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www.giftfocus.com
Issue 89 May/June 2015
www.giftfocus.com
WIN!
orth
w
r
e
h
c
A vou
m
£750 fro
Morplan
SHOW PREVIEWS
• Exclusively Housewares
• Pulse
• PG Live
CAPITAL IDEAS
London special
Dish of
the day
Tasty tableware
PLUS
• Bath & body
• Mr & Mrs
• Baby gifts
HERE COMES THE SUN
Summer product showcase
May/June Issue 89
Managing Editor
Jo Fletcher-Cross
contents
Deputy Managing Editor
Rosie Orgles
Editor
Rachel Westall
+44 (0)1376 535 614
[email protected]
Chief Sub Editor
Tim Nelson
Sales & Marketing Manager
Robert Clark
+44 (0)1376 535 606
[email protected]
Account Manager
Sharon Connelly
+44 (0)1376 535 607
[email protected]
Production +44 (0)1376 535 616
[email protected]
Production Manager
Scott Brothwell
Deputy Production Manager
Sarah Young
Graphic Designers
Alex Bolton, Stephanie Hodder
news&events
industry news
special feature
6
All the latest from the world of gifts
on with the show
10
14
96
102
Catch up on what’s new in the world of licensing
the ga
114
Web Development Manager
Stuart Weatherley
All the latest from The Giftware Association
Production Assistant
Charlotte Potter
competition
Subscriptions
Kay Tilbury, Cheri Love
+44 (0)1376 514 000
117
Win a voucher worth £750 from Morplan
102
29
Wedding gift ideas
london calling
News from the British Association of Fair Trade
Shops and Suppliers
hot property
features
mr & mrs
Latest launches and hot new products
bafts
19
Trade fair dates and news
brand spanking new
here comes the sun
36
The Union Jack is back
twinkle twinkle
40
Baby gifts
crystal clear
47
Dazzling glassware
body beautiful
53
Bath and body delights
plated up
59
What’s trending in tableware
bookshelf
64
KD Media Publishing Ltd
Pantile House, Newlands Drive
Witham, Essex CM8 2AP UK
www.giftfocus.com
The latest publications to hit the bookstands
Cover image courtesy of:
Creative Tops
Rugby World Cup special
Gift Focus is solely owned, published and
designed by KD Media Publishing Limited.
Whilst every effort was made to ensure the
information in this magazine was correct at the
time of going to press, the publishers cannot
accept legal responsibility for any errors or
omissions, nor can they accept responsibility of
the standing of advertisers nor by the editorial
contributions. The views expressed do not
necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Gift
Focus is published six times a year. Subscription
rates for overseas readers are £75 per annum
(incl. p+p), Cheques should be made out to
KD Media Publishing Limited and sent to Gift
Focus, Pantile House, Newlands Drive, Witham,
Essex CM8 2AP UK.
Gift Focus magazine is proud to be associated
with and supporters of:
Average Net
Circulation: 7,217
(01/07/13 to 30/06/14)
MEDIA SUPPORTER
ANTI COPYING IN DESIGN
carry them home
focus on...
company profile
89
86
Dodo Pad
retailer interview
98
Maiden’s Noah Crutchfield reveals all about his brick
n’ mortar store, online presence and pop-up shop
anti copying in design
40
104
Dids Macdonald on the opportunities and IP
challenges of 3D printing
q&a
106
Our experts tackle your retail queries
insurance
108
Broker TH March answers your
insurance-related questions
shows
finger on the pulse
make a happy home
retail technology
67
Pulse preview
111
David Fairhurst talks us through making the
most of your website
81
Exclusively Housewares preview
the cool card collective
91
PG Live is back at the BDC
up & coming
Tea lover Angela Warlow chats about
opening Bettimay
122
shopping stateside
101
Ny Now
gift focus 3
Little Moose
www.littlemoose.co.uk
Walking on sunshine
The spring shows are still in full swing. After much
anticipation, we’re excited to explore the new trends
and fashionable finds Pulse has to offer – and, of
course, to meet all of the fresh new designers at
Launchpad. You can peruse our preview on page
67. Exclusively Housewares and PG Live are also just
around the corner – our show guides will give you
the lowdown of what to expect.
With summer fast approaching, our summer product showcase
(page 19) will tempt you with bright and uplifting products to stock your
shelves and entice customers. Complementing this is our bath and
body feature (page 53) with products to get your body feeling great,
ready for the promises of the high season.
With the exciting arrival of the royal baby, we’ve put together a
fabulous collection of baby giftware from babygrows to booties (page
40) fit for a future king or queen.
Following an exciting Six Nations championship, we’ve dedicated
page 89 to Rugby World Cup related gift items, from kitchenware to
cufflinks, just in time for the main event this September.
June is set to be an exciting time for Dodo Pad, which is celebrating
its Golden Jubilee. We talk exclusively to Managing Director Rebecca
Jay (page 86) about how the company will be toasting the past 50 years.
Enjoy the beginnings of summer and happy reading!
Rachel
Rachel Westall
Editor
Editor loves…
This charming little beanbag
tablet holder from iBeani
makes surfing the web on
your couch even easier. The
soft beanbag is perfect for
resting your iPad, Samsung,
or device of choice, leaving
you conveniently hands-free.
We love the new Harris Tweed
design – you can read more
about the handy gadget on
page 14.
VISIT US ON
Facebook www.facebook.com/giftfocus
Twitter @gift_focus
Pinterest www.pinterest.com/giftfocus
giftfocus 5
industry news
Catch up on all the latest in our news round up
30 years of innovation
Kringle Candle partners with Xystos - Flame
and Fragrance
Mick Kittredge, son of Yankee Candle founder Michael Kittredge,
is pleased to announce the appointment of Xystos – Flame and
Fragrance Ltd as the sole distributor of Kringle Candle in the UK
and Ireland.
“We at Kringle Candle are pleased to partner with the team at
Xystos – Flame and Fragrance. Our exciting array of beautifullycrafted, highly-fragrant candles has already found an enthusiastic
and loyal fan base in the UK,” says Kittredge. “We look forward to
working together to grow the fan base with exciting new fragrance
introductions and home fragrance products.”
In addition to the vast assortment of fragrances, the Bernardston
MA-based manufacturer will offer a comprehensive range of
candle formats. “The goal is to offer something for everyone,”
says Kittredge. “Our premium products are ideal for home use
and gifting alike and Kringle’s modern approach to fragrance is a
welcome change for today’s discerning consumer.”
Kringle Candle was established in 2010 by Kittredge and his
father, Michael Kittredge II. The elder Kittredge founded Yankee
Candle Company in 1969. Kringle Candle is the world’s foremost
maker of intensely-fragranced all-white candles.
For more information on becoming a Kringle Candle retailer
in the UK and Ireland, contact Xystos – Flame and Fragrance at
[email protected] or call +44 (0)191 499 1570.
Congratulations
The winner of our January/February 2015 competition is Steven
Ramsay from Wirrel. He’s won a fully stocked spinner of Blue Eyed
Sun’s best-selling cards worth £750 RRP for his gift shop Le Bizz.
Turn to page 117 for this month’s competition, where you can win a
Morplan voucher worth £750.
6 giftfocus
Santoro is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2015. The Santoro collections
include giftware, stationery, fashion and technology accessories,
homewares and greeting cards.
In 1985, Lucio and Meera Santoro were starting out from a tiny studio
just off Carnaby Street, London. Their vision from those hazy days of the
’80s has now been realised, and having won many design awards over the
years, Santoro is now working with thousands of retailers and distributors.
Lucio Santoro recalls “We always knew what we wanted to achieve, but
those early days certainly brought challenges with them ... you have to sell
a lot of postcards to keep a young family fed and clothed!”
From being granted a license by 20th Century Fox to create a collection of
dramatic prints featuring Hollywood icons, through to the internationally
acclaimed Bang on the DoorTM brand which won the 2000 LIDA Brand of
the Year award, and more recently, the launch of Santoro Deluxe Design,
developing award-winning luxury properties and interiors, Santoro is still
pushing back the boundaries and creating instantly impressive collections.
Through 2015 Santoro will be marking its anniversary in a number of
different ways, including a new Kori Kumi collection.
Visit www.santoro-london.com for more information.
Tilnar Cycle Challenge
Tilnar Art is excited to announce the
launch of the Tilnar Cycle Challenge.
The Challenge is an annual cycling
endurance event set on a single day of
the year, 20th June 2015. The aim is to
ride as many miles as possible within a
15-hour time frame (6am - 9pm).
For some it’ll be a chance to compare
their cycling endurance on their own
local roads to all other participants on
one day each year. Participants can choose to start and finish anytime
within the time limits and they choose their own route.
The Tilnar Cycle Challenge was the idea of the company’s Managing
Director, Tom Hawes. As a keen road cyclist, he wanted the challenge
of seeing how far he could cycle in one day each year. When Tom
mentioned it with his local cycling group, they loved the idea and so
the Tilnar Cycle Challenge was born. The premise is very simple - how
many miles can you ride in one day? It doesn’t matter whether your
aim will be to ride 10 or 100 miles, everyone can enter and it’s your
own personal challenge.
Tom wanted the Tilnar Cycle Challenge to raise money for charity
and he wanted it to help some of those areas from where Tilnar Art
buys products. So, in its first year, Tom wanted £9 of all £12.95 entry
fees to go straight to Porridge and Rice, a charity supporting children
from the slums in Nairobi. For more info and to get involved, please
visit www.tilnarcyclechallenge.org
news&events
Trollbeads appoints UK Managing Director
Dodo Pad being printed back in UK after 15 years
Dodo Pad is delighted to announce that production of some of its products
is being brought back to the UK after 15 years – just in time for celebrations to
mark its 50th anniversary.
The company sent production of its quirky and colourful planners to China
in 2001 – but is now thrilled to announce that a selection of its anticipated
50th anniversary edition formats will be printed right here in the UK.
Dodo Pad has teamed up with Penzance business Headland Printers,
meaning the products will be fully printed and manufactured from a
relative stone’s throw of its St. Agnes base.
Headland has produced Dodo Pad’s brochures and newsletters since
2008 but has now won the contract to produce all the 2016 anniversary
edition Dodo Pad Filofax-compatible refills in personal, A5 and A4 sizes. It’ll
also produce the company’s new jotter pads, muddle managers, dinner
party planners and reminder pads – a selection of which has been chosen
by John Lewis for its autumn/winter 2015 range.
Visit www.dodopad.com for further information.
Deckchairstripes.com
reveals rebrand
Deckchairstripes.com – the striped
fabric specialist – is rebranding to
The Stripes Company to diversify
and expand its offering to the home
interiors retail market.
Originally launched in 2007, as
deckchairstripes.com, the business
now has additional Australian
and American e-commerce sites,
a turnover of £500,000 and stocks
more than 1,500 products for the
home, garden and beach.
Maria Hopwood, founder of
The Stripes Company said, “This
rebrand is a natural progression to
a higher level, giving a clearer and
more explicit platform for the goods
and services we provide.”
The Stripes Company’s new
strategy will also see it working on
exclusive ranges in partnership with
large national retailers. The first of
these partnerships is with The
White Company.
For further information on The
Stripes Company, please visit:
www.thestripescompany.com
Trollbeads, the Danish
bead on bracelet
jewellery brand,
has announced
the appointment
of Pamela Aujla as
Managing Director of
Trollbeads UK.
Pam joins Trollbeads
UK from Six3.tv where she was Chief Operating Officer. She was
previously Global Brand Director for Danish toy producer, Lego, and
Trading Director at what is now the Shop Direct Group.
