customers the perfect balance between classic and fashion soft toy designs, so be sure to visit them at Spring Fair.

Richard Lang Premier Halloween Spring Fair – Hall 5 Stand E112/F113

Premier Decorations Limited are delighted to launch its 2019 Halloween Collection which is packed with a selection of exciting new products.

In response to customer feedback, they have expanded their family friendly ranges and reintroduced some of their spookier collection; with close to a 1000 products, there is plenty within the 2019 range to cover a wide variety of tastes and markets.

As reported in trade press, Halloween 2018 was a one of the most successful years where retailers reported an unexpected increase in demand, leading to many lines being sold out entirely. It is without doubt that the Halloween Festival is becoming ever increasingly popular event.

The visual impact of merchandising and the dramatic effect of in store Halloween displays fuel customer excitement to participate in the festival, be sure to check Premier’s Merchandising solutions which include Gondolas, Stands and premerchandised FSDU’s.

Premier hope to see you at Spring Fair (3rd -7th February 2019, Hall 5 Stand E112/F113) where you can view the entire range in its full glory.

Alternatively, showrooms visits are also welcomed in Ruislip, Middlesex or Wrexham, North Wales – call 020 8624 5555 to arrange an appointment.

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Spring Fair – Hall 4, Stands 4E50-F51 Web: www.richardlang.co.uk Searching for design experts and a gift and seasonal supplier that has the festive retail season all wrapped up for you? Look no further than Lang’s, which boasts 12 brand new collections for this Christmas.

In the 70 years since Richard Lang’s was first established in Derby back in 1949, the business has seen the seasonal market change radically, but they have the contemporary design edge and supply products to a huge range of independents, online and multiple retailers – both in the UK and across Europe.

Lang’s ‘Midnight sparkle’ range has a sophisticated style, mixing deep navy and gold, finished in true festive style with a splash of glitter!

‘Have a Mooey Christmas’, follows on from the success of Lang’s ‘Down on the Farm’ collection, with a quirky edge that the company is renowned for.

Another highlight is the ‘Christmas time is Family time’ range, building on the previous popularity of Lang’s hand-painted bear which was central to the very popular ‘Mum’ collection. This lovable character has been extended to other family members, and there’s even a Christmas Eve box to share and enjoy.

In addition to their festive ranges, Lang’s will also be showcasing more than 25 new collections for spring/summer 2019 at Spring Fair. They look forward to seeing you in Birmingham!

Floral Silk Feature

Floralsilk: a theme to suit everyone

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amily run Floralsilk has seen its festive range continue to grow in the last few years, and as they pride themselves on innovative ideas and creative thinking, the company’s Spring Fair show stand is one not to be missed.

The UK’s leading provider of simply stunning replica flowers, plants, trees and seasonal decorations, Floralsilk is also ahead of the game when it comes to social media opportunities, and this year the brand’s clever visual merchandising will provide many ‘Instaworthy’ opportunities at Birmingham’s NEC. With nine new Christmas themes launched this year, Floralsilk’s team have really ensured that they have something to suit all tastes and retail markets – from traditional inspired themes to novelty product stories, like ‘Believe in Santa.’

Sure to be one of the favourite ranges is ‘Christmas Luxury’, gloriously retro in style but with a contemporary twist and based around hues of warm pink and peach, rose gold, silver and cool, soft greys.

‘Forever Green’ is a wonderfully atmospheric theme with shades of deep green and on-trend metallic coppers and golds, where you can strike a pose sitting on velvet in front of a feature wall.

One of the largest and most striking displays on show at Spring Fair will be Floralsilk’s ‘Winter Wonderland’ theme, which takes inspiration from magical Narnia, while the ‘Pop Art’ display promises to be particularly striking.

“We’re really happy that our Christmas range is continually growing, allowing us to offer customers an unrivalled selection of contemporary festive tree trim, ornaments, fine wreaths and garlands, wintery foliage and authentic Christmas trees,” says marketing manager, Amy Thorley.

Spring Fair – Hall 2, Stands 2F20 and 2F04 Web: www.floralsilk.co.uk

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Feature New Products

Lemax Europe

Tel: 01732 454 477 Email: lemax.europe1@btinternet.com Lemax are the world leaders in Christmas Collectibles. Founded in 1990 their miniature buildings and villages have an ever-expanding customer base and the U.K. is no different.

2018 has been a most successful year with their Carousel and Ballroom leading the way. Much of the Lemax success story is attributable to their young graphic artists and designers, who continuously look to keep up the latest trends in LED lighting and mechanical movements. As new technology continues to improve the story-making experience whilst never sacrificing the hand-crafted quality that collectors have come to expect.

Lemax consumers are a mix of collectors and those of us who buy on impulse when we see one of their houses or village settings.

I have to say of the two I’d far prefer collecting a Lemax village setting, particularly an Alpine one, compared to those model railway enthusiasts who have their layout normally hidden in a loft-room setting – much better on display in a lounge during the festive period.

Morris May/Weiste

Tel: 07774 493594 Email: info@morrismay.com Weiste have new ranges of ‘Fashion’ tinsel and brilliant boxed shatterproof baubles at amazing prices.....

Great NEW themes including Opulent ‘Opera’ and of course ‘Unicorn’.....

