Greetings Today January February 2025

January/February 2025 Issue 1 Volume 26

published by Care Bears TM and related trademarks: TM & © 2025 Those Characters From Cleveland, LLC. Used under license by Danilo Promotions Ltd. Cloudco Entertainment with logo: TM & © 2025 Cloudco, LLC. All rights reserved.

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View it now in print and online or visit us at Spring Fair 2025: Hall 3, 3L30-M31 museumsgalleries.co.uk

January/February 2025

contents the team Editor Naomi MacKay naomi@lemapublishing.co.uk

REGULARS

Advertising Manager Marian McNamara marian@lemapublishing.co.uk

06 Leader

The show season has begun in earnest!

01442 289940

08 News

Managing Director Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

What’s occurring in the industry

11 GCA News

Royal Mail petition and other news

12 Spotlight

The latest for your shelves and spinners

20 Trade Talk

Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

55

Suppliers discuss business plans and the challenges they face in 2025

Design Rick Vickers rick@lemapublishing.co.uk

Jo Sorrell, owner of Cardies in Stevenage, Herts, looks back at Christmas and plans ahead for a sparkling 2025!

Chairman Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

46 Diary of a Card Shop

48 Shop Talk

Retailers share New Year’s resolutions

54 Retail 100

16

Sara Allbright offers her advice on making the most of trade show visits

Keep in touch follow us:

FEATURES

50

14 Cover Story

www.facebook.com/ greetingstodaymag

Danilo shares its new products for movie, TV, music and retro fans

16 Gifts for Card Shops

greetingstoday

Impulse buys and pick-me-up products to increase your basket spend

23 Spring Fair Talk

greetings-today

Exhibitors and retailers look forward to the NEC Birmingham event

24 Spring Fair Preview Discover what’s on at the 2025 event, and get a sneak peek at new product

45 Focus on...

Rachel Ellen Designs

47 Retail Interview

@greetingstoday

52 Feature Product launcher – more newness for 2025

55 Focus on...

Christmas

Artichoke Tynemouth, a card and gift shop set in a busy tourist hotspot

Lema Media Ltd 1 Church Gates, Wilderness, Berkhamsted, Herts HP4 2UB Telephone: 01442 289930 www.greetingstoday.media

49 Show preview Online event The Gift Fair

50 Feature Wedding and engagement product

ContentsJan:Feb.indd 1

47

16/01/2025 17:09

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leader Editor Naomi MacKay

T

he new trade show season has begun in earnest, and as I write this, many of our readers are taking a quick breather from exhibiting at and visiting Top Drawer.

It’s a very quick respite because the greetings industry is gearing up for one of the key events in its show calendar: Spring Fair, which returns to NEC Birmingham from February 2-5. The 2025 edition also marks Spring Fair’s 75th anniversary – and you can expect a number of initiatives to honour the occasion, including a birthday party, happy hours, awards ceremonies, and a networking festival.

More than 1,200 exhibitors will be showing their wares across 12 buying destinations – but most exciting for our industry is the new Greetings, Party & Celebration destination, which brings

36

LeaderJan:Febnm.indd 1

together the most creative, fun and colourful greeting cards, wrapping papers, stationery, and paper decorations.

In our show preview, we take a sneak peek at just some of what the exhibitors will have on show at the exhibition, along with details of the talks, workshops and masterclasses on offer to visitors.

I think Sarah Laker, owner of Cheshire-based Stationery Supplies, sums up exactly what is great about Spring Fair and other trade shows, in our Spring Fair Talk feature: ‘’I love the thrill of a trade fair, bumping into old friends, finding new products in unexpected places and catching up with existing suppliers.’’

If you want to make the most of your time at the show, the tried-and-tested tips shared by our columnist Sara Allbright, are definitely worth a read. She’s a seasoned trade show attendee, and has lots of suggestions to help you.

Our Cover Star, Danilo, will be exhibiting at Spring Fair – and you can find out what it has in store for everyone from movie and TV fans, music lovers, sports addicts, and retro enthusiasts, in our Cover Story on page 14.

We have two new features in this issue – Trade Talk on page 20 and Shop Talk on page 48 – where suppliers and retailers share their opinions on the latest trends, hopes for their businesses in 2025, and the challenges facing them as we look ahead. (Do get in touch if you would like to take part in these features in the next issue – we’d love to hear your thoughts on the industry.)

Send your views and submissions for the magazine to naomi@lemapublishing.co.uk While everyone has a positive mindset looking ahead for the year, the Spring Budget is weighing heavy on many minds, as are the issues with Royal Mail. Dom Early, founder of Earlybird Designs – who has a foot in each camp as both a retailer and a card publisher – highlights a major issue in his comment: ‘’The price of stamps and the Royal Mail; the price increases, along with an unreliable service, are very damaging to our industry.’’

As you’ll know, the Greeting Card Association has been fighting this battle for the greetings industry for many months – head to our GCA news section on page 11 to find out how you can sign its new petition, which asks the government to make sure any proposed changes to Royal Mail’s Universal Service Obligation are subject to parliamentary scrutiny.

Finally, don’t forget to check out the GCA lounge at Spring Fair – and of course the Greetings Today team will be at the show. Do stop and stay hello if you spot us wandering the aisles or taking a break in any of the lounges or cafés!

16/01/2025 17:09

IN THE NEWS

Stabilo extends

Sales duo join highlighter ranges

Cherry Orchard

Stationery supplier Stabilo has unveiled new additions to its highlighter ranges, designed specifically to cater for the changing tastes and needs of students, professionals, and creatives alike.

Inspired by nature’s colour palette, Stabilo swing cool NatureCOLORS has been expanded to offer a greater choice of subtle shades, from sienna and beige to earth green and warm grey – all perfect for adding aesthetic highlights to texts.

Packs are available in quantities of 10 of the same colour, including mud green, beige, earth green, sienna, umber and warm grey.

Taking its lead from the beauty of nature, the Stabilo Boss MINI Naturevibes collection consists of a range of six mini-sized highlighters in soft, muted shades, each featuring an organic motif.

Thanks to their compact and portable size, they are perfect for highlighting, shading and creating on the go.

Available in six colours, mud green, earth green, umber, sienna, beige and warm grey, pack sizes vary from three colour combinations to 10 of the same colour.

Bringing a fresh twist to highlighting, the Stabilo BOSS MINI Pastel range features illustrations by graphic designer Hannah Rabenstein, and comes in delightful shades including milky yellow, creamy peach, pink blush, lilac haze, hint of mint and touch of turquoise.

The compact size means they can fit into the smallest pencil case, handbag or pockets, ensuring the soothing pastel shades are always close at hand.

Cherry Orchard Publishing has announced the appointment of two new sales agents, Sharon Dick (pictured top left) and Sue Bayliss (pictured top right), bringing their strengths and experience to the team.

The publisher is also busy preparing to exhibit at the National Convenience Show at the NEC Birmingham in April, where all your favourites, bestseller and new collections will be on display, so pop along and see them there.

www.stabilo.com

Reds top the

charts once more…

Danilo Promotions has announced the top 10 bestselling licensed calendars for 2024, with sporting calendars taking the two top slots.

Liverpool Football Club knocked American songstress Taylor Swift off the top slot from last year, sending her into third place, with Manchester United shooting into the runner-up position.

Disney Stitch, which is proving popular in sectors such as toys and clothing, is in fourth place, while the success of the movie musical Wicked, which only came out at cinemas in November, has allowed the Wicked calendar to fly into the top 10 too.

Overall Top 10 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Liverpool Man Utd Taylor Swift Disney Stitch Arsenal

6. Bluey 7. Cliff 8. Oasis 9. Wicked 10. Gruffalo

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16/01/2025 17:13

Royal Mail celebrates Vicar

Rosie Made a Thing

of Dibley with new stamps Royal Mail has revealed images of 12 stamps issued to celebrate one of the UK’s most successful and awardwinning comedy series, The Vicar of Dibley.

The series, which ran on the BBC from November 1994 to January 2007, was set in the fictional Oxfordshire village of Dibley. Following the 1993 changes in the Church of England to permit the ordination of women, the series portrayed a female vicar who had been assigned to the church in the village.

Starring Dawn French in the titular role of the down-to-earth, witty and clever vicar, Geraldine Granger, the character was specially created for her by writers Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer. French was surrounded by a who’s who of seasoned TV professionals: Only Fools and Horses legend Roger Lloyd-Pack as fearsome farmer Owen; Emma Chambers as dotty verger Alice; floppy-fringed Four Weddings and a Funeral star James Fleet as the hapless Hugo; and TV veteran Gary Waldhorn as his domineering, aristocratic father, David.

It is among the most successful British programmes, receiving multiple British Comedy Awards, an International Emmy and was a multiple British Academy Television Awards nominee.

A further four stamps presented in a miniature sheet show a Dibley Parish Council meeting.

GOTY shortlist is

unwrapped

The Giftware Association (GA) has revealed the shortlist for the Gift of the Year 2025 Awards. After receiving just over 900 individual entries, a panel of more than 120 judges has reviewed the first round of submissions, to select the very best products in each category.

The Cards, Wrap & Stationery category includes products from The Art File, Rosie Made a Thing and Talking Tables.

The shortlisted entries represent the most exciting, unique, and commercially viable products in the industry. The panel has been judging for three weeks, with many judges reporting that it’s been one of the toughest years yet, as the standard of products has greatly increased, with so many great items to choose.

The Cards, Wrap & Stationery shortlist includes:

Mantons Cards raises £35,000

Port Erin’s award-winning greeting card and gift shop Mantons has now raised a total of £35,000 for charities and local organisations.

The money has been raised by a combination of running events, donations of stock and sales of greeting cards.

“We are all extremely proud to have been able to raise over £35,000 and we are also thrilled to have worked with and helped local organisations such as Crossroads Care and Arbory School,’’ said owner of the Isle of Man shop, Chris Beards. “I would personally like to thank all our amazing current and previous team members and our fantastic customers who have helped make this possible.’’

As well as successful fundraising, Mantons has also won numerous national awards including British Independent Retailer of the Year, Best Greeting Card Shop in the UK, Community Business of the Year, and it was also chosen by Theo Paphitis as a Small Business Sunday Winner.

The Mantons Team plans to keep on fundraising, helping the community and supporting new artists and small gift and greeting card suppliers.

Botanical Design Stencil, Another Studio Coaster Cards by Sam Jayne, Sam Jayne Design Flower Seed Calendar, Border in a Box Gardening Journals, Yop & Tom Gift Kindly Recycled Xmas Wrapping Paper, Talking Tables Let’s Get Organised, FROM YOU TO ME Make Your Own Lovable Lobster, Clockwork Soldier Monthly Planner 2025, Coffeenotes (Epic Print Ltd) Mushroom Print Recyclable Eco Paper Sticky Tape, Also the Bison Sticky Jots, Rosie Made A Thing Storybook, The Art File The Book Cafe Swing Card, Santoro London The logbooks - send me instead of a card, Onneke Wallypops, Ink and Ivy Group Write Me Roses, Pikkii The shortlisted products now advance to the live judging round, which takes place during Spring Fair at the NEC in Birmingham, which runs from February 2 to February 5.

The live round gives judges the opportunity to see, touch, and experience the products in person. The event also provides a platform for shortlisted products to gain visibility among thousands of buyers, retailers, and industry professionals attending the show, alongside the Gift of the Year Pavilion.

The winners will be revealed at the Gift Awards 2025: a prestigious black-tie ceremony at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London in May. GA PR & marketing manager Chris Workman said: “The Gift of the Year competition has always been about celebrating the creativity and passion within our industry. This year’s entries were of an exceptionally high standard, and we’re excited to see the shortlisted products shine in the live judging round. We wish all entrants the best of luck and look forward to honouring their efforts at the Gift Awards in May.” For the full shortlist and updates on the competition, visit www.giftoftheyear.co.uk.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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IN THE NEWS

Greetings Today

columnists to take part in ‘ask The Experts’ at February show

Scottish retailers

report steady sales ahead of show Scottish retailers were reporting a steady preChristmas sales period and an overall rise in turnover in 2024, so were ready to source and order at Scotland’s Trade Fair in January.

Following a strong summer tourist season in Scotland, the independent retail sector is in good shape and better than the rest of the UK (according to the British Retail Consortium). Scotland’s Trade Fair sold out with more than 440 exhibitors, all brimming with creativity, new products and enthusiasm.

Gift suppliers were particularly strong and plentiful this year.

Exhibitors booked in included Awnhill, Emily Victoria, Floss & Rock, Lochaven International, Zinc Home, Shearer Candles, Rebecca Pitcher, Daiglen of Scotland, Eastern Counties Leather, Pageant Pewter, Xystos Gift & Fragrance, Total Wardrobe Care and Puckator.

The Launch Gallery featured innovative, young suppliers such as Malmo Home, Lunabuloona, Woolkind, EARTH.er, Under Sky and Brilliantly Brave.

Show director Mark Saunders said: “Scotland’s Trade Fair is perfectly positioned at the start of the 2025 buying season for retailers to get their orders in first and secure stock for the summer. The variety and quality of our exhibitors grows each year.”

Greetings Today columnists Anna Berry and Sara Allbright from Retail100 will take part in the new Ask the Experts feature at Source Home & Gift.

The show, taking place at the NEC Birmingham from February 2-5, has announced the launch of the new feature, which offers visitors one-to-one access to industry-leading experts.

The new feature offers visitors the opportunity to book in 20-minute sessions offering tailored advice and insights completely free of charge. The experts will cover a wide range of key topics such as sustainable storytelling, building sourcing strategies, building private label, elevating social media strategies, legislation updates, and much more – to help you elevate your brand.

From 11am-12.30pm on Sunday February 2, book in to meet Anna Berry, co-founder and director, Retail100, who can cover topics including buying, merchandising, sourcing and regional differences, brand development, sustainable storytelling and building your brand narrative, supply chain resilience, and retail insights including future trends, consumer behaviour, and in-store experiences.

Ami Rabheru, retail strategist from Retail Huddle, is available from 12.30pm – 2pm to discuss topics including seasonal buying strategies.

From 11am-12.30pm on Monday February 3, book a session with Hayley Shore, senior design manager, Pepsi Co, for insights into the fundamentals of building a sourcing strategy.

Andrew Goodacre, CEO, British Independent Retailers’ Association, follows at 12.30pm-2pm, offering a wealth of knowledge on aligning vision and strategy to create transformation, how to maximise brand growth through innovative strategies, achieve results from collaboration with other retailers, and navigating the current trading landscape.

Tuesday’s sessions kick off at 11am with Mike Coates, assistant director of the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA).

Visitors can also book sessions with Kat Graham, managing director of IT Strategic Consultancy Scout & Swan, and on Wednesday with Sara Allbright from Retail100.

www.source-homeandgift.com/ask-experts

Rainbow Designs welcomes the

Mr. Men Little Miss brand

An exciting and colourful addition to Rainbow Designs’ licensed portfolio of classic characters for 2025 will be the renowned Mr. Men Little Miss brand.

Created in 1971 by Roger Hargreaves, the Mr. Men and Little Misses have gone from strength to strength, identifying with a multigenerational audience through self expression, colour, simplicity and humour. Today, there are more than 90 iconic characters, each with their own unique personalities, that we can all identify with.

Rainbow’s new range, which will launch summer 2025, will include Mr Tickle, Mr Happy, Mr Bump and Mr Strong, alongside Little Miss Hug, Little Miss Sunshine, Little Miss Princess and Little Miss Chatterbox, in an adorable range of large cuddly cushions, collectable soft toys and plush keychains.

