Gifts Today October 2023

Gifts Today Month: October 2023 Issue: 1 Volume: 35

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Gifts Today October 2023

Contents

p 14

Regulars 4 Message from the Editor 6 News 14 Retailers’ Panel: Two directors of family-owned gift chains - Lark London and MOOCH - introduce their businesses and discuss their current trading experiences

p 13

40 Trade Talk: A selection of leading gift suppliers share predictions for their festive best sellers

Columnists 8

Mark Naish, managing director of Gifts Today reports on the issues surrounding Autumn Fair’s Connect and the positive changes now being made

18 Claire Leigh, owner and director of Two Ducks in Woking

19 Jo Williams, owner and director of Joco Gifts in Nuneaton

24 Steve Powell, owner of Steve Powell Agencies

Gifts Today team

25 Anna Berry, director and co-founder of Retail100 Consulting

Advertisement Manager

47 Greg Rose, co-owner of Maybugs gift

Marian McNamara Marian@lemapublishing.co.uk

shop chain in East Sussex

Cover Story

Editor

Clare Turner Clare@lemapublishing.co.uk

16 The Wheat Bag Company has been established for 10 years and prides itself on being a household name in the majority of garden centre chains and independents, gift stores and farm shops

Layout/Design

Rick Vickers rick@lemapublishing.co.uk

p 18

Managing Director

Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Fair Focus 10 Harrogate Christmas & Gift Preview

Production Director

Retail Focus

Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

48 Box Of Delights in Flitwick, Bedfordshire 50 Bazaar in Barnstaple, Devon

Product Focus Lema Publishing Ltd

1 Churchgates, The Wilderness, Berkhamsted, Herts, HP4 2UB Telephone: 01442 289930

p 20

www.giftstoday.media

p 48

Contents Oct.indd 1

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12 15 20 26 42 44 46

New Products Giftable Stationery Fragranced Gifts Christmas Gifts & Decorations In Style At Home Valentine’s Day Gifts

Supplier Focus 23 Ashleigh & Burwood 30 Rex London 32 Enesco 34 Namaste 36 Stars for Europe 38 Something Different Wholesale 43 Museums & Galleries 45 Makasi Imports

30/10/2023 14:19

p 16

p 25

p 30

Message from the Editor www.giftstoday.media LinkedIn: @giftstoday Twitter: @giftstodaymag Instagram: @giftstodaymedia

W

e’re in the midst of autumn and with the weather slowly changing and the nights drawing in, readers are turning their attention to the gift industry’s busiest season.

Retail’s ‘golden quarter’ brings an abundance of ‘golden opportunities’, from Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night to Diwali, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and, of course, Christmas.

In this issue, our columnist Anna Berry, director and co-founder of Retail100 Consulting, explores these key occasions and points out that while gifting is one area of retail that is more recession-proof than other sectors, key price pointing and value for money will be more important than ever this year.

Her view is supported by new findings from eBay Ads UK, which reveal that Brits are seeking value for money above all in their Christmas shopping experience this year, with thoughtful gifting emerging as a particular trend amid ongoing costof-living pressures.

Its annual Peak Season Spend Trends report, which surveyed more than 2,000 adults in the UK who celebrate Christmas, found that over half (51%) said good value for money is their top priority when shopping for gifts this festive season.

Consequently, the scale of this year’s festivities is set to take a hit, as nearly half (48%) say they plan to have modest celebrations due to cost-of-living pressures, with one in five (19%) citing that Christmas will feel stressful as there’s more to worry about than usual.

The report also shows that Brits favour gifts with meaning over big price tags, as they look to get more savvy with their seasonal spending. Almost two-thirds (64%) say that thoughtful gifts are better received than expensive gifts.

This preference for meaning over extravagance is echoed in Brits’ Christmas shopping plans, as almost half (47%) plan to buy thoughtful gifts for friends and family, and a further 48% say they spend a lot of time exploring

their options before making gift purchases.

Upasana Gupta, GM of eBay Ads UK, commented: “It’s pivotal that retailers are alert to those worrying about their finances, ensuring there is ‘value’ in the inventory on offer be that price or quality, it’s clear that consumers are looking to get their money’s worth. In the run-up to the busiest retail period of the year, it’s key for brands and sellers to invest in their marketing strategies, to engage consumers throughout their Christmas shopping journey.”

The retailers we feature in this issue are all keen and ready to make the most of the Yuletide season. Examples include Heather Middleton, director and joint owner of Bazaar gift shop in Barnstaple, who notes that she is seeing a lot more customers who are already starting to buy presents for Christmas.

Meanwhile Gerald and Christine Ingram, joint owners of Planters Garden Centres Group, report that sales of pet gifts are very strong, “so therefore we’re gearing up with pet advent calendars - and stockings for dogs - which are the best sellers of all the pet Christmas gifts”.

Talking of pet gifts, our cover star this month is The Wheat Bag Company, which is the proud winner of the Glee 2023 New Product Awards’ pet product category with its new microwavable Pet Bed Topper. We speak to founder Sally Moore who shares her success story and reveals details of another exciting product launch.

Many of you will be aware of the issues surrounding Connect at Autumn Fair. Gifts Today’s managing director Mark Naish reports on what happened and the positive moves being made to benefit both Spring and Autumn Fair moving forward. Head to page eight for the full story.

From page 26, we have a bumper Christmas Gifts & Decorations feature, which includes a huge range of ideas to inspire you for the peak season and beyond. Happy reading!

p 40

p 37

“Retail’s ‘golden quarter’ brings an abundance of ‘golden opportunities’”

p 47

Clare Turner, Editor clare@lemapublishing.co.uk

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

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News

Denby announces

partnership with Shelter Denby has announced a new partnership with housing and homelessness charity Shelter. The charity was recently selected as Denby’s nominated lead charity for 2023/24 and Denby employees will be undertaking fundraising activities and events to support Shelter’s vital services, including its emergency helpline and other key support services for those in housing need.

Denby ceramics, which are produced in England, are aimed at consumers making more conscious lifestyle and homeware choices. As demand for more consciously made products increases, and with two recent industry awards for sustainability behind them, this prompted Denby to partner with Shelter and launch a campaign called ‘Denby Reloved’.

The initiative includes research commissioned by Denby which revealed that

a third of Brits throw homeware in the bin rather than finding ways to avoid landfill, and the campaign is encouraging the nation to find ways to re-use, re-purpose and re-love their homeware.

Through the partnership, Denby is asking people to donate their unwanted good quality tableware or homeware which no longer meets their needs to Shelter.

The partnership will continue throughout 2023/2024. The Reloved with Shelter campaign started on October 5 and will continue to run over the same period.

The first combined Pure London x JATC show, The London Festival of Fashion, will take place from February 11 to February 13 at Olympia London.

A trade collective of global fashion designers, creative minds and educational seminars, the transformed show will offer buyers an increased number of inspirational brands across eight exciting destinations: Woman, POP, Sustainable, Footwear and Accessories, Jewellery, Menswear, Together, and Lifestyle and Beauty.

Pure London event director Gloria Sandrucci said: “The first Pure London x JATC combined show will be a truly landmark event for the fashion industry. I’m incredibly excited for visitors and buyers to see what can be achieved when two exciting shows and dedicated teams come together. Pure London in the Grand Hall will be a fantastic and diverse showcase of everything women’s fashion has to offer. It is set to be the largest destination at the show, which represents the breadth of the collections for buyers to discover.”

JATC creative director Juls Dawson added: “JATC has always strived to deliver what buyers truly need, and I’m proud that the first edition of Pure London x JATC will offer the industry over 300 brands across a variety of destinations creating a streamlined and cohesive experience. The launch of Pure London x JATC is an exciting moment for the industry and for everyone on the team.”

Katie Loxton unveils Rachel Ellen waterproof jewellery Designs set to

Katie Loxton has added new waterproof jewellery to its S/S24 collection. Designed to last and to be loved, the range aims to meet the increasing demand for affordable, wearable pieces that withstand the test of time.

The collection allows your customers to gift with confidence and wear jewellery that they never have to take off - knowing it will remain looking as radiant as the day it arrived, without the expensive price tag.

Founder and creative director Katie Loxton said: “I’m so excited to introduce our brand-new jewellery collection! We have been working behind the scenes on this for the last year - I just know your customers are going to love it as much as we do.”

Through cutting-edge, vacuum plating technology, each piece is not only incredibly resilient but also champions waterproof, sweatproof, and perfume-proof properties, while the 18K gold PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coated design is ten times more durable than standard gold plating.

The company says: ‘Rest assured; the colour remains perfect over time and your customers will enjoy added peace of mind as the jewellery pieces are backed by a generous two-year colour warranty.’

The collection comprises 30 bracelets, 30 necklaces, 10 pairs of earrings, and three rings.

Each jewellery style is presented on a premium card which is accompanied by a small or large dust bag - all wrapped up in a Katie Loxton gift bag, guaranteeing an unforgettable unboxing experience every time.

launch new trade website Rachel Ellen Designs is using the launch of its new trade website to help drive its eco and sustainability ambitions.

There will be new initiatives such as working with environmental conservation organisation Ecologi to plant a tree for every order placed through the site, which is due to go live this month.

Managing director Rachel Ellen Church said: “Alongside a review of packaging materials, this feels like a really positive campaign to support.

We love the thought of a Rachel Ellen forest in years to come, and we’re sure our trade customers will both love our new website and will be pleased to support this with us.”

6 Gifts Today

News.indd 1

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NEW COLLECTION - AVAILABLE OCTOBER 2023

SALES AGENTS REQUIRED Scotland, North East, North West, East Midlands, North Wales Half Moon Bay is looking for agents to build on its established customer base and develop new business.

Working with time honoured brands, new designers and some great entertainment licenses, we require hard working and forward thinking sales agents who already call on gift shops, museums, tourist attractions and garden centres. We’re looking for sales professionals with enthusiasm and passion for our products and customers.

Please email your CV with a letter detailing why you are the right person to petert@halfmoonbay.co.uk www.halfmoonbay.co.uk Please contact us for a trade catalogue: Tel 01460 75686 www.classiccanes.co.uk

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Opinion Update

Dis-connect to re-connect When Connect was launched it was heralded as a new dawn for the way exhibitions are approached.

Little did Hyve know that the new dawn would rise in a new, positive way!

Connect

Connect, the platform that would revolutionise Spring and Autumn Fair, debuted at Autumn Fair this year with much fanfare by the organiser Hyve.

The idea was to have a booking system to match buyers with exhibitors; the problem was that, like it or not, for decades both shows have operated as Hyve would like to say in an ‘analogue way’, with visitors dropping by stands rather than making appointments.

The many conversations I had with exhibitors large and small voiced their concerns prior to the show; they didn’t believe it would work, were not happy that it carried a mandatory charge and felt they were not being listened to.

Autumn Fair

During Autumn Fair it became clear early on that Connect was not working. Most exhibitors reported a poor number of agreed meetings and most had noshows for those meetings that had been booked.

With exhibitors becoming increasingly frustrated it spilled over into a stand-off between Hyve and about 150 very unhappy exhibitors. A handful of protestors including Toby Powell (Powell Craft), James Thomas (Forever England), Katie Powell (Forever England), Nick Ronald (Casa Verde) and Katie Jones (Sting in the Tail) met with staff in a private room to voice their issues and frustrations.

WhatsApp

Following that meeting a WhatsApp group originally created by Toby and James at Spring Fair soon saw its participant numbers grow to 200 (it now stands at nearly 350). The platform enabled exhibitors to quickly come together and this was the first time that I had seen a considerable number of exhibitors venting their frustrations as a collective. It was clear that Connect was not their only issue. For many, it appears, Connect was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Many complained of poor comunication, high costs and poor service.

The call

A number of key representatives had direct conversations with Hyve CEO Mark Shashoua. As Nick Ronald from Casa Verde recounted: ’’I found Mark affable, prepared to listen and genuinely concerned, that as current owners they are custodians of these events and that he does understand and he gets it.’’

As we all know, talk is cheap, however clearly the talk was only the start, as a small group were invited to meet directly with Nicola Jenkins, Nick Davison and Laura Rae from Hyve to discuss both shows’ futures.

The survey

Through the WhatsApp group a survey was created with many suggestions on how to improve the fairs. These ideas were gleaned from the hundreds of messages on the app. The purpose of all of

The WhatsApp group was critical in communicating and getting the movement started, but this is only the first step. Its initiators recognise its limitations and James feels the group lacks an identity and needs an official voice. Therefore the group will be known as the ‘Exhibitors Together Group’, with Toby, James, Nick and both Katies as the official spokespersons (more news on this to follow). They are continuing to liaise with Hyve moving forward.

As Nick Ronald said: “‘We have come a long way since our protest demonstration on September 6, and The meeting achieved a huge amount. There is a long The exhibitors that spearheaded the and tricky road ahead, which will take a “They came protest at Autumn Fair and created the lot of hard work especially for Hyve but WhatsApp group met with Nicola Jenkins, with no also for us the exhibitors. I cannot stress Nick Davison and Laura Rae from Hyve. agenda apart enough that we all have to work hard to Nick Ronald again: “We were all filled with from a list of achieve our mission, which is for these some trepidation and had absolutely no idea how they would react and respond the 22 points legacy shows to not only survive but to grow and prosper. The meeting we had to our endeavours as after all, this started raised from with Hyve was loud and bold and, given with a protest on Wednesday September our many years of experience, the passion 6. As it happens, we needn’t have worried, our group survey and in that room that day was tangible. But as what transpired was a very positive Nicola and her team showed nothing but and fresh response. They came with they were respect and listened intently to every no agenda apart from a list of the 22 eager to detail. We can clearly see that they are points raised from our group survey and discuss and working through our list of suggestions they were eager to discuss and develop these points to ensure that they clearly develop these for a better trade fair experience for all we cannot ask for more than that. understood what we were saying. points to ‘‘There is no doubt that Hyve made ‘‘During this meeting they firstly ensure that some mistakes but that is now in the confirmed that Connect was not coming they clearly past – we are now entering Phase II which back at all next year, or in the future, is totally focused on the future. Many of admitting it didn’t work as intended. understood ‘‘They discussed every point in the what we were the group remain cynical and angry but there is a wind of change for sure, and the four-hour meeting and some new ideas saying” people at Hyve are listening; after all, we were explored, too. All said, it was a very share the same mission. I see our job going forward productive meeting and not one that would have is to mould this creative force into something rather been expected after Autumn Fair.’’ good. Over the next few weeks we plan to formalise this group into an association – absolutely essential if The email An email was received by all exhibitors of both Spring we are to build on this success and be taken seriously. ‘‘During this whole process I have learned two and Autumn Fair confirming Connect was now long things – one, out of chaos we found order and gone, that The Little Black Book would return in its came together as a group which, against the odds, more helpful form with search by product. Also, Hyve has achieved something positive and remarkable. Also, extended the onsite rebook rate to February 2 for weirdly, I learned something about myself. I realise Autumn Fair as the new plans for the show are still now that I am a passionate democrat and enjoy the developing. role of a negotiator, contributor and communicator for causes like this that I truly believe in. Watch this So where now? space...’’

