Gifts Today March April 2019

Supporting your industry for 29 years Month: March/April 2019 Issue: 5 Volume: 30

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Contents

Regulars 5 6 8 10 12

March/April 2019

Message from the editor News Licensing news Giftware Association news Exhibition news

Cover story

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18

Groovy UK We catch up with Monique Scott, founder of giftware company Groovy UK, about the company’s Spring Fair success, fabulous new licences and exciting plans for 2019

Retail 30 Trade Talk Leading figures talk licensed gifts, the appeal of garden centres and the mood of the gift industry

38 John Lewis & Partners Anna Berry, partner and head of buying for Gifts and Cook & Dine, continues to inspire the industry by approaching buying as a mix of science and art

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51

Retailers’ Panel Key gift retailers talk shows, new finds and licensed gifts

Gifts Today team

46 Eightmood We learn more about this fast-growing Scandinavian interior design brand

Editor

40 Hill Interiors

Sally Norton sally@lemapublishing.co.uk

We discover more about their collaboration with faux flower company The Recipe

Advertisement Manager Mark Horsnell markh@lemapublishing.co.uk

Special Features 16

Layout/Design

Spring Fair review Gifts Today caught up with the organisers and some key exhibitors after the show

Rick Vickers rickv@lemapublishing.co.uk

20 Licensed gifts Managing Director

Reap the benefits of brand loyalty and innovation with our pick of the latest raft of licensed gifts

Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Chairman Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

27

p 42

The Happy News Celebrating all that’s good in the world, The Happy News is a licensing success story. Gifts Today caught up with founder Emily Coxhead

33 Garden gifts Time to stock up on product for your greenfingered customers, and to learn from garden centres’ growing success

48 BCTF preview The British Craft Trade Fair is the perfect event for retailers seeking exciting British designed products with sound provenance and strong heritage values

49 New products Lema Publishing Ltd

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Message from the Editor www.gifts-today.co.uk Instagram: @giftstodaysally spot trends. It was only on the final day of the show when I got chatting to a gift shop owner on the shuttle bus from the car park that I realised how much I’d taken in. He asked me what trends I’d spotted and I found myself reeling off a huge list…. oversize botanicals, tropical colours, apothecary bottles, Frida Kahlo…and lots more you’ll be seeing in the pages of Gifts Today over coming months.

“

There’s no doubt it’s tough out there but, from what I have seen so far this year, the gift industry is set to take on the challenge

“

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ell, here it is – spring! It’s the time of year when it’s all about the new…new trends, new products, new faces, new ideas to bring to the gift industry.

There’s no doubt it’s tough out there but, from what I have seen so far this year, the gift industry is set to take on the challenge. Take Spring Fair as an example. From the moment we arrived on the Sunday morning, it was…busy! I had a chat with the new MD of Spring and Autumn Fair Julie Driscoll at the show and she said: ‘We’ve brought together thousands of buyers and exhibitors to prove that retail is indeed resilient, prepared and well-equipped in the face of the year ahead.’ You can read our show review on page 16.

There were some lovely celebrations at the show, too, from some of the best-loved names in our industry. In particular it was wonderful to raise a glass to the team at Joe Davies who are celebrating their 100th birthday this year. Mingling with

p16 p10

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their guests, it’s clear how well this company understands the indie retailer and how well they look after them.

The brilliant family company Gibsons celebrated their 100th at the show, too, and I really enjoyed a chat with the company’s long-serving sales agent Martyn George, who has now worked for the company for 50 years.

Congratulations to Martyn, Kate Gibson, her father Michael and the whole team.

Shows are a great way to p20

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

Speaking of Frida, the Mexican artist (19071954) is our cover star this issue, courtesy of the brilliant team at Groovy UK. The creatives at this company really know what they’re doing and their attention to detail is incredible. I urge you to turn to page 18 to discover more. They head up our special look at Licensed Gifts in this issue, which includes my quick chat with Emily Coxhead from The Happy News on page 29.

Another highlight of Spring Fair was the Gift of the Year. As one of the judges, it was great meeting lots of people behind the products, and realising how important the awards are to so many in the industry, But what I particularly enjoyed was something CEO Sarah Ward said on stage that night: ‘I want to replace Brexit with other B words, which I think are more relevant to this trade show and this evening’s celebration – Bold, Brave, Brilliant and British.’ Well said!

There was lots of chat about garden centres as gift shops and, it’s with this in mind, we bring you our special feature about garden gifts and what we can learn from garden centres. It starts on page 35.

Homewares are increasingly doing very well, too, and so we bring you a clutch of features inspired by this category. Turn to page 40 to read our interview with Anna Berry, head of buying for Cook & Dine and Gifts at John Lewis & Partners; and to page 42 to read our interview with Julian Potter from Hill Interiors; and to page 48 to discover more about Swedish company Eightmood who are definitely making waves in this category.

There’s all this and lots more news, views and expert comment in this issue. I do hope you enjoy it.

NEWS

Bira turns 120 The British Independent Retailers Association is celebrating 120 years supporting independent retailers. ‘In this tough economic climate and the incredible changes that retail is currently going through, to still have members today that joined in the early days of the association really is an achievement,’ says Bira CEO, Andrew Goodacre. To celebrate, Bira is offering a special membership from £120 (ex VAT) for new signups this year. bira.co.uk/membership-120

The Entertainer acquires Early Learning Centre Mothercare has offloaded its Early Learning Centre business to The Entertainer for £13.5 million. The UK store closure programme, which will result in a total estate of 80 stores by the end of March 2019, is ahead of the original schedule and brings the Mothercare Group down from 137 stores in May 2018.

The revised Group structure at Mothercare has been designed to drive a greater focus towards strengthening its global brand, with improved product design, marketing and distribution of Mothercare products around the world.

The Entertainer executive chairman Gary Grant told Retail Gazette: ‘By combining our experience with that of ELC’s passionate and capable partners around the world we look forward to re-invigorating the brand for generations to come.’

Holly Tucker at Retail Week The founder of notonthehighstreet.com and now Holly & Co heads the female line up at the event in March. Retail Week are addressing the lack of gender diversity among speakers by ensuring half of those taking part in this year’s live event are female.

Programme director Hannah Tovey said: ‘According to a recent study on gender diversity and inclusion in events, only 25 per cent of speakers in UK are women. For Retail Week Live 2019, we are making it our mission to address this imbalance – we had 23 per cent in 2018, for 2019 it’s 50 per cent and rising.’

Wild Things’ muse stars on BBC Maya, the beautiful jaguar cub who inspired Ashleigh & Burwood’s Born With Cattitude Wild Things design, appeared on screen in the BBC documentary Big Cats About The House recently.

The documentary focuses on the work of big cat expert Giles Clark who adopted Maya as a cub, and sees him hand raise her at home. Ashleigh & Burwood began supporting the Sanctuary’s work in 2018 when they first made a pledge to give back 20% of profits on their Born With Cattitude products.

Sarah Squires is new chairman of Squire’s Garden Centres After 30 years as chairman, Sarah’s father Colin Squire OBE takes on the role of Chairman Emeritus, and remains an active director of the business. ‘It is a great privilege to take on the role of chairman of our family company,’ says Sarah. ‘I have learned so much from my father and from the many people I have worked with over the years within our business, our industry and beyond.’

30 years at Classic Canes Walking stick specialists Classic Canes held a party to celebrate employee Valerie Manley’s 30th anniversary with the family firm. Valerie has worked as a warehouse assistant at Classic Canes for three decades. The directors presented her with an engraved crystal vase, a bouquet of flowers and a long weekend for two at a luxury hotel.

6 gifts today

Greenfingers’ supporters are winging it!

Three brave souls will be taking to the skies on 2 June in aid of the Greenfingers Charity. Each one will be strapped to the roof of a bi-plane for a 10-minute exhilarating wing-walking experience featuring fly-pasts, zoom climbs, steep dives and banks. Taking part will be Mark Portman, MD of Evergreen Garden Care, Vicky Nuttall, Director of GIMA, and Lowri Walker, National Account Manager at SBM Life Science. greenfingerscharity.org.uk

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licensing news

Cheers to the King of Beers

The Very Hungry Caterpillar at the Eden Project

Apparel specialist Poetic Brands has launched adult apparel ranges into retail, based on two of the UK’s most popular beers brands – Budweiser and Bud Light.

Known as the ‘king of beers’ Budweiser is one of the world’s most popular beers, with a history dating back to 1876 and their distinctive red and white packaging is instantly recognisable. ‘We’ve had great fun designing these ranges and are sure they will perform very well at retail,’ says Elliott Matthews of Poetic Brands.

For two very special days – the weekend of 16-17 March – the Eden Project introduced a range of The Very Hungry Caterpillar activities iin celebration l b i off the h b brand’s d’ 50th h birthday. bi hd The weekend saw a storybook trail taking place around both the Rainforest and Mediterranean Biomes. Craft activities were also part of the fun, as kids made their own grass sprouting seed caterpillar, butterfly wings, or even a caterpillar string puppet.

The licensing campaign is managed in the UK by independent licensing company Rocket Licensing through the worldwide agent, The Joester Loria Group.

Call the Midwife delivers a board game The award-winning TV show now has a new board game, devised by Rachel Lowe, and is launched just in time for Mother’s Day on 31 March.

Set around East London, players become the midwives of Nonnatus House and have to overcome certain obstacles as they journey around the board trying to deliver as many babies as possible.

The midwife who delivers the most babies wins the game.

Rachel is a creator of board games, and in 2017 released the official Jumanji board game based on the game from the original movie, which became top of the UK Amazon ranking in the board games category two years running alongside Cards Against Humanity and other best sellers.

Sesame Street hits the catwalks Bulldog Licensing, one of the UK’s leading licensing agencies, which represents Sesame Street in the UK, brought Sesame Street to the catwalk during London Fashion Week in February.

Designer JimmyPaul’s collection used design tools inspired by Sesame Street to present a collection that not only honoured Sesame Street’s 50 years of teaching and delighting kids all around the world, but was a celebration of the show’s creativity, pop culture, fashion and fun.

8 gifts today

British Museum and Sainsbury’s in Wonderland The UK’s most popular visitor attraction has hailed the success of its first promotion of licensed items in a major supermarket chain. The British Museum Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Christmas gift promotion, alongside licensing partner BB Designs, appeared in Sainsbury’s for 12 weeks from October to December 2018.

BB Designs, which designed and produced the range and arranged its placement into Sainsbury’s, is a leading supplier of licensed stationery, gifts, accessories and fashion bags. The gift range saw excellent sales in Sainsbury’s across up to 227 locations.

National Geographic x Topps National Geographic has announced the launch of its Kids Animal Sticker Collection in partnership with licensee Topps, a major manufacturer of collectable and confectionary products.

Launching across multiple markets throughout EMEA and LATAM, beginning with the UK, the sticker collection offers over 200 stickers to collect. ‘The reach of both Topps and National Geographic in the kids’ market make this an ideal partnership and one that has clearly delivered,’ says Maria Maranesi, Vice President Consumer Products and Publishing, Europe and Africa, National Geographic Partners. ‘This is a delightful, desirable and insightful sticker collection.’

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GA news Latest developments from The Giftware Association, the trade association serving the gift and home industry since 1947.

And the winners are...

The Gift of the Year 2019 celebrated in style on the first night of Spring Fair last month with the giftware industry coming out in full force to celebrate the winners and finalists. Editor of Gifts Today and GOTY judge Sally Norton was there to see who scooped the hotly-contended awards on the night

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un by the Giftware Association, the Gift of the Year Awards are in their 41st year and the winners across 20 categories were revealed at the ceremony at Birmingham’s NEC on the first evening of Spring Fair. Introduced by the GA’s CEO Sarah Ward, the Gift of the Year has grown from strength to strength from its very humble beginnings with its six entries in 1978 to reaching well over 1100 entries from over 250 companies this year.

Sarah spoke of a bright future for retail - providing people look in the right direction. ‘I can proudly state the industry we all love in in a very good

place indeed,’ said Sarah, ‘despite reports about the failing high streets, empty shopping centres, rising operating costs and the B word.

