Christmas in Janaury 2013

23rd year of publication

The only dedicated business magazine for the Christmas decorative market

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Harrogate Christmas & Gift 13th to 16th January 2013 Harrogate International Centre 9am - 6pm Sunday - Tuesday, 9am - 4pm Wednesday

Harrogate Christmas and Gift 2013 It’s almost here

The best Christmas show in town Sunday 13th – Wednesday 16th Sun – Tue 9am – 6pm Wed 9am – 4pm

Pre-Registration now on www.harrogatefair.com

GTN Awards Sunday 13th January to book tickets call 01733 775700 Monday 14th January FREE Drinks, Snacks and Disco From 10pm for Exhibitors and Buyers at the Majestic Hotel

Eight halls of Christmas Hall A

Hall C

Hall H

A01

Christmas in January

C 11

Jette Frรถlich Design Aps

A02

Ambiente

C02,C39

A03

Riffelmacher & Weinberger GmbH & Co KG

Festive Productions Ltd. (Hall C)

C04

Fair to Trade Ltd.

H1

Premier Decorations Ltd.

Hall M M02

Kaemingk BV

M10

Triflora Decorations Ltd.

M12

Ascalon Design Ltd.

M14,M16

Gisela Graham Ltd.

M18

Festive Productions Ltd.

M22

Konstsmide (UK) Ltd.

A04

t o b s - The Old Basket Supply Ltd

C05

Felt so good

C06

Archipelago

A06

R J B Stone Ltd.

C07

Heritage Source

A08

Krebs Glas Lauscha GmbH

C08

Zebra Pen (UK) Ltd

C09

Retreat Home Ltd

C10

Deck The Halls

C14

Ester & Erik a/s

C15

The Solar Centre

C16

Birgitte Frigast Aps

C17

Mezu Silk Flowers

Queens Pavillion

C18

Brink Nordic

QP1

Vivid Arts Ltd.

QP2, 3

Winter Flora Ltd.

A09,A22

Noma Lites Ltd.

A16

Amica and Felt Work

A18

Sincere UK Ltd.

A24

Birchcraft

A25

Playwrite Group Plc

A26

Artscape Publishing Santa Balls

A27

Sunware B V

C20

Casdon Toys

A28

Florelle Import Co.

C21

Jingles

A30

The Giftware Trading Company

C22

Puleo Asia Ltd.

C24

Luxa Flamelighting

A32

Terra Rossa

C25

A34

The Original Winters Tale Ltd.

Christmas at Crumble Cottage

C26

Tom Chambers

A36

Flame Homeware

C27

Davro International

A38

I E P Wholesale

C3

A40

BIGdecs

Anglo American Distributors Ltd.

C37

Heaven Sends

C38

The Satchville Gift Company

C38b

Harewood International Ltd.

Hall B B04,B37

Hill Interiors

B07,09

Floralsilk Ltd.

C38d

Cadix Ltd.

B16,20

Salco Group Ltd

C46

SnowFalls

B23

Storm International Imports

B26

RSW International Ltd.

B34

Padgett Brothers AtoZ

B35

CPL

B36

Lesser & Pavey Ltd.

B38

Giftworks Ltd.

Hall D D04

Tallon International Ltd.

D07

Maingate Ltd.

D09

National Tree Company

D11

Snowtime

D5,6

Artificial Images Ltd.

M24, M26

Sagedecor

M28

Weiste

Queens Suite QS 14

Fernway Ltd.

QS10

S & H Supplies

QS12

European Stock Solutions Ltd.

QS17

Woolbro (Distribution) Ltd.

QS21

CK Wholesale Supplies Ltd

QS27

ANZ Ltd.

REGULARS Leader

FEATURES 7

News

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Artificial Images Design – Innovation – Retail Solutions with an excellent working Partnership

28

Premier Decorations Telling it like it is with John Athwal

30

Noma – Shining on to 2013 Clive Capel brings our readers an update on Noma’s year

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Across the Pond

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By Dorothy Creamer our USA correspondent

Christmasworld preview

24

32

Konstsmide – Stand and Deliver The company have a new stand this year plus a new HQ in Sweden

Beyond Cynicism

26

34

Volatile marketing conditions in shipping market in 2012 Shipping and road experts DSV set the scene Riffelmacher build their business in the U.K. The company return to Harrogate with lots of new ideas

By Rachel Parkin

Christmas & Gift show Harrogate Preview

A sparkling Christmas at Kaemingk I return to this major Christmas supplier’s H.Q.

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1983 -2013 Creating Christmas for 30 years Festive Productions celebrate 30 years in the Christmas business

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50

How can we inspire our customers?

Ron Allison poses the question on my visit to their offices in Stockport

Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

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The Snowman and Snowdog join up with Snowtime Raymond Briggs iconic characters are brought to life by Snowtime

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Festive Lights continue to grow the business Another excellent year for this lighting company

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Harrogate Exhibitors editorial

Features Editor: Production Director:

Layout:

Circulation:

35 46

Exhibitors List

Publisher:

40

Ian Jones ihj@ntlworld.com Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk Rick Vickers rick@lemapublishing.co.uk Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

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

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

Retail Interviews Conducted by Freddie Hume 18

Gold and Silver I’ve not got, I’ve not got A visit to the Christmas Shop in the Hay’s Galleria in London’s Southwark

44

Trebaron Garden Centre Our intrepid writer visits Newton-le-Willows to report on this thriving garden centre

58

Christmas is special at Selby A garden centre where the customer is always right

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

Exhibiting in

Harrogate Christmas & Gift HARROGATE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE 1 3 t h -1 6 t h J a n u a r y 2 0 1 3

PREMIER DECORATIONS LIMITED - HEAD OFFICE AND SHOWROOM Premier House • Braintree Road • Ruislip • Middlesex HA4 0EJ • Tel: 020 8624 5555 • Fax: 020 8624 5678 E-mail: sales@premierdec.com • www.premierdec.com

Leader

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elcome to our 23rd edition of Christmas in January, brimming with information on new products and trends to help make your visit to Harrogate that much easier. Our roaming reporter has visited two garden centres plus what is I believe London’s only Christmas all year round shop, that I first visited about 20 years ago.

We start putting together this edition from October onwards and it is from then that I begin to learn of the various thoughts and happenings within the industry. I was sorry to learn that Widmanns had closed down, but delighted then to learn that Festive Productions had bought the company. As the industry’s oldest established business with a mere 110 years of trading, Festive will be showing a Widmann collection alongside their own at Harrogate in Hall ‘C’.

It is encouraging to learn that quite a number of suppliers showing at Harrogate have been able to keep price rises to an absolute minimum and in many cases been able to hold 2012 prices as we move into 2013. This has been achieved by buying smarter and in larger quantities and also ensuring that supplies are being warehoused in the U.K. in good time for delivery times. We are all under the cosh when it comes to maintaining our businesses and at least common sense seems to prevail within the factories making the products in Hong Kong and the rest of China that they must work ever more closely with their customers around the world.

One common gripe from suppliers is that you our readers in many instances have been guilty of placing your orders far too late, thus putting pressure on Christmas decoration suppliers who have then had to make the decision whether or not to risk ordering products without the certainty of backing orders from the buyers.

I have to tell you, that this won’t be tolerated for too long. Quite a number of my advertisers told me categorically that if YOUR orders are not placed in good time, then kiss goodbye to any orders placed late in the day and I don’t mean in the Autumn, but in May for example.

Suppliers need firm orders by the end of March latest.

SO BE WARNED. Do I detect a move to having certain

Christmas products manufactured in the U.K. by some suppliers? Festive Lights are now making their Dri Boxes in the U.K. Mathew Higginson their sales director told me “We can control the supplies and also match the price of any similar product produced in China.”

Supporting more jobs in the U.K. can’t be a bad thing! This is also happening across Europe where companies such as Riffelmacher who are showing once again at Harrogate are giving preference to more and more home-produced product such as tinsel production and glass-blown baubles and of course down in Cwmbran Festive Productions have been producing their own tinsel for years – long may this trend continue.

Our article on how the Christmas market is faring in the USA written by Dorothy Creamer is full of insightful information. One particularly big increase for Christmas 2012 has been the growing use of smartphones and tablets to compare retail prices. Recent research

by Prosper Mobile reveal that 59.7% of respondents planned to examine products in store using their mobiles, of which almost 38% requested a price match.

I only use my mobile phone to make phone calls – I must be a dinosaur!

Evidently, America’s mobile generation also want to pay by phone. Mobile phone payments are expected to rise four-fold in America to $1.3 trillion annually by 2017.

Mind boggling statistics!

Having travelled the length and breadth of the country speaking with suppliers, it has become obvious that one of the biggest categories for 2013 are the various offerings of lighting for both outdoor and indoor use, where the lighting DOESN’T need to be plugged into a mains socket.

By the clever use of a battery-pack within a totally watertight box, the consumer can control the time they come on and the time they automatically switch off – lasting up to 45 days, FANTASTIC. In my garden for five weeks starting on the 1st December, I have to go into the garden late at night, quite often in the pouring rain to switch off FIVE different plug points dotted around the garden and in the garage, so this new advance sounds like heaven to all outdoor lighting enthusiasts!

One of the great unsung heroes of the Christmas decoration business is Ron Freeman, who retires from Festive Productions after 37 years in the business,

the first 20 with Porth and the next 17 with festive. He has been a most loyal employee of the company and from my perspective was always able to deliver his advertising copy however late in the day. Thanks Ron and enjoy a well-earnt rest. Another doyen of our industry retired earlier this year and I refer to none other than Martyn Bromley, who ran the Snow White Christmas division for PMS. Martyn was always most knowledgeable about our industry and we must have worked together for well over 20 years. Martyn thanks for your lovely email – always a pleasure doing business with you!

As all readers know, this edition is dedicated to the Harrogate Christmas & Gift show. Over its lifetime, many as a toy fair that saw a growing number of Christmas decoration companies exhibiting, I have to say that under the current team of Robert and Simon Anslow and Adrian Sneyd the show has blossomed. Exhibitors tell me the team are a pleasure to work with and buyers love to visit the show.

Don’t forget that the Christmas Greatest awards take place at the Majestic Hotel on the Sunday night the 13th January. Now firmly established at Harrogate, the awards are a ‘must attend’ event. If you haven’t yet bought your tickets, then give Trevor Pfeiffer of Garden Trade News a call on 01733 775700 or email trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc. co.uk. The awards recognise excellence within garden centres and let’s face it we all appreciate recognition whatever job we do.

Don’t forget to look out for our February edition previewing Spring Fair and give us a call on our stand at Harrogate in the entrance to Hall ‘A’.

christmas in february 7

Feature News

We wish you a Merry Christmas

Not for the team at Triflora a boring Christmas card with snow and reindeers etc., to send their customers, but a rather fetching ‘team’ Christmas card.

Craig Abbotson is the Father Christmas and Trevor Allison a rather dashing elf!

I’m all for a bit of originality and I’m sure the card raised a chuckle or two at garden centres around the U.K.

Lesser & Pavey Ltd Stand B36

The Lesser & Pavey range of ‘Words of Wisdom’ captures those moments and for this range has Christmas in mind!

This range of fine china mugs that have been very successful to date and have been expanded for 2013 are complimented by matching wall plaques with the same sayings.

A couple of examples – ‘I Agree With Santa Visit Family Once a Year’ and ‘Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas.’

And in the successful style of Lesser & Pavey Keep Calm mugs – ‘Have You Been Good for Santa’ and ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.’ This range coming complete with matching Christmas gift items as well as matching wall plaques.

Tel:01322 279225 sales@leonardo.co.uk

4th Greatest Christmas awards Now firmly established on the Sunday night of the Harrogate Christmas & Gift show – 13th January 2013 – tickets are fast being taken up, so give Pat Flynn a call on 01733 775700. If you’re involved in the Christmas industry then you should be there, that is the Majestic Hotel. Our pic shows last year’s winner of the Greatest Christmas Garden Centre award that was split into three categories. Birkacre won the ‘Large’ category with Jackson’s Boutique Garden Centre winning the ‘Small’ award and Endsleigh taking the ‘Group’ award.

Hing Fat Glass Ornaments

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stablished in Hong Kong in 1985, “Hing Fat Glass Ornaments Company Limited” is a long established company in the manufacture of Christmas glass ornaments by company founder Mr. Harry Yeung. Their head office and showroom are located in Hong Kong and in addition they have two well equipped production facilities in Dongguan, Guangdong Province and Puyang, Henan Province with over 50,000 square metres of production area.

The company employ over 500 skillful and experienced workers with a daily capacity in excess of 1 million pieces of decorative glass ornaments in a variety of designs.

Hing Fat strives to produce high quality glass ornaments and provide outstanding customer service to their many clients. The company does business with many internationally- renowned department stores, direct & indirect importers across North American and the European markets.

Hing Fat welcome business collaboration with any trader, importer and wholesaler. If your company are interested in any of their lines they will be delighted tol become your supplier and business partner.

8 christmas in january

If you need further information on Hing Fat’s latest products, please contact their customer service department for assistance.