The group that has worked so hard with exhibitors and Hyve was not created to attack the organiser Our two cents but to enable the voices of exhibitors to be heard, Mark Naish, MD of Lema Publishing, which publishes and in this respect it has certainly achieved that Gifts Today, comments: ‘‘I do feel that Hyve has done and more – and credit to Hyve for genuinely taking absolutely the right thing by engaging with exhibitors on board those complaints and taking very positive in the way that it has. Yes they made some mistakes. steps in what is in reality a very short period of time.

However, their actions following Autumn Fair should In conversation with the group, what came across be applauded. They have engaged in good faith with very clearly is their passion for the industry and both this group and – I know from many conversations Spring and Autumn Fair. They desperately want – with other larger companies, many of which shared to see these shows and others succeed; they the same views. There is a long way to go but let’s recognise they are critical to the health and success hope this continues because after all everyone wants of the industry. the shows to succeed.’’

this was to help the shows grow and prosper.

Issues raised were the first and most obvious one; Connect must never return. Unsurprisingly, this got 100% agreement, while suggestions to create an innovative programme to attract new exhibitors received 95% agreement and improving the buyers’ experience got 90%. Obviously there was much more detail, but this helped the team to more clearly focus on what they hoped to achieve when meeting Hyve.

8 Gifts Today

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Preview

HARROGATE CHRISTMAS & GIFT

Gearing up for a great show Harrogate Christmas & Gift looks set to be yet another bumper event and is almost sold out - with the organiser looking to open up additional space to cater for demand

H

arrogate Christmas & Gift has reportedly been one of the UK’s favourite trade shows for decades - which is hardly surprising given its festive ambience and stunning location in the North Yorkshire town of Harrogate.

The exhibition, which is staged in early January at prime buying time after Christmas, usually attracts more than 4,000 people participating either as exhibitors or coming along to peruse and buy.

The 2024 event, which takes place at the Harrogate Convention Centre from January 14 to January 17, looks set to be yet another bumper event and is almost sold out with the organisers looking to open up additional space to cater for demand.

Hall Q of the Convention Centre, which opened up a few years ago to provide extra room for the growing number of exhibitors wishing to attend, has very little space left - making eight halls in total filled to capacity.

Show organiser Simon Anslow explains: “There has been unprecedented demand for exhibition space at the 2024 show. Smart Garden Products exhibited in Hall Q for the first time in 2019 and its stand has more than tripled in size since its first attendance.

“While the show is advertised as predominantly a ‘Christmas’ event, it attracts almost every garden centre buyer in the UK, so it makes it particularly pertinent for companies like Smart Garden Products which cater for this market.”

Visitors can expect to see all of their favourite returning brands including Premier Decorations (which as always, has Hall H booked in its entirety); Festive Productions, Floralsilk, Kaemingk, Konstsmide and Gisela Graham - all with impressively large stands which promise to be filled with the latest new innovations in gifts, not just for Christmas, but for the entire year. Plus, there are already 15 new companies coming to the show and this number is growing almost daily.

Hall Q is definitely one of the favourite locations for newcomers and visitors will be excited to see companies such as Jingles: a brand launched by Mercer Agencies in 2006 which now has showrooms offering 24,000sq ft dedicated to Christmas and garden ranges. It will be presenting Christmas decorations, trees and lights.

Also worth a look is Apac, which has been trading for more than 50 years and is renowned for its great selection of floristry, wedding, party and horticultural products, and also presents a great Christmas range.

What’s more, the 2024 edition will introduce a selection of new greeting cards companies offering top quality designs which are perfect for gift retailers. The roll-call includes Ling Design, Penny Kennedy and Jackson’s Greeting Cards.

Tallon International is another new addition to the show and Hall Q, with its extensive range of tags, ribbons, stockings, hats, bags and partyware, along with diaries, calendars and stationery.

For a full list of exhibitors, visit the show website at www.harrogatefair.com where you can search for specific products by brand or type.

Don’t forget to register to attend - it’s free of charge for all trade visitors. If you are a company wishing to exhibit at the show, there is still limited space available. You can book online or contact Simon directly at simon@harrogatefair.com or 01902 882280.

What: Harrogate Christmas & Gift Where: Harrogate Convention Centre When: January 14-17 2024 Call: 01902 882280 Email: simon@harrogatefair.com Visit: www.harrogatefair.com 10 Gifts Today

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Harrogate Christmas & Gift

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06/10/2023 09:56:31

New products Design debuts Classic Canes

Walking stick specialist Classic Canes has produced a new collection of height-adjustable patterned canes ready for the Autumn and Christmas seasons, when many canes are bought as gifts.

Designed in-house by managing director Charlotte Gillan, there are three nature-themed designs featuring snake’s head fritillary, lavender and oak leaves, and four designs inspired by modern and folk art: modernist cosmos, magic circles, surrealist symbols and folk flowers.

Charlotte explains: “Fashionable designs transform walking sticks from mobility aids to stylish accessories, making them a delight to use and a practical and pretty present to give. I design with different types of users in mind, so there is a beautiful cane for everyone, whether their taste is restrained or exuberant.”

Call: 01460 75866 Email: info@classiccanes.co.uk Visit: www.classiccanes.co.uk

Flying high House of Marbles

Searching for outdoor and nature-themed gifts? Look no further than the new Mini Flying Insect Kites from House of Marbles! These vibrant tiny kites are shaped like insects and made from a silver holographic material that shimmers and sparkles, capturing attention with their dazzling displays. They are the ultimate crowd-pleaser with three fun designs: a busy bee, a graceful dragonfly, or a colourful ladybird.

Head to the company’s website to learn more about these mesmerising kites and explore all the products from its Natural World range. The collection includes creative, educational, and entertaining toys, designed to connect children with the stunning environment surrounding us.

You can also choose from three new festive games based on some of the greatest games of all time. Exclusively designed in-house, the colourful packaging and the competitive price points make them an irresistible impulse buy. Early indications show that they will be hugely popular this Christmas!

Call: 01626 835358 Email: uk@houseofmarbles.com Visit: www.houseofmarbles.com/tradeuk

The power of

sentiments Enesco

Enesco invites you to discover a world of heartfelt emotions with You are an Angel. Crafted with love and attention to detail, these angelic figurines come in two sizes of 12.5 and 15.5cm, to perfectly fit any space and occasion.

Each carries a unique sentiment, capturing the warmth and comfort you wish to convey, and is presented in an elegant gift box. Whether celebrating milestones, offering solace, or sharing joy, these angels embody emotions that words sometimes find hard to express.

In addition, elevate your gift-giving experience with Enesco’s charming metal pins.

Embossed with metallic sentiments, these are perfect for a quick yet thoughtful gesture.

Attach them to bags, lapels, or gift packages to spread a little extra love.

Call: 01228 404022 | Email: uksales@enesco.co.uk Visit: www.enesco.co.uk

12 Gifts Today

New Products.indd 1

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Season’s greetings

Personalised Memento Company

Take comfort Joe Davies

For centuries, the robin has signified positivity, joy, protection and help with healing from grief. In general, robin superstitions are associated with angels so with this in mind, after the loss of a loved one, a robin is often believed to be a sign of an angel or a loved one nearby.

Discover the beauty of robin jewellery with the Equilibrium When Robins Appear, Angels Are Near collection from Joe Davies. Robin necklaces, bracelets, earrings, key rings and suncatchers all provide the perfect way to hold cherished memories close to your heart.

The entire Equilibrium collection of jewellery and fashion accessories is available to order on Joe Davies’ website. Everything is available in the company’s convenient “little and often” quantities with a minimum value of £100 for a carriage paid order.

Personalised Memento Company has the perfect way to add a special personalised touch to your home this Christmas. This brand new personalised Christmas coir rectangle indoor doormat features a non-slip rubber backing and can be personalised with your chosen message, spreading festive cheer day after day! It’s part of PMC’s new range of indoor doormats, which has designs to suit every occasion.

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

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

New

additions Makasi Imports

High quality giftware, home accessories and driftwood-style furniture company Makasi Imports is introducing more than 150 new products this season.

There are additions to its hand-painted wooden bird range, including this charming hand-carved, hand-painted Hanging Robin Redbreast perched on a log - an ideal festive decoration or gift for a bird lover.

Also fresh for this season are new additions to its molten glass sculpture range, including these gorgeously tactile, removable oil and vinegar bottles which are hand-blown and cleverly moulded onto individually selected teak root pieces, as if the glass is melting into the wood, Dali-style!

If you would like a trade log-in to view prices and place an order, email your company details to info@makasiimports.co.uk.

Call: 01932910533 Email: info@makasiimports.co.uk Visit: www.makasiimports.co.uk

Let’s rock!

Margarete Steiff

Margarete Steiff GmbH is famous for its classic traditional Teddy bears and its range now includes a Teddy bear collection titled ‘Steiff Rocks!’.

Steiff Rocks! The Beatles Teddy bear is the latest addition to the Steiff Rocks! range, following on from the already successful releases of the Queen 50th Anniversary Teddy bear, Elton John Teddy bear and more recently, the Rolling Stones Teddy bear.

This new range not only appeals to avid Steiff collectors, but opens up a whole new world to fans of these iconic British bands/singers.

Email: tradesalesuk@steiff.com Visit: www.steiffuk.com Gifts Today 13

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Gifts Today

RETAILERS’ PANEL Two directors of family-owned gift chains introduce their businesses and discuss their trading experiences at the start of the fourth quarter

Priya Aurora-Crowe Director Lark London

Tell us a bit about Lark London.

We are a family-run independent retailer based mainly in London, and our aim is to provide beautiful products for your lifestyle and home.

We have been slowly expanding over the past 20 years and now have 18 stores in: Balham, Earlsfield, Tooting, Streatham, Herne Hill, Askew Road (Shepherds Bush), Chiswick, Clapham, Fulham, Raynes Park, Putney, Richmond, Woking, Southfields, East Sheen, Blackheath, Esher, Weybridge, and an online store at www.larklondon.com.

We also have four Jumping Bean shops (which is a more premium version of Lark London) at Honor Oak, Beckenham, Dulwich and Camberwell.

To us, Lark is not only our hobby but also part of our family life. We [Priya and her husband and fellow director Dominic Aurora-Crowe, pictured with their daughter Esme in the doorway of the Tooting branch] love buying new and exciting products and creating a positive impact in our communities. As an independent we try to support local companies, people and brands, which can be seen in all our shops.

How would you describe your range?

An eclectic mix of gifting and women’s, men’s and kids’ clothing.

What are your key gift categories?

Self-care/wellbeing - and men’s socks!

Who are your key suppliers?

We have more than 500 brands at Lark London and we buy key pieces from everyone. We especially love working with Elizabeth Scarlett [a fashion accessories company which commits to raising funds for charities and projects that support animal conservation].

How do you find products?

We go to all the trade shows and use platforms such as [wholesale marketplaces] Ankorstore and Faire.

Are you looking at expanding into new product categories?

We’re always looking for good men’s gifting and good quality photo frames.

Top 5 Best Sellers 1 Thought socks 2 Aery Living candles 3 Lagom Design greeting cards 4 Orange Tree toys 5 Original Duckhead umbrellas

How is trading for you?

Trade has been strong but shoplifting has sadly been a great struggle for us.

What are you looking forward to stocking for Christmas?

Our Elizabeth Scarlett exclusives: we’ve designed a range of cosmetic pouches and wash bags.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in gift retailing?

Buy carefully, hire well, and delegate as much as you can.

James Taylor Trading Director Cardzone Tell us a bit about your business.

Cardzone is a family business with 15 stores trading as MOOCH. MOOCH is a brand we acquired from Paul and Rachel Roberts at the back end of 2021.

They started the business in 2017 with a branch in St Giles Street in Northampton, 1 Jellycat plush which was followed by stores in Olney and Towcester which both opened in 2019, and 2 Wrendale stationery then Rushden which launched in 2020.

Since May these four original outlets, 3 Tinc stationery which measure between 500-1,200sq ft, have been joined by a total of 11 new stores: 4 Paper Salad cards on Winchester’s St. George’s Street, on Exeter’s Eastgate, on Belfast’s Arthur Street, 5 Glick gift dressings on Guildford’s North Street, on Lincoln’s High Street, in Belfast’s Forestside Shopping Centre, St Albans’ Maltings Shopping Centre, Plymouth’s Drakes Circus Shopping Centre, Sheffield’s Meadowhall Shopping Centre, Tunbridge Wells’ Royal Victoria Place Shopping Centre, and Greenhithe’s Bluewater Shopping Centre.

Top 5 Best Sellers

How would you describe your range?

MOOCH is a gift, stationery and greeting cards business. We also have four stores trading as Home & Fragrance. These were created with Yankee Candle as the backbone. MOOCH doesn’t sell Yankee Candles as it’s too mainstream.

What are your key gift categories?

Travel, soft toys, impulse, games, stationery, candles, mugs/coasters, bottles, electrical home fragrance, and lifestyle.

How many suppliers do you deal with?

Approximately 50. The key names are Wrendale, Jellycat, Enesco, Widdop & Co., Puckator, Legami, Tinc, Rachel Ellen Designs, Chilly’s, Draw, and Portico Designs.

Where do you find products?

At Spring Fair and Autumn Fair in Birmingham, the London Stationery Show, and the Home & Gift Buyers’ Festival in Harrogate.

What’s your selection criteria?

Is it current? And is it fair value for money/commercial?

What categories are selling well?

Soft toys, mugs and coasters, bottles, and stationery.

Are you looking at expanding into new categories?

We’re happy where we are, but we’re looking to take on new suppliers to strengthen our offering.

How is trading for you?

Gifting has been strong across the business.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?

New store openings, customer satisfaction, and our team members’ passion for working in the stores.

What’s the most challenging aspect of your job?

Often, people challenges and, over the past four years, trying to problem-solve many external factors.

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Product Focus

Function meets fun

Giftable Stationery

Rachel Ellen Designs While functional stationery is essential and can be lovely in its own right, the real excitement at Rachel Ellen Designs is reserved for giftable stationery: design-led products that customers will love to buy, send, and of course, receive.

From beautiful boxed pens to co-ordinated notebooks in a variety of sizes, through to wellbeing and mindfulness journals for adults, Rachel Ellen has giftable stationery covered for all ages with its best-selling secret diaries, writing sets and pens for children.

Call: 0115 970 0321 | Email: sales@rachelellen.co.uk Visit: www.rachelellen.com

Charming collection Joe Davies

The popular Emma Lawrence range from Joe Davies’ own EastWest-branded licences has a lovely collection of greeting cards, note cards, and gift bags.

These charming illustrations by the artist Emma Lawrence feature tractors, Land Rovers, sweet little dogs, cats, and farm animals available in Christmas and everyday designs. There are even matching packaged mugs and a mug and coaster set, making them the perfect finished gift.