‘I want to replace Brexit with other B words, which I think are more relevant to this trade show and this evenings celebration – Bold, Brave, Brilliant and British.

The ceremony was compered by GOTY project manager Luke Palmer, with the trophies presented by GA marketing manager Chris Workman.

The awards were judged by a panel of industry names, including judges from Dulux, John Lewis, the National Gallery, retailers and Gifts Today.

Here are the winners: Beauty, Bath & Spa Craft Your Own Herbal Hand Salve by Bathing Beauty Branded Product Frida Kahlo Collection by Talking Tables Cards & Wrap Pin and Ink by The Handcrafted Card Co Children’s Gift Engenius Contraptions Marble Run by Cheatwell Games Commemorative & Collectable Gift Sweet Memories Tins by Gibsons Contemporary Gift Flip Click Clock by Gingko Design & Craft Handcrafted Gift Wrap Sheets by Paper Mirchi Ethical Gift Bathing Beauty Soap by Bathing Beauty Fashion Accessory Blade & Rose by Arora Design Fashion Jewellery Isla Jewellery by Billy’s Beach Hut Festive & Occasional Christmas Street The 12 Days of Christmas calendar by Gibsons 10 gifts today

Food & Drink BBQ Hot Smoking Kit by Hot Smoked Garden & Outdoor BBQ Hot Smoking Kit by Hot Smoked Gift Stationery Citygami London by Clockwork Soldier Home Accessory Stone by Lexon Mini Hot Novelty Weird Things Humans Search For Game by Big Potato Games Home Fragrance Bitter Orange and Ylang Ylang by The Recycled Candle Company Kitchen & Dining T&G Ocean by T&G Woodware Pet Gift Fetch This Gift by Leather Guild Under £10 Whisky Experience by Dartington Crystal Judges Choice The Judges’ Choice Award was given to BBQ Hot Smoking Kit by Hot Smoked

‘I want to replace Brexit with other B words, which I think are more relevant to this trade show and this evening’s celebration – Bold, Brave, Brilliant and British’

The aim of the competition is to celebrate all that is new to market, innovative and design led covering the whole of the home and giftware world.

This year saw a rise in the number of ethical or eco-friendly gifts across the competition, proving the growing trend towards a more sustainable future and a socially conscious industry as buyers’ and consumers’ habits change. giftoftheyear.co.uk

Gibsons celebrate 100th birthday in style!

The independent jigsaw puzzle and board game company was awarded two Gift of the Year Awards – the Occasions category for their Sweet Memories Jigsaw Puzzle Tins and the Festive category for their Christmas Countdown Calendar, 12 Days of Christmas, which is the first ever jigsaw puzzle advent calendar on the market.

‘It was hugely exciting to have won both awards,’ said MD Kate Gibson. ‘It’s a huge honour to gain recognition for them, especially in 2019 when we are celebrating 100 years of Gibsons.’

www.ga-uk.org

exhibition news

Food & Gift Show Get ready to experience an exciting trade show that recognises the requirements of an independent retailer Are you an Independent buyer looking for the best commercially relevant autumn, winter, and Festive Food & Gift brands? If so, discover your next best sellers at the upcoming Food & Gift show in Solihull.

With hundreds of brands confirmed, the show presents a strong varied product mix across categories such as gift food, home fragrance, cards & wrap, confectionery and speciality drinks, offering buyers everything they need to complete their food and gift buying all under one roof.

Expect to see brands from the gift food and confectionary sector such as BakedIn, Cottage Delight, House of Sarunds and Snaffling Pig. There will be some exciting ranges from speciality drinks brands such as Wilkins & Sons and Skinny Prosecco. Plus some excellent new homeware collections from key brands such as Tradestock and Portmeirion.

Food & Gift categories are becoming more popular with consumers, with a lot more people taking an interest in nutritional value and sourcing sustainable items.

In such a buoyant and expanding market, you can discover those best sellers from a truly meaningful collection of exciting brands - relevant to all independents from department stores to garden centres through to standalone gift shops. This ethos made this brand new trade show a hit last year.

Taking place slightly earlier this year to ensure it coincides with buying patterns, the show is perfectly timed to guarantee orders for the festive period. Rachel Breen, show organiser and buyer herself adds: ‘We have been visiting trade shows as buyers for years so it is easy to identify how we want to structure our own show. High on our priority list is making it a stress-free experience for visitors and creating a fun, friendly and relaxed environment for both buyers and exhibitors.

Plus, years of shuttle bus experience has taught us how important it is that visitors can park right outside the front door!’

The Food & Gift show will be hosted by Associated Independent Stores (AIS) and is centrally located in the UK at Cranmore Park in Solihull. The show is only minutes from the NEC. Online registration and parking is free and open to all independent buyers.

Complimentary lunch and refreshments will also be available throughout the day.

When: 8.30am – 5.30pm 8 May 2019 Where: Cranmore Park Exhibition Centre, Solihull B90 4LF Call: 0121 683 1430 Web: foodandgiftshow.co.uk 12 gifts today

Messe Frankfurt goes green As of event year 2020, Messe Frankfurt will be changing over completely to green power, sourcing 100 percent of its electricity from renewable energy.

This includes the power supply for the stands, halls and exhibition grounds at the company’s Frankfurt base. For Messe Frankfurt, the world’s largest trade fair organiser with its own exhibition grounds, the move away from conventional energy sources is a further milestone in implementing its longterm strategic measures in the field of sustainability.

Portfolio Director for show Charlie Cracknell takes the role of Portfolio Director of Spring Fair in April 2019, assisting in shaping the strategic direction of the show in its 2020 re-edit year.

With over 20 years of international event experience, Charlie has held a number of senior sales and event leadership roles working across multiple sectors, and has built successful customer-focused events and communities.

Next year the exhibition, now in its 69th year, will have a renewed look-and-feel, which will reinvigorate the way buyers source products and connect with exhibitors.

Celebrating both the Gifts and Home & Living sectors will remain a fundamental element of the show.

Julie Driscoll, Spring & Autumn Fair’s new Managing Director, said: ‘Charlie has a wealth of experience in shaping wider business strategies, leading global projects and helping to implement best practice. He will be reporting to me, and the team are very much looking forward to him starting in his new role.’

Charlie Cracknell added: ‘It’s fantastic to be involved, and I’m already planning a concierge matchmaking programme for the show, aimed and finding and matching buyers with the ideal exhibitors. I’m thoroughly looking forward to making my mark in a re-edit year that will see some real innovation and bold changes for the brand.’

7th - 9th April 2019 The original fair for authentic British design-led gifts and homeware

Stand enquiries info@bctf.co.uk Register as a buyer www.bctf.co.uk

exhibition news

Join the Trend Tours at Stationery Show London Once again visitors to this year’s Stationery Show London will be able to join a Trend Tour of the show, to be shown specific products which each epitomise one of the key consumer and design trends the stationery sector will see developing in 2020.

Each tour, which takes around 40 minutes, is led either by futurist Victoria Redshaw (right) or trend forecaster Laura Greenwood, both of trend forecasting agency Scarlet Opus. ‘By using products available now, we can illustrate the types of ideas, items, colours and textures of each trend and give buyers specific examples of how each trend will manifest itself, what their customers will be drawn to and how to attract new customers,’ explains Victoria.

There will be four tours each day, each catering for up to eight visitors, and the team also offers team tours for individual companies that can be booked outside the standard times.

The Scarlet Opus team, who are also creating a Stationery Trends Hub display at the show, have identified four global consumer and design trends to focus on this coming year: 1. The Traveller – a key trend for Christmas 2019. It’s a future-thinking yet traditional trend, reflecting consumers’ desires to optimistically look ahead to a calmer, more stable era.

2. The Game Changer - a trend that sees consumer interest in strengthening the connection between sustainability and technology to achieve environmental improvements.

3. Satori – next summer’s Olympics in Japan will boost worldwide interest in Japanese culture and influences. Satori, or ‘the experience of seeing into one’s true nature’ is a key part of this.

4. Fellowship – this trend promotes the power of the collective. It has a global outlook and celebrates cultural diversity and placing ethics at the centre of decisionmaking.

To find out more about these consumer and design trends and how they will play out in the Stationery sector, visitors can either join a Trend Tour, visit the Trends Hub or sit in on one of the trends talks by the Scarlet Opus team. stationeryshowlondon.co.uk

14 gifts today

Finalists for Farm Shop & Deli Awards 2019 The shortlist for the prestigious awards has been announced with winners due to be unveiled at Farm Shop & Deli Show on Monday 8 April at the NEC, Birmingham.

Returning for the sixth year, the awards commend retailers’ success in specialty sectors and regions respectively. Category awards are up for grabs across 11 different specialisms including Butcher of the Year, Delicatessen of the Year, Farm Shop of the Year and Online Business of the Year, which has tripled in the number of entries received for 2019. Finalists include Chatsworth Estate Farm Shop (Large Retailer of the Year), Shrewsbury Market Hall (Foodhall of the Year) and Oxford’s Waterperry Farm Shop (Newcomer of the Year). farmshopanddelishow.co.uk

New face at Glee Glee’s dedicated marketing team has been expanded with the appointment of Grace Reilly as Senior Marketing Executive.

She will help develop Glee’s presence across both print and online media, as well as working with Glee’s content and sales team to enhance the exhibition’s offering for suppliers and retailers in both the UK and across the globe.

‘Glee is a fabulous show, and one that I have always loved visiting,’ said Grace. ‘I look forward to joining the rest of the team on the road, and to helping grow Glee’s brand awareness.’

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Spring Fair review

‘Spring Fair 2019 has been an immense success’ With over 2000 exhibitors building relationships and signing deals with retail’s biggest players at Spring Fair 2019, MD of Spring and Autumn Fair Julie Driscoll believes the industry continues to push to defy expectations

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ith over 600 new exhibitors and buyers attending from the likes of M&S, Topshop, ASOS, boohoo.com, Liberty, The White Company, Wayfair, John Lewis and a Selfridges, Spring Fair has been hailed by many as a show of confidence in the gift sector.

‘In spite of a mixed Christmas trading period and continued c Brexit uncertainty, Spring Fair 2019 has been b an immense success,’ says MD Julie Driscoll.

‘We’ve ‘W enabled more connections, more sales and helped h forge deeper business relationships across our sectors. s We’ve brought together thousands of buyers and a exhibitors to prove that retail is indeed resilient, prepared p and well-equipped in the face of the year ahead.’ a The quality of buyers attending the fair ensured strong results re for both retailers and exhibitors alike, with more connections c made and more quality products sourced than th ever before. As a show of confidence in the sector as a a whole, a significant number of exhibitors have already a rebooked for 2020.

‘Spring Fair was very positive and pleasingly busy this th year, from Sunday and even through to the last day on o Thursday,’ says Steve Powell, national field sales manager, m Ashleigh & Burwood. ‘Many of our existing customers c and also a good number of new enquiries came onto the stand and placed some good orders with us. Overall we were pleased with the show and look forward from this positive spring board to an exciting 2019.’

Charlotte Gillan of walking stick specialists Classic Canes had lots to shout about at the show. ‘This was our thirtieth consecutive Spring Fair so we were in celebratory mood, especially my mother, who has attended every single one,’ she says. ‘We were pleased to open new accounts across the UK and several abroad and also to show our new products - such as the latest National Gallery canes and other 16 gifts today

new patterns - to customers old and new. Our Prince of Wales check folding cane was a particular hit.’

Sally Field, sales director of Posh Paws, also reported a great show. ‘We were thrilled by the reaction to our new distribution agreement with NICI from both new and existing customers,’ she says. ‘Our brand new collection of Love Hearts plush also had a phenomenal response, with the mix of traditional sentiment messages with the on-trend colours and themes, retailers liked the mass appeal the collection has.

Finally, our BBC Earth range, gives gift retailers the opportunity to range high quality plush with a positive and relevant message.’

Meanwhile Price’s Candles reported a great show.

Lisa Fuller, UK sales manager says: ‘It was great to catch up with our existing customers and to meet all our new customers who are now stocking Price’s Candles in their stores.’