“Pam Aujla is the perfect fit for our UK business as she combines
significant expertise in retail, mail order, international marketing and
TV shopping with true business acumen,” said Trollbeads CEO Jan
Stig Andersen.“We’re focused on releasing the vast potential in the UK
market. Strengthening our UK business is part of our effort to develop
Trollbeads into a truly unique and global brand”.
For further information visit www.trollbeads.com
Ace Retail Resilience Programme wins funding
Museums and galleries across England are being encouraged to
adopt a more business-like approach and think commercially,
through a new retail training programme which launched
in April. The Association for Culture Enterprises (ACE) Retail
Resilience Programme is an integrated commercial development
programme and peer-to-peer support network. It’s designed to
encourage best practice in income generation by equipping museums with expert retail skills and
knowledge. The programme, which has just been awarded £359,985 of funding from the Arts Council’s
latest round of grants from its Museum Resilience Fund, will be rolled out over the next three years. It
follows a successful pilot programme with members of Share Museums East, now in its second year.
John Stachiewicz, ACE Chair said: “This programme will enable more museums and galleries to
independently generate sustainable income through retail.”
For more information, contact [email protected]
Widdop Bingham wins SHD Logistics
Award for Return on Investment
Widdop Bingham, was recently presented with an award
for Return on Investment, at the SHD Logistics Awards,
hosted by comedian Romesh Ranganathan in London.
The event celebrates excellence in the logistics
industry, across 11 main categories. Widdop Bingham
won for its commitment to its return on investment of the
warehouse management system implemented just 12
months ago.
The judge’s comments, read out by Romesh live on stage, said: “This leading wholesaler clearly
demonstrated a return on its investment, after it moved from a paper picking system to an automated
one, which has delivered improved picking accuracy of 99.8 per cent, labour savings, space utilisation and
productivity by 10 per cent.”
giftfocus 7
industry news
AA Skincare launches new range
To support an increasing demand for natural skincare gifts, AA Skincare has
launched a new, naturally effective skincare range – AA Skincare Essentials
– formulated from pure essential oils and natural ingredients – that doesn’t
cost the earth.
The new range offers everything from anti-ageing moisturising creams,
lotions and gels to refreshing cleansers and facemasks as well as natural
deodorants and liquid hand soaps. Products are free of parabens and
artificial fragrances and packaging is fully recyclable. Trade prices start at
£1.95. Visit www.aaskincare.co.uk for further information.
Yankee Candle’s Shaun in the City London
location revealed
As a continued supporter of the
Wallace & Gromit’s Children’s Charity,
Yankee Candle Europe is thrilled to
reveal the location for their sponsored
statue in this year’s Shaun in the City
London art trail is Tower Pier, next to
the Tower of London.
The trail will see a flock of 50 fivefoot tall Shaun the Sheep sculptures,
decorated by celebrities and artists,
arriving on the streets of London.
Yankee Candle has also announced the artist identity of the
sponsored Yankee Candle London sculpture as Chilean artist Vivi
Cuevas, who designed the ‘Yeoman of the Baaa-rd’ Shaun.
The Shaun in the City trail will run across London from 28th March
to 25th May. This will be followed by a second trail across Bristol,
featuring 70 different Shaun sculptures, from 6th July to 31st August,
where Yankee Candle will also be sponsoring another Shaun the
Sheep sculpture.
Heart of the Country to distribute Mr & Mrs Fragrance
Heart of the Country has announced
exclusive UK and Ireland distribution
of the Italian brand Mr & Mrs Fragrance.
Blending technology with a passion
for fragrance and design, Mr & Mrs
Fragrance is set to shake up the UK
home fragrance industry.
Heart of the Country look forward
to introducing you to George and Sisi
at Pulse: two innovative electronic
diffusers, which utilise Mr & Mrs
capsules. Made from alcohol-free and natural base fragrances, they can be
conveniently swapped and re-used many times.
Contact www.heartofthecountryltd.co.uk for further information.
8 giftfocus
Portmeirion Group’s £1.5 million investment
British tableware manufacturer, Portmeirion Group, has announced
it’ll be investing £1.5 million in a new kiln and other equipment for the
factory following a period of strong growth and an increased demand
for its British-made products.
The Stoke-on-Trent based business has appointed Burslem-based
kiln builder Therser (UK) Ltd to design and manufacture a bespoke
Glost Roller Tunnel Kiln, which will be installed at the manufacturer’s
factory later this year.
Phil Atherton, Group Sales and Marketing Director at Portmeirion
Group, said “By investing in a new kiln and other equipment we’re
able to increase our factory output by 50 per cent.”
The construction of the kiln will be complete by September 2015. As
well as increasing factory capacity by as much as 50 per cent, it’s also
expected to create up to 100 new jobs over the next three years.
Visit www.portmeiriongroup.com for further information.
Luxury goods supplier set for expansion
A Brecon-based company and sole
distributor of the Italian luxury brand
Cosi Tabellini in the UK and Ireland
is expanding, thanks to a micro loan
from Finance Wales.
The Cosi Tabellini range of over
1,000 hand-crafted pewter, crystal
and ceramics pieces is known
worldwide. Pieces have appeared
in Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry
Potter and will be featured in season
three of Vikings. They’re also stocked by high-end retailers such as Bergdorf
Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Barneys of New York and grace luxury
and boutique hotels and restaurants such as The Four Seasons and Soho
House Group.
Owner Jenny Jones, who invested her own funds in the business, plans
to expand her customer base within the retail, interior design and luxury
hospitality sectors. She’ll use Finance Wales’ micro loan to improve her
retail website, attend trade shows and implement marketing strategies.
“I’m very proud to sell Cosi Tabellini, it’s a genuinely original product
hand-crafted from quality materials by highly skilled Italian artisans in an
area of Italy famous for pewter craftwork. It’s a third-generation family run
company established in 1954 that has remained true to its origins.”
Visit www.artofpewter.com for further information.
on with the show
Trade show updates from home and abroad
Diary dates
The 40th year for CHSI a
resounding success
Over 7,000 creative craft industry
professionals flocked to Craft Hobby
10th - 12th May, 2015
+ Stitch International, held from
Olympia, London
15th to 17th February at the NEC,
www.pulse-london.com
Birmingham. The show, previously
known as Stitches, was celebrating
Progressive Greetings Live
its 40th year, and welcomed both
When
2nd - 3rd June, 2015
long-standing and new exhibitors
Where
Business Design Centre, London
and visitors across the three days.
Website
www.progressivegreetingslive.com
Exhibitors reported a very positive
show and its international element
Exclusively Housewares
remained strong with both
When
9th - 10th June, 2015
exhibitors and visitors travelling from
Where
across the globe to network and do business at the show.
Website
www.exclusivelyhousewares.co.uk
Fran Seiford from Stampendous, on the Woodware Craft Collection stand, said, “We’ve been
running lots of fun demos to enable visitors to try our new products. I’m from California and
New Designers
it’s been great to see a real revival in younger people sewing here. It’s very exciting to see.”
When
Part 1: 24th - 27th June
Visitors packed out the seminar theatre to see the star of the Great British Sewing Bee, May
Part 2: 1st - 4th July
Martin, share her experiences on ‘Driving Sewing Demand via the Media’. Days two and
Where
three of the show delivered seminars on the importance of demonstration days, intellectual
Website
www.newdesigners.com
property law, importing, and utilising The Cloud for business.
For more information, go to www.chsi.co.uk
Pulse
When
Where
Website
Big plans for HOMI
One Year On at New Designers 2015
HOMI, now in its fourth engagement at fieramilano, will run from 12th to
15th September 2015. The event falls during Expo 2015, the World’s Fair,
which is being hosted in Milan from May to October and whose venue
is conveniently located around the corner from Fiera Milano. HOMI is
more than just an opportunity to meet during the editions held in Italy
(in January and September); it’s also an extensive international project
hosted abroad. The Lifestyles Exhibition debuted in Russia last October,
during the prestigious Moscow Design Week, where it played host to
100 companies and more than 8,000 visitors. After this success, it’ll run
again in Moscow from 14th to
17th October 2015. The first
American edition of HOMI is
fast approaching, scheduled
from 16th to 19th May 2015
in New York, concurrent
with the ICFF (International
Contemporary Furniture
Fair), one of the most
important events in North
America in home décor
and accessories.
To learn more about
what’s new at HOMI, visit
www.homimilano.com
Sixty of the brightest new names in the design world mark the
impact they’ve made after just one year in business, with a
showcase at One Year On, part of the 30th edition of New Designers
2015 – the UK’s largest graduate design exhibition.
One Year On brings together original, contemporary and
innovative products that are tipped to be the iconic designs of the
future. The designers, selected by an independent panel, are chosen
to take part on the strength of their entrepreneurial flair and the
exceptional quality of their work.
New Designers 2015 will bring together over 3,000 of the UK’s
most talented and innovative design graduates, all under one roof.
The 15th edition of One Year On runs across Part 1 and Part 2 of
New Designers, featuring
creative disciplines
from jewellery, precious
metalwork, and ceramics
to fashion and textiles,
furniture, lighting, interior
products and illustration.
Tickets for New
Designers 2015 are
now on sale. For more
information visit:
www.newdesigners.com
10 giftfocus
news&events
Readers’ poll
What we’ve learnt from the latest reader poll at www.giftfocus.com
We asked: Other than product sourcing, what's your main
reason for visiting a trade show?
You said:
Networking – 37%
Trend-spotting – 63%
Seeking business advice – 0%
Paola Navone at Ambiente
Paola Navone has been chosen to create
the special presentation for Italy, the
Partner Country of Ambiente 2016. Detlef
Braun, Member of the Executive Board
of Messe Frankfurt GmbH, announced
this officially at a press conference in her
home town, Milan. “Italy and Germany
are linked not only by important cultural
and economic relationships. Italy’s also
a country renowned for outstanding
design. Therefore, we’re delighted that
Paola Navone, a personality of high standing on the international
design scene, has agreed to create the Ambiente Partner Country
presentation.”
With her creations, Navone has not only made a name for herself
in the Italian design scene; back in the ’80s, she developed her own
original, internationally acclaimed style. During her career, she's
worked for companies such Alessi, Egizia, Natuzzi, Reichenbach and
Roche Bobois. Moreover, she has been the creative director of the
Italian furniture manufacturer, Gervasoni, since 1998.
For more information, please visit www.messefrankfurt.com
IJL introduces the Watch Trail
With just five months until IJL 2015 opens
its doors to their 60th Diamond Jubilee
Edition, and with registration opening in
May, preparation for this huge celebration is
well under way.
New to IJL 2015, the Watch Trail will
allow visitors to discover elite watch
manufacturers and distributors from
around the world. It’s believed that UK
watch sales increased 9.31 per cent in 2014
compared to 2013, and the UK watch sector is expected to rise in
value by 14.1 per cent from £1.5billion in 2014 to £1.7billion by 2018.
Watch show highlights include a watch exhibitor trail, where all
watch exhibitors will be highlighted on the floorplan in the directory
and at the show, and a dedicated watch category added to its
Editor’s Choice competition for exhibitors only - the prize ceremony
will take place at the show.
For further information, visit www.jewellerylondon.com
NY Now’s Only in New York activities
Capitalising on the vibrancy of New York City, the summer 2015
edition of NY Now, The Market for Home and Lifestyle will host a
series of exclusive Only in New York events. “Our Only in New York
events offer NY Market participants the best of New York City nightlife
and entertainment, along with unparalleled industry networking,”
said Randi Mohr, NY Now Co-Director and Vice President. “We invite
all exhibitors and attendees to enjoy these exclusive offerings as a
complement to their overall Market experience.”
