Category Gift-ready tabletop Beatriz Ball
Denby
“Giftable tableware has evolved into a year-round category” Gift-ready tabletop – be it a perfectly packaged on-trend dinnerware collection or a limited-edition vase – is hard to beat. But how much of an eye on gifting do tableware brands really have? And is it really all down to the packaging? “We know that great, impactful, brand-centric packaging is fundamental, especially when it comes to gifting,” Claire Budgen, commercial and marketing director at Lifetime Brands Europe tells us. And of course,
she is not wrong. From weddings to birthdays to anniversaries to retirements – whatever occasion you can think of – giftable tabletop is ripe for the selling. And even better if it’s beautifully packaged by a wellknown brand. The benefits of top-tier packaging merely bolster what has become a very interesting sales category for tabletop providers. “Giftable tableware has evolved into a year-round category,” Claire continues. “On-trend tableware including dinnerware, glassware, cutlery and textiles have become must-have items to impress friends and family and create those instragrammable tablescapes. It’s easy to see why giftable
tabletop is such an important focus. There is a real demand for a variety of ranges, designs and price points. Retailers will see success by stocking a dynamic range that does more than one job – covering gifting year-round as well as seasonal inspiration and everyday dining.” Likewise, global glassware manufacturer Zwiesel Glas agrees that giftable tableware has evolved. “The occasions for gifting has changed over time,” Lisa Müller, team lead brand and product management at Zwiesel Glas says, pointing out that the gifts
“We took a very close look at our target groups and focused on high quality two and four-packs”
Sambonet Christmas, a birthday, a wedding, or even a simple dinner party: these are just some occasions when people look for a unique idea that is long-lasting and, moreover, remains both useful and pleasant at the same time. Numerous Sambonet collections come beautifully packaged – the Jungle series is just one of them. A 1950s-inspired foliage pattern decorates Jungle cutlery thanks to the creativity of fashion designer Gianni Cinti.
www.sambonet.com 46 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL
category in the brand’s online shop generates a lot of revenue. “It is frequently used by our customers and a considerable amount of the digitally generated revenue is
Lisa Müller, Zwiesel Glas earned in this way. In the US there is a big trend at many retailers to gift to newlywed couples. Retailers even search for special product bundles packages for their customers. Looking to other markets – for example, the Japanese market where we operate our own subsidiary – gifting is also of the utmost importance in consumer business. We continuously think end-to-end in terms of gifting and consider this from product development to packaging design.” Agreeing there is a change in traditional gifting, Sambonet’s product