And over at Personalised Memento Company, new product development Cara Beech PMC said the company ‘enjoyed a fantastic Spring Fair this year and were delighted to welcome customers new and old to our stand. We were blown away with the reaction to our new gold personalisation range, as well as our new jewellery, watches and licensed designs, which all captured the imaginations of visitors.’

Live action At the show, a leading line-up of the best and brightest from the industry took to the stage at the Fair’s three live theatres. Speakers from Louis Vuitton, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Green & Blacks and Insider Trends all provided new ideas, insight and inspiration for the year ahead, focusing on topics including driving profit, ethical consumption, SEO and social media strategies.

Buyers gained valuable market insights and updates on current trends that are driving consumer spending.

‘We’ve brought together thousands of buyers and exhibitors to prove that retail is indeed resilient, prepared and well-equipped in the face of the year ahead’ First Showcases Throughout the event, visitors were able to explore the show’s expanded First showcases, designed to support unique and first-time exhibiting brands and spotlight the most individual and intriguing new businesses across specific sectors. TasteFirst, ToyFirst and NurseryFirst all debuted at the show alongside the returning FashionFirst and DesignFirst, which premiered at Autumn Fair 2018.

Power of One campaign With sustainability high on the Spring Fair agenda, as well as the social consciousness of the public at large, retailers and buyers were encouraged to pledge their sustainable individual or business change as part of the event’s Power of One campaign. The initiative saw visitors and exhibitors commit to stopping the usage of single-use bottles and straws, cutting down on packaging, reusing shopping bags and more.

Attendees sharing their pledges on social media alongside images of recycled furniture on display were awarded with a sustainable MyBento hydration bottle, donated by exhibitor Summit International.

The increased demand from retailers to identify and supply ethically-sourced and sustainable products was further confirmed by exhibitor launches of eco solutions on offer across the show in support of this growing trend.

To further the ethical discussions, visitors to the main stage on Sunday also had the opportunity to hear about the growing Power of One movement, from new Spring Fair MD Julie Driscoll and broadcaster and fashion commentator Caryn Franklin MBE. They joined forces for a dedicated speaker session on the growing movement, summarising what the campaign means, and how retailers are embracing the philosophy.

Caryn tweeted ahead of the talk: ‘Thrilled to be #springautumnfair to make my #PowerofOne pledge.

I’m talking about the power of each of us to commit to small changes so that collectively we can play a part on environmental justice.’

Talking about Spring Fair’s new sustainability commitments, Julie commented: ‘With this year’s show we really wanted to embrace growing consumer demand for a greater choice of sustainable and ethically-sourced products, with a new commitment to supporting retailers and exhibitors who want to do more for the environment.

Those retailers looking for products aligning with this trend were able to get their hands on new products from across the show which launched with this very trend in mind.’

2020 re-edit Many exhibitors have been inspired to secure their space for next year’s show in response to the announcement of a major investment by new owners ITE Group plc.

The first major re-edit of the show will see newly-organised show sectors with a fresh look and feel, which will invigorate the way buyers go about sourcing products and connecting with exhibitors.

‘The 2020 re-edit sets up two distinct sourcing destinations for retail buyers, making it easier than ever for visitors to locate the right suppliers for them and for exhibitors to generate more new custom,’ says MD Julie Driscoll. ‘We’ll continue to provide worldclass content programmes that help visitors and exhibitors differentiate, compete and succeed, as well as introduce new product categories and sector names to create fresh inspiration for exhibitors and visitors alike.’ gifts today 17

Cover story - Groovy UK

Get your groove on!

We catch up with Monique Scott, founder of giftware company Groovy UK, about the company’s Spring Fair success, fabulous new licences and exciting plans for 2019 Monique, how was Spring Fair this year?

The NEC was amazing with lots of new customers interested in some of our new licences like Frida Kahlo and Mr Men & Little Miss. The Disney Store are a great new customer and more big names interested but until they are signed up we’ll keep our lips sealed!

You had a big focus on Frida Kahlo and Mr Men & Little Miss on your fabulous stand at the show. How were they received?

The Groovy story

Monique Scott founded Groovy in 1991 as retail outlets and then in 1997 went on to start a business (B2B) as a wholesale designer and manufacturer, developing an in house design team to originate the company’s own products.

After rapidly growing the independent customer base as well as success with multiple retailers such as The Gadget Shop, The Discovery Store, Debenhams and Argos, Groovy started to focus on launching products that were representing big licences like Star Wars, Marvel and Harry Potter.

‘Groovy is an organisation bursting with talented people,’ says Monique. ‘Through the creativity of our individuals and the coming together of a truly innovative team, our aim is to conduct business the Groovy way.

‘When we start out with a new licence, product range, or even when creating one of our own brands, we ensure we truly understand our potential customers inside out. We do this by learning from what has and hasn’t worked in the past, embracing emerging trends and spending time conducting market research.

This provides us with intelligent profiles of our customer base, allowing us to understand their tastes, lifestyle and buying habits.’

18 gifts today

You either know them or you don’t and those that do absolutely loved them. Frida seems to be having a great year after the V&A exhibition. We have four collections and each pull a different customer base and had such a great response. Frida is a multifaceted licence and each person will see something different in her - feminist, communist, victim, hero. Mr Men had an amazing reception from an Australian retailer who have ordered the whole collection for their 120 stores!

Which licences did particularly well for you at the show?

Harry Potter is still by far our No1 licence and our dedication to all things Harry Potter didn’t go unnoticed with all HP fans. It was a great way to add a little drama to the back wall of our stand and draw

‘Groovy is an organisation bursting with talented people’ attention to many of our new lines within a setting that is fast becoming familiar.

Frida however was a close second and, taking centre stage to the right of our stand directly on the boulevard, meant there was no missing her! The Avengers are very strong and, along with our Iconic Groovy Look-ALites on the stand, they proved a real hit with new customers.

Star Wars still holds its own for popularity and we continue to refresh the range with some great new lines to keep the licence on trend and generating new customers and fans! The Groovy stand had a real presence in the hall, helped by the six metres of Groovy green tower visible from just about every corner, enabling both new and old customers to find us. I have to say everything got a great reaction but it’s a bit like the pop charts - not everything can be No1 but I’d say we are designing for the top 10!

You offer such a wide range of merchandise - which ranges were most popular?

Bathrobes and bags are still the front-runners. We are able to create some really great robes which are full of character, many mimicking the characters’ outfits like Darth Vader’s chest plate to Yoda’s ears on the Yoda robe and Harry Potter’s scarf on the Hogwarts’ robe. Or it can simply be the bright and very visual in character colour in line with the Mr Men & Little Miss characters that everyone will know from their childhood, or their children.

Bags are of course a fabulous line for us in the majority of our licences, offering something for everyone from a Back to School backpack to the new fashion bags which our designers had some real fun with creating. So far we have them in Harry Potter, Frida and Mr Men & Little Miss, with more to come.

All our products include special features such as embroidery, applique, print designs, custom hardware and quirky detail which makes the product that little bit more magical to our customers.

a lining in a bag, a zip pull or detachable key chain.

It’s important to us as a company and what makes us ‘Different By Design’.

How are you dealing with the current economic uncertainly…and, of course, Brexit?

We’re still not sure where it leaves us at this stage.

Our international trade is growing and we’ve downloaded the Financial Times Preparing for Brexit list but I guess like everything else, we’ll find our way though as there is only so much we can plan until we see what obstacles we will face.

Plans for the future?

We will continue with the NEC every year and I am already very excited to get the design started for 2020. We have other International trade shows with various distributors. We are always looking at new licences and are already in negotiations for three new ones to add to our portfolio keeping it fresh and attracting new customers omers all the time! As a company it’s essential ntial that we are always developing products ucts and diversifying our ranges to keep ahead ead and moulding has become something we love to do to get et differentiation in products and we are launching a whole ole new collection later this year, so there will be some e really exciting products.

Call:: 0844 372 7820 Email: ail: hello@groovyuk.com Visit: t: groovyuk.com

A huge amount of care and thought goes into the design of your products.

Yes, without a doubt, no one questions our quality or design and the energy and creativity coming from the team is tangible when you see our new products. We love to add the extra detail to our ranges whether it’s gifts ttoday 19

Licensed gifts

RHS + Moorcroft

Licensed to gift The UK is the second largest licensing market in the world after the US, coming in at around $14 billion in licensing revenue in 2017, meaning that the right licence on the right product can be a great way to boost sales

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hen it comes to licensing, it’s all about making the right partnerships. As Kelvyn Gardner, MD of the Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA), said at last year’s BLE: ‘For every consumer product there’s a suitable brand. For every brand there’s the right consumer product.’ Simon Pykett from Eightmood agrees: ‘The licensed gifts category is strong at the moment and, in fact, without a brand or a licence one is competing only on price.’

Adding a licence to a product can seriously increase sales – a Harry

20 gifts today

Potter mug can bring in more revenue than a plain one. As Charlotte Gillan, MD of Classic Canes, says: ‘People do feel comfortable with names they’ve already heard of, so licensed gifts should perform strongly if the promotional back up from the licensor is there.’

It’s true that nothing sells quite as well as brands that people already know and love. With the strength of movies and celebrities stronger than ever before and, with social media, images can spread worldwide in seconds – back the right trend and you can be quids in. According to the Annual Global Licensing Industry Survey, the biggest category is Character at 45%, encompassing properties springing primarily from feature films, TV shows, videogames and online entertainment.

This is followed by Corporate/Brand (21%), Fashion (12%), Sports (10%) and finally Publishing (7%).

When it comes to stocking up on gifts, there are almost limitless licences to back, Miffy + Blueprint

‘People do feel comfortable with names they’ve already heard of, so licensed gifts should perform strongly if the promotional back up from the licensor is there’ Moomin + Rococo

from Moomin to Miffy, the RHS to National Geographic. As Cara Beech from Personalised Memento says: ‘There’s an incredible range of exciting licensed product out there, with a hugely varied audience in mind.’

For example, one retailer will do well with the huge Frida Kahlo trend, while others will be firmly in Harry Potter territory. ‘RHS is especially good for us, especially because the products they have licensed already do well for us,’ says Dougal Philip, New Hopetoun Gardens in Edinburgh.

If you’re looking to stand out from the competition, drive sales and offer your customers the hottest brands, it could be time to take a closer look at the amazing range of licensed gifts out there.

Did you know?

Licensing started with Peter Rabbit back in 1904, with Beatrix Potter involved in the development of a plush Peter Rabbit toy in the same year the book was published.

Licensed gifts

Walk in style

Classic Canes

Disney Dumbo

Half Moon Bay Half Moon Bay has added Disney’s Aladdin to its portfolio of classic licences this spring/ summer 2019. The Aladdin collection from Half Moon Bay uses classic artwork that will be instantly recognisable to any Disney fan, featuring deep blues and purples with metallic gold accents. Formats include 3D shaped, heat changing and bamboo travel mugs; bamboo lunch box; coin purse; notebook; and a Magic Carpet cross body bag.

The range has been picked up by key retailers and independent gift shops alike, with the purple and gold 3D Genie lamp accessory dish, Genie and Abu 3D shaped mugs, and decorative golden teapot and glasses set have proven to be the best sellers of the range so far. Design and new product development manager Gemma Swift commented: ‘Our lavish Aladdin range captures all the magic from the original Disney classic – it’s shining, shimmering and splendid, with everything a Disney lover’s heart could desire!’ The range is available to order now and will be hitting shelves before Disney’s live action theatrical release Aladdin is released this coming May. Many of Disney’s upcoming theatrical releases are represented in Half Moon Bay’s most recent seasonal launch. The Disney Dumbo range features classic illustrations of the world’s only flying elephant in a nostalgic red, blue and white colour palette, encapsulating all the excitement of the circus. The new Disney Toy Story collection is a nostalgic throwback to the original film, including everyone’s favourites toys, Woody, Buzz, Mr Potato Head and Rex across a range of formats, while Half Moon Bay’s new The Lion King collection features bright colours and favourite character quotes from the likes of Simba, Timon and Pumbaa.