Special events to be offered in connection with the forthcoming
Market include NY Now’s perennial favourite Night on Broadway,
Gifts and Decorative Accessories’ Retailer Excellence Awards, and free
admission to the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) and shopping
discount at The Store at MAD during Market Week.
NY NOW will run from August 15th to 19th, 2015, at New York City’s
Jacob K. Javits Convention Centre. Information and registration is
available online at www.nynow.com
Celebrations at PG Live
This year’s show
will be playing
host to a number
of key industry
anniversaries and
celebrations, starting
with contemporary
and humorous
greeting card
company Paperlink,
which is celebrating
the past three decades of innovation. To celebrate this remarkable
achievement, Paperlink is sponsoring PG Live’s lanyards, the free tea
trollies and the after party on 2nd June. Belly Button Designs will be
coming of age, as it turns 21 in 2015, and is celebrating by launching
a new and exclusive collection at PG Live. Paper Salad will also be
celebrating an important anniversary, marking its first decade of
design. As a special thank you to everyone in the industry, the greeting
card company will be making the most of its design skills to create the
décor for the lunchroom where your free lunch will be served.
To find out more, call the team on +44 (0)1635 297 070, or visit the
website www.progressivegreetingslive.com
giftfocus 11
on with the show
on with the show
On the heels of Harrogate
Trade
show
from
and& Gift
abroad
Over
90 per
cent of updates
stands are sold
for thishome
year’s Home
Harrogate. Exhibitors
already booked include Widdop Bingham, Wild & Wolf, Dassie, Joe Davies and
many more. Exhibitors and buyers will have the first pick of tens of thousands
of new season lines across a range of product sectors including design-led gifts
and everyday gifts, interiors, jewellery and fashion accessories, and greetings and
stationery. This year, for the first time, Home & Gift Harrogate will be hosting The
Great Northern Retail Summit on the 20th July where visitors can be inspired by
experts in the retail market. There will also be a host of networking events to catch up
and talk shop.
For free entry to Home & Gift and The Great Northern Retail Summit, please register
now at www.homeandgift.co.uk
Tendence 2015 is on its way
Plans for Tendence 2015 (29th August to 1st September) are in full swing. Leading
brands and key players of the consumer-goods sector have signed up to present
their product ranges for autumn and Christmas and to offer an initial preview of
the 2016 spring and summer season. “For the living and giving sectors, Tendence
is the most important national and European launching pad for consumer
goods in the second half of the year” says Nicolette Naumann, Vice President
of Tendence.
Ecostyle and the Webchance Academy will be held concurrently with
Tendence. As the trade fair for certified sustainable consumer goods, Ecostyle is
an ideal venue for ordering high-grade, environmentally-friendly products that
combine design, functionality and ecological aspects. The Webchance Academy
lecture forum will focus on successful internet advertising and sales. Also, for the
first time, the Eat & Lifestyle consumer
event will also take place, where you're
invited to discover the latest dining and
lifestyle products, as well as current
trends from the eating, drinking,
cooking, hospitality, furnishing and
decoration segments, in Hall 4.1.
For more information, please visit
www.uk.messefrankfurt.com
Date set for Interior Lifestyle China
Dates for China’s leading and most international trade event for household
products and accessories – Interior Lifestyle China – have been confirmed, with
the fair to take place from 17th to 19th September, 2015 at the Shanghai New
International Expo Centre. Last year’s event saw the largest turnout of buyers in the
fair’s history, with 21,773 visitors from 60 countries and regions attending – a 28 per
cent increase on the previous year.
China’s gift industry continues to remain an important part of the economy.
Annual sales in this market equate to around US$123billion, of which individuals
account for 66 per cent and organisations
34 per cent. In 2014, a report by the Beijing
Institute of Industry Information identified
a number of trends in China’s gift market.
Among these was the rising importance of
green or eco-friendly gifts.
For more information about the fair,
please visit www.il-china.com
12 giftfocus
Looking ahead
Home & Gift
When
Where
Website
19th - 22nd July, 2015
Harrogate International Centre
www.homeandgift.co.uk
California Gift Show
When
Where
Website
17th - 20th July, 2015
LA Convention Centre, USA
www.californiagiftshow.com
NY Now
When
Where
Website
15th - 19th August, 2015
Javits Centre, New York, USA
www.nynow.com
Formex
When
Where
Website
19th - 22nd August, 2015
Stockholmsmässan, Sweden
www.formex.se
Tendence
When
Where
Website
29th August - 1st September, 2015
Messe Frankfurt, Germany
www.tendence.messefrankfurt.com
(Dates are subject to change. Contact the organisers
for more information before making arrangements).
For further in-depth show previews and reports,
turn to:
P67 Pulse
P81 Exclusively Housewares
P91 PG Live
P101 NY Now
brand spanking new
Check out new and exciting products in the current market
iBeani
Jarapa
RRP: from £24.99
The iBeani has now been designed in three new colourways
– polka dot, butterfly print and genuine Harris Tweed fabric.
Proudly made in the UK, iBeani tablet bean bags have been
designed to work with all known tablet devices in both landscape
and portrait rotation, including iPads, Kindles and Samsung
Galaxy. The product allows you to free both hands and stop
struggling to hold your tablet, allowing you to relax and browse,
watch, read or play.
T: +44 (0)1623 840 908
E: [email protected]
W: www.ibeani.co.uk
RRP: £38.95
Jarapa’s up-cycled vinyl record clocks are available in six designs.
Superb laser hand cut detail is evident on each clock. Each
product is packaged in a cardboard gift box ready to give to your
friend or loved one.
T: +44 (0)8455 191 982
W: www.jarapa.co.uk
Alljoy Designs
from you to me
RRP: £2.75
Alljoy Designs
has introduced
the Puffy range.
A collection of
intricate laser cut
designs each with
a colourful and
fun puffy sticker
decoration. All
cards are blank
inside, for you
to include your
personal message,
whether the card
is to say happy
birthday, thank
you, or just to say hello. There are 24 designs including the
featured rocket as well as cats, castles and crocodiles. The cards
measure 128mm x 178mm.
T: +353 (0)1 630 1213
W: www.alljoydesign.com
RRP: £14.99
Sales success and
award wins have
spurred from you to
me on to launch two
more titles in their ‘&
Me’ range, with the
additions of Grandma
& Me and Grandad
& Me. These fun and
interactive journals
inspire any grandparent
and grandchild to have
a great time getting to
know each other better, while sharing memories, experiences,
hopes and fears. Write, draw and doodle in tandem, then share
and learn about each other along the way. Spaces to draw and fun
activity prompts make Grandma & Me and Grandad & Me easy to
use and ideal for a wide age range. The award-winning Mum & Me
and Dad & Me books are also available.
T: +44 (0)1225 866 225
W: www.fromyoutome.com
14 giftfocus
brand spanking new
Wraptious
RRP: £19.99
IF’s super slim reading glasses are designed to save valuable
space in your pocket or bag. The original folding mechanism
allows the glasses to fold incredibly flat without compromise to
the quality or design.
The aspheric lenses are optical grade and there’s a choice of
five standard lens strengths. The compact lenses come in 12
contemporary colours and have coordinated packaging. Retailers
can choose from one of three sleek displays to suit the size of
their store. The product was awarded Highly Commended at
the Gift of the Year Awards 2015 in both Body, Bath and Spa, and
Fashion Accessories categories.
T: +44 (0)8000 430 960
W: www.thatcompanycalledif.com
RRP: £2.50
A vibrant new
collection of
cards-to-keep
by Robert
Farkas has
been launched
by Wraptious.
Working in
watercolours,
the artist
introduces his
diverse range
of 24 contemporary, colourful and fun designs to the Wraptious
Community. From foxes with aviator shades, to parrots with
headphones, there’s something to make everyone smile. Cards
are 120mm x 170mm, blank inside and come wrapped with a
recycled kraft envelope. Find Wraptious at PG Live (Stand 329) and
Harrogate (G160). All cards are £0.90, with a minimum order of only
£60, which includes free delivery.
T: +44 (0)1617 381 440
W: www.wraptious.com/trade
Homsquare Limited
Temerity Jones
RRP: £24.99
The Tabitha
Grey photo
frame, made
from solid
pine wood,
is just one of
Homsquare’s
range of trendy
frames. The
five individual
frames enable
you to display
photos of your
loved ones,
friends, families or pets.
The company also has a variety of products in different
materials, sizes, designs, colours and finishes to select from.
Photos allow you to treasure your memories and special bonds;
Homsquare provides the vehicle to achieve that.
T: +44 (0)1908 976 443
W: www.homsquare.co.uk
RRP: £29.99
Temerity Jones will
showcase its new
Summer Festival range
at this year’s Pulse – the
company’s first time at
the show.
The ukulele,
with its bright
Hawaiian
floral design
with birds and
butterflies is sure
to be a summer
favourite. The line
is full of sunshine
and fun, with
items including
cocktail sets,
eco-friendly picnic-ware and giant inflatable swans.
T: +44 (0)1992 807 477
W: www.temerityjones.com
IF
giftfocus 15
brand spanking new
Molly Mae
Durance
RRP: £2.25
Molly Mae creates
innovative designs
for greeting
cards, stationery
and gifts with
well-considered
wording and
original concepts.
These products
are all created
from original
images, made
from hand
drawings incorporating quirky patterns in contemporary colours.
At PG Live 2015, Molly Mae will be launching its Christmas 2015
designs. These include an exciting embossed and foiled range
called Crimbo Lights. There are 20 designs in this range, covering
the company’s most popular titles. See Molly Mae on stand
number 744.
T: +44 (0)8447 362 686
W: www.mollymae.co.uk
RRP: from £14
Durance has
released two new
fragrances to its
home fragrance
collection: Feather
and Plume.
The Feather
fragrance is
described as
being as gentle
as the caress of a
feather, perfumed
with violets and roses, blended with notes of vanilla and musk; a
powdery floral accord, light and airy. The Pomegranate fragrance
is described as having a tangy, fruity taste and a heart of red
berry fruits on a bed of musk and sandalwood, a sparkling and
sunny harmony.
Both fragrances are available as a scented bouquet, candle or
home perfume.
T: +44 (0)7944 395 374
W: www.durance.fr
Xystos/Kringle Candle
Clare Hawley
RRP: from
£2.69
Xystos, the new
UK and Ireland
distributor of US
brand Kringle
Candle, will
initially launch
34 fragrances
in large and
medium twowick jars, and
small classic
and mini classic
jars. The scents
– which include Cherry Blossom, Fresh Baked Bread, Warm Cotton
and Apple Cider – will also be available in the Daylight range and
as wax melts. There will also be a car air freshener and tea light in
14 fragrances. Kringle is looking to grow its enthusiastic and loyal
fan base on this side of the Atlantic.
T: +44 (0)1914 991 570
W: www.xystostrade.co.uk
RRP: £35
From her studio
and workshop
in the ancient
and beautiful
Sherwood Forest,
Clare Hawley
creates individual
jewellery inspired
by the natural
surroundings of
the forest and
environment
around her.
This year Clare has introduced a new collection focusing on the
British flora and fauna around her workshop. The range, made out
of Britannia silver, includes wildflowers and woodland animals
imprinted into the silver. The biggest hit so far has been the
dandelion clock collection with the delicate seeds flying away.
