News

theT Following on from the success of the Manchester Furniture Show at Harrogate’s Home & Gift last year, this July’s show will see the debut of the Furniture Collection which will be taking over both Hall Q and the Kings Suite at the Harrogate Convention Centre. Exhibitors include Gallery Direct and Bronte by Moon.

Across the show, some 800 brands will be exhibiting, to include Joe Davies, Enesco, Wild Things, Hot Tomato, Best Kept Secrets, VENT for Change, Marmalade of London, Carrie Elspeth, Wrendale Designs, Reeves and Reeves, Sea Gems, Talking Tables, Jellycat, Caroline Gardner, Roka and Chalk. Some 25% of exhibitors will be brand new to Home & Gift. A new networking platform, Browse & Meet, will also give buyers the opportunity to see new products in advance, enabling them to create their own Product Wishlist. Buyers will also be able to message companies and request appointments with exhibitors on-site.

Networking opportunities include The Sundowner drinks on the first night of the show (July 17), as well as Gin on The Lawn.

Home & Gift will take place in four marquees and seven halls spanning Design-Led Gifts, Home & Interiors, Jewellery and Fashion and the Food Emporium, along with the Furniture Collection.

It was red, white and blue all the way, as gift retailers put their all into celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee at the beginning of June.

“Most of our gifts sold out well before the event,” confirmed Karen Ritchie, owner of The Rowan Tree in Budleigh Salterton. “All the Emma Bridgewater and Sophie Allport Jubilee mugs went almost straightaway and, unfortunately, limited supply meant no reordering. However, we had a fabulous display of Jan Constantine hand embroidered cushions in our window which were a great fit for the celebration. We also did well with locally made doggie bow ties in a Union Jack design, matchboxes of seeds to plant in celebration of the Jubilee and Sophie Allport tea towels.”

Also ringing up Jubilee sales was Samantha Gibbs, owner of three Nest stores in Broughton Abbey, Stoneygate and Thurlaston Garden Centre. “We went all out with the red, white and blue theme,” confirmed Sam. “Among out best sellers were Gift Republic’s Royal Gardeners Mini Plant Pot, Talking Tables’ Union Jack inspired picnicware, and red and blue summer scarves and bags.”

At Mooch Gift & Home stores in Bewdley and Stourport-on-Severn, red, white and blue themed ‘The Best of British’ windows were dressed in Union Jacks all featuring the Jubilee logo. “Party products trade was brisk, with the majority of stock supplied by Talking Tables,” confirmed co-owner Jon May. “We also saw strong sales for The Great British Quiz in a tin from Apples to Pears and the Jubilee limited edition mug from Moorland Pottery,” he added. “There was real a buzz about town with excitement in both Poynton and Chapel-En-Le-Frith,” reported Sarah Halsall, owner of two Hand Picked By Henrietta stores. “We totally underestimated the quantities of Jubilee products having sold out earlier than intended and had to swap our displays to a Father’s Day focus,” she added.

A brand new gift shop, Wooden Spoon The Gift shop, has opened in the Derbion shopping centre, Derby, a sister store to the Wooden Spoon cookshop. With limited space, and the opportunity to expand the gift side of the business, owner Lee Smith was delighted to acquire the premises nextdoor. "After five years in Derby, and our giftware ranges continuing to increase, we acquired the adjacent shop and put a doorway in the wall between the two units,” explains Lee.

With licensed Harry Potter themed products a big seller for both stores - suppliers include Half Moon Bay, Universal Games and Pyramid International - other popular brands include giftware lines from Gisela Graham, Heathcote & Ivory, Sass & Belle, Chilly’s Bottles, Portmeirion, Cath Kidston, Laura Ashley, Captivate Brands and Denby.

Among the many gift retailers celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee was Aga Marsden, owner of Highworth Emporium in Highworth. The shop, well known locally for its bespoke balloon service for special occasions, went the extra mile for the Jubilee, creating a statement 4.5 x 2.5m red, white and blue Union Jack flag outside the shop featuring 300 balloons.

“The response we had was amazing,” enthused Aga. “We had BBC Radio Wiltshire, the Swindon Advertiser and a local magazine coming in to interview us and to take photos. People came into the town specifically to take photos of our balloon flag.”