The Disney Princess range features classic characters such as Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty whilst the Little Mermaid collection features cute mermaid-inspired phrases on an iridescent coin purse, cosmetic bag, water bottle and shaped mug.

A capsule collection of brightly coloured mugs featuring original Disney classic characters – both good and evil - with their related phrases and quotes has also been launched.

Walking stick specialists Classic Canes have had great success with their National Gallery licensed range of walking sticks and folding canes.

‘These canes feature famous paintings by such exalted artists as Van Gogh and Monet and have great appeal to the art loving public as they are already very familiar with these much-loved images,’ explains Charlotte Gillan, Managing Director. ‘They are selling on very well not only through the gallery’s own shops but to stockists here and abroad. It is a lovely way for us all to help support the National Gallery in its work to look after the nation’s finest paintings.’

Visit: classiccanes.co.uk

Call: 01225 473873 Email: sales@halfmoonbay.co.uk Visit: halfmoonbay.co.uk

Into the museum Museums & Galleries

This spring Museums & Galleries launches two exciting art licences: Tate and LS Lowry.

The Tate collection has launched primarily with a range of greeting cards covering all aspects of Tate’s brief: contemporary art from Tate Modern and more classic British art from Tate Britain. A capsule collection of gift stationery will be expanded in coming months.

The classic, much-loved work of Manchester artist LS Lowry, sourced from The Lowry in Salford, appears on gift wrap, tissue, and bags, greeting cards and notelets, notepads, notebooks, a pencil set, and bookmarks.

Call: 01373 461456 Email: sales@mgml.co.uk Visit: museumsgalleries.co.uk

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Brand new for 2019

ENESCO LIMITED, Brunthill Road, Kingstown, Carlisle, Cumbria, England, CA3 0EN. UK Customer Services: Telephone: 01228 404022 Email: trade@enesco.co.uk Overseas Customer Services: Telephone: +44 1228 404066 Email: eurosales@enesco.co.uk © Jim Shore Designs, inc. JUSTICE LEAGUE and all related characters and elements © & â&#x201E;¢ DC Comics. WB SHIELD: © & â&#x201E;¢ WBEI. (s19)

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Licensed gifts

So much to discover

Enesco

Hogwarts Great Hall and Tower Enesco is proud to present the incredibly lifelike Hogwarts Great Hall and Tower, for all fans of Harry Potter, whether they’re wizards, witches or muggles.

From the brand Department 56, no expense has been spared in working collaboratively with Warner Brother Studios, to bring the sets of this brilliant film franchise into your customers’ homes. It will truly captivate all ages.

Dragonsheen from Gund The prestigious American soft toy manufacturer is introducing Pusheen fans to the latest plush product in its hugely successful collection.

Pusheen is a chubby, grey cat who loves cuddles, snacks, and dress-up. With over nine million fans on Facebook alone, her animated stickers convey a whole host of different scenarios and emotions, and are shared online more than 14 million times per day. Dragonsheen sees Pusheen in a mint green colour, with purple-accented wings and spine detailing down her back.

Enchanting Disney alphabet collection Building on its highly popular licensed brand collaboration with Disney, contemporary gift retailer Enesco has unveiled a brand new series in its Enchanting Disney collection.

Featuring all twenty-six letters of the alphabet, each letter features a different character from one of Disney’s best-loved films at the base of the figurine. The letters mostly feature characters with names that either begin with that letter, or share a phonetically similar sound within their name.

For example, the letter ‘A’ features the curious little girl who fell down the rabbit hole into Wonderland — Alice. Whereas the letter ‘O’ depicts the big bear who loves to scratch his back against pawpaw trees in the jungle – Balloo, from The Jungle Book.

Sleepy Seas Sound & Light Whale from Gund Famed for making unique and quality plush that give hugs which last a lifetime, America’s most prestigious soft toy company Gund is proud to introduce its Sleepy Seas Sound & Light Whale to the UK market.

Following its award-winning success in the United States, this musical plush toy will be available for your customers to buy in the UK, to help their babies get off to sleep. Press the right fin and the whale splashes into life. Press the musical note on its left fin and the plush starts to play one of five different noises: Ocean Magic, Soothing Ocean Whale Sounds, Brahms’ Lullaby, Bubbles or Ocean White Noise.

Peppa Pig To help little ones’ imaginations run wild while enjoying some oinktastic good fun, Enesco is proud to present a brand new licensed Peppa Pig collection with all the items necessary for arty fun and messy play.

The collection includes a tabard, bib, apron and drawstring bag. All items in the new collection feature a colourful and fun print of Peppa Pig and her friends, set against a lovely teal background, making each item gender neutral and ideal for both little girls and boys to enjoy. The Peppa Pig Tabard, Peppa Pig Bib and Peppa Pig Apron are made of PU fabric, making them easily wipeable and perfect for protecting little ones’ clothing when they are creating their own works of art!

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Licensed gifts

Perfect gifts Posh Paws

Posh Paws is taking further steps into the gift industry this year with plenty of new ranges not to be missed.

As the exclusive distributor for NICI in the UK and Ireland, Posh Paws now has a vast array of luxury NICI plush product and other accessories such as girls’ gifts, stationery, nursery gifts and bedroom accessories, from across the many different NICI collections.

The Posh Paws NICI range showcases the high quality always attributed with the brand, and perfectly complements the entire Posh Paws portfolio.

Also coming soon is the official plush collection for the enchanting world of Moshi Twilight. The range will focus on the four ‘Sleepies’ from the world of Moshi Twilight, each of which will be available in two size variations. Plush characters include Yawnsy the Sleepwalking Otter, Nodkins the Bedtime Bunny, Professor Feathersnooze the Owl of Nod and Sleepy Paws the Snoozy Koala.

The range has been designed and produced to be a child’s favourite cuddly toy, perfect to snuggle up to while they drift off listening to their character’s sleepy adventures in the world of Moshi Twilight.

2019 will see Posh Paws bring a plethora of popular Disney properties to life in plush form. Aladdin, Dumbo, The Lion King and Toy Story 4 are all among new collections launching early 2019. With all four properties set for 2019 movie releases, the Posh Paws collections are perfectly timed and perfect for gifting to Disney fans of all ages.

For those looking for gifts inspired by nature then the BBC Earth plush range from Posh Paws will be a real eye catcher.

These high quality, super soft stuffed animals are available in small and medium. From elephants to sea turtles, sharks to tigers, there’s an animal for everyone to collect, whether it’s a gift for an animal lover, or for a fan of BBC’s beautiful programmes Planet Earth and Blue Planet.

Call: 01268 567317 Visit: poshpawsinternational.co.uk 26 gifts today

Spotlight on: The Happy News Celebrating all that’s good in the world, The Happy News is a licensing success story. Gifts Today caught up with founder Emily Coxhead to learn more…

How did you come to create the Happy News?

I graduated in 2014, did a lot of freelance work and in January 2015 I thought there should be a platform to share only positive news. So in the summer I decided I was going to try and make it a thing. I ended up setting up a Kickstarter campaign which is a crowd-funded campaign and 73 wonderful people backed the project and allowed me to produce and print the first ever issue of the newspaper. During this time, I was also working on expanding my greeting cards which I’d been selling on Etsy at university as well as my happy little products to make people smile.

Any new collabs in the pipeline?

Crème D’Or, H & A and Penny Kennedy are the latest that will be launching soon!

How did your licensing collabs come about?

I was put in contact with Pigment, who really liked my cards and way with words/illustration and wanted to help me get them off the ground and into more shops. Through Pigment I was introduced to DRi Licensing who similarly were the perfect fit and have opened up so many doors for me and The Happy News brand in the world of Licensing (Blueprint, Widdop, Portico, Crème D’Or, H & A and Penny Kennedy so far!)

Why do you think these collabs work so well?

I think a big part of it is because we’ve only worked with people who ‘get it’ and I feel like I’ve been very lucky to work with and be surrounded by so many wonderful people who are super passionate about The Happy News. They have worked with me to turn ideas and scribbles into actual stuff all with the aim to sprinkle a bit of happy. My aim with every single card and product is that it will bring just a little bit of happy to the person receiving or giving it (or buying it for themselves!).

gifts today 27

Julie Dodsworth

Rocking horses & roses Artisan designer Julie Dodsworth has collaborated with companies as varied as Barbour, Briers and The Mat Company with her designs. When it comes to licensing and finding the right company to work with, she says it’s all about perseverance

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Julie Dodsworth is a British artisan whose lifelong business in her plant and display company gave birth to her homeware business in more recent years.

Gifts Today has invited Julie to share with us her inspirations, the great ideas of others she meets along the way and what she feels has been amazing advice in business.

28 gifts today

hen Gifts Today editor Sally and I talked about the licensing collaborations I’ve made in our homeware business, I was reminded of a little story…

In our homeware world it’s my daily work to manage and source new collaborations, British manufacturers and possible licensees for our design collections.

Like so many artisans, we are are busy all of the time simply running the business. Painting and creating new designs can only happen when I’m on a break at our beloved narrowboat Calamity Jane. I settle down on the canal bank and decorate a chair, a watering can or such like. The colours and motifs are painted to the form or shape of the furniture. If I’m happy with my day’s work, I create the same artwork onto flat card and the deed is done.

You can picture the scene and often passers by stop to chat and share canal-side news. One lovely day last summer a gentleman came by and stopped to ask about my morning’s work. He remarked ‘You could sell those!’ I smiled politely and explained the further progress I’d made in my homeware adventures beyond the rocking horse I was painting that morning. Sadly he was aghast! ‘ But my wife can paint roses and they’re better than yours,’ he protested. All fluffed up he disappeared and came back later that day with said ‘better painted’ roses.

I agreed they were lovely but wasn’t sure how I could help his feelings of injustice.

As he, his dog and artwork disappeared down the towpath, I thought to myself that the homemade burgers Simon loves me to make and cook on the coal stove are a million times better than

a famous brand under the Golden Arches - BUT that doesn’t make my burgers more successful!

The canalside walker couldn’t see the hours I’ve put into presentations for prospective licence meetings, the research, the miles and miles of driving up and down the country, and all with no guarantee of a result.

“

When we find our perfect collaboration - and they find the same in you, a little bit of homeware magic really does happen

”

Indeed the journey my roses have taken from paintbrush to high street has been a mountain range to cross – and some days I came so, so close to just giving up.

Somehow, though, I kept going until I got my break. Indeed the best advice I believe I was ever given was: ‘Julie, you only ever need three attributes to succeed in business: perseverance, perseverance and perseverance!’

And so fellow artisans I implore you to embrace what is difficult about your business journey. I think of that business mountain range I crossed with more lofty peaks ahead of me. It’s not for the faint hearted but it is what we overcome that makes our business so special to each and every one of us. And when we find our perfect collaboration and they find the same in you - a little bit of homeware magic really does happen.

Drink in style.

Great gifts

Personalised Memento Company Personalised Country Diary Gifts

The Personalised Memento Company’s licensed Country Diary range has been expanded with the introduction of a new Botanics collection. Featuring an array of bright colours, this new design mixes traditional, natural artwork from the Country Diary licence, with a fresh and modern twist. The range is available on a selection of PMC’s favourite gifts for her and for the home, including candles, notebooks, mugs, decorations and even their new reed diffuser.

Personalised licensed gifts are a great way to get started with personalisation.

Whether you’re an independent store, or a large high street retailer, PMC can cater to your needs. Visit their trade website to register for your account today.

Personalised Rachael Hale Children’s Gifts The Personalised Memento Company’s latest licensed Rachael Hale gifts are proving to be a popular choice for a range of gifting occasions. Brand new for spring/summer 2019 are a selection of new designs, including an adorable dalmatian and a psychedelic, cosmic cat. These new designs are available on a selection of best-selling back to school gifts, making them perfect for the new school term.

As with all of PMC’s personalised gifts, these on-trend, licensed Rachael Hale designs are available on a rapid lead-time and can be drop-shipped straight to your customer. This removes the need to hold stock and frees up time for you.

Simply get in touch with PMC to learn more.

Email: sales@personalisedmemento.co.uk Visit: personalisedmemento.co.uk

New reusable Bamboo Travel Mugs now available from Museums & Galleries To see NEW our full 2019 collection contact your localnow. agent, Our catalogue is available view online or call our sales team for more information.