T: +44 (0)1623 824 042
W: www.clarehawley.com
16 giftfocus
The Walking Stick Specialists
Fine quality walking sticks,
seat sticks and umbrellas for
ladies and gentlemen.
Contact us to receive our trade catalogue:
Warren House, Hinton St George, Somerset TA17 8TQ
Tel +44 (0)1460 75686 www.classiccanes.co.uk
Also on Facebook and Instagram
summer product showcase
here comes the sun
Bright, eye-catching products to put a smile on anyone’s face this summer
Yankee Candle
reveals the fragrance
trend for autumn
2015 with the
launch of its classic
fragrance collection,
Out of Africa. Created
specifically for the
international market,
four luxurious
new fragrances
explore the exotic,
captivating your
customers in store
and maximising
sales. The four
fragrances include Egyptian Musk, Kilimanjaro Stars, Serengeti
Sunset and Madagascan Orchid.
Joining the Out of Africa collection are six stylish new accessory
collections, which complement all four new fragrances. Available
from autumn is the African Etched Ceramic collection, Sunset
Mosaic, Gold Wave Mosaic, Sandblast Squares and Damask
Mosaic. The new ranges include a variety of accessories, including
melt warmers, large and small jar shades and trays as well as tea
light and votive holders. Also joining the accessory range are four
Safari votive holders featuring design-led animal surface prints.
T: +44 (0)1173 161 200
www.yankeecandle.co.uk
Wild and Wolf has
a wonderful garden
offering for spring
2015 including a
new licensed range
from the V&A.
One of the V&A’s
strengths lies in the
holdings of British
20th century textiles
from leading UK
manufacturers
and designers.
The company has
collaborated with
the organisation
once again, using
three designs,
Palamos, Pavanne
and Kite Strings, to
create a range with
a mid-century feel.
The range includes
enamel plant pots,
enamel mugs, tea light holders, watering cans, garden forks, hand
trowels, vases, peg bags, garden gloves, secateurs and string in a tin.
Prices start from £8.95 RRP.
T: +44 (0)1225 789 909
www.wildandwolf.com
Tribal Steel by Midhaven
has launched fresh
summer colours and
designs in its quality
range of leather and
stainless steel bracelets.
Whether you like your
colours hot or cool, this
line shows why Tribal
Steel is a market leader
in the market with RRPs
ranging from £14 - £20. Choose from over 200 designs in women’s and
men’s bracelets and necklets. Every bracelet comes with a hessian
pouch. Spend £200 and get a free point of sale. Contact Alison and
Allison for further information.
T: +44 (0)1299 851 513
www.tribalsteel.com
Summer means
long lazy days
with our nearest
and dearest
spent picnicking
on the beach
or cooking up
a barbecue in
our gardens.
Half Moon Bay
is here to make
sure that you’re well equipped with its new VW range including
essentials from a picnic blanket using original plaid upholstery
from interior seating of a ’60s Westfalia T2 Campervan down to a
matching rucksack, perfect for carrying all of your tasty treats.
T: +44 (0)1225 473 873
www.halfmoonbay.co.uk
giftfocus 19
here comes the sun
The Italian Riviera was the inspiration for
Prima and Vera in the new Rosa Red collection
for springtime. Primavera is the Italian for
springtime and the bright, bold colours of both
designs encapsulate spring/summer. Each design will match many
outfits as they both have turquoise, orange, green, and pink offset by
shiny silver coloured accents. Prima is made of organic circles and the
necklace and bracelet are £5.95 with the earrings at £1.95.
Vera is an angular design on a wire with the same price points.
Matching suites are what Rosa Red is famous for and these are perfect
examples. The spring/summer collection is more affordable than ever,
as all core designs have been lowered in price for the first time. The
company offers next day delivery and minimum orders of £100.
T: +44 (0)1415 727 297
www.rosared.co.uk
Solo Trading’s
Lifestyle range of
interior products
and gifts has been
a huge success and
has tripled in size
since its launch at
Spring Fair 2013.
The collection now
includes candles,
cake stands, photo
frames, and dining
accessories. Spring
2015 sees the addition of Aqua, a bright and iridescent line. The
uplifting colourway is perfect for spring and summer and will give
a sparkle to outdoor dining, and a contemporary edge to interior
products. The collection is hand-made in India from recycled
aluminium and features iridescent colours.
T: +44 (0)1789 262 900
www.sololtd.com
British brand Little
ittle
ded
Moose has added
exciting graphic
ic
print handbags
gs to its
colourful and quirky
collection of handmade jewellery. Little
Moose is known for mixing pop culture, nature and illustrative
styles to create stand out collections.
Perfect for summer, its new Don’t Be Square oversized handbag
features a striking geometric triangle print in a contemporary
summer pastel palette with a quirky surprise, the triangles
feature cartoon eyes and moustaches. Be sure to check out the
accompanying jewellery collection too.
T: +44 (0)1273 930 053
www.littlemoose.co.uk
Flamingo Candles has launched a trio of classic cocktail scents.
Inspired by dreamy beaches, cool cocktail lounges and copious
amounts of experimentation, the company has captured the essence of
the celebrated cocktail in fragrance, from zesty Mojito and Kir Royale, to
tropical Piña Colada. Each candle is made with organic soy wax and a
cotton wick, with a burn time of 50 hours.
T: +44 (0)8458 678 296
www.flamingocandles.co.uk
Celebrating summer with a love of trends and a fresh look at fun, RJB Stone, the
home of Sass & Belle, brings colour and inspiration to 2015. RJB Stone’s Sass &
Belle Safari Floral collection whisks together creativity and style. The company’s
Bohemian Ceramics range makes this season’s hottest kitchen trend a work of
art. The Exotic Romance collection spices up interiors with a fusion of exotic
classical prints and positive mottos. Mastering a partnership between retro
and contemporary, pastels play with primary colours to create complementary
home accessories with some of this year’s favourite patterns, while its gifts have
a one-of-a-kind touch class.
T: +44 (0)20 7346 0100
www.rjbstone.com
20 giftfocus
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55 Donaldson Street, Southbank Business Park,
Kirkintilloch, Glasgow G66 1XG
Tel/fax 0141 572 7297 | Email [email protected]
www.rosared.co.uk
New
er
Summ
on
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Co
now in
stock!
Due to the success of
Rosanna Rossi’s new
Spotlight Mini collection
launched this January, the
company is soon to release
20 additional card designs featuring an array of colourful, stylised birds,
tropical flowers and woodland animals. The designs are finished with
colourful foil and intricate emboss detail. Each card’s presented
with a complementing soft pastel envelope and measure 120mm
x 120mm.
T: +44 (0)7900 698 522
www.rosanna-rossi.co.uk
Talbot Fashions’
popular fruity fimo
stretch bracelets
are currently
selling extremely
well alongside its
range of summery
fruit accessories.
The wholesale
price is £0.75 each
(excluding VAT), and
the bracelets are
packed in 12s.
More items in the line include adjustable rings, adjustable cord
bracelets and strawberry snap clips. The company is also stocking
metallic shimmer tattoos in turquoise and silver, gold and black and
gold and silver.
T: +44 (0)1273 776 415
www.talbotfashions.com
Ink Bandit’s bold and quirky cushions and giftware collection
make for great stand-out products this summer. Featuring
illustrations full of adventure, fun and mischief, the range also
includes tote bags and greetings cards. Pictured is the Buddy
The Llama cushion with his retro glasses and bow tie, made with
100 per cent durable cotton, plump non-allergenic inner pad and
finished with a zip fastening.
T: +44 (0)7909 056 100
www.inkbandit.com
Puckator has a great selection of bright and summery designs
available over a wide range of products. This colourful beach hut
design, exclusive to Puckator, is the latest addition to its seaside
collection, currently available on a mug gift set, ceramic teapot,
salt and pepper pots, and a useful cool bag. The company has just
launched a range of cool bags in a variety of designs to suit all tastes,
perfect for keeping your lunch chilled for a summery picnic in the sun.
T: +44 (0)8000 116 969
www.puckator.co.uk
If you’re looking for something
special for men’s accessories,
then Damian Clarke Creatives
has many ties, bow-ties and
scarves. The company has
already created a buzz with its
hand-made ladies silk scarves,
displaying abstract images
taken from Damian’s fine art.
The range has now extended
to include products for men that are going to get people talking.
Bright, abstract designs on ties that are cut differently each time
and so are truly one-of-a-kind. Also new for this spring is the
generous 2m long scarves, combining Damian’s silk prints with a
luxurious backing of cashmere, lambswool or Harris Tweed. Feelgood classics for a lifetime.
T: +44 (0)7773 128 885
www.damianclarkecreatives.co.uk
giftfocus 23
here comes the sun
The matchcarden city box from Ohh Dear,
available in three colours, is everything you need
to create your own little garden. All you do is
attach the garden to your house, sow your
seeds and add a little water. In
just a couple of days, the
quick-grow cress seeds will
start to sprout and you’ll
have your very own city
garden. With additional cutout features available in each
box, you can personalise your
home to your heart’s content.
T: +44 (0)1509 812 075
www.ohhdeer.com
Cool Trade Winds continues
to bring stylish scarves for
this season’s spring/summer
collection. All of the company’s
scarves have an emphasis on
texture and colour blending,
therefore enabling the user to
mix and match the scarf with
many outfits, thus enhancing the fashion wardrobe.
Cool Trade Winds continues to focus very much on value for money
and has always tried to achieve these qualities without sacrificing on
design and attention to detail. The company also offers a no minimum
order value.
T: +44 (0)1425 461 594
www.cooltradewinds.co.uk
The Little Shop Of opened in April 2009 to sell The Little Book
of Earrings. The book came about after Jackie McLaren had
searched for years for a neat way to store and organise her
earrings. The company was after something that would hold
the earrings securely but could also be kept in a drawer for
safekeeping or, when travelling, could be carried in a suitcase.
The company now offers the Little, Little Book of Earrings.
These little books hold up to 12 pairs of earrings and are ideal
for travel. Also new is The Little Book of Necklaces. Working on
the same book-like idea, it offers a solution to the problem of
tangled, damaged necklaces.
T: +44 (0)20 3371 1522
www.littleshopof.co.uk
24 giftfocus
Parragon Books
has introduced two
new puzzle books:
Sunny Day Puzzles
and Rainy Day
Puzzles. Each book
is packed with over
150 entertaining
puzzles, including
logic, number, and
word challenges.
Designer Bonnie Marcus says, “Our pretty puzzle books are
perfect for tweens to bring along to sleep-away camp, or for
women to enjoy on vacation or on the train to work. They’re a
fun, fashionable, enjoyable way to pass the time, with no internet
connection required.”
T: +44 (0)1225 478 888
www.parragon.com
Making paper beads is a traditional craft that goes back, in England at
least, as far as the Victorian age. Inspired by this old craft, MagdaCrafts
designs its own jewellery based on paper beads. Magda explains,
“Making jewellery is a way of expressing my creativity and I’m attracted
by the endless possibilities that paper gives. This breaks the mould of
traditional jewellery making, introducing paper as the key medium.
“I see my jewellery inviting conversation based around my quirky
designs derived from the unexpected treatment of the papers I use,
such as musical manuscripts. My paper beads look like polished glass,
anything but paper.
“The bumblebee necklace is made from thick golden paper and
hand-painted with black acrylic paint. The paper’s then cut and shaped
as bumble bees and complemented by black beads, and silver wings.”
T: +44 (0)7758 942 876
www.etsy.com/shop/MagdaCrafts
Jewellery Storage solutions
Designed to hold up to 48 pairs of earrings. Earrings are kept
UCHGUGEWTGCPFCOCVEJKPIRCKTKUCNYC[UGCU[VQ¾PF
The Little Book of Necklaces
Designed to hold necklaces
safely and securely at home
or when traveling.
