3-5_News.qxp_Calendars Grid 15/01/2026 10:59 Page 1
CALENDARS: NEWS
MAKING IT A DATE With phone calendars, online versions, and digital reminders going off all the time, plenty of folk keep predicting the death of the paper calendar and diary, which have been around since Roman times. But seeing everything written down is much easier for many, and the numbers going back to dated products or finding them for the first time are growing. Here, Progressive Calendars toasts the continuation and expansion of the important dated products sector. Carousel Worldwide acquires Avonside Carousel Worldwide has continued its expansion in the global calendar and gift publishing world, with its acquisition of Avonside Publishing. The move brings together two of the UK’s most recognisable names in calendar publishing, strengthening Carousel’s position as a leading global supplier of calendars and stationery products, which the company says opens new opportunities for creativity and Above: Carousel md Gillian Richmond and Avonside’s David Higgins. international growth. “We have worked together with Avonside for many years, and they have built an impressive reputation for image and product quality, reliability and impeccable customer service”, said Gillian Richmond, md of Carousel Worldwide. “We are excited to welcome their team on board and to bring Avonside’s expertise and titles into Carousel Worldwide’s range. Together we will be even stronger and this enhances our strategy for continued international growth,” she added. Avonside’s existing catalogue, featuring top-selling dog, animal and travel calendars, will continue to be produced and distributed under the brand. Gillian added that both companies are committed to ensuring a smooth transition for staff, suppliers and customers and to maintaining the quality, reliability and customer service, with the combined business being run from Carousel’s head office in Exeter, while the Avonside team will continue working from its base in Melksham. “We are proud of what our small team has achieved over the years”, said Avonside md and coowner David Higgins, who has run the company since 2002 with Rob Jane as a director since 2013. “Joining Carousel Worldwide is a natural extension of our long-standing cooperation and opens exciting opportunities for our team and our customers,” added David. Carousel Worldwide, which represents Carousel and Gladstone Media, is exclusively distributed in north America by Lang Brands, which acquired the assets of Lang Companies including Lang, Wells Street By Lang, Turner brands, and Lang.com from Design Group Americas. DGA is the subsidiary which IG Design Group disposed of in June to the Hilco capital group for $1 (74p) in June following a fall in revenue and the imposition of Trump’s import tariffs. Founded in 1982, Lang is considered a premier supplier of licensed and art-driven calendars, greeting cards, and gifts, and the combination with Carousel Worldwide creates the world’s largest wholesale supplier of calendars and related dated products. Right: Avonside is well known for its dog calendar titles.
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Reds are top date The reigning Premier League champions proved football’s resilience in the calendar world as the Reds took the title again in Danilo’s top 10 for 2026 products. Holding off the challenge from Above: Jungle from the teNeues new title KPop eco-friendly GreenLine range. Demon Hunters, which entered the Above: Liverpool topped the calendar list at number two, chart again. Danilo was quick to spot the Liverpool FC held Below: popularity of KPop Demon Hunters. onto top spot, while rivals Manchester United dropped to two places to fourth, and Arsenal kept the sporting contingent red although the London club dropped from fifth to eighth. In second place was KPop Demon Hunters, Netflix’s smash-hit animated musical which has become the streaming platform’s most-watched show, with fans keen to snap up licensed merchandise, while kids’ favourite Bluey climbed from sixth place when it entered the 2025 chart to come in third for 2026. Wicked climbed from ninth to fifth, with the calendar having stills from the latest release in the franchise Wicked: For Good, but Disney Stitch dropped to ninth place from fourth. Another cult Netflix hit is Stranger Things which returned to the chart in 10th place, but there was disappointment for pop star Taylor Swift who, after coming straight in at number one with the 2024 dates and being third for 2025, has now fallen out. Sixth place went to the recently-reformed 90s band Oasis, still riding high after their comeback tour and having hit the 2025 chart in eighth spot – while 85-year-old British pop legend Sir Cliff Richard’s popularity persists, never falling out of the top 10 he was fourth in 2022, third in 2023, fourth again in 2024, seventh last year, and rode high again this time around at number seven in the table. Progressive Calendars is a supplement to Progressive Greetings’ February 2026 edition. Editor: Tracey Bearton. Editorial Director: Jakki Brown. Commercial team: Warren Lomax and Tracey Arnaud. Published by Max Publishing, designed and printed by Method UK. Copyright: 2026.