Pandemic Trends

Trends Below: Eddingtons has seen bread-related accessory sales rise. Below left: T&G’s Star Baker collection. Bottom: Baking couldn’t be easier with Lifetime Brands’ MasterClass bakeware.

Driven by the restrictions governing the pandemic, people have spent most of the past year at home, with baking one of the most popular trends, and games and puzzles the family ‘go to’, while gardening and connecting with nature, and/or owning a pet have been helping to lessen feelings of anxiety. Plus, there have been letterbox gifts galore to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions, including letting friends and family members know how much they’re missed.

PG&H looks at what’s continuing to trend.

What do you do when you’re stuck at home during a pandemic, suddenly finding yourself with unexpected time on your hands? The answer for many people over the past year or so has been to get back to basics in the kitchen, with those that had hitherto never baked a cake in their life suddenly

discovering the joys of trying their hand at banana bread, among many other tasty treats. So, has it driven a lasting trend for baking gifts for home cooks and bakers?

“With the ‘stay at home’ ordered by the government, alongside the restrictions placed on the hospitality industry, people have had more free time to spend and experiment in the kitchen,” reflects T&G’s head of marketing Jenny Handley. “Home baking has ignited a passion, something to share as a family and teach the kids. It’s been a positive way to spend time together.”

Adds Jenny: “In addition, with the strain on people’s finances, the future of home baking is looking promising, as it allows people to eat healthily, mix things up, discover baking and save money. With a shift in spending more time at home, rather than on the daily commute, more flexible work patterns may see the boom of home baking set to continue. Our collection of sustainable natural wood serving boards and utensils add a little fun to the kitchen and give budding bakers the tools for the job, making it an ideal gift for family and friends.” At Lifetime Brands, Claire Budgen, commercial and marketing director, concurs: “There’s no doubt that consumers have been baking their way through lockdown. Whether as a hobby, learning a new skill or, as a way to entertain the kids, social media has been awash with people sharing their baking creations. Our MasterClass bakeware has been everpopular, especially our Smart Space gift sets, which include seven essential baking tins in a space saving footprint, making them great for families, as well as for baking lovers or those who are just getting started.”

Earlier this year, the company used products from its award-winning bakeware brand MasterClass, to launch live streamed bake and cook-alongs, with families baking, learning recipes and having fun taking part. “Our social channels have seen increased engagement on baking related posts, with a video of our take on the viral baked oats for breakfast trend gaining over 75,000 views,” confirms Claire.

At Eddingtons meanwhile, the focus has been on baking bread, with the company seeing sales of bread-related accessories soar over the pandemic as consumers baked at home. “Our Banneton bread proving baskets, as well as flour scoops and dough scrapers from Westmark Germany, have all done particularly well,” states commercial director Richard Walker. Responding to customer requests, the company has also added a new large size Banneton to handle 2kg dough, as well as a range of linen basket liners and covers to accessorise the range.

Right from the very start of the pandemic, puzzles and games have been one of the hottest selling lines, seen as a lifeline for many individuals and families as they knuckled down to the government’s ‘stay at home’ diktat.

“Puzzles and games were among the highest performers last year, with NPD reporting 19% growth overall and Ravensburger +36%,” confirms Katy Fletcher, head of marketing and product development at Ravenburger. “Since lockdown in March 2020, consumers turned to games and puzzles to occupy and entertain the family and this trend has continued. Our classic games portfolio performed extremely well, including family favourites Bugs in the Kitchen and Labyrinth. Our generic educational games, including Ready Steady, proved popular too, and we will be introducing four new titles this summer.”

She continues: “Overall, puzzle sales have been phenomenal across the board. We constantly review consumer feedback and identified early on that people were discovering or rediscovering the joy of puzzling. Our Spring 2021 range includes around 90 new designs across children’s and adult categories to include Puzzle Moments, 99pc puzzles developed specifically for adults wanting to escape their computer screens. These contemporary designs can be completed in around 30–45 minutes and are an ideal entry product for those who haven’t puzzled in a while.”