Tel:852 2527 7233 Email:adreas@hingfatglass.com

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Feature Stateside

Across the Pond for Christmas Mobility, milennial buyers and multi-functionality impact the merry market in America

by Dorothy Creamer

A

s millennials become an increasingly important targeted consumer, many industries are adjusting their product offerings to appeal to this burgeoning demographic. A report from SymphonyIRI’s MarketPulse found that while millennials (18to 34-year-olds) will see their purchase power grow as they become more established, today as a whole they are struggling. Despite higher than average unemployment rates for the group, millennials look to live life to the fullest and are seeking innovative products that will help them “live well for less.” It’s been said that millennials are a demographic more likely to save money by entertaining and cooking at home.

The holiday market might not have meant to evolve to appeal to these millennials, but judging from feedback from suppliers, it seems that way. “Our buyers are looking for value and innovative designs in seasonal items,” Bobbi Buffington, senior product manager for Mud Pie (www.mud-pie.com) reveals. She also reveals that Mud Pie enjoyed a strong 2012 season, despite recessionary concerns and seems to be appealing to more upscale buyers.

As many are still battling recessionary woes, buyers are looking for styles that exude sophistication and luxury. “It’s okay to enjoy high style, rich details, luxurious finishes and sparkle,” Cherri Coe-Stephan, design manager, Midwest-CBK states. “Inspirations for this trend are luxury brands, fashion and hotels along with pampering ourselves and feeling like a VIP.” According to a recent study, “Christmas, Halloween and Holiday Decorations Report 2012,” by Unity Marketing, sales of Christmas decorations account for more than 60 percent of the $19 billion retail holiday decorations market. “When it comes to the decorations market, customers focus on what’s new,

10 christmas in january

what’s different, what’s distinctive for each season,” says Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing and lead researcher for the study.

While the millennial shopper craves the appearance of luxury, a key descriptor for the generation is that it is budget-conscious. With that comes a definite shift to buyers who seek items that can be seasonally neutral. “More and more, we see customers’ seasonal decor become more blurred with their non-seasonal décor,” Sara Charlton, designer for Nutcracker Designs, says. “This is partly due to a desire to decrease clutter, partly due to tighter budgets.

Our customers are looking for small seasonal investments but willing to purchase more nonseasonal decor that can be dressed up for the season.”

Christmas World Frankfurt • Germany from 25 to 29 January 2013 Hall 8.0 Stand K90 A+B

Harrogate Fair • UK from 13 to 16 January 2013 Hall M - Stand M02 - M04

ISF Birmingham • UK from 3 to 7 February 2013 Hall 2 - Stand 2C02-E03 - 2C04-E05

www.kaemingk.com

Feature Stateside

Buyers’ Mobile Habits Hit the Holiday Market As more shoppers use smartphone and tablet technologies, retailers must be prepared to cater to this new generation of buyer. Brick and mortar retailers have come to look with dread upon shoppers in this new mobile generation that are always with smart device in hand ready to compare prices with an online retailer.

Their fears are often well-founded as a recent survey from Prosper Mobile Insights revealed that 59.7% of respondents planned to examine products in a store and use their mobile devices to do just that. Almost 38% of those shoppers planned to request a price match. According to a study, 55.3% of mobile device owners planned to use their smartphones or tablets for holiday shopping in 2012. Functions shoppers were planning to utilize were researching purchases, locating stores or assisting with other shopping tasks. Of those mobile holiday shoppers, 61.9% said they would use their devices primarily to compare prices and make mobile commerce purchases. The other 38.1% cited organizational functions such as keeping gift lists and planning shopping trips.

In a compromise of sorts, many retailers are seeking high-tech ways to attract the shopper which mobile initiatives hold so much appeal.

Store-created holiday apps are growing in popularity as it has become increasingly evident that smartphone shoppers are wielding devices to scour for better prices, often leaving stores empty-handed when they find a better deal.

Macy’s has made significant investments in its mobile initiatives and rolled out a new Black Friday app for phones in 2012. Created in partnership with eBay, the app allowed buyers to preview Black Friday specials, write personal lists they can share, and get push notifications on specials. Once the chain opened its doors at midnight on Black Friday, the app steered

shoppers toward specials within their local store. JCPenney rolled out its innovative mobile initiatives right before the 2012 holiday season, building on the company’s successful mobile coupon program. The strategy included a mobile commerce site, location based check-in offers, enhancements to its mobile apps, and a mobile experience via Apple’s iAd platform.

This mobile generation also wants to pay by phone as well. Mobile payments are expected to rise nearly four-fold to more than $1.3 trillion annually by 2017, a report from Juniper Research revealed and retailers are working hard to make the most of the opportunity. ShopSavvy (www. shopsavvy.com), a mobile shopping community, is leading an advance in mobile payments with the help of Best Buy. ShopSavvy’s Wallet feature already allows users to make mobile purchases with just one tap from dozens of major retailers, including Best Buy, Walmart, Home Depot, Barnes & Noble, Nordstrom and JCPenney.

Now, with the integration of a new application programming interface (API) from Best Buy, ShopSavvy Wallet will deliver more online and local-store offers even faster.

Tops in Tabletop As this new frugal generation seeks to stock up on seasonal items for their own homes, tableware providers note that shoppers are seeking styles that can be incorporated into year-round use. “I think buyers are looking for something that they can add to each year to keep it exciting and fresh feeling, and is classic enough to be used for many years and handed down,” Lisa Fratto Boyles, director sales and marketing for VIETRI, reveals. “We are seeing a lot of our customers mixing festive holiday glass accessories with their everyday ceramic dinnerware.”

12 christmas in january

Patrick Taylor, manager of Golden Rabbit notes that this trend has led to stronger sales of neutral tones. “People are looking for designs that they can use any time of year,” he says.

“For instance items that are red and white aren’t specifically holiday, but they sell well because they go well with the holiday season with a few festive accents and they can still be used in the summer.”

Following in that reusable trend, Jason Products Placemats combine durability with elegance. The placemats serve multiple functions as they not only protect wooden tabletops, but they are offered in a variety of sophisticated seasonal styles. “Our Glamour of Gold design is more simplistic in style,” explains Angela Loughran, national sales manager for Jason Products. The high style design has a monochromatic color scheme in gold, silver, espresso and soft white which is popular with shoppers who desire modern, sophisticated tablescapes.

Fiscal Fear Drives Market for At-Home Festivities The holidays are generally synonymous with revelry and merriment. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reported that consumers were ready to celebrate the holiday season in 2012, however they still were exercising caution in the recessionary environment. Overall, the NRF forecasted sales increasing 4.1 percent to $586.1 billion for the year. “We’ve seen this pattern of cautious optimism all year and despite the challenges that still exist in our economy, it looks as if consumers are eager to celebrate with friends and family,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay, reveals.

This shift has led to many retailers admitting that shoppers are looking for ways to enhance affordable home celebrations. This revitalization in the party sector is predicted to continue through 2013. Hobby Lobby Inc. is an Oklahoma-based company that now boasts 524 stores across the nation. Dawnyelle Hyde, cards & party merchandise manager, says that

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Feature Stateside

every year Hobby Lobby enjoys an increase in Christmas sales, but in the last three years there has been a particularly large uptick in the party area. “We’ve definitely focused more on it,” she says.

Timothy Siciliano of Party Partners sees a trending upwards in do-it-yourself with a vintage nod. “In the party market, paper table top and confectionery packaging such as cupcake kits, cookie and cupcake gift boxes, etc. are driving sales,” Siciliano reports. “People are giving and receiving food more than ever for holidays and opting out of traditional gift buying.”

Jennifer Biely, media and public relations, for The Madison Park Group believes that color-coordinated and themed displays such as dessert tables are big trends right now. “Many hosts and hostesses want to incorporate the same design elements in their invitations, buffet/dessert tables, and gift packaging and are looking for collections that provide complementary products that allow them to do so,” Biely points out.

Downsizing Effects Tree and Ornament Markets As the U.S. economy struggles to emerge from the recent recession, Americans are downsizing and becoming more environmentally conscious.

Many are looking for slimmer, more affordable artificial trees, according to several U.S. suppliers. These are the trends that boosted sales in 2012 and will continue to drive the market in 2013.

While PE (polyethylene) trees are trending upward, suppliers are not ready to abandon PVC (polyvinyl chloride) altogether. In fact, there is still a strong market for this more economical alternative. Vickerman President Peter Vickerman believes that PVC may become even more popular than PE, simply because of the cost factor.

“We still sell more PE trees,” he says, “but we’re seeing PVC trees coming back to keep

14 christmas in january

retail prices down.” The challenge is to keep prices affordable, and his manufacturers are doing that by cutting down on the number of PE tips per tree. “The majority of PE trees are 30 to 40 percent PE,” he explains, “while the inner branches are made of PVC.” With the trend towards having more than one tree in people’s homes, Tom Friend, vice president of sales at National Tree Company, believes consumers may go with one larger PE tree and several smaller PVC trees for economic reasons. While PE trees may “grow in importance,” he notes, “they won’t totally replace PVC.” Another trend affecting tree sales is downsizing. Whether it’s the aging population moving to smaller homes or the younger generation living closer to the cities, people are looking for smaller, slimmer trees, says Friend.

“Years ago, people were moving to the suburbs, but the younger generation is living closer to cities. They don’t have the space or the big houses that people had years ago.” Along with that is the convenience factor. Slimmer trees not only take up less space but save time in decorating.

Vickerman notes that going with a slimmer tree is another way to keep prices down, which is important to retailers and consumers alike.

He says there’s still a downward pressure on retail prices, but it’s getting more and more difficult as “costs keep going up from China.”

With the price of labor rising, manufacturers in China are cutting costs by trimming the number of lights on pre-lit trees. While a 7.5-foot tree with a 60-inch diameter should have 800 lights, Vickerman says they are only putting 600 lights on it.

Colors Trend forecasters are predicting that monochromatic soft metallic will be a big theme and consumers will be looking to make them more seasonal with accents of rich red and green tones. Fratto Boyles agrees that bold offerings will be big in 2013, but mixed in with more subdued options. “I’m excited about new linens in Bohemian prints and hand-painted dinnerware in fun shapes and bright colors,” she exclaims. “We are seeing a trend in neutral grays and taupes right now with pops of orange and purple in dinnerware and home décor.”

Savvy consumers are seeking ways to create customized looks with both new and old items. “We continue to see the trend of shoppers layering colors and mixing patterns to create their own personal look,” Pitts admits. “Classic traditional neutral tones mixed with a pop of color is a popular option, as is layering a beautiful embossed design

with a hand engraved monogram.”

The mix-and-match concept also appeals to a modern mindset of individuality. “There is too much sameness in the world now,” Chrissie Probert Jones, owner of Doodle By Stitch moans. “It’s lovely to be able to make your home really personal and let it tell your story.”

Eastern European Opulence Festive gets an exotic flair as Christmas designers are embracing a Dr. Zhivago-inspired aesthetic. “Gallerie II is introducing a lot of pieces that are Russian-influenced with lots of gold accents, jewel tones, and decadent materials,” Barbara Schlegel, marketing manager for Gallerie II/C&F Enterprises, says. “I’ve seen several color stories emerging that fit that niche as well – jewel tones, emerald paired with aubergine, gold and crimson.”

Rustic Redo Design consultants bora.herke.palmisano will showcase holiday trend predictions at the 2013 Christmasworld show in Frankfurt, Germany, including its “Fantasy Forest” theme. The team is predicting that natural materials such as pine cones or acorns painted silver will lend an abstract, ethereal effect to holiday schemes.

Lighter shades give products an elegant, discreet look: finely patterned glass and porcelain lend a gentle, feminine touch. Woollen fabrics and felts appear playful with colored lace, ribbons and trimmings. Schlegel agrees that rustic looks will be amplified in 2013. “Home crafted, natural and recycled materials with pops of pastel added will be popular,” she states.

Contrast for Christmas Patience Brewster, of Patience Brewster, reveals that her 2013 line will feature saturated color and, as always, a cheery lightness that she hopes to bring to people at holiday time.

Midwest-CBK will also be rolling out a rich saturated color collection with attention to elegant details but deep in traditional motifs and trendy color accents of tangerine orange and fuchsia pink. “The color plum has continued again this year in fashion as well as holiday decorating,” Charlton admits. “We have mixed ours with touches of gold and pewter – which is becoming the new silver.”

Great products, great prices and great service This year’s Harrogate (12-16 January 2013) will be our primary show with over 180m2 of floor space showcasing nearly 1,000 skus including an extensive new range of trees.

You can also visit our newly expanded Weybridge showroom, which is conveniently located close to the M25 (between J10 & 11) and adjacent to Mercedes Benz World and the Brooklands Museum.

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STAND R E V E T IGGES OUR B

Harrogate Christmas & Gift 13-16 January 2013 Stand A09, A22

Q U A L I T Y

International Spring Fair 3-7 February 2013 Stand 2J32-K33

D E C O R A T I V E

L I G H T I N G

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Feature The Christmas Shop

Gold and silver I’ve not got, I’ve not got. ‘just over the road from The London Dungeon and next to HMS Belfast’. That is still true but now we should add ‘overlooked by London’s newest skyscraper and the tallest building in the European Union’.

Inspired by the crowds seen spending at all-year-round Xmas Stores on the East Coast of America the Thompsons once had 5 sites in the UK, but the recession of 1988 put paid to their early success, culminating in losing the business to receivership in 1990, before being able to buy back the flagship store in Hays Galleria @ London Bridge.

