focus GIFTS
Image courtesy of Hippychick
The gift of giving Whether the gift is from a grandparent or family friend, gifting in the UK is big business.
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ho doesn’t like to celebrate the arrival of a new baby, that precious first birthday, christening or special occasion? Gifting in nursery can drive additional footfall in store or traffic to websites. First time parents can have huge wish lists of items they would like to have once their baby is born, which is why the gift category is one that shouldn’t be overlooked. Any gift giver wants their gift to make an impact, they want something that delivers a certain ‘wow’ factor. As with most things a lot lies in the presentation and packaging of a product which can be a key trigger for many when making a purchase. A great gift idea presented badly will st ruggle to succeed, but a great gift idea with great presentation is sure to be taken to the till. We asked Rainbow Design’s Director of Sales, Zara Grindrod, for her thoughts. “A gift that is beautifully presented and combines sentiment with a functional or practical use will always be hugely popular. Our Cuddle Robe and Soft Toy and Muslins and Soft Toy Gift Sets in our Peter Rabbit Once Upon a Time and Guess How Much I Love You collections, both of which are presented in a beautifully illustrated window gift box with ribbon handle, combine all of these elements and have been well received at retail.” We also asked Mary Meyer’s Vice President of Sales, Linda Colson, in her opinion, what makes the perfect baby gift? Linda feels it’s all about understanding the gift giver’s wants. “A gift for a baby or infant will be one that speaks to what the mom or mum loves most. Some only want practical things. Others want things they would not buy for themselves. It’s about knowing the audience.” Are consumers currently looking for gifts that represent added value for money, for example items that will take an infant through various age stages?
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Zara feels this is an area that many now consider when making a gifting purchase stating: “Our infant character collections are created with just that in mind. We develop product that lasts and that parents and babies adore from that first gifting moment and all the way through the ages and stages. There are additional items that are designed specifically for certain stages such as wooden puzzles or pull alongs but all of these items are designed with the aim of it being a treasured friend or a treasured item that will be kept for the next generation.” Talking of wooden toys and puzzles, are gift givers seeking out items that may offer an additional educational element? “Infant toys and gifts that offer a developmental or educational element form an important factor when seeking the perfect gift.” Adds Zara. “For newborns, gifts that offer multiple textures, colours and sounds offer the opportunity to encourage early sensory exploration and aid the development of gross motor skills. Our Tiny and Very Hungry Caterpillar range of developmental toys was specifically created for the newborn to 18 months age group and all feature elements to encourage sensory play. For the younger preschool age sector educational toys such as wooden peg puzzles and alphabetic building blocks provide early input to help develop those vital hand eye coordination and matching skills.” Linda agrees adding “Purposeful product is important to us and is always a reason for a consumer to choose that item. That’s why we signed a license with Baby Einstein
last year. The product was introduced in January; Baby Einstein First Discoveries by Mary Meyer. Each piece engages baby and parent to discover something together. And each one has a tag that lists specific ways to play with that item. Our Taggies line offers functionality as well as being soothing.” Of course, there is also a huge desire for keepsake gifts. “We see a real interest in keepsake gifts,” comments Linda. “For us that means larger, beautiful pieces in luxurious fabrics that will stay in the nursery as room décor for a long time. With baby showers becoming more popular in the UK, lots of people are looking for a WOW shower gift. When everyone is sitting around and gifts are being opened, one that causes people to say things like “how adorable, look how cute, etc.” Our Baby Mats are big hits at Baby Showers.” Baby Showers are now established here in the UK with friends and family gathering to celebrate the imminent arrival of a new addition to a family. “Baby showers are already very much part of the pregnancy phase in the UK and one that a number of our customers particularly target.” Said Zara. “The newer trend we are seeing is the gender reveal parties, with many parents choosing to announce the gender of their unborn child via video or live stream on social media. These are certainly gifting occasions for family and friends that attend.” How important are gender neutral products, is this reflected in the baby gifts category? Zara believes this to be so and as such ensure that as a brand they have gender neutral solutions across their range. “In the times we live in there will always be a need for gender neutral gifts in equal measure to gender specific lines, and we see that across our collections. We have had a great response to our new Miffy Stripes collection launched this spring, that works beautifully as a gender neutral collection. Likewise, our stunning new Signature Peter Rabbit collection that features both Beatrix Potter’s much-loved characters Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny in their traditional blue and pink formats has proved exceptionally successful.” We also asked Zara if consumers are seeking gifts that have eco-friendly credentials? “Creating eco-friendly products is very important to us as a business. There are so many opportunities for businesses to improve their eco credentials and so this is an ongoing path of learning and improvement that we are very engaged in, one initiative we have been doing for some time now is using recycled plastic bottles for stuffing. However being eco-friendly isn’t just about those type of improvements, consumers are demanding more from companies now, they are demanding sustainability and that means products that will last and endure. Designing and creating sustainable products that will be loved and treasured and can be passed down to future generations, not throw away toys or gifts, is core to our ethos and making them eco friendly at the same time is a path we are committed to.” With this being a vast category (ultimately anything could be considered a gift), in nursery prime examples will be bedding, toys, nursery accessories, clothing and footwear through to keepsake items. With grandparents in general tending to be the gift bearers on the larger nursery items, friends will often seek items that have higher perceived value, which can be greatly aided via the packaging and overall presentation. A good gift has to not only look appealing, be good value for money, it also has to have some sort of practical or sentimental value, it also has to have that extra special something to make it stand out from the crowd and persuade those eager gift buyers that this is the gift for them.
very muc h “B ab y sh ow ers are alreadphy ase th e pa rt of th e pregn an cy ber ofin ou r UK an d on e th at a nu m custo mers pa rti cular ly target . ” Z ar a Grind rod , Ra inb ow Designs
nursery today
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07/08/2020 11:32