Ordering from Joe Davies is easy and affordable using its ‘little and often’ ordering system, along with a low minimum order value of just £100 for free nationwide delivery.

Noted!

Exacompta Clairefontaine

Clairefontaine has added My.notes to its My Essentials collection of notebooks with premium deep dyed pressboard covers that have a leather effect. My.notes features a tear-of perforated strip at the edge of the page, which can be used for scribbling, writing calculations or phone numbers during meetings, and can then be easily removed.

Each contains 120 pages of premium quality Clairefontaine ultra-smooth 90gsm brushed vellum PEFC certified white paper, with lined or dot rulings and a frame at the top. A bookmark flap on the front cover makes it easy to quickly locate the page being worked on. On the inside back cover there is an expanding pocket for keeping loose items safe.

My.notes have an elastic closure and come in six colours - black, red, green, blue, grey and tobacco - and three sizes: A5+, B5 landscape, and A4.

Call: 01553 696600 | Email: enquiries@exaclair.co.uk Visit: www.exaclairlimited.com

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

Eco-friendly

option Also the Bison

Make to-do lists in style with Also the Bison’s eco-friendly Printed Memo Pad. With 100 tear-off pages, this list will keep you going for weeks to come. The pad features a watercolour butterfly design hand-painted by artist Maddie Chambers, and is printed in the UK onto recycled paper using vegetable inks.

Call: 07906035218 Email: alsothebison@gmail.com Visit: www.alsothebison.co.uk

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The London look Portico Designs

Illustrations by Rocket68, a producer of award-winning illustrated paper products represented by art licensing and design company The London Studio, have been licensed for a range of 2025 calendars and diaries by Portico Designs: an independent publisher of gifts, calendars and greeting cards.

The Portico range is based on London Calling, Rocket68’s award-winning illustrated collection of London-themed prints and cards that aims to portray the vibrancy and beauty of London’s architecture, areas, life and communities.

Call: 01225 329494 | Email: sales@porticodesigns.com Visit: porticodesigns.com Gifts Today 15

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Cover Story...

The Wheat Bag Company

Going with the grain The Wheat Bag Company has been established for 10 years and prides itself on being a household name in the majority of garden centre chains and independents, gift shops and farm shops. Founder Sally Moore shares her success story with Gifts Today

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ally Moore, the founder of The Wheat Bag Company, started her business in 1990 manufacturing exclusive handmade knitwear and in later years went on to develop and manufacture other unique products - which

Cover Story... The Wheat Bag Company.indd 1

“Our proudest moment this year was winning the Glee 2023 New Product Awards’ pet products’ category with our new microwavable Pet Bed Topper. These have been a huge success for us, with most of our customers placing orders for them”

she then presented and sold on TV shopping channels around the world.

In 2013 she realised there was a gap in the market for microwavable wheat bags manufactured in the UK using British cleaned wheat. After several months of research and making prototypes, The Wheat Bag Company was launched. Five trade shows were booked, and the business has since grown from strength to strength.

Sally takes up the story: “Over the years our client base has grown enormously, and with support and encouragement from our loyal customers we have gone on to develop additional quality wellbeing and home

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style products - the latest being our new microwavable Pet Bed Topper.

We launched it at Glee [the UK’s leading garden and outdoor living trade show, held at the NEC in Birmingham] in June, and were delighted to win the pet products’ category of the Glee 2023 New Product Awards.

We have also launched a new Tapestry range of beautiful doorstops and draught excluders which have been very popular.

What sets us apart from our competitors is that all of our products are designed and manufactured in the UK by a team of talented, trained people who are passionate about quality. We only use British cleaned wheat grains, and try to buy

“All of our products are designed and manufactured in the UK by a team of talented, trained people who are passionate about quality. We only use British cleaned wheat grains, and try to buy lavender buds which are grown in the UK as much as we can” lavender buds which are grown in the UK as much as we can.

We are finding the current trading climate very buoyant, with regular orders coming in from our existing customers and lots of new ones.

We try to keep our ordering process for customers as easy as possible. Orders

can be placed on our website by typing in the login code, or by email or phone. Our friendly team of staff are always available and happy to assist over the telephone.

Our core customer base are garden centre chains (including Blue Diamond, British Garden Centres, Klondyke Garden Centres and Notcutts Garden Centres) and independents, gift shops, farm shops, department stores, and companies who sell online.

We feel very privileged to have our products in so many lovely retail outlets, and have recently started supplying upmarket grocery chain Booths in the Lake District.

Some of our other prestigious customers include the stately home Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, and Sandringham Estate [the muchloved country retreat of the Royal Family] in Norfolk.

We use independent artists to design our fabrics and are very excited to have recently joined forces with Emma Lawrence Designs.

Emma is a very talented and well-known artist in the industry, and has created 10 new exclusive designs for us, which we will be using across our product range which is launching for Autumn/Winter.

Our proudest moment this year was winning the Glee 2023 New Product Awards’ pet products’ category with our new microwavable Pet Bed Topper. These have been a huge success for us, with most of our customers placing orders for them.

We have a busy season ahead of us now. We have built up large amount of stocks throughout the summer months, and will endeavour to fulfil all of our orders as soon as possible.”

We would be delighted to supply any new customers who would like to stock our products. Please call for further information.

Made in the UK

Call: 01747 840 499 Email: sales@thewheatbagcompany.co.uk Visit: www.thewheatbagcompany.co.uk Gifts Today 17

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PHOTO: Eddie Judd Photography

OPINION

Diary of a gift shop Claire Leigh, owner and director of Two Ducks in Woking, reflects on her summer break in Marrakech - and finds the shopping experience profoundly different to the UK

I

love a summer holiday for a little bit of reflection.

I went to Morocco, somewhere quite culturally different to my usual destinations, and spent a weekend in the country’s wonderful city of Marrakech.

During the day, I found the famous Marrakech markets quite chilled. But come night-time, the main squares are buzzing, colourful and loud. It’s one big assault on the senses with the smells of animals and spices, the sounds of traders shouting and monkeys screeching, and the feel of oppressive heat on your skin.

I was fascinated to see how the life of a Moroccan shopkeeper was different to my own. Most stores open around 9am (some a little earlier), and many don’t close until 11pm. They tend to have long narrow units jammed full of goods - and some of the luckier ones have an airconditioned section at the back.

So far, not so different from my own store (except for the heat and stock levels!). For much of the day, shopkeepers had very few visitors and were relatively relaxed, chatting away to neighbouring traders. But by night it was super busy.

I found the shopping experience profoundly different to the UK. For example, while picking up a product to take a look in the UK means just that, taking a look in Marrakech seems to signal to the shopkeeper that you want to buy, and it’s time to start negotiating a price.

And in Marrakech, negotiation is the norm. There are no fixed prices for most products. I had read up on how best to haggle to get a good price, but found the process hugely stressful and, even though I’m used to difficult business discussions at home, quite intimidating. Shopkeepers continue to pursue the sale even when you say you’re not interested - and they are quite determined!

I wondered why they use this approach and concluded that they are responding to their market. They are targeting mostly tourists passing through, and if they

don’t secure a sale there and then, the chance of those customers returning is pretty low.

There is also the very real possibility that customers will discover a replica of the exact product three doors down for half the price. So it really is a case of strike whilst the iron is hot, or even semi-warm.

This led me to draw comparisons with our approach in Britain. My small village-based store has a very loyal, regular customer base and our appeal relies heavily on knowing our customers: knowing their names, their dogs’ names, their children, and what they’ve been dealing with in life. So we take our time and use more subtle persuasion.

For a holiday/seaside shopkeeper, it might be the opposite. You need to very quickly establish a rapport with complete strangers, be great at relating to people, and chat about their vacations.

Then there’s shopping centres. In most cases, these are larger venues which are a little less personal, with bigger brands, a lot of younger staff, and more transient customers.

You probably wouldn’t expect a shop assistant to remember your name and know what you like - and for some, that anonymity may very well be the thing they love about it.

And finally, of course, there’s the ultimate in impersonal: shopping online. There’s something wonderful about browsing with no-one looking over your shoulder, being able to shop in several stores simultaneously, digging around for discount codes, and having multiple brands at your fingertips - safe in the knowledge you can come back tomorrow if you want it.

But you don’t get to say hi to anyone, and there’s no connection (apart from an electronic one!). I wouldn’t want to do it for everything. For me, balance is key.

Personally, I will always love shopping and can’t wait to compare the experience in more countries - but I don’t think I’ll be heading back to Marrakech in a hurry.

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OPINION

Let’s talk about…

Autumn buying Guest columnist Jo Williams, owner/director of award-winning retailer Joco Gifts in Nuneaton, chats about her favourite seasonal finds and more…

T

he autumn season saw a huge change in window displays as well as stock arriving during the mini-heatwave, which made it extremely strange to be unpacking boxes of Halloween and Christmas products in the blistering heat.

We have some great additions, with Mood Bears being a big hit with children and adults of all ages. But we don’t stick to the conventional here. So to complement our dark side, we also took delivery of Deddy Bears from Innov8 - and what a whirlwind that’s been! We sold out a complete stand within a week and we are flying through our restocked items.

For those who haven’t heard of this range, it’s a collection of ghoulish teddy bears, some of which come in mini cardboard coffins, and the largest option comes in a bodybag with an autopsy report attached. They’re not to everyone’s taste but kids have been snapping them up, especially the blind bags, as they try to collect the full set.

Fair’s fare At Autumn Fair I checked out some new ranges and we’re looking forward to the arrival of gorgeous soya wax melts from Freckleface. Choosing fragrances was so much fun; it’s definitely an interactive experience for shoppers when they select their favourites.

Due to the reopening of a national chain, our branded range sales have dropped significantly, and I’ve had to

rethink the products we stock. So the first question I asked was if a supplier already had a retailer in my town. If so, I walked away, as it’s pointless stocking the same products. We’ve increased our gothic and ethnic ranges as there’s nothing in the town centre selling those kinds of items.

Joco is very well known locally for fragranced products and we have ranges from Ashleigh & Burwood, Sassy Shop Wax and Heyland & Whittle. We’ve also taken on some exclusive fragrance brands and have increased our home accessory range including cushions and throws. Plus, sentiment gifts are always popular and we have a fantastic selection.

With Christmas just around the corner, I’m wondering where I’m going to fit the festive stock, as we can’t move for the products we already have filling our shelves!

Showstopper Recently I visited Malini Pashley, marketing director of The English Ladies Company in Stoke-on-Trent, where I did a Facebook live to show our followers all the gorgeous designs created there. After chatting for some time, we came up with an idea for a collaboration for a window display.

Malini and her team then came here and set up a display showcasing their Thelma Madine range [which captures the eponymous dressmaker’s style] alongside one of her famous dresses,

as seen on the Channel 4 documentary series ‘Big Fat Gypsy Weddings’. The display has definitely got people talking! People have stopped to have their photo taken beside the dress, popped in multiple times to ask if it is for sale, and have taken a keen interest in the designs.

We are in contact with another company to do a collaboration which, if it happens, should definitely create another showstopper.

Challenges But life hasn’t been smooth for us since our relocation back in July 2022. Just weeks after reopening, the local council closed the 400-plus space car park opposite us and our footfall was slashed.

The date for a new multistorey car park has been surrounded by delays, and the projected opening is mid-2025 - which is a very long time away. It’s something we’ve been keen to expedite

with the council, to save the high street shops that are struggling with the sheer drop in visitors.

Not only that, but just a couple of weeks ago our Facebook and Instagram accounts were hacked.

You never dream that something like this can happen. Our window to the wider audience disappeared overnight. To help regain followers, we have a group on Facebook and a new Instagram page. And we’re taking to the road later this month to support a wedding fayre and bring along some gifts for visitors.

It often feels like we’ve gone back to the beginning [Joco Gifts launched in 2015] as we face so many issues outside our control - but it’s very different in a way, as I’m coming back at this with experience, knowledge and contacts which I didn’t have in the beginning.

So I don’t think the comeback will take eight years - or at least I Gifts Today 19

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Product Focus Fragranced Gifts

Wild about fragrance Enesco

Creating the sensational smell of Christmas, Wild Fern, as the name suggests, has a fragrance which captures the dark green leaves of a Christmas tree, with its deep earthy tones evoking warm fuzzy feelings of Yuletides of yesteryear, mixed with the warming scents of festive spices.

Presented in a glass votive, this candle from Enesco is made from 100% natural wax which is fragranced with only natural scents, providing more than 40 hours of burn time.

The soft, naturally occurring cream colour of the wax, coupled with the sophisticated embossed gold label, makes this Christmas candle festive yet subtly understated; it will co-ordinate beautifully with almost any festive home décor.

A lovely, affordable self-purchase or a thoroughly thoughtful gift for someone special, the Wild Fern Candle is presented in a branded cream gift box tied with a luxurious red ribbon bow, adding to the sophisticated nature of the product. It is also available as a set of three votives.

New for Christmas 2023, Enesco is proud to announce the addition of a special Advent Calendar Book to its growing portfolio of Yankee Candle items. The Yankee Candle Advent Book contains 24 drawers, hidden behind numbered windows within its 3D structure, which contain an assortment of tea lights and filled votives - with a tea light holder included.

The fragrances of the tea lights and filled votives within The Yankee Candle Advent Book include firm festive favourites such as Letters to Santa, Silver Sage & Pine and Twinkling Lights, which are sure to bring a sense of nostalgia to any Christmas celebration and create new magical moments.

All candles from Yankee Candle are made from premium quality ingredients to create true-to-life distinctive scents.

Their smooth soy wax blend means they deliver a clean, consistent burn.

Call: 01228 404022 Email: uksales@enesco.co.uk Visit: www.enesco.co.uk

Exciting

Think arrival

pink Joe Davies

The new Pink Profusion Fragrance range from Joe Davies is a very traditional gift and home décor product but with a new modern twist. Drawer liners, small diffusers, scented sachets, and sachets that hang in the wardrobe, have been given a makeover with on-trend shades of pink.

From soft, delicate blush pink to dusky rose tones, they will make any bedroom look pretty. There are three delightful fragrances to choose from: Rose, Orchid, and Hydrangea.

Joe Davies has a reputation for award-winning service and a great range of gifts dedicated to independent retailers. What’s more, all of its products are available in its signature ‘little and often’ quantities, with a minimum order value of just £100 and free nationwide delivery.

D & J Glassware

D & J Glassware launched a range of Soy Wax Candles and Melts at Autumn Fair. Hand-poured in small batches in the heart of the Norfolk countryside, there are 11 fragrances to choose from, so there’s something for all tastes.

The recyclable tins are decorated with colourful designs inspired by the company’s popular fused glass animals, and complement its home textile collection for an eye-catching in-store display.