Hay’s Galleria is a major riverside tourist attraction named after its original owner, the merchant Alexander Hay who acquired the property - then a brewhouse - in 1651. Located on the Jubilee Walk in the London Borough of Southwark it was once an associated wharf for the port of London, prior to being redeveloped as a visitor attraction in the 1980s.

area undertook steady and visible building improvements. In the last 5 years, and most recently with the arrival of The Shard (which overlooks the Galleria) there has been a marked influx of major companies bringing with it an improvement in disposable income, resulting in dramatic growth being achieved.

Many readers may recognise the shop as it has been used by Phil Tufnell, who apparently filmed ‘something’ there, and Sebastian Coe has visited as both plain Mr and Lord (before and during his Olympic masterpiece), once being filmed wearing a Santa outfit as the ‘Mystery Guest’ on Question of Sport.

Having asked about their many famous visitors the conversation became almost a Roll-of Honour with Chris Evans, Marc Almond (he said hello but didn’t wave goodbye), Danny Baker, Keith Lemon and Paul O’Grady being mentioned as frequent visitors - and ‘a’ member of Westlife apparently called in too.

The best selling category is always Tree Trim, though in November attention turns to Advent Calendars, with December becoming Silly Hat season. Glassware and the higher ticketed items also sell better in the earlier part of the year with a distinct change-down to lower priced items from November.

Owners David & Elaine Thompson

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hen planning the interviews for Christmas In January I look at the market and try and find someone who is doing something different or unusual……and here in the UK there are very few year-round Christmas Shops……so I located one and decided to visit.

Not until I arrived did I find that not only had many articles previously been written about The Christmas Shop but my own editor had visited way back in 1991.

Owned by David & Elaine Thompson, it said in a previous feature that they were located

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Following the increasing urban regeneration of the Thames Corridor and nearby London Docklands, a decision was made to retain the wharf, to sympathetically restore its tea and produce warehouses and to provide office accommodation and shops. This was done by permanently closing the dock gates, covering the ‘impounded’ area of the dock with a floor to sill of the wharf-sides and, most spectacularly, enclosing the entire space with a roof, reminiscent of the Victorian railway termini of the same period.

After its completion and opening in 1987, Hays Galleria became the first new visitor attraction on the south of the river and the

Shane Ritchie also popped in once, yet walked the entire shop and left without buying ANYthing.

As well as many loyal local customers, much of The Christmas Shop’s turnover is achieved due to tourists, many on a two-week annual holiday trip, but with a marked increase in out-of-season purchases being seen through the growth of ‘long-weekenders’, with families taking 4 day trips to the capital.

With the customer base being split almost equally between British and Overseas visitors I asked whether any foreign celebrities had visited, yet despite racking their brains there was no Frank Sinatra or Barack Obama, and all they

could come up with was ‘ The World’s BEST cricket fielder’ * …..although The Christmas Shop was featured on ESPN Brazil during the Olympics !

Jason Nolan is the store manager and has been with the Thompsons for nine years. He loves the atmosphere, finds all the customers very friendly and pleasant, likes ‘everything’ they sell at The Christmas Shop and finds that due to the fun and festive feel of the place all the visitors seem happy to spend their money.

Jason has major responsibility for running the store and its staff, but what I found most appealing is that he has total accountability for changing the days on the Christmas Countdown Calendar – you know, the one that says # shopping days to Christmas , and allegedly he has NEVER forgotten…..(not just one day, Jase ?

I won’t tell anybody) The best selling category is always Tree Trim, though in November attention turns to Advent Calendars, with December becoming Silly Hat season. Glassware and the higher ticketed items also sell better in the earlier part of the year with a distinct change-down to lower priced items from November.

Some other sales patterns have changed though, with customers now spending right up until Christmas Eve, when it used to be ‘all-over’ by the 11th or 12th December.

Elaine & David make many of their purchases directly from overseas, and take an annual trip to the Spring Fair at the NEC. David’s personal favourites, possibly encouraged by his initial foray into this market, but consistently borne out by sales, are the Byers Choice carolling figurines sourced directly from the USA, with Elaine’s best-loved items being ‘anything in the traditional colours of red and gold’.

While investigating the history of The Christmas Shop I noted from a previous article that it was suggested that the window was changed monthly, though when asked, it appeared that honesty prevailed on this visit and that in all likelihood it is now more like ‘just’ 4 or 5 times a year. They try and change with their particular ‘seasons’ of Mothers Day/ Valentines Day/ Easter/ Summer and Christmas, with a limited range of giftware and everyday greeting cards also on offer.

I was also told that they’ve never had a dud line – well not quite true, as when pushed they admit to occasionally having a poor line ‘of a particular year’ – but it ALWAYS sells in the following so never becomes a long term problem.

Another major change is that they used to have only 15 – 20 significant suppliers but that is now nearer 50 or 60!

Indeed I am pretty sure that with the growth of their internet sales - through www. thechristmashop.co.uk - more suppliers may soon be needed, and I particularly liked their online decorating tips for lighting, tree-trimming and theming.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to The Christmas Shop, as apart from David, Elaine and their friendly staff I really liked their London Christmas tree-trims and I was finally rewarded with an admission that they had actually had a product failure! The WORST EVER items are large Nativity Figurines that they had been asked for, for over 20 years by churches and schools, and when finally finding them had not sold one in the 3 years they have stocked them!! *Jonty Rhodes, South African cricketer.

The Christmas Shop, Hays Galleria, London SE1 2QN

christmas in january 19

Feature Artificial Images

Artificial Images Ltd Design - Innovation - Retail Solutions with

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recently drove down to Frampton-onSevern in Gloucestershire at the height of the floods to meet John Strode, owner of Artificial Images. John started Artificial images more than 20 years ago with the help of his wife Christine, today they are still working as hard as ever to provide innovative products with a difference.

As the buying season for Christmas products gets into its stride for 2013, buyers from all over the retail sector will have a plethora of choices to make.

Well established suppliers, new suppliers and suppliers diversifying into the Christmas market for the first time will all be offering innovative and promotional Christmas products to entice buyers. Traditionally buyers will be attracted to their regular suppliers first, as the trading relationship is already established.

So the question arises why Artificial Images?

The company is family owned with several family members working in areas of the business. Artificial Images as already mentioned began life over 20 years ago and on their floral arrangements the in house factory produces over 20,000 units per week, 52 weeks of the year. Due to increasing demand for Christmas ranges they have just completed a major extension of their showroom. This will make it easier for customers to view the growing and varied ranges of all season artificial flower arrangements - silk flowers – Christmas lights – Christmas trees – Christmas stems – wreaths and garlands – decorative accessories and other

22 christmas in january

Christmas floristry.

The members of the team have many years experience in handling both major and independent retailers. Gaye Overs oversees the Garden Centres and independent retailers, supported by Kate. Jeni Branford looks after Key Accounts with the help of Kelly and Alison. To further strengthen the team and to keep up with demand, two new members have been added to the team. Frank Holland - with over thirty years of experience looking after the National Customers and new family member Francesca Strode has been brought in to support Frank and the development of new business.

The company’s new Christmas ranges have been designed to fit into three categories and to suit all customers pockets, namely: Good – Better – Best. All the prices reflect the categories, respectively, and are refreshingly exciting, offering both trend led and tradition choices to cater for all customers needs. 2013 will see an even bigger, better and wider range of Christmas trees including traditional, lit, frosted, flocked, decorated, natural and fiber optics options in all popular sizes. In house designer - Juliette – with many years experience as a florist and designer – has worked closely with the team to select the best co-ordinating ranges of floristry and decorative accessories to make the customer selections easier than ever before.

Excellent quality control is the key to the future of any good business and Artificial Images pride themselves on the measures they take to

Feature Christmas World

Christmasworld

Trends now for the first time in Hall 11.1 25th-29th January 2013

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elight customers, offer them new products, surprise them with great sales promotions - the demands on retailers are enormous. So it’s all the more important for the people in charge to know what the trends are, to take new ideas on board and to bring their own know-how right up to date. Christmasworld in Frankfurt is a perfect source for this. Alongside new products from some 1,000 exhibitors, the world’s leading trade fair for festive decorations has numerous inspiring exhibitions, events and lectures in store for its visitors.

The Christmasworld Trend Show is the first point of call when it comes to getting valuable inspiration and reliable advice on the constant changes of fashion. Now the Trend Show itself is on the move and is taking up residence in Hall 11.1 in the middle of the core section, Christmas Decoration. The 2013/14 trends for this season combine the joy of decoration and cosy atmosphere with individuality and creativity. So the four styles, “Precious Jungle”, “Fantasy Forest”, “Glowing Desert” and “Gracious Coast”, impressively illustrate four completely different characters, the flavour of each of which they present in creative ways.

In their lavish special show, design consultants bora.herke.palmisano invite professional visitors to immerse themselves in each of these displays and to let themselves be inspired by the new additions to the various product ranges.

As in previous years, the products used are labelled with the name of the exhibitor and the stand number which is a great practical help when ordering. The design consultants give talks every day at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and conduct personal guided tours through the Trend Show.

Creative: Christmas Garden Market competition Foyer of Hall 11.0, North an installation which uses the technology of augmented reality (AR).

“We want to show how retailers can continue to surprise and inspire their customers through creativity on the one hand and by thinking beyond the confines of their own horizons, on the other.

The virtual mirror is all part of it; we invite visitors at the fair to take an active role themselves and to discover the unexpected in the virtual world,” says Rudi Tuinman of 2Dezign.

British buyers of Christmas product have long been admirers of traditional German Christmas crafts and for the first timea number of German manufacturers have been grouped together to show their latest work. craftspeople and manufacturers will be presenting their Christmas creations in the new “German Christmas Crafts” area. This concept has greatly appealed to manufacturers, so that the space reserved for it has rapidly become fully booked. More than ten selected exhibitors are showcasing the very finest work in wood, glass and porcelain and bridging the gap between living tradition and original innovation. This means that internation24 christmas in january

al trade visitors get a compact overview of contemporary craftsmanship “made in Germany” and meet exhibitors who can deliver anything from one-off custom-made products to larger volumes both within and outside Germany.

The first Christmasworld Forum in Hall 11.0 begins with over 20 specialist lectures, live demonstrations, panel discussions and award ceremonies. The live stage offers know-how and much more for all those who want to stand out from the crowd and to keep on winning back their customers again and again. The specialist programme is targeted at florists, decorators and retailers, as well as operators of DIY stores and garden centres. On all five days of the fair, high-profile speakers will pass on not only some forward-looking strategies for retailers but also some tried and tested tips and tricks Whether for shopping centres, shopping arcades, hotels, airports or public institutions: trade buyers, looking for specialists in innovative solutions for products or decoration, will find them even more quickly now at Christmasworld 2013. For the new special interest “Concept Decorations” label leads fair visitors straight to exhibitors who offer ranges of products specifically for professional large-scale and outdoor decoration. It’s practical too: “Concept decorations” can be found both as a logo on exhibitors’stands and as a search criterion in the online exhibitor search too.

h an excellent working Partnership make sure only the best goods are shipped and dispatched. This is made easier by the fact that Artificial Images have a Far East office and QC department to ensure that all their products are made and shipped of the highest quality and standards. So customers can rest assured of consistently good quality from the choices that they make.

Working together to provide quality products for the consumer, at prices that add value to your business is fundamental to their business strategy. That is why Artificial Images in their opinion are the right choice for any retailer big or small.

Harrogate Exclusive – New for 2013 – Visit stands D5 & 6 Artificial Images will be launching their exclusive range of ‘Look No Plug’ products (fully patented) to the trade at the Harrogate Christmas & Gift Fair. These lights will revolutionise the lighting market as did LED to fairy lights a few years ago. The lights are powered by a set of 4 AA batteries and are IP44 rated so can be used indoor and outdoor and have a weatherproof battery box that can withstand sub zero temperatures. These lights will last an impressive 45 days on static or 65 days on the Twinkle setting based on timer switch, [for example set to come on at 6 pm and go off at 12 pm]. Normal battery light sets only last approx. 15 days and the maximum lights that can be powered are a mere 100 lights.

So gone are the days when your customer is

restricted by where the plug socket is situated. If the consumer wants to light up a large tree or bush 100 metres away from their home, they will have no problem with ‘Look No Plug’ lights. They can have up to 300 lights in straight line construction – Net Lights – Icicle Lights – Party Lights, basically Artificial Images can bespoke light sets for their customers as required. In addition the Christmas outdoor scene can be completed with a range of lit acrylic figures, door wreaths and trees.

This is such a major development in the lighting market that in order that you don’t miss out, make sure you go along to their stands located in Hall D Stands 5 & 6 and see for yourself this brand new concept and the many options available to the consumer.

Harrogate Show only offers include new pallet deals on Natural Wreaths, Lit Houses, Scenes and Lit Gift Boxes, all at hugely competitive prices!!

So whether you’re an existing customer or a potential one looking for a new supplier or just intrigued, please contact them and discover a brighter side of Christmas!

Hall D – Stand D5/6 Tel: 01452 741057 Email:sales@artificialimages.co.uk

www.artificialimages.co.uk

christmas in january 23

Feature Rachel Parkin

Beyond Cynicism Rachel Parkin

By Rachel Parkin

Unless you’ve been hanging out in the upper reaches of outer nowheresville, then you’ll probably have noticed that there’s a tendency to negativity in the UK. Perhaps it’s fuelled by the economy, the weather, being prone to some natural disasters or maybe its some peculiar English vibe that would have us believe that cynicism is the best protection?

