GiftsToday

Supporting your industry for 28 years

Independently audited ABC circulation of 7,093 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016

Month: September 2017 Issue: 8

Volume: 28

Visit our stand at the Autumn Fair - Hall 5, Stand J11 www.aromatize.co.uk Advert (Gifts Aromatize.indd Today) 2017 FINAL.indd 25 Front Cover 1

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ONE STOP SH O P FOR P ERSONA L I S E D GI FTS est: 2004

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Personalised

Flower of the Month

NEW

Mugs

Give a timeless gift with our elegant new Country Diary bone china mugs.

A delightful array of 12 designs featuring original artwork, and a personal message

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© RS/LL Ltd. 2017

Visit us at Autumn Fair Hall 5 Stand L02 - M03 FO R H I M

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G I F TS FO R H E R G I F TS FO R CH I L D R E N G I F TS FO R T H E H O M E A N N V E R SA RY G I F TS H O M E WA R E

T E AC H E R G I F TS

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Contents September 2017

Regulars 6

News

12

Giftware Association News

14

Licensing News

16

Exhibition News

101 Ross Hewitt’s Social Media 106 Julie Dodsworth

Retail 24 Debenhams Sarah Theobald, Buying Manager – Gifts at Debenhams, shares what will be in store for customers over Christmas and beyond.

26 Retailers’ Panel Key gift shop owners talk Christmas, trends and social media

34 Trade Talk

Gifts Today team

Leading figures in the gift industry talk Brexit, consumer confidence and trends in the final

p 42

quarter of the year

Editor Sally Norton sally@lemapublishing.co.uk

Exhibitions

Advertisement Manager

28 Top Drawer

Mark Horsnell markh@lemapublishing.co.uk

Step into the world of Gift, Home and Fashion

Layout/Design

at the autumn edition of the show

Rick Vickers rickv@lemapublishing.co.uk

20 Home & Gift Buyers’ Festival

Group Editor

review

Mirella Cestaro mirella@lemapublishing.co.uk

Editor Sally Norton reports back from the

Group Advertisement Manager Ryan Horwood ryan@lemapublishing.co.uk

p 24

38 Autumn Fair

Publisher Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Our guide to the biggest trade show of the season, showcasing tens of thousands new

Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

products perfect for your store

Managing Director

Profiles

Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

42 Aromatize

Lema Publishing Ltd

PUBLISHING

summer favourite

MD Marvin Lomax share the story of the

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

company and their plans for the future

Special Features

A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

Independently audited

66 Gifts for women

ABC circulation of 7,093 July 2015 to June 2016

p 38

78 Kitchen & dining trends

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Message from the Editor www.gifts-today.co.uk Twitter: @giftstodaymag

Page 28

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

In our Trade Talk feature we talk Brexit, consumer confidence and what’s around the corner for Christmas. And we ask members of our growing Retailers’ Panel for their views on what’s selling. (Which reminds me to invite you to join our Panel if you’d like to have your say in a coming issue – just drop me an email to learn more.)

I was so pleased to be asked again to be a judge on next year’s Gift of the Year Awards, which will announce winners on the first night of Spring Fair 2018. The Awards are now open and it’s definitely

“

September can feel more like New Year than January does

Joe Davies

worth checking out the details on the GA’s website.

As well as our big show round-ups, we also have some retail insight from artisan and businesswoman Julie Dodsworth on how to make the customer buying experience as easy as possible.

And I found Ross Hewitt’s social media column about video content especially interesting. Ross is going to be speaker at Autumn Fair and, because I happen to know he speaks as wittily as he writes, I can assure you it’ll be as enjoyable as it’s informative. I hope to see you there.

I don’t know about you, but September can often feel more like New Year than January does. Only it’s better, really, as we’re not being bombarded by messages and social pressure telling us what our goals and resolutions should be. We can just focus on what needs to get done – shaking the sand out of our shoes and looking ahead to the next season.

Have a great month.

Ross Hewitt

Carrie Elspeth

“

A

s I write this I’m taking a very quick breather before the autumn/ winter show season gets underway.

It’s taken a while to come down from the social whirl of Harrogate Home & Gift… let’s just say I now understand why there’s such a trend in the gift world for products with the word ‘Prosecco’ on them.

We’ve got a packed issue for you. In the lead up to the coming trade shows, we’re giving a sneak peek into what’s new at the shows and who’s launching what. You can discover what’s happening at Top Drawer in London and see what companies will be unveiling at Autumn Fair in Birmingham.

As I prepare this issue, I’m really looking forward to heading up to the NEC. It’s my first Autumn Fair but, if Spring Fair is anything to go by, I’m in for a treat. My ad manager Mark is already preparing his activity tracker to see how many miles he can clock up walking the aisles. Feel free to stop him to ask how he’s doing.

One thing I know for sure is that you really have to see product in the flesh and meet the people behind the company names to understand what you’re buying. That’s why we’ve devoted so many pages in this issue to so many of our friends who will be exhibiting at the shows.

In this issue we also talk to Marvin Lomax about the history of Aromatize, the successful company who are our cover story this month.

NEWS

PMS International unveil 18-tonne lorries Elves Behavin’ badly hit the road for 2017 campaign PMS International, the UK’s leading importer and wholesale distributor for toys, games and novelties, unveiled their new look branded commercial vehicles with staff, to mark the start of their 2017 Elves Behavin’ Badly campaign. Over the next few months, the cheeky Elves will be on full view as PMS drivers travel across Britain to ensure retailers can keep up with the growing demand for this pre-Christmas countdown phenomenon.

The eye-catching designs showcase the fantastic Elves Behavin’ Badly range including the original Elfie, his female elf companion Elvie, the impossibly cute Elf triplets and even Rudie the Reindeer, all of which are instantly recognisable by their big ears. PMS’ vehicles are going to be hard to miss thanks to the eye-catching new designs featured on the side and back of the lorries. There will be 32 different commercial vehicles including; 44, 18, 12 and 7.5 tonne lorries on the road delivering these cheeky characters to stores across the UK. What started in the US a couple of years ago as animated humour and creative fun, spread across the internet rapidly. Originally started to entertain

young children during the Christmas countdown in December, its creativity has made it one of the fastest growing pre-Christmas rituals. This light-hearted preChristmas phenomenon sees families, couples and office workers create daft poses for their Elves each day and share their imaginative results online. pmsinternational.com

Terramundi Money Pots celebrate 20 years People have saved in terracotta money pots for 2,000 years – and for 20 of them people have saved in Terramundi Money pots.

The company was founded by Dario Illari and Jacquie Ryle in the winter of 1997, after they saw money pots being thrown during a holiday to Italy and were inspired to paint and sell their own in the London Christmas markets. They started at Covent Garden’s Jubilee Market and they were successful from the off. The rest is history. Jacquie and Dario have also diversified into other business areas over the years, but Terramundi remains their much-loved and first joint venture. terramundi.co.uk

NPW welcomes Lauren The home of unique, fun and quirky gifts have crowned Lauren Butler as an independent team leader and northern account manager, heading up their field sales team. npwgifts.com 6 gifts today

Top prize for Thames & Kosmos The gift and games company celebrated a big win recently when their Exit game won the internationally recognised Kennerspiel des Jahres award, judged by experts in the world game awards.

‘We’re so excited to have received such an esteemed award,’ says sales director Joanna Drage. ‘It’s the perfect testament to our passion for board games, and great to celebrate our success in Harrogate.’ thamesandkosmos.com

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NEWS

‘Marrs Green’ revealed as ‘world’s favourite colour’ A shade of teal inspired by the landscape surrounding Scotland has been named the World’s Favourite Colour, following an international survey carried out by paper company GF Smith.

The shade was chosen after a six-month global survey and named Marrs Green, after Annie Marrs, a UNESCO worker from Dundee. Miss Marrs, a fine arts graduate, said she picked the colour to match the blue/green shade of the River Tay in her home city. ‘That deep green hue with a tinge of blue has always been a favourite of mine,’ she said.

The competition, organised by Hull 2017 UK City of Culture and paper merchant GF Smith invited people to select their favourite shade online by hovering over an infinite palette of shades with their mouse until they landed on the colour they found most appealing.

New faces at Gibsons The independent jigsaw puzzles & board game company, has made two new appointments to their growing team; Jane Walker, junior account manager and Elvin Opoku, accounts assistant.

After entering its fourth generation at the end of 2016 and having seen significant growth in the games and gift sector, the two new employees join Gibsons at a time of change and innovation.

Kate Gibson, MD at Gibsons, comments: ‘It’s great to have two brand new members join our growing team and we are delighted to welcome Jane and Elvin at this exciting time in our company’s development.’

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Up for the challenge Gift retailers remain bullish in their ability to grow their businesses in 2017, amid political uncertainty, fluctuating currency and belttightening across the country. A recent survey conducted by the Daily News at Harrogate Home & Gift Buyers’ Festival, revealed that two thirds of UK gift shop owners said their businesses were performing the same or better than the same period last year.

Meanwhile, despite ‘challenging’ trading conditions, 70 percent said the gift industry remained solid, with 10 percent saying it was far stronger than in previous years.

www.aromatize.co.uk Tel: 01254 300268 Email: sales@aromatize.co.uk Visit our stand at the Autumn Fair - Hall 5, Stand J11 Advert (Gifts 20171FINAL.indd 24 Aromatize fullToday) page.indd

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GA news

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

New format for Gift of the Year Awards The Giftware Association have joined forces with Spring Fair to offer the biggest and best Awards line-up yet.

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here’s a dynamic new format for the annual Gift of the Year Awards, with the ceremony taking place on the first evening of Spring Fair and winning products available to buy next day at the show. With the addition of new retailer awards to product categories, there’s even more reason to get involved.

The big night will take place at The Vox, part of the Resorts World entertainment complex next to the NEC, and the evening will recognise the best new products and top retail

of a glittering awards ceremony and will allow people to celebrate their hard work as well as relax over dinner with colleagues, suppliers and customers.

Tables and seats will be available to buy and, with the many thousands of people in attendance at Spring Fair, are expected to sell out.

Sarah Ward, Chief Executive Officer of The Giftware Association, supporting the industry since 1947, comments: ‘The Giftware Association has been running the Gift of the Year competition for 39 years. Our partnership with Spring Fair represents our shared mutual interests

‘Our partnership with Spring Fair represents our shared mutual interests within the industry and we look forward to seeing the newly crowned Gift of the Year Awards achieve greater awareness and expansion, with new categories, awards and approach’ Sarah Ward

talent. What’s more, Gifts Today’s editor Sally Norton will be among the judges.

The Awards will take place on Sunday 4 February 2018 and are considered to be the most respected accolades within the gift industry. The evening will consist

12 gifts today

within the industry and we look forward to seeing the newly crowned Gift of the Year Awards achieve greater awareness and expansion, with new categories, awards and approach. With each year we have seen the competition get bigger and this year is going to be especially exciting.’

Spring Fair’s Portfolio Director Nick Davison adds: ‘We’re thrilled to reveal the new format of this year’s Gift of the Year Awards. The awards are an important opportunity to recognise exemplary innovation and creativity within the sector and we are looking forward to seeing which suppliers and retailers win on the night. We are also committed to working with all areas of the wider media to promote the awards throughout the year to drive maximum benefit for the winners and shortlist.’

Get Involved!

• Entries are encouraged from both large and small enterprises and industry. Companies are invited to enter now at www.giftoftheyear.co.uk or via giftoftheyear@ga-uk.org • To book tables and or enquire about branding opportunities please contact Paria Mercer on 0203 033 2174 or at awards@springfair.com

Did you know?

2018 marks the 40th birthday of the Gift of the Year Awards

www.ga-uk.org

One month before Christmas,

are coming to town

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licensing news

75

Years since the first Famous Five book was published. To celebrate, Bulldog Licensing has announced further deals, with Smiffy’s and Widdop and Co both signing agreements. ‘Licensees are anxious to tap into the huge nostalgic appeal of Enid Blyton’s work and we expect to be announcing even more deals soon,’ says Bulldog Licensing Director Vicky Hill.

‘Roald Dahl is such a celebrated and treasured British icon that is loved across generations: children, parents and grandparents alike. We are thrilled to have Roald Dahl added to our family of brands, giving our team fantastic scope to be creative.’

Creative Tops’ buying manager Emma Jordan on the unveiling of its first homeware collection with Roald Dahl, which features Quentin Blake’s storybook illustrations from The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda, paired with Roald Dahl’s spirited quotes from these books.

RHS food range with Kimm and Miller The new range from the longstanding licensee is themed around snacks and beverages for gardeners and contains seven items: a cheese board with two jars of chutney; a six-jar preserve selection in a garden-shed-shaped box; a coffee mug and biscuits set; a gardener’s flask and teabag set; a glass clip-lid jar containing a chocolate cookie mix; a set of three stacking boxes, containing teabags, fudge and fruit and lemon biscuits; and a teapot with tea bags. ‘Kimm and Miller has worked with the RHS for nine years and continues to produce beautiful, charming and high quality gifts,’ says RHS Licensing Manager Cathy Snow.

Did you Know?

Registration for BLE 2017 is now open. The event runs from 10-12 October at London’s Olympia, and more than 2,500 properties will be showcased – find the right one to grow your product range. brandlicensing.eu

First license for Meg Hawkins Art My Gifts Trade will reproduce a range of Meg’s pieces on home and giftware, to launch in February of next year.

‘This takes my art to a whole new audience and I’m so excited to be working with My Gifts Trade as they have such a strong heritage and work with a number of leading brands,’ says Meg. She’s shown here with mocked up samples at the Harrogate Home and Gift Show in July. meghawkins.co.uk

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The Snowman comes home to Penguin Penguin Random House UK have announced that Raymond Briggs’ loved character has been brought back in-house. As part of their continued growth strategy, Penguin Ventures will now manage all licensing, consumer products and live events for The Snowman brand across all categories. Next year sees the 40th anniversary of the publication of the original picture book The Snowman.

Penguin Random House will be celebrating the enduring nature of this timeless classic through a series of exciting collaborations, limited edition products, live events and bespoke publishing.

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exhibition news

Christmasworld Talking Brand in numbers Licensing Europe With its unique product diversity, inspiring programme of events and innovative concept decorations, Christmasworld is a colourful source of ideas.

8 Product segments 1. Christmas & Advent 2. Seasonal Decoration & Gifts 3. Florists’ requisites & Garden decoration 4. Candles & Fragrances 5. Visual Merchandising & Light 6. Ribbons & Wrapping 7. Christmasworld Volume and Sourcing 8. Floradecora

43,233 Number of visitors who made their way to Frankfurt am Main for Christmasworld in 2017, to discover the new products being shown by over 1,000 exhibitors from 42 countries and to discuss their orders.

Figures & facts • 26-30 January 2018 • Halls 8.0, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2, 11.0, 11.1 and Galleria • Frankfurt am Main fair and Exhibition Centre

BLE has announced a vibrant Brands & Lifestyle seminar programme for 2017 featuring some of the biggest brands and businesses in the industry, from the V&A, Imperial War Museum and The National Gallery, to Penguin Random House, The Smiley Company and Beanstalk. ‘This year’s programme is our most exciting to date, featuring an unmissable combination of complementary presentations, interviews, demonstrations and panel discussions designed to bring the world of brand licensing to life, and with sessions on food and drink, heritage, sport, fashion and corporate brands,’ says BLE Brand Director Anna Knight.

Highlights: ‘In conversation with’ interview with the V&A’s Director of Business Development and Licensing, Lauren Sizeland; a fascinating presentation from one of the biggest footballing brands in the world – Juventus; an inspirational session on innovation and creativity from Angela Farrugia and Lisa Shapiro at CAA-GBG and a straight-talking brand licensing panel chaired by Richard Pink with contributors Susan Bolsover at Penguin Random House, Christine Cool at Perfetti Van Melle, Gabrielle Sims, at Fat Face and Nicolas Loufrani at The Smiley Company.

• CAA-GBG’s EVP and Group Managing Director Angela Farrugia said about her session, which she will co-present with SVP Retail Development Lisa Shapiro: ‘Without innovation, there can be no fresh ideas, people or products.

Our session at Brand Licensing Europe will look at how to support a culture of innovation and inspiration to avoid stagnation. Creating a culture that delivers extraordinary results and keeps this amazing industry full of vitality and prepped for continued growth. Great work comes from inspired people, and I hope our session will inspire the industry at BLE to keep innovating.’

• Luca Montesion, Licensing Executive, Juventus, added: ‘Football is increasingly a universal language and a global industry and to continue to play a leading role in this landscape it is necessary to anticipate social and economic sports transformations. Juventus, with its new identity and new logo, aims to give a wider, deep and transversal meaning as we seek to reach new audiences and look for new distribution channels.’

• Richard Pink, Managing Director of Pink Key Consulting, added: ‘I’m leading a session that will explore how versatile a brand programme can be, focusing on the creative and unexpected ways brands have been used to develop product that both surprised and delighted consumers. Hopefully, it will show licensees and retailers that they should be brave enough to challenge brands to stray outside their normal boundaries - be contemporary, be relevant but most of all, be adventurous.’

Brand Licensing Europe takes place 10-12 October at Olympia London. All seminar sessions are free to attend and will be available on a first come first serve basis. Visitors can register for a free pass at brandlicensing.eu/register.

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exhibition news

Get 2018 off to a flying start Harrogate Christmas & Gift is one of the fastest growing trade shows for festive goods and year-round gifts attracting over 5,000 independent gift retailers, garden centre and department store buyers; buyers from visitor attraction outlets such as theme parks and museums to heritage centres and cathedral shops.

‘I’ll definitely be visiting again.’

The show, which will run in Harrogate from 14-17 January 2018, exceeded all expectations last year with two additional halls opening to accommodate exhibitor demand and an increase in visitor numbers for the sixth year running.

Simon Anslow, show organiser, said: “We are delighted that Harrogate Christmas & Gift continues to gain momentum. Since 2010 the show has been

attracting a diverse array of new exhibitors with home and gift ranges as well as products to cater for diary events the entire year round. Consequently, we have seen an average of five to eight per cent growth in visitor numbers year on year and once again we welcomed new buyers visiting for the first time. Feedback from both exhibitors and visitors has been extremely positive and we can honestly say that the show is now firmly on the map for UK retailers and buyers in festive, gift and visitor attraction sectors.’

Lindsey Brown of Thorntons attended Christmas & Gift for the first time in 2017 and said: ‘I thought it was a great show and the diversity and quality of exhibitors fantastic. I’ll definitely be visiting again.’

Visit: harrogatefair.com

International Jewellery London 2017 The coming edition of IJL is set to inspire giftware and accessories industry this September over three vibrant days, with new show features and a superb showcase of over 500 companies from 32 countries, including a host of innovative debut designers and brands. This flagship event is designed to provide a 360-degree platform for successful business, sharing knowledge and debate, networking and discovering the hottest trends and talent.

New show experiences include the newly themed seminar theatres, workshops and dedicated Skills Lab, a glimpse into the future in the Retail Experience Area, the new Watch Lounge and Jewellery LIVE! showcasing craftsmanship and technology at its best. Other ‘not to be missed’ highlights include the Trends Catwalk, previewing trends set to hit the High Street this Christmas and in Spring 2018, and a pool of cutting-edge new design talent from this year’s Bright Young Gems and KickStarters.

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‘Over the past year, we have been busy talking to new and existing exhibitors and visitors – including our prestigious Diamond Club members - to ensure that IJL 2017 meets all the needs of the giftware industry and is as productive and engaging as possible,’ says Sam Willoughby, Show Director. ‘I am especially proud of the international line-up this year, which includes many new brands and designers who are new to the UK and have chosen IJL as their first show, showcasing alongside some of the most highly regarded established brands in the industry. I am also delighted to welcome an increasing number of essential service providers now choosing IJL to launch the latest packaging, merchandising, technology, and retail developments. All of which make this year’s event an unmissable experience for both visitors and exhibitors.’

