3 minute read
Message from the Publisher
p 22
Message from the Publisher
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Welcome to the final issue of this year. I thought I would hijack this page of the November/December edition, as I would like to personally thank every one of our loyal clients for your support throughout 2022, which has been a challenging 12 months. To quote our dear departed Queen Elizabeth II, ‘it’s not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure… it has turned out to be an Annus Horribilis’.
After we struggled through the Covid lockdown period, with shops shut and trade shows cancelled, we came out the other side – only to be faced with a war in Ukraine, which has caused a doubling of raw material prices and escalating fuel costs, and adversely affected many companies’ profit margins. On the plus side, I’m glad to hear that freight costs are finally coming down, which will ease bottom lines for many.
In my 17 years working on Gifts Today, I have learned that you are a resilient bunch, who have proven that you can keep the wheels of the gifting industry running smoothly, even in the face of adversity.
The Great British spirit of entrepreneurship continues to shine bright, and those who think outside the box will come through smiling in 2023.
One such example is our Cover Star for this month: Museums & Galleries (M&G), which is constantly innovating its products to stay ahead of the game. Much of M&G’s growth has been driven by the imaginative and skilful reinvention of its stationery, social stationery and gift packaging ranges, and its successful diversification in recent years into gifts.
You can read all about its long-standing and successful licensing collaboration with the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (one of the world’s greatest museums of art and design) on page 8.
We’ve also had the pleasure of interviewing several forward-thinking retailers from across the gift spectrum, who highlight what can be achieved in these turbulent times. There’s Austins in Newton Abbot, billed as the largest department store in the south-west, which is approaching its centenary of trading; Red Card gift shop in the heart of the West Sussex town of Petworth, which is celebrating its 10th birthday; and relative newcomer The Hive – Gift Shop and Gallery in the Kent town of Westerham, which opened in April 2021 - “not great timing, considering the global pandemic,” as owner/manager Lisa Conway says, “but I wasn’t getting any younger, so I just went for it”. This passionate potterturned-proprietor has succeeded in turning a two-floor unit into a ‘home for all things handcrafted’. Turn to page 24 to read her inspiring story.
Plus, our columnists have shared some great business tips, from tuning into the specific needs of Christmas shoppers, playing to your strengths, ensuring you remain ‘essential’ to your customers’ hearts and minds, and preparing to set out your stall for the 12 months ahead.
Of course, while retailers are currently rushed off their feet selling festive fare, suppliers are busy preparing for the 2023 trade shows. So we’ve included a comprehensive guide to the key exhibitions in the UK and overseas to help you to plan ahead.
Finally, I would just like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a very happy festive break and a prosperous New Year.