See the full collection at Spring Fair:

STAND N16–P17, Hall 3 E: sales@mgml.co.uk

museumsgalleries.co.uk

Tel: 01373 462165

sales@mgml.co.uk Tel: 01373 462165 www.museumsgalleries.co.uk Home of the finest arts brands gifts today 29

Trade talk Leading figures talk licensed gifts, the appeal of garden centres and the mood of the gift industry

Gifts Today loves to hear your views.

Anthony David Commercial director, Something Different

Charlotte Gillan MD, Classic Canes What’s the mood of the gift industry?

Many of our stockists reported Christmas to be quiet, or just ok, but they seem to be stoical about both this and the possible effects of Brexit. ‘Business as Usual’ seems to be the surface motto, although I do suspect that many businesses are paddling very hard below the water.

What do you think will be the top trends in gifts this year?

What’s your personal take on garden centres?

By combining everything under one roof, they are an ideal destination for people who need to shop for garden items, have a leisurely browse and enjoy a coffee or light lunch.

Garden centres can also offer services such as gardening masterclasses, flower arranging or gardening for kids which certainly helps to maintain footfall throughout the year.

At Something Different we offer several ranges that would be a great accompaniment to any garden centre including Gardener’s Retreat, Daisy Picking, The Green Man, Botanical Mum and Zen Den. We also supply over 150 different windchime and suncatcher designs that have all been ethically sourced.

Practical things consumers can be sure the recipient will find useful, so it doesn’t look as if they are wasting money.

How strong is the licensed gifts category?

We have been pleased with our range of National Gallery licenced walking sticks. They have strong retail channels of their own to boost the sales, as of course the licensor is the obvious route to market for many licenced items.

Price’s Candles

What’s your take on garden centres?

What’s the mood of the gift industry?

They are great at selling walking sticks. The proportion of female customers is generally high and, as the majority of walking sticks sold are ladies’ models, canes are a very good fit for them.

Special plans for 2019?

We’re hoping to obtain planning permission for a new warehouse and office block, much needed as the current warehouse is bursting at the seams.

Once Brexit is out of the way, we will be developing new models of walking stick in patterns and designs exclusive to Classic Canes.

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Lisa Fuller, UK sales manager

The gift industry is exuding positivity at the moment. There was a lot of energy around Spring Fair, with an abundance of buyers showing an interest in gifts.

What do you think will be the top trends in gifts this year?

Candles are always a mainstay of the gift industry, so they will be up there in the top trends. Diffusers are also a great addition to the home, especially in summer months, to keep the home smelling clean and fresh.

What’s your take on garden centres?

Price’s Candles has a product that fits into every garden centre, and we can scale from offering complete merchandising solutions down to the individual products.

Perry Simmons

Cara Beech

Director, Stoneglow

New product manager, PMC

What do you think will be the top trends in gifts this year?

What’s the mood of the gift industry?

Home décor gifting has risen in the past few years. A combination of decorative vessels that complement the home, and high fragrance are a must.

What’s your take on garden centres?

Garden Centres offer a therapeutic, stress-relieving green environment.

Special plans for 2019?

We are relocating to larger premises in late 2019/early 2020, so there’ll be lots of planning for team Stoneglow!

Simon Pykett

We find that consumers are looking for gifts that offer longevity. There has been a move away from disposable giftware in recent years, as the public is becoming more cost-aware when choosing a gift.

This makes it important to stand out from the crowd and offer something that shows thought has gone into selecting a gift.

What will be the top trends in gifts this year?

We expect to see the growth of personalised jewellery and watches continue to increase over the course of this year.

How strong is the licensed gifts category?

At the moment, we really feel it’s performing well. Me to You and Rachael Hale are two of our central licensed ranges and the key to their success is their versatility – they’re suited to a variety of occasions, making them all the more appealing to retailers.

Special plans for 2019?

We’re celebrating our 15th birthday this year, which is a huge milestone for us. We are launching our brand new trade website, and saying a fond farewell to our old site, which has served us well for many years!

MD, Filia Agencies (Eightmood Sweden) What’s the mood of the gift industry?

Whilst concerns over Brexit are high, business and business owners are still resolute and the strong trend for all things Nordic continues unabated.

What do you think will be the top trends in gifts this year?

Scented candles and related gifts remain strong in the market.

Another strong category is textiles and in particular, throws.

Throws make great gifts and are within most budgets.

How strong is the licensed gifts category?

We all like to receive gifts and a branded gift shows that thought and care has gone into the purchase. Online, we are more likely to search for a brand than we are for a basic product. The lack of good brands instore and/or online inhibit growth.

Special plans for 2019?

2019 is about growth - not only sales but also brand awareness.

Eightmood are looking to recruit commercial agents to cover all areas with the task of opening an Eightmood stockist in every town and city.

Sally Fielding Sales director, Posh Paws International What’s the mood of the gift industry?

Spring Fair once again showed the amazing talent we have in our industry for designing and developing exceptional products and collections for the retailers’ range in store. I would love to say ‘everything is rosy’ within the sector, but we can’t deny things are tough. However we must continue to believe in our great industry and the products we offer.

What do you think will be the top trends in gifts this year?

Design-led licensed products will be one of the biggest trends in 2019.

Focusing on licensed gifts gives the retailer confidence as they are ranging collections consumers recognise and trust.

What’s your personal take on garden centres?

As destination shopping stores, garden centres have mass appeal so on-trend ranges like Love Hearts are perfect as there really is something for everyone.

Special plans for 2019?

The first half of 2019 is looking very exciting with Love Hearts and BBC Earth, and we cannot wait to start re-engaging with the large NICI fan base, both retailers and consumers

gifts today 31

Social Media - Ross Hewitt

Time for a spring clean!

Tidiness should always also be shown some consideration in the digital world, especially where websites are involved

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Ross Hewitt, Managing Director of Secret Pie and author of ‘Savvy Social Media’. Ross began his digital marketing career in 1998 when social networking was something you only did in a pub. He set up Secret Pie in 2010 and has been helping clients get found and loved online ever since. www.secretpie.co.uk | Ross@secretpie.co.uk | 01904 410027 | Twitter: @Secret_Pie

32 gifts today

anaging a website and keeping everything up to date seems like a straightforward task but some of you are running websites that are quite mahoosive. It’s a full time job keeping everything in order, and it is easy to lose track of every single paragraph, price and image. But you need to throw some time at it, especially if you are spending money driving traffic to the site, so a good spring clean is highly recommended.

Block out an afternoon of your time, open the gin if needs be, and start browsing and clicking across your own website. Move around the pages as if you were a first time visitor and try and put yourself in the shoes of your audience or desired type of customer…after half an hour you will know why I suggested gin.

Create a spreadsheet and paste the URL of any pages that need attention and write a note about what needs sorting out. To give you an idea of what to look for (and what you will find) here are a few things that get people bouncing off your website very quickly and heading elsewhere: • Missing Images – ‘Awaiting image’ or ‘Image to be supplied’ in place of a proper photo of a product is just wrong, and a bit lazy. If you have the product in stock and you have an iPhone then you have all the required ingredients to take a photo that you can put on your website.

At least until the official snaps arrive! Sort these bad boys out as a priority.

• Out of Stock – Something not being available is okay if you can let a visitor see when it will be back. Something just being out of stock with no other information makes people grumpy. If it is gone for good then take it off your site or make it clear on the page (but show them a suitable alternative product).

“

Move around the pages as if you were a first time visitor and try and put yourself in the shoes of your audience or desired type of customer

”

• The Basics – Can a visitor find a phone number easily and can they find your address? Is it a simple exercise to find out your opening hours and days, and how straightforward is it to find a way to send you a message?

• Broken Links and Forms – If you do use a webform on your contact page then test it weekly. Things break down on webservers and there is a lot of code and software running behind webforms. It is very irksome for someone to type a long

message into a contact form only to have it fail when they click send.

Likewise, clicking on links that don’t work is equally frustrating.

Find them and fix them. If your website links off to other external websites then make sure they still exist and that the expected content is still there.

• Browser Testing – If you have only ever looked at your website in your usual Microsoft browser then you might be in for a testing time, literally. Visit in Chrome, Firefox and on your mobile or tablet. All browsers interpret code differently, and what looks good in Microsoft Edge might look awful in Google Chrome. Times have also changed. Five years ago, web traffic was pretty much still owned

by Microsoft browsers. Now it is different; don’t be surprised if upwards of 85% of your traffic comes to you via Safari and Chrome combined so make sure it looks right in these. Oh, and make sure it works on any type of mobile too; if you have an iPhone then try it on an Android device, and vice-versa.

There is plenty more to run at and list, such as typos, out of date content, badly cropped images, linking to blogs and social media accounts that you haven’t updated for three years, but you get the picture by now.

It will be a very beneficial use of your time, and it is time you should schedule in around three or four times a year. You won’t suddenly get the same amount of traffic that Mrs Hinch gets, but a wave of tidiness might just convert more of your online browsers into buyers.

Garden Gifts

How do your garden gifts grow?

Gifts for your green-fingered customers are blooming, with more ranges ges than den ever to choose from. What’s more, with the growing popularity of garden centres, there’s plenty gift retailers can learn from this exciting sector

H

ave you been to a garden centre recently?

It’s a fair bet that while there are plants, there are plenty of other reasons to visit, too. As well as bulbs and bedding plants, these days you’re also quite likely to find a cafe serving great coffee, plentiful parking and lots of lovely gifts. Perhaps their growing popularity is because we’re retreating to our gardens at the moment, too. As the Garden Trends Report 2019 from Wyevale states: ‘In the year that the high street, much like the weather, experienced some of its most unpredictable conditions, the nation sought refuge in the calming surrounds of the garden.’

‘Garden centres are often a whole day out nowadays’ ‘Garden centres are often a whole day out nowadays,’ says Charlotte Gillan, MD of Classic Canes. ‘In fact, some are definitely department stores with plants!’ Anthony David, commercial director at Something Different agrees: ‘Predictions for the future of retail all point toward creating a shopping experience, and garden centres are a great example of how this is already being done. More often than not, garden centres are located outside of city centres, giving them more space for extra facilities like cafes and extended retail areas which often branch into pet care, home décor and gifts.’

The crossover between gifts and garden was evident in February this year, with Glee at Spring Fair returning

for a second year. Bringing a variety of specialist garden and outdoor living exhibitors to the show, the concession took root in Hall 3 and exhibitors reported a good show. ‘We’ve seen a good spread of buyers from garden centres and interior designers,’ says Anders Jeppesen, sales manager, Bergs Potter.

Gifts, homeware and clothing are increasingly becoming big business in specialist garden retail.

These categories offer the retailers the opportunity to maximise year-round sales, from Mother’s Day to Christmas. They help garden centres become less weather dependent, meaning that while April showers may dampen traditional garden centre categories, they can actually boost non-traditional ones like gifts.

‘Gifts account for 12 per cent of our turnover, so it’s a very important department,’ says Dougal Philip from the award-winning New Hopetoun Garden Centre in Edinburgh. ‘They help weather-proof and seasonproof us and, together with the tea room, are essential stalwarts of the business.

‘When we started selling gifts 30 years ago, we had a rule they had to be gardeny/floral, but we have such a large offering now that this is only a secondary consideration. Our primary decider is William Morrisinspired: only have things in your home that are useful or beautiful.

‘Sales are strong with useful goods that you can never have too many of…handbags, greetings cards, candles and fragrance products and Intelex long hot water bottles. If any areas perform badly, they are quickly replaced with a different category. By the same rule, if we find a new category or range we’d like to try, we have to agree what is going to be delisted to make space.

‘Garden centres are a great place to shop because

of easy free parking in the country, a gentle pace that starts with the loos and tearoom and ideally the company of a friend who will egg you on to buy probably more than you planned to buy. We are the original experiential shopping destinations and we should be able to inspire customers with gift ideas.’

So, whether you’re a garden centre buyer looking for the latest floral candle or an indie retailer looking to tempt your green-fingered customers with a treat, there’s plenty to discover in this growing category.