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e’re lucky enough to live in the developed world with all the advantages that entails open to most of us, but so many squander those opportunities, preferring instead to play small and safe without realising that small and safe isn’t where the action is.

Charles Darwin said, “It’s not the strongest of the species who survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change” So often in life its the big things that are life changing, births, marriages and deaths, in the face of big events like these , or perhaps going face to face with a natural disaster, delayed invoicing or a shop floor theft just seem kinda trivial. We’re all rather good at thinking small, avoiding change and faffing about on the internet to avoid doing the work we really need to do in order to master the skills that could make a difference to us.

It’s the easy option to duck from the punches, to do less and to try to stay safe.

You can find lots of social proof that this is the best option. But I think that it’s more important than ever to persist and to try to make a difference, to really take a stab at the universe and make your mark, there’s never been a better time than right now! Our generation has more opportunities and abilities to connect, create and deliver than any other before us. We have access to tools, valuable connections and inspiration that spreads like a virus So what is it that stops us really going for it? It has to be Fear. Fear is always the base of negativity. It would be hard to make the 26 christmas in january

argument that it’s deep joy that makes us negative!

If you think back over the last couple of years of your business’s history, how much of what you haven’t achieved is due to missed opportunities? (products you didn’t buy, services you didn’t operate, effort you didn’t extend, Websites you didn’t launch?).

Doing your every day job well, is no longer an option, the difference lies out beyond your comfort zone. Think about where you spend your time, energy, focus and possibly your anxiety – is it on the big stuff or on the small stuff?

In order to develop both as human beings and as businesses we have to absorb new information. Jim Rohn laid it out best when he said “Rarely does a good idea interrupt you “ You have to go looking for new ideas, seeking out stimulation, new business ideas, ways to use technology to increase your business and your enjoyment of your business.

In case that all sounds a bit esoterical, here are some actual pointers to start the process: If you want to improve your performance: • Find someone to compete against • Find a mentor or a comparable business, share ideas and push each other.

• Create an outlandish business goal and tell everyone about it. (it’s the telling everyone that is important here, you can’t create the goal and keep it to yourself) • Enter a competition – Local, national, industry – Look around and see what the best in the business are doing?

• Create some deadlines - this is one of the problems with running your own business – aside from a few accounting deadlines there

really aren’t any external deadlines – so create some for yourself – Putting on an event for instance gives you a deadline to work to....

• Imagine that your arch rival has opened up two doors away – What would you suddenly be inspired to do? How would you improve your business today?

External stimuli help us to raise our game, and push against the tide of objections as to why we can’t possibly do something rather than why we can. The alternative is to compete against yourself – set yourself higher standards and compete with yourself just because you want to improve.

So, don’t get overwhelmed. Count your blessings and use your brain. To bring this column right back to where we started, with Charles Darwin, Evolution is the name of the game... and each generation doesn’t play the same... It’s time to step up whichever game you’re playing! If you’re feeling a little daunted by this, then bear in mind that the best you can hope for, really isn’t!

Email: rachel@balagan.co.uk Rachel suggests that you might like to look at the following Retail Rehab website as it’s a free resource for retailers!

Web: www.retailrehab.co.uk

www.festive-lights.com/wholesale

T: 01257 792111 E: sales@festive-lights.com

All Sizes Available in Black & Green

Feature Premier

Premier Decorations - Telling it like it is with John Athwal

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hen I visited Premier’s H.Q. in Ruislip last month, I met a most positive John Athwal looking forward to the 2013 shows following a challenging year that saw Premier more than happy with their share of the Christmas business. Obviously with plenty of new and original items that were at the shows, they had a successful start to the year, which continued into the season. As we were meeting in Late November the retail selling period was in full swing, with John adding “we are already experiencing plenty of phone calls from customers wishing to repeat orders. Luckily we always have extra stock, but when that is gone, and then we will suggest substitutes.

Lights in particular seem to have started selling earlier this year” John told me “I am delighted to have received a ‘Best Buy’ accolade from Which magazine for our 200 bulb ‘Supabrights’ LED lights.” I asked him what the criteria was when judging a ‘Best Buy’ lighting set?

“This was based on retail price, number of bulbs, brightness, the length of the light set and durabilty. All of our core range of lights have a 10cm. bulb spacing plus 10 metre lead cable.

Basically, this means that a 100 bulb light set will be 10 metres long and have a 10 metre cable to the first bulb.” continued John.

Evidently ‘Which’ investigated several light sets, 28 christmas in january

sourcing them from major retailers before coming to the conclusion that Premier’s ‘Supabrights’ deserved the ‘Best Buy’ award.

Whilst the 200 whites were the subjected to the testing, the whole Supabright family are made to the same specification.

According to John there are certain suppliers out there who don’t seem to worry too much about the quality and value of their lighting products, simply buying and selling them without any thought for the value or practicality offered to the consumer.

John has even seen lighting sets with bulb spacing down to 4cm. with just 3 metres of lead cable.

In lighting there are many ways to cheapen a product, even down to the thickness of the cable which reduces the cost drastically. In his considered opinion, this renders the product not fit for purpose. Another way of reducing cost is to put the control box near the first bulb, this will mean far less cable is used in the manufacture of the light set. This in effect means that the control box is now potentially out of doors high up in a tree making the changing of a light function very difficult, unless you fancy climbing a tree!

Premier ensure that all of their lighting sets have the control box adjacent to the power source, ensuring that all functions are easily accessible at all times. Although this costs a little more, Premier remains competitive with companies, which manufacture less useable products.

The cluster lights are selling well as we go into the season, with the public concerning themselves with the length of each light cluster.

With a 10m lead cable, and extra length, Premier considers they have the best in the market. With the control box near the plug, this

Premier Feature

makes them ideal for outdoor and also indoor use.

One of the other better selling products in 2012 were Premier’s outdoor battery-operated timer lights and even here , certain suppliers have fallen foul of the required standards for IP44 rating as some sets have control boxes that allow ingress of water. Designed for outdoor use, the timer function allows the lights to stay on for six hours with 18 hours off during a 24 hour cycle. This breakthrough in technology allows for continuous use in this way for 30 days, just right for the Christmas period.

Whilst in 2012 the battery-operated timer has been used for light sets, Premier plan to introduce many more new products using this form of technology in 2013.

Premier will also unveil an Outdoor Battery light range which if used in flashing mode, will last up to 90 days, or 45 days if used in static mode, utilising the 6 hours on, 18 hours off timer function. Both ranges will use the trademark “TIMELIGHT”, and the 30 day version will have new upgraded packaging, whilst the 90 day range enjoys similar treatment.

Both range also have stands which can be put into the retail shops already merchandised.

Another area for concern in safety compliance regulation is with laser lights.

Buyers should be aware that some laser lights on the market sold direct to the public particularly through the internet are non-compliant. These lights require professional electricians to install and should not be sold direct to the public.

Premier has invested much time and money in solving this problem thus ensuring their laser lights are deemed fit for sale to the public. John worries very much about public safety and has made sure that Premier’s laser lights fit the bill.

These are high-end products and if handled

correctly the trade will enjoy many years of excellent business. It would be a shame for the category to be prematurely ended through inferior laser lights leading to nasty accidents – killing the category stone-dead overnight.

Premier is continually working with their suppliers to contain costs for the benefit of their customers and the trade in general. They have successfully negotiated many price reductions and freezes for 2013. Readers can find out for themselves at the shows.

On the animation side of things Premiers range continue to be very popular. At the lower end they have re-vamped even more dancing trees and clapping Santas, whilst their very successful story telling series proving to be more popular each season.

Their range of village scenes offers a number of new designs that are traditionally British, adding to their success in 2012. Customers should be aware that the new Items designed and created by Premier are much more in demand than those which are available on the open market.

Fibre Optic trees have all been re-vamped and LED light source trees are also available.

These are safer and considerably brighter, generating no heat whatsoever. Fibre Optic flowers have been part of the scene for many years now, Premier have re-engineered this category and will be re-introducing them at Harrogate, illustrating how new technology can be put to good use. Premier has insisted that the bulbs used are the very brightest available. No doubt somebody will introduce a much dimmer and cheaper bulb version, which Premier is aware, is available. However they insist on the best available specifications for their customers.

The lights utilised are again LED light source which makes them far more attractive than their

predecessors.

Artificial trees are now in the very capable hands of Andrew Lord, and I am assured that he has many new styles to interest all customers.

This area is becoming extremely important to Premier, and more space has been made available to show them off at the exhibitions and showrooms.

Any major company wanting to remain at the top of their game needs to invest money into improve the running of the company.

Many of our readers and visitors to Premier’s Ruislip headquarters will remember the much loved Dickensian High Street that showed off the various ranges.” Even now new visitors are literally in tears, as we enter the village scene” said John. “However time stands still for no man and it was time to move on for us, as a company.”

All this has now been pulled down to be replaced by state of the art technology that will give Premier a totally new look for their showroom. All will be revealed in due course.

When I visited Ruislip the changes were well underway in good time for a New Year unveiling. Their 20,000 plus sq.ft. Showroom will be an amazing sight to see and far easier to work as even wi-fi is on tap.

With John’s pet fetish in mind, a far bigger catering area has been created, giving an extra few metres to ensure that John’s champagnefuelled entertainment lifestyle can be maintained for the benefit of all visitors – SO BEWARE! Visit Premier, in Hall H (new in 2012) where they are exclusive, in the Harrogate Christmas and Gift show in January, and Hall 2 in the Spring Fair, in Birmingham’s NEC in February, where they have had take even larger exhibition space to accommodate the range. christmas in january 29

Feature Noma

Noma - shining on to 2013 Clive Capel brings our readers an update on Noma’s year

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hen writing a piece for Christmas in January this time last year we had no way of knowing how the year was to turn out.

Drought turned into flood, dubious expectation became Olympic glory and a wobbly economy strengthened to provide retailers with a very satisfactory Christmas.

Like many Christmas suppliers we continue to advise customers that commitments need to be placed to UK suppliers within the first 10 weeks of the year to enable smooth deliveries in the critical autumn time slot; unfortunately such advice often falls on deaf ears and we end up having to rush product production to meet an impossible timetable. Manufacturing in China is getting more difficult and early ordering is essential for on-time deliveries.

Filament light sets are becoming more difficult to obtain as the relentless march of LED lighting continues. We continue to be vigilant as to the source of the lamps and sets as this is critical for safety and reliability.

LED sets are now very good and made mainly by machine so the consistency of quality has improved. Noma’s packaging re-vamp announced in January 2012 has been very well

30 christmas in january

received and sales at Christmas of that year were reported to be exceptional. Our 2012 pallet deals were very successful and are continued for 2013.

This year we are reacting to the demand for large sets and introducing 480 and 1000 light LED sets in a consumer friendly easy to install pack.

We continue to offer our brilliant ‘dual power’ battery operated lights which consumers can run using batteries or from a NOMA transformer specially made for the lights. This was a great success last year and will be again in 2013. The adaptor can be used for Noma’s battery sets and the fabulous range of Alpine buildings which we introduced at Harrogate. These were without doubt our best selling items and flew off the shelves at retail.

We have lots of new lights sets addressing the demand for ‘cute’ product - battery powered these have designs ranging from puppies and kittens to Santas and snowmen. We also have a new range of low voltage sets with designs including ‘boys stuff’ like pirates and police cars, and ‘girls stuff’ like dollies and puppies, kittens and cartoon birdies.

Our ‘Out of the Box’ range of trees has grown dramatically. Some 50 tree options in various sizes offer un-lit and pre-lit versions at all price

points. New for 2013 are a tremendous range of PE and PVC mix trees at perfect price points; in trials at Christmas 2012 they sold out within a couple of weeks so are obviously attractive to the market. We are also offering bespoke 12ft and 15ft trees and are trying to make available trees with unusual type of lighting. Also in the catalogue are stunning ‘twig trees’ and garlands with coloured and clear lighting.

Harrogate is Noma’s main sales push for 2013; with our biggest ever stand we will certainly be making an impression in Hall A. Over 180sm of trees, lights and acrylics should entice buyers to come to see us. We will also be at Spring Fair but with a smaller stand to meet and greet rather than make a major sales push. Our showroom at Weybridge has been extended twice this year and is still bursting at the seams. We’re easy to find, just off the M25 (J10 or J11) adjacent to the fabulous Mercedes Benz World and Brooklands Museum (which now has a Concorde as it’s ‘gate guard’).

We’re looking forward to 2013 and thank our customers for their support in 2012.

Hall A – Stand A9 and A22 clive@noma.co.uk

Feature Konstsmide

Konstsmide Stand and Deliver F

ollowing an excellent trading year in 2012 that saw sales up by 20%, the company will be using a brand new stand at Harrogate in their usual spot as you enter Hall ‘M’. The new design allows for ease of display and will also be a little more customer friendly as you are shown around the range.

As well as Harrogate you can visit Konstsmide at Spring Fair Hall 2 Stand 2F20, and of course you can visit them at Christmas World in Frankfurt Hall 11 Stand C30 where they have over 450 m2 of exhibition stand showing the latest 2013 range. Also not forgetting they also would love to welcome you at their UK showroom in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.

With a bigger than ever catalogue, the three main themes for 2013 are Scandinavian, Romantic and Traditional.