Personalised Memento Company (PMC) has acquired the intellectual property rights for all SignaturePG designs.

The move strengthens PMC’s position as the UK largest supplier of personalised gifts for multiples, independents, and ecommerce retailers.

Combining SPG’s best-selling products and designs to the company’s existing range of personalised gifts provides an extensive, impressive catalogue of products for PMC customers.

“Signature Gifts Ltd is a leading publisher of personalised books and newspaper gifts. We are focusing on our core strengths in personalised publishing in the UK and US. To enable this, we have disposed of our general gift product designs and some goodwill to PMC and closed our Stoke factory,” explains Signature Gifts’ ceo Kevin Spindler.

As well as increasing PMC’s range of products, acquiring the IP right of SignaturePG also expands the existing team at PMC to include SPG’s sales director Debbi Hancock, product development & sales manager, operations manager and designers. “We are excited to welcome Debbi and her team to join us,” states PMC’s marketing director Keren Dicken. “Adding their knowledge of customers and products will strengthen PMC’s position within the personalisation market.”

PMC, established in 2004, offers some 5,000 gifts, with new products added weekly. The company works closely with its retailers to offer benefits such as preview, photo upload, exclusivity and bespoke order integrations.

Widdop has taken over the website, stock and exclusive distribution of over 50 Apples to Pears skus, with the brands and products transferred to the Widdop & Co portfolio on July 1. All will be on show in the Widdop showroom for the first time at Widdop’s summer showroom event at the company’s Manchester HQ, which runs until July 29. Apples to Pears was founded by joint managing directors Mark Wash and Sally Granger in 2002, with Apples to Pears designs - particularly its multi-award winning Gift In A Tin range - widely acclaimed.

“We have admired the work of Apples to Pears for a long time and on hearing that Mark and Sally wished to retire, we immediately saw the opportunity for their amazing brands in our business,” states Stephen Illingworth, Widdop & Co’s commercial director, “and we are thrilled to complete the exclusive distribution of over 50 continuing skus from the collection.”

Commented Apples to Pears joint managing directors Mark Wash and Sally Granger: “After over 20 years of creating award winning gifts, including products from our Gift in a Tin, Gifts for Grown Ups and Heritage Garden Gifts collections, we decided that now was the right time to hand on the batten to new blood.”

To attend the summer showroom event, email sales@widdop.co.uk; tel: 0161 688 1226 or visit www.widdop.co.uk

Nine major product launches were announced by Widdop & Co’s commercial director Stephen Illingworth at June’s Progressive Greetings Live. In addition to Apples to Pears’ products and brands joining the portfolio, (see above), they include a new range of Disney Home categories spanning planters to vases; The Charms collection from Harry Potter featuring nursery accessories and gifts to complement Christmas decorations for Christmas 2022; Little Heroes, new from DC Comics, featuring nursery décor, gifts and accessories; plus, through a licensing agreement with Paramount, Christmas, Kids and Baby gifting and collectables will also be launching this December. In addition, partnering with Hasbro for 2023, Widdop will be using the world famous gaming and toy properties of the past 50 years on a range of products.

Plus, as a result of a licensing partnership with greeting card publisher Raspberry Blossom, there will be two home accessory focused gifting collections launching in summer 2023.

It was also announced that wrappings and stationery business Partisan Products is to have its own dedicated space at the Widdop showroom in Manchester.

To attend the summer showroom event, email sales@widdop.co.uk; tel: 0161 688 1226 or visit www.widdop.co.uk

Prezzybox Bought By Gift Universe

Gift etailer Prezzybox, a family-owned, online gift business founded by Zak Edwards in 2000, has been bought by Gift Universe, the parent company of gift and gadget omni-channel retailer Menkind. The acquisition will help Gift Universe expand into female gifting to complement Menkind’s more male orientated gift products.

“The acquisition of Prezzybox provides a further opportunity to develop and grow our offering and increase our foothold in the gifting industry, enabling us to continue to expand our customer base,” states Gift Universe’s ceo Paul Kraftman.

The purchase of Prezzybox is a second recent acquisition for Gift Universe, which bought toy retailer Hawkins Bazaar in November 2021.