Call: 01953 450 280 Email: dandj.glassware@btinternet.com Visit: www.dandjglassware.co.uk

Call: 0161 975 6300 Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk Visit: www.joedavies.co.uk 20 Gifts Today

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Product Focus Fragranced Gifts

Candle debut A Gift From The Gods

Lifestyle and gift brand A Gift From The Gods launched its first candle tin range at Autumn Fair. Comprising two scents and colourways, the candle tins carry a simple message of the A Gift From The Gods’ brand name on the top and a definition description wrapped around the tin in a stylish gold foil typography font.

A Lavender and Lilac candle is presented in a gold tin with white labelling and has a calming lavender fragrance with a hint of rich lilac, while a White Musk candle is presented in a rose gold tin with dusky pink labelling and has a

creamy musk scent with hints of watermelon.

Made from natural wax from renewable resources, these 135g candle tins (sold in packs of six) provide a longer and cleaner burning time and offer an attractive gift candle with a heartfelt message.

Call: 020 7987 1577 Email: jane@agiftfromthegods.com Visit: www.agiftfromthegods.com

Incense gift set Ethimaart

Share the gift of soothing fragrances with this mixed fragrance incense gift set. Paired with a charming ceramic heart holder and an adorable ceramic elephant with a flower tealight, it’s a thoughtful gesture of mindfulness and relaxation.

Call: 07404 244596 Email: contact@ethimaart.com Visit: www.ethimaart.com

Aroma appeal Scented

sentiments Best Kept Secrets

Best Kept Secrets recently launched its newly updated and expanded Just Because Collection of scented candles, gift boxes, and tea lights, with a range of fragranced reed diffusers.

Understanding that consumers are looking to find new ways to celebrate and mark special moments in a meaningful and affordable way, the Just Because Reed Diffusers retain the magic price point of under £10.

Choose from a number of delightful sentiments such as I Love You To The Moon And Back, Fab Sister, Gin Queen, Lovely, Lovely Mum, Special Daughter, Special Gran and Special Friend.

The Just Because Reed Diffusers feature Best Kept Secrets’ best-selling home fragrances and reflect the brand’s commitment to provide price-sensitive retail and consumer choice.

Call: 01670 512222 Email: sales@bestkeptsecrets.co.uk Visit: www.bestkeptsecrets.co.uk

Candlelight

This month, Candlelight is introducing a delightful blend of innovation and aroma! The company has launched all-new Candle-Making Kits and Fragrance Free Standing Display Units (FSDUs), designed to ignite your senses and elevate your retail experience.

The Candle-Making Kits are perfectly giftable and empower your customers to craft their own personalised candles. Perfect for the peak season and at very reasonable pricing, they take candle gifting to the next level.

To enhance your store’s ambience and boost sales, the Fragrance FSDUs are the perfect addition. Ensuring space saving is paramount, these units can sit alongside your current displays and come pre-filled, with replenishment stock to fill purchase gaps.

The FSDUs are filled with a selection of candles, reed diffusers and wax melts, ensuring a full coverage of home fragrance products. They come in two ranges: Candlelight’s best-selling Apothecary and the new Opulence range, which excites the senses with a boudoir ombré design.

Call: 01709 723000 Email: contact@candlelight.co.uk Visit: www.candlelight.co.uk

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Focus On...

Ashleigh & Burwood

The essence of

festive gifting Ashleigh & Burwood’s signature home fragrance collection has recently launched in time for Christmas sales

W

ith the season of joy and giving just around the corner, shoppers are beginning to hunt for the ideal gifts for their loved ones - which for some can feel like a challenge. However, this year, Ashleigh & Burwood’s signature collection has emerged, promising to offer the perfect present for friends and family.

Considered product selection

Ashleigh & Burwood - A World Of Scents draws into one brand three carefully considered, newly designed premium home fragrance products, together with its existing iconic Fragrance Lamps.

With the introduction of a premium Reed Diffuser and Scented Candles in two sizes, the collection covers off the most sought-after home scenting gifts by Christmas shoppers. In a range of 10 tried, tested and loved fragrances, the new products are presented in sophisticated black ombre glass vessels that are also recyclable.

Captivating scent choice

The hallmark of any exceptional fragrance range lies in its ability to evoke emotions through the perfect blend of scents. Ashleigh & Burwood’s signature collection exceeds expectations, offering a unique assortment of captivating aromas that draw inspiration from landscapes at home and overseas.

From the zesty notes of Sicilian Lemon to the aromatic accord of Moroccan Spice, the range of fragrances is designed to take the user on a luxury voyage through a global fragrance experience.

Elegant packaging

Presentation matters, especially during the

gifting season. Recognising this, Ashleigh & Burwood has poured its heart into designing recyclable packaging that is as exquisite as the fragrances themselves - and matches the style and high standards of its iconic Fragrance Lamps.

Befitting a premium gift, the sophisticated and stylish packaging exudes elegance. There are golden embellishments imprinted on tactile woven black card, which enhances the visual appeal, making each fragrance a truly special gift that will impress even the most discerning recipient.

Affordability without compromise

This brand offers a diverse selection of scents at a reasonable price point, allowing for meaningful gifting without compromising on quality.

Ensuring accessibility for all, the products come in a range of price points and are an excellent choice for those seeking the perfect balance between affordability and luxury.

“The range is designed to take the user on a luxury voyage through a global fragrance experience”

As Christmas approaches, the decision to gift Ashleigh & Burwood - A World Of Scents becomes an effortless choice. Its captivating scents, elegant packaging and affordability combine to make it a gift that conveys both thoughtfulness and sophistication. Set the stage for happy shoppers and gift recipients - and for a blissful and aromatic holiday season.

Call: 01932 267060 Email: trade@ashleigh-burwood.co.uk Visit: www.ashleigh-burwood.co.uk Gifts Today 23

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16/10/2023 20:34

OPINION

Ask the

Agent…

Sales agent Steve Powell, who specialises in home fragrance and gifts and covers Wales and the West Midlands, shares two of his customers’ thoughts on trading as the drive towards Christmas gets underway

S

ince my last column, I’ve been speaking with one or two of my customers and getting a bit of a heads-up on how their businesses have been faring this year, and how they feel trade is going to be as we move into the last quarter.

Gerald and Christine Ingram, joint owners of Planters Garden Centres Group (which has three centres in Tamworth, Bretby and Mapperley) and the Every Occasion three-strong chain of card and gift shops in the Midlands, said: “We are optimistic as always.” They reported that the garden centres generally had a good summer - and gifts was one of the positive areas.

Now, ladies’ fashion accessories such as handbags, purses, scarves and jewellery are performing well, and gift food has been up, especially pick-up lines of biscuits, soft drinks and chocolates. They commented: “People seem to have been buying comfort food and accessories to give themselves a lift.”

The pet departments are also doing good numbers per week, particularly on Global Journey Gifts’ Adopt A Puppy dispenser units, and pet gifts are very strong, especially those with dog breeds on them.

“Therefore we’re gearing up with pet advent calendars - and stockings for dogs - which are the best sellers

of all the pet Christmas gifts,” they noted.

For Every Occasion, nomination bracelets have consistently sold well along with affordable pick-up lines.

“Products on spinners - as in our garden centres - always punch well above their weight in the turnover to space ratio,” they explained. “And we are consistently making good money on products in the dispensers from Global Journey Gifts placed on the pavement by the front door. So we’re pretty positive for a good last quarter in both the garden centres and the card and gift shops.”

I’ve also had a catch up with Mark Rees who owns the Henry & Co card and gift chain of nine stores in the Midlands and north-west, and is the managing director of the Henry & Co Home Fragrance brand.

He revealed that since July, the stores are tracking 4% up on 2022 figures which, he said, “we’re really pleased about, given the many challenges with the cost-of-living, the weather, and shopping on the high street. We know that some of this growth is due to inflation, but we’ve found that particularly gifts and home fragrance in the summer have continued to drive sales for us.”

He added: “With regards to gifting in the stores, our top two brands are Wrendale and Henry & Co Home Fragrance which are neck-andneck on year-to-date sales. We are therefore pretty upbeat about the run-in to Christmas in our stores, and with the Henry & Co Home Fragrance brand’s Christmas ranges that will be

arriving in our wider retail partners’ stores soon.”

These two customers seem to mirror broadly the feedback I’m hearing across my customer base, with challenges from the cost-ofliving and the poor summer impacting where consumers shop and the way they are shopping and spending.

However, even with these challenges, the general outlook is still positive, with many of my customers feeling optimistic about their product selections and ready for a good run into the end of the year.

Until next time… have a safe, happy and prosperous Autumn.

Call: 07931 153730 Email: stevepowell@stevepowellagencies.com

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OPINION

‘Tis the season...

In the midst of Autumn and with Christmas round the corner, Retail100 Consulting director and co-founder Anna Berry discusses the critical gifting season

L

ast month, trade shows from Autumn Fair to Top Drawer illustrated the importance of seeking out what’s new and what’s ‘hot’, the key trends, and the need to excite customers with carefully edited product ranges to support seasonal opportunities from Halloween through to Christmas.

Halloween At the time of writing, shops are in full Halloween mode. This celebratory occasion continues to grow - for both children and adults - with sales of decorative gifts and gift food flourishing. The trend to dress your home with autumn wreaths and host spooky events provides a welcome gift opportunity.

Diwali Diwali is also growing in popularity, reflecting the diversity of the UK, with all the key gift retailers now showing gifting opportunities on their websites and in their shops for this religious occasion.

The Festival of Lights - which falls on Sunday November 12 this year - is a key social gathering for families and friends. Popular Diwali gifts include candles and lanterns, oils and spices, and beautiful housewares from gilt platters to ornate glassware. It’s also a big opportunity for gift food such as nuts and sweets - and children’s presents to keep the little ones happy.

Nostalgia The Nostalgia trend has always been an important gift driver and this year’s big blockbuster movie Barbie has driven phenomenal gifting opportunities - and not only

for kids! Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) and indeed Generation X (those born between 1965 and 1980) have responded, with everything ‘pink’ from T-shirts and Totally Pink Barbie Brush Tangle Teezers (a detangling hair brush brand) to backpacks and mugs.

The beauty gifting categories have jumped on it with a huge range of cosmetics - and there’s reportedly been crazy sales of NYX Professional Makeup’s ‘Barbie The Movie’ makeup collection. It’s a trend that will probably die out quite quickly, but it has responded brilliantly to what’s ‘hot’ - which is the nirvana of gifting.

Personalised gifts Giving the right gift shows that you care and have put real thought into it. Hence the continued popularity of personalised gifts and gifts that reflect the recipients’ interests. Plus, charitable gifts and sustainable gifts are now an expected key element of the gifting offer.

Wellness and self-care is booming

too, from gift sets to spa vouchers.

And of course, the advent calendar remains the key driver for beauty, candles, gift food and alcohol gifting.

Brands With all the vast choices out there, it’s important for brands to have a clear USP.

“Gifting is one area of retail that is more recessionproof than other sectors, although key price pointing and value for money will be more important this year” At Retail100 Consulting, we constantly ask our customers to be clear about their purpose, their brand essence, and who their end customer is.

Building your brand essence is important because Brand = Trust.

This is what customers respond to.

Uniqueness is key, so storytelling about why your product is different from others builds your brand and leads to customer loyalty.

In cards and stationery, this will naturally derive from the artist’s personality - and often has the added sustainability to support it Social media is also critical to drive engagement, but different platforms deliver to different customer generations, so be clear about your audience.

The balance between transforming a product to a gift with beautiful wrapping or boxing is a tough one. It’s critical for brand essence and desirability of a gift.

Gifting is one area of retail that is more recession-proof than other sectors, although key price pointing and value for money will be more important this year. So desirability and strong brand equity will drive sales.

Anna Berry is a director and co-founder of Retail100 Consulting, which is a consultancy firm with 100 years of retail experience that helps retailers and brands grow.

With more than 33 years of retail experience - both on the shop floor and in the head office - Anna was Head of Buying for Gifts, Cook and Dine at John Lewis with a team of over 60 and sales of close to £400 million. She has also covered many buying categories in menswear, sport, fashion and beauty.

A driven leader, Anna is strategically agile and known for her passion for people and product, with trust and mentoring at the heart of her leadership style.

Email: hello@retail100consulting.co.uk Visit: www.retail100consulting.co.uk; www.linkedin.com/company/retail100-consulting/ Gifts Today 25

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Product Focus

Christmas Gifts & Decorations

Trendspotting Hannah Bartlett and Jo Beker, co-founders of the Jolly Festive website, are sisters with a shared passion for the Christmas season.

Gifts Today finds out more…

What are your backgrounds?

Hannah says: I worked in the hospitality industry before taking a career break to raise my two sons, and now I’m focused on building our Christmas website. Jo lives in the US and works as a paediatric occupational therapist but, prior to her move west, she worked as a professional chef and event planner in the UK. We’re sisters with a shared passion for the festive season - making people’s Christmases is our year-round obsession!

such an amazing journey! Our business model is part direct advertising on the website, and part affiliate links and partnerships, affording us the privilege to shout about brands we love and align well with our ethos.

With gifts, décor, and Christmas fashions to share, there are plenty of opportunities to spread the word about top sellers, new independent businesses, and the hottest new products for this year’s festive season.

Tell us about Jolly Festive.

We launched our Christmas website, Jolly Festive, mid-pandemic in September 2020, partly to embrace a shared project despite geographic limitations.

Jolly Festive is a hub for all things Christmas. We passionately promote an ‘imperfectly perfect Christmas’ - doing Christmas in the way that is most joyful for you. We share inspiration, trends, and the latest news on every aspect of the festive season, from gifts, food, and activities to décor, and encourage our audience to pick and choose the ideas that appeal to them.

As we’ve delved further ‘behind the North Pole magic’, we’ve found ourselves fascinated by how macro trends and global events impact our choices for celebrating Christmas, from the way we decorate our Christmas trees to the gifts we put underneath them.

While Jo’s retired chef’s hat comes in very handy with original recipe creations, and my background in hospitality and volunteer work fuels our activities inspiration, we’ve also had the pleasure of attracting a substantial following with our Christmas trend insights, décor mood boards, and gift guides.

We’ve created the first complete map of year-round Christmas shops across the UK and had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with all the fabulous shopkeepers as we toured their stores.

While our focus has been firmly on growing the website, we’ve been fortunate to garner some media attention along the way. We were invited to take part in the Channel 4 show ‘Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas’ last year, and one of our viral TikTok Christmas tips was picked up and shared by Channel 5.

And a chance meeting with Jo [Proud, director] of Mood Bears at Spring Fair in 2021 resulted in a joint fundraiser to bring the teddies to my local children’s ward in Ashford, and St. Peter’s Hospitals in Surrey, for Christmas that year - all kindly purchased by members of the community for children in need of bear hugs at an extremely difficult time.

We never thought our little Christmas corner would take us to such places. It’s been

How do you find products?

Our visits to Spring Fair and Autumn Fair at NEC Birmingham, the Harrogate Christmas & Gift show in Yorkshire, Christmasworld and Ambiente in Frankfurt, and Top Drawer in London are highlights on our calendar.