It is now 25 years ago that Konstsmide first introduced the concept of Welcome Lights into the UK, where in their own country, Sweden; these lights had long been a Christmas and New Year favourite. The company started in 1942 and have a long tradition of making Christmas lighting and they are the oldest producer of Welcome Lights. They continue to lead the field in this category and as their catalogue will show, the company have hundreds of different styles and designs to choose from. You could say that ‘You’re spoilt for choice’.

Having been known for many years as a specialist Welcome Light supplier, it was an obvious progression in to lighting and decorative lighting for which Konstsmide are still the leading supplier in Europe.

In 1983 a landmark for the company in product development was selling the first transformer light set, they consider this to be the first transformer light set ever produced and now 30 years on this revolution in the Christmas lighting design still dominates the industry today.

In 1995 they made yet another product leap when they developed the very first LED Christmas light chain, leading the way to what is considered normal today, it’s hard to imagine Christmas lights without LED’s today.

Quality has always been their byword and in the words of U.K. Managing Director Richard Jerrom “We aim to supply the best light at the keenest prices possible. Konstsmide pride themselves on the quality of their lighting with both our lights and components being amongst the best on the market so we will be the best value for money. We know from 70 years of experience in lighting that if you aim to be the cheapest the quality and service will be compromised.”

In addition to quality, safety has also always been a Konstsmide priority.

They believe that they are one of a handful of companies who make use of a third-party testing company, in Konstsmide’s case, SEMKO (Intertek). Not only does this give them an added guarantee, but keeps Konstsmide fully in the picture at all times on possible changes to lighting standards and legislation across Europe. They also work with a complete approval of an item not just testing the transformer; they test the whole product to make sure the whole item meets approval standards.

Acrylic figures and LED light sets, plus the ever growing decorative lighting products, all have shown a good growth and the company will be keeping these under wraps ready for a Harrogate launch. Other new innovations in lighting will be launched bringing other great new concepts to market in 2013.

32 christmas in january

Not dismissive of the ‘Own Brand’ route, Konstsmide have always concentrated on emphasising their brand values, a policy that has more than benefited them over the years. Their brand awareness is really paying off as consumers and customers believe in the quality of their products and their service. The Konstsmide brand is recognised by more at public level than ever before as being a top quality brand for Christmas and outdoor lighting, the company is famous across all of Scandinavia, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, UK and Ireland.

Pricing has been an important topic on my travels around the Christmas decoration suppliers. By virtue of the Group’s purchasing power across Europe, Konstsmide have been able to hold pricing to around 2012 levels.

Also as they want to keep up with the latest legislation, they will not compromise the quality of their products in order to meet low price points.

Richard has been once again delighted that their deliveries this year were virtually 100% on time much to the delight of their customers. Repeat orders are stronger than ever with customers thrilled with the levels of extra stock they are able to provide on next day delivery service to enable their customers to sell even more. They have been acquiring new business as they are in a position to help existing and new customers alike with great service and more importantly stock. They certainly have the power to deliver with around 70,000 m2 of warehouse space in Sweden, Germany and the UK; this enables them to supply and store goods in an unrivalled way.

Some readers will be aware that a stunning new 3,400 m2 Swedish headquarters has been completed that boasts a light competence centre that includes training, testing and showroom facilities. This will keep Konstsmide at the forefront of the lighting and Christmas business.

Konstsmide firmly believe in their quality of product and their ability to supply the best products, with the largest sales across Europe and the UK proving once again that they are the number one brand in Christmas and decorative lighting.

With 2012 already a memory, they are looking forward to the challenges that 2013 will undoubtedly bring but with Konstsmide at the forefront of innovation and quality, they can help their customers have an even more successful Christmas 2013.

Harrogate Stand M22 Tel: 01246 852140 sales@konstsmide.co.uk

Feature DSV

Volatile market conditions in shipping market in 2012 The current conditions in the container shipping market have caused a noticeable split in the approach importers and exporters take to sourcing logistics services, according to Michael Hansen, Managing Director, DSV Air & Sea Limited.

T

Michael Hansen Managing Director

Alan Burnet Procurement & Ocean Director

34 christmas in january

he past 12 months have once again been a period of much fluctuation in the container shipping market.

Shipping lines began the year with significant challenges as the Shanghai Shipping Exchange showed that average rates on the Asia to Europe trade had slipped to around US$1,350 per 40ft container at the start of the year, below the estimated level needed by carriers to remain profitable.

However, an improvement in demand and a concerted effort by carriers to reduce supply and be more disciplined resulted in rates increasing dramatically in March/April 2012. By summer, the price of moving of a 40ft container from Shanghai to North European base ports had increased to around US$3,500.

As a side effect of carriers rebalancing supply and demand, there were some reports of containers being left on quays in Asia as carriers had overestimated how much capacity they needed to remove.

Yet, as the year draws to a close, the market appears to be swinging back to one of oversupply once again.

The latest figures from the Shanghai Shipping Exchange show that the average rate charged by shipping lines had slid to around US$2,800 per 40ft container.

But what do these strong fluctuations in rates and capacity levels mean for importers and exporters? The upshot of these highly volatile market conditions is it increases the complexity of transport operations – something that no company wants to deal with.

“In an ideal world, every company would want to secure similar transport prices to their competitors – preferably a little less – and have these prices guaranteed for a longer period,” says Michael Hansen, Managing Director, DSV Air & Sea Limited.

“However, with today’s volatile market, this is difficult to guarantee: if you sign up to a longer contract when

rates are low, it is likely that shipping lines will seek a price increase or Peak Season or other such surcharge if the market suddenly hits a spike. Conversely, if you have signed a 12 month contract when prices are high, clients will probably expect the shipping lines to lower their prices if the market suddenly crashes.”

An alternative is to utilise monthly rates so you know you will always be paying the going market rate, whether that is good or bad.

A third option that is emerging, although the industry has yet to see how much of a take up there will be, is the fledgling container derivatives market, which allows companies to hedge against price increases and decreases. Many importers already do this with foreign exchange.

“Overall, the biggest headache of the volatile market conditions is how to manage the situation to ensure that you aren’t paying too much and that space is guaranteed,” Michael adds.

“There is no easy answer to this conundrum. However, utilising a freight forwarder helps ensure services are reliable, flexible and rates match market conditions.”

Freight forwarders such as DSV have the knowledge – and the buying power – to make sure their customers’ goods are not left stranded when carrier capacity is limited.

That buying power, negotiated by a global purchasing team with selected reliable carriers, ensures that space is protected when capacity becomes tight.

Value added services, like internet tracking of orders and full inventory management, are also available to provide a total supply chain management operation to clients.

Freight forwarders also have extremely close relationships with all the major shipping lines, meaning they can utilise different carriers depending on the market situation.

DSV Road Ltd. Tel:0844 880 0844

Harr Gift andogate 13th-16t Fair Hall D, S h Jan tand D Spring Fa 11 Internati ir onal 3 Hall 2, rSd-7th February tand 2H 30-K3 1

New Products, Show Stopping Deals,

Great Prices and Unrivalled Service...

SnowTimlleer t Se Visit SnowTime to see our exciting product range, plus exclusive new Thomas Kinkade fibre optic tapestry designs, our best selling product in 2012.

Bes 2012

Harrogate Gift & Fair Harrogate International Centre 13th-16th January Hall D, Stand D11 Spring Fair International NEC Birmingham 3rd-7th February Hall 2, Stand 2H30-K31

EUROPEAN HEAD OFFICE & SHOWROOM Trans-Continental Group Ltd Transcon House, Oliver’s Place, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 9WS Tel: +44 (0)1772 708 930 Fax: +44 (0)1772 708 973 Email: info@transcon.co.uk Web: www.transcon.co.uk

Harrogate Feature

Festive Favourite

The Christmas & Gift show Harrogate 13th-16thJanuary

W

ith Christmas 2012 now firmly behind us, retailers and buyers in the festive sector can look to the year ahead and their first port of call for the 2013 season is Harrogate Christmas & Gift which takes place from 13th to 16th January.

This is one of the fastest growing trade shows in the UK with an impressive 35 per cent increase in visitors in just two years. For anyone seeking products with a Christmas theme this is definitely the show to attend with numerous fresh product launches from around the world and the chance to snap up exciting new ranges before they are shown to the crowds at trade shows taking place later in the spring.

From Christmas trees, baubles and tinsel to indoor and outdoor lighting; candles, toys and a whole host of gift items for both the home and garden, Harrogate Christmas & Gift truly has Christmas wrapped up with almost every big name in the industry exhibiting. Don’t miss some great new Christmas lines from Festive Productions, Gisela Graham, Kaemingk and Kontsmide as well several floral companies with some stunning collections for every occasion.

This year, the show welcomes 12 European exhibitors from Germany, Holland, Denmark and Finland, as well as companies hailing from Hong Kong and the USA. For the second year running, Premier Decorations will be filling Hall H in its entirety, packing the aisles with its enviable portfolio of products for Christmas, gifts for the home and

garden and even an entire department dedicated to Halloween with costumes and spooky ghouls.

Also, if you looking for Christmas lights, don’t forget to check out the company’s 200 MultiAction Supabrights White which recently won a Which? Best Buy. Similarly, Salco is bringing some exciting new additions along to the show and buyers will be spoilt for choice from glitzy gold, festive red and contemporary silver and white collections of hand-crafted figurines, drinking glasses and decorative flowers right through to highly fragranced candles and room diffusers.

Also from Salco, don’t miss Landon Tyler – a well-established brand – which has been extended to incorporate a colour palette to suit everyone. The fresh, modern style incorporates hearts and pearls, accented with soft lemon against pure white and reflective surfaces creating a crisp and refreshing style. In contrast, the black and silver range creates a luxurious atmosphere for any home with innovative designs for sumptuous jewelled tea light holders, Moroccan style lanterns and the luxury fragranced collection ‘Boutique du Parfum.’

Those seeking toys and gifts particularly suitable for Santa’s grottos, are guaranteed some interesting finds on Padgett Bros (A to Z) Ltd’s stand as the company will be exhibiting a range of spring and summer toys, pre-school toys, hardware and kitchenware, as well as it’s ever popular ready wrapped presents. These can be chosen and wrapped to order catering for all age groups.

Undoubtedly a highlight of Harrogate Christmas & Gift, particularly for garden centre owners and buyers, is the Greatest Christmas Awards which take place at the Majestic Hotel on the evening of Sunday 13th January 2013.

This is organised by Garden Trade News and is the culmination of many months of judges travelling the length and breadth of the country in search of the best and most innovative Christmas displays of the season.

A fine example was Ruxley Manor Hall which took over 27,000 bookings for its Santa’s Grotto making it one of the busiest Christmas retailers in the South East. Hosted by a team of Santa’s elves, children were guided through a number of rooms with a range of activities from singing, colouring pictures of Santa and making up bags of reindeer feed. For every activity, children received a stamp on their ‘passport and finally met Santa to receive a present which was delivered down a chimney.

Another spectacular sight worth a mention was the fabulous reindeer display at the entrance of Garden Pride in Burgess Hill which certainly had children from miles around staring in awe.

These and numerous other garden centres will be eagerly awaiting the judges’ decisions as the winners of each category are announced.

Finally, everyone attending Harrogate Christmas & Gift – both exhibitors and visitors – are cordially invited to join the organising team for free drinks and nibbles at the Majestic Hotel on Monday 14th January from 10pm onwards and they look forward to seeing you there.

Eight halls of Christmas Hall A

Hall C

Hall H

A01

Christmas in January

C 11

Jette Frรถlich Design Aps

A02

Ambiente

C02,C39

A03

Riffelmacher & Weinberger GmbH & Co KG

Festive Productions Ltd. (Hall C)

C04

Fair to Trade Ltd.

H1

Premier Decorations Ltd.

Hall M M02

Kaemingk BV

M10

Triflora Decorations Ltd.

M12

Ascalon Design Ltd.

M14,M16

Gisela Graham Ltd.

M18

Festive Productions Ltd.

M22

Konstsmide (UK) Ltd.

A04

t o b s - The Old Basket Supply Ltd

C05

Felt so good

C06

Archipelago

A06

R J B Stone Ltd.

C07

Heritage Source

A08

Krebs Glas Lauscha GmbH

C08

Zebra Pen (UK) Ltd

C09

Retreat Home Ltd

C10

Deck The Halls

C14

Ester & Erik a/s

C15

The Solar Centre

C16

Birgitte Frigast Aps

C17

Mezu Silk Flowers

Queens Pavillion

C18

Brink Nordic

QP1

Vivid Arts Ltd.

QP2, 3

Winter Flora Ltd.

A09,A22

Noma Lites Ltd.

A16

Amica and Felt Work

A18

Sincere UK Ltd.

A24

Birchcraft

A25

Playwrite Group Plc

A26

Artscape Publishing Santa Balls

A27

Sunware B V

C20

Casdon Toys

A28

Florelle Import Co.

C21

Jingles

A30

The Giftware Trading Company

C22

Puleo Asia Ltd.

C24

Luxa Flamelighting

A32

Terra Rossa

C25

A34

The Original Winters Tale Ltd.

Christmas at Crumble Cottage

C26

Tom Chambers

A36

Flame Homeware

C27

Davro International

A38

I E P Wholesale

C3

A40

BIGdecs

Anglo American Distributors Ltd.

C37

Heaven Sends

C38

The Satchville Gift Company

C38b

Harewood International Ltd.

Hall B B04,B37

Hill Interiors

B07,09

Floralsilk Ltd.

C38d

Cadix Ltd.