Visit: jewellerylondon.com/ register

You’re Invited

Perfect for planning ahead for spring/summer 2018 and picking up some last minute Christmas deals, the NEW Manchester Stationery Show will be full to the brim with fantastic writing and paper products for gift and greetings retailers.

Don’t miss this two day stationery extravaganza featuring key brands, beautiful designs, new suppliers, leading trend and business speakers and great networking opportunities.

It’s where fashion meets function Register for your FREE ticket today at: www.stationeryshow.co.uk Follow us @StationeryBytes

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exhibition news

WHAT A GIFT! The sun shone in Harrogate at the Home & Gift Buyers’ Festival in July.

Business was done, connections were made and we caught up with friends old and new. Here are just some of our highlights.

Paul Hooker, commercial director at Joe Davies, celebrated World Emoji day.

There were 300 new lines on show at the Richard Lang stand, with sales manager Keith Edmondson reporting a successful show for the company.

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ouise Morris was named new Show Director for 2018, taking over from Cleere Scamell at next year’s Home & Gift, bringing a wealth of experience in the social and marketing side. ‘I’m so excited about the challenge,’ said Louise. ‘Harrogate is such a special, unique show and I’m really looking forward to bringing it to a wider audience.’ Louise will also continue her role as Show Director for boutique retail event Pulse.

Britishness took centre stage in Janet Street-Porter’s keynote speech. As part of the Great Northern Retail Forum, Janet told retailers that stocking brands with British heritage and with a backstory was more important than ever today. ‘I buy British whenever I can,’ she said.

In celebration of their upcoming 25th anniversary and 10 years since the launch of their famous fragrance lamps, Ashleigh & Burwood invited guests to see the ‘reimagining’ of their new look. Anna Borrett, product development manager and owner Andrew Nettleton (above right) toasted the company’s success The Xystos stand was buzzing throughout the show, with big news being their appointment as official suppliers of Baylis & Harding. David Lewis, Mel Pannel and Tom Sykes celebrated the latest launches.

Katie Ellor and Tracey Fear from Yankee introduced the company’s two new ranges ‘Enjoy the simple things’ and ‘just go….’

20 gifts today

Louise Morris

HARROGATE

Christmas & Gift

14th to 17th January 2018 Join the UK’s fastest growing trade show for the festive and gift sectors!

BOOK YOUR STAND TODAY email: simon@harrogatefair.com Tel: 01902 882280 / 880906

www.harrogatefair.com

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exhibition news

WRITE ON TIME With stationery on trend and in fashion, the opening of the brand new Manchester Stationery Show has perfect timing.

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‘The Cotton Sheds are a great piece of

he UK stationery market is growing and, according to a new report, this growth will come from the trend of buying stationery as a gift, partly driven by increased personalisation, increased product ranges and design-led products and innovation.

Indeed, information taken from a GlobalData report titled ‘UK Stationery Market 20162021’, reveals that the UK stationery market will add £49.1 million to its value by 2021. It also reveals that Stationery is worth £2.06bn in the UK having grown 3.2% in the past five years.

It’s this potential growth that has inspired the launch of the new Stationery Show launch in Manchester this autumn. This and the fact that visitor data revealed that the London Stationery Show attracts a very much

Manchester’s history, which have been developed into a modern industrial space that we can make our own’

southern-based audience, with over 65% of all visitors travelling to the show from London and the South East. The northern edition will be held in the heart of Manchester at the Cotton Sheds, part of the Victoria Warehouse venue in Old Trafford.

‘The Cotton Sheds are a great piece of Manchester’s history, which have been developed into a modern industrial space that we can make our own,’ says Tim Willoughby, managing director of Ocean Media which owns the London Stationery Show.

Pencil it in!

Tuesday 31 October and Wednesday 1 November 2017

LaunchPad for new stationery suppliers Following its introduction at the London Stationery Show earlier this year, the new sister show Manchester is also running a LaunchPad competition to find fledgling stationery suppliers looking to break into the booming design-led stationery market.

• The competition aims to find six winners to showcase at the Manchester Stationery Show.

• The competition will be judged by three leading names from the stationery sector in September.

• Judges will be looking for a product or service that shows clear thought and execution when it comes to the branding and offer, and a value commensurate with the suggested retail price.

• The competition is open to talented individual designers or inventors with a mainstream stationery product or a complementary product to offer, and established companies and individuals from other sectors who have developed a new stationery product or range which they would like to test in the stationery sector.

• The six deserving winners will also have the possibility of being awarded a free 6sqm stand for the 2018 Show if the show team feels their product or service merits further support from the industry.

Check out the show’s website for more details.

stationeryshow.co.uk

Friday 8 September The closing date for entries, with samples and supporting material to arrive no later than Tuesday 12 September.

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TD/NE/CA/LA/DL/TB/YO/HG/BD/LS/DN/ HU- regular travel to Birmingham head office is required Ideally from the giftware industry candidates should have a track record of succesfully developing & growing sales within a territory.

The role will involve seeking & developing new business opportunities , growing existing accounts,utilising the showroom & attending trade shows as required.

Create the best product mix for 2018

MERRY BUSINESS!

Candidates should have a good level of IT literacy with a organised and structured approach, demonstrate enthusiam, be articulate and a team player.

GB

Remotely based position covering the following postcodes

Seasonal Decoration at its best 26. – 30. 1. 2018

DU: 18.08.2017

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced sales professional with a passion for gift ware and decorative accessories to manage and develop the North East.

Closing date Friday 8th Sept

Your ticket to the top suppliers of seasonal and festive decorations: christmasworld.messefrankfurt.com

LAMPE BERGER, OVER 100 YEARS OF HISTORY...

It was in 1898, that the amazing Lampe Berger story started.

In response to a major preoccupation at that time - a sepsis in hospitals - Maurice Berger, a pharmaceutical dispenser, invented a system of diffusion by catalysis, for which he filed a patent. This revolutionary technology, which purifies the air in enclosed rooms, was soon to be applied for private use, giving birth to the Lampe Berger company.

The little lamp which destroys bad smells saw its apogee during the1930s: fragrance provided the dimension of pleasure; the Lampe Berger became a collector’s item, each lamp being associated with a designer and major manufacturer such as Cristal de Baccarat, Cristalleries de Saint Louis, Emile Gallé, René Lalique, and then the top porcelain producers of the 1950s… Coco Chanel, Jean Cocteau, Colette or Picasso each had their own Lampe Berger.

A company which, since then, has always continued to develop and reinvent itself in order to be more than ever present for people living in the 21st century.

With over 5 million litres of fragrances and 800,000 lamps sold every year around the world, Lampe Berger is still a huge success, over a century after it was invented.

Always a French company from the start, Lampe Berger enjoys a truly international reputation - distributed in 56 countries, present in 7,000 sales outlets around the world.

In 2014 Lampe Berger launched a complementary new brand using the same fragrances for a different diffusion Parfum Berger.

Lampe Berger and Parfum Berger have positions to fill for the following area: UK Northern area: agents or rep Scotland and Ireland : agents Please email Sylvie Besse : recruitment@lampeberger.com

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info@uk.messefrankfurt.com Tel. +44 (0) 14 83 48 39 83

65787-008_CW_allgemein_GiftsToday_100x285_GB • FOGRA 39 • CMYK • jw: 17.08.2017

To apply, please submit your CV & covering letter outlining your suitability for the role along with your salary expectations to hr@heavensends.com

21/08/2017 17:21

Retail Interview

As we head into tthe he e final quarter of the or buying year, Editor ght u p Sally Norton caught up bald, with Sarah Theobald, Buying Manager – ams, Gifts, at Debenhams, to discover what ver will be in store over eyond Christmas and beyond tore e for department store customers…

‘We consider the modern department store shopper a lot’ What was your career journey to becoming Buying Manager, Gifts at Debenhams?

I have carried out my whole career at Debenhams, starting off as an allocator on menswear and then swapping over to buying as I realised my love for product. Since then I have never looked back! I initially worked across menswear and sports, and then moved over to the gifts team where I have stayed ever since. It is really rewarding to be a part of a growing and successful division.

What’s the best thing about working at Debenhams?

Definitely the people and the culture.

Where are you based?

Regents Place, London.

Debenhams How many in the team?

There are four in the buying team and three in the merchandising team.

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How many stores are you buying for?

A hundred and seventy-five in total.

Is there such a thing as a typical Debenhams customer?

We cater to a wide range of customers and, as part of the gifts division, we need to ensure we are offering the perfect gift for everyone.

As a heritage brand, how do you meet the needs of the modern department store shopper?

We consider the modern department store shopper a lot, ensuring we have inspirational displays both online and instore, supported by a cohesive marketing campaign. We have done lots of work on our store projection by simplifying our collateral and having clear, meaningful tickets, again in line with the Christmas campaign.

The idea being that the ranges look exciting and are easy to shop.

How would you describe consumer confidence at the moment?

People still want a great deal, however we are noticing a trend for quality and provenance. We have introduced more regional brands and luxury ranges as people are thinking more about how they spend their money, to make their gift more meaningful.

Where do you mainly source products?

There is lots of overseas travel involved where we develop products.

Alongside this, we are always on the lookout for new and exciting brands that will enhance our product offer.

Do you develop your own ranges to sell in store?

We source products from all over the world. We develop a lot of our own ranges in many different categories.

We have our own foodie brands such

as ‘La Cucina’ & ‘The Delicious Deli company’. We also have some alcohol brands such as ‘Glitz and Glam’ and ‘Distilled’, focusing around the trend for Prosecco and gin. We have also had huge success within confectionery with our sweet jars and novelty biscuit tins.

What’s selling well for Debenhams in Gifts right now?

Personalisation of gifts is a big trend at the minute, with many customers wanting to impress by going that extra step to give the perfect tailored gift. We have some exciting, new personalisation projects for Autumn which will provide a new experience for our customers and will be a great sales opportunity.

‘Personalisation of gifts is a big trend at

I have read in the press that there are plans to ‘declutter’ fashion in the store – is it the same for Gifts?

We are ensuring that we have clear, defined statements within store that can be easily merchandised together to make it easier for the customer to shop. There isn’t a plan to reduce brands and, as the ranges sell so quickly in the run up to Christmas, it is vital that we have high stock levels in store to support this.

activity nationwide across several brands.

What are the big Gift stories for you this Christmas?

We have many different gift stories across a large number of brands.

What are buying right now for 2018?

We are currently buying our Easter range.

Could you share how you’ll be targeting gift buyers over the coming festive season?

We have numerous gift guide catalogues and brochures that will go out to our customers to promote those perfect gifts.

There will also be a television campaign that will be coherent with the point of sale and ticketing you see in store.

We also ensure customers have a great ‘experience’ when visiting stores, by creating more theatre through engaging sampling

What’s next, plans for the future?

The aim is to be the number one gift destination on the high street and continue the healthy growth we have seen over the last few years.

Sugar Sin

the minute, with many customers wanting to impress by going that extra step to give the perfect tailored gift’

Star by Julien Macdonald

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Retailers’ Panel

Gifts Today Retailers’ Panel Key gift shop owners around the UK talk Christmas, trends and social media.

TABI MARSH Heritage in Thornbury, Thornbury, Bristol I’ve increased my range of statement pieces.

Do you have anything special planned in the shop in the run up to Christmas?

We get involved in our town’s Late Night Shopping and are also using Christmas to launch our Kids’ Personal Shopping Service. We had a few occasions last year when younger kids came in and wanted help choosing a present for their parent before the parent handed over the money to pay for the mystery item! We have therefore decided to offer this as a more publicised service.

How important is social media to you as a business?

What are you stocking up on for Christmas?

Last year we did really well with larger Christmas decorations. The LED willow tree that was my window showstopper went in a week (not what I was expecting), so this year

At the moment I just use Facebook as I’d rather use one properly than several not very well. The majority of my posts involve photos and I’m trying to increase the number of non-product posts as they always get a good number of likes and shares which help drive people to the page. A picture I recently posted of a pot of tree lilies at my house got a lot of engagement from people that don’t normally react to our posts. I also try to share some posts from other businesses and charities in the town as we are all in this together.

KAREN GREIG Destined for Home, Edinburgh, Scotland What are you stocking up on for Christmas?

Candles, jewellery and some unusual novelty stocking fillers.

Do you have anything special planned in the shop in the run up to Christmas?

Last year we did a wee promotion that customers who spent over a certain amount received a free gift – I think we will do that again this year. It’s really to say ‘thank you’ to customers for shopping with us – small independent shops have to do that bit more than larger retailers to attract and retain customers. I’ll also be taking part in Small Business Saturday.

How important is social media to you as a business?

I’ll be honest it really wasn’t something I did or was interested in before starting the business. Now it’s like second nature - I enjoy engaging with potential customers and existing customers. My favourite is Instagram, it’s so easy to use.

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JENNY MORRISON Top Drawer, St Andrews, Scotland What are you stocking up on for Christmas?

This year, I wanted to make sure that I stocked up on lots of traditional Christmas pieces, from garlands and wreaths to Christmas candle holders and of course beautiful, hand finished Christmas cards from our fabulous card publishers, like White Cotton Cards, Wendy Jones-Blackett and Tracey Russell Cards to name a few.

How important is social media to you as a business?

Social media is vital to my business. I work hard to keep the social media pages updated regularly and I try to upload a photo or a story each day to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. I sell products through our social media pages from customers seeing photos, particularly on Facebook and Instagram and getting in touch to ask if we can send that product out to them.

ANGELA NEAL Blueberry, Minehead, Somerset What’s the story behind your shop?

Blueberry is a little gift shop, located in the heart of Minehead, Somerset. It is owned and run by my husband, Martin, and me – with the occasional assistance of our ‘helpful’ three-year old! Buying an existing business was terrifying – we desperately hoped that we could do justice to its previous incarnation whilst putting our own ideas into place – and it took all our savings to make that leap.

What are your favourite products/ranges in your store?

We have recently become official stockists for Trollbeads, and we are delighted to offer handcrafted jewellery of such a high calibre. I am a huge follower of fantasy fiction so I am extremely fond of their decorative dragon bracelet lock. We became stockists of Dew Sterling Silver jewellery shortly after buying Blueberry, so their support has great significance to us – and we can never wait until the next season launch so we can see what new designs are available. As well as several other well-known brands, we are proud to support local craftspeople, too - again, too many to mention! Maple Cottage has a fabulous reputation for quality handbags and fabric accessories, and Exmoor Soap is a lovely little indulgence.

SARAH HEEKS Pillarbox cards What’s the story behind your shop?

We both worked in the shop when the owner decided to retire in 2013, we thought it was great opportunity for us to get into a business we already knew and loved, and to implement our own ideas.

Which products do we like the most?

We love all the girls’ things, like the scarves, handbags, jewellery and bath creamers - they are so gorgeous, with the most beautiful fragrances, and the amount of cocoa butter in them makes your skin feels amazing. East of India hanging hearts with sentiments are a big seller, as are Willow Tree Figures from Enesco.

What are you stocking up on for Christmas?

We will be stocking up on our normal lines, but will just add a touch of Christmas so we sparkle for the festive season. We usually have a Christmas open evening where our customers and friends come, enjoy a glass of fizz with us and generally just jingle and mingle in a festive atmosphere.

How important is social media to you as a business?

We only really use Facebook, but we do believe it enables us to reach out to customers and friends from afar. We post up-to-date photos to keep people aware of new stock when it arrives.

Looking back, what advice would you give yourself when setting up your company?

Pace yourself, and take on challenges one step at a time. Trying to do several things at once is overwhelming and the fear of making mistakes can lead to inaction – which just makes it all the more challenging. And, I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but don’t try to offer everything to everyone.

Any special news about your business you’d like to share with us?

We have just invested in an EPOS system for the shop. It took us a long time to weigh the cost of such an investment against the potential benefits, and it was a time-consuming process to add our inventory to the system. However, it has already made a tremendous difference to our reporting and stock-taking processes, and we love being able to give customers an itemised receipt.

What are you stocking up on for Christmas?

We’ll be stocking up on festive varieties of bath bombs and offering more packaging options for customers to create their own gift sets. And I’m sure that there will be plenty of sparkle amongst our jewellery collections.

Do you have anything special planned in the shop in the run up to Christmas?

We’re planning a special event day with hot and cold drinks, nibbles and goody bags, and several latenight shopping opportunities. We’ll also be supporting Minehead’s Christmas Extravaganza event, and we’re hoping to team up with other local business for Small Business Saturday.

How important is social media to you as a business?

Our Twitter followers are largely businesses seeking to engage our interest, rather than potential customers, and organic reach on Facebook is difficult to achieve. However, new ‘likes’ and reviews on Facebook give us a really positive indication that customers have enjoyed shopping with us and are willing to share their experience. Of all available platforms, I enjoy posting to Instagram the most; it makes me think more creatively about the photographs we share.

JOIN OUR RETAILERS’ PANEL! Fancy having your say about the gift industry? Want to share news about your business? Just drop editor Sally Norton an email at sally@lemapublishing.co.uk. Look forward to hearing from you! gifts today 27

Top Drawer

Top destination for Gift Buyers Head to Top Drawer at Olympia this 10-12 September to discover a refreshingly diverse and innovative range of products with superb design credentials, excellent commercial appeal and real originality.

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hen it comes to designled gifts, Top Drawer is a must-visit destination.

Offering this season’s hottest new, design-led products from an inspiring selection of brands, you can expect to see the likes of

In addition to Gift, Top Drawer encompasses the beautifully curated worlds of Home, Fashion, Craft and Food, with the AW17 edition offering extraordinary scope for buyers across all lifestyle sectors. Whatever your product interest - from gifts to interior

‘Curating the biannual Spotted section at Top Drawer is both a joy and a privilege as it brings me into contact with so many talented designers’ Cubic, Dassie, Helen Moore, Noodoll, Palomar, Portico Designs, Rice, Sunnylife, True Grace, Turnaround Gifts, Wild and Wolf and Woouf. New names on the scene set to leave an impression feature UK based Doiy and Worry Less Designs and International newcomers Jacobsen and Friends, Lifeguard Press, Londji, and Zootility.

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accessories, lighting to stationery, furniture to fashion accessories - Top Drawer is where many top brands launch their new ranges in the UK ensuring the most exclusive designled destination for successful lifestyle buyers.

topdrawer.co.uk

3 more reasons to visit…

New Talent Spotted at Top Drawer is the favourite hunting ground of style scouts with an eye for the most dynamic rising stars. Curated by Charlotte Abrahams and designed to provide buyers with innovative, market-ready brands that tap into key design trends.

‘Curating the biannual Spotted section at Top Drawer is both a joy and a privilege as it brings me into contact with so many talented designers,’ says Charlotte. ‘I am looking for well made, considered products that combine freshness and innovation with a commercial edge and I was spoiled for choice when selecting for this edition. There will 48 brands showing under the Spotted umbrella in September, none of whom have been seen at a trade fair before, making this an unrivalled celebration of the new.’

Spotted presents the most exciting names across Home, Gift, Fashion and Craft. Featuring 48 budding innovators that are making their debut at a trade show for the very first time and selected for their originality, quality and the commercial viability of their products; Spotted is where adventure in design really begins.

Greetings & Stationery The world’s leading curated show for this category, this is the place for creative retailers to discover the most beautiful and distinctive stationery, wrap, greetings cards and more from exhibitors including Blank Inside, Chau Art, Kate Housley, Katie Leamon, Roger La Borde and Stephanie Davies.

And returning to Top Drawer this September is the hugely successful PaperFest and the PaperAwards, sponsored by GF Smith, hosted within Greetings & Stationery.

Stylish Accessories Top Drawer is the style destination of choice for creative retailers on the hunt for the finest new names from trend-led accessories and seasonal pieces, to modern, statement jewellery and fine, contemporary classics.

The UK Jewellery Collections makes its return to Fashion with a new look, offering exquisite jewellery that is exclusively designed and made in Britain. Hot domestic talent on the style radar include A Weathered Penny, Black & Sigi, Cabbage White England, Esa Evans, One & Eight and Marlene Hounam.