Did you know?

It’s National Children’s Gardening Week, 25 May – 2 June. Time to stock up!

gifts today 33

Garden gifts

What a gift!

Lesser & Pavey A new take on nostalgia For men with a passion for design, Lesser & Pavey are delighted to launch an original range of men’s gifts targeted towards todays modern man, whether he’s a dab hand at DIY or more style conscious.

It is notoriously harder to buy a gift for a man than a woman, so this new range provides perfect gift items to meet men with style.

Distinctive royal blue forms the base colouring of this tasteful range with classic gold lettering of the Gent’s Society logo bold and distinctive.

The range received a firm thumbs up from buyers when previewed at the recent NEC trade fair. A perfect mix of classic

designs that offer great quality gift products such as glasses case, large notebook, whisky, gin and beer glasses, shoe care kit, to keep mug and hip flask, as well as consumer affordability. Complementary ranges specifically for Father’s Day and birthdays include quality fine china mugs and beer tankards.

Sweet Smell of Fragrance Lesser and Pavey are delighted to launch new additions to their attractive diffusers and candle ranges.

With bright, colourful tropical designer gift boxes, packaging and labels, these four tropical fragrances encompassing Tropical Citrus and Sage, Wild Fig and Cassis Noir, Tangerine and Vanilla, and Lotus Blossom.

These new fragrances are available as small glass jar candle, medium glass jar candle, tin candles, diffusers and diffuser and votive candle gift sets.

Call: 01322 279225 Email: sales@leonardo.co.uk Visit: leonardo.co.uk

Great for gardeners Something Different At Something Different they supply a huge choice of gifts and accessories that gardeners will adore and cherish. From their extensive selection of over 100 ethically sourced wind chimes, many of which are exclusive to them, to their stylish Zen Den range which offers hardy Buddha garden ornaments and contemporary plant pots.

Their exclusive Gardener’s Retreat collection offers practical gardening gifts such as slate and stone markers for vegetable patches, enamel mugs, mini hanging signs and their new and exclusive British bird and butterfly suncatchers and wind chimes. Also not forgetting their much-loved terracotta pot man.

Gardeners are also sure to have a keen appreciation for the Daisy Picking range that includes pretty daisy and bee illustrations created by the in-house design team.

The collection includes a wide choice of items such as mugs, wind chimes, glasses cases, mirrors, signs, makeup pouches and gift card and necklace sets.

Call: 01792 793610 Visit: somethingdifferentwholesale.co.uk

34 gifts today

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Garden gifts

Super sticks Classic Canes Walking stick specialists Classic Canes count a great many garden centres among their stockists and so always produce products with appeal for gardeners.

Managing Director Charlotte Gillan explains: ‘An important part of our end customer base is people who visit garden centres and who like floral prints on their accessories. We stock around 70 different floral patterns on our walking sticks and folding canes, including a new British Wildflowers range of poppy, cornflower and daisy print canes which is selling very well. They are very popular as presents and make a fashionable yet practical accessory.’

Call: 01460 75686 Email: info@classiccanes.co.uk Visit: classiccanes.co.uk

Great for gardeners Personalised Memento Company Personalised Fork and Trowel Sets The Personalised Memento Company’s popular fork and trowel set has proven to be hugely popular year on year. Both the fork and trowel can be personalised with a different message, making this set a stylish choice for any green-thumbed recipient. The set is particularly popular around Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and is well suited to mums, dads and grandparents too.

PMC’s range of personalised gardening and outdoor gifts grows every year.

With a personalised gift for every recipient and occasion, there’s never been a better time to add personalised gifts to your product range. Visit PMC’s website to register for your trade account today.

Personalised Acrylic House Signs Ensure your house stands out from the neighbours’ with a personalised acrylic house sign from the Personalised Memento Company. With a variety of traditional and modern designs available, each sign is personalised to order by PMC. What’s more, every sign comes with a handy guide and kit to help attach the sign, either outdoors or indoors.

These house signs have proven to be some of PMC’s most popular outdoor gifts, year on year. They are an affordable and stylish gift for any housewarming event, wedding, anniversary or simply as a unique and thoughtful surprise. Visit PMC’s trade website to view the full range of house signs.

Email: sales@personalisedmemento.co.uk Visit: personalisedmemento.co.uk

Drinks on the go Museums & Galleries Museums & Galleries Ltd premieres a brand new product for spring 2019: bamboo travel mugs. These high-quality bamboo composite travel mugs combine printed bases and sippable solid lids with a thermal grip (delivered inside).

The launch collection features 12 brilliantly reproduced designs from a roster of the greatest museums and notable artists: the V&A, Natural History Museum, British Library, The Lowry, Cressida Bell, Katsushika Hokusai, and Robert Gillmor. Making a stylish and eco-conscious gift, these have a suggested retail price of £10.99.

Call: 01373 461456 Email: sales@mgml.co.uk Visit: museumsgalleries.co.uk 36 gifts today

celebrating 35 years of British design and excellence with our free stand offer usual price £595

T H E P E R F E C T WAY TO D I S P L AY OUR HANDMADE RAINBOWM A K E R S, A L L B E AU T I F U L LY EMBELLISHED WITH SWAROVSKI® CRYSTALS The slowly rotating, and brilliantly lit display holds 132 items, every one a proven best seller. All products are designed by Wild Things Gifts here in the UK Only 76cm wide and 60cm deep.

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‘I have known Wild Things beautiful products for several years. They are magical timeless gifts suitable for any age. The products are well lit and displayed and catch our customers’ eyes.’

Tania Simpson – General Manager, Johnsons Garden Centre, Boston

sales@wildthingsgifts.com t. 01392 211268 www.wildthingsgifts.com

Retail Interview - John Lewis

‘Buying is a mix of science and art’ After three decades with the UK department store retailer John Lewis, Anna Berry, partner and head of buying for Gifts and Cook & Dine at John Lewis & Partners, continues to inspire the industry by approaching buying as a mix of science and art

W

ho doesn’t love a beautiful, immaculate department store filled with exciting things to see and do? Lights showcasing shiny new products, guest chefs cooking up a storm and filling the air with delectable scents, demonstrations luring shoppers in, music playing and customers smiling as they explore.

38 gifts today

J

ohn Lewis & Partners is that kind of place, and the fact that Anna Berry has been with the same company for three decades is testimony to what an inspiring workplace John Lewis really is. It also means that the powersthat-be at this iconic company love what Anna does to inspire her loyal customers, while attracting and embracing new ones to the fold.

During those 30 years, Anna has had the fortune to never be in the same

role for more than three years, and so her approach to retail has continually evolved in tune with the highly innovative company itself.

In 1864, John Lewis opened its doors, and a century later the philosophy remains the same as it always was: to deliver amazing value, assortment, service and honesty to its customers.

‘We sum up the core of our philosophy as ‘a better way of doing business,’ Anna explains.

Over the past few decades, Anna has developed, applied, adapted and stretched her skills in many different, inspiring ways.

‘This has kept me in the business,’ she says. ‘I love the John Lewis way of doing business. It’s a worker’s cooperative with all of us sharing in the profit. I love that we get to reinvent our products and our propositions every year, and I personally love mentoring and managing my team of buyers - it’s a driving force of inspiration.

‘And when I work on a plan with my team to revolutionise a category, hearing them talk about product with such passion makes my heart beat that bit faster.’

Today, there are 50 John Lewis shops throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Anna has worked across stationery, men’s accessories, sporting equipment, and gifts, in addition to technology-based projects and in commercial management, which included supplier negotiation.

‘These varied roles have taught me different skills and made me realise that strategic buying is what I truly love, and

what keeps it all exciting,’ Anna says.

Following stints as the jewellery buyer and then the premium beauty buyer, she moved into Home as head of buying, Cook and Dine in June 2015. In May 2018, Gifting (including Christmas) was added to her remit.

Anna has loved every new challenge and, alongside John Lewis, has adapted to the times, always ensuring that the service and products offered remain relevant and that customers are continually engaged with the brand.

‘This is a most challenging time in retail, and agility and pace are key,’ she says. ‘The market has been transformed by the pure players which did not exist when I first came into buying. John Lewis has had to transform its ability to move quickly but the principles of buying remain the same – source brilliant product at the right price in the right quantity at the right time. Know your customers and always be on the lookout for the next big thing.’

John Lewis, being so ingrained in English society, has an incredibly loyal following.

‘The John Lewis own-brand John Lewis & Partners, that was launched in September this year is a powerful branding tool, as there are very few full-line department store ownbrands left. This brings to the fore the thing which makes us different -our Partners,’ says Anna.

Anna acknowledges that John Lewis is not the cheapest store in the market, but rather, it offers the best value for quality, and focuses on differentiating itself from other department stores.

‘This is a most challenging time in retail, and agility and pace are key.

The market has been transformed by the pure players which did not exist when I first came into buying. John Lewis has had to transform its ability to move quickly but the principles of buying remain the same – source brilliant product at the right price in the right quantity at the right time. Know your customers and always be on the lookout for the next big thing’ Anna Berry, head of buying for Cook & Dine and Gifts, John Lewis & Partners ‘In an omni-channel world we have to differentiate on service in our shops. We are also making those shops more experiential and providing services such as personal styling and eventing,’ explains Anna. ‘This is very hard to replicate online. And again, it’s the partner who services you that is key.’

As is the case with any business, new technology and the rate at which technological advances are happening has had a major impact on John Lewis, and two of the most obvious ramifications that Anna has noticed recently are visibility on prices and the pace of delivery.

‘Social media is important for us - we are increasingly using it to our benefit as a marketing tool to attract new and younger customers to our business.

The shift to online is key for us but we use it to drive people into shops with eventing and blogging.’

Anna loves the fact that John Lewis is constantly ‘launching newness.’ For example, the store has recently increased eventing, such as tasting and cookery lessons, celebrity

chef appearances and workshops, and in-store gin and Prosecco bars.

Anna’s categories, in particular, are ripe for showcasing the company’s many innovations and clever eventing.

‘Christmas 2018 in our Oxford Street shop was amazing!’ says Anna. ‘We had incredible tree forests, gin bars, collaborations with confectionery companies, all of which led to endless Instagram opportunities!’

As a mentor to many of her staff, and someone who truly inspires others in retail, Anna advises others who want to succeed in retail to always be open to new challenges.

‘Trust your instincts and focus on the things that you love and are great at – we often spend too much time on the things we want to improve,’ she advises.

‘Look around you for influences. Read widely, do your research - online makes this easy. Build strong relationships with others, as true collaboration always leads to better results.

‘Remember it is in both your suppliers’ interests and your interests to build your business together — if it

is a bad deal for them, eventually it is a bad deal for you. Focus on the big wins and gather a great team around you.

Know your customer and know your market.’

After three decades in the business, Anna has learned that sometimes, you need to trust your instincts and then manage the risk.

‘Sometimes you get it wrong - the product may be right, but the price may be wrong, the timing may be out,’ she says. ‘But if you are open and honest with your suppliers and can manage the risk together, you will overcome obstacles and succeed.

Buying is, and always will be, a mix of science and art.

‘And that’s not only exciting, it’s inspiring for us and for our customers when they see the things we can achieve.’

Innovation, design, trends + inspiration from the International Housewares Association (IHA) and the International Home + Housewares Show housewares.org gifts today 39

Garden gifts

The perfect recipe We caught up with Sarah Garforth from faux flower company The Recipe, to learn about the company’s blooming collaboration with Hill Interiors When childhood friends Julian Potter, MD Hill Interiors, and home stylist Sarah Garforth met again, the Recipe brand was born.

Sarah, what’s your career journey?

‘We’ve been trading as The Recipe a little over a year, and I don’t think any of us expected the success we’ve had’

I’d been living in Canada and then France where I worked in property styling and development for 12 years. On returning to the UK, I fancied a change and decided to retrain as a florist and set up my own wedding and events business in 2013. A couple of years later I ran into Julian and we got talking about a collaboration.

Why is it called The Recipe?