B16,20

Salco Group Ltd

C46

SnowFalls

B23

Storm International Imports

B26

RSW International Ltd.

B34

Padgett Brothers AtoZ

B35

CPL

B36

Lesser & Pavey Ltd.

B38

Giftworks Ltd.

Hall D D04

Tallon International Ltd.

D07

Maingate Ltd.

D09

National Tree Company

D11

Snowtime

D5,6

Artificial Images Ltd.

M24, M26

Sagedecor

M28

Weiste

Queens Suite QS 14

Fernway Ltd.

QS10

S & H Supplies

QS12

European Stock Solutions Ltd.

QS17

Woolbro (Distribution) Ltd.

QS21

CK Wholesale Supplies Ltd

QS27

ANZ Ltd.

Romantic Enjoy a

Christmas with Konstsmide

Visit us at: Harrogate Christmas & Gift: Frankfurt Christmasworld: Birmingham NEC Spring Fai:

13th – 16th January 2013.

25th – 29th January 2013.

3rd – 7th February 2013.

Stand M22 Hall 11.0 Booth C30 Hall 2 Stand 2F20

Tel: 01246-852140 Fax: 01246-854297 E-mail: sales@konstsmide.co.uk

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

Feature Riffelmacher

Riffelmacher

build their U.K. business

H

arrogate has long been home to more and more Christmas decoration suppliers, Riffelmacher – with Michael Roeseler and Alistair Turnbull handling their U.K. sales are showing for the second year, following a most successful 2012 as my report will show.

Firstly, a little history on this long-established German Christmas decoration supplier.

The company were established in 1921 in Roth near Nürnberg where the company warehouse, factory and office complex is still located. The area is regarded as the birth place of the German Christmas industry, R&W (and other well established Companies) produced lametta, garlands, and filigrane fine silver or gold wire ornaments. Straw stars and decorations were produced by families at home from which businesses grew.

Glass baubles and balls were produced by numerous small family glass blowers.

Riffelmacher were one of the first companies to establish export trade with the USA and to start again after the second world war, participating at the New York Christmas Fair in 1953.

The company were founding members of the Cooperative Association which was established in 1950 to organise and run the world famous Nürnberg Toy Fair. Also in 1950 one of the first exhibitors with Christmas product at the reopened Frankfurt Spring Fair forerunner of Christmas World and Ambiente Still family owned today by the 3rd generation.. In the 1950’s there were still 20 well known Christmas companies around Nürnberg, today only R&W have survived the difficult years when production in Germany virtually disappeared with the rise of China as a cheap source for any hand made goods.

R&W took over 2 companies the others either went into bankruptcy or voluntary liquidation.

R&W managed to keep their own garland production alive and today this has become a major advantage.

Today’s management Frank Marchl has a Christmas background as his father had a Christmas Company, worked in the trade and joined R&W as a buyer and worked way up to managing director. Frank and his team are moving the company forward combining traditional values of reliability of goods and services, quality and value for money with modern flexibility and innovation.

Traditionally strong on the German, Austrian and Swiss markets Frank and his shareholders took the strategic decision at the end of 2011 to develop it’s European export business, Assisted by Michael Roeseler previously Zemlin. They launched at Harrogate in January 2012 having gained the services 40 christmas in january

of Alistair Turnbull well known sales and marketing consultant with long standing records of success particularly in the garden centre trade together with many years of experience working with German Companies in the UK market.` Today R&W is a one stop Christmas supplier with a strong production base in Germany and a firm belief in the values associated with that. A dedicated team around Frank Marchl and his product manager Rainer Krick develop the comprehensive Collection going from strength to strength every year and geared to the requirements of today’s retail trade particularly in terms of minimum quantities per item, attractive packing, display solutions for point of sale, the lean cost structure enables a pricing policy which allows Riffelmacher to compete with the largest in the business. As always this years collection includes; Next to fashionable decoration themes such as Ice Princess or Scandinavia a wide range of smooth glass balls in standard and trend colour combinations Decorated glass baubles and Foil garlands and ornaments colour coordinated A second to none range of nativities and cribs Classical German style laser cut and turned wood, light arches, smokers, nutcrackers etc All the standards and basics which are needed for Christmas and often are the real money spinners for your customers, from ball hangers, candle holders, lametta, gift bags and boxes through artificial snow and spray, window pictures to jute bags, advent calendars and wreaths, angel chimes to snow globes, hobby and arts and craft decoration sets and materials.

Where ever economically feasible products made in Germany are given preference in the Collection.

The company feel that developments in China will lead to certain production moving back to Europe. Rising cost of production in China, freight charges, increasing quality problems as factories try to reduce cost, increasing minimum order quantities, government policy to move industry into high Tech, the developing domestic market.

Cost of reducing environmental damage, establishing health and pension schemes etc. Higher import prices leading to price increases at retail level on European markets which will make consumers more selective and more demanding regarding the quality of the products for which they are having to pay more. Not to mention CO2 considerations of shipping decoration products around the world.

Michael Roeseler tells me he has seen this happen with tinsel, after years of strife and demise of several competitors, now they are competitive with the Far East, offering better quality, short notice delivery,buyers own headers etc. Foil Garlands can’t be produced too far in advance they flatten down when stored too long in boxes. Riffelmachere make them “fresh” and can colour coordinate as the buyer requires using sparkling European foil...

This year the company are particularly proud to announce that all the decorated glass balls and baubles in the Riffelmacher collection will be made in Germany by a new sister Company which the shareholders have just established to take over one of the oldest German glass bauble production units, previously known as Thüringer Glass Schmuck in Steinheid. The old inner German boarder ran close to Nürnberg and this company had the misfortune to be on the other side of the border and largely cut off from markets during the years when West German producers were busy establishing their brands. Advantage is that the old tradition of glass blowing has been kept alive there in this small mountain town together with a treasure chest of glass moulds going back over decades. Products with a distinct quality advantage, customers own designs workable and welcome, mouth blown in mould or “free blown”, screen printed or hand decorated in all available lacquers and colours. At surprisingly competitive prices.

This development is so new that there was not adequate time to arrange a full display at Harrogate. The decorated glass which is part of Riffelmacher’s Collection will be there but the impressive full range will be on show at the Frankfurt Christmas World under the new name Thüringer Glass Design GmbH adjacent to Riffelmacher’s stand in Hall 11.1 D 30 The Harrogate launch last January was a great success with many old and new customer contacts placing orders. Deliveries were made on time and, most important customers report very good sales. Some major Garden Centre buyers have already visited the showroom in Roth which has been open since 3/12. They liked what they have seen recognising Riffelmacher as a genuine alternative for the UK market resulting in higher level of orders with the Riffelmacher team much looking forward to Harrogate 2013 and confident following this year’s result.

Tel:+49 (0) 9171 / 9644-107 www.riffelmacher.de Mail:michael.roeseler@riffelmacher.de

ENJOY A

SCANDINAVIAN CHRISTMAS WITH KONSTSMIDE

Visit us at: Harrogate Christmas & Gift: Frankfurt Christmasworld: Birmingham NEC Spring Fai:

13th – 16th January 2013.

25th – 29th January 2013.

3rd – 7th February 2013.

Stand M22 Hall 11.0 Booth C30 Hall 2 Stand 2F20

Tel: 01246-852140 Fax: 01246-854297 E-mail: sales@konstsmide.co.uk

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

Feature Harrogate

Gisella Graham Ltd Stand M14/16

How to prosper in difficult times?

“Keep innovating!”, says Gisela Graham. For 2013 she presents 13 new Christmas themes and over 1200 new products, half of them designed by her team. As usual, the collection spans a huge variety of tastes and moods. Classical Rejoice has trumpeting angels in scarlet and gold , while Silent Night is serene in cream and gold. The numerous collectors of Gisela Graham’s designs will swoon over nostalgically whimsical Santa’s Sweet Factory.

Vintage Christmas will amaze and charm with bright fabric birds and angels. The Scandinavian style (with gingerbread) is evoked with Buttons & Bows, while the perennial ‘country style’ gets a fresh look in Folk Art Christmas.

By contrast, the bold colours of Enchantment aim to knock socks off.

Plus six more delightful ranges . each targeted at a different sector.

And Gisela Graham again caters for seasonal Parties with a fun collection and Halloween without the horror. G.G. also launches 3 brand new EveryDay ranges, plus their 2013 Easter ranges.

Tel: 0207 708 4956 Email: piers@gisellagraham.co.uk

Puleo International Ltd Stand C22

Puleo is excited to present many new and beautiful tree styles in 2013.

You will find an expanded range of full size and slim trees, traditional and fashion colours, potted trees, as well as matching wreaths, garlands and swags. Furthermore, fibre optic and LED trees are also on display.

With more than 50 years experience in the industry, Puleo has built a very strong reputation for providing a complete package to its customers; excellent service, on-time delivery, market-beating product design and quality - and all at very competitive pricing. Puleo is not just a vendor to its customer, but a partner that you can trust.

42 christmas in january

National Tree

Hall D – Stand D09 Another in a long list of product advancements from National Tree Company is the DualColor Low-Voltage LED Lights system. These pre-lit trees incorporate the most advanced lighting system available on the market. Bulb color can be changed from soft white to multicolor and back again with the tap of a foot switch. This is not a tree with two sets of light strings, it has a single string with color-changing bulbs.

Another benefit of this lighting system is the use of Low-voltage LED bulbs. These bulbs are energy-efficient, each 100-bulb string uses approximately 1.15 watts of power compared to the 44 watts of conventional lights sets. They are also long lasting, up to 25,000 hours of service compared to about 3000 hours from incandescent bulbs. Plus, because of the low energy consumption, low-voltage LEDs are cool to the touch and pose no risk of shock or fire.

Dual-Color Low-Voltage LED lights are available on all hinged tree styles. Trees are easy to assemble and include the foot switch for control of the lights. www.nationaltree.com or toll-free 800-280-TREE.

Weiste

Stand M28 Weiste has long been known for it’s Premium brand of high quality shatterproof ornaments and tinsel.

After some 30 years of trading in the UK it is not surprising, they have established a first class rapport with many major retailers and display companies.

Internationally the Company exports to over 30 countries worldwide.

The 2013 Collection has the hallmarks of a design and quality of manufacture, founded by the family in 1924 when the very first tinsel was produced, along with other fashionable decorations for the home.

Today’s range echoes this original sentiment and has a strong emphasis on fashion tinsel and garlands for home decoration.

It is inspired directly by the Finnish environment, Arctic Snow, clear blue skies, crystal stars, snowflakes, ice, and white covered trees, and of course, by the Slavic style of it’s Russian and Baltic neighbours - rich red & golden ornaments reminiscent of Faberge.

There is no Christmas Decoration manufacture with this interaction of nature and the beauty of this bygone age according to Christopher May. He continues “Weiste is simply a legend.”

Tel: 0131 208 0247 Email: info@morrismay.com

ENJOY A

Traditional CHRISTMAS WITH KONSTSMIDE

Visit us at: Harrogate Christmas & Gift: Frankfurt Christmasworld: Birmingham NEC Spring Fai:

13th – 16th January 2013.

25th – 29th January 2013.

3rd – 7th February 2013.

Stand M22 Hall 11.0 Booth C30 Hall 2 Stand 2F20

Tel: 01246-852140 Fax: 01246-854297 E-mail: sales@konstsmide.co.uk

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

Feature Trebaron Garden Centre

Trebaron Garden Centre

A visit to Trebaron Garden Centre Newton-le-Willows

I

t is always quite exciting deciding which part of the UK to visit when writing these articles, so when it was suggested that I visit a Garden Centre in the North West of England I was recommended to visit Trebaron Garden Centre, situated almost midway (15 miles approx) between the major cities of Liverpool and Manchester.

Newton-le-Willows is a small market town, mentioned in the Domesday Book, which remained an agricultural village until the arrival of the railways in 1830. One vocal supporter of the railway network may not have given it as much support as he did in its early days however, if he had realised that he was soon to be killed at Parkside near Newton being run down by the world-famous Stephenson’s Rocket on the opening day of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. (William Huskisson, Member of Parliament for Liverpool) Just 10 weeks before my visit new General Manager Paul Clapham had been appointed, bringing with him both forward-thinking and proven retail ideas, gleaned during his successful years with both Sainsbury’s and Welcome Break.

Trebaron Garden Centre has been thriving

44 christmas in january

in Newton-le-Willows for more than 20 years, sited on 80’s pop-singer Rick Astley’s father’s old shed & greenhouse company, and Paul and the owners have great plans for the future. A major re-design of the centre took place five years ago which resulted in a doubling of turnover, yet not content to rest on their laurels, the management are constantly looking to improve the customer experience. Paul has had an immediate impact which has seen the introduction of several new concessions and a highly successful overhaul of Rosie’s Garden Restaurant, which had seen a pleasing increase in business in the dismal summer of 2012. Rosie’s serves a wide range of fresh dishes prepared on the premises by a talented catering team using local ‘Farm Assured’ produce from local suppliers wherever possible, and if you are over 60 and join their ‘Diamond Club’ you are even eligible for 20% discount.

With a reasonably affluent catchment area, and the proximity of Haydock Park and its many visitors, Paul also sees a great opportunity for an expanded gift offer.

Capitalising on the message “we’re known for our value” Trebaron also has major plans for an increased use of Social Media, with Twitter and Facebook accounts having been created and well-visited.