Anthony Temple, managing director of Rainbow Designs, is delighted to have this iconic British brand join the Rainbow family. “The Mr. Men Little Miss brand is a fantastic addition to our classic licensed character collection. These renowned characters and their stories are adored by families and transcend generations, making them a perfect collectable and gifting opportunity for all ages.”

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IN THE NEWS Card Factory reports ‘robust’ performance Cardfactory, specialist retailer of greeting cards, gifts and celebration essentials, has announced a trading update for the 11 months ended December 31 2024, citing a successful Christmas and ‘robust’ performance, and looking forward to its full year profits meeting expectations.

Darcy Willson-Rymer, chief executive officer, said: “We are pleased to have delivered another successful Christmas trading period. Thanks to the hard work of colleagues across the business, growth was driven by further progress against our strategic initiatives and execution of our commercial offer. Expanded ranges and our compelling gift and celebration essentials offer increased basket values during the period, whilst we also saw a resilient performance in seasonal cards, with customers responding well to our strong value and quality ranges.

“Continued revenue growth, combined with the benefits of our productivity and efficiency programme, have enabled us to navigate a challenging retail environment and deliver a robust performance in the second half. As a result, we expect to deliver full year profits in line with expectations and remain well positioned to manage inflationary pressures in the near term, as we continue to deliver on our strategic growth ambitions.”

Trading update

• Total sales for the 11 months ended December 31 2024 of £506.6 million (prior year £476.9 million), an increase of +6.2% year-on-year; cardfactory says it continues to outperform a challenging non-food retail market.

• Total store revenue increased by +5.7% including positive impact of +32 net new stores.

• Like-for-Like (LFL) store revenue grew +3.9%, reflecting further development of store estate and the strength of cardfactory’s value and quality proposition.

• Encouraging growth in gifts and celebration essentials ranges of +6.1% LFL, driven by the introduction of new categories and expansion of existing ranges, alongside positive card growth of +1.4% LFL. • Partnerships revenue grew 23.5% to £18.9 million including positive

contributions from the acquisitions of Garlanna and Garven.

• Online LFL sales declined -10.0% driven predominantly by gettingpersonal.co.uk. cardfactory. co.uk LFL sales grew +0.5% as it continues to focus on driving profitable growth through higher margin product ranges.

Christmas trading update

• Good Christmas trading performance in line with expectations in November and December with total revenue growth of +4.7%. This was driven by higher average basket value, which reflects expanded ranges and sales of gift and celebration essentials.

• LFL store revenue growth of +3.0% in November and December reflecting the strength of the retailer’s seasonal Christmas offer alongside the positive impact of its ongoing space optimisation programme.

• New and expanded gift categories resonated with customers with new confectionery ranges, licensed ranges and soft toys performing particularly well, alongside positive impact of a new value focused Christmas card offer.

Outlook

The Board expects to deliver FY25 adjusted profit before tax (excluding one-off items) in line with current market expectations, reflecting robust revenue growth.

The changes to National Living Wage and Employer NI Contributions will result in annual cost inflation of c.£14 million in FY26. Cardfactory expects to offset this through its proven approach, which includes its ongoing productivity and efficiency programme, as well as range development and pricing.

Join the Dragons…

The next Speed Dating event will be on February 27 at the Business Design Centre, Islington, London.

Retailers confirmed to attend are: Waterstones, Oliver Bonas, Card Factory, House of Cards, Lark and Jumping Bean, Utility, Highworth Emporium, George’s, Chirpy, Red Card, Postmark, Presentation Cards & Gifts, Mantons Cards and Hugs and Kisses.

The event gives card publishers the chance to get their product in front of buyers – publishers will meet at least three buyers and have the opportunity to leave samples with all buyers attending the event.

Find out more at www.gca.cards/dragons-speed-dating.

Sign the petition!

As we went to press, more than 4,000 people had signed the Greeting Card Association’s petition, asking the government to make sure any proposed changes to Royal Mail’s Universal Service Obligation (USO) are subject to parliamentary scrutiny.

The petition needs 10,000 signatures for the government to make a response.

At present, the USO requires: at least one delivery of letters every Monday to Saturday to every address in the UK; at least one collection of letters every Monday to Saturday; and affordable, geographically uniform prices throughout the UK for the service of conveying postal packets from one place to another.

Royal Mail has asked for the USO to be reviewed with a view to making changes, driven by a change in customer needs and rising costs.

The GCA petition asks the government to insist any changes to the USO are dependent on: Royal Mail meeting existing performance delivery targets for letters and cards; new regulation for the price of first class mail to avoid further above-inflation rises; and Royal Mail maintaining a national, affordable, and reliable postal service that supports high streets and communities across the UK. You can sign the petition at https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/701850, and the GCA is urging you to share it with colleagues, customers and your community.

GCA NEWS

Take a break at Spring Fair The GCA lounge offers a cosy meeting space and a refreshing breakout area away from your stand – it’s perfect for networking. This year, in celebration of the GCA’s #Cardmitment campaign, you’ll find free greeting cards and postage on offer to all visitors to the GCA Lounge.

The GCA will also be providing free printed Spring Season Toolkits to retailers attending the show. If you’re exhibiting and want to give some toolkits to your retailers, you can get some free toolkits for your stand too.

Save the date!

The 2025 annual GCA Conference and AGM will be held in Manchester on Thursday September 25 at the Manchester Hall. Tickets will be on sale soon.

www.greetingstoday.media 11

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spotlight spot light Full Steampunk

ahead!

Enter the latest trend in men’s gifting: Steampunk! Joe Davies has this covered with its new range of Steampunk figurines. Each piece in this collection is a masterpiece of imagination, featuring intricate metallic accents and gearwork details. These figurines aren’t just decorative; they’re a statement of individuality. Why settle for the ordinary when you can gift something extraordinary? Steampunk figurines are here to redefine what it means to give a truly memorable gift.

Joe Davies has recently become 100% employee-owned, proudly stating that the company is now owned by the people who have made it the success that it is today. True to Joe Davies’ style, all products will continue to be available to buy in its trademark ‘little and often’ quantities with carriage paid orders of just £100.

Joe Davies

0161 975 6300 sales@joedavies.co.uk www.joedavies.co.uk

Beautiful Boddy

The Rush Design team is excited to release a new collection, Boddy of Works, a collaboration with artist Sarah Boddy. The initial collection, launching at Spring Fair, will include blanks, birthday and captions featuring contemporary floral designs and more…

Expect beautiful artwork framed with a distinctive emboss.

The initial range consists of 40 designs.

Printed on 300gsm textured board (FSC certified). Matched with a textured cream envelope and eco-cello wrapped.

Rush Design

01788 521745 info@rushdesign.co.uk www.rushdesign.co.uk

Over the rainbow The girls at Kali Stileman Publishing are delighted to introduce their new Colourful Cloud collection – try saying that three times quickly! The range features their best-selling rainbow design for all sorts of occasions – including good luck, new home, and wahay – I’m so pleased for you! These cool and colourful cards are printed on lovely linen textured board and come with a brown craft envelope.

Kali Stileman Publishing

01305 848899 info@kalistileman.co.uk www.kalistileman.co.uk

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Viva La Vida!

The Clairefontaine x Frida Kahlo stationery and gift collection has just made its 2025 debut.

This collaboration between Clairefontaine, a renowned French stationery brand, and the Frida Kahlo lifestyle brand, offers more than 50 unique SKUs, including notebooks, sketchpads, journals, bookmarks, storage, gift accessories and other stationery essentials. The collection will be available at selected retailers and online stores in most territories worldwide, bringing the inspiring legacy of the artist Frida Kahlo to everyday life.

Clairefontaine, known for its craftsmanship and premium paper products, drew inspiration for this collection from Frida Kahlo’s inspirational creative legacy, vibrant colours, and enduring connection to nature. Each design captures the boldness and creativity that defined Frida’s iconic life and her passionate outlook.

The collection features an array of designs from the Viva La Vida style guide, including motifs such as Flora and Self-Portrait, blending artistry and functionality to inspire consumers of all ages.

Frida Kahlo’s legacy extends far beyond stationery and gifts, with her brand encompassing categories such as home décor, fashion, jewellery and accessories, available at a range of price points.

This collection underscores the ongoing celebration of her influence. The Frida Kahlo Corporation continues to partner with brands such as Clairefontaine to preserve and share her message of empowerment and creativity.

Clairefontaine

Top for tables…

01553 696600 sales@exaclair.co.uk www.exaclairlimited.com

With award-nominated ranges of kitchen textiles launched last year, and following successful launches of organic cotton napkins, paper napkin packs, and insulated bottles and mugs, Museums & Galleries (M&G) has introduced new Place Mat Sets and Coaster Sets for 2025.

Both place mats and coasters are cork backed, laminated and heat resistant to 100º, and cleanable with a damp cloth.

The collection of place mats comprises six sets of four place mats (single design per pack, 290 x 218 x 24 mm, SRP £17.99). The choice includes designs from M&G new licences Angela Harding and Mary Katrantzou, joining long-time favourites from the V&A and Helen Ahpornsiri for Wild Press.

There are 12 sets of coasters, each containing four coasters of the same design and with a recommended £6.99 price point (coasters 103 x 103 x 24 mm). The V&A, Mary Katrantzou, Angela Harding and Wild Press feature here as well, but also included are quirky and colourful designs from the British Museum, Catherine Rowe, and Brambly Hedge.

Sophie Bylina-Williams, M&G’s administration & relationships manager, says: “The new place mats and coaster sets extend M&G’s penetration into the world of tabletop products and increase the variety of product types we are able to offer customers, based on our best-selling fine art and designer brands.”

www.museumsgalleries.co.uk

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

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COVER STORY DANILO

2025: The year to mark y Danilo really does have something for everyone, with movie and TV fans, music lovers, sports addicts, and retro enthusiasts all covered with its calendars and greeting card ranges. See the collection at its Spring Fair stand

A

s it kicks off another exciting year, Danilo is set to bring the wow factor to Spring Fair.

From retro nostalgia to the latest movie and TV sensations, the new official calendars and greeting card and wrap ranges are here to keep fans organised and inspired. Visit the team at Stand 3M20 to explore the full line-up.

Retro & nostalgic favourites

Danilo is turning back time to celebrate the icons we all know and love: Oasis fans, get ready to mark a monumental moment in music history. As the legendary band reunites for its highly anticipated tour in 2025, Danilo’s official calendar will capture the magic and nostalgia of their iconic music – an absolute musthave for Britpop enthusiasts. Meanwhile, you can embrace your inner rebel with the Rocky Horror Show Calendar, a new title for Danilo, because every day deserves a little madness and flair.

Movie & TV magic 14 www.greetingstoday.media

Cover Story Danilonm.indd 1

This year, Danilo is also turning the spotlight onto the big screen and your favourite binge-worthy

If small-town charm and heartfelt stories are more your vibe, the new Gilmore Girls Calendar brings the iconic Stars Hollow setting to life series, with an exciting line-up of calendars and card ranges inspired by upcoming blockbuster hits and beloved franchises.

Danilo’s Disney collection brings timeless stories to your wall, featuring official calendars for new movies Lilo and Stitch, Snow White, and Zootopia 2. Perfect for fans young and old, these titles capture the essence of Disney’s magic.

For superhero enthusiasts, the Marvel calendar collection showcases epic heroes such as the Fantastic Four, Captain America, and Spider-Man, giving you a front-row seat to the action. Then stay in the skies with How to Train Your Dragon, featuring a stunning calendar and card collection that soars through imagination and adventure.

16/01/2025 17:23

k your calendar with Danilo!

Music meets magic with Wicked Part 2, available as both a calendar and a greeting card range that will have you singing all year long And if your sense of adventure leans toward the prehistoric, the Jurassic World calendar and card range will bring the roaring thrills of dinosaurs straight to your everyday plans.

For those who prefer their adventures with a darker twist, fans of Tim Burton can revel in gothic charm with the beautifully haunting new official Corpse Bride Calendar, perfect for adding a little spooky elegance to your year.

And for drama lovers, step into the mysterious worlds of Stranger Things, with the final series airing along with Wednesday Season 2 this coming year; Danilo’s calendars and card ranges are as iconic and stylish as the shows themselves.

Finally, bring a galaxy of hope and adventure into your home with the new official Star Wars Andor Calendar, celebrating rebellions and all things galactic.

Cover Story Danilonm.indd 2

For sports fans

Whether you’re into world-class events or epic sports moments, Danilo’s collection has something to celebrate every fan’s passion. Mark next year’s sporting milestones such as the 75th anniversary of the FIA Formula One World Championship, and capture the excitement of iconic tournaments such as the Women’s Rugby World Cup, Tour de France, Six Nations, Women’s Euros 2025, and T20 cricket with the official range of calendars. For a dose of humour and inspiration, don’t miss the heartwarming Ted Lasso Calendar – the perfect way to keep believing all year long!

Contact us

Danilo

01992 702 900 sales@danilo.com www.danilo.com

For Independents

Words ‘n’ Wishes 01942 233 201 sales@words-n-wishes.co.uk www.words-n-wishes.co.uk

Spring Fair Stand 3M20 www.greetingstoday.media 15

16/01/2025 17:24

FEATURE GIFTS FOR CARD SHOPS

Best Kept Secrets

Perfect pick-me-ups

As a sector worth around £9.3 billion, and offering the opportunity to increase basket spend, the giftware arena is one greeting card retailers can’t afford to ignore…

A

ccording to online greeting card retailer Moonpig, approximately 72% of cards are currently given with a gift in the UK. This gifting spend is fragmented across a broad set of categories including flowers, food, drink and toys.

And with the giftware market within the UK worth around £9.3 billion, according to the Giftware Association, it’s not a sector to be ignored.

While online retailers such as Moonpig offer a one-stop-shop of cards and gifts, it makes sense that bricks-and-mortar greeting card retailers tap in to offering a similar service.

While real-world retailers may be limited by the size of their shop space, there are plenty of gift suppliers that can offer inspiration for those impulse buys that customers will pick up when buying a card.

And as Sarah Laker, owner of Cheshire’s Stationery Supplies, loves to point out, we all love a bit of ‘matchy matchy’, so look out for card brands that are expanding into gifts that echo the designs on their greeting card offering.

It’s also worth considering why the Great British public sends gifts. According to online florist and gifting service Bloom & Wild’s latest survey, 61.43% said they give gifts to show they care, with more women (65%) using this as a reason, vs men (57%).

Thoughtful gifts came a close second, with 49.11% saying they send gifts as a thoughtful gesture, and 54% of women saying they like to send thoughtful gifts, vs 45% of men. Thoughtfulness is key, with 56.6% of those surveyed saying it’s more important than price.

It may seem obvious, but also bear in mind that gifts are not just for occasions such as birthdays and weddings. Using a gift to say ‘thanks’ is a big gifting trend in the UK, with 48.11% of those surveyed giving this as a reason. Interestingly, men are more likely

to express gratitude with a gift (51%) than women (45%).

And saying sorry with a gift is also a reason for buying a present, with 12.72% confirming that they give a gift as a way of apologising to someone.

So what trends can we expect in the gifting sector as we move into 2025?