The Little, Little Book of Earrings
Designed like the Little Book of Earrings but
smaller. Able to hold up to 12 pairs of earrings.
If you would like any
further information please
phone: (0044)0 2033711522
email: [email protected]
Visit us: www.littleshopof.co.uk
Featuring an abundance of sea foam blue with rusted metal accents,
Heaven Sends is excited to present its coastal-themed collection.
Distressed photo frames and signs alongside glass bottles with twisted
fishing-rope detailing feature strongly throughout this range. The
seashore inspired gifts and ornaments in the Beach Home collection
are sure to bring the coast closer to home.
T: +44 (0)1213 517 457
www.heavensends.com
Ce
Celebrating
its 10th year, the British children’s jewellery brand, D for
dia
diamond, renowned for setting a sparkling diamond into each and
every piece, is delighted to introduce its new collection for 2015.
ev
Av
Available at Gecko, the range is largely inspired by enchanted
forests and the cute creatures that inhabit them.
for
Boys and girls everywhere will delight in the variety available, with
favourites predicted to be the forest friends bracelet, adorable heart
fav
studs, and Wish Upon a Star bangle – a classic design with emotive
stu
meaning at its core, perfect for a sentimental christening gift.
me
T: +44 (0)1376 532 000
www.geckojewellery.com
ww
An
Ancient
Wisdom’s bamboo
wind chimes have been
wi
handcrafted in Indonesia
ha
using sustainable bamboo.
us
The decor piece would suit
Th
both an indoor and outdoor
environment. Natural tones
are produced that are
designed to give you total
tranquillity. The wholesale
price starts from £1.85.
T: +44 (0)1142 729 165
www.ancientwisdom.biz/
bbamc
Tempest Designs is showing an abundance of exciting new
styles at Pulse. The company prides itself on being a principal
wholesaler for leather jewellery, having worked with the material
for eight years, experimenting with different plating and leather
combos. This season it’s launching a festival, fun-loving, colourful
range of boho style lines, which are sure to entice customers into
your store for a fresh new summer look.
T: +44 (0)1656 842 102
www.tempestdesigns.co.uk
giftfocus 27
Classic Canes has an eyecatching walking stick, suree
to cheer the heart of its users
ers
this summer. The pattern
features bright yellow and
brown sunflowers with green
en
leaves on a peacock blue
background. The derby handle
ndle
is comfortable and supportive
rtive
as well as elegantly shaped.
d.
This cane is height adjustable
ble
between 77cm and 100cm
(approximately 30.5in - 39.5in)
5in)
making it suitable for a wide
de
variety of users’ heights.
T: +44 (0)1460 75686
www.classiccanes.co.uk
recycled cotton rugs with new POS for 2015
huge range of recycled glassware
new upcycled record clocks
ÁH[LEOHPLQLPXPRUGHUV
new stock available now for summer 2015
0845 519 1982
[email protected] | www.jarapa.co.uk
weddings
mr & mrs
Sentimental wedding gifts for the happy couple
Duckydora’s collection
of British-designed
textiles, ceramics and
home accessories
offers beautiful gift
solutions. Duckydora’s
range of contemporary
hand-painted
tableware, kitchenware
and British-made
home accessories
brings a touch of
elegance and style to
the bride and groom’s
happy home.
Select a single piece
to make a statement
or mix and match the
Duckydora designs.
T: +44 (0)8434 873 104
www.duckydora.com
With Love is the new wedding
collection from Neviti
offering a selection of table
accessories and decorations.
The range features subtle
pastel shades and wedding
motifs of delicate love
hearts, butterflies, doves and
bouquets of flowers. Items
include sweetie bags, cake
boxes and favour bags, perfect
for creating gifts for your
wedding guests, and a wide selection of decorative bunting including
a floral design, candy buffet bunting, Mr & Mrs chair bunting and mini
Just Married bunting. A wedding wouldn’t be the same without confetti
and the With Love collection offers a variety containing a mix of heart
and butterfly motifs which is bio-degradable and perfect for filling the
co-ordinating floral confetti cones. The range’s wedding wishes post
box with matching cards ensures guests can leave messages and well
wishes, creating a personal gift to keep for years to come.
T: +44 (0)8456 381 358
www.neviti.com
Jola Designs offers a range
of original hand-made
personalised gifts, and
has recently launched its
bespoke wedding dress
cushion. The company
will re-draw the dress from
photographs and print the
illustration onto a linen
cushion, then hand-paint
‘sparkle’ to highlight the
finer detail, capturing
the much-loved wedding dress forever. Other gifts available in this
collection include personalised linen make-up bags, cards and linen
canvases. Jola Designs products are made to order allowing you to
personalise each gift.
T: +44 (0)1625 503 162
www.joladesigns.co.uk
Life Charms
has just
launched five
designs in its
new bridal
range, which is
now available
to order. This
new collection
of gifting
jewellery
has vintage
designed cards
each with a
necklace in
silver or gold
and arriving in tasteful packaging. Emily Cocklin, Life Charms’
Creative Director says, “We had a fantastic launch in January and
February and everyone said they were looking forward to the
bridal collection. I hope they’re pleased with what we’ve come up
with.” Prices are £5.40 trade including packaging. Life Charms has
exclusively offered Gift Focus readers the chance to use the code
GIFTFOCUS10 which will give 10 per cent off online purchases.
T: +44 (0)1276 605 117
www.lifecharms.co.uk
giftfocus 29
mr & mrs
4sided has three
wedding cards, all
with Wedding Day
printed on the outside
and On Your printed
inside. The gift and
card in one comes
in brown and red
with a cream interior;
monochrome with a red interior; and navy blue with a pink interior.
All cards are packaged with a colour-coordinated envelope,
wrapped in a cello bag with a circular sticker explaining to write,
peel and stick.
T: +44 (0)7803 501 983
www.4sided.co.uk
All Personal Gift’s
fine silver-plated
range includes the
featured photo frame
with heart detail,
which measures
130mm x 180mm.
All Personal
Gifts provides a
large selection
of personalised
wedding gifts to
celebrate the big
day, from fine silverplated photo frames
and beautifully
crafted tableware for
the happy couple,
to wedding favours for bridesmaids and the best man which
include compact mirrors, cufflinks, hipflasks, trinket boxes
and much more. Each gift can be engraved with your personal
message in memory of a very special day. The company offers a
wide range of original gifts to suit all budgets and tastes.
T: +44 (0)8000 302 345
www.allpersonalgifts.co.uk
With newly designed dinnerware shapes produced in fine cream china,
Filigree Silver features a delicate shimmering lace-like pattern. Known
for its feminine and eclectic designs, the Monsoon Home Dinnerware
collection by Denby blends together the exotic allure of eastern colour
and prints, with a western bohemian style and influence. The range
includes everyday essentials such as mugs, plates and bowls as well as
an attractive two-tier cake stand and a decorative serving platter.
T: +44 (0)1773 740 770
www.denby.co.uk
30 giftfocus
This elegant wooden wedding board from Dust and Things is a perfect
gift for the happy couple. With its feature ampersand and classical
design, it’s sure to be well received as a wedding, engagement or
anniversary gift.
The board is constructed out of Hevea hardwood, which is
environmentally friendly. This material makes the ideal surface for
cutting, as it’s gentle on knife blades and durable enough to stand up
to frequent use. The cutting surface has a recessed groove around its
centre, which helps to keep food in place. As a sentimental finishing
touch, the surface of the cutting board will be engraved with any
personalised details.
T: +44 (0)3452 221 501
www.dustandthings.com
Puckator has a
lovely selection of
decorative pegs,
perfect for getting
creative with wedding
preparations. If your
customers are looking
for original wedding
favour accessories,
place name holders
or adornments for
invitations, then these
are ideal. They could
also be used to decorate bunting, or for flower arrangements
on the big day. To see Puckator’s entire love-themed and crafty
ranges, and keep up to date with all its latest products, visit the
website and sign up to the company’s newsletter.
T: +44 (0)8000 116 969
www.puckator.co.uk
weddings
Shruti Designs’ wedding collection
for 2015 is filled with tabletop designs
and celebration favours. From
butterfly shaped Mr and Mrs paper
confetti, to pretty garlands and guest
books, hanging ornaments, special
keepsakes, glassware mementos,
table topiary and love votives – there are lots of products and gifts to
help the happy couple celebrate their special day.
The collection includes elegant pagoda style umbrellas in white or
cream – something for the bride, in case it rains. There’s even a range of
stylish walking canes for the grooms and gifts for bridesmaids.
T: +44 (0)1985 847 774
www.junction18.com
Enesco has presented a range perfect for all wedding, love and
anniversary occasions – the A Love Story collection.
Each item in the range features a beautiful dark blue and
metallic gold heart motif, whilst on the reverse, a word spells out
the occasion — Love, Bride, Groom, Bridesmaid, Always, Forever,
or a simple heart motif — making them an ideal keepsake.
Champagne flutes are sold in sets of two (Love, Bride & Groom
and Always & Forever), as is the Love wine glasses set, whilst
other wine glasses are sold singularly (such as the Bridesmaid
and Bride editions). All glass items are finished with a gold rim
and come with their own branded box packaging.
T: +44 (0)1228 404 022
www.enesco.co.uk
Blue Eyed Sun is adding new wedding designs to its best-selling
Vintage range of stitched cards at PG Live 2015.
The Vintage collection is based on original, free-hand,
machine-stitched embroideries by artist Jo Corner. Printed in
Blue Eyed Sun’s distinctive, bright and colourful style the cards
are all hand-finished with jewels. Further new designs include
open birthdays, anniversaries and other key occasions. Retailing
at £2.99 (trade £1.25 each) there are now 130 Everyday designs in
the range.
Blue Eyed Sun’s cards are available to order through its tradeonly website and 2015 brochure, and the company also has a team
of sales agents across the country that can come in to see you with
samples and help you choose the right look for your shop.
T: +44 (0)1273 823 003
www.blueeyedsun.co.uk
This beautiful mouth-blown
glass Wedding Tree of Life
globe from D&J Glassware
is a one-of-a-kind gift for
the happy couple; the tree
inside symbolises growing
love and hopes for the future.
The quality glass globe is
complemented by a white
satin ribbon and each one is
individually boxed.
Each globe comes with
two gift labels to make it a
versatile item for the retailer: one label for a wedding gift, the second
for an engagement gift. Point of sale material is also available.
T: +44 (0)1953 450 280
www.dandjglassware.co.uk
Signature Gifts’ personalised products are ideal for this upcoming wedding season. What
better way is there to celebrate a union of two people than popping the cork on some bespoke
bubbly? Available to be personalised for the principals of the wedding, as well as the happy
couple, you can thank the maid of honour and best man, and toast the mothers of the bride
and groom on this special day. All bottles are available in gift boxes and can be teamed with
their own engraved glasses to add an extra keepsake on this special day.
To keep treasured memories, Our First Year book is complete with a full reprint of the news
from the couple’s wedding day, and also includes 18 special memories pages to scrap-book
their first year.
T: +44 (0)1582 464 809
www.signature-gifts.co.uk
giftfocus 33
mr & mrs
RJB Stone’s Sass & Belle wedding ranges are perfect for couples
seeking decorations to adorn their day with charm and elegance.
The company also offer affordable and memorable Sass & Belle
keepsake gifts for happy couples to cherish forever. The company
is motivated by creating beautiful moments for people through
its Sass & Belle products and with over 5,000 original gifts,
decorations and home accessories.
