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Feedback: Christmas Special
Will 2020 Be A Christmas Cracker? While the last few Christmasses have seen retailers - to include gift shops - having to hold their nerve until December, this year, it’s a very different story, with people anxious to stock up on gifts as early as possible to stay ahead of the lockdown restrictions. It’s been good news for gift shops and gift departments, both large and small, especially as many consumers are choosing to shop locally and support their local retailers. PG&H took a look at some of the most popular gifting Above: Gifting has taken on a new importance this Christmas. Below: Pillar candles and other non-scented home fragrancing sectors, and asked gift retailers what’s been ringing products are currently among the trends at John Lewis & Partners. Bottom: Christmas shopping started early at the department store. up sales both in store and online.
Smelling Sweet
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ne product sector that has really came into its own this year is home fragrancing. With the vast majority of people working from home during lockdown, and choosing to continue to do so, fragrancing a home office area has become a priority, with candles, reed diffusers and wax melts among the many ways people are choosing to create a fragrant space to work in. “We’re seeing a big spike in home fragrancing in the run up to Christmas,” confirms Sara Allbright, gift and candleshop buyer at John Lewis & Partners, “with earlier purchasing than ever before. We started to launch our Christmas fragrances during September, and they sold faster than they would have normally done at that time of year.”
Sara highlighted that home fragrancing was a resilient category during lockdown with sales increasing, and the sector not showing any signs of slowing down. “During and post lockdown, messages around wellbeing and lifestyle were popular, with people buying into brands that they know and trust, as well as into key new brands. If someone has made the effort to go shopping, home fragrancing products are
a great impulse purchase, making them a key product within a shop environment.” Sara confirms that recent trends in the sector include a greater interest in ultrasonic diffusers. “They have really taken off this year, from the plain and the practical to more decorative pieces. Plus, the fragrance oils tie in well with the trend for wellbeing.” So, has the pandemic put an end to testers? “Our customers like to be able to touch, feel and ultimately smell our home fragrancing products, and it’s something they are still able to do,” points out Sara. “We have got sanitising stations in store and are focused on keeping everything as safe as we possibly can. However, it’s not only about scented products. We are also seeing a trend for non-scented products such as pillars and tealights, as well as for candle holders.” As Sarah adds: “People really do seem want to make more of Christmas this year, primarily driven by their concerns about the current situation getting worse, but also to tell people that they’re thinking of them although they are unable to see them. Everyone is feeling they need this Christmas to cheer themselves up, which is why they started their shopping much earlier to make sure they can find want they want to buy. This has definitely helped us as the normal Christmas traffic we get can be very last minute. People deciding to shop earlier is helping us to pace it.” Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide
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