According to Vanessa Curry, managing director at scented gift specialist Best Kept Secrets: ‘’Spring/Summer 2025 will be all about fresh, uplifting fragrances and elegant designs that bring joy and optimism into homes. Building on the success of customer favourites like Soft Linen and Eucalyptus, we’re introducing new scents including Golden Maple, Autumn Skies, Mulberry and Velvet Oud, and the delightfully light White Fluffy Clouds. ‘’We’re also expanding our personalised ranges, giving customers the chance to add bespoke messages, regional dialects, or tailored designs. This trend will continue to drive consumer interest and give retailers a competitive edge.’’ The Giftware Assoication backs this up, pointing out that ‘’the rise of personalisation also presents a lucrative avenue for retailers, with consumers willing to spend more on unique, customised gifts’’.

Paul Hooker, managing director at gifting specialist Joe Davies, adds: ‘’Sentiment and occasion-related jewellery has always performed exceptionally well for us in greeting card retailers, and that trend is set to continue in 2025. ‘‘We have some very exciting developments coming through on Equilibrium Jewellery; our new Chakra Trees combine sentiment messages and gemstones. A huge amount of consideration has gone into the packaging too, to create a stunning gift, perfect for card retailers.

Our new LED rose domes have also been a fantastic surprise for us, so expect some development here for 2025.’’

Retailer opinion What are the best-selling gifts in your store?

Practical gifts and jewellery. People are cautious about spending money and are limiting their spending to what they feel are practical gifts. So costume jewellery sales are on the increase along with mugs, trays etc.

Are there more gifts you would like to include but can’t source?

Yes, reasonably priced nice social stationery.

Are you planning on increasing your gifts offering in store?

Yes, because I feel that due to the cost of postage, card sales will decline.

Jayne Chapman director Spirals Brightlingsea, Essex

What are the best-selling gifts in your store?

Legami products, especially the erasables, are top sellers. All ages love the high-quality, brightly coloured stationery by Legami, and the erasable pens limited editions sell like hot cakes!

Are you planning on increasing your gifts offering in store?

Traditional stationery has been in decline for years, so we’ve been increasing our gift offering slowly. In 2024 we successfully introduced chocolate to both shops; it fits well with all our customers – who doesn’t like chocolate! Hollie Tree earrings and Life Charms bracelets also were a new line and sold well in the golden quarter. I’m definitely on the lookout for more gifts that I think will fit into our shop and complement our stationery.

Sarah Laker

owner Stationery Supplies Marple and Wilmslow, Cheshire

16 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

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2ND  5TH FEBRUARY 2025 NEC BIRMINGHAM | HALL 4 C10D11

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Pretty Floral Mum

Equilibrium Captured With Love

Pebble Glass Sentiment Frames

Gift Bag & Wrap

Tel: 0161 975 6300 *UHHWLQJV 7RGD\ )3 LQGG

Radiant Rose LED Domes

Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk

www.joedavies.co.uk 30

Feature Gifts for card shops

Perfect pairing The Art File launches six new stationery and gift collections this year, which go hand-in-hand with its cards, gift bags and gift wrap ranges. These items are the perfect gifts to pair with cards and include A4 notebooks, A6 duo notebooks, luxury notecard boxes, notecard packs, wall calendars and playing cards.

These new stationery and gift collections feature striking designs created by The Art File in-house designers. Every item contains thoughtful added touches, which elevate the design and adds a higherquality finish.

Visit The Art File at Spring Fair, Hall 3, Stand P11, to see the stationery and gift collections in person, along with more than 250 new designs in The Everyday 2025 Collection.

The Art File

sales@theartfile.com www.theartfiletrade.com

A Rainbow of gifts Rainbow Designs has an extensive range of beautiful licensed character gifts that complement any greeting card store display. Perfect for both adult and infant gifting, Rainbow’s best-selling collections include Peter Rabbit, Disney’s Winnie the Pooh, Guess How Much I Love You, Paddington and Harry Potter Wizarding World.

Joining this adored line-up this summer is the colourful Mr. Men Little Miss range.

Featuring the iconic characters Mr Tickle, Mr Happy, Mr Bump and Mr Strong, alongside Little Miss Hug, Little Miss Sunshine, Little Miss Princess and Little Miss Chatterbox, this adorable range will include large cuddly cushions, collectible plush toys and plush keychains.

Other exciting additions for 2025 include an exquisite new Winnie the Pooh Soft Toy and Blanket beautifully packaged in an illustrated Gift Box, and a Muslin Comforter in the luxury Winnie the Pooh Always and Forever collection.

There will also be new arrivals in the Peter Rabbit ranges including an adorable Peter Rabbit in a Union Jack Gift Bag and in the high end Signature Peter Rabbit collection, a cute Rubber Teether and a beautiful Muslin Comforter.

Scent and

sparkle

Created to offer the ideal gift for any occasion, the bestselling Just Because Collection from Best Kept Secrets continues to deliver colourful, sparkly, and meaningful home fragrance gifts that are a perfect companion to greeting cards. This stunning range includes scented candles, gorgeous gift boxes, and tea lights, all designed with thoughtful or fun messages to suit every celebration or sentiment.

Best Kept Secrets has expanded the Just Because range to include personalised Three Lites Boxes. This new offering allows greeting card retailers to give customers a bespoke gifting option with customisable messaging for any occasion. Whether it’s a heartfelt thank you, a special celebration, or a personalised note just because, these gifts add a unique, sentimental touch that sets them apart.

What makes the Just Because Collection a standout choice for card shops is its affordable price point, with all products retailing at under £10. Combining exceptional quality, sentiment, and value, these gifts offer customers a cost-effective yet meaningful addition to their card purchases. Best Kept Secrets remains steadfast in its dedication to sustainability, using ecoconscious materials and ethical production processes while ensuring their products remain accessible to retailers and customers alike.

With its blend of personalisation, affordability, and charm, the Just Because Collection is a must-have for greeting card retailers looking to delight their customers with beautiful, thoughtful gifts that don’t break the bank.

Best Kept Secrets

sales@bestkeptsecrets.co.uk www.bestkeptsecrets.co.uk

Rainbow Designs

01329 227300 www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk 18 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

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Hot

stuff The Cookie Catcher is a simple mesh device that is inserted into a mug of hot tea, which allows you to dunk biscuits without fear of ruining your beverage.

Biscuit dunking is a British institution and the Cookie Catcher is guaranteed to raise a smile. This impulse purchase is a real ‘I saw this and thought of you’ idea. We all love a crafty dunk, and using a Cookie Catcher is designed to end all your dunking dilemmas.

Sold via a clip strip and easily fitting into any greeting card, it could also add value to any mug, coaster or tea towel purchase.

A.C.T. Products (UK)

0789 9871135 thecookiecatcher@gmail.com | www.thecookiecatcher.com

Crystal tree

treats Eye-catchers Meet the Snozzle spec holder: a longstanding bestseller from Opticaid that is a thoughtful and practical gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, or a fun stocking filler.

Available in a variety of vibrant colours, the Snozzle can be chosen to match your glasses with your home interior or office decor. But it’s more than just a cute accessory; it keeps your specs safe when you’re not wearing them, ensuring they stay scratch-free and are always easy to find.

Whether placed on your desk, bedside table, or in the living room, the Snozzle combines function with flair. A simple yet clever solution to keeping your glasses secure and within reach – it’s a gift you never knew you needed!

Opticaid

0113 239 1400 | sales@opticaid.net | www.opticaid.net

This new collection of Equilibrium Gemstone Chakra Trees from Joe Davies features an array of different crystals, each believed to enhance your physical and spiritual wellbeing in different ways. Amethyst, Rose Quartz and Aventurine are just a few of the pretty gemstones on offer.

Each beautifully crafted tree comes in a decorative glass dome and is packaged in a luxury branded gift box, which gives details of the attributes each crystal is believed to enhance. These pretty trees are perfect additions to the gift range of any card shop and are sure to create an eye-catching display and make ideal gifts for customers of all ages.

Be sure to visit the Joe Davies stand at Spring Fair (Hall 4, stand C10/D11). Ordering is easy with the ‘little and often’ quantities and industry-beating low minimum order value of just £100 for free nationwide delivery. Joe Davies is proud to be 100% employee owned, driven by the very people that make it exceptional.

Joe Davies

0161 975 6300 sales@joedavies.co.uk www.joedavies.co.uk

Quirky pick-ups Rex London offers a range of quirky pick-ups, many of which come in a stylishly designed cardboard display unit, ideal for popping on the till for a last-minute purchase. There’s something for all ages, from novelty stationery and temporary tattoos for little ones, to worry dolls and lightbulb keyrings for the grown-ups.

Adding some unusual little hidden gems to your store is a sure-fire way of catching your customers’ eyes, creating some irresistible intrigue, and leaving them pleasantly surprised by the value too – many of these items retail for less than £3, making them the ideal impulse buy.

Rex London

020 8746 1700 info@rexlondon.com rexlondontrade.com www.greetingstoday.co.uk 19

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Trade talk New year, new opinions from the great and the good in the greetings arena. They share their trend predictions, hopes for their businesses, and highlight the biggest challenges the industry faces right now Daniel Prince Managing director Danilo What’s hot for 2025? What’s not? What’s next?

What’s hot: 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year for kids’ brands, with Bluey set to continue taking the market by storm. It’s a franchise that has captured hearts across generations, and its popularity shows no signs of slowing down. Similarly, the enduring appeal of Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol continues to captivate audiences, from young fans to nostalgic adults. Adding to the excitement, we’re thrilled to welcome the return of Hello Kitty to our brand portfolio in 2025, a timeless favourite with broad appeal.

Gaming-themed brands are also set to shine, with Minecraft leading the way as a creative powerhouse. The highly anticipated Minecraft movie, slated for release this year, is expected to amplify the brand’s strength and popularity even further, engaging both long-time fans and new audiences alike. Across the board, gaming brands continue to demonstrate exceptional strength, resonating with diverse audiences and driving opportunities for innovative product launches.

What’s not: Everything we have is naturally hot – there’s no room for ‘not’ in 2025!

What’s next: Sustainability will remain an important factor for us, driving innovation in materials, processes, and packaging. Beyond that, we’re seeing an exciting shift toward inclusivity in design products that cater to a more diverse audience, embracing individuality and uniqueness in every aspect.

If you had three New Year’s resolutions for improving your business, what would they be?

Increase sales: Continuing to innovate and align our products with consumer demand.

Reduce costs: Finding smarter ways to streamline our operations and reduce waste without compromising quality.

Cultivate our team: The success of Danilo lies in our incredible team, so investing in their growth, wellbeing, and creativity remains a priority.

What was your funniest/proudest/most memorable moment of 2024?

One of our proudest achievements in 2024 has been our progress in sustainability.

While we continue working towards measuring all of our Scope 3 emissions, this year we successfully offset Scopes 1 and 2 through funding tree-planting initiatives in the UK, achieving our goal. Additionally, we are making significant strides toward creating SBTI-aligned carbon reduction targets as well as formulating a clear roadmap to achieve them.

We’ve also deepened our local community engagement this year by participating in the GCA’s Caring for Christmas initiative, visiting care homes, and helping residents write and send Christmas cards to their loved ones. Their warmth, humour, and occasionally cheeky comments made our visits unforgettable. These efforts reflect our ongoing commitment to improving our sustainability practices and community involvement year after year.

Paul Hooker Managing director Joe Davies What’s hot for 2025? What’s not? What’s next?

Sentiment and occasion-related jewellery has always performed for us exceptionally well in greeting card retailers, and that trend is set to continue in 2025. We have some very exciting developments coming through on Equilibrium Jewellery, our new Chakra Trees combine sentiment messages and gemstones. A huge amount of consideration has gone into the packaging too, to create a stunning gift, perfect for card retailers. Our new LED rose domes have also been a fantastic surprise for us, so expect some development here for 2025.

If you had three New Year’s resolutions for improving your business what would they be?

That’s a tough one; I guess they would be to work harder than ever to deliver great value, innovative products for our customers, find a way to cover the increased costs of the budget without putting up prices, and to make sure that Joe Davies continues to be a happy and enjoyable company for our team to work in.

What was your most memorable moment of 2024?

The big event for Joe Davies was that after 105 years as a family-owned company, we transitioned to become a 100% employee-owned company. That has made everyone at Joe Davies so very happy, including Steve Davies and his dad Peter; both of whom are still working day-to-day in the business.

What’s the biggest challenge facing suppliers?

There are always challenges to meet, from the economy at home to developments in China, possibly affecting lead times and shipping. One thing for sure is that hard working independent retailers expect and deserve the right product, at the right price, all backed up with great customer service. Our job is to make sure we deliver that, whatever the year throws at us.

What’s the biggest challenge facing suppliers?

The biggest challenge remains navigating the increasing costs of materials and staffing. It’s a balancing act to maintain affordability and quality while adapting to these changes. On top of that, the replication of designs within the market continues to be a challenge, highlighting the importance for suppliers to differentiate themselves through original, high-quality, and trend-driven products that truly connect with customers.

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Vanessa Curry Managing director Best Kept Secrets

Rachel Hare Creative/managing director Belly Button Designs What’s hot for 2025? What’s not? What’s next?

What’s hot – I hope we are! Our new range Birdie is a new look set very much in our brand heritage with its simple hand-drawn feel. It’s very difficult to maintain a status of being current and on trend as a brand; keeping things fresh by continually changing what we do for cards keeps us hot, I hope!

The colour green is hot for us this year and I’ve used it to bring newness to the colour palette of our classic Elle card range – it’s a tricky and risky colour to get right for cards. I think over-saturation of colour is overdone and the overuse of handwritten fonts is getting a bit boring!

If you had three New Year’s resolutions for improving your business what would they be?

1 – maintain the pursuit of creativity; 2 – be more mindful of our environmental impacts; and 3 – increase our contribution towards the financial and economic output of the card industry.

What was your funniest/proudest/most memorable moment of 2024?

The proudest moment of 2024 would be at Harrogate Home & Gift when a long-term customer for cards who we haven’t dealt with for a while congratulated me on the new giftware collection we launched at that show, and took us back for cards too. This meant a lot.

What’s the biggest challenge facing greeting card/gift/stationery/wrap suppliers?

The single biggest challenge we face for cards is the battle that the smaller independent retailers have on the high street, and we are really trying to focus on looking after these customers. There are so many great publishers now and competition is good, however many products all do the same job and there is only so much space available for retailers, so we must fight for that space. Brokered space too as an option can seem like a good idea to save time and money but it sometimes dilutes choice, and any product that offers SOR ultimately contributes to waste.

Any other issues you’d like to highlight??

Sustainability is still a big one for us – we were one of the first publishers to take the plastic bags from our cards and we use a combination of card stickers to hold the envelope in, or plain old nested. The stickers are a compromise but are not without issues for some consumers. I think we will all have on our radar even more this year the cost of stamps and sales of Christmas cards, although Christmas seems to have been a good one in 2024.

What’s hot for 2025?

What’s not? What’s next?

For 2025, it’s all about optimism, personalisation, and affordability. Fresh, uplifting fragrances like Golden Maple, Autumn Skies, Mulberry and Velvet Oud, and White Fluffy Clouds will set the tone for Spring/Summer, capturing brighter days and versatile gifting opportunities. Innovative formats like our Just Because Box Bags, pairing beautifully scented products with matching gift bags, will also take centre stage. These complete gifting solutions offer retailers a stylish, affordable option that their customers will love.