Being able to explore product ranges in person, hear about the latest items coming to market, discover new brands, and attend expert talks, all offer invaluable insights into the overarching themes of the coming festive season. And, as for everyone, the face-to-face conversations with exhibitors are always so informative and productive.

What are your Christmas trend predictions?

This year we’ve spotted two broad themes running through much of the Christmas décor: Natural World and Optimism.

• Natural World: a renewed appreciation of our green spaces since the pandemic, as well as increasing concern for the health of our planet, continue to inform our festive décor decisions.

Rich earthy tones, shades of green from sage to forest, foliage-heavy displays, and woodland creatures will all be extremely popular this year - as well as the continuing shift to eco-conscious materials and packaging.

The mushroom continues its march across the seasons. It’s surely been the unofficial icon of 2023 and shows no signs of abating for the Christmas season. With mythical qualities, in addition to well-documented ecological importance, mushroom paraphernalia looks set to be popular under the tree as well as on it.

We’ve also noticed an increase in icy blue snow décor. This muted Scandi vibe mixes blues with white, silver, and champagne gold, as well as warming accents of soft peach and pale pink. Fleecy fabrics, light wood skis, and faux fur-lined boots complete the ‘snow cosy’ feel.

• Optimism: this theme comprises joyful displays of whimsical festive fun, fairy tale magic, and celestial dreaming. The rainbow colour palette is still a popular choice, but we’ve noted

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Photos: @ Jolly Festive a lighter variation of teal, orange, lime green, bright pink and purple increasingly on offer. It’s unashamedly youthful, and full of celebratory vibes.

• Pinkmas: we expect Pinkmas to be in full force this Christmas, spurred on by the summer blockbuster movie Barbie. Not a colour palette we typically associate with the festive season, pastel Christmas décor has grown in popularity in recent years, but we’re now seeing trees top to bottom in shades of pink, from the palest baby pink through to deep raspberry.

• Sweet treats: gingerbread, candy canes, and increasingly cupcake décor remain popular as well. Whether it’s bold Grinch green with red and white candy cane stripes, or a more matted Scandi palette of red, white, and gingerbread brown, expect to see a lot of interest in tasty, sweet decorations.

• Traditional: as always, there’s plenty of enthusiasm for classic Christmas décor too. The ‘buy once, buy better’ movement aligns well with those looking to build a lifelong Christmas collection. Decorations cherished since childhood are mixed with thoughtful new heirloom purchases, creating an eclectic aesthetic brought together by nostalgia for a traditional Christmas past.

• More is More: there’s a ‘More is More’ approach to décor this year, particularly when it comes to texture. Displays we’ve seen have embraced a multitude of materials such as glass, wood, paper, metal, felt, jute, faux fur, floral, frosted, feathered, tassels, velvet, and glitter - even soft toys and mini wooden sledges as oversized ornaments. It’s all about creating trees with intrigue, which are almost irresistible to touch.

“Making people’s Christmases is our year-round obsession!”

Other trends we’re watching? With the increasing popularity of reusable crackers and refillable advent calendars, there’s a need to find small treats to fill them each year. We’ve noticed an uptick in traffic to our ‘advent calendar fillers’ articles, as people look for different, non-food ideas. Between these, Christmas Eve box treats, and ‘Gifts from the Elf’, new gifting traditions are evolving for the Christmas countdown.

However, with cost-of-living pressures still high on people’s agendas, we’ve also seen a move towards group gifting rather than individual presents. This includes Secret Santa exchanges among friends or adults within a family, as well as a preference to give one (larger) gift to a family, rather than separate items to each member of the household.

We’re so excited to see the sustainability innovation in the greetings and stationery space too. Ingenuity with wrapping materials (such as kraft paper, gift bags, and Furoshiki wraps), paper tape, and seed paper products are starting to make a mainstream impact.

What’s next for Jolly Festive?

It feels like we’ve just scratched the surface of Christmas celebrations. As with everything in life, the more we discover, the more there is to discover. We’ve got plenty to keep us busy growing the website for some time yet!

What’s your current favourite gift?

Well there’s an impossible question! We can’t choose a favourite, but a few items we’re loving right now include Talking Tables’ mushroom glass candle holder & bud vase, Cascayde’s paper tape range, and Fox Under The Moon founder Stacey McNeill’s award-winning books. Plus, Big Potato Games’ Big Screen Games are perfect entertainment for big group Christmas gettogethers. They are tears-down-your-cheeks funny and neatly giftable.

Email: info@jollyfestive.com Visit: www.jollyfestive.com Gifts Today 27

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Product Focus

Christmas Gifts & Decorations

Intricate

designs Alexander Thurlow

Cosy up Warmies If Warmies couldn’t get cuddly enough, the company has launched a range of fruity and fur-ocious furries: brace yourself for a microwavable adventure like no other!

Bursting with fruity fun, monstrous mischief, and prehistoric charm, these adorable and microwavable soft toys are ready to heat up your heart.

And the cosiness doesn’t stop there. Satisfy cravings for a good night’s sleep with Warmies Luxury Collection, gently scented with dried French lavender to create a calming and tranquil environment.

Not only do Warmies smell fantastic, but they also relieve stress, aches and pains with their long-lasting microwavable warmth. Like a weighted blanket, Warmies’ gentle pressure provides a sense of comfort and security, by creating a soothing and grounding sensation to help alleviate the symptoms of anxiety.

Call: 01933 679 777 | Email: sales@warmies.co.uk Visit: www.warmies.co.uk

Alexander Thurlow is giving us reason to decorate more than just our homes this Christmas, with gorgeous gift pieces that symbolise seasonal magic. These designs capture Yuletide’s natural icons. Why not add the Mistletoe, Holly and Christmas tree pieces to your baskets right away? Whether these designs complete your own outfit, or make a loved one smile, there has never been more reason to invest in these intricate items.

Call: 020 8766 6466 Email: sales@alexanderthurlow.com Visit: www.alexanderthurlow.com

A special outfit Blade & Rose Christmas is a magical time; be it a baby’s first Christmas, or when the family makes memories together, Blade & Rose has the perfect outfit for all occasions. Choose from Santa, Festive Reindeer, or the brand-new Christmas Pudding collection - you could even mix-and-match all three. The traditional bright reds and greens all co-ordinate together.

Choose from leggings, long-sleeved tops, socks, bibs, hats, and booties (available in sizes 0-4 years; socks and hats 0-6 years), which are great for Christmas Eve boxes or as stocking fillers. There are also gift-boxed sets of socks and multi-packs of bibs.

Call: 01539 730880 Email: hello@bladeandrose.co.uk | Visit: www.bladeandrose.co.uk

Sparkle on!

All set for Xmas Katie Loxton

Enhance your shelf appeal this festive season with Katie Loxton’s Christmas Collection. All wrapped up in packaging adorned with a golden starburst print, this line-up is full of stocking fillers and styles for under-the-tree gifting.

From a fragrance range featuring cosy Cinnamon and Nutmeg Chai, to home scents and hand creams - now available in the cutest cracker packaging - this collection is guaranteed to capture the essence of the season in your store and make Yuletide gifting all the more magical.

The brand’s best selling soft Blanket Scarves are sure to be a standout on your display this season, with new colourways including emerald green and greige, as well as a starburst metallic print on cool grey and teal green.

Enchant customers with brand-new cardholders, purses and chic clutches, all in a new colour palette of emerald green, cool grey, eggshell, and ice blue. With complementing profiles and matching colourways to best-selling bags including the Cleo, Zana and Millie, these styles will allow your customers to effortlessly curate the winter wardrobe of their dreams - just in time for the party season!

Call: 01295 250879 | Email: enquiries@katieloxton.com Visit: wholesale.katieloxton.com

Joma Jewellery

From stocking fillers to under-the-tree treats, Joma Jewellery’s Christmas Collection of star-studded delights has been pieced together to help your customers create the most magical gifting moments this festive season.

Introducing a colour palette of rich berry, radiant rose, and snowy white - as well as brand-new silver starburst packaging - say hello to the brand’s best-selling Christmas A Little Bracelets (such as A Little Secret Santa and A Little Christmas Robin) and its Celebrate You Gift Boxes and Beautifully Boxed Earrings, which are perfect for those extra thoughtful gifting moments.

Joma Jewellery’s Christmas Crackers have also made a return, this time alongside all-new Christmas Cracker Necklaces - all in heartfelt sentiments and at a great price point to ensure your Christmas display appeals to every customer.

New additions to the best-selling My Moments collection include gold-plated necklaces and bracelets for Christmas, as well as the My Moments Lockets collection: a B2B exclusive which features an array of locket shapes in both silver plating and gold plating to be gifted with love and get the party started this sparkly season!

Call: 01295 263430 | Email: enquiries@jomajewellery.com Visit: wholesale.jomajewellery.com

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Focus On...

Rex London

Get ready for

Christmas… with Rex London’s new wooden advent calendars and top-selling collection of worry dolls

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ex London presents its newly launched wooden advent calendars, available in three beautiful variations. Each features 24 little drawers that can be used for notes, sweets or other small, thoughtful gifts for your customers to put inside before gifting it to their family or friends.

Two of the calendars feature a lovely winter scene, with either a trio of carol singers or reindeers that can be lit up - perfect for displaying in the window at night.

If your customers prefer something simple yet still unique, then the third calendar will catch their eyes. It’s shaped like a Christmas tree with each drawer featuring a gold, festive image. Rex London’s advent calendars are a charming alternative to traditional chocolate ones, that make the countdown to Christmas special and full of fun.

If your customers need ideas for filling these wooden advent calendars, or Christmas stockings, take a look at Rex London’s top-selling collection of worry dolls. Worry dolls have their origins in the story that when the Mayan people of Guatemala have worries, they tell them to worry dolls, which they then put under their pillows at night to have their worries taken away.

This is an affordable and thoughtful idea for a little gift that lets your customers show that they really care in a unique way. The worry dolls come as mini personal worry dolls, self affirmation worry dolls, mini worry people in a box, or as a worry-free family of dolls.

If you’re interested in traditional stocking fillers for kids and grown-ups, or simply looking for more Christmas gifts and decorations, be sure to visit Rex London’s trade website or contact its friendly sales team.

Call: 020 8746 1700 | Email: info@rexlondon.com Visit: www.rexlondontrade.com 30 Gifts Today

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Focus On...

Enesco

It’s all about the giving!

Contemporary gift supplier Enesco is all about branded giftware, with the majority of items being licensed. As we approach the most important gift-giving time of the year, its breadth of product does not disappoint. There is something for everyone!

Disney

Disney Britto is one of the top selling collections from Enesco. This unique range sees a successful collaboration between one of the world’s best-loved family brands and highly sought after contemporary artist Romero Britto.

An international pop art sensation, Romero has interpreted some of the world’s favourite Disney characters in figurines through his signature style of fun and funky block-colouring. In stock from November, the world-wide limited edition Mickey Love Figurine by Disney Britto is the perfect gift for Christmas, Valentine’s Day and more.

Keeping with Disney, Enesco is proud to unveil brand new Stitch and Angel Figurines from Grand Jester Studios, using new and interesting materials to present the little blue alien and his beautiful pink girlfriend in ways that customers have never seen before, with flocked fabric that’s fuzzy to the touch. Presented in branded window gift boxes, they make perfect pick-up items for Christmas.

Allen Designs

Fun and functional is the name of the game for the Allen Designs collection. Brand new is the wonderfully whimsical Love You to the Moon and Back Wall Clock, which would look just as great on the kitchen wall as it would as a statement piece in a little one’s nursery or playroom. It’s truly something different for someone special.

Eau Lovely

Enesco recognises that gifts come in all shapes and sizes, as it strives to offer customers many gift-giving solutions in the form of home fragrance. Working with Rachel McCann, Enesco recently launched further additions to Eau Lovely - a collection of beautifully

fragranced candles and reed diffusers, handpoured in Ireland - to encourage people to live their happiest, most positive lives. A new addition includes the wonderfully fragranced Eau Lovely Multi-wick 100% Soy Wax Candle, which is sure to bring the essence of Christmas to any home.

Irish Botanicals

Presented in eye-catching luxurious gift packaging, the Irish Botanicals home fragrance range is fun, fabulous and affordable.

Inspiration for this collection has been taken from the herbs and fragrances found in gardens throughout Ireland. All Irish Botanicals candles are made from 100% natural wax with a premium scent.

The entire Enesco team is on hand to guide you through the extensive and enviable portfolio of gifts which, of course, are not just for Christmas.

Call: 01228 404022 Email: uksales@enesco.co.uk Visit: www.enesco.co.uk

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Create magical Christmas mornings

Hundreds of traditional stocking fillers in stock and ready to dispatch.

Free delivery available. rexlondontrade.com

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Focus On...

Namaste

Festive Fair Trade For those seeking to promote a more eco-conscious, sustainable Christmas, Namaste has a wide array of handcrafted and ethical decorations and gifts

N

amaste’s Christmas 2023 ranges expand on its commitment to reuse, recycle, and reinvent materials already in circulation from sustainable sources. New decorations this year showcase traditional skills, classic favourites, and fun designs in on-trend Woodland and Rainbow themes.

Multi-coloured recycled sari fabric makes stunning decorative garlands, fluffy baubles, pompom stars and textured wreaths. Snails, hedgehogs, and elephants feature too. This striking patterned cloth also comes in assorted squares, edged in tidy stitching to use as eco-friendly giftwrap, and pretty bags tied with a jute drawstring.

Handmade printed Lokta paper sheets and bags are made from natural, sustainable, and biodegradable fibres. The Christmas variety has festive motifs of reindeer, snowflakes, and Christmas trees with matching tags.

Vibrant wool is hand-crocheted into Christmas jumpers, hats, and other festive motifs to hang from the Christmas tree. Wool felt is crafted into the cutest Christmas characters: a T-Rex dinosaur donning a hand-knitted rainbow bobble hat, a fun felt pug with festive antlers, and a felt mushroom tree topper offer a fresh perspective.

Seasonal terracotta hanging decorations shaped as stockings, bells, doves, snowflakes, hats, and baubles are all tied with rustic jute string and made from natural, chemical-free, sustainable clay.

Choose from recycled glass bauble varieties in different shapes and sizes, in warm winter tones or light reflective colours, and embellished or plain, aged

antique finish or bright modern shades. Frosted styles, acorns, pine cones, and snowflake patterns all contribute to an environmentally-friendly winter wonderland in a living space.

For festive windows and ceilings, try Namaste’s best-selling seven-arm star decorations. Available in six colours and fitted with a mounting ribbon, their velvety texture has glittery stars, dots and snowflake motifs illuminated by timer-controlled battery-operated LEDs. This sophisticated and effective hanging decoration is easy to fold and store away.

Namaste’s supplier is an award-winning recycled paper producer, recognised for its contribution to the local economy. Employing more than 400 people, it has adopted four villages and supports the education of rural children. It is a member of the Fair Trade Forum India.