Trebaron also has a sister site, Sefton Meadows Garden Centre only 18 miles away, this being a slightly smaller site - less purposebuilt and more an ‘organic’ concern i.e. bits added over the years making for a homely & friendly atmosphere, with a really well-run and welcoming garden restaurant. (I can confirm this as I called in for a coffee en-route).

2012’s exciting Halloween offer was a Spooktacular Evening of fancy dress competitions, with prizes for the best carved pumpkins as well as scary outfits; with jugglers, balloon-modellers, stilt walkers and fire-eaters also on-hand to entertain the kiddies. With a hotpot supper, free goodie bags for children and 10% off everything on the night this made for a real boost to the centre at the end of October.

Having my second coffee of the day, with Paul in Rosie’s, it was obvious that he is very hands-on as he was constantly interrupted by staff with questions and suggestions, culminating in his rushing off to an interdepartmental meeting, another of his productive introductions, which gave me the opportunity to meet up with Kay Hulme, who has been buying Christmas products for the last 13 years.

She and Kelly Blackstone, who has particular responsibility for lighting, visit Harrogate and Spring Fair each year, meeting with their major suppliers such as Snowtime, Festive, Widmanns (now one and the same of course), and Sincere UK. With half the store changed over to accommodate Christmas, getting-ready is a time

consuming operation but seems to have become smoother with each year of Kay’s involvement.

The average spend has increased and most likely as a result of the recession many more customers have been paying cash rather than using credit cards.

With an early October launch of Christmas 2012, some 2 weeks earlier than in the past, an early fillip to figures was seen - but everything really moved up a gear from the 17th of November.

Santa Claus arrived on his sleigh which was well-received by the thousands of visitors, and with clowns and chocolate, a ticketing system to keep the visitor flow running smoothly and real reindeer on site, Santa’s arrival is welcomed as a major event locally – even if the Police do have to increase manpower to control the traffic on the A572.

The award-winning grotto opened on the same date, and stayed open right up until December 23rd. I guess being in store for 37 straight days must have had Santa gasping for a whisky and a mince pie at the end of it!

Notwithstanding that, of course he did not have to wait until Christmas Eve, as Rosie’s restaurant commenced its Traditional Christmas Menu on the same day as his arrival, and with 3 choices in each of the 3 courses for just £9.99 it seemed excellent value, and you could choose your ice-cream flavour too!

Children weren’t left out either, as Breakfast with Santa was available every weekend and Tea with Santa at the end of the day was also fully subscribed.

Santa can’t possibly be overdoing it however as he also manages to find time for their sister centre at Sefton Meadows which has an even larger grotto and a ‘virtual’ queueing system to cope with the numbers. As Sefton is a smaller centre but with a larger, fully-animated grotto which won the ‘Greatest Grotto award for the north of England in 2010’ they have had to come up with an online booking system to avoid the long queues. With ‘Party Time with Santa’, ‘Showtime with Santa’ and ‘a baby photo opportunity’ there is plenty going on with something for all the family. The elves take part

Santa Claus arrived on his sleigh which was well-received by the thousands of visitors, and with clowns and chocolate, a ticketing system to keep the visitor flow running smoothly and real reindeer on site, Santa’s arrival is welcomed as a major event locally – even if the Police do have to increase manpower to control the traffic on the A572. in many of the events and apparently they can dance and ‘do tricks’.

They also have Christmas Floristry and Craft demonstrations throughout the season with Trebaron also advertising the largest range of Christmas Trees and Christmas decorations in the North West, all at unbelievable prices.

Cherry Blossom Trees and the longer Icicle Lights have been excellent sellers, as was 2012’s extremely new and amazingly successful inclusion of Christmas tapestry. Pre-lit and pink trees have seen a small decline but Baby’s 1st Christmas on a Cream Tree had been

wildly acclaimed.

It is felt that there is still some of work to do at Trebaron as Paul doesn’t feel it is yet a Destination Store, with more work needing to be done to establish its real target-market; though with a catchment area appearing to be around 180,000 with another 80,000 close to Sefton Meadows there are plenty of people to aim for. Paul certainly doesn’t appear to be a stranger to hard work, and with his enthusiasm and eagerness appearing to know no bounds he admits to looking forward to the challenges ahead. In fact, so convinced is he of the success to be achieved I think I may be visiting again in a year or two just to see the difference.

In closing, it transpired that an apparent theme of this year’s features was the famous people visiting our featured premises, so I thought I should mention that Sherrie Hewson lives locally (apparently she’s a loose woman ?), George Formby made his first professional appearance at the Hippodrome and Ed Clancy is an Olympic Gold Medal cyclist who lives in Newton-le-Willows. And to top all that a recent winner of ‘may the best house win’ (never heard of it) bought most of her home decor at Trebaron Garden Centre !!

christmas in january 45

Feature Kaemingk

A sparkling Christmas at Kaemingk!

L

ast year Kaemingk substantially increased the size of their Christmas showroom with a fantastic alpine scene complete with a number of ski pods greeting customers as they arrived to lead them into the showroom.

Move forward one year and the challenge was on to create an equally eye-catching scene. I wasn’t to be disappointed, what greeted me this year was a fairy tale setting underneath a beautifully decorated white tree with sparkling lights and crystal decorations. A gorgeous angel on a swing chair was there to welcome us into the showroom.

The large seating area decorated in a ski setting last year, had been transformed into a luxurious sparkling white setting. This area, where approximately 150 people can be seated, is split in half by a very long and beautifully decorated catwalk. In a mainly white setting, sparkling gold and silver decorations and gift items have been used to create a fantastic preview into Christmas 2013.

The products used in these settings are based on two of the new themes - Sparkling Whites and Tell a Story and are just two out of the nine different Christmas themes Kaemingk are presenting for 2013.

A number of themes are presenting traditional Christmas colours in new and trendy settings.

One of these themes is called Christmas Chic.

In a beautiful family kitchen, red and white decorations combined with more luxurious silver elements plus a touch of white mint are being combined to create a whole new experience.

Another traditional theme is called Classic Home. This is an ideal collection for a home where special family moments are being shared!

The dinner table is decorated with beautiful classic ornaments in warm colors. Guests will feel at home in this warm and cozy scenery.

Christmas is a nostalgic celebration and this is exactly what Santa’s Memories is bringing to you.

The setting and products in this theme will take you back to the time when you were hanging your stocking in front of the fireplace and you were anxiously waiting for Father Christmas to arrive.

Of course Kaemingk is making sure the latest trends and developments are being covered.

A fine example is a strong new theme Silent

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Luxury in which products for more contemporary households are being presented. In a harmonious setting, mostly large and simple-shaped deco elements made of natural materials can be found.

One of the many customers visiting Kaemingk on a yearly basis, was commenting that it is amazing to see how Kaemingk has again strengthened the showroom. “The range this year is showing more depth and certainly is the most comprehensive Christmas ranges I have come across”, she commented.

Lighting and trees - two key Christmas categories, are certainly not forgotten! Kaemingk is the largest supplier of Christmas lighting in Europe and you can understand why when seeing the total range. Next to the basics in Christmas lighting the range includes a full range in acrylic LED lighting sculptures, lit villages, battery operated lighting, pre-lit outdoor trees, etc.

Patrick Brinkcate, sales manager UK, explained that the new tree brand Everlands has been very well received. “In the last two months our sales team visited many customers and the general feedback about the Everlands trees is that sell through has been excellent because of a strong quality-price ratio backed up with strong POS and a eye-catching packaging”. For the 2013 range Kaemingk has further invested in new tree ranges and improvements to the quality and completeness of the assortment.

Kaemingk isn’t just about Christmas, the company have recently opened a much bigger Spring-Summer showroom that is now almost as big as the Christmas showroom. The total Kaemingk range now consists of 5,000 SpringSummer items and 10,000 Christmas items.

As I have written in previous copies of Christmas in January, logistics at Kaemingk are second to none. A month ago a new bulk warehouse with a total capacity of 50,000 pallets on 220,000 square feet was opened. This latest investment will substantially improve Kaemingk’s ability to deliver to customers around Europe on time for what they believe will be a most successful 2013!

They will be in their usual location in Hall M at Harrogate and look forward to showing old and new customers the 2013 ranges.

Feature Festive / Widmanns

1983 - 2013 creating Christm Chris

A

nother year has quickly gone by and I was eager to see how Festive had fared considering the many changes happening within the company including the purchase of the 111 year old Widmanns business.

Festive CEO Ian Newton has now been in post for nearly 2 years so my first question was about the general trading conditions in the past 12 months and what had changed.

“We are delighted that the business has grown by 45% and very much thank our customers for partnering with us throughout the year.

We realise we are operating in a very tough economic environment where and customers are looking for the best value and also products with a difference. With over 65% of the Festive range being designed by our own team; hopefully we have delivered on this. In addition to this growth, the purchase of Widmann’s business was a significant move and will help us deliver our future plans’’ I asked Ian how this would work alongside their existing ranges, “Firstly we took out the obvious duplication, then we took all the bestselling items Widmann’s had and have created two collections, each with their own catalogues to be sold under the Widmanns and Festive brands. We have also maintained the Enfield showroom to cater for customers in London and the south east. The Enfield showroom that will feature all the company’s products, (including trees & lights) and I am pleased to say that 3 of the Widmann’s sales

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people, Barry Coster, David McCabe and Lee Ashby are on board’’ At Harrogate the Festive and Widmanns ranges will be shown on their stand in Hall M (M08) while British made tinsel, lights, trees and floristry will be a short walk away in Hall C utilising most of the space previously occupied

by Widmanns.

To add some theatre and to demonstrate their manufacturing credentials, Festive plans to have a working tinsel machine on their tinsel stand in Hall C and to emphasise that the product is made here in the UK, our royal highness’s Kate and William will be at the show from 11 until 3 on the first day of the show only. Don’t miss out come along and have your picture taken with them ,as well as having some fun entering the ‘guess the babies’ name and take away some not only British, but HARROGATE made tinsel!

Ian is very confident and committed to UK manufacture, “we offer a highly competitive, environmentally friendly and high quality product, we are so confident of our service levels we are guaranteeing delivery in 2013.

For those customers placing orders by May 1st we will guarantee delivery by 1st September”.

Sales are up 60% and we thank everyone for support British manufacturing, not only to help secure Jobs, but also making huge savings on the carbon footprint on tinsel. By making Tinsel in the UK, we have saved over 30x 40foot containers of Tinsel travelling half way around the world’’ While at Festive I had a chance to walk around their new showrooms which opened

Festive / Widmanns Feature

ristmas stmas for 30 years! on the 3rd December, they have 8 new colour collections featuring both traditional and fashion themes of which 65% is designed in house by one of their 3 designers as Jonathan Hughes, the commercial director told me, “we aim to design as much of our range ourselves as possible, sketchbook to shelf is our philosophy” Both trees and lights were areas of huge growth for Festive in 2012 so the ranges have been expanded to include new product innovations and the same promise that “we won’t be beaten on price!”

Service remains high on the agenda and Festive’s own business has maintained its strong record of over 90% service on ‘on time’ deliveries. ‘’Clearly there were some challenges on Widmann’s this year that won’t ever be repeated. Firstly securing the supply from the Far East was tough enough and then delivering the product that arrived late. This is behind us now and we can give our customers 100% confidence of improved supply in 2013’’Ian commented Also a 1st for Festive was the introduction of a Mobile showroom. Fully kitted out with their Home & Gift and Artificial floristry range, this went on the road in June and received great reviews. A new creative living catalogue has just been published, which includes the new Topiary collection. Having seen the catalogue, it’s another demonstration of Festive intentions to design and create innovate ranges & solution’s for its customers’.

christmas in january 49

Feature Triflora

How can we inspire our customers?

This was the question posed by Ron Allison on my visit to Triflora’s HQ recently.

R

on believes that they have successfully found the answer with a range of outdoor illuminated figures in a variety of sizes and colours to be unveiled at Harrogate. Available in both mains and battery –operated (timer) modes, initial reaction from the few buyersthat have seen the range have been very very positive.

Readers may remember that Triflora suffered a terrible fire in 2011 that totally destroyed their premises. The fact that Craig Abbotson and Ron Allison were able to bounce back is a great credit to them.

Following the fire, luckily Triflora were able to find short – term premises close by. In order to cope with planned growth Triflora will soon be moving to new premises including a showroom.

When I posed the question “What challenges have you faced this year?“ Ron told me“ It has been harder to be firm up orders early this year due to key buyers delaying their decisions based on budgetry constraints. With the Far East supply chain suffering labour shortages, this has led to longer production lead times. Therefore Triflora have had to be more selective and work with suppliers who can react to our customer ‘s needs.“ The innovative new lighting range from Triflora has been work in progress for the last 10 months. As Ron explained – “Our customers expect something different from us every year - whether a Story Theme, a hanging decoration or Illuminated Snowman. Therefore Triflora have been investing time in developing our own designs and ideas. “ 50 christmas in january

Too much Outdoor Acrylic? Ron believes the market is now saturated with acrylic due to lack of something new, thus in his opinion their figures offer a welcome change.

In addition to the outdoor figures, Triflora are also introducing a range of Outdoor Illuminated Topiary Balls and Trees. The range includes

their outdoor battery 6 hr timer light set giving substained battery life for 4 – 5 months!

To further enhance their lighting offer, they are introducing bright new labelling and packaging to enhance the product on shelf or floor display.