Personalisation is hotter than ever. Our personalised Just Because Three Lite Boxes continue to grow in popularity, offering bespoke messages and regional designs that make gifts truly unique. On the flip side, overly generic products that don’t align with consumer preferences or values – particularly sustainability – are falling out of favour.

Looking ahead, we’re doubling down on responsible sourcing and eco-conscious design, ensuring our products remain sustainable without sacrificing style or quality. Fresh fragrances, elegant vessels, and meaningful personalisation are the trends that will dominate 2025.

If you had three New Year’s resolutions for improving your business what would they be?

Sustainability first: Continue to innovate with eco-friendly designs and responsibly sourced materials. Sustainability remains a priority for our customers, and we’re committed to reducing our footprint while delivering beautiful, highquality products.

Support our retailers: Strengthen relationships with our retailers by providing even better POS options, product support, and marketing tools to help them thrive. Their success is our success.

Innovation in gifting: Launch more innovative gifting solutions like our Just Because Box Bags and expand personalisation options across our ranges. Thoughtful gifting should be accessible, affordable, and full of joy.

What was your funniest/proudest/most memorable moment of 2024?

2024 has been filled with proud moments, but winning the Gift of the Year Home Fragrance 2025 award was the cherry on top. It was a testament to our team’s hard work and dedication to creating joy-infused, high-quality products. Seeing our Just Because Collection resonate with retailers and customers alike has been so rewarding.

On a lighter note, the team’s camaraderie in our Morpeth workshop has been a constant highlight. From brainstorming product names like White Fluffy Clouds to testing fragrances that fill the air with excitement, our workspace is always buzzing with laughter and creativity.

What’s the biggest challenge facing greeting card/gift/stationery/wrap suppliers?

The cost-of-living crisis remains a significant challenge, as consumers continue to prioritise affordability without compromising on quality. As suppliers, we need to innovate and adapt to these changing buying habits by offering thoughtful, high-quality products at accessible price points.

Another challenge is balancing sustainability with cost-effectiveness. Consumers are increasingly eco-conscious, so it’s vital that suppliers source responsibly and design products with recyclable materials – without pricing themselves out of the market.

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Trade talk

Paul Urban Managing director Kingfisher Cards

Dom Early Co-founder and designer Earlybird Designs What’s hot for 2025? What’s not? What’s next?

We feel the trend for positive, mindful cards is continuing to grow so we have been working on new sentiment cards that have a more positive message and more colourful imagery.

After a bereavement I really felt the market needed it. Cards are so important at times like this. Lifting people with something so simple is a wonderful thing.

We will be launching at Top Drawer and Spring Fair.

If you had three New Year’s resolutions for improving your business what would they be?

Be better, and more creative with social media posts! It is hard to be inspired all the time but it is such an important part of our business.

Stock levels. It is such a difficult thing in business to get right. But I am determined to make a more streamlined business.

Be more patient. I always want to get the new designs in stores so quickly, but I have to be patient and remember some of our best ranges take a bit of time.

What was your funniest/proudest/most memorable moment of 2024?

Funniest – I think the Henries will take some topping especially with the Brainbox Candy boys’ outfits. Such a brilliant night.

Proudest again would be the Henries. Although we didn’t win we had a lot of ranges short listed and one in the finals. We’ll keep trying.

Most memorable was seeing our cards featured on Lauren Laverne’s [radio DJ/TV presenter/singer] instagram!

What’s the biggest challenge facing greeting card/gift/stationery/wrap suppliers?

It has to be the price of stamps and the Royal Mail; the price increases, along with an unreliable service, is very damaging to our industry. Also people looking to save money during this time and thinking sending cards is not important. It really is and is still cheaper than a coffee!

It’s a shame that the industry and retail hasn’t been helped by the government budget.

Staff costs especially will hit us hard this year.

Also Brexit still hangs like a bad shadow over our industry and the country, and supplying abroad is becoming more and more challenging.

What’s hot for 2025? What’s not? What’s next?

I still think ‘sentiment’ will be a really strong bet for 2025, whether it’s simple sentiments or more traditional verse.

If you had three New Year’s resolutions for your business what would they be?

It’s been a crazy few years for us with strong double-digit growth every year, so it might be nice to get around to doing the things I know I ought to have already done.

1. Have more dedicated time for organising mailshots of promotions and catalogues to our lovely customers.

2. Do some work on our web-shop, which has hardly changed since we started. It’s more important than ever post-Covid and really does need some TLC. 3. Keep re-investing in new products and get a proper handle on where we could go with other directions such as wrap/bags/gifts.

What’s the biggest challenge facing greeting card/ gift/stationery/wrap suppliers?

Our biggest challenge? Politicians! It just strikes me that they have not the slightest idea what it is to run a small-medium sized business. I thought I’d seen it all until the most recent Budget but if that was a ‘boost business’ Budget then I clearly know nothing.

All my thoughts at the moment are with all the retailers I supply, (and even those I don’t) and my sympathy knows no bounds. I was fortunate enough to be in retail in the eighties when it was easy.

I just wonder if they are deliberately trying to kill high street retail. Higher rates, higher wages, higher NI, unfair internet competition from China. Then they accuse retailers of profiteering if they put up prices! The biggest challenge for suppliers for the foreseeable future is trying to help retailers survive so there are some customers for us all to fight over!

If I got really started on this it would have to be a double-sized edition of Greetings Today, but what we need is some righteous anger and someone to take the fight to Westminster and shout it from the rooftops.

Laura Darrington Creative director Laura Darrington Design What’s hot for 2025? What’s not? What’s next?

Hot for 2025 on the colour front is the introduction of brown tones as an alternative to black. PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse being the colour of the year helps support this.

We are also noticing a trend for ‘encouragement/supportive & friendship’ captions aside from your typical everyday sends. Captions such as: My favourite human, you are enough….

If you had three New Year’s resolutions for improving your business what would they be?

My resolutions for the business: New trade show stand hopefully at PGLive; visit at least one of our international distributers; and for me personally to learn something new to aid the business.

As a business owner who has evolved the company over a 21-year period without any corporate or formal learning I’ve pretty much learnt on the job, so I’m thinking about a leadership & management course. It’s never too late to brush up on your skills!

What was your funniest/proudest/most memorable moment of 2024?

Our proudest moment of 2024 was expanding our international business, notably in the US & UAE.

What’s the biggest challenge facing greeting card/gift/stationery/ wrap suppliers?

Where do I start! I think the main concerns are as follows: The bad press of Royal Mail over the Christmas period. While sales for us for Christmas ‘24 were really positive and up on the previous year, we had conversations with our local Post Office about parcels being prioritised over letters.

The negative narrative of an institution such as the Royal Mail can influence buying patterns over a period of time, so we are forever grateful for the GCA lobbying on behalf of our industry.

Our other concern is recruiting a strong sales team. While we value our current agents and the hard work they do for us, there are very few ‘new’ agents coming into the industry, which makes it difficult to build sales with independent retailers in areas where we don’t have representation.

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Spring Fair talk Rachel Hare Creative director/ managing director Belly Button Designs

Hall 4, Stand F31 Do you have any special memories from Spring Fair?

Special memories would include being awarded a silver medal from Prince [now King] Charles at our first show in 1994. Over the years, I have so many memories around the wonderful friendships I’ve built with distributors and customers. Spring Fair is a great start to the buying season for larger and small customers alike. It brings people together – and face-to-face contact is so important.

Paul Hooker Managing director Joe Davies

Hall 4, Stand C10-D11 What’s a must-see on your stand?

We’ve been working harder than ever to launch some hugely innovative gift products, and will have more than 2,500 lines making their debut.

In addition, we’re very excited by new Equilibrium Dome Jewellery developments, including Chakra Trees.

The NEC will also see us launch a new brand into the UK for the first time: Gus Fink Studios. This exciting, playful, quirky, and hugely ontrend range of plush will be seen for the very first time at Spring Fair.

‘’We are really excited to be back at Spring Fair with so much new to show off; it’s great to see our customers, both new and existing. It’s a long week, what with setting up, show time and breaking down. But we absolutely love it’’

Lorraine Bradley Rush Designs

Hall 3 Stand S20 Sarah Laker Stationery Supplies Wilmslow and Marple Cheshire What will you be looking for at Spring Fair?

Spring Fair is a staple in my trade fair calendar every year. I’m always on the lookout for new trends, colours of stationery, gifts and cards. I particularly look for sustainable, UK-made products. I start my Christmas buying there too!

What do you like about the show?

I love the thrill of a trade fair, bumping into old friends, finding new products in unexpected places and catching up with existing suppliers.

We catch up with retailers and exhibitors to find out what they are looking forward to at Spring Fair Louise Tiler Director/senior designer Louise Tiler Designs

Hall 3, Stand S11 What do you enjoy most about Spring Fair?

We like that the show attracts customers from both the UK and abroad so we have an opportunity to meet lots of people and customers that we may only see once a year.

Any tips for newbie visitors?

Look online on the Spring Fair website to see which halls and stands you want to visit. The show is massive!

What’s your most memorable story?

The year Covid began... It was our last show before the world stopped, and because we were meeting customers from overseas they were mentioning what was starting to happen around the world, although there was little mention of it in the UK at the time. They were handing out free hand sanitiser at the time, at Spring Fair. If only we had known that it would have been gold dust in a few weeks’ time! I would have picked up some more – and we will always listen to our customers. It is amazing to talk with people and hear what is happening in the world, not just in the greeting card world! Thank you to our Swiss distributor Markus, he really gave us the heads up! We are so glad that chapter is now over and the world is normal again.

Any show offers we can tell our readers about?

We offer 10% off greeting card orders at the show and we have a new website for 2025, with videos of new products so customers are always going to be up to date with the latest news, offers and greeting card launches.

What one product or range should greeting cards shops check out at the show?

We have 58 new cards that are launching, and Spring Fair will be the first show in the year where customers can view the cards in person and really see the textured gold foil finishes on the cards that can be hard to capture in the catalogue or online. We have added to our very popular Apricot range, children’s cards and we have a new female age range for ages 13 to 80.

Sally Wilde Planet Sal Honiton Devon What do you like about Spring Fair?

It’s actually my favourite show of the year! I love the buzz of all the new product launches and catching up with everyone, as we all look forward to a new trading year.

I also meet up with one of my long-term friends from my repping days and we book the same hotel. We have a good gossip and a bit of wine…

Anything else you are looking forward to doing/viewing at the show?

I’m so happy to have been asked to be a judge of the Gift Of The Year Awards again, so I’m really looking forward to seeing all the wonderful entries for 2025.

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Advice, insights and inspiration As Spring Fair celebrates its 75th anniversary, we take a look at the talks, masterclasses and demos on offer, along with a sneak peek at what some exhibitors will have on show…

S Andrew Xeni

pring Fair offers a packed programme of free educational content, workshops, and networking opportunities. This year’s event promises hundreds of hours of inspiration, actionable advice and insights, and trends delivered across three dedicated stages: the Inspiring Retail Stage, the Masterclass Studio, and the newly launched Licensing Lab.

Session highlights Retailers and suppliers alike can learn from sessions on everything from making the most of social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, and trends in digital and licensing, to ecommerce, enhancing customer experience and more…

Sunday, February 2: Fiona Humberstone

Jeff Banks

Kate Hardcastle

Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen

Rachel Henderson

• Keynote – Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen on Unleashing Creativity: Licensing, Art, and Designing for Retail Success. 10.30am, Inspiring Retail Stage • Instagram content creator Rachel Henderson offers actionable advice on The Art of Visual Selling: How to Create Eye-Catching Content That Converts on Instagram. Learn how to transform your Instagram presence with content creator and designer, Rachel Henderson. 11.30am, Masterclass Studio • Key Trends in Licensing for 2024 – Explore the emerging trends shaping the licensing industry in 2024 with Steve Manners, Licensing International. 11.30am, Licensing Lab • Digital Trends For SME Retailers to Plan For in 2025 – Join leading digital experts Lucy Hall (Digital Woman), Lucia Dello (Dello Insights), and Niki Hutchison (Enjoy Marketing) as they reveal the essential digital trends that SME retailers need to embrace in 2025. 12.45pm, Masterclass Studio • TikTok 2025: Leveraging Next-Gen Trends to Elevate Your Brand. 2pm, Licensing Lab

Monday, 3rd February: • Keynote – Andrew Xeni, Founder & CEO - Fabacas & Nobody’s Child on Scaling Sustainability: Growing an E-commerce Brand in a New Retail Era. 10.30am, Inspiring Retail Stage • Exceptional Shopper Experiences: Delivering Short and Long-Term Impact.

David Wall and Jauneen Tarin from Kantar will explore the importance of customer experience and marketing. 10.30am, Masterclass Studio • Join Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen for key insights into design and the Garden of Pattern. 10.30am, Licensing Lab • The Future of Sustainable Retail - Strategies That Work with Steve Lister, Sustainability Consultancy to Global Brands, Retailers & Supply Chain Partners. Steve will explore the key strategies that drive sustainable retail success, from sustainable design and ethical material sourcing & selection to responsible manufacturing, mindful packaging, efficient logistics, closing the loop on end-of-life recycling and circular economy principles. 11.30am, Masterclass Studio

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Deck the Halls Café

Get some inspiration as you make your Christmas orders by popping in to the Deck the Halls Café in Hall 5. Situated in the Christmas, Floral & Seasonal destination, this Christmas-themed café offers buyers a chance to enjoy some festive fun and sip on a holiday-inspired drink from the Starbucks pop-up.

• Keynote – Jeff Banks on Licensing, Branding, and the Keys to Lasting Success.

Join Jeff Banks as he reflects on 60 years of success in the world of licensing, branding and design – sharing fascinating anecdotes and hard-earned lessons.

12.15pm, Inspiring Retail Stage • From Stage to Page: Licensing Insights from Theatrical Giants with the Really Useful Group and Royal Shakespeare Company, who delve into how licensing can extend theatrical works into new formats and markets, offering invaluable strategies for creative and commercial success. 1.15pm, Licensing Lab

Tuesday, February 4: • Fiona Humberstone’s Brand Brilliance session delivers practical strategies for building standout visual identities. 11am, Masterclass Studio • Supercharge Your Creativity with Canva. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll discover how Canva’s Magic AI features can boost your productivity and simplify your design process. 1pm, Masterclass Studio • Keynote – Theo Paphitis shares his expertise in Small Businesses, Big Impact: Thriving in a World of Giants. 2.15pm, Inspiring Retail Stage • Using Data to De-Risk Decisions and Maximise ROI in Retail Licensing with Tom Williams, CEO, Insights Family. Licensing IP for retailers is a high-stakes venture. Success depends on truly understanding your audience, spotting trends, and aligning with the right brands. Join Tom Williams, CEO of The Insights Family, to break down how data-driven insights can help you confidently choose the right IP, de-risk your investment, and maximise ROI. 3pm, Licensing Lab

Wednesday, February 5: • A practical workshop by Anti Copying in Design (ACID) and McDaniels Law titled Taking on the Copycats offers guidance on protecting intellectual property in the gifting industry. 10am, Masterclass Studio • Keynote – Kate Hardcastle delivers The Science of Shopping – what consumers want next, a dynamic keynote speech exploring themes from her upcoming book, The Science of Shopping. This presentation will focus on the evolution of consumer behavior, the psychology behind purchasing decisions, and actionable insights for retailers What: Spring Fair 2025 to thrive in 2025 and beyond.

10.30am, Inspiring Retail Stage When: February 2-5 For the full schedule visit www.