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Top Drawer

It’s all about the fragrance Melt S-18 With a passion for hot wax and fine fragrance, melt have been creating candles of exceptional quality since 1999. Fragrance is known for turning your mood and creating the right ambience in your surroundings – and melt’s preferred choice is always elegant, sophisticated, and a tad refined, confident and slightly sexy – or as some splendid newspaper of note said, ‘recherché’.

Melt specialise in producing handmade, fine fragrance candles of fabulous quality and it is their willingness to step out of the conventional fragrance arena, in order to seek out more unusual perfume combinations for which they are now known. They have worked hard to source raw materials locally and over 93% of ingredients and packaging comes from Lancashire companies - with the balance being from the UK. All their candles are hand-poured and can take up to 36 hours to produce – and working with molten waxes ensures the candle is fragranced throughout. Melt’s range has now grown to include 33 unique fine fragrances. Each range consists of six candle sizes. Three pillar and three container candles with burns times from 22 hours up to 160 hours. As usual with melt – it’s all about the fragrance.

themeltco.com

Dream Guardians M23 Solo Ltd Solo will be launching the new Dream Guardian collection this September. A collection of soft toys perfect for children, the collection includes five different variations that all have unique characters and personalities. This range is perfect for the parent looking for a meaningful gift for their child.

The largest of all the Dream Guardians is Karo, the Night Guardian of Speed. Kangaroo Karo comes with a removable baby in her pouch and a scarf with shimmering silver yarn; made from 100% cotton, she is soft and also machine-washable.

The Dream Guardians are supported with character stories and colouring books for children to enjoy their individual character and personality.

Dream Guardians are handmade in Vietnam, empowering and supporting women and disabled people in the work place.

solo.co.uk

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Cosy Up Hoogly tea FE213 Inspired by the Nordic ‘Hygge’ lifestyle trend, Danish tea enthusiast Tina Gloggengieser founded Hoogly Tea which echoes the same feelings of warmth, wellbeing and cosiness.

Hoogly Tea combines Tina’s love of tea with this mindful Danish concept to create a unique and healthy range of blends, made with luxury natural ingredients and this season sees the launch of their all new mini teapods.

hooglytea.com

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10—12 September 2017 Olympia, London

EDITION

ADVENTURES IN DESIGN FOR CREATIVE RETAILERS HOME

GIFT

FASHION

CRAFT

Explore the unique worlds of Top Drawer, expertly curated to inspire your buying.

With over 1,500 design-led brands, it’s the only destination for creative retailers to source irresistible new products.

YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS HERE Register your interest at topdrawer.co.uk/gt Clarion Top Drawer.indd 1

18/08/2017 11:31

Steiff UK

‘Soft cuddly friends’ from Steiff A fresh new collection of soft toys from the makers of the world’s first teddy bear looks set to delight a whole new generation of children.

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hen Margarete Steiff created the world’s first soft toy in 1880, little did she realise the enormity of the gift that she was giving to children everywhere. In 1902, her nephew Richard designed the Steiff company’s signature invention - the teddy bear! Now, in the summer of 2017, a new exciting development arrives from the very same buildings in Giengen, Germany, that the world’s first teddy bear was born. The company’s new ‘Soft Cuddly Friends’ embrace all the ingredients that made Steiff famous – ultra-high quality materials, intricate hand craftsmanship, and the famous ‘Button in Ear’ – in a fresh new collection of contemporary styles designed to appeal to today’s children.

Steiff has always devoted itself to making the very best soft toys for children and embracing innovation imagination and perfection. As Margarete Steiff herself

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said: ‘For children, only the best is good enough.’

Still renowned for creating unrivaled ‘life like’ animals, Steiff are thrilled to add this extra dimension of playful characters that are sure to become friends for life. Soft as soft can be, always ready for the biggest cuddle possible, the new kids in town are guaranteed to be a big hit with children of all ages. They’re destined to become a child’s most cherished companions, day in and day out.

This new range is, of course,, machine washable and manufactured to the highest standard. But what will surprise you is the pricing thatt accompanies this fabulous new collection.

Soft and cuddly friends are available in many designs and in three sizes, retailing at £14.90, £22.90 and £34.90. A full range of gift able plus floor boxing is available and shelf displays to support as POS. The story of Steiff is full of adventure, ambition and innovation, lavish with romance, nostalgia and childhood dreams. It is the story of a company responsible for the unequalled popularity of the teddy bear, the world’s most favourite soft toy. Over 100 years later and the popularity of Steiff has spread the entire globe and grabbed International headlines as antique bears, made of traditional

mohair and firmly filled with w wood wool, set world record prices at auction.

Proud of their heritage yyet forward-looking and vventuresome, Steiff never sstops chasing dreams. After all, just what would bedtime a be like if there were no cuddly b friends to snuggle up to? fr Unimaginable!

U

M Margarete Steiff UK Email: Em leyla.maniera@steiff.com ley Call: 01483 266643 Ca Margarete Steiff UK, Astra Ma House, The Common, Ho Cranleigh, Surrey GU6 8RZ.

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18/08/2017 12:00

Trade talk Leading figures in the gift industry talk Brexit, consumer confidence and trends in the final quarter of the year.

CHARLOTTE GILLAN MD, Classic Canes With Brexit, how has business been for you in the last year?

Trade has been somewhat volatile due to the series of unsettling political and economic dramas we have experienced.

There was notably a thoughtful pause after the General Election in June, but July was very busy. The international lack of confidence in the handling of Brexit has seen the Pound weaken considerably, which has resulted in increasing prices for imported items.

This has been challenging for UK stockists but the weak Pound has given us greater short-term appeal to overseas customers so our export business is buoyant. Although they do keep asking how we will do business together after Brexit and we still have no details to give them.

Where are you seeing growth?

From within the Eurozone. At the time of writing, their spending power with us is increasing every day as the pound continues to weaken. We are opening new accounts across western Europe on almost a daily basis, including countries we have not exported to before such as Estonia and Lithuania. It is always very satisfying to stick a new pin in our map of the world!

What can we expect from your company in the last quarter of trading?

We have a new range of handbag size folding canes, which fold to five sections instead of the usual four, making them more compact to fit inside a lady’s handbag. We also have some handsome new leather seat sticks, which will make excellent Christmas gifts for gentlemen. These will be launched at our stand at the Autumn Fair (4M25).

How would you describe consumer confidence at the moment?

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The feedback from many of our customers is that people who have money are being careful about spending it because they don’t know what the next few years will bring. Our most successful stockists are those who are on top of every detail: immaculate shops, well-chosen stock, good websites and very well trained staff. Business is too competitive just now for any of these factors to be less than perfect.

What do you feel consumers are looking for right now when it comes to gift buying?

Practical items that are a more attractive and luxurious version of something they know the recipient might well buy for themselves.

How price sensitive is retail right now?

Very sensitive at the bottom end and where there are lots of similar goods chasing the same customers. However, where there is a bit more money, people want to buy once and have something really good that will last.

These consumers are more interested in style and function than cheapness.

They are also more loyal and well worth cultivating.

What are your top tips for Christmas 2017 in terms of trends, products or licenses?

We have been doing very well with our National Gallery licensed products, launched in January, and have high hopes for them for Christmas. Natural colours, rustic products and anything with an artisanal story would be my top tip for Christmas this year: we all need a bit of a return to the certainties of Nature after the turmoil of 2016/17.

Gifts Today loves to hear your views.

MONIQUE SCOTT MD, Groovy With Brexit, how has business been for you in the last year?

We distribute all over EU so the exchange rates have affected prices which has altered the sales of some items. We’ve increased some prices this year as we’d held off as long as we could but the margins just became too small on some licences. Only time will tell if being out of the EU collective affects us.

Where are you seeing growth?

Our company grows each year as we get many of the right licences and design original products. Harry Potter has been a real grower and has very dedicated fans.

The Groovy Design Team love coming up with ideas to suit each license. A gold Snitch backpack, with silver wings, has gone down really well since we introduced it and of course bathrobes that look like the Hogwarts House coats as well as one that looks like Harry’s coat too with stripy scarf. The new Look-ALites in mini are fantastic and Darth and Stormtrooper are the most popular so far but the Marvel keyrings are really doing well too.

What can we expect from your company in the last quarter of trading?

The Guardians of the Galaxy was a great movie and the Groot collection has gone down a storm, the Look-ALite and Bathrobe has exceeded expectations for Christmas sales already and we also have slippers to match. The Wonder Woman movie really helped customers appreciate a woman hero so new Wonder Woman is now selling as well as the original retro version. I think for sales this is a great gift for all ages of females in the family. The bags for this collection are really strong with gold studded stars.

How would you describe consumer confidence at the moment?

Our customers are having ups and downs, but our products have a strong USP so continue to do well and the movies give great PR. Over saturation of a licence can often affect them long term but as long as we keep coming up with new ideas our customers will always have something new to offer.

What do you feel consumers are looking for right now when it comes to gift buying?

Good products at a good price and items they can’t find everywhere else.

How price sensitive is retail right now?

Is it worth it, if the answer is yes then it’s not a problem.

Sometimes a product is cheap because it is.

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21/08/2017 11:24

SARAH WATMORE Owner, Miss Milly

LAUREN WOODSFORD Trade marketing and online manager, House of Marbles With Brexit, how has business been for you in the last year?

We’ve had a good 2017 so far, we are trading ahead of 2016 and looking forward to an excellent Christmas season.

Where are you seeing growth?

In our seasonal ranges such as our exclusive Christmas collection.

For the second half there is a huge demand for festive gifts and stocking fillers that go the extra mile in terms of packaging and value to help retailers maximise their sales during this peak trading period.

What can we expect from your company in the last quarter of trading?

For autumn/winter we have launched our exciting mid-year range which has gone down a storm so far! The collection includes some beautifully illustrated board games, a Real-Flying and Flapping Pterodactyl and for Christmas our exclusive O-Deer party game.

With Brexit, how has business been for you in the last year?

Miss Milly has experienced strong growth during its fifth year despite having to increase prices as a result of the negative impact of Brexit on the Pound. We have always worked hard to keep our prices reasonable, which our customers often remark on and they have accepted the unavoidable increases in their stride.

Where are you seeing growth?

The strongest growth is across our Floria Collection, the brand’s flagship range, which has a very loyal following for its gorgeous colours and bold but easy-to-wear designs.

What can we expect from your company in the last quarter of trading?

It gets harder and harder to up the ante for each new season but I think we have managed to do it again with a fantastic autumn/winter range. The pieces launched at Home & Gift Harrogate were incredibly well-received and we’re excited about launching the remainder at Autumn Fair. Look out for more colour, of course, statement necklaces in matt metals with crystal adornments, and new scarves, including a versatile snood to hat design!

How would you describe consumer confidence at the moment?

Whilst we have had our strongest year yet, Home & Gift was a definite indicator that retailers are playing it safe. Footfall was definitely down and very unusually, we didn’t see any Irish customers. But our most loyal customers seem to be doing consistently well with Miss Milly and report consumers coming in to their stores asking for the brand by name.

What do you feel consumers are looking for right now when it comes to gift buying?

From the number of gift boxes we’re getting through, they definitely love the convenience of a gift that’s nicely presented and ready to go. We also have increasing numbers of customers displaying, and consequently selling, our jewellery and scarves together, another nod to making it easy for the consumer.

How price sensitive is retail right now?

How would you describe consumer confidence at the moment?

I think that £15-£20 is still a very sensitive price point for general gift buying for friends and nonimmediate family.

In general, we’re finding the gift market is remaining buoyant. We’re experiencing some strong growth in different areas, showing that there is still a lot of demand out there.

KEVIN SPINDLER

What do you feel consumers are looking for right now when it comes to gift buying?

Fun, new and interesting product at the right prices – this never changes!

How price sensitive is retail right now?

Owner, Signature Gifts With Brexit, how has business been for you in the last year?

With all of our products being created solely within the UK, Brexit hasn’t affected us too much. Though we have found that customers see the phrase ‘made in the UK’ as a selling point.

Where are you seeing growth?

Retail is always price sensitive and value for money is absolutely key. We have put a massive amount of effort into our pricing this year to make sure that our customers’ margins and price points are protected.

Through securing new licensing deals, and our double success at the Gift of the Year awards during Spring Fair, we have seen a huge rise in demand for our hardback children’s books. We are investing heavily in new print equipment so that we can meet these demands and continue to excel in producing personalised books.

What are your top tips for Christmas 2017 in terms of trends, products or licenses?

What can we expect from your company in the last quarter of trading?

Vintage-inspired board games are already looking very popular this Christmas. There are so many festivities and family gatherings at Christmas - it’s the perfect excuse to get everyone together around a table to play a good old fashioned board game.

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Alongside our in-house designed books we plan to release more licenses shortly. We are currently in talks with Egmont, Harper Collins, and other large publishers so watch this space for more fantastic licences.

What are your top tips for Christmas 2017 in terms of trends, products or licenses?

Licenses are always big sellers. Nostalgic characters are great as they provide grown-ups with a trip down memory lane, whilst creating new memories for the next generation of children.

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18/08/2017 10:50

Autumn Fair

Perfect timing With September comes a change of pace in the gifts industry.

As we look ahead and with Christmas just around the corner, Autumn Fair is the place to meet suppliers, finalise buying and get inspiration to ensure your shop stands out from the crowd.

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ore than 58,000 visitors attended Spring Fair earlier this year and as the second key buying cycle nears, the industry is preparing for the next edition – Autumn Fair – to capitalise on the forthcoming sales periods.

Taking place from 3-6 September, Autumn Fair is perfectly timed for retail buyers to make orders for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter.

With 12 different show sectors, daily catwalk shows, seminars, keynote speakers and workshops the event is undoubtedly the season’s most important destination.

Renowned for bringing together the leading suppliers and brands from across the entire retail sector, Spring Fair and Autumn Fair take place at two strategically important times – February and September.

Earlier in the year, many buyers and retailers visited Spring Fair to shop the halls in search of innovative gifting ideas and home products for their stores.

Buyers from companies including John Lewis, Barkers Ltd, Haskins Garden Centres, Joules, Fishpools, Oliver Bonas, Steamer Trading, Dragonfly, Everything’s Rosy Interiors, TK Maxx and Debenhams came to source products from 2,500-plus suppliers.

They were joined by international visitors who took advantage of the weak pound by sourcing the best of British gifts and homeware.

Proving the quality of the exhibition and content programme, nine in 10 visitors left saying they were

38 gifts today

highly likely to recommend future editions to other retailers. And as a result, the organisers of Autumn Fair expect a hugely busy event this year, with buyers looking to meet new suppliers and see upcoming trends.

Attracting thousands of suppliers from across the globe, Spring Fair and Autumn Fair always deliver a plethora of new products to their visitors.

‘We now look ahead to the second important buying and selling cycle of the year, which is where Autumn Fair comes into its own’ Louise Young, Divisional Director

The Summerhouse hall was immensely popular at Spring Fair, showcasing a highly-edited selection of the most original UK and international gift, interior, lighting and lifestyle brands. Having seen the benefit of presenting their wares at the show in February, Ib Laursen, Nkuku, India Jane and Jellycat are just a selection of the businesses that have confirmed they will return as part of the next edition at Autumn Fair.

In addition to the Summerhouse, visitors to Autumn Fair will find 11 other carefully curated show sectors that cover c everything a gift g and homeware s store could ever require. r Spring Fair and A Autumn Fair’s standing s in the retail industry in enable them to attract a number of h high-profi le speakers to impart their insights an and experience in re retail and business.

What retailers say…

‘I love to keep learning and picking up tips from others so I’m looking forward to finding out more about their new revamped seminars. I use Autumn Fair more to look at my existing suppliers’ new products.’

Tabi Marsh, Heritage in Thornbury, Bristol You never know what might catch your eye – it could be something you hadn’t thought of purchasing or you could find new suppliers.’

Karen Greig, Destined for Home, Edinburgh

What exhibitors say…

‘Autumn Fair is a great opportunity to meet current and potential customers and get feedback on our upcoming products and ranges.’

Keren Dicken, PMC: 5LO2-M03 ‘Autumn Fair brings us a more of Spring Fair and now look ahead to the second d important buying and selling cycle of the th year, which is where Autumn Fair comes into its own. New this year will co be b an appointment-planning service whereby buyers can browse through w product categories on our website p and a arrange meetings directly with the relevant companies at the show. r ‘Our exhibitors will display on-trend merchandise across a variety of sectors, enabling retailers to source Aside from m the everything they keynote speakers peakers need under and exhibitions, itions, the one roof. Not next edition on of Autumn Fair Number of Spring Fair visitors only that, our will continue where Spring speakers who successfully placed or Fair left off by providing a will deliver programme of targeted planned to place an order following exclusive material, aimed at inspiring their trip in February. Autumn advice and visitors on future trends and Fair is expected to provide the insights that retail ideas. same buying experience can really make After delivering a highly a difference to the in September. informative briefing that revealed bottom line.’ the hottest new trends for autumn and winter 2017 at Spring Fair, WGSN will return to Autumn Fair to share its latest insights. New to the show this year, a series of group workshops called Retail Therapy, will enable retailers to gain new skills and garner the advice from leading experts – sessions will cover store design, social 3-6 September 2017 media and e-commerce.

Louise Young, Divisional Director Retail at Ascential, NEC which organises Autumn Fair and Spring Fair, said: autumnfair.com ‘We are delighted with the success of the 2017 edition

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international clientele and is well timed for independent retailers to place their Christmas orders.’

Charlotte Gillan, MD, Classic Canes: 4M25 ‘Autumn Fair is a great show to introduce our latest products to any existing or new customers just in time for Christmas trading.’

Lauren Woodsford, House of Marbles: 3S60-V59 ‘Autumn Fair is a great show for us, and we are excited to be launching the entire autumn/ winter range.’

Sarah Watmore, Miss Milly: 4H48 ‘Our focus this year is building on the success from Spring Fair and bringing our customers wider ranges of giftware than ever before.’

Kevin Spindler, owner, Signature Gifts: 5F51 gifts today 39

Autumn Fair

AUTUMN FAIR Q&A With Autumn Fair just around the corner, Sally Norton caught up with Louise Young, Divisional Director Retail, and asked her to share her thoughts on putting the show together.

Q: What do you think makes Autumn Show so special?

Q: Do you have tips for new visitors to make the most of their time there?

A: This is the only place this year that buyers can see and touch such a breadth of new product, across all price points from over 1,300 gift, home and fashion exhibitors. It’s where as a buyer you can meet and build brilliant relationships with potential suppliers, many of which are new and major names you will find are exclusive to Autumn Fair. There is such a vibrancy to the fair – it’s where people meet and talk about what’s going to create the best sell-through for them for Christmas and on into other key retail spikes, including Easter, Mother’s Day and Valentine’s.

What’s more, The Summerhouse is a must-see for new visitors with a hand-picked collective of the most original UK and international gift, interior, lighting and lifestyle brands. To highlight the distinctive curation of the sector, it will benefit from its own entrance this year, in addition to the much sought-after Summerhouse Café.

A: A really exciting new development for this year is Autumn Fair’s Appointment Planner – a useful online tool and completely free of charge. This allows buyers and exhibitors to pre-arrange meetings in advance of the show, based on matching their online profiles so we can help buyers find the right product and/or supplier.

Q: If you go to Spring Fair, why should you also visit Autumn Fair?

A: Simply, Autumn Fair and Spring Fair are branches of the same tree that bloom at different times of the year. Both events are hosted at key times in the retail calendar, presenting retailers with a prime opportunity to seek out the best products ahead of the forthcoming sales periods. Autumn Fair gives you the latest and biggest visual update to the market – you simply can’t get this access to such a breadth of product anywhere else at this time of year.

Autumn Fair is timed to give buyers flexibility and choice for those short orders ahead of Christmas as well as buying into the new trends for the forthcoming year. Retail is now all about right product, right time and that is what these events deliver through the scale of exhibitors showcasing.

Q: What’s new at the show this year? What trends for AW17 have you seen coming through?