It was Julian’s idea. I’d been chatting to him about how we use a recipe to work out large flower arrangements and installations and said you can apply it to any sort of flower styling. It’s basically a list of ingredients required for a flower arrangement or bouquet. On a romantic level it evokes well-worn notebooks with handwritten scripts of floral formulas tried and tested over the years, but on a practical level it’s essential for making sure you’ve ordered the correct number of stems etc. The method is how you put it all together. It seemed like a totally fitting name for a flower brand.

What makes your faux flowers different?

Fauxs have been around for time immemorial. They were absolutely massive during the 17th & 18th centuries in Europe. Factors like the war, austerity, the rise and ease of plastic production left us with the fauxs that our generation remember – cheap tacky potted plants, garish colours and lots of plastic petals.

But you can’t keep a great thing down and in the 1990s we saw them on the rise again. Social media has played a massive rise in the sharp jump in quality, there literally is no place to hide if you’re a rubbish faux.

If it’s not something I’d be happy to have either in my own home, or to put in a bride’s bouquet then it doesn’t cut the mustard. I try and stay on top of trends and listen to what customers want and consider this when ordering upcoming flowers. Most of our current suppliers are in the Far East.

What’s the end-use idea behind them?

We sell an enormous amount to event florists as they are fantastic for doing large installations that need to last several days. Similarly we sell a huge amount to interiors companies, shops, designers and chains who sell them on as interior accessories or use them in their styling and merchandising. Likewise we have a good solid base of garden centres, and amongst these some of our most successful signature suppliers. We also sell to smaller retail boutiques, wedding florists and gift shops. We supply many weddings and the quality is absolutely perfect for a bridal bouquet.

How have they been received so far?

We’ve been trading as The Recipe a little over a year, and I don’t think any of us expected the success we’ve had. The shows have demonstrated that they are our largest growth area, but the monthly sales figures support this.

Does a retailer need flower-arranging skills to best display them?

I know that not everyone has the time, know how or wish to faff about with making beautiful arrangements so we offer as much practical support as we possibly can. I think this is one of the things that has set our brand apart from our competitors.

As a trained florist I spend a lot of time working with customers to help them get the most out of their fauxs. We also promote our monthly recipe that has detailed steps for arranging the blooms. We provide a full merchandising service for all our signature suppliers and work closely with them to make sure they have all our most recent and up to date stock.

Call: 01845 567044 Visit: hill-interiors.com 40 gifts today

Garden gifts

Green fingers Shruti, Half Moon Bay

Collaborating with the Royal Horticultural Society, Shruti’s brand new Irises and Hellebores collection is set to bring a touch of floral elegance to spring.

The beautiful designs have been sourced from the RHS Lindley Library, the world’s finest collection of botanical art, for Shruti’s exclusive use.

Trend-led inspirations give the collection a soft, oriental feel with rich navy backgrounds interspersed with pops of coral and mint, with beautiful gold foil detailing. Formats include Shruti favourites such as scarves, bags, cosmetic bags and a glasses case, as well as some new formats for the division, including an umbrella, stainless steel water bottle and a gorgeous range of stationery items. The RHS Irises and Hellebores collection is set to become the epitome of floral sophistication and is a key range for garden centre selections this spring and summer, though the striking colour palette will carry this stunning range well into the autumn season too.

Shruti Design Manager Matt Green commented: ‘We’ve been lucky enough to have access to original botanical drawings taken from the archives at the RHS Lindley Library, some of which have been taken from publications dating back to the 1600s. It’s been inspiring to look through them and bring these drawings back to life through many of Shruti’s best-selling product formats.’

The collection is available to order now and will be in stock from March.

Shruti’s new Planet Cat range is a bright and colourful collection of gift items that fit perfectly into the summertime escapism trend, and will be adored by cat lovers everywhere. Featuring unique illustrations created by Angie Rozelaar, Plant Cat is the perfect combination of cute cats, colourful botanical designs and feline-inspired quotes from famous cat lovers. With key formats such as wash bags, mugs, water bottles, stationery, textiles and home accessories, Planet Cat is a unique addition to garden centre gifting this season.

Call: 01225 473873 Email: sales@halfmoonbay.co.uk Visit: halfmoonbay.co.uk

The stylish home

Culinary Concepts

Culinary Concepts are celebrating their 20th Anniversary this year. Toda y the brand is synonymous with quality, innovation and the element of surp rise.

Now’s the perfect time to refresh the shelves with beautiful accessories for spring 2019. There are hundreds of new on-trend Culinary Concept s’ pieces that sit beautifully alongsid e their existing well thought out collections.

Fresh flowers around the home are a must for the spring months and Culinary Concept’s collection of cont emporary silver vases come in a rang e of heights and stylish finishes, all with an ornamental air to them, meaning they look great even when not in use.

Brand new for 2019, their avian them ed wine coolers are set to be a huge hit. From Eastern-inspired cranes to elegant swans, the bird shaped coolers are as beautiful as they are unique and offer an imaginative way to serve wine and Champagne.

When it comes to barware, latest additions include their Lion Collection with its stunning lion head motif. Or add a hint of kitsch with their Pineapple Collection, a fresh take on the retro pineapple ice buckets of the 50s - the polished silver and gold ice buckets, wine coolers and other bar accessories make a great addition to fashionable drinks trolleys.

Their bestselling Deep Sea and Octopus collections are a unique and imaginative way to decorate any space. Embellished with an array of quirky sea creatures, shells and coral, the silver finish barware, serveware and home accessories add statement style to any nautical themed décor.

Their Christmas collections have gone from strength to strength over the past two years and 2019 has seen their biggest launch to date. There’s a spectacular collection of hanging decorations, baubles, LED lights and festive accessories to choose from ready for the peak shopping time.

To see these ranges first hand, visit their Hampshire showroom until 17 May 2019. Head to Hook to view their brand new lighting, furniture and homeware lines, all styled to perfe ction in this atmospheric space and with knowledgeable trade team members to show you around.

Call: 01252 852 235 Visit: culinaryconceptsliving.com 42 gifts today

Are you looking for

agents... if so contact: Mark Horsnell 01442 289949 mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Please contact us for a trade catalogue. www.classiccanes.co.uk

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Garden gifts

Add a touch of glass Wild Things Colour in the garden It’s not just the flowers that will be brightening gardens this year.

The Art of Glass range by Wild Things offers a great way to add a splash of colour to the patio or conservatory.

Designed by those friendly folk at Wild Things in the heart of Devon, the collection is handmade and hand-painted exclusively for them. The beautiful saturated colours are embellished with 24-carat gold paint – individually boxed and incorporating a sparkling Swarovski crystal. These elegant gifts lines sell phenomenally well in garden centres, and there are a variety of ‘tree’ displays available to show them off.

The new four-layer tree has room for 132 items, while the deluxe version comes with a self-contained booth with two 27-watt bulbs – see their advert for a photo.

It takes only 76cm of wall-space and represents a fantastic return on footfall. Wild Things are so confident in its success that they are offering it free subject to a surprisingly modest minimum spend. The tree is also available with a sturdy plinth with room for storage so that it can be quickly moved around the shop floor.

Smaller counter-top displays are also available.

Ready to take flight Wild Things have gone tropical with two new additions to their ever-popular Crystal Fantasies range. A flamingo and a toucan are now available to order and ready to fly off the shelves.

The flamingo will add a touch of the exotic to any window or patio. Alternatively, place it in its natural habitat near flowers to add a dash of sparkling colour.

The comical toucan with its long beak and a flared tail is another fun design and sure to delight gift buyers everywhere. The new models join other feathery friends in the collection including a robin, blue tit, swan, puffin, hummingbird and an owl.

Each suncatcher is handmade here in the UK and is embellished with crystals from Swarovski. The metal motif has a mirror finish and is suspended between a matching bead run and a crystal cascade finished with a brilliant clear crystal pendant for maximum rainbow making effects. There is a selection of display trees available to highlight the range. Get in touch with Wild Things to find out more.

Call: 01392 211268 Email: sales@wildthingsgifts.com Visit: wildthingsgifts.com 44 gifts fts today

Come to tea!

Emma Ball Ltd Artistic licence

For several years, Emma Ball has been known for her licences with other manufacturers. This has now changed and Emma has decided to do most of this herself through her own company, finding the licences she has with other artists increasingly important.

‘Honesty and Fairness’ is a key part of this, as well as working with artists and work that you truly love. Having a mix of Shelly Perkins, Caroline Cleave, Eric Heyman, Abigail Mill and now Susie Lacome on board has created a vast portfolio and choice for her customers. Shown here is the new Tweedie mug by Abigail Mill, who joined Emma in 2017, having been friends for some 20 years!

Star & stripes!

The new mugs are arriving at Emma Ball. After 18 years of business, she has decided to take the plunge and, instead of licensing to another company, she would produce her own fabulous range of mugs.

Beautifully boxed and retailing at a very affordable £12.50 these are a real winner - the boxes are a gift on their own! With some 20 area/regional designs available and 16 general designs, there’s something for everyone. You can see Emma’s products at the Farm and Deli Show in April, stand L108. Alternatively get in touch for a catalogue.

Call: 0115 9858081 Email: sales@emmaball.co.uk Visit: emmaball.co.uk

Bubbling up Heaven Scent

Heaven Scent have always thought about their packaging options and have where possible use recycled materials. Choosing gift boxes that are easily biodegradable and are made of FSC recycled board, Heaven Scent wanted to persuade customers to have very minimal gift packaging to prevent excess wastage, that only ends up in a landfill site.

They use recycled glass for their candles and, of course, natural plant wax that is kind to the environment, cruelty free and suitable for vegans. Last year they took soap production in house and are working on creating a ‘hard shampoo bar’.

‘We would like to be plastic-free and do try and keep the use of plastic in our business to a minimum, by creating a shampoo bar this will help consumers have a plastic free option available to them,’ says Sarah Pettitt of Heaven Scent. ‘We do use plastic bottles for our body products, but it is recyclable material, which means it can be recycled in a council run recycled scheme. We are having a conversation with our packaging companies about introducing plastic alternatives for our products in the future.’

Call: 01225 868788 Email: contact@heavenscent.co.uk Visit: heavenscent.co.uk gifts today 45

Eightmood

In the mood for style

Eightmood is one of the largest growing Scandinavian interior design brands, making it the ideal partner for interior retailers of all sizes.

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urn to Eightmood and their shop-in-ashop retail concept to increase sales and fill your store with constant inspiration. It’s all about Scandinavian quality and design at attractive prices, and it’s all in elegant packaging.

Here’s what’s new at Eightmood.

Perfect prints Eightmood are known for the prints they create in their in-house design studio. For example, the bestselling print Fayette can be found on trays, napkins, candles and even more. The Zoya print is key to the rustic mood Eightmood focus on in every season. The Zoya cushion has hand-tufted threads which give the product a sustainble look.

Then there’s Secret Garden, their signature print which is integral to their modern romantic look.

There’s also Brandy Decoration, an imaginative floral design that works all round the home.

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Setting the style for SS19

Check out Eightmood’s new themes for the coming seasons…

La Vida Loca Think sultry, long and tropical summers with this collection, based around monstera green, dusty pink, water blue and poppy red. It’s inspired by hot, halcyon days with plenty of time for playful activities outdoors, and for long siestas under parasols. Vibrant, flagrant and lively, as well as and tranquil and relaxing.

New Balance Feminine yet strong. Think old-fashioned aesthetics with blushing spring blooms, clean shapes and delicately styled spaces. It’s inspired by English romance with vivid patterns, modern colour-blocking, exclusive upholstery and gilded surfaces – it’s a lush but light collection.

Bare Nordic Pared down, natural and simple. Think geometric shapes, graphic figures, squares, stripes and patterns inspired by nature.

Faraway This look is all about creating a hacienda-feeling with muted, earthy colours such as vetiver green and cacao, as well as a variety of carefully designed pieces and refined craftsmanship like wall decors and hanging textiles. Tune into a soothing desert atmosphere featuring cacti, healing aromas, sand and minerals.