Where: NEC Birmingham springfair.com/stage-programme

Web: www.springfair.com

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show preview Spring Fair

Stand 3S20

Rush to this stand!

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fter a fabulous 10th anniversary year in 2024, Rush Design is back at the Spring Fair with even more new product for 2025.

Officially launching at the NEC this February will be: • New collection Wishes & Dreams, which features Female relations and open Birthday.

• Two, yes, two new Christmas collections; Twinkle and Mocha Moose. Different sizes and different looks.

• Pom Pom – another new collection of smaller size cards (130x130mm).

• Plus, if that’s not enough already there is a collaborative collection with artist Sarah Boddy called Boddy of Works.

Joe Davies will also be at Spring Fair showcasing the glassware, ceramics and gift bag lines from the licensing collaboration with Rush.

Rush Design’s Lorraine Bradley says: “We are really excited to be back at Spring Fair with so much new to show off and it’s great to see our customers, new and existing. It’s a long week, what with setting up, show time and breaking down. But we absolutely love it.’’

Rush Design 01788 521745 info@rushdesign.co.uk www.rushdesign.co.uk

Dashing designs…

Stand 3S11

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ouise Tiler Designs is excited to participate in Spring Fair 2025, where 58 stunning new designs will be showcased alongside its growing collections. Visitors to Hall 3, stand 3S11 will be treated to a vibrant collection of greeting cards for all occasions.

Among the new designs you can find extensions of the brand’s best-selling ranges; Dots & Dashes and Kids Tiny Sparkles. These updated designs build upon the signature style that has made Louise Tiler Designs a recognisable brand, offering a mix of contemporary and classic handpainted illustrations that resonate with a wide audience.

Not forgetting the brand’s loyal customers, the company has also refreshed some of its older best-sellers. These beloved designs have been reimagined with modern updates, ensuring they remain relevant and exciting for today’s market while retaining the charm that made Louise Tiler Designs them customer favorites in the first place.

Spring Fair offers the perfect opportunity 01535 957878 for buyers and retailers to discover the latest contact@louisetiler.co.uk from Louise Tiler Designs. Don’t miss the www.louisetiler.co.uk chance to explore the full range.

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Stand 3P11

Show-stoppers

for 2025 The Art File promises its biggest-ever launch of Everyday and Christmas collections, with more than 340 new designs to explore throughout its offering

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he Art File team is thrilled to launch its biggest-ever Everyday and Christmas collections for 2025. The Everyday collection features a wide range of new designs, covering 11 new card ranges and 12 extensions, new gift wrap, stationery and gift collections.

The Art File’s talented in-house team have gone above and beyond to create showstopping designs for 2025. Each of these new collections are inspired by popular themes such as culture, nature, travel, typography and more. One notable collection, Huzzah, features witty medieval designs on die-cut cards, while another collection, Over The Isles, focuses on mesmerising travel scenery. The beloved Call Me Frank collection is back with a new look, and for the first time, The Art File publishes a dazzling collection of alphabet mini-cards, called Roll Up, Roll Up. Due to the overwhelming popularity of the stationery and gift collections in 2024, The Art File has expanded its stationery offering with four new stationery collections and extensions to the gift collections.

The Art File Christmas 2025 collection has been curated to make festive gift-giving even more magical. This season The Art File is offering an exclusive mix of traditional and contemporary designs, with six new card collections, five new gift bag looks, new luxury box designs, relations cards and much more. Featuring themes such as wintry landscapes, nostalgic Christmas and adorable animals, there’s something for everyone in this beautiful collection.

Notable collections from the card collections include Penny Lane, a nostalgic Christmas collection with matching gift bags, and Candy Lane, a contemporary collection of six cards that’s adorable and festive. Best-selling ranges such as Storybook Christmas, Bear, and Form also have new designs added to their collections.

The Art File is thrilled to release new designs for charity packs, wax wallets, luxury boxes, relations and a variety of wrap and gift packaging options.

This year The Art File continues innovating the packaging on its Christmas collections through completely plastic-free luxury boxed cards, charity packs, and new gift bags that are completely recyclable – including the handles. All of The Art File cards are printed in the UK, and all of the cards, gift bag and gift wrap board is sustainably sourced, plastic-free and recyclable.

With more than 140 new designs to choose from, this collection has been designed to turn the heads of even the most discerning of retailers, and of course look fantastic under the tree this Christmas.

Discover all of this and more with over 340 new designs in The Art File Spring The Art File Summer Everyday and Christmas 2025 sales@theartfile.com Collections. Come visit The Art File at www.theartfiletrade.com Spring Fair at Hall 3, Stand P11.

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Glick shines again!

Gift packaging specialist Glick is bringing more than 300 new products to Spring Fair for you to peruse, covering Everyday, Spring and Christmas ranges

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egular faces for over 20 years at Spring Fair, and renowned for delivering unique and sustainable luxury gift packaging, Glick will be at Stand 3N10 this year with its biggest and most exciting range of products to date, with more than 300 new products. Glick presents a veritable array of styles and finishes from best-selling artists such as Paper Salad and Stephanie Dyment, across Everyday, Spring and Christmas ranges, which mean there is something to suit every retailer.

Glick will be showcasing its new Everyday range for 2025. Starting with the ever-quirky, colourful Paper Salad collections. There’s no better way to say Happy Birthday than with the boxy and bold Vivid Cobalt and Fluorescent Fuchsia, and with Sapphire Spots and Dazzling Daisies depicting birthday candles atop a funky cake. The Flower Power, Blazing Blooms and Shining Shrooms designs are a hippy celebration of colour and texture!

Also in the Spring launch is the timeless elegance of Stephanie Dyment designs; Strawberry Patch, English Garden, Scaloppina, Linea Floral, Birthday Sausage, Happy Hog, Flutes and Golden Stars. You’ll be happy to hear that Glick has also increased its bestselling bee meadow range with shopper and bottle bag sizes. Glick also presents the next chapter of the Stephanie Dyment best-selling Linen Collection, Linen Allure and Linen Latitude. Finally for this launch are the Summer Thornton designs Gilded Tulip, Gilded Blossom, Gilded Wisteria, and the florally-inspired Cottage Garden and Garden Whimsy.

Looking ahead to the festive season, Glick’s Christmas range is bigger and better than ever before! You can expect the cutest Santa Clauses, the traditional nutcrackers and the divine Nordic pines simply brimming with Christmas spirit. There are crackers and gifts, penguins and scarf-adorned dogs. There’s a nod to Christmas florals set to the traditional Christmas coloured foils of red, silver and gold, and snowmen in neon bobble hats. And Mrs Claus offering turkey Glick pie and Christmas pudding! Glick has it all for 01274 655980 Christmas 2025. sales@glick.co.uk.

Get in touch with your local salesperson at info@glick.co.uk. Or, go online to www.glick.co.uk to www.glick.co.uk view ranges and to register for a trade account.

‘‘The Flower Power, Blazing Blooms and Shining Shrooms designs are a hippy celebration of colour and texture’’

Stand 3N10

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Stand 4B36

Seeing red!

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est Kept Secrets is set to shine at Spring Fair 2025 with the launch of its new Red Collection, created to bring festive joy to the Christmas gifting season. The collection includes wax melt cards, candles, diffusers, and the awardwinning Three Lites Boxes – offering retailers a beautiful and affordable seasonal gifting range.

In addition, Best Kept Secrets is expanding its popular Three Lites range with new personalisation options. Trade customers can now add bespoke messaging to the much-loved Just Because gifts, allowing retailers to offer customers thoughtful, personalised products for any occasion – from celebrations to heartfelt moments.

This launch reflects Best Kept Secrets’ ongoing commitment to quality, value, and sustainability. By responding to retailer feedback, the company continues to deliver products that meet the needs of today’s customers while adding a personal touch to gifting.

“We’re excited to offer retailers even more ways to delight their customers,” says Vanessa Curry, managing director of Best Kept Secrets. “The Red Collection is perfect for Christmas, and the personalised Just Because gifts bring something extra special to any occasion.”

Visit Best Kept Secrets at Stand 4B36 to explore the new Red Collection Best Kept Secrets and see how its personalisation 01670 512222 options can add sales@bestkeptsecrets.co.uk value to your store.

Uplifting and modern…

Stand 3Q24

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arlybird is launching an extension to its popular Super Fab neon designs with some wonderful uplifting modern sentiment designs. Dom Early, creative director, designed these new cards when he experienced a bereavement back in August 2024 and was underwhelmed by some of the sympathy cards he received.

“People are very kind when you suffer from a bereavement, however there is still a silence where people just don’t know what to say. Most of the cards I received featured lonely imagery and either sorry for your loss or sympathy. So I decided to design some cards to reflect what I would have liked to have received. ‘’I wanted uplifting messages and colourful imagery so I decided to design this in mind by celebrating those we will miss. I am really happy with how they have come out and the finish looks great.”

Along with these sentiment cards, there are also some eye-catching numbered cards and some strong additions to the birthday range. Using neon inks and a Spot UV emboss finish, these designs are printed on 100% recycled board with a craft fleck envelope.

Earlybird’s best-selling dinosaur card is now available as a Thank you pack and stunning gift wrap in collaboration with artist Elena Essex.

The Thank you pack will be joined by six other new neon pack designs launching at Spring Fair, and the Dino wrap will be part of the trade show theme.

“We like to go for an eye-catching theme when we decide on the trade show colours, and when we printed the wrap I liked the idea,’’ says Dom. “This is a great addition to our gift wrap offering and I am sure our customers will love it.”

Earlybird Designs The wrap is printed on 90gsm 01227765372 recyclable paper, and the card packs dom@earlybirddesigns.co.uk on FSC board with plastic-free recycled craft packaging. www.earlybirddesigns.co.uk

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Best of three

Cinnamon Aitch is celebrating its 30th year with three new greeting card ranges

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‘‘Sprinkled with intricate stitched details, the Hoop range nods to the company’s former days of textile design’’

anuary 2025 sees the launch of three stunning new greeting card ranges from Cinnamon Aitch. Now in its 30th anniversary year, the company continues to drive forward with beautiful, considered ranges that resonate with today’s design-led, eco-savvy consumer.

Alice’s Garden celebrates nature with sensitively hand-painted illustrations that travel across concertina cards, navigating intricately diecut shapes and apertures. There are 12 enchanting designs in the range, which also sees complementing little card packs, notebooks, eco soap and lip balm extending the story.

Hoop is the second new range to launch, which features circular cards folding to resemble an embroidery hoop. Sprinkled with intricate stitched details, the range nods to the company’s former days of textile design. There are 12 gorgeous designs, each hand-finished with buttons and embroidered flowers. Look out also for coordinating little packs of cards that sit alongside.

A further new range, Googly, is a 16-strong, fun-filled range popping with colour and playful characters. Each is hand-finished with googly eyes and has evolved from the best-selling Father’s Day range of a similar name.

Adding a contemporary twist to the favourite men’s range Cobalt, Cobalt Extreme can sit happily alongside its fellow range or as a standalone for a fresh new take on the male card offering. Be prepared for action-packed, testosterone-fuelled imagery of sports and outdoor pursuits. With eye-catching, popping red foil, the range has drama and is sure to leap from the shelves!

Alongside gorgeous additions to popular Primrose Hill, He and She, Cinnamon Aitch is ensuring its celebratory Cinnamon Aitch year starts with impact.

0121 773 6833 (Susie) All Cinnamon Aitch cards hello@cinnamonaitch.co.uk continue to be designed, www.cinnamonaitch.co.uk hand-finished and printed entirely in the UK.

Stand 3P44

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STAND 3N10

show preview Spring Fair

‘Happiness for homes’ Museums & Galleries introduces show-goers to its new Emily Burningham licence

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‘’The Emily Burningham brand is distinctive and stylish with Japanese-inspired simplicity and a unique palette’’ Ben Dorney, creative director, M&G

useums & Galleries announces the launch of a new greeting card, stationery, and gift packaging licence with renowned British textile designer Emily Burningham.

Emily Burningham is a London-based design studio set up in Hampstead in 2007. Emily’s sophisticated designs explore the relationship between distinct eras of art and design, and draw influence from traditional wood-block printing techniques. Her designs have a graphic quality that is unmistakably her own.

Emily says: “Maybe designing is my salvation. I think the job of a designer is to try to lift the mood of people and bring happiness to their homes. If I can do that, then I’ve succeeded. It makes me happy to do that.”

M&G’s launch collection comprises a set of 16 embossed fine art cards on textured board, accompanied by discreetly and elegantly branded envelopes, all available from January 2025. A boutique Christmas collection of six embossed card packs is available for pre-order.

The launch gift packaging collection, also available from January, includes three sheet wrap designs, including one for men, and gift bags and gift tissue.

Imagery covers beach scenes and sailing, gardening and interiors, and wildlife, especially birds.

One of Emily’s great strengths is her approach to florals – simultaneously free and naturalistic, but also sinuously decorative and effortlessly extending into repeat pattern. Emily says: “I just love flowers – they are so strong and beautiful and gentle at the same time! They are miraculous, all these colours, patterns… Think of fritillaries or tulips or pansies – simply extraordinary! We’d be a lot poorer without them; at least I wouldn’t want to be without them.

They bring life to our life. There is simply nothing like watching something grow, bloom and blossom. They are an incredible life force, I think. And most look so beautiful. A home without plants – in whichever form – would be bland and is lacking something, in my mind. They bring life and energy. This balance

between delicateness and strength is truly fascinating, I think.”

Ben Dorney, creative director of M&G, says: “We are long-time fans of Emily’s work, and so thrilled to now introduce her to M&G customers as an exclusive licence. The Emily Burningham brand is distinctive and stylish with Japanese-inspired simplicity and a unique palette. It sits at the crossroads between ‘cards & stationery’ and ‘home & interiors’ and we believe it will be a perfect fit for the growing range of M&G products across different categories.”

Sophie Bylina-Williams, M&G’s administration & relationships manager, adds: “Emily’s work achieves a marvellous, seemingly effortless synthesis of classic Englishness and refined modernity that retailers and customers respond to so well. We are delighted to add her to M&G’s array of talent.”

Emily concludes: “It has been a pleasure to work with the M&G team, who have reinterpreted some of our favourite classic designs and showcased some of the new additions, drawing out the essence of the EB collection with great success. I always hope that, through the designs we can share, some of the joy and inspiration we derive from interpreting the natural world.”

Stand 3L30-M31

Museums & Galleries 01373 462165 sales@mgml.co.uk www.emilyburningham.com www.museumsgalleries.co.uk

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Stand 4F31

Bringing newness

to the show!

Belly Button Designs may have expanded into giftware, but stand visitors will still find plenty of new ranges and designs in its greeting card offering

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he Belly Button Designs team is so excited for 2025!

With 30 years of designing greeting cards under their belt and many years exhibiting at Spring Fair they are back doing what they do best – bringing newness to retailers.

While the company has expanded into giftware at this year’s Spring Fair, greeting cards are not being left behind, with the launch of new ranges and new designs in the best-selling Elle collection.

Rachel Hare, business owner/founder and creative director, started the business back in 1994 with help from the Prince’s Trust and still works very closely on design. She is keen to emphasise that the company is very much still at the forefront in cards. ‘’We thrive on newness and reinvention,’’ says Rachel, ‘’but we recognise that some of our longstanding and best-selling ranges, such as Elle, are still relevant and so loved by our retailers, so it’s my job to bring newness to these collections of cards without losing the essence of what makes them ‘Belly Button’. We have brought 80 new designs in Elle!’’