T: (0)20 7346 0100
www.rjbstone.com
For family and friends searching
for a memorable wedding
gift, Yankee Candle® has its
Wedding Day® fragrance. The
sophisticated and soothing
scent blends florals with
subtle fruits to create a perfect
addition to the special day
and an ideal gift for the happy
couple, who will be able to
relive their special memories
every time they burn the candle.
Wedding Day is available either
as individual jars or as a beautifully packaged Wedding Day®
pillar and display stand gift set.
Small classic jars and votive candles are a hugely popular
wedding favour idea and are available in the complete Yankee
Candle® fragrance range to match any colour scheme.
T: +44 (0)1173 161 200
www.yankeecandle.co.uk
Finding one-of-a-kind wedding gifts can be tricky and time consuming.
A wedding gift should capture the best qualities of the happy couple
and represent the celebration of their happy history and their future.
Really Good is seeing trends driven by the desire for something
individual, quirky and original and this is reflected in its wedding
collection. The company’s also noticed a steady rise in popularity of
gifts for the entire wedding party; be it jewellery for the bridesmaids
or cufflinks for the usher, it seems the customer doesn’t want to leave
anyone off of the wedding shopping list.
T: (0)1235 537 888
www.reallygood.uk.com
Kenro supplies its own brand
wedding albums and frames,
with a good selection of
quality styles and prices to suit
most requirements.
The wedding albums are
available in white, cream
or black and range from
traditional to contemporary
styling. The recently added
Pearl Rings series of bookbound albums have proved
very popular and hold either
6in x 4in or 7in x 5in photos.
The Chloe silver wedding
frame is a good seller, with a
silver finish and border decoration featuring wedding icons set
off with decorative stones. Kenro’s metal mini frames also have a
wedding version and are competitively priced for add-on sales.
T: +44 (0)1793 864 345
www.kenro.co.uk
Allihopa, a design-led greetings card and giftwrap publisher, based in the seaside village
of Mumbles, has launched its new trade website. Popular designs include the Safari Soiree
collection, digitally printed with a sophisticated colour palette on a textured card. The quirky style
of the font and bold geometric illustrations adds to the quality of the card.
The feminine, vibrant Blooming Kisses range is digitally printed with vibrant colour palette on
an iridescent card. Each card is supplied with an iridescent envelope to add a touch of luxury, and
is individually wrapped in a cello bag and left blank inside for your customer’s own message. Both
designs are sold in multiples of six.
T: +44 (0)1792 361 251
www.allihopatrade.co.uk
34 giftfocus
london calling
The Thames, The Gherkin, Buckingham
Palace – London certainly has some great
landmarks. Here’s some gift ideas that
embrace the beauty of the Big Smoke
This fine bone china, silver edged City Sketch cup and saucer
features images by Arthouse Meath artist, Simon Hammond.
Simon is 50 years old and was diagnosed with autism at the
age of three. For Simon, drawing is a means of making order
and sense of his world and he often creates pictures of the day’s
events before going to bed. Simon particularly enjoys detail in his
artwork, which is evident in his drawings of intricate buildings.
Arthouse Meath is a social enterprise that presents the talents
and skills of adults living with complex epilepsy, learning and
physical difficulties. Artists work alongside art instructors
who enable groups or individuals to create artworks, which
are developed into designer products for sale. The company
offers something new with a refreshing perspective. 100 per
cent of sales revenue goes back into the business for ongoing
development.
T: +44 (0)1483 411 064
www.arthousemeath.com
Joy Fitzsimmons at London Pooch produces a range of greetings cards
and prints each featuring an adorable dachshund. Often set against a
familiar London architectural scene, the dogs are seen with a sculpture
or painting showing how well travelled we find these busy bodies.
Joy comments, “Finding one or two quotes about prestigious owners
of dachshunds was too tempting not to use as a basis of a design. From
the Royal Family to Christopher Wren, it’s been a delight to see how the
addition of a dachshund can complete a picture!
“Their presence adds gentle humour to the scene and it’s a delight
for me to be drawing lovely buildings not only in a London setting.
Dachshunds go anywhere! I know, I have two.”
T: +44 (0)20 8678 1408
www.londonpooch.co.uk
Noble the Bulldog,
adorned by the distinctive
Union Jack fabric,
embraces a snippet of
London Culture. Part of
Dora Designs’ County
Dogs range, Noble
comes in the form of
both a doorstop and
paperweight. These can
be purchased as a gift for
dog lovers or utilised as a
quirky home accessory.
T: +44 (0)1733 305 452
www.doradesigns.co.uk
36 giftfocus
Puckator has expanded its ever-popular London Guardsman
range. Whether your customers are looking for pocket money
souvenirs or a London themed gift, there’s something to suit all
ages and budgets. The latest addition to Puckator’s solar dancing
characters is the featured saluting London Guardsman. Powered
by a solar panel on the base, he comes to life when placed in any
natural or artificial light. To see Puckator’s whole range of London
products, visit the website.
T: +44 (0)8000 116 969
www.puckator.co.uk
london
Part of Jazzberry Blue’s
illustrated homeware
collection, this pillow was
featured in the X Factor house
in 2014 and is vegan. Each
cushion is faux suede, comes
with a fibre insert and illustrates a part of London in fun colours. Jazz
of Jazzberry Blue is a self-taught artist based and born in Toronto. His
work as a painter allowed him to spend his formative years living in
India instead of going to school.
T: +44 (0)1509 812 075
www.ohhdeer.com
Milly Green’s new range of gift food has been designed on the back
of her highly successful Celebrating Range. Her distinctive style is
apparent on the wonderful range of tins and packaging. The collection
of foods includes tins of delicious home-made British biscuits and Earl
Grey and English Breakfast teas while the boxes include traditional
fudge, mints and boiled sweets, including a range of strawberries and
cream. A Brilliantly British range of food is in the pipeline. In addition to
gift food, Milly Green offers an extensive range of design-led products
for the home including china, textiles, tinware and stationery.
T: +44 (0)1428 600 018
www.millygreen.com
Chewingum London is
a kids and baby clothing
brand which is full of
inspiration. Designer Mrs
Henry has drawn London
attractions with a riot of
colour in her individual
style. From hand-painted
clothing to one-of-a-kind
patterned goods, the
company aims to show
every kid and baby in the world how beautiful London is.
Items include landmarks such as St Paul’s Cathedral, Big Ben, the
London Eye and Battersea Power Station.
T: +44 (0)7850 531 134
www.chewingumlondon.co.uk
Gibsons celebrates
the capital with its
new 1,000-piece
London jigsaw
puzzle. With quirky
illustrations by artist
Maria Rabinky, the
picture contains
all the best-known
spots in London from
Fortnum & Mason to the Gherkin.
Also new to the Gibsons range is the Buckingham Palace
puzzle. In this 1,000 piece puzzle, painted by Steve Crisp, the
Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are leaving the Palace for the
Trooping of the Colour on the Queen’s official birthday, a custom
which dates back to King Charles 2nd in the 17th Century. Packaged
in a bright Union Jack box, this puzzle is bound to attract the
attention of tourists and the British public alike.Both puzzles are
made from the highest quality 100 per cent recycled board.
T: +44 (0)20 8661 8866
www.gibsonsgames.co.uk
Due to unprecedented demand, Roberts is announcing the launch of
the iconic Union Jack Revival radio.
Leslie Burrage, Chief Executive of Roberts Radio, comments, “A single
Union Jack Revival was originally commissioned for a specific Royal
Warrant Holders piece in The Times newspaper. As soon as it appeared,
our phones started ringing off the hook, and a decision was made to
put the radio into production.”
The radio offers 120 hours of battery life, multi station pre-sets,
favourite station button, stereo line-in socket for iPod/MP3 play back
and an LCD display with amber display backlight.
T: +44 (0)1709 571 722
www.robertsradio.co.uk
giftfocus 37
london calling
The Paper Stone is a stationery companyy with an emphasis on
blending form and function. The company prints and produces all its
merchandise. The London range shows the city’s famous icons in the
brightest of colours, each helping to form the word London.
T: +65 633 474 86
www.thepaperstone.com
Lucy Loveheart created this painting to capture everything
she loves about London. Her original style recreates the iconic
sites in a microcosm of the city. Demand for her work has led
to the recent development of a transactional website and the
impending launch of a product line at Pulse.
Lucy’s work is seen across a range of categories, from cards
and prints, through to food and textile items. Clients include Kew,
Chatsworth and The National Trust, with her work also having
appeared in Liberty and Waitrose.
T: +44 (0)1508 518 518
www.lucyloveheart.com
The London Map cushion is the only cushion in Jan
Constantine’s I Love London collection that is appliquéd onto
luxurious cream linen. The embroidered detail shows the main
streets and parks and the River Thames as well as some of
London’s iconic buildings.
The words ‘I Love London’ are appliqued in Jan’s script, and
the cushion also features images such as a red bus, Union Jack
flag and 12-point compass.
T: +44 (0)1270 821 194
www.janconstantine.com
A doodler by day and night, West
Country born Matt Ponting, founder
of Doodling Around, has been
drawing, sketching and doodling for
over a decade.
Matt’s ranges include cityscapes
of London and Brighton (City Pop
Outs) featuring key landmarks and
the people who live and work in the
city. Similar ranges for other cities,
national and international landmarks
are under way. City Pop-Outs London
are a hand-drawn selection of
illustrated gifts that celebrate over 50
of the most iconic sites which make the
capital so original. The current range
includes greetings cards, framed prints, bags, gift wrap and posters.
T: +44 (0)7906 859 597
www.doodlingaround.co.uk
Lilliput Lane from Enesco pays
tribute to No 10 Downing Street
with this miniature replica
of what has to be one of the
nation’s most iconic buildings,
the official residence of Britain’s
Prime Ministers since 1735.
Situated in the heart of London,
it symbolises the very heart of
the nation’s power and is an
icon in its own right.
T: +44 (0)1228 404 022
www.enesco.co.uk
38 giftfocus
twinkle twinkle
Coo over these gorgeous baby gifts, from personalised
pillows to keepsake teddy bears
The Flower Stork is
known for its fresh and
imaginative range of
baby clothes bouquets,
containing essential
items of baby wear
presented in a modern
and eye-catching way.
The company’s latest
offering, Babyccino,
is a smooth blend of
100 per cent cotton
baby clothes. This
cute and quirky new
baby gift contains one baby bib and one
bodysuit, presented in a takeaway coffee
cup with gift wrapper.
The gift set is available in sugar pink,
cornflower blue (pictured) and classic
white and contains 100 per cent cotton
high quality British-made clothing for
ages three to six months. This gives
mum and dad some time to enjoy their
gift before opening to reveal the useful clothing presented inside.
T: +44 (0)1495 303 030
www.theflowerstork.com
In conjunction with the
second royal baby, the
Personalised Memento
Company is celebrating
with a new personalised
gift range featuring
neutral tones and classic
design. The Royal Crown
range includes baby
grows, moneyboxes,
keepsake mugs and
hanging decorations.
Also included are personalised homeware gifts such as canvases,
framed prints and cushions, all of which can be personalised with a
name, date and a special message, perfect for the nursery. The Royal
Crown range is available now from PMC.
T: +44 (0)1782 744 900
www.personalisedmemento.co.uk
40 giftfocus
Baby gifts are continually evolving
volving and Joe Davies
Davies, the south
Manchester-based importer of the Shudehill giftware collection, has
embraced this change. The company has moved shabby chic into the
baby arena with its collection of Provence Heart message frames. With
rustic charm, heart detail, sweet sentimental messages and retail prices
from £5.99, the Provence Heart message frame collection makes an ontrend baby gift.