Namaste says: ‘Make your selection from timeless tradition, contemporary style or completely unconventional. Mostly, enjoy the unique qualities of each artisan piece and say no to cheap-to-buy but costly-to-earth alternatives.

Discover the possibilities with our adorable handcrafted, ethical and sustainable decorations and gifts.’

Call: 01756 700790 Email: sales@namaste-uk.com Visit: www.namaste-uk.com

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Focus On...

Stars for Europe

The Christmas Star is

a gift to retail Gift retailers can cash in on the winter houseplant trend with fast-selling poinsettia pots and decorative displays which incorporate natural beauty

W

ith millions of Brits joining the houseplant and gardening club over the past few years, in a trend driven by younger generations and urban growers, gift shops are missing a trick if they ignore this thriving market sector.

While nobody expects a gift retailer to set up a plant nursery on the shop floor, there are plenty of ways to get involved and make your merchandise displays and shop windows that little bit more enticing for green-fingered shoppers.

As we head into the festive countdown, seasonal plants such as poinsettias - which shout ‘Christmas’ from the rooftops - can help you make gorgeous displays that will entice shoppers into your store and give them ideas they can recreate at home.

Charming miniature poinsettias can be used to decorate real or artificial trees, bring Christmas tablescapes to life, and adorn decorative giftwrap displays and Advent countdowns.

With a multitude of colours now available alongside the traditional red - including white, cream, on-trend apricot, warm salmon and hot Barbie pink - you can use these versatile blooms as an accent for any style festive merchandise display.

The Perfect Poinsettia Pot

Your shop might not be suitable for large displays of houseplants but you can still get a slice of this highly lucrative market via pots, planters and other accessories that green-fingered shoppers will love. Attractive plant pots make fantastic gifts for any occasion and - if your shoppers add in the plant as well - they’ve cracked birthdays, housewarmings, dinner parties and even Christmas itself.

The official planter partner for Stars for Europe this year is British company Ivyline. As one of the most popular and well-respected suppliers

to the home and garden trade, Ivyline has an incredibly broad and varied selection of planters which cover all budgets.

‘The official planter partner for Stars for Europe this year is British company Ivyline’ The supplier’s beautiful seasonal poinsettia pots are ideal for gift shops, with a £5.99 price point that is easily affordable by most consumers, even in these economically challenging times.

Available in four different hues of cream, gold, ruby and pewter, which harmonise perfectly with vibrant poinsettia foliage, these will help elevate gift merchandise and window displays with floral inspiration.

Retailers who dip their toe into the wonderful world of poinsettias will reap the rewards in other ways thanks to Stars for Europe (SfE): a marketing initiative designed to help retailers maximise Christmas sales of winter plants and accessories.

With a spectacular image library that is freely accessible to anyone who wishes to use it, SfE can help you create gorgeous inspirational social media content throughout the festive season. Visit the image library and see for yourself: https://www.starsuniteeurope.eu/en/image-database

Email: charlotte@hornbywhitefootpr.co.uk Visit: https://sfe-trade.com | https://ivylinegb.co.uk/

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Foodie

fun

Product Focus

Christmas Gifts & Decorations

Joe Davies

Let it snow…

Rainbow Designs

Christmas really isn’t Christmas without Rainbaow Designs’ The Snowman and The Snowdog range! This collection of The Snowman and The Snowdog soft toys makes the most magical gift for any fan of Raymond Briggs’ festive favourite.

The best-selling collection features the adorable Musical Snowman soft toy that plays the nostalgic favourite ‘We’re Walking in the Air’ lullaby.

The Snowman and Snowdog bean toys and Snowman Comforter and Ring Rattle Gift Set make perfect early years Christmas presents too.

And, to help get customers into the Christmas spirit, there is The Snowman and The Snowdog Standee available to help promote this collection.

Festive Foodie Decorations is a fun new range which is sure to bring a smile to any Christmas guest. Sprouts, carrots, and Christmas puddings - all wearing cute Santa hats - have been designed to add a festive touch to Christmas trees and décor. Choose from hanging sets of three assorted carrot, sprout and pudding in two different sizes; a standing assortment in two different sizes; and sitting dangle leg versions: perfect for the mantlepiece.

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

Call: 01329 227300 Email: sales@rainbowdesigns.co.uk Visit: www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

Xmas all wrapped Festive Décopatch ExaClair

Décopatch has launched additions to its range of papier mâché shapes and papers for festive celebrations. The items include a cute elf who stands 25cm tall, as well as a starshaped box, which is perfect for keeping small trinkets and sweet treats hidden away.

There are two stylish tree topper designs that are both 20cm in height; simply choose between a classic star or attractive snowflake shape to give an extra personal touch to your tree decorations. To add to the current range of fun hanging decorations, a set of 10 small baubles and a pack of six twisted baubles have been released.

Also introduced for 2023 are four limited edition textured foil paper packs which incorporate a selection of festive patterns. These include Cosy Christmas, Chocolate Christmas, Christmas Orange and Artic Christmas. Each pack contains four co-ordinated 30 x 40cm sheets of textured paper, perfect for creating harmonised decorations.

Call: 01553 696600 Email: enquiries@exaclair.co.uk Visit: www.exaclairlimited.com

up in a box Henry & Co Fragrance Company

Henry & Co Fragrance Company launched its Christmas collection at Home & Gift in Harrogate. Known for its wax melts, the supplier has revealed that its four wax melt gift set has seen sales soar since its launch and is leading Christmas orders to date.

New look packaging has added a frosty blue colouring with illustrations of Christmas including star-topped Christmas trees, glowing lights and dog walkers in the snow. The Christmas range includes four wax melt gift sets, single wax melts, and four wax melts and a candle with a wooden lid. The new FSDU also carries the winter design, making an eyecatching unit in-store alongside the core Henry & Co fragrance range.

Creative director Jo Ashton (previously Stubbs) says: “We have four fabulous fragrances for Christmas which, when put together in a fun packaging design, make the perfect Christmas gift at under the £10 price point. Fragrances include our hero fragrance for Autumn/Winter, Spice Citrus and Clove, Festive Cranberry, White Christmas and Gingerbread.”

Henry & Co Fragrance Company takes pride in crafting high-quality wax products in wax melts, candles, reed diffusers and oils.

Call: 0333 1882006 | Email: hello@henryandcompany.co.uk Visit: www.henryandcofragrance.co.uk Gifts Today 37

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Focus On...

Something Different Wholesale

Christmas delights and spooky frights Discover new and unique festive décor and giftware at Something Different Wholesale

S

omething Different Wholesale is proud to welcome three exciting new ranges for Christmas 2023. The company’s product development team has worked tirelessly to offer a diverse range of festive giftware that will appeal to customers of all interests.

From traditional and joyful to creepy and cosy, these uniquely designed products are sure to offer your customers ‘Something Different’ this Christmas.

gothic gifts and décor. This collection is designed for those who embrace the dark and moody side of the festive season.

Featuring spooky ornaments, black and white accents, and even a black Santa hat, this range will appeal to anyone who loves a captivating twist on traditional festivities - and will leave a lasting impression on guests!

Capture the magic

View the full product ranges and explore a wide collection of Christmas products at www.somethingdifferentwholesale.co.uk

Experience the timeless designs of the Christmas Traditions range of gifts and décor. Adorn the home with the warmth of tradition, from classic mugs and rustic signs to festive baking sets and Santa’s magic bell. Discover the joy of Christmas with this collection of charming pieces for children and adults that will be treasured for years to come.

Call: 01792 940288 Email: customercare@somethingdifferentwholesale.co.uk Visit: www.somethingdifferentwholesale.co.uk

Sweet treats

Fresh from the North Pole Bakery, this range of Christmas bakery-themed gifts and homeware features everything from delectable gingerbreadscented candles to adorable cookie cutter sets for the whole family.

Indulge in the sweet treats of the season and bring some joy to the kitchen this Christmas, with a Gingerbread Christmas range which will create a festive atmosphere that’s both heartwarming and deliciously enchanting.

Creep into Christmas

Step into a delightfully eerie Yuletide with the Creepy Christmas range of 38 Gifts Today

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Trade talk

As we enter the all-important golden quarter, we ask a selection of leading gift suppliers: what do you forecast will be your festive best sellers?

Jed Kenrick

CEO Ashleigh & Burwood

I’d put a sneaky bet on our fantastic Say it with Scent Votive Candles being a big hit with shoppers. They feature our bestselling festive scent, Christmas Spice, and are beautifully presented with one of a range of ‘festive sayings’ printed in gold foil on the glass vessel - ready giftwrapped in striking high quality black and gold wrapping. Hitting a great sub£10 price point, they make a really attractive end-of-term thank you, add-on gift or stocking filler.

With their proven sales history, I also expect our festive Scented Home Reed Diffusers and Scented Candles to be extremely popular again this year.

“I’d put a sneaky bet on our Say it with Scent Votive Candles being a big hit with shoppers” Katy Rugman

Product & Marketing Director The Puppet Company and Wilberry Toys

Our My First Puppets and festive Wilberry Minis have already been really popular, and we predict a bumper Christmas for our puppets and soft toys aimed at our youngest customers.

My First Puppets are suitable from birth, made from soft materials, and have embroidered eyes - all tested to the highest possible standards. By using our most-trusted long-term manufacturer, we’ve ensured the product is made to the highest quality, at affordable price points to continue our ethos of making our Puppets as inclusive and accessible as possible.

“We predict a bumper Christmas for our puppets and soft toys aimed at our youngest customers” We’re also launching new additions - Reindeer and Father Christmas - which we anticipate to be the most popular this Christmas. We’re focused on affordable gifting options and have a range of items, including our best-selling finger puppets which retail at £3.99, making them perfect stocking fillers.

Lawrence Savage

UK Marketing Manager Exacompta Clairefontaine

Our collection of premium notebooks and journals are always fashionable as luxury stationery gifts, and we’re expecting demand for our 2024 Rhodia Webplanner diaries to drive sales as we head towards the new year.

Similarly, with the continued rise in people converting to hybrid working schedules, we’re seeing an increase in popularity for our high-end Exacompta stationery ranges.

With new sustainably designed and aesthetically pleasing organisation and desktop accessories due for release soon, we are anticipating further growth within this sector.

“We’re expecting demand for our 2024 Rhodia Webplanner diaries to drive sales” Oli Woodyatt

Sales Director Alice Wheeler London

The crossbody bag continues to amaze me, with sales continuing to grow year-on-year. We have the Soho dual crossbody bag: this is a larger style camera bag with two compartments, a choice of two straps, and the Alice Wheeler Honeybee charm. This is our number one bag, and customer demand is amazing.

We introduced a range of beauty train cases earlier this year which are all performing exceptionally well. Alice Wheeler has a fabulous range of beauty bags, and the train case has been a super addition to the collection and will possibly be one of our best-selling lines this autumn.

Charlotte Gillan Managing Director Classic Canes

Among our exclusive designs, we have many walking sticks that relate to different hobbies and interests. These make brilliant presents for cane users because they are useful, but also show thought and individuality.

Cats, dogs, British bird species, skiing, safari and so on will be popular. But we also expect to sell lots of our classic floral and plain models too.

Walking sticks are extremely personal items, and some people want something discreet and traditional, while others prefer a contemporary or exuberant design.

This is why we have to have so many different designs in stock - but it does mean that there is something for everyone.

“We have many walking sticks that relate to different hobbies and interests. These make brilliant presents for cane users because they are useful, but also show thought and individuality”

40 Gifts Today

Trade TalkOct.indd 1

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Aylish Ellwood

Trade Marketing Manager Enesco

Most definitely home fragrance, as it’s such an important part of everyday lives: for personal use in the home, and giftgiving. For some it’s a luxury, for others it may play a big part in developing a sense of calm and wellbeing, creating stories and evoking memories.

Our breadth of home fragrance product (including Yankee Candle, Woodwick, Chesapeake Bay, Eau Lovely and now Herb Dublin) allows retailers to offer an array of product - ticking lots of boxes for many consumers.

There’s no doubt that candles will continue to be the best-selling format.

However, wax melts, diffusers and other accessories are becoming more attractive, as we see an emerging trend for smaller and additional ways to scent each space in our lives, matching the needs of each room.

“We see an emerging trend for smaller and additional ways to scent each space in our lives” Paul Hooker

Managing Director Joe Davies

With such a large range, there are hits across a number of product groups. Our biggest seasonal lines are Nuzzles and snoozies! These cosy slippers and socks have a huge repeat rate over the winter months, really peaking in December.

Our Equilibrium Jewellery boxed hats, gloves and scarves are big business. But number one in general gift is our Village Pottery range of house tealights and oil burners. Now it’s a collectable, there is high demand.

Two hits from the Harrogate Home & Gift show are our new range of pens from the Bridgewater Pen Company and a delightful range of Creative Crochet Kits, in both every day and Christmas themes.

“Our Equilibrium Jewellery boxed hats, gloves and scarves are big business” Scott Clarke

Head of Sales and Operations Rex London

As well as all our classics, we’ve brought in so many lovely new products over the past few months.

But for this Christmas, I’m feeling good about our Mini Sausage Dog In A Little Box. Going into its first Christmas trading period on the back of being highly commended in the children’s, educational and preschool category of The Giftware Association’s Gift of the Year Awards 2023, it’s guaranteed to be a hit.

[This cuddly little Dachshund toy comes with his very own stripy jumper and polka dot blanket, all tucked up inside an illustrated gift box.]

Vanessa Curry

Managing Director Best Kept Secrets

Apart from our Spirit of Christmas range, which is in huge demand, we anticipate that our newly uplifted Just Because Collection is going to be a big seller for us this festive season.

Consumers are looking to find ways to celebrate

“We anticipate that our Just Because Collection is going to be a big seller” and mark special moments in a meaningful and affordable way, and this was the inspiration behind the collection, including our Just Because AGE Tea Light Gift Boxes.

Created to give you the perfect gift for any occasion, our Just Because Collection of scented candles, gorgeous gift boxes, and tea lights, features our signature colourful and sparkly home fragrances, and comes in a vessel containing meaningful or fun messages for every occasion, particularly Christmas.

Helen Cottrill

Marketing Consultant Blade & Rose

Our Christmas Collection is always popular. It’s a selection of perfect outfits for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. This year we have launched a gorgeous little Christmas Pudding design, which you can mix and match with our Santa, Reindeer and I Believe Collections.

We have also added a sock gift set and a set of three bibs - perfect gifting ideas, especially for Christmas stockings. Our collection is very modern but traditional, with lots of greens and reds, and such cute seasonal designs.

“Our Christmas Collection is always popular.

It’s a selection of perfect outfits for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day” Keith Edmondson Joint Managing Director Langs

As we supply such a variety of customers, requiring different product types and themes, we are lucky to get a widespread uptake of what we offer.

The one characteristic that does stand out to customers is that we design in-house, meaning a more unique offering. So much so that we are regularly approached by customers with a desire to have bespoke designs and ranges created exclusively for them!

