Spotlight On... Mother’s Day

Mama I Love You

With Mother’s Day the second most important gift giving occasion for gift retailers, it’s all systems to go to make the very most of the big day on Sunday March 27, with suppliers pulling out all the stops to offer gifts ranging from pocket money priced giftware to the more extravagant.

From jewellery, candles, faux flowers and trinkets to gift books, chocolate and gifts with a twist of humour, there’s plenty to delight mums of all ages and stages.

Like mothers or mother figures, gifts for Mother’s Day come in different guises, and while the traditional bunch of Spring flowers still makes a wonderful, much appreciated gift, PMC’s Felicity Colbert says that the company has seen an increasing demand for gifts with a sense of humour. “Personalised gifts are a fun way to introduce tongue-incheek messages, alongside a more sentimental personalisation,” she comments. “These themes are being reflected in our Mother’s Day gifts for 2022 and other occasions throughout the year. By incorporating these ideas into our gifts, using a traditional colour scheme, we feel we’ve managed to create a perfect balance between love and humour. For example, our mugs, wine glasses and wine gifts, which are always popular for Mother’s Day, have been revamped to include just the right amount of sass!” With wellbeing a huge ongoing trend, gifts that pamper are a must - better still if they have a twist. “We expect wellbeing gifts, and those that help recipients reconnect with nature, to be popular this Mother's Day,” states Sam Wahid, managing director of Gift Republic. “Our yoga stack game is a fun option for a mum into fitness, while another popular gift is our Greenhouse grow kit which gives recipients everything they need to brighten up their living space or desk with a mini indoor garden.” Adds Sam: “As a lot of us are still spending more time at home, pampering gifts such as our G&T bath bombs, remain a favourite.”

Joma Jewellery’s founder and creative director, Katie Loxton, says that after an uncertain few years, this Mother’s Day is the perfect excuse for people to spoil the mother figures in their life - to thank them for all

Top: Happy Mother’s Day! Enesco’s Peanuts by Jim Shore says it all. Above right: Gift Republic’s fun Yoga stack. Left: A personalised Mother’s Day mug with a humorous twist from PMC.

their support, love and advice. “However, there’s no ‘one size fits all’, with the day extended to celebrate every type of mum, from step mum to mummy-to-be, to grandma, as well as those who are like a mum, all of which takes centre stage in our new Joma Jewellery Mother’s Day collection,” explains Katie.

The range features the company’s best selling sentiments and poems that are synonymous with the brand, to include A Little ‘Like A Mum To Me’ bracelet, A Little ‘Happy First Mother’s Day’ bracelet, A Little ‘Lovely Step Mum’ bracelet and A Little ‘Mummy To Beautiful Boys’ bracelet, with Katie adding that colour is also a big theme for the day. “Sugary-sweet florals and fresh hues give a sense of love and appreciation,” she points out. Mary Caputo, jewellery buyer and designer at Joe Davies concurs that jewellery makes a perfect gift. “What better way for people to show how much they care than with a stylish piece of sentiment jewellery with a message for mum or grandma. It’s always on trend when it comes to a Mother’s Day gift, and given the current trend for all things sentimental, our silver plated Equilibrium Sentiment collection features heartfelt messages of affection, with pieces for all pockets, to include scarves, from as little as £7 at retail in the Equilibrium fashion accessories range.” With Mother’s Day in mind, Julian Hunt, managing director of Lesser & Pavey, highlights a host of products that would be suitable as gifts for Mother’s Day, “all lasting a lot longer than flowers,” says Julian. “An example is the Daffodil collection, featuring artwork by Jennifer Rose, which is a new range of illustrated homewares that brings the essence of Spring to mind through the bright colour of daffodils. Studies show that the meaning of the colour yellow includes warmth and cheerfulness, making items in this collection ideal gifts for mums.”