Weiste are probably the largest manufacture of tinsel and shatterproof ornaments in Europe.

Internationally, Weiste exports Christmas to over 30 countries worldwide and have been a recognised brand in Europe since 1924 with over 30 years of trade in the UK! Many of you will know that Weiste have built up a reputation not only for quality products with a Scandinavian design edge, but also for reliability with the best retailers, display companies and on-line operations throughout UK. During this time Weiste have expanded purposefully with their Villa Weiste Collection offering Glass baubles and decorations, Furry Friends featuring felt mice, one of this year’s tipped ‘hot seller’, and Textiles, throws and cushions along with NEW imported boxed shatterproof baubles.

These exclusive products echo today’s trends with strong emphasis on colour and fashion.

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Mister Tinsel

Tel: 07736 032272 Email:ianirnorris@gmail.com Mister Tinsel have plenty of new ideas and designs in Tinsel production.

As ever their products are designed and manufactured right here in the UK and continue to be the most quality conscious and competitively priced and innovative tinsels in the marketplace according to Ian Norris.

With Ian’s infectious approach to his customers’ requirements they approach 2019 in their 5th year with probably their biggest collection of tinsel product ever.

A new catalogue as well as a brand new and beautiful floor standing tinsel display unit is introduced for the first time.

Ian would like to give a BIG THANK YOU to all his customers who have supported and encouraged Mister Tinsel to date.

His final words “Happy New Year from ‘Team Tinsel’.”

Step Back In Time Feature

Step Back in Time Malcolm Naish looks back to 2000, 2005, 2009 and 2014 4 February 2000

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his was our first Spring Fair preview edition. Our garden centre interview was with Van Hage, based in Great Amwell, Herts. Where purchasing manager Darren Pattinsen and colleague Bridie Powell were the force behind the Christmas buying selection. Back then Kaemingk, Noma and Sia were popular suppliers.

To show we didn’t just interview garden centre buyers, we ran a two page spread on B & Q via buyer Tanya Turner. Back then they had 47 stores.

Great to see companies 20 years on still supporting our magazine. These include Premier Decorations, Noma, F.D.L., Kaemingk, Gisela Graham, MorrisMay/Weiste, Konstsmide and Harrogate Christmas. & Gift.

Spare a thought for Frank Kaminski who back in 2000 was working with Christmas House and whilst playing Rugby sustained a torn ligament. Being a born professional, Frank was at the shows all strapped up, but of course unable to drive. Frank as we all know today is sales director at Noma.

February 2009

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aurence Llewelyn-Bowen was featured on Snowtime’s stand at Spring Fair where his exclusively designed range was being introduced.

I had a few months previously attended the ‘efsa’ trade association in Eindhoven. Their members are mainly from Europe and have never really meant very much to U.K. traders. Ironically, all their meetings are held in English and the association’s style guide is greatly used by the members when considering their colourways each year.

A great bunch of people and companies, such a shame the UK has such little involvement with them.

We interview Suzanne Beechey, divisional buying manager at BHS. Suzanne had been involved in Christmas buying since she first joined Debenhams in 1978 as a trainee buyer.

Dutch company Cinter were also setting up their own UK offices with Richard Quint looking after senior accounts.

Sadly, the operation did not stand the test of time.

Harrogate Christmas & Gift celebrated their 60th Birthday with a fantastic party attended by well over 300 guests. Three companies exhibited at all 60 shows Widmans, Salco and the Playwrite Group.

Vernon Butler long time director of Widmanns announces at the show that he will be retiring. A lovely man and greatly missed in the industry.

February 2005

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nowtime were celebrating their 10th year and welcoming everyone to their stand at Spring Fair with a glass of bubbly.

It is interesting that back in 2005 I was posing the question that does the Harrogate show need to reduce the number of days from five to four. Back then the jury was out so to speak, bur as we all know, a four day show eventually happened opening on a Sunday.

In our ‘Grass Roots’ talks with buyers it was interesting to see that when asked what were the best-selling colours for Christmas virtually all of them said “The first to sell are always the traditional colours, the reds, greens and golds, but Woodland themes were beginning to gather speed. Other colours mentioned were pinks and lilacs.

As if to emphasize traditional colours are king, we ran an article on the origins of Christmas and as well as European influences, the Celtic culture was also part of our growth for Christmas including mistletoe and holly much revered by the Celts. Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic was a great centre of glass-blowing where glass beads were made for chandeliers. Some of these early strings were used by Victorians to dress Christmas trees.

We interviewed Ian Mathews and Robert Eveleigh of Peeks of Bournemouth who told us that they bought over 80% of their Christmas product direct themselves from the Far East, due to being let down so often by British Importers.

February 2014

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he ‘Greatest Christmas’ awards are duly celebrated at Harrogate.

Such a shame that a few years later this evening celebration of everything great in garden centres, moves to a daytime slot at Spring Fair.

I am more than delighted to have our cottage modelled by Premier Decorations. What a fab job they did of it. I would have been one of the biggest buyers of this particular item to send to all my friends around the world.

Kirsty Allsopp appears on the Festive stand at Spring Fair to promote her newly-created line of Festive’s home produced tinsel.

I was sad to learn that Clive Capel whose family had owned Noma for many years would no longer be attending the shows. The Leisuregrow group had recently purchased the company. christmas in february 47

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