Continuing Ron told me “We specialise in offering niche products, everything must have a point of difference. Due to our size, we can react quickly to market forces and be pro active with our customers“ As if to illustrate their perceived difference in the UK market, Triflora are the only UK company to be members of EFSA – the European Floral Suppliers Association. As part of EFSA, Triflora are in tune with up to date colour trends and style.

Triflora have amicably ended their trading partnership with Edelman in Holland. “We found our partnership created some confusion within the market and with our customers Products sometimes crossed over, and in the best interests of both companies we have ended our co operation.“ Triflora will be showing their new collection in Christmas World for the first time. “I have noticed that more and more UK buyers are visiting Frankfurt for the Fair. So if you can’t make Harrogate then come and see us at Christmas World “.

I left Triflora‘s Stockport HQ impressed with their refreshing take on the Christmas Lighting business with much to think about on my 170 mile journey back to Hertfordshire.

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Feature Snow Time

The Snowman and Snowdog join up with Snowtime

I

first visited Mike Withers in 1996 following SnowTime’s first show at Harrogate in 1995. Our article that appeared in the 1997 edition of Christmas in January quoted Mike as saying “We are not interested in joining the Gadarene* rush to produce the cheapest lights in the shoddiest packaging with highest return rates.” They were the first company to introduce fibre optic trees to the U.K. placing consumer advertising to drive sales.

In the ensuing 16 years quality of product has remained a top priority for SnowTime seeing them become one of the largest suppliers of trees and lighting to the industry.

The big news for Harrogate is that SnowTime has taken out the license for ‘The Snowman’ and The ‘Snow Dog’, the sequel to the hugely popular ‘The Snowman’ film and book which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The iconic character, along with his new companion the Snow Dog, will feature in a brand new range of Snowtime, product including lights, fibre optic trees and tapestries.

Some facts about the Snowman movie. The original has been broadcast regularly over its 30 year life with more than 2 million DVD’s having been sold. Channel 4 premiered the new film in 2012 to a fanfare of publicity and great critical acclaim. Mike reports that interest in the licensed products has been huge from retail buyers and expects sales to rocket in the Christmas 2013 season and beyond.

Fibre optic tapestries have been a huge seller for SnowTime in 2012 and are in fact their hottest product for ten years. Iconic artist Thomas Kinkade, whose jigsaws have been the most popular sold in U.K. garden centres for years, joins Snowtime with a number of his works to be featured on their fibre optic tapestries, all exclusive to SnowTime.

I’ve seen lots of Thomas Kinkade’s work and it truly is fantastic and popular around the globe.

Their fibre optic trees continue to be big sellers, even more so with the added

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attractiveness of LED lights. These are an easy solution for families, where many of them are bought for kids bedrooms.

“2012 has been a bumper year for us and reports from our retail customers indicate that the season has been very strong, in fact the strongest since 2008. Many stores are indicating an increase in sales of around 15% on last year, so are most optimistic for 2013.” continued Mike.

The company has been particular pleased with sales of its artificial trees and is the leading importer in the country. Available in sizes from 18 inches up to 20 feet, it is the larger trees that have sold really well.

As I have found in my discussions with leading Christmas decoration suppliers, the outdoor and indoor battery operated lights, with timer control that effectively means that the consumer need not connect them to a mains socket, will be one of the major categories for 2013. Totally water-resistant they will come on late afternoon and switch off around 11 o’clock with a battery life of over one month. SnowTime has gone one better than this with a battery life of 45 days on its new range.

The company will be majoring in this category with a complete range of battery operated light strings, net lights, icicle lights and rope lights all featuring SnowTime’s much praised packaging and retail display units.

Mike is pleased to report that prices in the main have been kept at last year’s level with

certain products being reduced in price.

SnowTime introduced at Harrogate last year their ‘Super-Long’ LED lights that were capable of running 600 lights to a length of 60 metres from just one plug point. Such has been the take up for these that the company has been encouraged to introduce for 2013 a 1,000 light set. Mike’s comment “People loved them” Need I say more!

Cherry Blossom trees are really catching on with the public. From slow beginnings in certain parts of the country much to do with the price, when they were first introduced in 2009, sales have really taken off in 2012. With a 5ft tree selling at retail for less than £50 the improved retail prices have been a big factor in consumer take-up. Available from SnowTime in a variety of colours that include white, warm white, blue and super green, Mike will be introducing at Harrogate a combined warm white and ice white tree. This was inspired by a visit to Mike’s local pub where the landlord had used the two colours inter-twined that gave him the idea for this new colour combination.

After all, that’s what being an entrepreneur is all about!

In addition to U.K. sales Snowtime has been growing its business in America. “We started in a small way and have steadily been increasing sales. Demand has been very positive and I can see sales in the near future matching our U.K. turnover.” concluded Mike. “We are also opening an Australian office in the new year”.

The company has also been strengthening its sales team with the appointment of a new sales director Jason Richardson along with several other new appointments.

So from my first interview with Mike back in 1996 much has happened to Snowtime, all of it good making the company a major player in this fantastic business of ours. *Gadarene – relating to or engaged in a headlong rush Malcolm Naish

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Feature Festive Lights

Festive Lights continue to Grow the Business

F

estive Lights Ltd has had another busy 2012 season with increased sales to commercial customers.

Their 240v connectable systems have been used in displays of all sizes throughout the UK. Quality is extremely important in commercial decorating, but simplicity and value are also major criteria when projects need delivering on time and on budget. Festive Lights’ considerable experience in connectable lights is clear to see in their comprehensive range of fairy, icicle, net, curtain, sphere lights and garland which can all integrate together with a host of intuitive accessories.

Bespoke orders are welcomed early for custom installations where specific colours and sizes are required.

Festive Lights also specialise in LED Festoon lighting for cross street and large tree decoration! This system is available with both E27 or B22 lamp fittings and benefits from being connectable in 10m lengths. The advantages to this system are that it can save time and costs during installing, dismantling and maintaining a project along with reduced failure rates and power consumption.

54 christmas in january

Illuminated moulded figures are making a comeback! Festive Lights has an exclusive range of five festive favourites including the large 107cm Santa with puppy and Snowman with broom, 90cm Santa with gift and Snowman with broom, not forgetting their mini 50cm waving Santa. The best thing is they are manufactured here in the UK and are guaranteed to have fade and flake resistant weatherproof paint.

DRi BOX Ltd, Sister Company of Festive Lights is growing from strength to strength both domestically and internationally. The garden and DIY markets have really taken to the award winning DRi BOX range which offers weatherproof connections externally. The DRi BOX’s unique design and locking mechanism is patented in the US and is about to be granted in the UK and Europe, backed by a strong Brand Name. It is the most user friendly product on the market and offers a real value for money alternative to installing outdoor mains sockets.

The DRi BOX is now widely available in many garden centres, major catalogues, large High Street retail chains and electrical wholesalers. The range includes 3 optimal sizes: 330 - this large size will accommodate

extension reels with large transformers, timers, controllers and other equipment and has 4 output channels. 285 - the medium is the best selling model designed for a 4 way socket strip with medium transformers and space for other components and again has 4 outputs. 200 - the small size is great for a single connection and can conveniently protect small to medium size transformers. All models are available in 2 distinct colours: Black and Green both of which can camouflage in the surroundings, furthermore all three models can be sold as a combo kit by packing the 285 and 200 inside the 330 excellent for promotions or the keen DIYer! The company has enjoyed great success in export sales since introducing their range at major international Lighting fairs and in an effort to keep up with demand the directors have invested in tooling to manufacture in the UK next year. This will allow the company to ship orders to Europe and the US quickly and efficiently whilst helping British industry which is a heartfelt aim for the future of both companies.

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Feature Selby Garden Centre

I

was reading a book last year called Star of the Sea and, about halfway through, the protagonist was walking through Yorkshire in the 1800s when he chanced upon a village called Ackworth. I was about to plan my 2012 Christmas features and realised that the only other time I had heard of what was now a small market town was when Peter Tierney was the Christmas Buyer at Ackworth Garden Centre.

I remembered Peter as a really nice guy with extensive Christmas knowledge and not having seen him for a while decided to track him down. The bad news was that he was no longer at Ackworth but the good was that he was now working at Selby Garden Centre in Osgodby. (Be warned, if you knew me 20 years ago you may get a call for an interview in 2013 !)

Owners Ann & Steve Ward have been at Selby GC for close on 23 years and during an expansion about 7 years ago were lucky enough to obtain the services of Peter. With his 27 year experience within the garden centre trade and especially his Christmas knowledge he was a good fit for the Wards with Ann saying that ‘they couldn’t do without him’. (Don’t get cocky P.T. as I tried to get you a raise on the back of that comment, but nothing doing!)

Back in 1980 the two acre site was mostly outdoor nursery, but though the acreage has not changed, almost half is now indoors or undercover. In the early 90s Selby GC sold a few trees and baubles but in 2012 one-third of the store was given over totally to Christmas displays and selling areas.

Christmas is Specia Special

A garden centre where the custom custome Selby is not a large place, approximately 12 miles south of York with a population of around 13,000 but their catchment area for customers is not bad, with visitors from Leeds, Goole, Doncaster and of course York giving them maybe close on a million people to target.

As seen in the photos accompanying this article there was a ranch-style wooden area within which Santa’s Grotto sat, and in 2012 it was dressed as a farm with sheep, pigs and cows making it look more like a welcoming manger in a stable rather than an igloo in the North Pole….

Unlike some Garden Centres there is no particular Christmas Display Team at Selby as all 8 staff rotate throughout the departments, and with the emphasis being on total team effort throughout the year why should Christmas be any different. All the staff go the extra mile and with a small family atmosphere it is easy to cope with unexpected days off and shift swaps when the need arises.

Santa’s appearance at Selby is a big event in the area as the Garden Centre has a fantastic competition open to all the local junior schools. Thirteen schools are based within a few miles and all 2000 children aged between 3 and 11 are able to enter a Colouring Competition, with the wonderful First Prize being to assist Santa in actually opening the Grotto at the end of November.

58 christmas in january

It is a lovely competition and 3 winners from each school receive a Selection Box, the winner of each three gets to ride with Santa on his Vintage Bus and the ultimate winner gets to cut the ribbon ‘with’ Santa Claus on Opening Day – what an honour !

By the way, if you’re interested in vintage or heritage coaches do take a look at Thorne’s website where they advertise some of the

There is a significant change in Christmas purchases here at Selby as both Ann and Peter have noticed that the festive spend used to be spread over a long period but now people are tending to come in and buy a complete onetime basket load.

Traditional colours are always number one and their worst product ever was waterfall lights – which are still with them after 5 years

ial al at Selby

omer mer is always right interesting vehicles owned over the years.

These have included English Electric NGT SE4s, Maidstone & District Beadle rebuilds, Guy Arabs, an ex-Standerwick Gay Hostess Leyland Atlantean (!), as well as the unique AEC engined Seddon/Harrington VHO 200. I don’t know about the makes and details but the buses look terrific !

The Grotto is a traditional walk-through, prior to meeting Santa and receiving a gift chosen by age and gender, before being passed to Santa by his Elf assistant. Santa Claus has been with them for 4 years, yet once they were let down by illness and Ann had to stand in, refusing to wear the beard however, thus becoming Mrs Claus for the day. I am also happy to note that no profit is made from the Grotto as all entrance fees are spent on presents.

Ann & Steve also donate a real Christmas tree to each of the schools, yet when I suggested that I trust the teachers then buy their decorations at Selby I was informed that most use the opportunity to encourage the kids to make their own decorations in class !

Other notable problems was that purple was an absolute dead loss in Millennium year but finally went in 2011 and one of their UK suppliers was extremely late in 2012 resulting in a very reduced offering for the first few weeks of the season.

There has been a major decline in the purchase of outdoor lights and wall lighting with more ornamental designs such as penguins, reindeer and their best selling Sleigh becoming the most wanted items. Consumers are also clearly leading busier lives than they used to do – whereas they would maybe buy plain wreaths and decorate with ‘picks’ and favourite-coloured ribbons they now tend to buy fully decorated ones in-store.

The highest individual priced item is £150 with artificial trees topping out at £140. Every year they sell two or three fully-decorated trees from their dressed display and even though Ann has had no specific training in tree decoration she seems to have the knack of putting them together well. Invariably someone wants to buy the completed display tree which not only

makes good money but avoids having to undress and repack the items post-Christmas.

Ann & Steve are most proud of their customer care – indeed they pride themselves on it, insisting that even in these increasingly litigious days the customer is always right, so no questions are asked if there is a problem – the product is replaced immediately..

Christmas is special at Selby – all of the team absolutely adore the festivities, though in recent years it is not the only event to be ‘celebrated’ in the winter as there has been an upsurge in both Halloween and Firework sales.

They also have a cozy coffee shop which was launched 10 years ago, catering to many Coach trips (I think York might be a destination stop ?) and with just 40 seats is always very busy . You might be sitting by someone wearing lycra too, as the coffee shop also appeals to lots of cyclists, with the low-lying land around a boon for them – indeed several local groups regularly have Lunch in the Selby Coffee Shop.

The traditional Turkey Dinner commences on the menu from 4th December and is quickly subscribed, though Margaret, Molly and Mel have been known to put on an extra sitting if requested. There is also a special offer every December where for £3.99 you get a coffee or a tea - with a mince pie - and get to keep the decorated Santa’s Mug (damn, I was there too early !).

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