Our artwork is highlighted beautifully within our rapidly increasing Christmas Cards range. These are a 100% UK product and are proving to be incredibly popular. Again, all designs are exclusive to Langs, so you know what you are getting is extra special - and this is certainly reflected in our sales.

“Our artwork is highlighted beautifully within our rapidly increasing Christmas Cards range” Gifts Today 41

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instyle instyle

Bee-lightful!

Also the Bison

These cute, lightweight earrings feature the sweetest little bumblebee watercolour illustrations and are made from the finest, sustainable natural materials. The illustration is first printed onto sustainably farmed cherry wood in the UK, and then hand-finished in-house with silver findings. They make great gifts for adults and teens alike, as they weigh less than 1g each!

Call: 07906035218 Email: alsothebison@gmail.com Visit: www.alsothebison.co.uk

Stay warm Joe Davies

With autumn upon us, we’re all thinking about keeping warm over the coming months and with Christmas around the corner, what better gift than a cosy Equilibrium scarf or pair of gloves? Many scarves and gloves in the collection come complete with a luxury branded gift box, making them perfect to give as gifts.

Sumptuous faux fur crossover scarves, luxurious colour-blocked scarves, soft suede-feel gloves, and modern Scandi-style scarf and gloves sets are just a few of the gift boxes available. Add to that the snuggly Equilibrium gift boxed bamboo socks sets, and you really will have all your Christmas gifts well and truly covered!

Joe Davies has a reputation for award-winning customer service and a great range of gifts, jewellery, and fashion accessories - all at affordable prices and available in ‘little and often’ quantities with a minimum order value of just £100, and free nationwide delivery.

A fresh

look

Alexander Thurlow

With summer now a distant memory, Alexander Thurlow is once again expanding its beautiful Love Nature Love Flowers range, with some of the most popular designs receiving a new gold finish to appeal to a younger audience and kick-start the new year with a fresh look. All products come with biodegradable packaging to complement the environmental vibe.

With nature being so relevant now in these stormy times, this range is proving a best seller with gift shops and garden centres, targeting all those who appreciate these colourful and delicate gifts.

Call: 020 8766 6466 Email: sales@alexanderthurlow.com Visit: www.alexanderthurlow.com

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

Scarves for all year Miss Milly

Scarves in winter are not all about chunky knits and keeping cosy. Sometimes you just want something to dress up an outfit or take off a chill, as British accessories brand Miss Milly found out at Moda when its viscose/ cotton mix styles proved popular with retailers looking for lighter, all-year-round styles.

Combining 20% cotton with 80% viscose creates a really soft and tactile fabric that is very comfortable to wear and versatile in terms of design printing. Browse Miss Milly’s website to view and order the new season designs in a wide variety of styles, from floral to stripes and abstract patterns, and a great range of on-trend seasonal colours.

When paired with the brand’s jewellery, the scarves can be used to create a striking in-store display, which helps with increasing ATV.

Call: 01905 622509 Email: hello@missmilly.co.uk Visit: www.missmilly.co.uk

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Focus On...

Museums & Galleries

Weaving a new

gift product story Museums & Galleries is forging a stylish path with tote bags, zipped pouches and pencil cases

J

ust before the pandemic, Museums & Galleries launched a few organic cotton zipped pencil cases. From these small beginnings, the offer has now burgeoned to include more pencil cases, along with larger pouch bags, and totes, with more product formats and licences to be revealed shortly.

The success of Museums & Galleries’ move to fabric has raised ambitions and aspirations, and the company’s art, production and marketing teams are enthusiastically exploring the potential of further extending its love of heritage and contemporary design onto all things giftable in this new medium.

The product development team in particular has cracked the technical issues involved in matching colour values across different substrates, so the fabric gift products match the journals and other paper stationery perfectly, allowing for interesting co-ordinated displays.

Museums & Galleries’ totes are very good quality at an affordable £15.50 SRP. Made of GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified organic cotton canvas, they are printed on both sides and have an internal pocket and coordinating fabric handles.

Designs feature Victorian classics from the V&A, modern art from the Tate, a beautiful Hokusai-inspired Cranes in Flight from the British Museum, jewel bright minerals from the Natural History Museum, and contemporary pieces by designers Sarah Campbell, Helen Ahpornsiri and Catherine Rowe.

These designs largely co-ordinate with the pouch bags and pencil cases - although the pencil cases also feature dinosaurs from the NHM, Paddington Bear, and Hokusai’s Great Wave. The pouch bags have a £10.99 SRP and the pencil cases are £11.99 SRP. All ranges are being refreshed and extended for 2024.

Call: 01373 462165 Email: sales@mgml.co.uk Visit: museumsgalleries.co.uk

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16/10/2023 20:47

Product Focus At Home

New designs Dunoon

Mushroom mania!

Joe Davies

Mushrooms have finally gone mainstream and are currently a huge trend in home décor. Playful, whimsical, and rooted in the natural world, there are lots of different ways to bring an element of this trend into your home.

The brand new Mushroom Glow LED Lamp collection from Joe Davies features attractive ceramic LED mushroom lamps in three sizes and three popular mushroom shapes. These charming lamps have a wooden-look base and are available in grey, sage green, and pink to fit in with most current home décor colour schemes.

Joe Davies specialises in supplying to independent retailers with ‘little and often’ quantities, with carriage paid orders of just £100 and free nationwide delivery.

Fishy Wishy, Cuddly Koalas and Elephantastic! are three designs on Dunoon’s large-size Henley shape and feature a lighthearted look at some of the most favourite creatures of land and sea. Illustrator Cherry Denman has captured their whimsical characteristics and portrayed them beautifully in her inimitable style.

Dragon is a set of two striking designs, drawn in a graphic style

by David Broadhurst, on Dunoon’s contemporary Cairngorm shape.

Each mug features a dramatic writhing dragon on a richly patterned background of bold colours, with details enriched with 22 carat gold. All these mugs are made in fine bone china in Staffordshire.

Call: 01785 817414 Email: sales@dunoonmugs.co.uk Visit: www.dunoonmugs.co.uk

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

Comprehensive

collection Lesser & Pavey

A new Lesser & Pavey range of William Morris designs features on housewares gift products.

‘William Morris Hyacinth’ is a design not used by Lesser & Pavey before.

The collection includes an array of fine mugs, a mug and coaster, mugs in gift sets, trays in three sizes, egg cups, storage canisters, coasters, placemats, a jug, butter dish, teapot, salt and pepper, spoon rest, tea bag tidy, lap tray, glass cutting board, oven gloves and apron. The design also features on a new drinks bottle, a selection of stationery, a cushion and a doorstop.

Willian Morris designs offer a hint of nostalgia and romance. Bought together, the range makes a perfect wedding gift or housewarming gift.

William Morris is renowned worldwide as a British textile designer, poet, and novelist, associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement, and a major contributor to the revival of traditional British textile art.

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

Home sweet home

Personalised Memento Company

Brand new to PMC’s large range of personalised gifts is this Personalised Smoked Home Sweet Home Candle. Combining function and style, this candle is sure to complement any home, with its stylish design and lifelike effect flame. With the option to add your own message, it can be used for many occasions, from sharing best wishes with new homeowners to congratulating a newly-married couple.

Visit PMC’s website to find out how they could help you to sell from their huge range of dropship personalised gifts.

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

44 Gifts Today

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Focus On...

Makasi Imports

Keep it fresh

with Makasi

Makasi Imports founder Dan Unsworth reveals the fascinating tale behind his company, which specialises in high quality giftware, home accessories and driftwood-style furniture

H

igh quality giftware, home accessories and driftwood-style furniture company Makasi Imports - which imports a diverse and extensive range of Fairtrade products from Indonesia - was founded by entrepreneur Dan Unsworth in

2014.

Dan has been in the furniture and home accessories business for 30 years and still regularly travels around the globe to maintain close relationships with manufacturers, so he can personally guarantee the quality and ethical production of Makasi’s range.

The firm’s ethos is to supply great quality wholesale products at affordable prices, enabling its trade only customers to make a profit.

Makasi is a ‘people first’ company: products are made by small family businesses, mainly using recycled materials such as coconut shells or teak tree roots, enabling the whole tree to be used sustainably in the giftware and furniture making process, which eliminates waste, benefits the environment, and helps support local communities.

This philosophy has seen Makasi go from strength to strength. Having started out with one main warehouse eight years ago, there are now three large warehouse units located at the company’s Surrey farm location, and a team of more than 40 people based in the UK and Indonesia.

As Makasi’s presence in Indonesia grows, it believes in the importance of giving something back by supporting employees’ local communities. For example, it donated school supplies on a recent buying trip to Bali, and plans to sponsor school classroom reading areas in 2024.

Makasi carries stylish driftwood-style stock which, it says, larger wholesalers find difficult to source and reproduce. With more than 150 brand-new products this season, the range is constantly evolving to keep things fresh, ensuring it can always offer clients something truly unique.

Keeping up-to-date with current trends is crucial, as is constantly investing in new product ideas. Makasi’s products are designed to fit within any modern home or garden, with unique items across all products and styles.

Dan attributes the secret of Makasi’s success to its ability to deliver high-end products within specified timescales, ensuring that each delivered piece is of the highest quality.

Makasi also prides itself on building strong relationships, both with suppliers and customers. And Dan’s final tip for a successful business?

Call: 01932910533 “Always listen to your Email: info@makasiimports.co.uk customers, and regularly ask Visit: www.makasiimports.co.uk for their feedback.”

Gifts Today 45

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Product Focus Valentine’s Day Gifts

Yours forever

and always Enesco

Spread the love Personalised Memento Company

Personalised Memento Company’s range of Me To You gifts offers designs across a variety of items, including photo upload products. Each is personalised, making it a heartfelt gift that can be treasured for years to come.

With a growing range of on trend giftware and selling solutions to suit all retailers, there’s never been a better time to sell personalised gifts. Visit PMC’s trade website to register for your account and get started.

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

Take heart Miss Milly

Hearts are the epitome of Valentine’s Day gifts, and Miss Milly has a selection of heart jewellery in traditional reds and pinks as well as more unusual colours such as lime green, grey or turquoise.

Choose from bold or delicate pendants in colourful resin - with different finishes from foil to mother-of-pearl or hand-painted pieces - add matching earrings and display in branded boxes to create the perfect ‘pick up and go’ gift set. Increase the transaction value with a co-ordinating scarf, such as Miss Milly’s bright fuchsia pink sparkling glitter or sequin designs.

The products are also suitable for Galentine’s Day on February 13: an increasingly popular occasion when girls buy gifts for their closest friends. Originally created to celebrate singledom, Galentine’s has now evolved into a more general celebration of friendship.

Miss Milly’s pick-up add-ons are perfect for this, such as heart compact mirrors, magnetic brooches, or enamelled animal and bird keyrings and bag charms, from cats and dogs to cows and mice.

Call: 01905 622509 Email: hello@missmilly.co.uk Visit: www.missmilly.co.uk

For more than 20 years, Enesco has been selling Willow Tree: an intimate line of figurative sculptures that speak in quiet ways. For Valentine’s Day, Willow Tree offers lasting and romantic gifts for those who have found their true partner in love and life.

Willow Tree figures celebrate relationships at any stage - whether fresh and new, or steady and enduring. Emotions are left for the viewer to discern, which makes them personal and powerful.

Call: 01228 404022 Email: uksales@enesco.cuk Visit: www.enesco.co.uk

Celebrate romance Joe Davies

Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love, so romantic gifts such as jewellery are always very popular. The brand-new Equilibrium Te Amo Collection from Joe Davies encompasses heart-shaped necklaces, earrings and bracelets in every conceivable style, ensuring there really is something to suit all ages and tastes. ’Te Amo’ means ‘I Love You’ in Spanish, which says it all… made with love for those we love!

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

Seductive mix Mad Beauty

Mad Beauty is sure to set hearts racing this coming Valentine’s Day with its new Wild at Heart range. This seductive collection of bath, body and beauty delights includes cherry-fragranced bath caviar, a heart-shaped bottle of bubble bath, a celebratory bottle-shaped bath fizzer, a shimmering heart-shaped lip gloss and midnight massage oil.

Call: 0208 958 0555 Email: sales@madbeauty.com Visit: madbeauty.com

46 Gifts Today

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OPINION

The word on the street...

Maybugs co-owner Greg Rose is back to dish the dirt on what’s hot, what’s dropped and what’s new at his three-strong gift shop chain in East Sussex

What’s Hot?

What’s Dropped?

With people well and truly back into travelling after the pandemic, we’ve seen a massive rise in sales of our popular travel jewellery cases from History & Heraldry. The perfect size to house all your precious jewellery in your carry-on or handbag (so you know your special pieces will always be safe) at an affordable price. A hit right through the summer, we’ve noticed that customers are already buying these as stocking fillers in preparation for Christmas.

All things crystal are very current now. We have Gemstone Trees from Widdop & Co. and have included amethyst to the range. We’ve also recently ordered Tree of Life necklaces with healing crystals attached, and added more beautiful hanging crystals to our Wild Things display. On top of that, we’re stocking individual crystals and tumble stones for our till displays from Widdop & Co.

With autumn well and truly here, we’ve had a drop in sales of raffia bags and sunglasses (although there was a last-minute rush during the September heatwave) but that’s to be expected at this time of year. They proved very popular back in the summer, so we will definitely consider growing the collection for next year.

What’s New? As always, Jellycat has come up trumps with its Halloween range and our sales have been fabulous! The most popular soft toys were a sell-out before Autumn had begun, including Skeleton Bob, Ooky Bat and Ooky Ghost. Lots of happy customers will have a super Halloween with their new purchases.

We took a gamble and put in an order with ROKA at Home & Gift in Harrogate.

ROKA prides itself on using recycled materials to make excellent quality

waterproof backpacks and bags. With bright and vibrant colours as part of their charm, these bags are perfect for everyone - I even have an avocado one now! They are at a higher end budget, but are proving to be a hit with our customers who are buying an average

“We’ve decided to take a dip into the big wide world of TikTok” of 18 a week across the three stores.

We’ve decided to take a dip into the big wide world of TikTok and have started to use the platform, which has been successful with our viewers. We are currently in the process of starting a TikTok shop, with an aim of selling our products live. And with my TV shopping background (I was a buyer for Ideal World once upon a time), I’ve been

chosen to take the helm, so watch this space.

I’m sure you’ll see me ‘sparkling’ on screen, because with Christmas literally around the corner, all gift shop owners know that it’s that time of the year where glitter seems to find its way onto every inch of your face for the next two months!

Finally, after weeks of hard work by our team on our Maybugs Artisan Market initiative, we were over the moon to discover that we had been chosen as one of 100 most inspirational businesses around the UK to be part of Small Business Saturday this year.

Maybugs was celebrated across Small Businesses Saturday’s social media on Day 27 (Sunday September 24) of the SmallBiz100 campaign.