A: This year’s Autumn Fair will feature more Contemporary Gift & Living, Summerhouse and Home exhibitors. A raft of established and rising brands will showcase the latest in lifestyle gift and interior products from a mid to high-end price point.

In addition to newness, visitors will be able to pick up brand new skills to take back to their store. Seminars and workshops this year include sessions with the winner of the BBC series The Great Interior Design Challenge designer Martin Holland and visual merchandiser Debbie Flowerday, bringing you tips on how to showcase your top products and maximise sell-through. We will also be running Meet The Experts where retailers will be able book sessions for one-on-one advice with an industry expert to get practical advice on how to grow their business.

Q: What trends have you seen coming through?

A: Pineapples continue to be selling well, so we expect to see that theme again this year, while the Scandinavian hygge influence will remain strong with a number of exhibitors present from the region.

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Q: What are the particular challenges of running a show like this?

A: The main challenge, which is also one of the biggest rewards too, is ensuring we keep up with the latest trends so that Autumn Fair is as indispensable to all buyers as it can be. But what is exciting (and also a good challenge) is how we continually evolve to keep ahead of consumers’ buying habits!

Q: What are you personally looking forward to about the show?

A: What gives me the biggest thrill is seeing the amazing presentation of our exhibitors – the products, the stands, the hard work, the sheer imagination – it just never fails to catch my breath. It’s humbling. And the culmination in watching people meet, chat, connect and trade. And of course, to see them relax and have fun over a glass of wine towards the end of day.

W W WoodWick

®

crackles as it burns ™

INSPIRATIONAL COLLECTION

Share more than a message, share a moment!

Mixing illustrated elements of nostalgia and sentiment, this collection offers a special, caring message for friends and family.

Xystos

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The UK’s No.1 Home Fragrance Supplier to the Gift Industry

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For more info, contact our Customer Service Team Email: sales@xystos.co.uk or Tel: +44(0)191 499 1570 www.xystostrade.co.uk

25/07/2017 17:33 25/07/2017 15:16:47

Aromatize

The Scent of When it comes to home fragrance, Aromatize is a key player and really well worth getting to know a little better.

Editor Sally Norton caught up with managing director Marvin Lomax to learn more about the company and their exciting plans for the future.

A

romatize Ltd are a wholesale supplier of a number of high-quality home fragrance product ranges, and there will be plenty to discover on their stand this Autumn Fair.

You can find them in Hall 5, Stand J11. MD Marvin Lomax explains…

Could you tell us a little bit about Aromatize, Marvin?

The company was established in 2012 to specifically target the home fragrance market. It shares the infrastructure and resources of our sister company Straits Trading, a wholesale home accessories business that has been trading for over 20 years. We have 10,000 square feet of offices, a showroom and 99,000 square feet of warehouse and distribution facilities in Accrington, Lancashire.

We have a dedicated team of 30-plus sales agents, who all perform important roles across both businesses. We are very customer-driven, so Liz Morris and Sophie Aldred are key in ensuring our customer expectations are met. From product development to sales, order processing to despatch, each individual has a key role to play in ensuring that, as a company, we deliver.

What do you think the company is best known for?

Definitely Goose Creek Candles. We offer more fragrances than any other brand and they are America’s best scented candles. Each candle has two wicks which results in a cleaner burn, less soot, a pure fragrance throw and double the ambience.

Hall 5, Stand J11 01254 300 268 aromatize.co.uk 42 gifts today

With 98 different fragrance combinations across 10 product categories it’s easy to understand why Goose Creek has quickly become established in the UK marketplace. We are also well known for our Aroma Accessories range, which has over 70 designs, including plates, votive holders, wax melt burners, hurricanes and jar lamp shades.

What makes Aromatize stand out from the fragrance crowd?

Several things. We deliver, offer great customer service, diverse product offer, competitive pricing, only high quality products offered.

What’s your personal business story, Marvin?

I joined Straits in 1991, having worked through a variety of promoted roles before being appointed Managing Director in 2003 following the exit of the existing directors after their sale to a VC. A month prior to the financial collapse in 2008, we took out a loan and ran with a successful management buy-out of Straits. In 2012 we set up Aromatize as a sister company to Straits to target the home fragrance market, and the rest is history.

Home fragrance is much more than just candles – how important do you think it is to offer a broad product range within this market?

We think this is very important. Our aim is to become a one-stop-shop for home fragrance so the retailer has a diverse

Success

‘Our aim is to become a one stop shop for home fragrance so the retailer has a diverse range to select from’

range to select from. Flameless fragrance is becoming very important to the consumer, as it allows them to fragrance all rooms within the home without having to light a candle. As such sales of our reed diffusers, plug-ins, room sprays, aroma stones and air fresheners increase month on month. Our latest addition of ultrasonic diffusers is proving to be a great success.

You can read our blog on five ways to fragrance your home without a flame. Visit: aromatize.co.uk/blog

What have been your highlights for 2017 so far?

What are the bestselling products for your company?

We will preview 12 new Goose Creek fragrances at the Autumn Fair along with 20 new designs in our Aroma candle accessory brand. Our Christmas novelty collection always does well and we have some new traditional designs that have sold exceptionally well from our showrooms, catalogues and website.

Whilst the run up to Christmas is always extremely busy, it is certainly the time of year when fragranced candle sales and associated products hit the roof.

Goose Creek large candles jars sell tremendously well and Woodbridge, which is our new Soy fragranced candle range, has had an incredible reaction since its launch earlier this year. I must also mention our electric wax melt burners, which continue to exceed all expectations.

What’s selling particularly well at the moment?

In short, Woodbridge. This collection is beautifully packaged and eco-friendly and only high quality components are used to create it. The fragrance load is higher than that of most candle brands and essential oils are used to create the diverse scented combinations we offer. The Woodbridge range is certainly more gift appealing than many standard candle brands.

Spring Fair was exceptional. We love doing trade shows and meeting our customers and were delighted with the number of orders we wrote and new accounts we opened. Successfully introducing Woodbridge into the market place was a definite highlight.

What are your plans for Autumn Fair and the autumn/winter and Christmas seasons?

And other news to share?

We can also give you bit of an exclusive. We intend on announcing another two brands this autumn that we will start to distribute from January 2018, something we are very excited about and more details will follow soon!

On the scent Aromatize offer a wide range of fragrance ranges including: • Goose Creek candles • Woodbridge Soy Candles • Beluma Bodycare • Aroma Accessories gifts today 43

Autumn Fair

Into the Groove Groovy UK Ltd Hall 5, Stand B60-C61 Discover the right licences and original products from this growing company. Highlights include the gold Snitch backpack, Harry Potter, the Groot collection from The Guardians of the Galaxy, new mini Look-ALites and Marvel keyrings.

Call: 0844 3727820 Email: hello@groovyuk.com Visit: groovyuk.com

Roll with it House of Marbles Hall 3, Stand S60-V59 Renowned for having a high quality range of toys, games and books, House of Marbles is the only place to visit if you are looking to stock some of the most entertaining stocking fillers and gifts this Christmas. At this year’s Autumn Fair their stand will be packed with lots of new products for customers to choose from.

Looking to be the latest must-have product from their exclusive Christmas collection is the hilarious O-Deer game. Part of a series of five festive games designed by the team, children and adults will love this ultimate party game as they try to catch the hoops with their inflatable antlers. There’s only limited stock and, with an unbeatable price of £12.99, it’s expected to sell out fast.

Also new at the show is a gorgeous selection of Christmas Jumping Jacks available as an eye-catching counter display, a mischievous Secret Agent Disguise Kit and a real Flapping and Flying Pterodactyl.

So if you’re looking for the very best in festive gifts and carriage paid orders starting from as little as £150, make sure you pop onto the House of Marbles stand to see what they have on offer.

Call: 01626 835358 Email: uk@houseofmarbles.com Visit: houseofmarbles.com/tradeuk 44 gifts today

AUTUMN FAIR

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Autumn Fair

It’s a gift Joe Davies Hall 5, Stand C10/D11 Autumn Fair is the perfect starting point for the Christmas selling season and Joe Davies will be offering a huge amount of new and exciting products on their new stand. Here are just some of the highlights…

Equilibrium Dainty Daisy Jewellery Collection As the well-known saying goes, ‘he loves me…he loves me not.’ However, there is no doubt that you will love this stunning Equilibrium Dainty Daisy collection.

This delicate daisy teardrop petal flower symbolizes youth and loyalty and is finished to the highest quality with beautiful crystals and plated with real rose gold. This fabulous collection will add a touch of style to any jewellery display. The phenomenally successful Equilibrium collection will be available to buy alongside Joe Davies’ exciting range of gifts, including over 2,000 brand new lines. With carriage paid orders of only £100 and free delivery nationwide, this really is an opportunity not to be missed.

Bamboo Words These bamboo words dishes are just one of over 2,500 brand new products in Joe Davies’ autumn/winter collection. There are five attractive, modern sets in the series, which is a new addition to the company’s long-selling white bamboo housewares collection. As with all Joe Davies’ 10,000+ products, the bamboo words series is easy to buy in ‘little and often’ quantities with minimum orders of just £100.

Equilibrium Stylish Boxed Gloves The hugely successful Equilibrium brand by Joe Davies will be showcasing a number of new collections including their ever-popular autumn/winter 2017 fashion accessories collection. It includes stylish gloves, hats and luxurious faux fur and metallic print scarves. Gloves are particularly hot sellers coming up to Christmas, with customer demand increasing year on year. The fabulous new collection features stylish faux fur trims, intricate crustal and pearl detail and embroidered attachments to name but a few of the stunning embellishments to this collection.

The fashion catwalk has seen a very heavy influence of metallic print and crystal embellishments on fabric and this trend is certainly prominent in the Equilibrium fashion accessories collection from Joe Davies. The introduction of a stylish gift box, which perfectly matches the Equilibrium scarf packaging, ensures you have a cocoordinating, eye-catching accessories display in your store.

Call: 0161 975 6300 Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk Visit: joedavies.co.uk 46 gifts today

The new floral Home Fragrance collection of Candles and Diffusers, inspited by the iconic Designers Guild prints and fabrics.

Autumn Fair

To view the full range please visit the Heyland & Whittle stand

3-6 September

Hall 3 Stand 3G43 Top Drawer

10-12 September LONDON

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Stand L1

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Autumn Fair

Be beautiful Mad Beauty Limited Hall 3, Stand W02 Mad Beauty Limited is a UK design-led, award winning leading manufacturer of beauty products.

They are serious about making cosmetics fun!

New licensing launch debut – Slush Puppie ‘We are really happy to add this to our stable of licensed products,’ says Trevor Cash, MD of Mad Beauty. ‘We only look for brands that have very broad recognition and also fit with our style and sense of fun. Slush Puppie definitely ticks all our boxes and we are looking forward to launching some great products.’

Beauty and the Beast With the 2017 release of the new Beauty and the Beast movie starring Emma Watson as Belle, Mad Beauty have looked back to the original characters from the 1991 Disney movie as inspiration for the new range Enchantment Awaits. There are coffrets of rose hand cream, body wash, body lotion cream, bath petals, as well as a moulded rose hand cream; packaged in an ethereal dome which captures the iconic storytelling, Mrs Potts & Chip Lip Gloss Duo are the cutest pair and a must for any age devoted to this wonderful story.

B is for Bambi Everyone’s favourite Disney animated classic movie is about a fawn named Bambi and his woodland friends. Once again, Mad Beauty have taken inspiration from the woodland feel for this very pretty collection which includes wash bag and bath essentials, as well as Wildflower Bath Fizzers which are individually wrapped. Mad Beauty’s highly successful Hand & Nail Cream with a matching nail file set makes an appearance within the B for Bambi collection.

Minnie Mouse Face Mask Following on from the highly successful launch at the beginning of the year – and becoming a beauty bloggers’ favourite – Mad Beauty have launched the Minnie Sheet Mask which will be teamed with a Minnie Mouse Cosmetic Headband. These product ranges are specifically designed to tap into the millennial and older target markets. Everyone grew up with Disney and it is that emotional link Mad Beauty are seeking to develop with these beautiful collections.

Lightbulb Moments A shimmering group of beauty and bath products packaged in lightbulb bottles. Available from September 1, the range includes: • Lightbulb Bath Salts. Fragranced bath salts in a novelty lightbulb bottle, Vanilla & Cherry, £4.99.

• Lightbulb Bubble Bath. Fragranced bubble bath in a novelty lightbulb bottle – Vanilla & Cherry, £5.99.

• Lightbulb Nail Polish Duo. Such a neat nail polish duo in lightbulb bottles, available in Neon Pink and Neon Purple, £4.99

Call: 020 8958 0555 Email: sales@madbeauty.com Visit: madbeauty.com 48 gifts today

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Autumn Fair

To the manor born Manor House Home Fragrance Hall 5, Stand L16 After a long wait and a lot of hard work, the company have launched their brand new website for both retail and trade.

‘As we have 21 home fragrance collections available to choose from at any one time, this has taken a lot of hard work and support from our website company,’ says Darren Ellis. ‘Next year we will launch an even more in-depth site which will show every one of the 1,000-odd products we produce. This is a wonderful starting point for 2017, which is our 10th year since the creation of Manor House Home Fragrance Ltd. ‘It has been a very good ten years where we have gained support from a superb client base and d we now work with some of the finest garden centres, gift shops and department stores in the country. We are aiming to expand our export client base too. We currentlyy ship to many Middle Eastern and European countries, but hope to go further afield.’

Manor House will be presenting their complete collection with an emphasis on Christmas at Autumn Fair.

Call: 01359 250720 Fax: 01359 250802 Visit: manorhousehomefragrance.co.uk

Winter brights Miss Milly Hall 4, Stand H48 Miss Milly, the British brand for gorgeous jewellery and scarves, is looking forward to a vibrant, colourful winter to finish off another fantastic year of solid growth. Whilst the traditional seasonal jewel colours and darker shades still feature, they have a stunning palette to feast your eyes on that includes Brilliant Blue, Pompeian Red and Magenta Haze, perfect to help you create show stopping in-store displays.

2017 has been dominated by grey, even through the summer, and you’ll find plenty of popular, soft greys throughout the ranges. Following on from the successful soft launch of half of their new Floria Collection jewellery at Harrogate, they will be showcasing the complete range with four different styles of vibrant resin, beautiful enameled lines and d tactile powder-coated pieces. Full of statement shapes that are bold yet easy to wear alongside the ever-popular hearts, look out for their eye-catching colour combinations in this range, which has a loyal fan base that is constantly growing.

The Carmen Collection has some gorgeous new lines with striking, statement metal necklaces and earrings in gunmetal, matt silver and matt rose gold with crystal highlights, perfect for the festive party season and Christmas gifting. The more delicate Amora Collection introduces a stunning hammered heart pendant, pretty crystal heart stud earrings and necklace all in matt silver-plate. Their Scarf Collection features seasonal tones, snuggly snoods and a brand new cosy piece in navy and taupe, which is very versatile and works as both a hat and a snood. Fantastic prices and great quality backed up by an efficient, friendly service. No minimum order quantities, so select exactly what you need with a low £100 minimum order total. Branded packaging and display stands are also available. Register on the easy-to-use website for trade pricing or give them a call.

Call: 01905 622509 Visit: missmilly.co.uk

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Autumn Fair

Simply stylish PoM Hall 4, Stand G31 Autumn always feels like a good time to relax and reboot. A hectic summer is over and the Christmas rush is looming, meaning it’s a great time for a style overhaul. A change of season almost always means a change of wardrobe, with women looking for a quick and inexpensive ways of updating their looks.

Jewellery, scarves and accessories make the perfect solution.

The cooler seasons are all about mellow colours, texture, layering and keeping warm while remaining stylish. PoM’s autumn/winter silver and silver-plated jewellery collection id the perfect blend of fresh clean and well-polished style with an underlying bohemian vibe. Easy to wear, ageless and timeless, it has PoM’s signature laid-back elegance at its core. Mixed metals have huge appeal with the rose gold, gold and silver combination being one of their big hitters. Crystals, pearls and charms all add to its playfulness. This is spirited jewellery for spirited women.

The summer trend for metallics follows through to autumn, not just with jewellery, but also with their scarves, bags and accessories. A new batch of grown-up metallic foil print scarves, cutch bags in super soft leathers and suedes shimmer with sparkle, intricately beaded purses catch the light and the eye, just in time for the party and gift-buying season.

And if bling isn’t your thing, there is still plenty to keep you and your customers happy. Chunky knit ponchos, oversize wraps and wool scarves in rich autumnal tones are hard to resist when it’s cold outside and, to keep the season simmering, PoM have some very exciting and welcome additions to their accessories range with brand new knitted hats and snug fleece gloves. With new branded packaging, great point of sale and such a comprehensive collection to choose from, PoM offers you an autumn and winter, that’s all wrapped up.

Call: 01225 777749 Email: sales@pom925.cm Visit: pom925.com

Wooden it be lovely Orange Tree Toys Hall 3, Stand U42 Orange Tree Toys have a wonderful range of traditional wooden toys, all brightly coloured and designed in the UK. Offering both own brand and licensed toys, including Peter Rabbit and Paddington Bear, there is something for everyone.

Following six months of busily drawing, designing and developing the products, Orange Tree Toys are now ready to launch their much-anticipated first Disney collection. The range is based on everyone’s favourite silly old bear, Winnie the Pooh, and his friends. The collection has an array of brightly coloured, beautiful products based on the much-loved characters, focusing on

52 gifts today

Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and, of course, not forgetting Eeyore.

The first launch includes additions to all the bestselling ranges – push-alongs, pull-alongs, a musical carousel, puzzle train and vehicles, and of course an adorable set of skittles (which also has Rabbit and Roo joining the gang). There is also a collection of push-ups and pencils to add to the pocket money toys. The product designs are still subject to final approval, but you can have a sneak peek when you visit their stand at Autumn Fair.

Visit: orangetreetoys.com

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Autumn Fair

Flame and fragrance Xystos Hall 5, Stand H01 Xystos will be taking leading flame and fragrance brands to Autumn Fair, with WoodWick, Village Candle, Woods of Windsor and new partner Baylis & Harding making its stand a one-stop shop for buyers of candles and bath and body products.

Xystos will not only be offering the personal care ranges on which Baylis & Harding has built its reputation, but also its candle, wax melt and burner gift sets, as well as individual candle products.

There are scents to delight such as Sweet Mandarin & Grapefruit, Midnight Fig & Pomegranate, Jojoba, Silk & Almond Oil, and Wild Blackberry & Apple, which also feature in the bath and body products. These include bath and gift sets comprising different combinations of product including shower crème, body butter, body wash, hand & body lotion, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, foot soak crystals, foot lotion, bath milk and faux fur slippers.

Baylis & Harding RRPs range from £5 for the 500ml cleansing hand wash to £50 for a rucksack containing 250g body soak, 200ml shower gel, 100ml hair and body wash, 100ml body lotion and 50ml aftershave balm.

And don’t miss the new Gardeners collection from Woods of Windsor. It comprises a hand wash, hand scrub, hand cream and hand balm/butter, five hand creams and six hand butters, and has a combined retail value of £130.80.

WoodWick’s new Artisan Collection is developed with a unique blend of herbs, dashed with deep woody fragrances and citrus undertones. This tasteful palette of vibrant painted textures is designed to ‘bring out your inner artisan’. There is a medium hourglass, HearthWick ellipse vessel, tin, mini wax melt and four-ounce reed diffuser. All are available in eight fragrances, Black Amber & Citrus, Ebony Woods, English Lavender, Honey Tabac, Red Currant & Cedar, Lime Bergamot, Sea Salt Magnolia and Vanilla Sol.. RRPs are from £2.29 to £29.99.

With the season of goodwill approaching, the Village Candle ‘Home for Christmas’ mini gift set from Xystos (RRP £19.99) looks set to be a winner. The brand’s limited editions include Urban Nights, Forest Hike and Acai Berry, available in three core vessels, 11oz, 16oz and 26oz, with RRPs of £12.99, £16.99 and £19.99 respectively. Look out, too, for Cello melt burners and Candle Warmers.