From Autumn 2022, Widdop & Co will be launching a greener choices programme. The company will be distributing Boutique Garden as the launch brand, a collection of grow your own garden gifts for kids and adults.

Online retailer Moonpig is to acquire gifting experience business Buyagift for a total of £124m, with the company benefitting from the growing £6bn UK gift experiences segment of the gifting market - days out, meals out and other activities.

The acquisition, which will drive crossselling opportunities, is expected to be finalised by the end of July, delivering an instant stepchange to the breadth and relevance of Moonpig Group’s range.

“The proposed acquisition of Buyagift rapidly accelerates Moonpig Group’s journey to become the ultimate gifting companion,” states Moonpig Group ceo Nickyl Raithatha. “There is strong strategic rationale for the transaction and compelling financial benefits.”

Louise Welsby, managing director of creative agency Buy-From, has taken over the role as chair of The Giftware Association for the next two years. Former chair Gert Schyberg, owner of Sebnini, steps into the deputy chair role, while Mark Jones from Gisela Graham becomes vice chair.

“It’s an honour to be the new chair of the Giftware Association, the first service provider in the Association’s 75-year history to take on the role,” states Louise, who received her chain of office from Gert at The Giftware Association’s AGM last month at its Birmingham HQ.

“I’m looking forward to continuing the excellent stewardship of Gert Schyberg and am keen to get to work on supporting the GA with new initiatives, including the development of the digital marketing and educational benefits,” Louise enthused.

The GA welcomed two new members to the national committee ranks, both of whom bring a wealth of knowledge and experience. Widdop & Co’s commercial director Stephen Illingworth will offer the Association invaluable knowledge and support, while Tabi Marsh, owner of gift shop Papilio at Heritage in Thornbury, will provide an important retail perspective on future projects.

Standing down was Blue Eyed Sun’s founder and managing director Jeremy Corner, a former chair.

Claire Harris, founder of Talking Tables; Demi Pendakis, founder of FYG (Find Your Glow) and Paul Sun, co-founder of Gingko, were among the speakers on the day.

The minutes of the meeting and yearly report are available on the BATF website. Visit www.batf.uk.com

The Giftware Association is taking over the operational, management and membership activities of the Creative Industry Association (CIA). Both have huge synergies with their respective industries which, with newly added skill and resources, will benefit members of both associations.

The Creative Industry Association and its members will become part of a much larger organisation, which will help secure the associations future, with greater resources, greater support, and opportunities for all members and vice versa.

“This is not only an exciting opportunity for both associations to strengthen one another, it also cements our commitment in offering members new routes to market and new opportunities for growth which is needed now more than ever,” states Sarah Ward ceo of The GA.

Sarah will remain ceo of The GA and will be taking on the ceo role of the Creative Industry Association.

Commented Craig De Souza, ceo and founder of the Creative Industry Association: “under Sarah and her team, The GA have and are doing some inspiring things, most recently the amazing Gift Awards, and I know the CIA and its members will flourish. With The GA, BATF’s and members help and support, together we can do great things!” Craig will become an ex-offico member of the GA’s national committee, as well as helping Sarah and her team with the smooth transition of the CIA. Gert Schyberg, board member of the BATF and deputy chair of The GA adds: “at the BATF, we actively seek good associations with strong ethics and vision for future growth. As a collective, led by myself, we could see the vast potential to bring the CIA into our group.”

Three successful women in the gift industry - Louise Welsby, managing director of BuyFrom and newly appointed chair of the GA, (see story left), Jo Williams, owner of Joco in Nuneaton and watercolour artist and homewares designer Meg Hawkins, founder of Meg Hawkins Art - have been nominated as finalists in the Woman Who Achieves Awards 2022. The winners will be announced in July at a lunch at Coombe Abbey hotel in Coventry.

Working in collaboration with UK anti-slavery charity Unseen, and third year BA (Hons) Falmouth University illustration students, St. Eval recently unveiled the company’s new, limited edition Love, Hope & Freedom candle collection, inspired by the positive changes that Unseen brings to the lives of those affected by modern day slavery.

For every candle sold from the collection, St. Eval is donating £1 directly to the charity.