At James Galt, Nicola Sharples concurs. “2020 saw families focusing firmly on their home life and pursuing activities that promote relaxation and wellbeing, with puzzles and board games from leading brands Wasgij, Falcon de Luxe and Jan van Haasteren remaining firm favourites.”

To continue this trend, Jumbo has launched a brand new range for 2021, Falcon Contemporary, featuring a diverse range of artists and styles in sustainable packaging to appeal to adult puzzlers worldwide. “Little ones also have plenty to enjoy with the new Alphabet Animals puzzle and Memory Friends game from Galt Toys,” adds Nicola.

During the pandemic it became more obvious than ever that pets play a positive role in supporting our wellbeing. According to a recent Mintel report, British consumers spent £2.9bn on their pets last year, reinforcing the fact that owning a cat or dog - or even a rabbit - can have a positive impact on mental health by reducing feelings of anxiety.

Consequently, ‘pandemic pets’ have become one of the unexpected trends of the past 12 months, with many people acquiring a furry, four-legged friend during the lockdowns.

“A lot of the products we’re bringing out are pet-related,” says designer Isaac Michael at Gift Republic. “Our How To Speak Dog and How To Speak Cat guides, as well as our Dog and Cat IQ Tests, will bring people back to nature within their homes, while our Dog-saster and Nine Lives games are ideal for people spending time in the sun with friends.”

At Widdop And Co, creative director Stephen Illingworth says that during a time of uncertainty and isolation from the world, pets have not only been extremely beneficial to their owners’ mental health by keeping them company and bringing entertainment, but also given them the motivation to stay active. “Our Best of Breed products, designed in house, celebrate these incomparable members of our family. From horses to cats and dogs, homes can celebrate their love for their four-legged companions with our range of contemporary giftware and home accessories that include keepsake photo frames and stepping stones.” The company’s products also cover pets, featuring items such as ceramic bowls and treat jars.

Staying with pet products, Present Time UK’s Luke Felton, country manager for the UK & Ireland, adds: “We had already planned to bring pet sofas in pre-coronavirus. However, with the pandemic and the huge demand for pets, we have seen a lot of excitement for our new pet beds. We offer three styles in three different colours making a range that fits with a variety of home furnishings.”

As Luke adds: “Over the past year, we have seen how important our pets are to companionship and mental health, with the UK market having no issue with spoiling their pets!” Continued on page 45

It took the pandemic to get the less green-fingered passionate about their gardens, but in the past year, gardening has become a life saver, helping people cope with anxiety and mental health issues.

“During lockdowns, we have all had to spend more time at home and when the weather permits, it’s no surprise that people have spent more time outdoors in their garden,” says Hannah Dale, founder and creative supremo of Wrendale Designs. “Our gardening collection has been popular in providing useful tools to those who wish to nurture their gardens and spend time outside and our lovely new garden kneeler is a really handy addition. During the pandemic in particular, keeping busy with jobs in the garden can be beneficial to health and wellbeing.”

Also looking to the benefits of gardening during the pandemic has been RHS licensee Heathcote & Ivory. The company has tapped into the trend with Home Grown, a new toiletries range launched for Spring/Summer, a vegan-friendly beauty and wellness collection inspired by the wellbeing benefits of growing vegetables, herbs and flowers at home. “Wellbeing has long been one of the major benefits of growing vegetables, herbs and flowers, and this collection perfectly captures the mental and physical rewards of home growing,” says RHS licensing executive Shereen Llewellin. “It’s a collection designed to nurture frequently washed hands, soothe tired limbs and uplift the spirits.”

With friends and family unable to see each other during the pandemic, letterbox gifts have been leading the way over the past 12 months, with boxed and carded jewellery easy to give and to post.