Call: 0191 499 1570 Email: sales@xystos.co.uk Visit: xystostrade.co.uk

5 Minutes With…

Tom Sykes, Xystos Where are you seeing growth?

Across both candle and bath and body products; as ever, WoodWick has been our best seller and we are delighted with the sales of Village Candle. And our Cello melt burners have been an outstanding success. The Woods of Windsor bath and body ranges have done extremely well and the new Gardeners collection was a big hit with buyers at Home & Gift. We are expecting great things from our new Baylis & Harding ranges, some of which sold out on launch in Harrogate.

What can we expect from your company in the last quarter of trading?

A flame and fragrance offering that is second to none. We have some of the biggest brands in the business and we intend to grow our market share in both the candle and bath and body sectors.

What do you feel consumers are looking for right now when it comes to gift shopping?

The same thing they’ve always looked for – a unique selling position, such as WoodWick and its crackling wick, and well-known brands that deliver on quality.

How price sensitive is retail right now?

It’s always sensitive. We are delighted with sales. Retailers pay for quality and products that give them repeat business. Ours do just that.

What are your top tips for Christmas 2017 in terms of trends, products or licences?

From experience, both candles and bath and body products will be high on people’s present buying lists.

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Autumn Fair

Getting G i personall Personalised Memento Company P Hall5, Stand L02-M03 H W When it comes to personalised gifts this Christmas, PMC have it all wrapped up. PMC are constantly expanding their product range, with new and innovative personalised gifts added every week. With the expan e demand for personalised gifts continuing to grow at a rapid pace, it’s an ideal time to discover how selling dema d personalised gifts can benefit your business. perso The company’s fast lead times and high quality personalisation processes mean that they can offer a consistently cons reliable service to all of their customers, even during the busiest times of the year. Their simple ordering orde and drop-shipping service has been designed with businesses of all shapes and sizes in mind.

Whether Whe you are an independent shop, an e-commerce retailer or even a large high street store, PMC have the ideal selling solution for you. Visit their trade website to discover how personalised gifts can give your business bus the edge.

Visit Vi their stand at Autumn fair for a great opportunity to see all of their products in the flesh, find out more about how it works and to meet their team. PMC are also offering a sneak-peek of their upcoming mo new products, which include an exciting range of gifts from a brand new licence. Check out these ideas…

Personalised Christmas Eve Box Pe Th box is made from a natural wood and features metal hinges and clasps. It can also be personalised This with a name, creating a long lasting keepsake that can be used year on year. The box can be filled with w an array of small gifts on Christmas Eve, including sweets, chocolate, stationery, DVDs, books or even a special s pair of festive pyjamas.

Personalised Santa Stop Here Mince Pie Plate P L Leave Santa and Rudolph a tasty treat on Christmas Eve with the new personalised Santa Stop Here Mince Pie Plate. The plate is available in both ceramic and plastic variants and features the text ‘Santa M Please Stop Here’ above the personalised message. Also new are Christmas Eve boxes, letters from Santa, baubles, snow globes and new sack and stocking designs.

Personalised Barbecue Kit P Enssu that Mum and Dad cook up a storm with this personalised BBQ Kit, brand new for spring/summer Ensure 2018.

201 18 The kit contains a practical set of stainless steel cooking utensils, which will ensure that even the most novice griller won’t burn the sausages. The set is presented in a black pouch, which is available for mo personalisation in two designs, Classic and Wood Burn, which can both feature any personalisation. The pers pouch features handles for easy transport and even a handy front pocket. pou

Personalised Mr & Mrs Towel Sets Pe The Personalised Memento Company’s new range of personalised hand and bath towel sets are already proving a hit with retailers. Available in a range of embroidered designs, these sets are ideal for weddings pro and anniversaries, as well as housewarming gifts. This Mr & Mrs design is particularly suited to weddings and it’s perfect for the happy couple’s honeymoon trip. As with many of PMC’s personalised we gifts, these towels are available on a rapid lead-time and are drop-shipped directly to your customer. gif This eliminates the need for you to hold stock as PMC do all of the hard work.

Th

Personalised Tiny Tatty Teddy My 1st Christmas Bauble P A an adorable element to any Christmas tree with the new licensed Tiny Tatty Teddy My 1st Add Christmas Bauble. Expanding on PMC’s best-selling range of personalised ceramic baubles, this C bauble is perfect for celebrating a baby’s magical first Christmas. PMC’s range of personalised Tiny b T Tatty Teddy and Me to You gifts continue to grow in size and popularity year on year. Their vast range of personalised licensed gifts also includes designs from Paddington, Miffy, Boofle, The Snowman and the Snowdog and Purple Ronnie, to name but a few.

Email: sales@ personalisedmemento.co.uk Visit: personalisedmemento.co.uk 56 gifts today

NEW GOLD CLASSIC COLLECTION

We create beautiful home fragrances, inspired by, and true to, those found in nature.

To view the full range please visit us at

Autumn Fair

3-6 September

Hall 3 - Stand 3G43 Top Drawer 10-12 September

Stand L1

heylandandwhittle.co.uk Heyland and Whittle ad 2.indd 1

01293 525825

sales@heylandandwhittle.co.uk

Follow us on 15/08/2017 15:31

Autumn Fair

Countdown to Christmas PMS International Hall 1, Stand E20-D21 PMS International, the UK’s leading importer and wholesale distributor for toys, games and novelties, unveil their must-have accessories for retail partners to get ready for 2017 Elves Behavin’ Badly displays. Following the huge sales demand last year, the team have designed some fun new lines to help families develop their collection of Elves Behavin’ Badly.

Elves Behavin’ Badly Essentials Meet Elfie, Elvie, Babes and Rudie. To start off a successful collection, the big-eared elves are a must-have to get involved in the fun. Ellie and his female companion Elvie are now joined by some friends; Rudie the reindeer and the adorable Elf triplets – Ellie, Evie and Eddie. Of course, for those who like to create more grown-up mischief the Elves Behavin’ Very Badly are a naughty option. Elf character essentials include: • 12” two Pack Vinyl Head Elf, Elvie and Evie in Red Clothes.

• 12” Single Pack Head Elf Bendable and Poseable.

• Rudie the Reindeer Vinyl.

• 12” Long Legged Elves Behavin’ Very Badly and Black Clothes.

• Elf Triplets in Nightshirt – three colours available.

Elves Behavin’ Badly Babies Create the perfect scene with gorgeous accessories designed for the next generation of Elves Behavin’ Badly – the Triplets; Ellie, Evie and Eddie. These miniature furniture sets allow you to create more chaotic and creative scenes as the Christmas countdown continues.

• Four Elf Babies included in the Party Set & one Polystyrene Red Table.

• 6” Mini Baby Red Rocking Elf Bed with Blanket.

Elves Behavin’ Badly Furniture and Sleighs It’s hard for an Elf to create havoc without transport. So, this year there’s a range of stunning sleighs. After a hard night Behavin’ Badly, an Elf needs sleep.

• Double the trouble with the Twin Elf Sleigh.

• Single Elf Sleigh.

• Time for Bed Single Bed. • Play time two-seater Elf Swing.

Elves Behavin’ Badly Clothes No respectable Elf can carry out their naughty japes without a change of clothes. So, the team have designed four adorable Christmas jumpers.

• Four Knitted Sweaters for Elves Behavin’ Badly Adult – Product Code 529036.

About PMS International PMS International is the UK’s leading importer and wholesale distributor of a wide range of consumer products; ranging from Toys and Games, Plush Novelties, Stationery and Christmas Decorations right through to Housewares, Gardening Products, Giftware and Electronic Gadgets.

Visit: pmsinternational.com

58 gifts today

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St Eval

Handmade in Cornwall St Eval Candle Company have been handcrafting candles in Cornwall for over 20 years. Visit them at the September shows to discover more, and see what’s new.

F

or over twenty years, St Eval Candle company have been creating candles on their farm at Engollan, Cornwall, using traditional methods and developing fragrances inspired by their natural surroundings.

They source the finest ingredients for their wax blends and today produce well over 100 different types from scented candles to huge seven wick masterpieces.

There are exciting times ahead at St Eval Candle Company as they launch a variety of new ranges. In addition to six new elegant, natural pots for the festive season in cosy fragrances, they’re also launching luxurious hand soaps and lotions in four popular scents and together in a beautiful gift set. Here’s the lowdown of new launches this autumn/winter…

Soaps and lotions

St Eval soaps and lotions will leave your hands feeling soft, nourished and beautifully scented. Made with plant extracts and unique St Eval fragrances, they’re paraben-free and not tested on animals. Available to sample at the trade shows in September.

Christmas tins and tealights

Four new festive fragrances in stylish tin candles, each with an elegant and eye-catching

design to perfectly complement an autumn/ winter home décor or dinner table. Each tray of nine festive tealights also displays the festive labels for each fragrance. Try the uplifting, cosy or spicy scents of Winter Berry, Figgy Pudding, Orange & Cinnamon or Inspiritus.

Embossed gold leaf pot candles

Perfectly elegant and festive, the embossed natural candle pots swirl with golden leaves and look amazing. Try the warm festive fragrances.

Harlequin pot candles are natural pots in a rich red and gold harlequin design and will look striking over the winter season.

Filled with St Eval’s popular festive fragrances.

Natural gold pot candles are earthy pots with a subtle, sparkly gold rim are truly beautiful. Perfect for a natural look in your home and will delight the senses

with a cosy or spicy fragrance. Try the popular scents: Inspiritus – the spirit of Christmas.

Winter Bay coloured pillars and multiwicks.

Make a statement or striking table decoration with these vibrant, festive coloured candles dipped in glamorous gold. New this year, St Eval have created a festive candle called Winter Bay - a refreshing crushed bay leaves and uplifting rosemary scent in a deep, winter green and gold blended wax candle.

Fact File

Email: info@ stevalcandlecompany.co.uk Call: 01841 540 850 Visit: stevalcandlecompany.co.uk 60 gifts today

SHOW TIME!!

Team Langs are excited to be going on tour again, this time to the Autumn Fair at the NEC. We will have all of our latest ranges on show, we will be unveiling our new seasonal collections for Valentines, Mother’s Day and Spring! We have given you a glimpse of some of our favourites, we have many more including ‘Let’s go Retro’ our take on this vintage look influenced by the revival of the record player, our fun coasters have proved to be a great hit!

EVERY DAY IS A PARTY Pop Fizz Clink- what’s your favourite drink?

A fabulous mix of drink-related products.

Who needs a special occasion when every day is a party!

OOH LA LA We love this lustrous new collection of silvers and soft greys, used on a mix of textiles, ornaments and glass. Our penguin ornaments are happily chilling, waiting for good homes; our favourite has to be the double kissing penguins. The feather frame and dish would make a great gift for that special friend; along with silver mercury finish tea light holders to create that sumptuous look for cosy long nights, so many gorgeous gifts for you to choose.

See us at Autumn Fair Hall 5 sta nd H06-J07

HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR Lights, camera, action! Our inspiration for this dazzling collection comes from Hollywood.

Black and Gold metallic with a hint of gold sparkle give these pieces sophistication, with added tones of coral and mint to add that touch of femininity. A truly fabulous array of gifts for that very important person.

ROSY GLOW The latest hot décor trend, this is a very sophisticated colour that is stealing the spotlight. It’s soft feminine hues of pink & rose gold glitter mixing with champagne gold bring a truly sumptuous feel to the pieces we have created. Many different items make this a stand-out collection. Our favourite piece is the gorgeous follow your dreams cushion with sequins and pompoms, both of which are on trend embellishments this year.

We are really excited to show you all the new collections along with some classics….

We will see you there!

Richard Lang & Son Ltd 1 Little Chester Park, Alfreton Road Derby DE21 4AA T: 01332 340927 E: sales@richardlang.co.uk W: www.richardlang.co.uk

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Autumn Fair

Curated Collections Richard Lang Hall 5, Stand M25 As a family import and wholesale business, established over 50 years ago, Richard Lang have a proven track record of offering innovative and unusual gifts. They specialise in finding ‘something different’ and providing value for money without losing sight of quality.

Love is in the air Roses are red, violets are blue, and at Lang’s they’ve got a little something for you. Lots of love-inspired gifts to catch your eye.

The best mum in the world Everyone’s mum is the best mum in the world. Richard Lang have designed a beautiful new range using two hand-illustrated new characters – mummy bear and baby bear – just so cute.

Happy days of spring With a hop and a jump, the company are launching their new Happy Days of Spring collection, featuring soft colours of coral, turquoise and lemon to bring you a fresh look at the very best time of the year, Bunnies and ducks will be hopping and quacking their way to you, so why not drop by and have a look at all the fantastic products Lang’s have available this autumn/winter.

Call: 01332 340927 Visit: richardlang.co.uk

62 gifts today

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Autumn Fair

On the edge Edge Sculpture Hall 2, Stand L10 Pictured here is a Venetian Mask from the company’s unique and visceral Edge Sculpture collection. On the back of a fantastic Spring Fair, Matt Buckley, the sculptor and creator of Edge Sculpture, has been locked in his studio working on three new sculptures to unveil at the Autumn Fair.

Unfortunately he is keeping them under wraps, so you’ll have to visit their stand for a first sight of his creations!

Call: 01952 884804 Email: sales@edgesculpture.com Visit: edgesculpture.com

Copper-bottomed quality Sifcon International Plc Hall 3, Stand B10-C11 Last season hailed the arrival of copper as the new trend in homeware accessories, but now those clever people at SIL Interiors have extended this theme and designed a fabulous copper kitchenware collection. It’s all about entertaining: dinner, cocktail soirees, brunch or even breakfast. Everything you serve will look beautiful on SIL’s original and inventive canapé dishes and presentation trays.

The star of the show is the copper cocktail shaker and muddle set pictured here. It’s James Bond and Audrey Hepburn in one. Even in the kitchen you will look Hollywood with their set of copper spatulas, ladles and spoons, while their beautiful copper bowls cab work double times as serving dishes or decorative accessories in their own right. All this, and lots more on their stand.

Call: 01992 718033 Visit: silplc.com 64 gifts today

Beautiful V&A pens, with journals to match.

Part of the 2017 Gift Stationery range featuring Address Books, Guest Books, Notebooks, Journals, Diaries & Calendars, Notecards and Gifting.

sales@mgml.co.uk Tel: 01373 462165 www.museumsgalleries.co.uk

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Autumn Fair

To give & to receive

A 2017 study looking at the way people buy and give gifts reveals there are some key factors consumers should bear in mind when choosing gifts for the women in their lives.

The classic gift ‘Jewellery sets work extremely well as a gift for women, particularly when beautifully boxed. The amount of sets we sell has increased over the years, and is always at its highest in October / November. And scarves continue to sell unabated.

Despite almost every retailer, and friends and family, telling me they have umpteen scarves in their own wardrobe, itt seems they really are considered disposable enough to match to individual outfits!’

Sarah Watmore, M ss Milly Mi y

W

hat makes a good gift after the wrapping is torn off? A group of academics have considered this question in their paper ‘Why certain gifts are great to give but not to get’, published in Directions in Psychological Science. They came to the conclusion that, all too often, givers fail to put themselves in the shoes of recipients when choosing gifts.

The authors, Galak, Givi and Williams, say that ‘people exchange gifts to strengthen relationships and make each other happy, but do not always manage to meet those goals.’ Exploring the way people buy and give gifts, they came up with some conclusions they say could ‘have an impact on how store owners could go about their selling and purchasing decisions.’

According to authors, the secret to good gift-giving is to choose gifts based on how valuable they will be to the recipient during the period they own them, rather than focusing on how good the gift will seem at the moment it is unwrapped. And, they conclude, there are three main considerations to make when trying to buy the perfect gift.

1. Forget the wow factor The study discovered that givers may be more likely to go over the top when they know a gift will be opened in public at, perhaps, a birthday party, rather than in private, like after a wedding. In their attempt to make gifts appear more impressive when opened, people may be tempted to give ‘risky’ gifts that may actually not go down well with the recipient. Trying to impress the recipient with a gift you believe is desirable is actually a waste of time, according to the study, concluding it’s much better to give a gift the recipient will actually be able to use.

2. Give her what she wants Giving a gift that hasn’t been asked for can also be a no-no, say the authors. Much better to give a gift the recipient has actually requested. They say 66 gifts today

that though gifts are typically given with the best of intentions, there can be major consequences for giving ill-chosen gifts. For instance, recipients become annoyed if a gift does not match their preferences, potentially weakening the relationship between giver and recipient. Buyers beware!

3. Don’t over-think it The authors say that while ‘givers think that more expensive gifts seem more thoughtful, recipients do not.’ It seems that thoughtfulness may not be necessarily predictive of how much a recipient will use or enjoy a gift.

Authors say that many of us give sociallyresponsible gifts, focusing on fair trade and so on, believing these will symbolise the giverrecipient relationship.

However, they say, the recipient is said to get little ‘ownership value’ from such a gift and would prefer something they could use or get value out of.

The practical gift ‘We are selling more and more folding walking sticks as gifts for women. We have over 80 styles in colours and patterns to suit everyone, and being height-adjustable, compact and easy to gift wrap and post, they are very popular with retailers too.’

Charlotte Gillan, Classic Canes

NEW Winter Collection available to order now

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Autumn Fair

Warming up Intelex Group Hall 5, Stand J16/K17 The Intelex Group have expanded their popular Warmies range of heatable soft toys with ten new adorable additions.

The new selection of Warmies features a cute boxer, an enchanting blue dragon, a baby penguin and a lovely husky. But the list doesn’t stop there. This summer, Intelex Group were excited to introduce brand new designs to their popular Warmies collection, with two cats, two puppies, a tiger and another husky that are lying down, instead of the traditional upright position of the toys.

The new Warmies soft toys are each available at an RRP of £12.95 and can be ordered online from Intelex Group’s website or from local sales representatives. Trade customers can also register for a trade account online to access special prices for buying in bulk.

Call: 01933 679 777 Email: sales@intelex.co.uk Visit: intelex.co.uk

The price is right Price’s Candles Hall 5, Stand J50 Royal Warrant holder Price’s Candles are back at Autumn Fair with another fantastic giveaway.

Introducing new and existing customers to their market-leading Fresh Air odour eliminating range of candles and diffusers, Price’s are giving away samples of their Open Window fragrance tealights – designed to refresh and revitalise your general living space.

Claiming your free sample is a fantastic way to try the UK’s most popular range of odour eliminating candles, and experience the power of Odourfoyl odour neutralising technology for yourself.

Price’s Fresh Air range of odour neutralisers will also be joined at Autumn Fair by two brand new limited edition products in seasonal and on trend fragrances. The Winter Berries jar with extracts of cranberries and vanilla and, for the first time, a limited edition reed diffuser in the best-selling Mulled Wine fragrance, both packed with the same Odourfoyl odour neutralising technology.

Price’s also have over 15 huge deals on more of their most popular ranges including dinner candles, altar candles and tealights as well as introductory offers on new ranges. These deals are only available at the show and there are no minimum order values with Price’s Candles.

Call: 01234 264500 Email: sales@prices-candles.co.uk Visit: prices-candles 68 gifts today

Heartfelt Sentiment

y Autumn 2017 A stunning collection of beautiful gifts, the perfect way to convey words from the heart to loved ones and friends.

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Visit us at Autumn Fair to make your selection - Hall 5 Stand K27 e: sales@arora-design.co.uk

w: www.aroratrade.co.uk 04/08/2017 14:21:29 14/08/2017 16:21

Autumn Fair

Getting cosy Aroma Home Hall 3 Stand No. J46/K47 Aroma Home have extended their ranges of Cosy Hotties and Snuggables all with removable cotton filled inners to ensure safety.

In addition, they have launched their new Sleepyheads range again with a removable inner.

There are also a number of new lines in their Warm & Cosy range , Fuzzy Slippers and Screen Wipes.

Following the merger with Danielle Creations Aroma Home will also be featuring the popular Damsel in Distress and Kocostar Face Mask ranges.