We are very much looking forward to celebrating this achievement with the other selected businesses, and working together to make Maybugs even better.

Gifts Today 47

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RETAIL INTERVIEW

Box Of Delights

Unwrapping a

Box Of Delights Michelle Ellingham, owner of Box Of Delights in the Bedfordshire town of Flitwick, celebrates 33 years of gift trading this month. She shares learnings from her retail journey

I

previously worked for a building society, involving mortgages and savings accounts. But I’ve always had an interest in the arts, and a love for window dressing and home and interior design.

So when the opportunity arose, my mum Jan Wood (who is also my business partner) and I took the plunge. With no retail experience between us, we decided to open a gift shop - and established Box Of Delights in October 1990.

At the time, retail premises were being built in our nearby small commuter town of Flitwick in central Bedfordshire. It had few independent retailers due to the arrival of an out-of-town Tesco Superstore, which provided many jobs but sadly put most of the long-established indies out of business.

Locals had to travel long distances to major towns like Milton Keynes, Luton or Bedford to buy

decent, innovative, quality gifts, greeting cards, collectables and home decor. There literally wasn’t anything in Flitwick or the surrounding villages. So we felt there was definitely a niche in the market.

We acquired a brand new 50-60sq m unit in July 1990 that immediately needed to be fitted out with a shopfront, lighting, flooring, fixtures, fittings and display units.

Back then, stripped pine furniture was all the rage, so we decided to go with this look. We chose freestanding dressers, long wooden tables, round dining tables, chairs, bookshelves, plate racks, and even a double bed (plus large mirrors) - which were all available for sale.

But then we realised we needed stock.

Thankfully we had signed up to receive industry brochures (and Gifts Today - full of useful

Top 20 Suppliers • East Of India • Powder UK • Katie Loxton • Joma Jewellery • Caroline Gardner • Jellycat • Peppermint Grove • Inis • Alice Wheeler • Fifty One Percent

• Swole Panda • Widdop & Co. • Wax Lyrical • Lily-Flame • Melt Candles • Gisela Graham • Marmalade of London • Tales From The Earth • S-C Brands • Sara Miller London

What are your current favourite gifts on your shelves?

Attic Creations’ beautiful sentiment silver jewellery presented in a cute glass bottle, Powder UK’s gorgeous short pyjamas, Hotchpotch’s animal print champagne coupes, Alice Wheeler’s train cosmetic bags, and Counting Stars’ Haute Hippie stationery

information). We attended our very first gift fair, at Harrogate, the following week.

We were overwhelmed. So many marquees, halls and hotels full of amazing products, fashions and trends for every style, pocket and occasion!

Where to start? We concentrated on ordering stock for immediate delivery and because of our inexperience, we were completely unaware that we needed to be thinking of ‘Christmas’.

We ordered everything and anything that we could think of: objects we would have in our own homes, or would like to receive - or most importantly - love to give as gifts, to complement the quality, design-led style of the shop that we were creating - our new venture!

The list included silk and lace cushions, pot pourri, dried flowers, fragrant oils, porcelain dolls, Enesco musical boxes, Andrew Brownsword Forever Friends, Steiff bears and much more.

We made many appointments for agents

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and reps to visit us over the coming weeks. We appreciated their wealth of industry knowledge and recommendations of products that were ‘no-brainers’ (I hate that expression, but everyone seemed to say it), current trends, quality and product longevity, suggested quantities, retail pricing and so on. Gosh, it was mind-blowing! But we established many good relationships which we still have today.

By early October we were full to the rafters with boxes of loads of lovely new stock, plus furniture, wall fixtures, greeting cards and wrap displays, pictures, and a new counter and till.

It took a good couple of weeks to arrange and then rearrange it all before we were completely happy with the layout. Finally, it looked amazing - and then both excitement and anxiety set in.

The week before we opened, our illuminated signage went up above the door. When I was outside admiring our window display, an elderly couple walked past, glanced in, and I overheard them say: “Well, I don’t think we need a gift shop in Flitwick. That won’t last for long.” My heart sank.

But opening day on October 26 was an amazing success. Customers loved the delights that we had to offer, and the compliments were flying, about “how lucky we are to have such a beautiful shop on our doorstep”.

We had to frequently reorder best sellers and customers’ requests - we were running out of stock! I had to quickly add extra Christmas cards, decorations and plush to our collections. That Christmas was magical. I would even say it was ‘the most wonderful time of the year’.

Customers became loyal and frequent, and Box Of Delights gained a reputation locally and afar for stocking wonderful gifts and cards with friendly customer service - so much so that in 1994 we acquired the similar-sized shop next door to expand our thriving business.

Today, I would describe our range as eclectic.

We’ve always had a certain flair for selecting slightly unusual, designed-led objets d’art that complement any interior, personality or interest.

We cover a broad range of gifts for babies and children, sustainable fashion, greeting cards, lifestyle, home decor, seasonal gifts and decorations. We always continue to search for new and unusual finds, and refresh the shop and window displays throughout each season.

Our key gift categories are wellbeing, animal and cruelty-free, sustainable, home fragrance, candles, diffusers, melts, greeting cards, stationery, home decor, handbags, purses, fashion jewellery, silver jewellery, scarves, kimonos, hair accessories, hats and gloves, organic baby clothing, soft and educational toys, books and gift packaging.

Our gifting occasions categories include new baby, christening, wedding, friendship, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, Father’s Day, Halloween, Christmas, Communion and Seasonal.

I source products in many ways: via agents, reps, websites, social media, consumer magazines, brochures, trade press, and trade shows (Spring Fair, Autumn Fair, Top Drawer, and Home & Gift). My selection criteria includes quality, visual appeal, value for money, trend, exclusivity and customer service.

Products that are proving popular now are crossover body bags, Jellycat, baby gifts, wedding gifts, travel-related gifts, friendship gifts, sustainable and recyclable products, animal and crueltyfree, home fragrance and wellbeing, We have recently started stocking Attic Creations silver jewellery, Wild Olive, The Tipsy Candle Company, and Belly Button Designs’ candle tins.

And at this time of year, in the lead-up to the Christmas season, we look to increase many collections including home fragrance (especially Melt, Marmalade of London, The Aromatherapy Co, and Peppermint Grove), jewellery collections, festive decorations, Jellycat, and men’s sustainable fashion accessories.

We also intend to introduce a new chocolate brand, extend baby clothing and children’s accessories, and develop our ladies’ fashion collections.

So, how’s business? With media coverage of the cost-of-living crisis and rising fuel costs and interest rates, customers are definitely tightening their belts. They are being more thoughtful and selective about their choice of purchase and not impulse buying (although we did have a very good Mother’s Day and Easter).

But customers don’t hold back on spending for certain events like the arrival of a new baby, a wedding or a special birthday. Trade is unpredictable though: some days footfall is down with really good sales, while on other days it’s busy with multiple purchases.

We’re situated next to a train station (London St Pancras is 40 minutes away), so there’s always been passing trade. Early morning and late afternoons are very busy times.

However, since Covid, many people are still working from home and perhaps only commuting to the capital a couple of days a week, so their shopping habits have changed - although there are more people shopping locally during the daytime, which is promising.

We try to maintain customers’ interest by posting on social media most days. We highlight new deliveries, popular brands, promotions and special occasions. We also advertise our Christmas shopping events in November. We offer discounts, fizz and

festive nibbles to entice customers in, and these can continue late into the evening.

And we have a website which is frequently updated. It was improved during Covid and was an absolute godsend when our doors were closed.

We’re open seven days a week, and we offer a wrapping service and gift vouchers. We pop deliveries free of charge to customers locally if necessary, and we support local schools, clubs and events with raffle prizes, gift vouchers and so on.

What’s next? We’re so very proud to be celebrating 33 years in the gift industry (a major achievement), serving our local community and further afield. Over the years, we’ve experienced many achievements and have happy memories.

We’ve also overcome some challenges too.

Obvious examples that we’re all facing currently are cost-of-living issues - not only interest rates and fuel increases but the rising prices of stock affecting the retail price, which eventually has to be passed on to the consumer.

And ‘Stockist Exclusivity’ sadly seems to have disappeared in these difficult times, which therefore creates more competition in the local community. But the biggest challenge we face has to be, dare I say, Amazon and Moonpig.

Moving forward, my hopes and aspirations are for Box Of Delights to thrive for many years to come, to enjoy sourcing wonderful new and exciting gifts that people want to purchase, and to continue to provide excellent customer service.

I’m so privileged to ‘go shopping’ for a career. I love the excitement of discovering and displaying new products.

But what’s most rewarding is when customers are delighted with their purchases and they compliment the shop and our staff about their experience.

It makes us do a little happy dance!

Top 5 Best Sellers 1 Jellycat 2 East Of India 3 Alice Wheeler 4 Joma Jewellery 5 Powder UK Gifts Today 49

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RETAIL INTERVIEW

Bazaar

A family affair Clare Turner talks to Heather Middleton, director and joint owner of Bazaar gift shop in Barnstaple, which has been established for over 25 years in the North Devon market town What’s your background?

I’ve been in retail for more than 20 years.

Originally I helped my mum Christine run our village shop, so I guess that’s where it all started.

I also worked in the travel industry where I was a manager for a local firm. Then I joined a department store in a customer service role, which gave me valuable experience.

Why did you move into gift retailing?

My eldest daughter Amber told me that an independent gift shop called Bazaar was up for sale in Barnstaple, and she loved the store. So after a lot of deliberation, my husband [and joint owner] Phil and I finally took the plunge. And, 13 years later, here we are! Both my daughters - Amber and Rosie - do a fantastic job of running the shop dayto-day, along with my cousin’s daughter Lauren and my mum.

We are a family firm, which is why we’ve gone from strength to strength in meeting the needs of Barnstaple and beyond, because we are all passionate about our business and our customers.

Bazaar is on Gammon Walk - a pedestrianised partially undercover shopping area in the heart of Barnstaple, which is a market town in North Devon. We’re very lucky to have a good selection of independent shops which are well supported locally. And with tourists and holidaymakers, we have an excellent all-year-round business.

What are your key categories?

Bazaar is a unique gifts and greeting cards shop. So if you’re looking for something a little bit different, from quirky gifts, Fairtrade gifts, and clothing, to toys, homeware, jewellery, and home fragrance, you will find it here - and so much more.

hearing the giggling and laughter coming from this particular section just makes my day!

What have you started stocking recently?

Our most recent project was a bit of a headache for Phil, because we wanted to stock clothing. He had to make room for the rails, which meant losing shelving, and we had to have a shop reshuffle. Then he had to measure, order and assemble the rails.

“We are seeing a lot more customers who are already starting to buy presents for Christmas”

Who are your key suppliers?

We have so many, including Jellycat, Lanka Kade, Gringo, Langs, Bentley & Bo, Dutch & Daughters, Inis, Rosie Made A Thing, Cinnamon Aitch, Stop The Clock, Tisserand, and Ashleigh & Burwood, to name a few.

But after a shop rejig, and some rather nice pipework rails from a recommendation (thank you Chay West, owner of The Cove Boutique, which is just around the corner from us) we now have a small range which has had a good response and is building nicely.

How do you find products?

Every year, we source new suppliers at Spring Fair and Autumn Fair. But I have trusted reps that have been with me from the start, and their knowledge and guidance over the years has been invaluable.

So, a huge thank you to Peter Banister, Richard Ives, Rosie Trow and Mark Ally.

What’s on your counter/by the till?

Ginger Betty’s little sentiment cards, which are beautifully displayed in a cardboard CDU. They are a great pick up; customers often choose two or three of these at a time. We also have a CDU of pocket-sized guidebooks for Devon coast and country walks from Pocket Mountains, and coasters from Rosie Made A Thing and Redback Cards. Plus, we have an extensive range of healing crystals and gemstones.

What’s proving popular?

JellyCat is extremely popular and incense is a top seller for us. But overall, greeting cards take the top spot. I absolutely love buying cards and our best sellers are rude and cheeky! We receive so many compliments about our cards, which is lovely - and

How has trading been for you?

This year has been a bit of a strange one. Easter was very disappointing, things didn’t really pick up

50 Gifts Today

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until the beginning of June, and we just didn’t get the visitors for the half-term at the end of May like we usually do.

It was a very unnerving time for the gift trade, but thankfully we had a good summer which helps with cash flow and stocking up for the Christmas period. It’s been a very difficult year for everyone, and we are seeing a lot more customers who are already starting to buy presents for Christmas.

“My daughter Rosie and her dog Rolo are in charge of everything social media, and keep customers up to date on new arrivals. Check out our Facebook page (#rolorecommends) to see what they’ve been up to!”

How do you get the word out there?

During the first Covid lockdown we launched our website (www.bazaarbarnstaple.co.uk) which BoomBoom Media provided. Thank you to managing director Graham Harris and his team for their continued support.

In the second lockdown we installed a POS system - and now I wonder how we ever managed without it. I was kept very busy loading every product in the shop. Let’s just say it kept me very quiet for a while.

My younger daughter Rosie and her dog Rolo are in charge of everything social media, and keep customers up to date on new arrivals. Check out our Facebook page (#rolorecommends) to see what they’ve been up to!

In July, Bazaar won the Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer - South West category of The Retas Greeting Card Retail Awards 2023, and we

proudly display the Retas trophy in our window.

Our local weekly newspaper The North Devon Journal published a lovely piece about our achievement, and we’ve since had new customers coming in to purchase cards and gifts - as well as receiving massive congratulations from suppliers and our lovely regulars.

Top 5 Best Sellers

Do you offer any services?

Customers have the option to purchase gift vouchers in-store, and we have a wide selection of gift bags, quality wrapping paper and tissue paper.

We are more than happy to wrap gifts, so customers don’t have to.

2 Jellycat across the board

What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?

Seeing the products that I’ve chosen fly out the door, and hearing the wonderful compliments when customers say: “I always manage to find the perfect present in here.” So I must be doing something right!

And working with the family is very rewarding.

I know it doesn’t work for everyone but weirdly for us it does. We all have our strengths and, most importantly, we work well as a team. So when Phil and I go away on holiday, we can relax and have peace of mind about the business, because it’s in the very best hands.

4 Lanka Kade Fairtrade

1 Rosie Made A Thing greeting cards and gifts 3 Gringo Fairtrade gifts and clothing wooden toys 5 Langs homeware and gifts

And the most challenging?

When my daughters, husband and I argue at trade shows! Not really, I think juggling cash flow is hard, and I worry whether everything I’ve bought is going to sell. But that comes with experience and I’ve got a bit of that behind me now.

What’s your favourite gift on your shelves?

Jellycat: the quality, the appeal to both young and old, and the way the company keeps coming up with new products is mind-blowing.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in gift retailing?

Do your homework. Research and find out what’s needed in your area. I was lucky to buy Bazaar as a going concern, so the model was already there. It’s been established for over 25 years in Barnstaple.

Gifts Today 51

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Drink in Style.

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