ELLE is the signature card collection that has remained at the heart of Belly Button Designs throughout its 30-year history. It’s the iconic, best-selling range and long-time favourite with many independent retail customers.

After 30 years designing cards, Rachel decided to celebrate the company’s design heritage by looking back into the archive of the company, and has launched Birdie, a new card range for 2025.

Birdie is a chirpy little range full of charm and sentiment, subtle in palette with highlights of gold foiling.

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These 30 tweet little designs are beautifully embossed and complemented perfectly by metallic Kraft envelopes. They follow a family of adventurous little birds.

They are there to say happy birthday, congratulate, celebrate, wish you well and even to console. Delightful designs set to fly off the shelves for any card retailer.

The Birdie cards also inspired the new Signature gifting collection, which will be showcased exclusively at Spring Fair and coordinates perfectly with the cards. Bringing designs from cards straight onto beautiful giftware, it’s perfect for card and gifting retailers.

Another new range is the colourful new juvenile range called Jelly Button, which brings a fun, characterful new look for birthdays and ages.

There are also new additions to the beautiful Botanique range, which sits perfectly alongside Elle in size and finish.

Belly Button Designs endeavours to be a trail blazer in sustainability, and all of the card ranges and matching gift bags are fully recyclable and do not use any plastic packaging.

Belly Button Designs 0161 902 0200 enquiries@bellybuttondesigns.com www.bellybutton.gifts www.greetingstoday.media 37

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Stand 3S31

Celebrating

creative passion From humble beginnings to a globally recognised brand, Laura Darrington Designs continues to bring something new, but always reflecting its commitment to print innovation, contemporary designs, and luxurious finishes

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aura Darrington Design embodies a tale of creativity, innovation, and resilience, marking a two-decade journey from humble beginnings to a globally recognised brand.

Its journey began shortly after Laura graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2000 with a BA Honours Degree in Textiles. Initially crafting handmade cards as a complement to her design projects, Laura unknowingly planted the seeds for what would become a celebrated greeting card company. Supported by a Prince’s Trust Loan, a rudimentary business plan, and an unyielding determination, Laura Darrington Design slowly took shape.

The brand’s foundation was built on late nights, countless cups of tea, and a steadfast commitment to blending design with commercial viability. In the early days, Laura worked from a small office that soon evolved into a rickety loft room in her first terrace house.

Recognition came in 2008 with a Henry Award for Most Promising Young Designer, signalling the need for a larger space. The Old Baptist Chapel in Huncote, Leicestershire, became the brand’s new home, providing a solid base for growth and the addition of the first team members. Laura Darrington Design began to resonate with national accounts and international customers, bolstered by annual trade show appearances and several Henries wins between 2009 and 2012.

2013 and 2016 brought temporary shifts in focus for Laura with the arrival of her children, but also inspired new designs and the expansion of the team to meet growing demand. Despite these personal milestones, the brand continued to thrive, earning international recognition with a LOUIE award in the US in 2017, and eventually a move to a former Victorian hotel with its high ceilings and characterful architecture, providing the much-needed creative space to support the brand’s growth.

Laura was joined in the business eight years ago by her partner Ross – although Ross has been quietly by Laura’s side in the business for 21 years, while carving his own career path, he is now taking the business forward alongside Laura, leading on customer service, sales, and business development. Ross has infused the

brand with his passion, humour, and customer relationship skills, and together they have built a multi-award-winning brand that is not only nationally loved but also in demand internationally.

Laura has successfully evolved the design team from a solo operation into a collaborative unit, where she now works as a creative director alongside a talented group of in-house and freelance designers. Together, they seamlessly blend diverse styles to create cohesive and harmonious collections under the LDD umbrella.

When developing ranges, top priorities include colour and quality, along with ensuring the range remains fresh and relevant by continuously evolving the designs.

Collections can emerge from various starting points – some may be driven by captions and the specific needs of the range, while others might originate from a visual mood board or a carefully curated colour palette.

The team has also experienced growing demand for bespoke licensing projects in gifting and wrap. They are enthusiastic about collaborating with other businesses and look forward to expanding this aspect of their work in 2025.

Laura Darrington Design’s journey is a celebration of creative passion, resilience, and the successful blend of family and business. The brand remains committed to designing and publishing beautiful greetings cards for all occasions, with each card reflecting its commitment to print innovation, contemporary designs, and luxurious finishes.

Laura Darrington Design 0116 2849660 www.lauradarrington.com

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‘Plenty to discover

and enjoy’

Joe Davies’ vibrant stand promises visitors plenty of choices for gifts, with wild animalinspired jewellery, and a chance to bring nature indoors with stoneware plant pots

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pring Fair is probably the most anticipated trade fair of the year as everyone is looking for new products for the new trading year. Joe Davies is proud to present its latest ranges to customers both old and new. Located in Hall 4, stand C10/D11, the extensive stand showcases a wide variety of new collections including celebration giftware, home décor, general gifts, jewellery and fashion accessories. Brimming with opportunities for customers, this vibrant stand promises an exciting experience with plenty to discover and enjoy.

The Equilibrium Collection from Joe Davies will offer no fewer than four new jewellery ranges for Spring/Summer 2025, so there is plenty to get excited about. Wild animals have long been cast in jewellery form but in 2025 they’re the subject of new fascination. Animals remind us of nature, and wearing a piece of jewellery that has been inspired by a wild animal evokes a sense of appreciation for the natural world. This captivating new collection captures many iconic wild animals; snow leopard, tiger, penguin, elephant and giraffe as beautiful necklaces, bracelets and earrings. All plated with real silver, exquisitely detailed and packaged in a luxury branded gift box.

The Equilibrium crossbody bag collection is going from strength to strength and gets an exciting upgrade with the addition of electric hues including hot pink, lime green and vibrant orange. These bright colours set the stage for the latest crossbody style camera bags; there’s even some colourful tricolour bags, which are sure to cause a stir! The new shapes and bold shades cater to a variety of tastes, ensuring there really is something for everyone. Each bag also includes a matching adjustable fabric strap, making it the perfect accessory to elevate any outfit.

Floral designs have long been associated with Mother’s Day, and Joe Davies has this covered with its new Pretty Floral range of gifts, designed especially for Mums, Mummy and Nan. Choose from wish jars with a rolled-up message inside to make an extra special and personalised gift, candle jars, wooden hearts, small pebble tokens and a pot of crochet flowers – the perfect gifts

to treasure and display forever. All these gifts are in a practical countertop display, making them a great pick-up line and at an ideal price for children to buy themselves.

As winter melts away and spring begins to emerge, it’s a natural time to refresh our homes and gardens, and what better way to do it than by bringing nature indoors. Joe Davies is excited to show the new range of stone weave plant pots, made from stoneware and textured with rattan-style woven patterns etched into the stoneware. If you like a splash of colour there are some designs with yellow and white daisies and camomile flowers on top of the textured finish. There are different sizes to choose from – small, medium, and large – making them a lovely gift to give to a loved one or for a great home décor self-purchase.

The Kindred cottages collection from Joe Davies captures the simplicity of small cottages, made from wood, adorned with red and rust finish tin roofs, and painted in delicate hues of white, pale grey or soft blue. These charming dwellings come in different shapes, sizes and colours, making them the perfect range to collect and make a small village display on a windowsill or shelf.

All are priced at a retail of between £3.50 and £7, making them a unique gift at an affordable price.

Visit the Joe Davies stand where you will receive a warm welcome from the friendly team who are eager to show you around. The company recently became 100% employee-owned, with ownership now in the hands of the dedicated team. In true Joe Davies style, all products remain available in the trademark ‘little and often’ quantities, with carriage paid orders starting at just £100.

Hall 4, Stand C10-D11 Joe Davies 0161 975 6300 sales@joedavies.co.uk www.joedavies.co.uk

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show preview Spring Fair

It’s in

Classic designs the bag!

Stand 3M10/N11.6

R

etailers, don’t miss all of the new best-selling licensed ranges, from the Home of Classic Characters at Spring Fair this year. Alongside the ever-popular Peter Rabbit, Disney’s Winnie the Pooh and Lion King, Paddington and Harry Potter Wizarding World, Rainbow will be introducing some exciting new collections that are joining its infant and gifting portfolio.

It’s a very colourful welcome to the Mr. Men Little Miss brand, which will be joining the Rainbow family this summer. The collection will include the iconic characters Mr Tickle, Mr Happy, Mr Bump and Mr Strong, alongside Little Miss Hug, Little Miss Sunshine, Little Miss Princess and Little Miss Chatterbox, in an adorable range of large cuddly cushions, collectible plush toys and plush keychains.

In an exciting new strategic distribution partnership for 2025, Rainbow Designs’ globally recognised Sri Lankan family-run toy company, Tikiri Toys, will offer its signature line-up of organic, non-organic soft toys and natural rubber toys, including an extensive range of beautiful Bonnikka Dolls.

In addition, and back by popular demand, in a dedicated range for 2025, is the new Disney Baby My First Dumbo Range. There will also be beautiful new line additions in the Winnie the Pooh Always and Forever Collection, Peter Rabbit Signature range and the adorable Guess How Much I Love You collection, that will complement any greeting card store display.

Rainbow Designs 01329 227300 www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

Stand 5F10-G11

P

roudly designed in collaboration with global conservation charity ZSL, The Puppet Company introduces the new Animal Backpacks collection at Spring Fair. Created with world-renowned charity ZSL, this stand-out collection of incredibly lifelike backpacks combines realistic plush design with practical functionality and exceptional attention to detail, designed to be worn on either the front or your back so they can be ‘cuddled’ while being carried.

Also on show is the upcoming Jumbo Friends Puppet collection, designed in association with ZSL and combining a joint passion for animals and product expertise.

These large animal head puppets offer excellent working mouth movement with wonderful attention to detail. With further exciting product collaborations under way, the ZSL Collections are produced as sustainably as possible, made from 45% recycled materials and manufactured to the highest possible safety and quality standards, ensuring long-lasting products.

Perfect for Spring, the new Wilberry Eco Classics soft toys bring a nostalgic touch to playtime and are now made from 100% recycled materials. Suitable from birth with embroidered eyes and noses and exceptional finish. With a growing collection of ‘Classic’ soft toys to The Puppet Company discover with superb 01462446040 attention to detail, the info@thepuppetcompany.com entire collection are soft, safe and utterly adorable. www.thepuppetcompany.com

Nature-inspired collab Stand 3S24

U

K flower farm Dahlia Beach has partnered with Lola Design to create a new collection of greeting cards, stationery, wallpaper, and gardener’s soap, inspired

by Dahlia Beach’s iconic dahlias. This collaboration brings the beauty of British flowers into everyday life through thoughtfully crafted products that highlight Dahlia Beach’s blooms with Lola Design’s artistic touch.

The Dahlia Beach x Lola Design collection is as beautiful as it is thoughtfully made, featuring products crafted with vegetable inks, FSC-certified paper, and 100% recycled card stock.

Collection highlights include: Greeting Cards: Each card showcases dahlias and some bees, featuring bold stripes and delicate foil details.

Stationery: The collection’s gardeners notebook, journals, magnetic list pad and flip pads are printed with vegetable inks on FSC-certified paper, with bold floral artwork that brings a burst of color to everyday organisation.

Lola Design Gardener’s Soap: Created especially for gardening hands, this nourishing soap features 01904 900141 extra shea butter for moisture and ground Sales@loladesignltd.com walnut shells for gentle exfoliation, perfect for a www.loladesignltd.com thorough yet pampering clean after a day spent www.dahliabeach.co.uk in the garden.

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show preview Spring Fair

Stand 3L25

The joy of pop-ups!

Alljoy Designs shares its host of new fun pop-up designs and stunning creations with Spring Fair visitors

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et ready for an unforgettable showcase at Spring Fair 2025 as Alljoy Designs unveils a stunning line-up of new designs and innovative products across its award-winning card collections.

From playful creations to captivating pop-up designs, there’s something for everyone to fall in love with.

Blossom-Original Paper Cut Art cards

‘’From playful creations to captivating popup designs, there’s something for everyone to fall in love with’’

Elegance meets artistry in Alljoy Design’s Blossom-Original Paper Cut Art collection. Known for its intricate laser-cut details and luxurious gold foil accents, this range now features vibrant new designs inspired by the beauty of nature. Whether it’s for a special occasion or a heartfelt message, these cards are keepsakes that customers will treasure and cherish for years to come.

Wobbly Head cards The Wobbly Head range is growing! These whimsical cards now include even more charming animals with delightful wobbly heads and playful jiggling eyes. Perfect for any occasion, these cards bring a touch of humour and cuteness, making them an instant hit with customers who love fun and interactive designs.

Message in a Bottle pop-up cards The multiple award-winning Message in a Bottle pop-up card range is back with exciting new designs that are sure to captivate your customers. This season, Alljoy is thrilled to introduce themes that celebrate life’s passions and moments, including tractors, car and sports.

Aww! So Cute Range Introducing Aww! So Cute – the newest range of whimsical, playful cards that are bursting with charm. Each design features adorable characters and interactive jiggling parts that move for added fun. Whether it’s a birthday, celebration, or a just-because moment, these cards are guaranteed to deliver smiles and plenty of ‘Aww, so cute!’ moments.

Visit Alljoy Designs at Spring Fair 2025 at Stand 3L25 to explore these delightful new launches and discover how they can elevate your Alljoy Design greeting card offerings. The team info@alljoydesign.com look forward to seeing you there!

www.alljoydesign.com

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COMPANY PROFILE

RACHEL ELLEN DESIGNS

Focusing on the future Rachel Ellen Designs may be celebrating 28 years in business, but MD Rachel Church has her sights firmly on the future, with the regular introduction of new products key to the company’s success…

A

s Rachel Ellen Designs enters its 28th year, it seems more important than ever to focus on the future rather than look back with nostalgia, and standing still has never been an option!

“Introducing newness on a regular basis has always been incredibly important,” comments MD Rachel Church, “both in terms of design and product.”

This journey, with so many influences, has in many ways been organic for Rachel; it all started with greeting cards, and they remain at the core of everything Rachel Ellen produces. That artwork, all the ideas, themes, characters and changing trends permeate through the company’s diverse range of stationery and gifting, resulting in probably the most complete range of cards, gift packaging, stationery and gifts for children and the young at heart.

There have been hundreds of card ranges over the years, with many innovations and award-winning ideas that pushed the boundaries of greeting cards, but the company has maintained its core values, with all of its greeting cards designed, printed and hand-finished by its skilled in-house team in Nottingham.

The back catalogue of stationery and gifting is just as diverse, with hundreds of different products spanning almost three decades; the current range is a natural evolution of everything that has gone before.

A perfect example of how greeting card design can lend itself to stationery is a gorgeous new range of die-cut wiro bound notebooks. “It doesn’t happen like this very often,” says Rachel, “but both the idea and designs were taken directly from a best-selling card range called Cookie Cutters.”

Although so much has changed in the almost three decades since Rachel created her first card, it’s clear that keeping things simple isn’t a bad place to start.

“Products have to have a purpose,” she says, ”be that a functional or practical use – like our umbrellas or children’s tabards and aprons – or to encourage creativity and play, like so much of our stationery. In turn, the design has to be relevant to the product and target age; everything needs to work together to create a successful product. ‘‘A lot of the products we supply will be purchased by parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, and friends

and, like me, they will think about the smile that the gift will generate and the joy that either using or owning the gift will bring. ‘‘Some products certainly stand the test of time, some need to be evolved and others have their time and place, but the need for newness always drives us forward.’’