The luxury Voluspa range of natural coconut wax candles and diffusers continues to add elegant new fragrances and ranges and this year they are pleased to announce the launch of the new 123oz Hearth Candle in the ever popular Japonica range.

There is a lot of new products to see on the Aroma Home stand this year, perfect well-being gifts for everyone.

Email: sales@aromahome.com Tel: 0203 735 9500 Visit: aromahome.com

70 gifts today

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Autumn Fair

Gifts Galore Gift Widdop and Co Wi Hall 4, Stand N6-N20 Ha W Widdop and Co are delighted to welcome Rosanna Bowles, P President of Rosanna Inc, as guest of honour at their Autumn Fair stand. Rosanna is a well-known innovative leader in the homewares industry and has won many awards during the three decades since the company was established. She will be on the Widdop and Co stand on the Sunday and Monday of the show, answering questions about her collection which is distributed exclusively in tthe UK and Ireland by Widdop and Co, as well as signing copies of her latest book Coming Home. All visits to the c Widdop and Co stand on Monday and Tuesday will be Wi entered into a prize draw to win a pack of Rosanna products ente worth £500 retail.

The R Rosanna collection encompasses beautiful jewellery trays, stylish dec decanters and stunning mugs. Creating contemporary revisions of titimeless aesthetics, the collection in store produces striking product displa displays and offers an easy gifting solution.

For a stunnin stunning choice, great value and commercial designs, look no further for yyour everyday photo frames than Widdop and Co’s Impressions. From sophisticated silver-plated traditional frames to contemporary copper, this is a collection designed to suit every retailer.

Bespoke retail solutions provide attractive merchandising both for those with limited space and those with plenty, First there was the highly-amusing, must-have Musicology collection – now make way for Moviecology. Inspired by blockbuster film titles from across the decades, this is a collection that will raise a smile on lots of faces this Christmas. Two lines form the backbone of the collection – photo frames and a photo mug and coaster set, perfect for the aspiring secret agent dad or the Beerminator.

Reflections from the Heart has been a runaway success for Widdop and Co since its launch at the beginning of 2016. The heart-shaped plaques have had a Christmas makeover for 2017 with 12 new designs celebrating the season. Complete with a compact branded display stand, this collection offers a simple solution for stocking fillers, Secret Santas and pocket money budgets.

Signography, Widdop and Co’s stunning birthday collection continues to go from strength to strength. New in for the second half of the year is a range of eclectic message boards from light-up to traditional pegboards reminiscent of the Seventies. The range sits in the Celebrations brand celebrating milestone birthdays with frames, mugs, money banks, lightup bottles and letters in an eye-popping monochrome and gold.

Call: 0161 688 1226 Email: sales@widdop.co.uk Visit: widdop.co.uk 72 gifts today

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17/08/2017 16:33

Autumn Fair

5 Minutes with…

Box out

Matthew Shaw, sales director, Puckator What can we expect from Puckator in the last quarter of trading?

We will be launching a vast array of exciting new designs for the end of 2017 as well as expanding and revamping our top sellers.

Keep your eyes peeled for our adorable new kawaii influenced nawahls, cheeky garden gnomes and indulgent ‘pop the prosecco’ ranges. We will also be dazzling customers with a big increase in our current LED collection. With new shapes, colours and exclusive designs coming soon.

Packed with personality Puckator Hall 5, Stand K02/L03 Puckator will be showing over 3,000 products, giving a strong presence to new licensed ranges such as Minions, Simon’s Cat and Aardman Animations.

Enchanted Kingdom For all little (and big) princesses out there, Puckator’s new Enchanted Kingdom collection is sure to delight.

Taking inspiration from their top selling Enchanted Rainbows range, they plan to launch a magical fairytale design bursting with iconic classic story tokens.

Don’t worry if princesses aren’t your style, Puckator also have an extensive collection of Prosecco gifts coming your way. This fabulous bold and bright slogan focused design is certain to appeal to all those who like to indulge themselves in a little tipple of the fizzy stuff.

And what better time to launch these delightful new products than party season? Gifts available to purchase include metallic mugs, nail files, lip balm tins, compact mirrors and much more. The only problem you’re going to have is parting with those phenomenal products.

Prickly Customers So far 2017 is without doubt the year of the cactus and these stylish succulents don’t seem to be dropping off the radar anytime soon. Lucky for you guys Puckator have got you covered with their large and varied collection of cactus gifts.

These prickly plants have created a storm in the world of interior décor and people just can’t get enough. They’ve endeavoured to create a vast range that sits every cactus enthusiast, big and small.

Following the trends in home fashion our first collection, Cactus Time features cool muted tones and chic geometric shapes. Covering mugs, storage bags, candles and statement compacts, to name 74 gifts today

What do you feel customers are looking for when it comes to gift buying right now? a few, it’s easy to immerse your environment in this classic collection.

On the more whimsical fun side they have their fiesta time and el succuléntes complementary ranges.

Featuring bold colours, stylistic designs and fun characters they bring a smile to even the grumpiest of faces. Check out the ‘cacterise’ water bottle – we all need something to smile about in the gym and this exercising cactus gives us all the motivation we need.

Take a look at Puckator’s collection today to let them supply your store with some truly succulent stock!

Call: 0800 011 6969 Email: customerservices@puckator.co.uk Visit: puckator.co.uk

Something different and unique. They want to be inspired and excited by something new. That is why we strive to be ahead of the game when it comes to top trends, providing our own original spin on emerging popular themes is always our top priority. Sustainable and ethical giftware is also at the forefront of consumer consciousness right now so you’ll see our biggest trends showcased on reusable water bottles, shopping bags and biodegradable bamboo picnic ware.

What are your top tips for Christmas 2017?

We have two huge, exciting new collaborations on the way. With the release of Despicable Me 3 this summer, kids are going to be scrambling for all things minion and we predict a frenzy when our little dancing Kevin, Bob and Stuart solar panels hit the shelves. Our second licence will appeal to kids and adults alike; we’ve teamed up with the adorably irreverent Simon’s cat to create a collection of exclusive giftware. Garnering much popularity across social media and YouTube subscribers this ever-expanding fan base is crying out for some products featuring this fun feline and we’re having to answer the call

COME AND SEE OUR NEW COLLECTION AT THE

AUTUMN FAIR

HALL 3 STAND B10 - C11 01992 718033

Sifcon.indd 1

www.silplc.com

sales@silplc.com

14/08/2017 11:13

Autumn Fair

Wonderful warriors Mandarin Arts Ltd Hall 2, Stand G1 A major terracotta warrior exhibition will be taking Britain by storm early in 2018, more than ten years since another loan exhibition at the British Museum. Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di united the seven warring states of Qin, Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao and Wei in 221BC to form the first imperial dynasty of China. The actual grave of Qin Shi Huang has still not been excavated, but archaeologists have identified the tumulus under which Emperor Qin is buried. After the funeral ceremonies following the death of the Emperor, many concubines were buried alongside the Emperor to keep him company in the after-life, and the craftsmen who had built the tomb and devised ways of protecting it from thieves (such as the construction of traps which would fire arrows at any person who tried to break in) were buried alive in the tomb so that their detailed knowledge died with them.

Whilst the iconic image of a terracotta warrior is familiar to most people, the tomb also contained life-size figurines of horses pulling chariots, stable boys, acrobats, musicians and many other non-military personnel. The Yangtze and Yellow rivers were simulated in the tomb with mercury, which is poisonous, and it is this and the booby traps, documented in the writings of the famous historian Sima Qian, that make experts reluctant to excavate the tomb.

Another reason is that we do not yet have the technological expertise to preserve the colours that the warriors were originally painted with once they are exposed to the air and sunlight. If you are interested in Chinese cultures and art, the team at Mandarin Arts would love to meet you and introduce you to their cornucopia of products.

Call: 01873 812255 Visit: mandarinarts.co.uk 76 gifts today

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Autumn Fair

The gift that keeps on giving With functionality one of the main gift-giving criteria today, and with the surge in cooking and dining at home continuing, kitchenware has become the gift that keeps on giving.

G

iftable kitchen and dining ware is a category in demand by retailers and consumers alike. A combination of a renewed focus on the kitchen, the increased interest in cooking and dining at home, the rise of the cookshop, and demand for more functional gifts has led to the upsurge in this category.

‘All forms of retail are looking for supplementary segments, which help when targeting specific consumer groups, as well as helping them stand out against competitors, says Nicolette Naumann, VP of Ambiente. ‘Giftware stores are increasingly stocking products for cooking and baking, and giftware/lifestyle brands are increasingly including dishes and kitchen tools in their product ranges.’

Monique Scott, Groovy, agrees: ‘Home and dining is always a key area. We use many of the same items in each of our

homes but we still want to set our own design idea whenever possible. The success of The Bake Off TV series set in motion the trend for home cooking again and all the accessories that go with it. Nice dining ware always becomes important when we have friends round or even a mug when we have a cup of tea. We all have our little way of showing off and Groovy wants to help people to do this with a new collection next year.’

Personalisation is key, too, according to Keren Dicken from PMC. She comments: ‘Personalised dining gifts such as our slate placemats and coasters have gone from strength to strength this year, particularly for occasions such as weddings and as new home gifts. Materials like slate and wood are always popular, but more so in the past couple of years, where we’ve seen demand skyrocket. Strong sellers this wedding season have been our His

‘Nice dining ware always becomes important when we have friends round or even a mug when we have a cup of tea’ and Hers slate placemat set, and the matching His and Hers slate coaster set.’

With kitchens increasingly the centre of the home, functional yet fabulous is key, which is why design-led brands producing kitchenware can be so successful in this space. So, why is kitchenware so giftable?

• It’s useful. With the trend for spending money wisely, a useful gift is bound to go down well.

• Both men and women, and all ages, like it.

Did you know?

• It looks good. With so many companies now concentrating on developing items that are expressly developed for the purpose of gifting, you can give a practical product that looks attractive, too.

• There are many distribution channels.

For a supplier, the development of kitchenware that is giftable creates more distribution channel options, from garden centres to museums to gift shops, exposing brands to a wide audience.

The most popular kitchenware trends of 2017 have included marble slabs, castiron cookware and at-home coffee bars

78 gifts today

Visit us September, at Autumn Fair 3-6 NEC Birmingham, & see what’s new. Hall 5 Stand A42 Baby Mats Bring this ad and receive a FREE gift.

5% off all show orders.

don’t miss us at autumn fair Cardgains Stand Hall 4 - D40-F41 3rd-6th Sep 2017 NEC Birmingham www.waxlyricaltrade.com

Page 79.indd 1

01229 461166

info@waxlyricaltrade.com

21/08/2017 17:23

Autumn Fair

Table talk Melamaster Hall 3, Stand E06 Melamaster will be using their attendance at Autumn Fair to launch four new Christmas designs. Two of the new designs come from Vicky Yorke who they are delighted to be working with – they believe her Winter Floral and Folk Tale designs fall seamlessly into the range for this year. They sit wonderfully alongside the new and exclusive design Let It Snow, with the robins, snow topped homes and trees perfectly capturing the essence of Christmas.

Also launching at Autumn Fair is a brand new product to the range, their Table Runner.

This product is a great way to protect table tops from hot pots, pans and serving dishes. Also great for displaying your table centrepieces but keeping surfaces free of scratches.

There will of course be their Classic Christmas ranges available of Winter Robins, Winter Birds and Winter Berries, to name but a few. Orders for their non-festive designs can still be ordered at the show though so don’t worry.

Call: 02476 724900 Email sales@ coleshilldesign.com Visit: coleshilldesign.com

On the ball Emma Ball Ltd Hall 3, Stand X07 Emma Ball Ltd will be back at the Autumn Fair for the first time in some while. It’s been a popular year for bespoke projects, so if it’s something you’ve been thinking about- come and see either Emma or Lucy at the show and be shown the full range of what can be done. The set ups are mostly non-existent and minimums rather low!

Did y you know?

Emm Ball ltd has covered most of the Emma Britis British Isles with her tea towels? This time of year proves popular with all their designs as they’re so easy to the po post to relatives and friends abroad.... with designs from the UK, Emma’s wi paintings, Caroline Cleave and Abigail pa M Mill - there are plenty to choose from!

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

80 gifts today

Rosemary

Basil

Citronella with a twist!

Scent your summer with citronella and botanical blends.

Tomato Leaf

T +44 0800 169 5126 sales@uk.bolsius.com

www.bolsius.com

SNUGGLE UP TO ONE OF OUR NEW WARMIES Visit us at the Autumn Fair this year!

3rd-6th September Hall 5 J16/K17

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NEW RANGE

Intelex Ltd (UK) Unit 17-18 Regent Park, Park Farm Industrial Estate, Wellingborough, NN8 6GR Email: sales@intelex.co.uk Phone: 01933 679 777 Web: www.intelex.co.uk Untitled-2 1

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02/08/2017 11:01

21/08/2017 17:03

Autumn Fair

Going Wild Wild Things Gifts Hall 5, Stand H20 Autumn Gift Fair, mellow and fruitful! Wild Things will be showcasing all their bestsellers as well as some new ranges, all made using Swarovski crystals. Crystal Fantasies, Guardian Angels, Fantasy Glass, plus the new Radiance and Heart of Hearts.

With the current popularity of British themes, the Crystal Fantasy range has been extended to include blue tits, robins, hares, the Green Man… and a surprise hit – the Vesica Pisces or Chalice Well design. Designed with Glastonbury in mind, but selling really well everywhere – a testament to its attractiveness. Look out too for the new ‘must have’ flower of life in various forms.

Radiance – jewel-like strings of Swarovski crystals in five variations, and Heart of Hearts – seven Swarovski jewellery hearts within a heartshaped frame – are all thoroughly deserving of the ‘window jewellery’ epithet.

Wild Things are particularly strong in the display area.

The emphasis is on showing a lot of value in a small footprint. Floor standing trees, counter displays and a self-lit hanging display are all designed to show off the brilliance of the Swarovski crystal. There are special show offers on starter packs (which, of course, include the displays). Experience shows that the products sell so well that the starter pack is the beginning of a long-term relationship. Order by 1pm for next day delivery) except during show time) and, because most products are made in the UK, they are available all the way to Christmas.

Call: 01392 211268 Email: sales@wildthingsgifts.com Visit: wildthingsgifts.com

Make a splash Lesser & Pavey Hall 5, Stand E02-F03 A must-have for retailers this Christmas are the Mermaid blankets from Lesser & Pavey. Available in three different colourways – Pink, Blue and Rainbow – each blanket features shiny silver scales and mermaid sequin scales that change colour when you brush them. These are part of a larger collection of Mermaid Sequin Cushions and other Mermaid gifts. These look to be a huge line for Christmas 2017, meaning buyers need to make contact now before stocks disappear.

Call: 01322 279225 Fax: 01322 279586 Email: sales@leonardo.co.uk Visit: leonardo.co.uk

82 gifts today

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Manor House Home Fragrance Ltd

T 01359 250720 www.manorhousehomefragrance.co.uk

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Page 83.indd 1

Hall 3 Stand V09 elementgifts.com

01202 57 00 57

info@elementgifts.com

21/08/2017 11:41

Autumn Fair

Secrets of the sea Heaven Scent Hall 3, N40 During the Summer months, Heaven Scent often takes to time to put in place new projects. This year Heaven Scent will be presenting the full range of body products, with all new fragrances and packaging. They have updated their current body product range using the latest natural formulas designed to preserve the creams and lotions naturally rather than using harsh chemicals, parabens and sulphates.

Heaven Scent have sold Dead Sea salts blended with essential oils as a bath soak for many years.

The benefits of Dead Sea salt have long been reported - it is believed due to its high mineral content. It is said that the Sea Salt improves skin circulation, aids hydration and can even reverse aging effects on the skin. As part of the recent changes to the body products Heaven Scent have decided to update their Dead Sea Salt range, they will be creating a new glass jar with new essential oil and fragrance combinations.

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

Best of British Stoneglow Stand: 5H27 This year Stoneglow will be unveiling two brand new collections: Luna and Geometrics. British designs‌ made in Britain.

Luna is sleek and luxurious with rich colours, gilded golds, and hues rose gold along with decadent fragrances for a truly opulent experience. Think hygge, think Geometrics! this range of sculptured glass, textile finishes and natural wax offer clean lines and simplicity for the modern home.

Plus, it is not too late to look at your seasonal requirements, Stoneglow have updated their seasonal collection with fun Christmas crackers, cute tins, advent candles and a collection of inclusion candles and scented diffusers and candles. This range is full of festive cheer for the traditional to the contemporary.

And finally why not pop along to the Autumn Fair to see their stunning new instore Display Units - Grey Painted Shaker Style, the perfect way to promote the Stoneglow brand.

Visit: stoneglowcandles.co.uk

Simply stylish Culinary Concepts Hall 3, Stand H30-J31 Celebrating 18 years of providing unique and timeless collections, Culinary Concepts’ reputation for producing quality and inspirational wares is well established. 2017 has seen the introduction of over 400 new, beautiful pieces that both complement and enhance their increasingly impressive catalogue and Autumn Fair is set to stage the unveiling of further additions to this show stopping brand.

Their best-selling lighting ranges have grown to feature more on-trend pendants and lamps including magnificent geometric framed chandeliers that create a dramatic look with real atmosphere.

The Christmas decoration range is simply stunning; a delightful mix of contemporary and vintage styles including LED ornaments, gorgeous beaded fabric decorations, delicate glass baubles and elegant candle holders. Each piece is beautifully hand crafted and thoughtfullydesigned to bring a magical touch to the home.

The new collections include a delightful variety of furniture and decorative pieces such as mirrors, nestle tables, drinks trollies and barware that feature classic designs with bold, metallic finishes infused with their trademark modern twists and exquisite workmanship.

Visit: culinaryconceptsliving.com

84 gifts today

The home of UK made es and designed homewares

Let it Snow by Colehill Design

Winter Floral by Vicky Yorke

Folk tale coasters by Vicky Yorke

See us at Autumn Fair at the NEC 3rd-6th of September STAND No:3E06 If you can’t wait until Autumn Fair get in touch with Sian on

AUTUMN FAIR

HALL 4 STAND 4D30-F31

Page 85.indd 1

Tel: 024 7672 4900 Email: sales@coleshilldesign.com www.coleshilldesign.com

MAISON&OBJET HALL 6 STAND S136-T135

21/08/2017 14:04

Autumn Fair

On trend Temerity Jones Hall 4, D30-F31 Following on from the huge pineapple trend, and fusing with the emerging jungle/safari story, the designers at Temerity Jones are introducing the Jungle Luxe collection. Bold but sophisticated jungle patterns, meet striking geometric jungle animals.

Add some opulent gold accents and seductive fragrance, and you have all the makings of a sure fire hit.

The designers have curated a range of decorative ceramics, artworks and home fragrance to offer a very complete and succinct story for any shop looking to make a splash. Look out for more to come in this collection, including animal prints and fabulous African animal themed gifts for table top.

Home lighting has always been a strength of †he Temerity Jones catalogue, and they have expanded the Metropolis lighting range to include some truly dazzling and sexy lighting options to give your shop the wow factor. Alongside the classic filament style lamps that have been a constant from day one, they now have beautifully hand crafted ribbed, faceted and geometric light bulbs. These, along with some seriously sexy half mirrored bulbs and playful coloured glass globes, all in their distinctive ‘Metropolis’ packaging. They also have both classic and opulent lamps and lamp fittings to fit these beautiful light bulbs.

Call: 01992 718033 Visit: temerityjones.com

Class Glass D&J Glassware Hall 5 Stand F16 2017 has been quite a year for D & J Glassware; shortly following the spring shows, the company moved into much larger premises. ‘We are really enjoying having the extra space, as we really had outgrown our old premises,’ said Jocelyne.

Later on in the summer, another milestone was reached as David & Jocelyne celebrated 15 years since founding D & J Glassware. ‘We cannot believe that it has been so long since we started the business. There have been many changes to the type of designs that customers want, although certain items remain popular.’ The company has developed over the years with the couple taking an increasingly large role in designing and developing new ranges. ‘Our inspiration can come from the most unlikely source!’ says David.