The frames are part of the 8,000+ items available in Joe Davies’
collection. Minimum orders are just £100 and delivery is free nationwide.
T: +44 (0)161 975 6300
www.joedavies.co.uk
Celebrating little ones, Sass & Belle wholesaler RJB Stone has
created a collection of heartfelt baby gifts including soft pastel
cloud cushions with tender messages and matching bunting to
create a dreamy nursery. Sass & Belle elephant cushions parade
through the baby range with loving words. Surround precious
bundles with positive sayings that express how special they are,
and store their toys in Sass & Belle woodland alphabet print bags
that are pretty and practical. For a gift that parents will love, treat
little newcomers to some soft and durable Sass & Belle baby bibs
in pink or blue patterns, designed to be comfortable and stylish.
T: +44 (0)20 7346 0122
www.rjbstone.com
baby gifts
Border Fine Arts from Enesco
has been producing The World
of Beatrix Potter products
since being granted the licence
in 1987; since then, this popular collection has grown to include many
different formats.
Highlights of the new additions include a range of ceramic alphabet
letters from A to Z, all featuring delicate decals taken from the original
artwork of Beatrix Potter’s best-loved tales. Perfect for display in a baby’s
nursery, the whole alphabet can be collected or a name created in
various colours and character designs.
Also new to the Peter Rabbit Nursery Collection, are two nursery door
plaques with attractive hanging ribbons: one for baby boys, featuring
Peter Rabbit, and one for baby girls, featuring Flopsy Bunny.
Bespoke branded display packaging makes these ideal gifts and future
keepsakes, and a ribbon is featured on the packaging too.
T: +44 (0)1228 404 022
www.enesco.co.uk
Brand new this month,
from you to me’s
Early Years is a handillustrated journal and
companion notebook
set to inspire parents
to capture the first
precious five years
of their child’s life. A
wonderful packaged
gift set for parents-tobe and new parents,
Early Years is shrink-wrapped for protection with a belly band
featuring the contents of the set. A 15-page section each year,
featuring woodland animal illustrations, takes parents on a journey
from birth to child’s first birthday, with space for photos and writing
about all those precious firsts, from arrival into the world, first
words and steps, key celebrations, to first day at school. Available
in Pink Mouse or Blue Owl designs.
T: +44 (0)1225 866 225
www.fromyoutome.com
The baby collection
from Jola Designs
features hand-drawn
images such as
Noah’s Ark, Vintage
Teddy and Cuties Cat,
Mouse and Bunny.
Each gift is made to
order and can be personalised. The hand-made linen cushions and
boxed linen frames make original gifts to welcome a new baby or
celebrate a christening or naming day. All Jola Designs gifts and cards
are made to order, allowing you to personalise each item.
T: +44 (0)1625 503 162
www.joladesigns.co.uk
Neviti’s wide
selection of
baby ranges are
perfect for special
occasions such
as baby showers,
christenings,
naming ceremonies
and first birthday
celebrations. The
company has just
added another
two ranges to their
offerings, with its new Little Owls range and the licensed
Guess How Much I Love You partyware, not forgetting Neviti’s
existing ranges, including the ever popular Baby Miffy and Tiny
Feet collections.
The Baby Miffy range features a delicate pastel colour palette
and Dick Bruna’s famous bunny creation, across a fantastic
selection of party essentials with eye-catching pieces such as
the Baby Miffy cake stand. Tiny Feet is still a popular choice for
babyshowers and christenings, offering tableware, decorations
and accessories with beautiful baby illustrations including a
polka dot pram and stripy baby grow in delicate pastel shades.
Items in the range include glass pram decorations and table
confetti to add a pretty touch to your party table.
T: +44 (0)8456 381 358
www.neviti.com
The Hush Little Baby zipped washbags are just part of the new collection for
baby from Shruti Designs/Junction 18. Products are screen-printed on cotton
canvas to give an authentic, natural feel. The items are fully lined, so the interior
is wipeable, to make a useful as well as adorable gift for mums on the go.
Available in both light candy and forget-me-not blue, they can be teamed up
with matching 100 per cent super-soft cotton baby blankets.
T: +44 (0)1985 847 774
www.junction18.com
giftfocus 41
baby gifts
4-sided has five cards
in its baby range. The
product is a gift and
card in one. Each card
has the word Baby on
the outside with the
company’s signature
message Wow inside.
Three of the designs
are monochrome with
either a red, pastel
pink or blue interior. The other two designs are a mixture of blue
and pink with yellow.
All cards are packaged with a colour coordinated envelope,
wrapped in a cello bag with a circular sticker explaining to write,
peel and stick.
T: +44 (0)7803 501 983
www.4sided.co.uk
Cherished by adults and loved all
the more by little people, teddy
bears have that indefinable
timeless appeal that puts
them at the top of our gift
lists, year in and year out. One
in particular that stands out
is Mr Benson by Little Bird
Told Me. Part of The Dog
and The Bear range, Mr
Benson is a soft bear
who plays a classical
melody and holds
a textured teething
ring to soothe babies.
He also comes with
his very own comfort
blanket, which tucks
neatly up his sleeve
when not needed.
T: +44 (0)1484 682 430
www.littlebirdtoldme.co.uk
Shmuncki, a London-based childrenswear brand, has unveiled its
new Harbour collection. The range, including rompers, t-shirts, hats,
bibs and blankets for little ones from birth up to 18 months old, also
includes two beautiful gift sets. Inspired by traditional designs but
passionate about contemporary style, Shmuncki’s new collection is
fresh, with a simple but striking design of pastel blue anchors, sail
boats, ship wheels and masts. The nautical feel is sure to appeal to all
and is an ideal gift for little ones. Items RRP From £7.50.
T: +44 (0)7831 706 154
www.shmuncki.com
Scarlet & Argent’s soft new baby blankets are fit for a royal baby.
Each luxuriously light and soft blanket is trimmed with a
contrasting colour and is made from cashmere and merino
lambswool. Choose from natural and duck egg or natural and grey.
The baby blankets are complemented by the limited edition
Scarlet & Argent cashmere teddy bears. Each bespoke bear made
by Merrythought for Scarlet & Argent is created from 100 per cent
cashmere. There are two bears to choose from – Scarlet has a red
ribbon, while Argent sports a grey ribbon.
T: +44 (0)1132 570 391
www.scarletandargent.co.uk
Everyone knows that for all the joys new babies can bring, the early days of parenting aren’t always a walk
in the park. Ewan the dream sheep from SweetDreamers aims to help tired parents get a good night’s sleep..
p
Ewan emits soothing sounds at a low-base frequency and a calming pink glow, which, when combined, help
settle your baby or toddler into a peaceful sleep. The heartbeat and womb sounds are actual recordings, nott
computer generated. Other sounds include a vacuum cleaner, rain and harp recordings, together with the womb
sequence, to provide four different calming sound tracks to choose from.
T: +44 (0)2392 262 332
www.sweetdreamers.co.uk
giftfocus 43
twinkle twinkle
Kenro has a great
selection of popular gift
albums and frames aimed
at the baby market.
Recent album additions
include the Polka Dot in pink or blue, which have space on the cover to
place a small photo. The Traditional-style album holds up 500 6in x 4in
prints, while the slip-in Memo version holds up to 200 6in x 4in prints.
The Happy Boy and Girl series have art printed covers with matching
decorative bows. They, too, feature a small picture frame on the cover
for a favourite photo.
The Kenro Baby Frame range has also been extended to include a
pink design, a blue design and a new toy box design. Each are silverplated and have velour lined backs.
T: +44 (0)1793 615 836
www.kenro.co.uk
Listening to an owl in the
city inspired Totseat’s new
Night Owl design. It’s set
against a blue night’s sky
and is covered in hooting
owls. Guaranteed to make
sure your tot is sitting
comfortably, wherever you
may be this spring, the
Totseat makes mealtimes
on the move quick and
easy by creating a safe
haven for your baby from
any adult chair. It’s certainly
a wise choice from the
brand; the owl craze shows
no signs of slowing down,
so the latest print is sure to
be a popular choice.
T: +44 (0)131 226 6064
www.totseat.com
Coochy Coo Nappy Cakes
is a market-leading creator
of nappy cakes. These are
a collection of useful and
adorable baby products
assembled together into
one gift. The products are
ideal for a baby shower, new
baby gift or maternity gift.
The company has a variety
of designs including gifts for
baby girls, baby boys, twins
and a large range of unisex
gifts. The company offers free delivery in the UK.
T: +44 (0)8000 235 501
www.coochycoonappycakes.co.uk
If you’re looking
to increase
your range of
baby gifts, then
Daisy Roots
UK’s collection
of eye-catching
baby shoes and
gift sets are ideal.
The collection
features designs
that are perfect
for little toes,
whether they be
boy’s or girl’s,
aged newborn to four years old. All shoes are available in a stylish
gift box. In addition, the company has a range of beautifully
packaged gift sets.
T: +44 (0)1604 880 066
www.daisy-roots.com
From books to ceramics, Signature Gifts has a range of personalised gifts for babies.
Expertly fired ceramic gifts mean that the occasion can be marked with a personalised
plate, cup or trinket box, all of which are available in many styles. Signature’s flexibility
means they can create products that include your own designs.
Signature has created an embossed birth certificate holder and a bespoke baby book
which was shortlisted for GA’s Gift of the Year 2014. Signature’s My First Year baby book
includes a full copy of the newspaper from a child’s date of birth, personalised with the
child’s name and date of birth on the cover. Two gifts in one, this book is ideal for new
parents to scrap-book the first year of their child and for the growing child to look back at
news from their date of birth.
T: +44 (0)1582 464 809
44 giftfocus
Unique Baby Gifts
Beautiful Bouquets of Baby Clothes
Cleverly handcrafted from UK made baby clothes
Award winning range - Low minimum order
GE
RAN
NEW NOW
OUT
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tel: 01495 303030
glassware
crystal clear
The latest glassware with extra sparkle
Proving incredibly popular – and
giftable (each glass comes packaged
in an individual gift box) – Our Name
Is Mud’s range of ample-sized wine
glasses welcomes some new themes
in the latest launch.
Retirement and Lady of Leisure
make perfect gifts for work colleagues,
neighbours and friends as they move
on to the next chapter of their lives
— and the sentiments say it all, including
Retirement: The pay stinks but the hours are
good; Every day is the weekend and Lady of
Leisure: What will I NOT do today?
T: +44 (0)1228 404 022
www.enesco.co.uk
Sophie Conran for
Portmeirion has
unveiled a new range
of additions to its
glassware collection.
The items, which
include a decanter,
two candlestick sets,
a footed cake stand
and dome, and a
five-piece trifle bowl
set comprised of a
serving bowl and
four individual bowls,
are each beautifully
gift packaged
and designed for
modern-day living.
The pieces will
make a perfect gift
for both Sophie Conran for Portmeirion devotees and those yet to be
introduced to the collection.
T: +44 (0)1782 744 721
www.portmeiriongroup.com
The new drinkware collection from Dartington Crystal is designed and
tested for dishwasher use and recommended by Finish.
This compact but versatile range includes red and white wine glasses
and a tumbler, all available as boxed sets of four. Each set contains
a free pack of Finish Quantum Shine and Protect and come with a
lifetime shine guarantee.
The products are made with high durability crystal, have curved
profiles, heat treated rims for resistance to chipping and shorter sturdy
stems to fit easily in the dishwasher.