Just come to market is something Rachel hasn’t previously offered – a new range of jigsaw puzzles.

The range is designed to appeal to various ages with formats containing between 36 and 150 pieces. Some have die-cut shapes and a mix of fantastic design themes for girls, boys and gender-neutral options. One such design is titled On the Farm, and this has been used to create a new range for younger children, which sits together as its own story, including a sticker scene book, colouring book, stickers, money box and water bottle, with more to come.

“Introducing newness on a regular basis has always been incredibly important, both in terms of design and product’’ Rachel Church, MD Rachel Ellen Designs “Developing a product that suits my designs, fits with what else we offer and is suitable for our target market isn’t always easy,” says Rachel. “It isn’t like writing a book where you know the ending, it’s more the case that the story unfolds dependent on so many factors and influences, and that’s part of the fun!”

So what’s next? For launch later in the spring is an exciting new range of hair accessories, with some new formats to sit alongside those that previously proved incredibly successful for the company. This range of products again sits within a storyline, following the great success of some cute hairbrushes that feature encapsulated stars that move around the design, and other products such as stacking hair accessory tins and compact mirrors. Another one of the recent success

stories are packs of temporary tattoos, with these also appealing to the same target market.

Looking back to the end of 2024, the company ventured into Halloween products for the first time, and these were so well received that the range will certainly be extended for this year. The growth in Christmas sales at Rachel Ellen has come in the main from an expanded offering in stationery and gifting, with newly introduced paper chains being a standout success. Letters to Santa, colouring books and numerous formats of fun pens again sit alongside the company’s extensive range of Christmas cards.

To see the next chapter of the Rachel Ellen story, and to keep up to date with how it unfolds… visit www.rachelellen.co.uk and subscribe.

0115 970 0321 sales@rachellen.co.uk www.rachelellen.co.uk www.greetingstoday.media 45

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INDEPENDENT OPINION

Diary of a

card shop

Jo Sorrell, owner of award-winning independent greeting card shop Cardies in Stevenage, Herts, looks back at Christmas and plans ahead for a sparkling 2025!

M

y New Year’s motto for Cardies and the Ponks [Jo’s bevy of labradors, including Orberry Strawberry - chief Meeter and Greeter] is to Sparkle like a Disco Ball. I think we will see a lot of gifts and cards with a disco ball theme in 2025. I see a disco ball and it makes me smile; it’s happy, it’s round and it sparkles, what’s not to like!

Let’s hope 2025 is bright and sparkling.

In life we are constantly bombarded with dire warnings of what might happen because of this that and the other – should we roll over and give up or should we come out fighting? I’m a firm believer in coming out fighting; if you don’t at least try then you will never get anywhere.

Looking back at our Christmas sales, we are very pleased with how it all went. Again, we were given warnings that people would not be sending so many Christmas cards due to the cost of stamps, and the cost of living etc. Yes, things change and yes, times change but over the years you learn that this will always be the case and you just have to find ways to adapt to move with the times.

Christmas Countdown We ran a Facebook countdown to Christmas campaign, which was very successful in highlighting product and bringing people in through the door.

The countdown to Christmas campaign was masterminded by Red, who is my brilliant partner in crime at Cardies. She won’t let me send pictures as she hates having her photo taken, but she is an absolute superstar.

I believe that there will always be people that enjoy sending and receiving cards just as there will always be those that are not bothered, regardless of whether it’s Christmas, a birthday or any other occasion. So let’s concentrate on those that do love our Cardies world. Looking through all of the catalogues that are arriving daily, which are full of fabulous newness, I feel so lucky to work within such a happy industry. I can truly say that I have never been more spoilt for choice.

Faire enough!

Now that we are in the year 2025 I should probably play a little catch-up with technology as I have to admit to being a bit of a technophobe. I often avoid ordering online, preferring to order from my agents, who carry a great selection of products, but I have recently discovered Faire. I still really enjoy ordering

‘‘We ran a Facebook countdown to Christmas campaign, which was very successful in highlighting product and bringing people in through the door’’ from my agents and will continue to do so. Faire has been a great addition to my ordering process as it has meant that I can easily order from a huge selection of publishers in one place. I’ve recently ordered from Richarts, Lottie Murphy, and Stop the Clock to name a few. All three of the named publishers were on my list to order last year but I hadn’t got round to it until I found Faire. I’m pleased to say that even I can use it easily; maybe I’m not so much of a technophobe after all!

On that note, enjoy 2025 and keep sparkling like a disco ball!

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Retail Interview Artichoke Tynemouth

The ‘go-to’ shop

for brands

Cilena Easton introduces us to Artichoke Tynemouth, a card and gift shop situated in Tynemouth, a busy tourist hotspot on the North East Coast…

A

rtichoke Tynemouth is situated in the village of Tynemouth, which is on the North East Coast outside of Newcastle. The shop is run by my son Patrick, who took over the reins more than a year ago. I stepped back after being in the business for nearly 15 years but I have remained in the background to show him the ropes, and we are loving working together.

The village is a busy tourist hotspot for day trippers, dog walkers and holidaymakers. Tynemouth offers coffee shops and retail outlets, which is what makes it attractive. However, when the tourists aren’t around we are still well supported by the residents, many of whom have become friends.

The products we have sourced have gained customer loyalty, and as we have exclusivity on most brands, we have become the go-to shop to purchase such brands. We source our products mostly at Spring Fair and Home & Gift at Harrogate. We do also source online as I’m obsessed with finding new brands when they are just launched – getting in first so to speak!

We spent a long time sourcing local gifts that weren’t ‘tacky’, and we are thrilled with the brands we found – Wot Ma Like, Street Doodler, Raw Print, Kate Miller, Elsee & Sugar Shed. They all focus on local landmarks in our area.

In Tynemouth we have always been known for creative window displays and we feel it is so important to ‘tell a story’ when displaying products.

We don’t believe in overcrowding a display and we like to show off the products to make them appeal to the customers.

Over the past couple of years we have noticed that people are spending less per gift but focusing on quality rather than quantity. When our suppliers put their prices up we reluctantly increase our prices, but only when we have to. Our customers seem to understand and I think this is a challenge that we are all facing in retail.

We love our shop and we hope to be here for many more years!

GOTY Judge Cilena said she was ‘’thrilled and honoured’’ to be chosen as a judge for this year’s Gift of the Year Awards: ‘’The Gift of the Year Awards is not just any award programme; it’s the crème de la crème of accolades in the home and giftware industry. It’s the ultimate celebration of innovation, talent, and creativity that drives our industry forward. Every year, it shines a brilliant spotlight on the best new products, the brightest emerging talents, and the most inspiring trends. And this year promises to be nothing short of exceptional,’’ she says on Instagram.

Cilena Easton and her son Patrick

Our top 5 card brands Caroline Gardner Rosie Made A Thing Molly Mae Wot Ma Like Toasted Crumpet

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SHOP TALK We ask retailers for their trends predictions for 2025, plans for their business, and what is the biggest issue for greetings retail right now Chris Beards

Owner Mantons Gifts & Cards Port Erin, Isle of Man What’s next for 2025?

I think 2025 will be another tough year for retail because of a combination of increased costs and customers having less to spend. Cutting any unnecessary costs will be vital for many businesses and unfortunately, I think it will be the last year for some retailers.

On the plus side, we’ve seen some fantastic products being launched in 2025 and we’re excited to be able to offer these to our customers.

If you made three New Year’s resolutions for your business, what would they be?

To keep fundraising and supporting our local community, keep supporting the gift and greeting card industry, and to continue to play a major part in keeping our local retail alive.

Sarah Laker

Bryony Taylor-Edwards

What’s hot for 2025? What’s not? What’s next?

I’m finding that younger customers are buying blank cards rather than relations or occasion. Also small cards for the win! I put a The Art File spinner of mini cards in each shop, and my customers are loving them. And of course, humour is the gift that keeps on giving.

What’s next for 2025?

The cost-of-living crisis will be on everyone’s minds. We’re not out of the woods yet. With rising inflation and tax hikes, the average consumer will have less to spend. This will impact retailers of all sizes. As consumers have fewer pennies in their pockets, they will become more conscious about what they are spending, and with whom.

Indie retailers would do well to think of creative ways to reassure customers that they have taken this into consideration. This could be by deepening their connection with customers, or by finding creative ways to ease customer worry and provide incentives.

Bricks-and-mortar businesses will see a revival. As online retailers struggle to cope with the rising cost of delivery and returns, consumers will return to physical stores to make measured decisions about their purchases.

Chief stationery geek Stationery Supplies Marple & Wilmslow, Cheshire

If you had three New Year’s resolutions for improving your business what would they be?

1. Be more nerdy on social media, I’ve noticed my followers love a bit of nerdiness. This will help my shop be seen as a specialist destination shop, setting me apart from online.

2. Try to plan ahead more. I’ve spent 19 years winging my way through shop life, but now with two shops, a website and National Stationery Week to coordinate, I really need to be more organised. I guess I need another notebook…!

3. To spend some time each week working on the business rather than in the business; it’s hard to find that time away when you’re busy caught up in the day-to-day running of the shops, but it absolutely reaps benefits when I make the effort.

Head of marketing and home & gift buying Yarnton Home & Garden Oxfordshire

Jayne Chapman

Director Spirals Brightlingsea, Essex CO7 0AB What’s hot for 2025? What’s not?

Practical gifts and jewellery. People are cautious about spending money and are limiting their spending to what they feel are practical gifts. So costume jewellery sales are on the increase along with mugs, trays etc. Sweets and biscuits are on the decrease. What’s not hot is the Government and what they are doing to businesses.

What was your proudest/most memorable moment of 2024?

Without a doubt this would be winning Campaign of the Year for National Stationery Week at the BOSS awards in November. It’s an incredible achievement and shows the impact of the campaign within the stationery community and beyond.

If you had three New Year’s resolutions for improving your business what would they be?

Being able to expand and show more stock, replacing the card racks, and getting new glass display cabinets.

What’s the biggest issue you are facing right now as a retailer?

Sadly, as I much prefer being positive, I’m concerned about the implications of the Budget and how it will affect consumer spend. I will be looking to make sure my product offering reflects value for money, and has the right balance of luxury/practical.

What’s the biggest issue you are facing right now as a retailer?

The rise in wages and National Insurance, and the cost of postage.

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Shop Talknm.indd 1

What was your funniest/proudest/most memorable moment of 2024?

It’s so funny listening to customers read the humorous cards, trying not to laugh out loud and failing.

Proudest moment is reaching 26 years in business and having my family help me.

We want your opinions! If you would like to take part in Shop Talk in an upcoming issue, please email naomi@lemapublishing.co.uk 16/01/2025 17:52

SHOW PREVIEW THE GIFT FAIR

The Gift Fair

Little Roglets

Future star award

Meet some of the future stars who are exhibiting at new online trade show The Gift Fair

T

he Gift Fair is an online trade show runs until February 28. The platform is designed to make trade shows faster, cheaper, easier and better for both exhibitors and visitors – enabling them to participate from anywhere in the world, whenever they like.

The Gift Fair has some exciting new brands already onboard, including Cheeky Legends and Little Roglets, which is also the recipient of the Future Star Awards that celebrates newcomers with exceptional potential to the gift industry.

Little Roglets Little Roglets creates hand-painted watercolour animals in the form of friendly small characters that have been crafted into timeless products for children spanning greeting cards, gifts, toys, clothing and prints...

We ask Lex Rogy, founder and designer, to tell us more about Little Roglets.

What makes Little Roglets different?

Cheeky Legends Cheeky Legends is invented by Arrthi, an award-winning small studio specialising in character creation. Its mission is to meticulously curate a brand that is both sentimentally and aesthetically appealing, crafting characters that resonate with audiences and offer cultural value. We speak to Arrthi Little, founder and designer.

What makes you unique?

Being a cartoonist, I love drawing expressions and emotions. By enchanting my characters with a magical spell that hides their faces, I set myself a challenge to only use their bums to express themselves. It was quite a gamble, but certainly one that’s paying off as it’s such a simple yet effective unique selling point

What are you looking forward to about The Gift Fair?

The Gift Fair provides a fantastic platform to create a tailored narrative for my brand.

I’m excited that it’s going to be an immersive experience for the buyer – allowing me to not only showcase my cards but also my wider vision of Cheeky Legends. I look forward to making many new connections and welcoming new stockists!

What’s your favourite or most popular card?

Bum Roll Please! It’s one of the first cards I designed for Cheeky Legends, I’m very proud of the wordplay and it’s a bestseller. This card inspired a whole range, and one cheeky new design I recently launched, Blow Out the Birthday Candles, is doing brilliantly.

What made you start the cards?

Cheeky Legends was invented with greeting cards as the first products because they do two amazing things. First, they provide an emotional connection at special life moments and second, they create fantastic brand awareness as it’s a product that enables lots of people to see it.

Other brands exhibiting at the Gift Fair include Alff A Bet Designs, Paper Mirchi, Swing Cards and Afro Touch Designs among many others, with exhibitors signing up each week!

Little Roglets is different because my designs come from the heart, and artwork is often inspired from my own experience, childhood memories, or with greetings on cards being things I’d want to say to a friend, and maybe even things I needed to say to myself, without realising it at the time. I’ve loved drawing my whole life, I used to always hand-make cards for my family as a kid and would spend hours enjoying craft kits at home.

Why did you start Little Roglets?; I started Little Roglets because I was fed up working for someone else, in a role that didn’t bring me any joy. I was in pretty creative industries, but I always felt like something was missing and for someone who has always felt like a square peg in a round world, I knew I needed to do something different. After picking up a paintbrush again after finishing university, I found myself creating one-off cards and painting people’s pets in any spare time I had, and the call to do this as more than just a side hustle only got louder. So, with no plan at all other than just a desire to do what I loved, I quit my job (went part-time briefly first!) and here I am all these years later making a living from what I do best.

What are your favourite or popular products?: In all honesty I struggle to choose a favourite product, but I can share popular ones! Greeting cards have been great, and have really taken off in the last year – it’s so nice to see that in a world where phones take centre stage, that people still send and make the effort to send cards. Outside of cards it is my ‘feelings fine art print’, and the ‘animals of the world’ map. I think people appreciate artwork that doesn’t just enhance a space, but that can educate, too.

Show details

Email info@xpofairs.com for more information on exhibiting. Head to www.thegiftfair.com for your free visitor ticket using the code WEARETHECHANGE

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FOCUS ON...

WEDDINGS & ENGAGEMENTS

Tying the k With more than a quarter of a million marriages taking place in England, Wales and Scotland, engagement, wedding and civil ceremony cards are still big business…

The Art File

The Art File team is thrilled to offer a wide variety of wedding and engagement cards, perfect for celebrating the momentous occasions. With more than 23 wedding cards and six engagement cards to choose from, there’s something for everyone looking to congratulate the happy couple.

This collection includes best-selling designs from Sara Miller London, adorable designs from the beloved Bear collection, along with a number of contemporary and art cards for weddings and engagement.

Visit The Art File at Spring Fair to see designs in person, Hall 3, Stand P11.

sales@theartfile.com www.theartfiletrade.com

Weddings by number • There were 246,897 marriages in England and Wales in 2022, and 26,753 in Scotland in 2023 (the latest official figures available).