D & J Glassware is the original UK supplier of Tree of Life balls and has an enviable reputation for innovation and original designs in both mouth blown and fused glass.

The fabulous and eye catching Fused Glass animals will be on display at Autumn Fair as well as Birthstone Kisses, Tree of Life Balls, Friendship collections, Tea-light holders and much more.

The unique designs are proven to sell through strongly and new designs are introduced regularly throughout the year.

The popular fragrance collections will also be showcased: handmade glass diffusers in a range of gorgeous colours with British-blended fragrances are joined by wax melt burners and British made soy wax melts, not forgetting, for Christmas: English scented pine cones in attractive organza bags. Customers will receive friendly and efficient service from the UK’s favourite glassware supplier.

Call: 01953 450280 Visit: dandjglassware.co.uk

Classic style Classic Canes Hall, Stand 4M25 Walking stick specialists Classic Canes will launch three new height-adjustable handbag size folding canes at Autumn Fair.

The Somerset-based family business will exhibit their specialist range of over 700 traditional and contemporary walking sticks at the fair, including many models specifically suited to the Christmas gift market.

The new folding canes fold to five sections instead of the usual four, making them more compact once folded and so easy to fit into a lady’s handbag. There are three colourways: tropical flowers black, tropical flowers blue and sprigged flowers white. Being height-adjustable, they fit a wide range of users and make an easy-to-buy present.

Other new products debuting at the fair include two elegant leather seat sticks of traditional styling at an affordable price for mainstream Christmas gifts. A choice of dark brown or tan leather is offered to suit personal taste. There is also a new range of formal canes suitable for gentlemen’s Christmas gifts including a skull cane, a lion cane and a boot cane.

Call: 01460 75686 Email charlotte@classiccanes.co.uk Visit: classiccanes.co.uk 86 gifts today

Straits Trading Co Ltd Hall 5 Stand E1 Straits are looking forward to seeing all customers new and old at this year’s Autumn Fair. Here, all their new collections for the autumn & winter seasons including many Christmas specific items will be showcased in a range comprising over 3,000 items. A warm welcome is always offered on their stand where fine wines and Prosecco flows freely. Please join them for a drink whilst looking at their varied and comprehensive home accessory items.

Call: 01254 300260 Visit: straitstrading.com

gifts today 87

Autumn Fair

Animal Magic Dora Designs Hall 3, T22-U23 Autumn Fair International showcases the new additions to the current Dora Designs collections of Doorstops, Draught Excluders and Paperweights for Autumn Winter 2017. Canine friends lead the way for the autumn/ winter designs which include Boris the Bloodhound, Blue the Weimaraner Doorstops and Thurston Senior the Bulldog Draught Excluder. Joining them are the elegant Hartwell Deer and a Pink Patchwork Pig Doorstop. Not forgetting our feline friends, the popular Felix Cat design is now available in a Paperweight.

Call: 01780 430188 Email: enquiries@ doradesigns.co.uk Visit: doradesigns.co.uk

Lots to love Giggle Beaver Hall 4, Stand D11 Since winning the Judges’ Choice award for overall Gift of the Year 2017 with their ’10 Things I Love About You’ Personalised Light Box, the team at Giggle Beaver have been working tirelessly to create even more exciting light box designs. They’re particularly proud of their innovative new Colour Changing Light Box, which seamlessly transitions into each colour, and gives a new name to ambient mood lighting.

They’ve also expanded their light box range to include more cool poster designs. The latest getting the ‘glow-up’ treatment is their popular personalised Letter Print poster. Combining your ten favourite things with an initial of your choosing, this funky light box design is sure to be a hit.

After launching their selection of bright and funky beach towels this summer, Giggle Beaver have decided to expand the range to include cool hand and bath towels featuring exciting brand-new designs. They were delighted with the popularity of their beach towels as they became a staple amongst sun, sea and sand, so they’re hoping their new hand and bath towels will make a splash in bathrooms everywhere.

These quirky new bathroom towels include brightly coloured, cartoon-style designs including pineapple, avocado, Prosecco, ketchup and mustard. Perfect for kids and adults alike, washing your hands has never been so much fun.

Visit: gigglebeaver.com 88 gifts today

Perfect Poppies Alexander Thurlow Hall 4, Stand H31 Alexander Thurlow have just added some new designs to their poppy range. We love this cloud pendant with poppy. More designs will be on show at Autumn Fair.

Call: 020 8766 6466 Visit: alexanderthurlow.com

The Walking Stick Specialists

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Introducing our new range of 12 walking

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

sticks and folding canes based on paintings

by Bosschaert, Van Gogh and Stubbs.

Autumn Fair: Hall 4, Stand M25 www.classiccanes.co.uk

ADORABLE DOORSTOPS, DRAUGHT EXCLUDERS AND MORE!

Showcasing new additions to our current collections for Autumn/Winter 2017 at; Autumn Fair International 3rd-6th September 2017 Stand 3T22-U23 We look forward to welcoming you onto our stand!

Contact us: T: 01780 430188 - E: enquiries@doradesigns.co.uk - W: www.doradesigns.co.uk

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21/08/2017 15:28

Autumn Fair

Making music The Music Gifts Company Hall 3, Stand V09 It’s hard to believe that The Music Gifts Company has been designing gifts since 1995.

The world may have changed in the last 22 years, but music remains timeless. The same is true of their best-selling gift The Chopin Liszt which was the first product the company designed and remains at number one every year. Their latest creation is Musical Dominoes which tests your knowledge of music notation.

This 28-tile game is made of resin and comes gift boxed with a launch price of just £7.50 for orders at Autumn Fair.

Fresh off the press is a new range of stationery as well as a collection of fridge magnets retailing at just £2.99. If you really want a sure thing, take a look at the range of socks. Made from 95% ring-spun cotton, they make the ideal gift. A rotating display is available, which includes 36 pairs. The company has remained true to its origins by producing most of the gifts within the UK. One such gift is the Washbag.

This is made from 100% cotton, edged in faux leather and fully lined.

However, what makes it unique is the use of pewter as the zip-pull. It comes in a choice of three designs. With over 500 gifts on a music theme, there’s something for music lovers of all ages. Having missed last year’s show, the company’s thrilled to be back for Autumn Fair.

Call: 01202 57 00 57 Email: enquiries@musicgifts.co.uk Visit: musicgifts.co.uk

In your element Element Gifts Hall3, Stand V09 If you struggle to find men’s gifts, then check out Element. It’s a unique collection solely offering men’s gifts.

Socks are the biggest selling gifts for men and therefore feature strongly within the range with 12 designs for both sports and car lovers. There’s even a rotating display stand which comes complete with 36 pairs made from finest 95% cotton. Other highlights include mugs and matching coasters, cufflinks, Englishmade washbags with pewter zip-pulls, pens, bottle openers, keyrings and much more. The products are designed by the in-house team as well as a range by award-winning illustrator Vikki Gibson. What sets Element gifts apart is the attention to detail and how the company strives to offer the finest quality products, beautifully packaged. New gifts this season include a range of mugs with matching coasters ‘I should be… cycling, playing golf, playing rugby, in the pub’ available in choice of two colours, as well as more socks including gifts for those who dream of owning a supercar ‘Mine’s the Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin’.

Call: 01202 57 00 57 Email: info@elementgifts.com Visit: elementgifts.com

90 gifts today

Sales Agents Required for Leading Candle Company Focused and high-energy agents required for Midlands Region in England.

Carrie Elspeth H A N D M A D E

I N

WA L E S

Client: Price’s Candles are a historic and prestigious candle company acting as Candlemakers to Her Majesty The Queen. For over 180 years, Price’s has led the way in the candle industry with quality and innovation. Price’s have a comprehensive selection of candles from fragrance to dinner and utility.

Price’s are one of the largest candle companies within the UK and are looking for highly motivated sales agents to continue to grow the company.

• • • •

Competitive commission Regional Exclusivity Market support/samples supplied Trade exhibition support

For further details or to apply for this role, please email: Laurence Whiting or Lisa Fuller laurence.whiting@prices-candles.co.uk lisa.fuller@prices-candles.co.uk

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Autumn 2017 Collection Autumn Fair - Stand 4G40 NEW LOCATION sales@carrieelspeth.com | 01446 771271 | www.carrieelspeth.com

21/08/2017 12:05

Autumn Fair

Fabulous fragrance Sandy Bay Hall 3 Stand K19

Made in Wales Carrie Elspeth Hall 4, Stand G40 Autumn sees Carrie Elspeth add more beautiful designs to her stunning, bestselling jewellery collections. With gorgeous branded packaging and new point of sale, these latest collections are keeping pace with the hot trends for the season and will undoubtedly put a smile on your customers’ faces!

Carrie is very excited about her brand new leather charm bracelets, offered in a whole array of fabulous colours in real leather, with a choice of silver plated star or heart charms. Also available are faux leather pattern designs with silver plated geometric charms and a rose gold plated heart charm. All bracelets have an easy to open magnetic clasp making them the ideal accessory for your autumn wardrobe, just choose the one you like and snap on your wrist for instant impact!

Making them the perfect gift this Christmas.

Still proudly made in Wales, Carrie prides herself on quality, super-fast delivery and excellent customer service. Call the studio for the latest fullcolour autumn brochure.

Call: 01446 771271 Email: sales@carrieelspeth.com Visit.carrieelspeth.com

At Sandy Bay their ethos is ‘it’s all about the fragrance.’ They are finding that many consumers have become far more sophisticated in their choice of home fragrance product, they are looking for products which offer a bit of luxury at an affordable price, and will repeat purchase when they find a fragrance they love.

Whilst their top-selling fragrances such as Pomegranate Rouge and Persian Rose are still at the top of the best sellers list, they are finding that there is a real trend towards more masculine fragrance blends. Their Gentlemen’s Club Collection fulfils this demand perfectly, offering six stunning fine fragrance blends that are not only popular with the men, but the ladies love them too! Fragrances options carry catchy names such as The Boss, The Charmer and City Boy. Their aim is to offer products which will fit into any environment with a stylish, classic design that won’t date. Containers carry their signature brand design which is also carried through onto their elegant packaging. For Christmas this will be embellished with a stunning silver or gold design. Offering two gorgeous fragrances: • Festive Season - An aromatic spicy accord opening with citrus orange and lemon followed by rich warm cinnamon and clove, with hints of floral jasmine and fresh pine resting on a base of sensual woods and musk.

• White Forest - A green woody blend with fresh pine needle top notes infused by sparkling tones of mandarin and bergamot. An elegant aromatic heart is composed of fir balsam, eucalyptus, geranium, armoise and rosemary resting on the bed of fine cedar, patchouli and a hint of white musk.

These two fragrances will be available in a wide range of products which will provide stores with the opportunity to offer two complete home fragrance packages in stunning fragrances which will in turn create both customer and brand loyalty.

Call: 01992 579949 Email: enquiries@sandybaylondon.com Visit.sandybaylondon.com

The personal touch Hall 5, F51 Signature Books Publishing Signature Books have been a part of Signature Gifts for some time now, but this specialised part of the company has been re-branded to become Signature Books Publishing. This arm of Signature has seen the most significant growth in sales over the past 24 months, and we don’t see this slowing down any time soon. Securing contracts for licensed books has been a major part of this success, starting with the Personalised Ladybird books for Grown-ups taking a double win at the Gift of the Year 2017 Awards in February.

Since then new licenses have been secured every quarter, meaning Signature can boast that they manufacture and produce the widest range of personalised books in the UK and are continuously adding more titles. 2017 has seen them welcome fantastic brands such as Arty Mouse, Thunderbirds, Penguin, Harper Collins, Ladybird, Marvel, Disney and more! Team these with Signatures in-house team of designers and writers who also create unique books for all ages and you have a recipe for success! With more brilliant books in the works the only way Signature can go is up!

Visit: signature-gifts.co.uk 92 gifts today

Agents Required Areas

SIMPLY GORGEOUS

JEWELLERY AND ACCESSORIES

South East England South West England Central England North West / North East England Scotland

Commissions

15% on NET sales but lower on certain products and where discount involved.

Description

Chairworks Ltd are a major distributor of woven baskets and garden products for many years.

We need a well established agent who has a good connection with gift retailers and garden centres.

We Oer

A range of fast selling products of very attractive designs A list of current customers over a 100 per area Full sales support, catalogue and samples etc Please contact Nick Smyth 0208 247 3700, 07769 651428, info@chairworks.info.

Autumn Fair Hall 4 Stand H48

Buy online at missmilly.co.uk or call: 01905 622 509

Page 93.indd 1

21/08/2017 12:22

Autumn Fair

Four of the best Enesco

Hall 3, Stand V22-W23 Beauty and the Beast figurines in Disney Showcase collection Capture the classic stories of animated films and live action remakes, as Enesco proudly presents new Beauty and the Beast additions into the Disney Showcase collection. The collection comprises the Live Action Belle Figurine, and the Beast Figurine designed by Enesco under the art direction of David Pacheco.

Each stunning figurine is hand-crafted in stone resin, handpainted and presented in a branded gift box.

Lolita range Feeling positively festive in time for the Christmas season, Enesco has unveiled a range of new yuletide wine glasses from Lolita, perfect for a mulled wine to help warm the cockles when the weather outside is frightful. The range includes: • Let’s Get Nuts. A wine glass decorated in the style of a traditional nutcracker.

• Lolita’s Gingerbread Wonderland Wine Glass.

• I’ll Be Home – a thoroughly festive wine glass capturing the fun and frivolity of the season.

Miss Mindy Thanks to Enesco and its new pairing with American folk cartoon artist, Miss Mindy, much-loved characters from Beauty and the Beast are being brought to life like never before through a new collectable figurine range with a unique twist on the iconic Disney brand — Miss Mindy Presents Disney. The collection includes a Belle, Lumiere and Cogsworth figurines.

Pusheen GUND gets ready for a puuurfect Christmas with a new range of Pusheen products, including a Pusheen Waterdazzler Globe, Tumbler, Pusheen Mini Tablet Case.

94 gifts today

NEW CAKE CANDLES! NEW FOR XMAS

NEW FOR XMAS

N E W F R O M T H E C R E AT O R S O F U P I N L I G H T S !

New from the company that brought you the best-selling, original Light Up letters, UP IN LIGHTS, comes new and exciting Light Up Shapes. The range of cute characters includes; Mermaid, Shell, Rocket, Dinosaur, Unicorn and more!

Plus, Smiling Faces Cake Candles collection relaunches with exciting new designs.

Visit www.smilingfaces.co.uk | 01444 882323 | sales@smilingfaces.co.uk | Autumn Fair - Stand 3T40 GiftsToday_AUtumn_FairIssue.indd 1 AutumnFair*.indd 33

17/08/2017 15:51 21/08/2017 17:18

Autumn Fair

Classic Collection Heyland & Whittle Hall 3, Stand 3G43 Illuminate and fragrance your home with British home fragrances brand Heyland & Whittle as they launch their New Gold Classic Collection in September 2017. This opulent range of candles and reed diffusers are housed in a uniquely designed and etched glass vessel with six sophisticated scents hidden within. The premium packaging boasts gold leaf detail with coloured flowers weaved into the right side of each presentation box oozing luxury for the ultimate home fragrance experience.

The reed diffusers effortlessly add an enveloping scent to any room, the stylish way to fragrance your home. Pop out the cork and place the rattan reeds into the bottle immersing them in the liquid allowing the perfume to be drawn up through the reeds and release the Heyland & Whittle fragrances we all love! Top up your reed diffuser when it begins to look low with economical refills to ensure continuous fragrance, throughout your home. The 200ml refill bottle contains sufficient fragrance to fill up your existing Heyland & Whittle designer bottle, once again.

• Greentea Grapefruit: Uplifting and Refreshing • Citrus Lavender: Vibrant and Soothing • Wild Lemongrass: Invigorating and Intoxicating • Clementine Prosecco: Light and Sparkling • Sandalwood Oud: Exotically Oriental • Lily Ylang Ylang: Rich and Radiant Husband and wife team Paddy Heyland and Ursula Whittle set up their award winning quality soap and home fragrance business back in 2003. Their factory is based in West Sussex and dedicated team continue to lovingly produce beautiful natural products the traditional English way.

Stepping through the door of the Heyland & Whittle factory, the glorious signature fragrances greet you. Teams of skilled workers with care and precision hand-pour wax candles and fill reed diffusers. Heyland & Whittle are proud to say that all their beautiful products are carefully manufactured and completed with stunning packaging, flying the flag of the UK.

Contact: heylandandwhittle.co.uk

Lamp light Himasal Hall 5, Stand G17 Himasal are the UK`s largest direct importer of Himalayan Salt Products. They import their products from their own mine and this way can guarantee the quality and availability of stock. They want to bring their products to the public as easily as possible and offer retail partners a host of support options including a guaranteed stock buy back on 90 days. Himasal say their retail partners will never lose money, will gain new customers and all their salt products carry a 10-year no-quibble manufacturer warranty. All lamps come with full light and fitting and they carry over 21 tons of stock at their warehouse in Bedford.

With area exclusivity and guarantees on product and stock availability, Himasal will be introducing new and innovative salt based products every three months to keep your customers engaged and returning time after time.

himasal.co.uk

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London, South East & Northern England Sales Agents required for premium scented candle brand Charles Farris London.

Award winning candle brand Charles Farris acts as candlemakers to Her Majesty The Queen. Charles Farris supplies candles to some of the most prestigious stores and hotels such as Fortnum & Mason, Fenwick’s, Heals and Bentall’s.

Charles Farris is looking for highly motivated sales agents with experience in luxury gift retailing to sell and acquire new business. Both brands are run from our offices in Battersea under one account.

We offer: • • • •

Competitive commission Regional exclusivity Marketing support/samples supplied Trade show support including Top Drawer.

Role Requirements: • Experience in luxury gift retailing • A portfolio of existing customers.

• Self-motivated and enthusiastic with a strong passion for quality.

For further details or to apply for this role, please email director of retail: Timothy Duggan-Rees, tim@charlesfarris.co.uk Charles Farris London Old Candle Factory, 100 York Road, Battersea SW1 13RD

15ivterh sar y Ann

Come and see the UK’s favourite glassware supplier: where quality meets design Autumn Fair, NEC Hall 5 Stand F16

www.dandjglassware.co.uk Tel: 01953 450280

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Autumn Fair

It’s a gift Arora Design Hall 5, Stand K27 Arora Design offer innovative and fresh ideas for the upcoming buying season.

‘The Ultimate Gift For ......’ is a new brand for Autumn 2017 with product just perfect for anyone’s busy lifestyle. This fabulous range of seven gift packs is stacked full of ingenious labour-saving accessories, handy gadgets and time savers. The first titles available are The Ultimate Gift For...

• Life as a Student • Your new Home • The lover of Gadgets • A hassle free Christmas • The best ever Barbecue • Home Baking • Mess-less Cooking.

Innovative thinking provides an easy pick up gift just perfect for friends and family, and with an RRP of £14.95 the price point is fabulous too.

Also new for the second half of 2017 is a stunning range of beautiful layered ‘Heart Art’ in both rectangular and square frames. Each message is stamped in eye catching copper foil, with the versatile backing allowing the frame to free stand or be hung on the wall. A message can be written on the hanging wooden heart.

Call: 01386 861666 Email: sales@arora-design.co.uk Visit: aroratrade.co.uk

Winter style Namaste Hall 3, Stand 3C19 Namaste are really excited to introduce a large collection of artisan-made goods from Kathmandu this autumn/winter.

Hand- Knit Woollies Hand knitted in the Kathmandu valley on a Fair Trade basis, there are 18 ranges which together make an impressive, broad and very attractive offering. A tempting deal gives a 20% discount for buying a pack of jackets or accessories. Buy any 60 accessories or any 12 jackets to qualify for the 20% discount on either pack. Retailers can choose exactly which designs, styles and sizes they would like and the pack is not a huge or risky investment because a pack of the accessories might typically cost around £400 and the jackets about £500.