Of course, a fragranced candle always makes a lovely gift. “Mums work incredibly hard all year round, so it’s time for them to sit back, relax and enjoy,” says Best Kept Secrets’ managing director Vanessa Curry. “Mums, mothers, step mums, grandmothers and other mother figures come in all shapes and forms in our lives, and don’t always have to be the person who gave birth to us to be the person who loves, nurtures and cares for

Top left: ‘A Little’ bracelets from Joma’s Mother’s Day collection. Above right: Lesser & Pavey’s new Daffodil collection. Left: ‘Mum’ jewellery that says it all from Joe Davies’ Equilibrium collection.

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Saying It With (Faux) Flowers

Of course, flowers, both fresh and faux, are traditional gifts for mothers, with Candlelight among the suppliers offering an eclectic rage of gifts to suit different price points - from traditional candles and ornaments to a more rustic wreath decorated with dried grasses and wooden hearts. “Flowers never age, so we have a variety of contemporary faux stems, to include roses, pampas and hydrangea, that will last for years to replicate the appreciation of mums and Mother’s Day,” says marketing manager Kate Winch.

Inset: Faux flowers from Candlelight.

It Pays To Display

Left: A set of three boxed candles from

Best Kept Secrets with the packaging themed to tell mums how much they’re loved.

Below: Boxer Gifts’ Mum Twilight Jar with moving hearts.

Bottom left: Relaxed

Glamour from Gisela Graham. Bottom right: A bar of milk Chocolate from A

Gift From The

Gods.

us most in the world. They deserve to be celebrated on Mothering Sunday, and we have a range of gift-led fragranced candles, tea lights, wax melts and diffusers, as well as handmade natural soaps. In fact, our newly redesigned Just Because candles and tea lights are a gift and a card in one, as each tin or box features a phrase to let mums know how special they are.”

Gisela Graham meanwhile, is thinking pretty, says sales director Piers Croke. “Think velvety pink, green, grey make-up bags with gold stars, silvery jewellery trays, boxed candle pots - votives - with floral scents and floral packaging, and everlasting faux flower mini-bouquets. Silver is definitely on trend this year,” adds Piers.

As Thomas O’Brien, managing director of Boxer Gifts puts it: “For Mother’s Day, the gifts given are usually heartfelt. Expressing meaningful feelings to mums is rarely hard - so our sentiment-driven gifts, such as the Mum Twilight Jar with moving hearts, really hits home with great warmth.”

Continues Thomas: “With March a darker month, our range of other light up sentiments, such as the Mum Luxe Starlight bottle, also work really well, giving a much needed glow to our beloved mums ready for a bright, sunny Spring.” As Gifts From The Gods’ founder Jane Reucroft summarises: “you’ve got to make it easy for those doing the buying such as dads with kids. A token gift like chocolate, something the kids can buy with their pocket money, is personal, while a humorous book from a son or daughter might be unexpected but really appreciated.”

l “For retailers, Mother’s Day is a great time to get out the florals and brighten up the mood and shopping environment, with flower arches and trendy dried, sprayed neon flowers giving florals an updated twist. A variety of gift favourites, such as loungewear and candles can be relied on, but retailer should be imaginative with their product offer and price points and mix in some unexpected pieces like wall art to help customers find a gem for their mums.” Jane Reucroft,

founder and managing director, A Gift From The Gods

l “It’s a great idea to create display sections specifically catered to Mother’s Day gifting, along with gift suggestions for each type of mum. A successful display recognises that children of all ages are buying for their mums so it should include pocket money presents alongside more considered purchases.”

Sam Wahid, managing director, Gift Republic

l “Separating specific ‘mum’ and ‘grandma’ gifts really focuses the attention of customers, with the use of point of sale that shouts Mother’s Day Sunday March 27, attracting attention to the products on offer.” Mary Caputo,

jewellery buyer and designer, Joe Davies

l ”Retailers could feature statements about what a mother means to different ages and walks of life, along with pictures, portraits and words that display the true meaning.” Kate Winch,

marketing manager, Candlelight