Get in touch Email: simon.pykett@8mood.com Call: 07967 209156 Visit: eightmood.com

Paddington get plush Steiff

When Margarete Steiff created the world’s first soft toy in 1880, little did she realise the enormity of the gift that she was giving to children everywhere. In 1902, her nephew Richard designed the Steiff Company’s signature invention - the Teddy bear!

Steiff has always devoted itself to making the very best soft toys for children and treasuring innovation imagination and perfection.

As Margarete Steiff herself said: ‘For children, only the best is good enough.’ When given the opportunity to celebrate the marmaladeloving BAFTA nominated bear, Steiff grasped it with both hands.

Still renowned for creating unrivaled ‘life like’ animals, Steiff were thrilled to add this extra dimension of playful soft cuddly Paddington Bears that are sure to become friends for life. The company’s plush Paddington Bears embrace all the ingredients that made Steiff famous – ultra-high quality materials, intricate hand craftsmanship, and the famous ‘Button in Ear’ Paddington is of course machine washable and manufactured to the highest standard. Paddington is available in three sizes. Proud of their heritage yet forward-looking and venturesome, Steiff never stops chasing dreams.

After all, just what would childhood memories be like if there were no teddy bears? Unimaginable!

Call: 01483 266643 Email: leyla.maniera@steiff.com gifts today 47

BCTF show Preview

Get crafty The British Craft Trade Fair (BCTF) is the perfect event for retailers seeking exciting British-designed products with sound provenance and strong heritage values

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he British Craft Trade Fair (BCTF) will showcase the very best of British crafts across a huge variety of product categories, including: jewellery, glassware, metalwork, fine art, greetings cards, ceramics, fashion accessories and homewares.

BCTF is the perfect sourcing event for independent retailers and galleries seeking exciting British products that are guaranteed to be of sound provenance and with strong heritage values, manufactured using sustainable techniques.

Every exhibitor at the show is guaranteed to be designing and making their products in Great Britain or Ireland, creating their beautiful wares with local rather than mass markets in mind.

Now in its 45th year, BCTF will host hundreds of creative designer-makers in a fabulous state-of-the-art venue that benefits from plenty of free on-site parking and is easily accessible by road or rail. Trade prices for the unique handmade works on display start from just a few pounds and range up into the higher end for exclusive one-off pieces, meaning there is an excellent

breadth of choice and something for every retailer.

Show organiser, Margeret Bunn, says: ‘Research has shown that the consumer appetite for authentic British products is running at an all-time high, as people look to support more local, sustainable businesses and seek beautifully designed products which they know are of sound provenance.

This research is backed up by strong anecdotal feedback we are receiving from retailers visiting the show and followers on our social media sites.

If ever there was a time to support our heritage industries and designermakers, then this is it!

‘We are very excited about this year’s show and will once again hold the annual BCTF Awards on the Monday evening as well as welcoming some great speakers to our buyer and exhibitor seminars including Ian Retallick, the founder of Specialist Retailers, a training company aimed at transforming independent retailers into highly-sought after specialist retailers’.

On the right are just a few of the exhibitors that you can expect to see and order at this year’s BCTF:

Fact File

Stand: N52

British wildlife drawings are a speciality, capturing the character and spirit of our native species. These vibrant images are available on a range of products including greetings cards, giclee prints, kitchen textiles and homeware.

Katfish Designs Stand: N37

Katfish Designs is an explosion of colourful, quirky brooches, accessories and homeware inspired by nature and made of natural tweed. Her ‘tweedy’ birds, blooms and creatures are individually needle felted and machine embroidered giving each one its own unique charm.

Lumos Stand: N72

When: 7-9 April 2019 Where: Yorkshire Event Centre, Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, North Yorkshire Visit: bctf.co.uk

Eddie Kent Ceramics Stand: 15

Specialising in handmade unique geometric animal forms, a completely different take on animal structure that has a great and wide appeal. The firing technique gives each piece a unique finish that can range from bright colours with a crackle glaze effect to highly metallic lustred finishes.

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Jack-in-theGreen Gallery

A four-year mechanical engineering apprenticeship followed by redundancy as technology and programming overtook engineering skills, Frank Chapman is Lumos. He now uses his skills to build unique lamps from recycled material which are testament to traditional British engineering.

Alison Miles Pottery Stand: 58

Alison makes 3D boats and tealight houses that range from tiny (tealight) to XXL (electrical table lamps). The translucency of the porcelain really stands out when a light is placed inside.

Blenheim Candles Stand: N65

Fragrant candles, diffusers, room sprays, all made in their studios using 100% soy wax, 100% cotton wicks and the highest quality fragrance oils. Luxury eco products made in Britain.

New Products

In the frame Joe Davies

Glitter Butterfly Joe Davies have a new, glittery, pretty butterfly range that makes perfect gifts for any female relatives and friends. The range includes mini wooden butterfly hanging plaques, table plaques, hanging hearts and photo-frames.

They are all decorated in a charming spring/summer colour palette of white, pink, lilac and aqua and make a lovely selection of greatly priced gifts.

Butterflies always sell well and these especially do the trick with their beautiful matching glitter sparkle finish that catches the light.

They look great displayed together as a co-ordinated range or mixed with other pretty female gifts. Everything is available in their trademark ‘little and often’ quantities with minimum orders of just £100.

Scrabble Frames New from Joe Davies comes their lovely sentiment scrabble frames.

Joe Davies have jumped on the unique handcrafted look of the scrabble art trend early.

Each frame has a natural distressed wood finish, handmade wooden scrabble tiles reminiscent of the original old traditional wooden tiles from bygone years and a meaningful message to make a loved one smile.

These photo frames are the perfect way to showcase family photos or show that special someone how much you care. A perfect thoughtful gift to treasure for a lifetime. All available to buy in Joe Davies trademark little and often quantities, with free delivery nationwide.

Fresh for spring Museums & Galleries

The London Stationery Show has established itself quickly as a key show for design-led high-quality gift stationery, and Museums & Galleries Ltd will be showing their new Spring 2019 collections of stationery, including new premium blank sketch books, a stunning new collection of brand-licensed pencil sets, and (new to this show) branded wiro-bound reporter notepads (This range now comprises 21 designs – from BBC Earth, the V&A, Natural History Museum, and other major licences).

M&G’s collections of journals and notebooks, notelet boxes, bookmarks, gift wrap, bags and tissue have all had a refresh of stunning designs sourced from major museums and national archives, as well as designers Matthew Williamson, Cressida Bell and Dee Hardwicke.

London Stationery Show Stand M516 Call: 01373 461456 Email: sales@mgml.co.uk Visit: museumsgalleries.co.uk

Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk Call: 0161 975 6300 Visit: joedavies.co.uk

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New Products Sentimental gifts

Personalised Memento Company

Personalised Necklace and Sentiment Box Sets

By combining personalised jewellery with a touching sentiment, the Personalised Memento Company have made it even easier to find the perfect Mother’s Day gift. This set comes with their best-selling silver tone necklace and a delightful sentiment card. The card features a short verse for mums, combined with a charming botanical design.

Their necklace and sentiment box sets are available in a range of designs, suited to all major gifting occasions. For the past 15 years, PMC have been the UK’s leading supplier of personalised gifts to the trade, offering a gift for all occasions and recipients.

Personalised Watches for Her Give the gift of time with a personalised watch from the Personalised Memento Company. PMC have expanded their range of personalised watches for her, with the introduction of two new fashion-forward designs. These designs complement the existing range perfectly and offer even more options within PMC’s growing personalised jewellery and watch category.

All watches in the range are available for next day delivery, making them a popular choice for all occasions and recipients. What’s more, using PMC’s efficient drop-shipping model, selling personalised gifts has never been so easy!

Email: sales@personalisedmemento.co.uk Visit: personalisedmemento.co.uk

So stylish

Bailey & Brooke New Season Collections from Bailey and Brooke 2019 The Bailey and Brook Handbag Collection Bailey and Brooke have created a stunning collection of stylish and on trend handbags and wallets.

Expertly designed and manufactured, the Bailey and Brooke design team have travelled the world, visiting all the designer fashion shows to create these chic and functional handbags.

From casual to formal affairs, they have a handbag to suit your requirements. Their handbag collection is a perfect complement to any ensemble, the epitome of refined luxury

The Luminosity Jewellery Collection Introducing new addition to the Bailey and Brooke Jewellery Collection – Luminosity. Inspired by the colours of the World…desert sunsets in Morocco, the vibrant rich tones of Marrakesh to the fresh crystal blue coastline of the French Riveria. The vibrant Luminosity Collection has been designed to add a little sunshine whatever the season.

This new collection includes a vast array of bracelets, earrings, bangles and necklaces, each one featuring a myriad of colours and accents.

Email: bryn@alliedimports.com Visit: baileyandbrooke.co.uk

Just for mum

Something Different The newest arrivals at Something Different include their exclusive Botanical Mum range which features a contemporary botanical design across a variety of products including makeup pouches, mugs, beautiful terracotta vases and a wooden recipe card box.

The design incorporates fresh shades of green, blue and peach which are on trend for the coming spring season, as well as subtle metallic gold details for a special touch.

Call: 01792 940 288 sales@somethingdifferentwholesale.co.uk somethingdifferentwholesale.co.uk

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Retailers’ Panel

Gifts Today Retailers’ Panel Key gift retailers talk shows, new finds and licensed gifts Gillian Fisher Nest & Nestlings, Garstang, Lancashire Which shows have you visited this year so far?

The start of the buying year is always exciting, with lots of trade shows to visit. Spring Fair is humongous, busy and very, very tiring. I can spend all day in Hall 5 (children’s), as there are so many suppliers to get round. The one show that I have yet to visit is Top Drawer. Every year I put it in my calendar but fail to make it for one reason or another, and this year was for a very important occasion - our daughter’s wedding!

Any new products/ranges you’re interested in stocking?

This year we decided to expand our greetings card ranges, which meant making more changes to the shop layout, and we were lucky enough to find Toasted Crumpet Designs, which fit the bill for cards and gifts. On the whole we choose not to sell licensed gifts, as a large proportion of our store is for children. It’s very tempting to stock the latest craze but we prefer to leave that to the stand-alone toyshops and supermarkets, with the exception of Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty which surprised us with its success.

Karen Greig Destined for Home, Edinburgh Which shows have you visited this year so far?

We went to Top Drawer and SECC and they were both very successful shows.

Any new products/ranges you’re interested in stocking?

I’ve visited Spring Fair and Top Drawer.

I spotted some recycled aluminium bowls by UK Artist Meg Hawkins that are just lovely. I also met up with first time exhibitors, who create bespoke metal signs, ordered some Ruby Chocolate which is the newest chocolate in 82 years and Raw Honey that is just delicious and has so many amazing healing properties.

Any new products/ranges you’re interested in stocking?

What about licensed goods?

Tabi Marsh Papilio at Heritage, Bristol What shows have you visited this year?

Yes, and we’ve already brought in a couple! The Mino Speakers (a Gift of the Year winner) have proven really popular already, and we’ve had to reorder twice in the three weeks we’ve had them. I think it’s because these speakers are perfect for those ‘difficult to buy for’ teens and men.

We’ve also ordered some flat water bottles that are distributed by Stone Marketing. These are also selling well and I certainly love mine as I no longer have to choose between an umbrella or water bottle, because both now fit in my handbag! I’m also looking forward to our first delivery from Weaver Green. Not only are their products stunning but also the fact they are made from 100% recycled plastic bottles really adds to the story - perfect as our customers are becoming more aware of their plastic usage.

We don’t sell licensed goods at the moment but are considering it for this year’s Christmas, especially small bottles as they are a perfect wee add-on stocking filler. I’ve seen that Frida Kahlo is going to be huge which is funny because, for us, she’s always been big. In fact instead of Halloween window displays I like to do a ‘Day of the Dead’ display with Sugar Skulls and Frida imagery.

Skulls are popular for us all year round.

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PADDINGTON BEAR™ © Paddington and Company Ltd 2008 Paddington Bear™, Paddington™ and PB™ are trademarks of Paddington and Company LtdLicensed by ©opyrights Group.

Visit the Paddington Bear website at: www.paddingtonbear.co.uk

Call Steiff : 01483 266643 Email: leyla.maniera@steiff.com