There are two distinct wool collections. One uses a finer wool yarn which allows for more complexity in the patterns. The other collection uses less fine yarn and this produces a different look with lower prices that compete very favourably with other wholesale offerings in the UK. Think real artisan made hand-knitted funky hats, warm gloves, snuggly hand warmers and very cool hippy-chic socks. The wool accessories alone would make a fantastic autumn/winter shop window but they also complement a large selection of fleece-lined jackets in a wide variety of styles.

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Handmade Felt Collection The Handmade Felt Collection could make another very attractive shop window by itself with over 40 new product lines.

Hand-made wool felt has had resurgence in popularity in the last couple of years with customers appreciating its artisan appeal and Fair Trade sourcing. Wool felt is considered by many to be the oldest known textile, it is produced by matting, condensing and pressing wool fibres together.

Wool felt is soft, thick, naturally stain resistant and very durable making it a great eco-friendly, natural and sustainable resource for creating craft made products.

Namaste donates a percentage of all purchases from Nepal to Child Rescue Nepal, a pioneering UK charity that rescues and rehabilitates children who have been neglected or abused. Visit: http:// www.childrescuenepal.org/ Namaste is a friendly fair trade company committed to ethical trading.

Their huge range includes gifts, jewellery, clothing, home accessories, soft furnishings and furniture. They have a large and impressive showroom in Skipton, North Yorkshire and would love you to visit - they offer a 5% discount for taking the goods away with you. Their minimum order is only £150 and they offer inspirational free colour catalogues too.

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

Autumn Fair: Birmingham NEC 3rd - 6th September Hall 5, Stand E1

www.straitstrading.com

Tel: 01254 300260 $GYHUW *LIWV 7RGD\ ),1$/ LQGG Straits.indd 1

Email: sales@straitstrading.com

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Autumn Fair

Lovely labels Angelic Hen Hall 3, Stand X28

Light it up Smiling Faces Hall 3, Stand T40 From the creators of Up In Lights comes exciting new designs to add to the Shapes & Characters collection. With the ‹Under The Sea’ trend set to follow Unicorns and Rainbow fever, Smiling Faces› new Mermaid and Shell designs should prove to be extremely popular.

The LED Lights are battery powered with warm white bulbs and can be freestanding or wall mounted. RRP £21.99.

Also on show at Autumn Fair will be the fantastic new Cake Candles and the ever popular Up In Lights Light Up Letters.

Call 01444 882323 Email sales@smilingfaces.co.uk Visit: smilingfaces.co.uk

Stylish gifts Mary Meyer Hall 05. Stand A42 Mary Meyer continues to expand their bestselling baby lines like Taggies, WubbaNub, Baby Mats, Putty Nursery, and Mary Meyer Baby. For modern moms looking for stylish gifts, Mary Meyer offers on trend toys that receive big awhhhs at baby showers.

For the more traditional, please feel secure in choosing Mary Meyer. They are an 84-year-old, family-owned toy company that puts safety first. Quality and safety are at the centre of every decision they make. They ship direct from their DC in Chichester, West Sussex.

Call: 01243 780501 http://www.marymeyer.com/mary-meyer-in-the-uk/ Password: toysinuk

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It all began at the kitchen table many years ago and ever since Angelic Hen have been busy problem solving tricky household issues. As a result, they have produced a unique British collection of ‘Jolly useful key rings’ and key racks, terribly clever peg products such as the ‘This Week’s Masterpiece’ peg, Witty Signs, their bestselling double sided pet signs, Jewellery Hearts and Coasters (wooden and new double ceramic).

And because they never stop coming up with new ideas, there are the brand new Lovely Labels - beautiful wooden gift tags to accompany any present and make it extra special. Display stand provided and new designs coming from the chicken shed regularly.

All their products are made in Angelic Hens’ workshop/ chicken shed in the Wye valley.

They have an extensive Welsh collection as well as bespoke options. Designed by Wild Welsh Artist Mari Lois Hutchings, owner, cake baker, chicken lover. As they say at Angelic Hen, their products are ‘inspired by life, designed from experience’ -and motivated by homemade cake.

Tel: 01600 891572 Visit: angelichen.com

Social Media - Ross Hewitt

It was always going to be about video...

Through thousands of years of history there has always been the presence of three core building blocks for artistic expression - Visual, Conceptual and Aural – and video uses them all.

W

hen it comes to marketing, video wears the crown.

While websites employ two of the three - Visual and Conceptual through images and copy - video also adds the third aesthetic…

Aural. The three elements combined are greater than the sum of the parts.

As a species, we generally gravitate towards content or entertainment that has the most aesthetic elements.

More people read magazines than books. More people watch television than read. In 1996 when the internet was still in nappies in the UK, over 24.3 million people watched the last Christmas episode of Only Fools and Horses while the best-selling book that entire year sold under 300,000 copies.

This inherent desire for Visual, Conceptual and Aural drives the evolution of technology. Every piece of interactive technology we create soon evolves to have a way to display television or films. We needed to have DVD players in laptops and Blue Ray players in PlayStations. Even televisions now need to be ‘Smart’ so we can watch more than just television.

Mobile phones and tablets and social media platforms are now almost exclusively dependant on the consumption of video. You can’t ignore these trends in technology, visitor data and online behaviour.

If you are not creating video content already, there is a danger that you will soon be very much left behind as it is not the thing that distinguishes a few leaders from the crowd any more. It is becoming the thing that separates the stragglers from the mainstream.

So, let’s just make a video, yeah?

Actually, erm, no. The most important step is not to just dive in and definitely do not lump video in with other content you produce…it is not

an interchangeable format to text and images.

Video is an integration of many elements that needs to demand attention from your audience and it is a form and a media type. People consume video very differently to other online content. Reading, for example, is very active and generally works in this order - Perception, Appraisal, Evaluation, Emotional Response.

‘

If you are not creating video content already, there is a danger that you will soon be very much left behind

’

Video is more passive. You press play and expect to be shown something, rather than searching through content and finding meaning, so video offers more immediate comprehension. One second of video vastly outnumbers the amount of information that can be read in ten seconds. The emotional response comes much quicker with video than it does in text or images, and it usually happens before the mind goes through the traditional order of Appraisal and Evaluation.

Let me try to explain it better. If you were reading about a cute baby then it would take one second to perceive that you are reading about a baby, and within ten seconds you would begin to gain an appraisal that the baby is cute.

After a further five to ten seconds you would begin to evaluate that you like cute babies and the eventual emotional response that follows is likely to be ‘Awwww’.

With video, you will instantly see

a cute baby and within a couple of seconds the emotional response of ‘Awwww’ occurs. Appraisal and Evaluation happens after this.

The important point here is that video lets you create an emotional impact much quicker than other media.

The downside is that it can also lose agnostic people much quicker too if not engaging. Hit hard and fast with something that elicits the emotional response and they will stay and watch.

Piddle about too much with logos and scene setting and they might not stick around to see the best bits.

Videos need to be planned and they only need to be created if the need to communicate via video exists. Bad phrases to hear in the office or store are ‘We need to do a video’, ‘What can we do a video about?’ and, worst of all, ‘Let’s make a video’!!

Video is a combination of imagery, words and sound that works towards a unified goal and only works effectively when these elements are symbiotic.

Video is not the solution for every type of content and trying to ‘convert’ existing content into a video does not usually work well either.

A good question to ask is ‘Does this idea lose something if it is just text and images?.’ Good video marketing revolves around using video when and where it is needed to fill real content gaps.

Bad video marketing is done to fill form gaps…such as, ‘we have no videos so let’s make some’. So, to try and sum up, I guess I am saying that you need to do video marketing…but you shouldn’t just do video marketing.

PS. If you are visiting Autumn Fair this month then please come and see my presentations on Social Media Planning. I’ll be talking in the Inside Retail Hub at 11am on the Monday and Tuesday and hope to meet some of you there.

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

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New Products Creative paper Rachel Ellen

A few years ago the company launched a range of co-ordinated wedding stationery including a wedding journal, guest book, brides’ notes, labels, stickers and many others. The heavily gold foiled duck egg blue version of the wedding planner has subsequently proven to be one of the company’s most successful ever products, sales have been remarkable and show no signs of slowing down.

That was proof, if proof was needed, that the company could step outside its ‘pigeon hole’ very successfully and Rachel is now grasping that with both hands.

The new range of adult stationery is certainly a different look for Rachel Ellen Designs but feedback at the Harrogate Home & Gift Show launch couldn’t have been more positive and pleasing for Rachel and her team. ‘You just never know when launching something so different,’ said Rachel. ‘We thought it was really beautiful and the finished product surpassed our expectations but I was still nervous before the show.’

The range of stationery is tied together by the rose gold foil and marble affect artwork. The quality of the finish and details within each product is paramount. ‘There is always so much to consider when developing a range,’ said Rachel. ‘The design is one thing but adding detail and finishes to make it stand out at the same time as making sure that the product offers customers great value for money is always a challenge.’

The range features a large soft-covered wirobound notebook, A5 and A6 perfect bound notebooks, a chunky A7 mini pad and a beautiful adult organiser. Although this distinctive design is standalone to some degree, the A6 perfect bound notebook makes up one design of nine in a new point of sale unit and so the storyline continues to tie in to the wider stationery range.

That wider stationery range features products with designs for children, grown-ups and those in the lovely place that lies between the two. Three new hard cover A4 notebooks come with sticker sheets to personalise them, four designs of A4 soft covered wiro-bound notebooks and six designs of stunning A4 perfect bound notebooks with elastic closures and the usual Rachel Ellen touches, some with neon ink, gold foil, rounded corners with contrasting linings – the list goes on. Other products are some gorgeous chunky A7 mini pads, three designs of beautiful quality boxed ballpoint pens and a new merchandiser containing 36 slimline rollerball pens, 12 each of three fun and funky designs.

‘Our aim is to continue to lead the way with regard to designs and products for children at the same time as expanding more into this exciting new area” said Rachel. ‘Our greeting cards cover ages one to 100 and we want our gift lines to do the same.’

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

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Enchanting Nature Collection Bolsius

New for the Autumn season, Bolsius introduce a new range of scented Enchanting Nature Deco Lights. Available in two sizes, the smaller candles are scented and decorated with Lakeside Memories and Mountain Serenity and retail at £2.99 each. While the larger candles come in Forest Treasures and Snowfall Dreams priced at £4.99 each. Mix and match both sizes with the range of Rustic Natural Pillar Candles to create a countryside or woodland feel within the home and store displays. bolsius.co.uk

Perfect Pens

Museums & Galleries László Bíró filed the first patent for a commercially successful ballpoint pen in 1938, in London, and followed this up with another in 1943. The new invention was rapidly adopted by the RAF, who discovered that the new pens were much more reliable when writing at altitude, so in a small way the ballpoint pen did its bit to help win the war.

These days, the ballpoint is the most common writing implement and comes in all shapes and sizes. This year, under license from the V&A Museum, Museums & Galleries Ltd have released a collection of gift ballpoint pens, beautifully printed in full colour on the barrel and presented in matching gift boxes.

They make great gifts at a suggested retail price of £11.99. Three pens in the range showcase the most popular designs by British Arts & Crafts designers William Morris, Charles Voysey and Walter Crane, and three feature boldly reinterpreted classic archive patterns in fresh on-trend colours. The pens co-ordinate with M&G’s V&A journals, allowing for cross marketing opportunities. museumsgalleries.co.uk gifts today 103

New Products

Well-priced & quality

Retailers looking for a supply of fresh, ever-changing, well priced, quality gifts to entice their customers would do well to visit Joe Davies.

The company have specialised in serving the independent retailer for over 98 years and are famous for the diversity of their product and the sheer volume of new gifts they bring to the market each year to satisfy their customer’s demands.

In a market dominated by similar shabby chic, boho and concept or licensed ranges the huge variety of products Joe Davies can offer makes a refreshing change and explains why their stand is always so busy at Autumn fair.

Product highlights are almost too many to mention; Joe Davies carry one of the largest occasion and sentiment ranges in the business and are well known for their photo frames.

Hundreds of fresh new designs will be on show including gorgeous square plaques and modern frames, featuring up to date cursive script and messages. Joe Davies’ bestselling Equilibrium range of jewellery and fashion accessories features over 600 new designs.

There is a vast array of on trend unicorn products, new bestselling LED jars and bottles, gorgeous new snoozies, all that’s new and good from the Leonardo collection, an extensive range of Christmas products and much, much more. In total over 8,000 products will be on display the vast majority brand new this year.

Buying from Joe Davies is easy and affordable. Minimum orders are just £100 and repeating the winners is quick and easy either by calling their award-winning sales staff or using the company’s fast and efficient website. Joe Davies are justly famous for taking care of their customers and have won 15 consecutive Greats awards for their customer service.

Autumn Fair Hall 5, stand C10/D11 Call: 0161 975 6300 Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk Visit: joedavies.co.uk

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Three of the best Caroline Gardner

The British lifestyle brand are launching three new autumn/ winter collections, Good as Gold, Paint the Town Red and Wanderlust

Good as Gold Inspired by the iconic Caroline Gardner heart motif, teamed with gold metallic foils, solid charcoals and orange. Pops of colour are introduced through notebook elastics and multi coloured grosgrain ribbons. Inspirational quotes and stripes reflect the Caroline Gardner core ‘Hey You’ card range.

New to this collection is a sticker book, featuring a range of illustrated CG slogans and motifs, perfect for weekday reminders, birthday card additions or that pick me up post-it.

Additionally the trinket bowl and boxed mug, focusing on inspirational quotes, gold foil, and bright finishes, add an essence of understated glamour against the Kraft paper products.

Paint the Town Red Clashing patterns, embossed dotty leather-look fabric and the attention-grabbing floral-leopard print are splashed across the second collection;. The bright colour palette is fun and fresh, with the use of bold red, pops of hot pink, nude and burgundy against solid charcoals. The Jumble pattern was created from a best selling card range and given a colour make-over and has been scattered across stationery and fashion accessories, including a new canvas clutch bag, pocket mirror, range of notebooks, new everyday mug and cup with straw. This Caroline Gardner range is a young and fun collection, focusing on clashing brights and standout prints.

Wanderlust ‘Life on the go’ is the motto behind the third collection. The collection includes a vast range of travel accessories, including a set of three drawstring bags, marble pocket mirror and travel journal. The new ultimate holiday planner is great for a weekend city break or something further afield, ensuring that no sight, restaurant or recommendation is missed. Rose gold metallics and pretty neutrals make an appearance for a second season, introducing a dotty print for the essential purse, new zip round glasses case and A5 notebook.

Each of the three Caroline Gardner collections tell a different story, from muted tones to pops of colour, with marble mirrors, canvas clutches and trinket bowls being newly introduced for A/W17. Three new card ranges will also be shown at Top Drawer, collections include Into the Wild, Hip Hip and Badge of Honour.

Into the Wild This card collection includes hand painted floral cards, which are packed full of detail and colour, each card depicting a phrase surrounded by blooming flowers. The top and side edge of each card is die cut using handmade dies, bringing the cards to life. There are 11 cards in this range with themes such as happy birthday and sympathy.

The Hey You range of cards has been flying off the shelves since their launch a few years ago, and the new range of Hip Hip cards are a take on that range but with flitter rather than foil. Each card has minimum of two flitter finishes on, using colours with such names as ‘Shimmer Sand’ ‘ Apricot’ and ‘ice’ to name but a few. These cards are a sure-fire hit as they combine bestselling aspects of all Caroline Gardner card ranges.

Gone are the days of charity enamel pins and blue peter badges, the enamel pin is back with a fresh and trendy look for all fashionistas and trendsetters. The new range ‘badge of honour’ is a set of ten cards each with its own enamel pin on, bringing individual flair to hats, jackets and lapels. These cards include vibrant toucans, juicy watermelons, and even the traditional CG heart makes an appearance. carolinegardner.com gifts today 105

Julie Dodsworth

Don’t be left on the shelf Small changes that make things just that little bit easier can make an incredible difference to sales. For, without even noticing, we can make it difficult for customers to buy.

L

Julie Dodsworth is an artisan British designer who works from her narrowboat Calamity Jane. At the age of 50 Julie started her ‘third age business’ - leaping into the unknown to follow her heart. From a tiny beginning Julie has launched an international-selling home and gift business working with the very best of British manufacturers. Gifts Today have invited her to share with us her experience, her passion for the industry and some of the great advice she feels she has been given along the way.

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ife lessons in business can come along at any time.

With eyes and ears open, there are great ideas, great practice and admirable endeavours everywhere you go. For me, I’ve always felt I have so much to learn.

I love to watch, admire and take a maxim home to my own business whenever I can.

A good friend of mine would always advise me to ‘make your products very easy to buy and remove all impediments.’ What on earth did he mean? Surely purchasing something you need or desire from an open shop is pretty straightforward ...isn’t it? Perhaps not so. Here is a true story of one such shopping experience of my own, and a brilliant lesson learnt.

A few years ago I was looking to buy a steel milk churn for my beloved boat Calamity Jane.

Painting such items helped me develop my skill in, my then, early endeavours in folk art. My neighbour on the water informed me that, should we take our boat to the next village, there was a vintage shop where she was sure she had seen a milk churn similar to what I was looking for.

I was very excited and eager not to miss my heart’s desire and so tried to contact them ahead. This proved hopeless - the telephone rang out with no answerphone, there was no mobile on their web page and no e-shop. I sent an email but no one replied. Not to worry, we would be there in a couple of days, I could pop along in person.

We finally arrived in the next village but the mooring was a good mile out of the village along the towpath. I walked my way back and found the shop on a lovely high street full of vintage and antique retailers. There was my milk churn

- I was very excited. But alas! The lady advised me it was cash only and I only had my credit card. There was no bank on the high street. I questioned her reasoning as so many items in the shop were three (some even four) figure sums - it would be unlikely I would have that amount of cash on me anyway. But that was her shop policy and that was, as they

“

Surely purchasing something you need or desire from an open shop is pretty straightforward ...isn’t it?

”

say, that. Would the lady put it by for me? ‘No’ was the answer and anyway she was closed on Wednesdays, that being the following day.

A little downcast, I decided to browse the remaining shops before heading home. Then, eureka! The very last shop had a milk churn, too.

This time my credit card was greeted with an ‘of course.’ I bought several other bits and bobs, thanked the lady and asked her kindly if she would

keep my purchases until the next day as they were too heavy to carry – telling her I would return with a strong husband. ‘Of course’ was the answer again. Indeed, nothing seemed too much trouble for this lovely lady. She asked what I was going to use the milk churn for and I found myself explaining my fledgling business and folk art. She took great interest in my story and endeavours. I told her of Calamity Jane and that I was moored at the bottom bridge. I left, promising I would return with Simon to carry the heavy items home the following morning if that was all okay.

The early dawn the very next day I was greeted with a lovely surprise.

There, on our back step, was my milk churn. The note attached thanked me for my purchases and explained it was no trouble to deliver. And inside the milk churn…you’ve guessed it...a lovely fresh pint of milk.

SIGNATURE GIFTS PREMIER supplier of

Personalised

GIFTS

ANY NAME

Convenience of a one-stop shop with skills from specialist businesses Tel: 01582 464809 Signature Gifts.indd 1

www.signature-gifts.co.uk

Come and see us at Autumn Fair

Hall 5 – Stand F51

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Fans can’t get enough of Pusheen!

With over 9 million Facebook followers, Pusheen is one popular kitty!

Don’t miss out, stock your shop with Pusheen goodies now!

GIFT GIVING…all wrapped up See the entire collection at the International Autumn Fair, NEC, Birmingham, 3rd–6th September, Hall 5, Stand 5A44

Enesco Limited, Head Office & Customer Services, Brunthill Road, Kingstown, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 0EN. Tel: 01228 404022 email: trade@enesco.co.uk Overseas Customer Services: Tel: +44 1228 404066 email: eurosales@enesco.co.uk © 2017 Pusheen; Pusheen ®

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