“Our online retailers have been the main beneficiaries of this pandemic,” says Tony Barrett, managing director of Life Charms. “Their sales have increased exponentially during the lockdown periods, with our boxed jewellery ranges especially popular online as they are slim and go via Royal Mail as a large letter, so are really cheap to post.” Highlights Tony, “we have seen sales soar on designs that say ‘Missing You’ or ‘Thinking About You’, and our rainbow bracelet has also been extremely popular.”

At Crumble & Core, director Louise Pike also spotlights a big surge in people sending gifts and cards to their loved ones, with themes focusing on friendship, sending love, hugs and rainbows. “So many people have been unable to celebrate special occasions in person, and we have therefore seen a lot of demand for personalised gifts being sent direct to family and loved ones,” says director Louise Pike.

Among the positives that can be taken from the past year is that more people than ever have connected with nature, with many ‘townies’ choosing to re-locate to the countryside, or to bring nature into their homes through, for example, indoor plants and home accessories.

“The focus of our products is on nature, which has tapped into a trend generated by the pandemic, in that people who are at home want to connect to nature indoors as well as outdoors,” says Simon Grigg, managing director of Nobile. “Therefore, we have been building on the hand decoration aspect of what we do, taking it to another level.”

Explains Simon: “We have five areas of product, and for Spring/Summer, we have launched a new collection of vases and gift items that include Bees & Blooms, one of ten new ranges this year. Other collections feature Bees & Poppies, a Ladybird collection, a Scottish Thistle collection - which is also very popular with retailers in the South of England - and a Rhapsody collection based on the trend colours for 2021. We’ve also reimagined our Fantasia range and introduced new shapes in our Ruby, Gold and Silver mosaic collections. Plus, we have also launched fused glass characters with country themes, such as badgers and squirrels, and have added tea lights and candles into our Flower collection.”

Progressive Gifts & Home highlights some of the latest gift products to be showcased this month

Bringing the outside in Candlelight is adding to its ever-growing collection of faux plants for spring/summer 2021 and is really bringing the outside in. From ferns to ivy and ceramic to woven baskets pots, its new collection has something for everyone. Candlelight T:01709 723000 E: contact@candlelight.co.uk W:www.candlelight.co.uk Vintage Words Range Expands Coulson Macleod is excited to announce the launch of its Pen & Brush Pots in 57 new designs for the Vintage Words range. Each 10oz ceramic pot is printed and finished in-house, and supplied with a kraft packaging wrap. Celebrating all manner of interests and hobbies each desk-tidy features wonderful quotes in a letterpress-style font on the reverse, and vintage 19th century steel-engraved illustrations to the front. Coulson Macleod T:01536 419944 E: hello@coulsonmacleod.com W:www.coulsonmacleod.com

Personalised Sofa Tray Ideal to treat any man is one of PMC’s brand new personalised sofa trays. Perfect for Father’s Day, the text can be personalised to include his name so no one will pinch his favourite tipple! Visit the website to find out how to become a trade customer. PMC T:01782 744900 E: sales@personalisedmemento.co.uk W:www.personalisedmemento.co.uk Dress Up Any Outfit Newly available this season are Hot Tomato’s range of brooches and pins, complete with some lucky motifs including a horseshoe design. They would make a lovely gift and effortlessly brighten up any lapel, hat, scarf or bag creating a very individual look. Hot Tomato T:01225 422188 E: alex@hot-tom.com W:www.hot-tom.com

Christmas 2021 Collection Hill Interiors has scoured the globe to deliver a Christmas collection with sublime handcrafted detailing across a wide variety of finishes. The collection is a celebration of craftmanship and carefully curated materials that exudes premium quality, yet is affordably priced. Amongst its stunning collection you’ll find everything from textured glass baubles of all sizes to votives, table centres, wreaths and gifts. Hill Interiors T:01845 567044 E: sales.enquiries@hill-interiors.com W:www.hill-interiors.com