Following on from her success at The Greats Awards in May, gift retailer Libby Holden, owner of Lovely Libby’s in Rayleigh, was delighted when her proud dad added to the occasion by proclaiming her success to locals.

“He was so proud of what I had achieved that, unbeknown to me, he went off and got a huge pink banner made,” Libby told PG&H.

“It was completely unexpected, and features the words ‘Lovely Libby’s: Winner Best Non-Specialist Retailer of Gifts 2022’. It’s been a real showstopper, driving footfall and encouraging people to pop to hear more about our success.”

British gift manufacturers with exciting and unusual new gift ranges are being given a unique opportunity to supply John Lewis this Christmas, with The Great British Exchange tasked with finding the most innovative product ranges from small independent businesses and artisan producers.

“We want to hear from British brands that have something a bit different to offer the gifting market,” says GBE founder Matthew Hopkins. “From unusual, personalised gifts and small batch locally made Christmas stockings, to homewares, artisan Christmas jumpers and in between, the search is now on for the very best of British gifting. We’re looking for ambitious small business owners that are ready to make a leap and reach bigger markets.”

Successful brands and products will be sold in selected John Lewis stores this Christmas, including the retailer’s flagship Oxford Street store.

Matthew continued: “Demand for British made products and unusual gifts has never been higher and this Christmas will offer an unprecedented opportunity for the makers of exceptional British products to boost their sales.”

Lucy Steer, head of the home category at John Lewis says the latest initiative is “a proactive approach to attracting new British design talent onto the shelves for the festive season.”

The Great British Exchange, known for its in-store experiences and meet the maker events, specialises in bringing newness and localism to the high street and is responsible for John Lewis’ successful, regionally sourced, pop-ups in stores up and down the country.

Tel: 01423 229988 or visit popup.thegbexchange.com/

Sarah Watmore, managing director of Miss Milly, recently took part in an inaugural Sustainability Basics course offered by Small Business Britain, a six-week, online course run with Oxford Brookes University, Small99 and Sustainable Pathways.

“Sustainability is a minefield, and many of the smaller wholesalers and independent retailers will struggle with B Corp certification. However, the course gave us lots of suggestions and advice on where we could improve and how. Every positive change we can make, no matter how small, really is worthwhile.”

Small Business Britain will be running a second course from 6 September, with Sarah encouraging other businesses in the gift industry to get involved.

Transomnia director Rod O’Mahony will be attempting to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania at the end of July to raise money for Alzheimers Research UK.

“The climb was originally scheduled for March 2021, but due to Covid, it was postponed to October, and then to the following March. We’re now due to fly out to Tanzania on July 20,” confirms Rod, who admits he hasn’t done anything like this before.

“Getting up and down will take us eight days, averaging 6-8 hours of trekking each day, and 12-15 hours, including climbing through the night, when we go for the summit and - hopefully! - reach it at dawn the next day.” He adds: "Dementia is one of the cruellest of diseases, devastating the lives of sufferers, and also of those close to them. I’m delighted, and just slightly terrified, to be raising funds for this great cause through a challenge that will test me to the limits." Visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/omahonys-on-tour (QR code, left, leads directly to the page).

A nationwide search for the UK’s 100 most inspiring small businesses has kicked off as part of major plans to mark the ten year anniversary of Small Business Saturday UK, which returns on 3 December.

“Small Business Saturday is all about shining a light on the UK’s fabulous small businesses and the extraordinary contribution they make to the UK and our local areas,” comments Michelle Ovens CBE (below), director of Small Business Saturday UK,

The organisers are looking for exciting small businesses - that in the past have included independent gift retailers - bringing something special to the community, while supporting consumers or other businesses in the supply chain. As part of the official countdown to the annual campaign, small businesses can also apply to be featured in this year’s SmallBiz100, which showcases the best of Britain’s small business community.

To apply for the SmallBiz100 visit: smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/small-biz-100

l Home and garden gift brand Jardinopia has launched a debut range of licensed Disney gardenwear and tool bags aimed at adults and children.

l Aromatize has been appointed as the official UK and Ireland distributor for American brand Michel Design Works.

l Retail champion Mary Portas, a keynote speaker at May’s Retail Week Live, called on retail businesses to work harder to find “meaningful philosophies” that connect with customers.

l New research by Sherwen Studios reveals that consumers are increasingly using transactional gift websites as a shop window, completing their purchase in store.

l Marks & Spencer is developing a growing pipeline of store relocations, with most on edge of town locations.