• There was a record number of same-sex marriages in 2022, with 7,800 in total (3.2% of all marriages); and the highest number of female samesex marriages (4,896) since same-sex marriage was introduced in 2014.

• The average age for an opposite-sex marriage was 36.2 years for men and 32.6 years for women (35.3. and 33.7 for Scotland).

Rush Design The Rush Design team is excited to release a new collection – Pom Pom – which has a vibrant combination of text with colour popping dots.

Striking colours combined with gold foiling and embossing give these designs a fabulous vibrant feel.

The initial range consists of 30 designs and includes wedding and anniversary options. Launching at Spring Fair, Pom Pom is a new smaller square size card for Rush Design, measuring 130 x 130mm.

Printed on a quality FSC board and matched with quality envelope and wrapped in eco cello bags. This product is 100% UK manufactured.

01788 521745 info@rushdesign.co.uk www.rushdesign.co.uk

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e knot

Joe

Davies Silver metal celebration photo frames are the ideal gifts for newlyweds or engaged couples.

The new Celebration Collection from Joe Davies embodies timeless elegance, offering a beautiful way to showcase cherished memories. Featuring classic silver frames adorned with delicate diamantes for a touch of sparkle, these frames are sure to impress. With captions for occasions such as engagements, weddings, and anniversaries, they make thoughtful and versatile gifts for life’s special moments.

Visit Joe Davies at Spring Fair Hall 4, Stand C10-D11.

0161 975 6300 sales@joedavies.co.uk www.joedavies.co.uk

Predicted wedding trends for 2025 Being bold: Rich, deep tones such as burgundy, emerald green, and navy blue are replacing soft pastels and muted tones.

Louise Tiler

Designs

Louise Tiler Designs is renowned for its exquisite hand-painted illustrations that add a touch of sophistication to life’s most significant moments. The brand’s wedding and engagement greeting cards are a perfect example of this, blending contemporary, classic, and modern elements into stunning, one-of-a-kind designs.

Each card features intricate handpainted details that capture the essence of love, celebration, and the joy of new beginnings. Louise Tiler’s designs stand out for their thoughtful artistry and attention to detail, often incorporating delicate florals, abstract motifs, and sophisticated but modern colour palettes. Whether it’s a proposal, engagement, or wedding, these greeting cards offer a heartfelt way to convey warm wishes and congratulations.

A significant new addition to the collection is the introduction of gender-neutral designs. These new cards reflect a growing trend towards inclusivity and diversity, offering couples of all kinds a beautiful way to celebrate their love. The genderneutral cards maintain the same high level of artistry and elegance, with thoughtful designs that cater to a modern audience while still respecting timeless traditions.

Louise Tiler Designs successfully bridges the gap between contemporary and classic styles, creating cards that are as stylish as they are meaningful. Whether choosing a soft, romantic watercolor illustration or a bold, modern design, customers can find the perfect card to suit the couple’s unique style and love story.

01535 957878 contact@louisetiler.co.uk www.louisetiler.co.uk

Pet-friendly weddings: Couples are including their pets in their wedding photos and ceremonies.

Calligraphy: According to British Vogue, timeless and stately calligraphy is returning to the spotlight for invitations Dramatic dresses: According to Oxford’s Bodleian Library wedding team ‘’predictions for dresses in 2025 include sculpted silhouettes and drop-waist Basque bodices, as well as peplum and bubble hemlines and long-sleeves.

We’re also expecting to see more bows on dresses, as well as neck scarves for brides that don’t want a veil. For the pop of colour, lots of brides are adding cartouches (small designs potentially featuring a hidden detail) on their dresses.’’

Match matchy is out: British Vogue says that the days of matching everything are over, whether that’s tablescapes or bridesmaid dresses. It describes the new trend as ‘’texture and the perfectly imperfect’’, with mixed prints, and mismatched china.

Alljoy Design Introducing the latest additions to Alljoy Design’s BlossomOriginal Paper Cut Art collection, perfect for weddings and engagements. These new designs blend intricate lasercut artistry with luxurious gold foil details to create cards that exude romance and elegance.

With vibrant colours and timeless motifs inspired by the beauty of love, these cards are more than just greetings – they are keepsakes to cherish forever.

info@alljoydesign.com www.alljoydesign.com www.greetingstoday.co.uk 51

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16/01/2025 17:58

FOCUS ON...

NEW PRODUCTS

New year,

new looks A host of new products will be winging their way to your shelves, stands and spinners for 2025. Here’s just a taster...

The Italian job

Visoni.com is expanding its Italian Collection with wonderful new cards of Amalfi, Rome, Portofino and Tuscany, all by artist Richard Jelfs. Venice, Verona, Naples and Sorrento are also featured in this classic collection and several show the original Italian Tourist Board posters from the 1920s. Visoni.com will be displaying its full range of more than 400 cards and 100 posters at Spring Fair, Stand 3N30.

Licensed ranges include British Airways Heritage, P&O Cruises and Brooklands Museum, and many are ideal for male recipients.

A year of changes…

As 2025 unfolds, Louise Tiler Designs is set to take its creative offerings and customer experience to the next level. With an exciting line-up of changes and innovations, the brand is poised for a year full of new designs, streamlined online shopping, and even more inspiration for celebrating life’s most meaningful moments.

One of the standout updates for 2025 is the launch of a new website, designed with the customer experience in mind.

The improved site features a cleaner, more intuitive layout that makes browsing and purchasing greeting cards a breeze.

Enhanced navigation and quicker checkout options will ensure that customers can easily shop the ever-expanding ranges and discover new designs, ready to fill their shops with all the loveliness that Louise Tiler Designs has to offer.

In addition to the website refresh, Louise Tiler Designs is unveiling 58 new designs in its greeting card collection. These fresh designs showcase the brand’s signature hand-painted illustrations while introducing new styles, colour palettes, and themes to reflect the evolving tastes of modern consumers.

With a new website and a vibrant influx of designs, 2025 is shaping up to be an incredible year for Louise Tiler Designs. As always, the brand remains dedicated to delivering high-quality, meaningful cards that bring joy and connection to life’s most special occasions.

Louise Tiler Designs 01535 957878 contact@louisetiler.co.uk www.louisetiler.co.uk

Visoni.com 07860 831131 www.visoni.com

Captivating cuteness Alljoy Design’s multiple award-winning Message in a Bottle pop-up card range is back with exciting new designs that are sure to captivate your customers.

This season, the team is thrilled to introduce themes that celebrate life’s passions and moments, including tractors, car and sports.

Plus, introducing Aww! So Cute – Alljoy’s newest range of whimsical, playful cards that are bursting with charm. Each design features adorable characters and interactive jiggling parts that move for added fun. Whether it’s a birthday, celebration, or a just-because moment, these cards are guaranteed to deliver smiles and plenty of ‘Aww, so cute!’ moments.

Alljoy Design info@alljoydesign.com www.alljoydesign.com

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Right royal ranges Celebrating 30 years in business, Cherry Orchard Publishing is launching an array of new and exciting card ranges for 2025. There really is something for everyone. These launches include: Birthday Bliss, a 30-strong, male and female open birthday range in size code 55. The designs feature celebratory images finished with a delicate, drawn metallic foil that enhances the artwork. The same new artist in this range is showcased in Cherry Orchard’s Christmas Collection 2025. Birthday Bliss is also available in relations and a range of ages will be coming soon; you won’t be disappointed.

King of Clubs and Queen of Hearts are two new collections, with 15 male and 15 female open birthday. The designs feature vector-based illustrations of presents, candles, flowers and past times with a rich palette of colour

Join the

tag team!

A dog tag necklace is a classic design.

Best known as a form of identification for injured or fallen soldiers, these flat, round-cornered rectangles have found their way into mainstream jewellery with a twist!

The inspiring new Equilibrium Luxe Tag Collection from Joe Davies (Spring Fair Hall 4, stand C10/ D11) features ladies gemstone encrusted tags of varying shapes and sizes, alongside more simple tags that are ideal for personalisation.

There are matching earrings and bracelets to accompany many of the stunning new necklace designs, so whether it’s a statement piece you are looking for or a more subtle style, this pretty range is sure to have something for your customers.

illuminated by multicoloured foil finishes. But it doesn’t stop there; each design is also embossed, creating a bright, bold and textured finished effect.

All the cards in this collection are a square code 60, perfect for a point of difference in any greeting card offering.

Cherry Orchard has already launched 15 new Nature’s Diary month of cards, an eco-friendly collection that explores the wonders of the UK’s flora and fauna through the months. Available now, with more coming soon.

Cherry Orchard Publishing 01684 295500 | info@cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk www.cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk

Festive fun

Hanson White’s contemporary Christmas humour collection offers a fresh take on festive fun with a range of modern themes and design approaches. This Mum design, for example, imagines what Christmas might be like for mums in the future thanks to Alexa and advances in AI technology. Other designs in the collection all feature relatable funnies for different family members to bring a smile to the season.

Meanwhile, Boofle is back spreading Christmas cheer with 93 new designs across cards, wrap and gift bags.

The range showcases adorable new outfits and fun festive scenes – all wrapped up in beautiful wintry designs accented with stunning silver foil. They’re perfect for everyone on your list!

UK Greetings (UKG) continues to forge ahead in its mission to make its products better for the planet.

Which is why the team is delighted to showcase both its new gift ranges and latest sustainable innovations.

From the beautiful florals of the RHS to actual kraft paper designs, there’s a variety of stunning looks to the roll wraps. And for an extra-special finishing touch to those presents, the new Stop the Clock and Camden Signature gift bags offer a stylish option.

But best of all? Paper handles, zero lamination and UKG’s exciting new tear strips are just some of the latest features helping consumers do their bit for the planet.

UK Greetings salesandservice@ukgreetings.co.uk

Joe Davies 0161 975 6300 sales@joedavies.co.uk www.joedavies.co.uk .49

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Opinion

RETAIL100

Plan to make the most of trade shows Sara Allbright, director and co-founder of Retail100 Consulting, shares her tried-and-tested tips to help you make the most of your visits to upcoming exhibitions

A

s a visitor – especially a first-timer – to an exhibition on the scale of Spring Fair, you can quickly become overwhelmed unless you give your trip some thought in advance. This might not feel like something you have time to do, especially coming out of the busyness of Christmas and straight into the spring trade show season. But a bit of forward planning will help you be far more efficient when walking the halls.

First, give yourself some time to review your sales history, especially if you have good data.

Pull out what’s been working for you, and where you see emerging or building trends. Is there an opportunity to buy more range in this area, or do you need to add to your supply base to support a growing demand? Asking yourself questions like these will help you create a wish list, or indeed a ‘shopping’ list, of the types of things to look out for.

Show organisers supply a lot of information about their exhibitors prior to the events, so you can start to research and see if what’s on your list is going to be covered – and make a note of relevant stand numbers.

You can then use this research to identify halls that have interesting brands and suppliers for you.

They should be your first port of call when you arrive. I wouldn’t advocate racing to specific stands, as organisers tend to group similar vendors and product categories together. Instead, walking up and down each aisle to thoroughly access all that’s available is a must. You can then simply stop off at the stands that interest you most, or at those that you’ve already noted down.

Once on a stand, don’t be afraid to ask probing questions such as ‘which retailers do you already work with?’ and ‘what’s your UK turnover?’. In return, be open and honest about your business and requirements. This will ensure you leave the show having identified brands that you want to work with, and that are willing to work with you. This is key, because you could easily fall in love with a brand, only to follow up and discover that it doesn’t want any more stockists in your area.

Prompt follow-up is crucial. If the brand hasn’t got in touch with you in the few days post-show, make

contact to confirm your conversation and the next steps from your point of view. Good brands and suppliers should beat you to this – so this is always an early sign of how easy or efficient they might be to work with.

Plus, while you may feel your focus and priorities should be on product at a show, there is also a lot of content that the organisers and affiliate associations offer [such as seminars and Q&A sessions]. Checking the content schedule before you attend means you can factor this into your visit. And don’t underestimate the value that

listening to a great speaker can have in terms of helping you with your business or offering motivation.

Hopefully, the buzz of the show and seeing lots of great products will keep your energy up, but don’t forget to keep hydrated and refuelled. Catering options at shows can be limited and pricey so, for the super-organised, a packed lunch is a must because you will start to flag when you are pounding the aisles later in the day – and quickly regret your crisps-andchocolate-bar lunch!

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

Prior to Retail100 Consulting, Sara worked in buying roles at John Lewis & Partners for 18 years, predominantly for home and seasonal categories, including eight years leading gift and home fragrance buying.

She specialised in brand relationships and growing small emerging brands into market leaders. Sara is also experienced in own-label sourcing across multiple categories and countries.

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

L-R: Sara Allbright, Anna Berry, Neil Amer and Elaine Hooper

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Sneak peek

Cherry Orchard

The Cherry Orchard Publishing team is delighted with its new Christmas 2025 collection, and copies of the brochure are available now. The collection features a new artist, bringing a fresh look and adding variety, ensuring plenty of choice for customers.

01684 295500 info@cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk www.cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk

Season’s greetings A sneak peek at the festive season for 2025…

UK Greetings Museums & Galleries New for 2025, count down to Christmas with Museums & Galleries’ (M&G) beautiful fine art advent calendars. Card windows reveal small illustrated details to suit the festive and impactful cover scenes. There are eight designs to choose from in the launch range, with a suggested retail price of £5.15. The calendar size is 250 x 345 mm.

There are four stunning designs from M&G’s Imaginarium artist Emma Frances Grant, and a very festive option from massive fan favourite Brambly Hedge. Best-selling Christmas card designs by Lucy Grossmith and Caroline Bonne Muller have been promoted to advents, and the final design, Christmas Express, will be a must for vintage steam train aficionados.

The designs are available for pre-order now – see them at Spring Fair, Stand 3L30-M31.

Sophie Bylina-Williams, M&G’s administration & relationships manager, says: “M&G’s Christmas offer has long had an astonishingly diverse range of styles and talent, so it seemed a perfect fit to offer retailers advent calendars featuring some of our most popular artists, especially given that we are frequently asked for them.”

01373 462165 | sales@mgml.co.uk www.museumsgalleries.co.uk

Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest impact.

And nothing demonstrates that better than the adorable new photographic range for Camden Graphics.

This cute collection of cards is an exciting update on a bestselling look.

From snuggling penguins to happy snowmen, they feature a host of hand-crafted festive characters. Beautifully brought to life in UKG’s creative studios, they capture the magic of Christmastime for that special send.

salesandservice@ukgreetings.co.uk

Rush Design Rush Design has launched not just one but two new Christmas collections for 2025.

Twinkle is a beautifully illustrated range, focusing on relations and special people captions including plenty of Friends, Both of You, and Special Couples. In addition, the ever-popular Town Card is back again, which can be personalised to the town where your shop is located. Colourful and bright with gold foiling and diamantes for that luxury look.

Mocha Moose is a new 5x7 size Christmas collection, featuring fun and colourful designs with gold foiling, including open & relation captions.

Printed on 300gsm textured board (FSC certified), finished with foil and diamantes, and matched with a gold envelope and cello wrapped. Launching at Spring Fair (Hall 6, Stand 6B10).

01788 521745 | info@rushdesign.co.uk www.rushdesign.co.uk

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Launching our BRILLIANT NEW To be Frank! Giftware range and more at Spring Fair!

STAND 3M34 www.mint-publishing.co.uk