To great acclaim, a busy, buzzy Progressive Greetings Live fanfared the newest launches from almost 200 greeting card publishers when the show opened its doors at London’s Business Design Centre in June. “I placed an order with Rush Design in the first five minutes, and bought some beautiful cards from Springboard exhibitor Klara Hawkins who comes from Barrowford where my shop is,” enthused Andrea Pinder, owner of Presentation Cards & Gifts about two of the many orders she placed at the two day show.

Travelling to the exhibition from East Sussex, was Greg Rose, co-owner of Maybugs gift shops in Hailsham and Eastbourne, who has a third store opening shortly in Bexhill-on-Sea. “We placed five orders for each of our three stores with publishers in the Springboard area, and also ordered from publishers across the show. We found the Springboard sector really exciting this year, and I particularly liked the humorous cards from Not At All Jack,” highlighted Greg.

Priya Aurora-Crower, co-owner of ten Lark gift stores in South London, concurred: “There were some great, quality cards in the Springboard section this year, as well as across the show, and we have loads of orders in the pipeline,” she confirmed.

“As always, PG Live was a cacophony of creativity and inspiration and I did my Christmas buying there,” confirmed Sam Gibbs, owner of three Nest gift stores in Leicestershire. “It was great to discover companies that I don’t normally see.”

With many gift indies making a beeline for Rosie Made A Thing at Progressive Greetings Live, (see story above), the good news is that there will be a gift book add-on from the humorous card publisher.

Wine Not? A Book Of Grown-Up Decisions, published by HarperCollins, and due out on 1 September, is a collection of Rosie’s funnies, based on the everyday lives of ordinary people. “We’ve had a lot of fun putting the book together, going back to my very first cards and trying to organise the silliness into coherent chapters,” explains founder Rosie Harrison. “We’re really proud of our little gift book and happy that we can finally shout about it.”

With gift and lifestyle retailers increasingly looking to expand their fashion and fashion accessories offer, a popular sector at Autumn Fair is sure to include Moda, incorporating Jewellery & Watch. A key fashion destination at both Spring Fair and Autumn Fair for the past two seasons, the sector will be returning to Autumn Fair from September 4-7. “With its long-standing heritage as a leading womenswear and footwear show, Moda continues to provide an essential hub for creativity, collaboration and trading, with retailers able to benefit from the vast cross-buying opportunities,” states Simon Lau, event director, Moda at Autumn Fair.

An impressive line-up of jewellery exhibitors includes Shrieking Violet, Sea Gems, Reeves & Reeves, Miss Milly and Talbot Fashions. To register, visit www.moda-uk.com or www.autumnfair.com

With Christmas buying in mind, Scotland’s Trade Fair Autumn will be returning to the SEC in Glasgow from 18-19 September with a diverse array of suppliers across gifts, homewares, jewellery, stationery, textiles and gift food. The Launch Gallery will be back, along with the Speciality Food area.

“With a lot of British people opting to holiday at home now, and foreign visitors returning to Scotland, shops are hoping to have good summer and will be ready to reorder in September,” predicts show director Mark Saunders.

To register, visit www.scotlandstradefairs.com

Trends were at the heart of housewares show Exclusively, held at London’s Business Design Centre in June. Led by forecasting agency Scarlet Opus, the company’s Phil Pond identified the three key trends - Homestead (homes becoming a retreat); Wellness (psychological and physical comfort); and Phygital (where virtual reality is the norm) - that will be in the spotlight over the next year and beyond.

International visitors included Rosanna Bowles, president of American tableware company Rosanna. “The ‘grandmillennial’ trend for layering vintage, with a contemporary twist, is sweeping the US,” she told PG&H.

Among the celebrities at June’s Exclusively show was ITV’s This Morning’s Lynsey Queen of Clean, who told PG&H that her favourite gift is a scented candle. “I love candles - their fragrance, how they look - and find them calming. My favourite fragrances are pomegranate for the living room and lemon for the kitchen,” revealed Lynsey.