T: +44 (0)1805 626 262
www.dartington.co.uk
A new addition to Personalised Memento Company’s extensive
glassware range is the Monogram votive candle holder. Each
votive glass is individually personalised. They’re available both
singularly and as a set of 10, making these items perfect for
wedding favours or as a personal reminder of a special day. The
company’s full Monogram range includes wall art, keepsakes
and kitchenware.
T: +44 (0)1782 744 900
www.personalisedmemento.co.uk
giftfocus 47
crystal clear
All Personal Gifts
supply a range of
beautiful glassware,
which can be engraved
in order to make your gift truly special. Whether it’s a wedding
anniversary, birthday or sporting event, the company caters for all
occasions. The range of glassware is extensive, from a simple half globe
paperweight to sporting trophies, and comes in a variety of colours.
All Personal Gifts can also use a technique with coloured paint to give
definition and clarity to the artwork.
T: +44 (0)8000 302 345
Mouthblown glassware from LSA International benefits from
a quality and finish that can only be achieved by leading glass
artisans. The company’s barware collection is designed by the
company’s Creative Director, Monika Lubkowska-Jonas, and
features classic and contemporary designs in timeless and
trend-focused collections. Each item is presented in high-quality
gift box packaging making wonderful anniversary, wedding or
party presents. Practical and versatile, each piece can be mixed
with the brand’s Wine, Dine and Serve collections to make a
coordinated tabletop and serveware setting.
T: + 44 (0)1932 789 721
www.lsa-international.com
The trend for
decorative glass
continues to
grow and the
new Botanical
collection of
bottles and
lanterns from
Joe Davies hits
the mark. The
range consists of
elegant lanterns
and decorative
bottles adorned
with insect
designs and
sentimental messages. With retail prices starting at just £2.99 and
with a large range to choose from, the Botanical Bottles and Lanterns
collection makes a great summer gift.
These are just a small part of the extensive range of home, occasion
and everyday gifts in the 8,000-strong Joe Davies range. All items are
available in sensible quantities with minimum orders of just £100 to
please the independent retailer.
T: +44 (0)161 975 6300
www.joedavies.co.uk
48 giftfocus
Artist Alex R creates glittering glass pieces. Her latest creations are
these vintage-style keys cast in clear glass which have textural detail
on both sides. Made for sending to that special someone to unlock
hearts or to hang for
good luck, the glass
key comes in six oldfashioned designs and
is supplied in an elegant
gift box. Alex R offers
a range of glass gifts
including other hanging
decorations, bowls,
dishes and wall art.
T: +44 (0)20 8761 6464
www.alex-r.com
“Glassware is enjoying a real
moment with a number of trends
coming through, mainly from the
USA,” says Lorena Golfetto, Director
at Lolita distributors Gaeltag Keltika.
“A key selling point in terms of
glass quality is to have genuine
mouthblown glass, always a feature
with Lolita glasses of all styles,” she
adds. Lolita’s range of gift glasses
remains right on-trend with so many
cool and fun designs and collectible
styles to fit any occasion including
this Las Vegas themed glass.
T: +44 (0)20 8998 1781
www.lolitadesigns.co.uk
Stand out from the crowd
We have 18 years of both picture and photo frame
manufacturing experience. We know your needs and
more importantly help cater for them.
Our range of products, from Wood, Plastic, Metal and
Glass are all here for you to select from.
0RUHRYHURXUIULHQGO\DQG\HWH[SHULHQFHGVWD΍DUH
always there to help you, so look no further than
Homsquare Limited.
www.homsquare.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 1908976443
Fax: +44 (0) 1908373463
Email: [email protected]
Simply Stunning Glassware
Fabulous Scent Diffusers, Tree of Life Balls, Friendship
collections and Fused Glass designs.
Contact D & J Glassware: the UK’s favourite supplier of
quality handmade glassware
D & J Glassware
Tel: 01953 450280
glassware
Great quality,
stylish designs
and sensible
prices are key
characteristics of
D&J Glassware’s
hand-crafted
collections.
Over the years,
the company
has built up
an enviable
reputation for
friendly service
and innovative
glassware.
Mouth-blown
and fused glass
pieces are available in a range of tea-light holders, scent diffusers
with English-blended fragrance oils, tree of life globes, friendship
balls and hearts, figures, mirrors, pictures and much more. New
designs are launched throughout the year.
T: +44 (0)1953 450 280
Ideal for any occasion are these personalised glass gift sets from
Signature Gifts. You choose the name and message that’s seamlessly
incorporated onto the label of your drink of choice, and add to your
choice of glass. Once the bottle’s opened, the recipient can enjoy the
contents in the glasses that come within the beautifully presented set.
Choose one of five designs, or leave your glasses blank.
Coming soon, these glasses are exclusively made by Signature Gifts
and RRP from £19.99.
T: +44 (0)1582 464 809
Creative Tops is
delighted to present
the Cheers Glassware
collection from
Mikasa. The fun and
whimsical design will
set a cheerful mood
at any gathering. Each glass in the set is precision-etched with different
yet coordinating designs, which complement each other perfectly. The
artistic mix of dots, lines, and swirls are distinctive, so each of your
guests can easily identify their glass without the need for wine charms.
The collection includes red and white wine glasses, champagne
flutes and martini glasses.
T: + 44 (0)1536 207 756
www.creative-tops.com
Featuring four designs of party
girls having fun, Lesser and
Pavey’s quirky wine glasses
are hand-painted in turquoise,
pink, lilac and green with threedimensional bust detail.
Individually gift packaged, the
drinking glasses make for a fun
gift and have various birthday
messages – Drink til he’s cute,
Sip back and relax, TGIF – thank
God I’m fabulous and Why limit
happy hour?
T: +44 (0)1322 279 225
www.leonardo.co.uk
2015 marks
the 10-year
anniversary of
the new format
BBC version of
Doctor Who and
Half Moon Bay is
ever increasing
the range as it
continues to
be one of its
best-selling
classic licences.
In addition to the popular set of two Dalek and Tardis glasses, the
company has introduced a new set of two large glasses, featuring
the famous Dalek and Cybermen in an exclusive paint splat
design, alongside their famous sayings: Exterminate and Delete.
T: +44 (0)1225 473 873
giftfocus 51
It is for days when you need to leave
the city behind or sit in peaceful
surrender to when your body and
mind need to rest and listen to
nature’s secret whisper...
“close your eyes..”
www.winterinvenicetrade.co.uk
Our New Herb Plant Box from our Woodlands
collection is the epitome of what it feels like to walk
through an English Woodland. This set is full of
vitamin infused toiletries and even includes a pair
of pretty gardening gloves and wooden nail brush.
Its the ideal pamper surprise for any occasion.
Guarantees a ‘wow’ and lots of smiles.
The earthy, woody scent of moistened tree barks
laced with an orchestra of forest garden herbs
invigorate, heighten and tease your senses. This
scent is truly unlike any other. Order now for
Christmas delivery. Call : 0845 652 1223
We are a British Award Winning Brand of Toiletries
and Gifts committed to make a difference through
the way in which we make and sell our products.
We pay special attention to the power of how scents
and smells intensify emotions and permeate into
the moment itself. It is a form of escapism and
being totally in the present. Our reusable packing
is cleverly designed so that you are reminded of the
experience every time you re-use our sets.
TRADE PRICE - £15.00
RETAIL PRICE - £35.00
ACTUAL VALUE - £50.00
NO MINIMUM ORDERS : NEXT DAY DELIVERY : DROP SHIPPING SERVICES : PARABEN FREE : NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS
: VITAMIN ENRICHED FORMULA : REUSABLE PACKAGING
“OUR NON SATURATION POLICY MEANS WE CHOOSE OUR STOCKISTS WITHIN A 10MILE RADIUS TO AVOID OVER
STOCKING OR SELLING THE SAME PRODUCT IN SAME AREA / POSTCODE”
bath and body
body beautiful
Give customers the excuse to indulge and pamper themselves
with these bath and body gifts
Best Kept Secrets has launched its new range of soap bars, with 30
products in the new extended range and distinctive packaging for
these luxury soap bars, which come in 100g and 50g bars.
Commenting on the new soaps, Director Denise Edwards said,
“We’ve developed six distinct ranges, and as with all Best Kept Secrets
products, have focused on quality of ingredients and a seriously
scented fragrance for each of our soaps. Soap bar sales are growing
rapidly and the appeal of a bar over a liquid is obvious, as they
are a real luxury. Our soaps are poured, matured and logged using
traditional methods, and this attention to detail has created some
outstanding soaps.”
T: +44 (0)1670 512 222
www.bestkeptsecrets.co.uk
Heyland & Whittle is a quality soap and home fragrance
manufacturer based in Sussex. The company creates what they
believe are outstanding natural products with tradition, style and
authenticity for a discerning market.
Heyland & Whittle’s hand washes and lotions have no added
sulphates or parabens and also contain borage oil, vitamin E and
natural emollients. The range is available in six fragrances, with
green tea & grapefruit, neroli & rose and citrus & lavender being
the favourites. To complement the hand wash and lotions they
also have a body wash and lotion in the three favourite scents.
T: +44 (0)1293 525 825
www.heylandandwhittle.co.uk
For thousands of years,
wooden-style spa tubs
have been famous for their
therapeutic wonder. Cedar
wood provides a natural
insulating value which can’t
be found in regular plastic or
acrylic soak barrels.
The tubs from Ancient
Wisdom are re-enforced by
two electro-plated iron wraps for durability and applied with black and
gold paint to create a rustic classic look.
Simply fill it up with hot water, soak your feet and legs in the cask
bucket and melt the day away in pure relaxation. There are three
different sizes available and one with extra massage nubs on the bottom
of the tub. Wholesale prices start at £38 plus VAT per unit.
T: +44 (0)1142 729 165
www.ancientwisdom.biz/fspa
The Naked Bee’s
Orange Blossom
Honey bath and body
products have personal
care needs covered
from head to toe – from
shampoo to restoration
foot balm.
Distributed by
Xystos, the products
are paraben-free and
contain no propylene
glycol, mineral oil,
dyes, pigment, lauryl
or laureth sulfate. And
no animal testing is
ever involved in their
production. There is
a free counter display for the range, which includes hand and
cuticle healing salve, body wash and body lotion, as well as hand
sanitiser, lip balm and soap.
The recently introduced Naked Bee Travel Kit and Mini Bee Kit
have sold well at turn of the year trade shows and Spring Fair.
Says Xystos General Manager Tom Sykes, “People are
increasingly careful about what they put on their skin, and in
Naked Bee we have an easy-to-carry range of products that
contain all the good stuff, none of the bad stuff.”
T: +44 (0)1914 991 570
www.xystostrade.co.uk
giftfocus 53
body beautiful
Ladybug Home Textiles specialises in the production of towels
and bathrobes made from fine Turkish organic cotton. From
its workshops in Bursa, Turkey, the company use yarn dyed
cotton to make a range of high quality design led products – all
hand-loomed and tailored. A stock of products is held in the UK,
available with no minimum order. The company is very flexible
and can also produce custom products with modest minimum
orders. Ladybug Home Textiles has an exclusive distributor in the
USA and in the Netherlands where Pamoek Home is the latest
addition to its distribution network.
T: +44 (0)1753 892 603
www.ladybughome.co.uk
To support an increasing demand for natural skincare gifts, AA Skincare
has launched a new, naturally effective skincare range - AA Skincare
Essentials - formulated from pure essential oils and natural ingredients.
The new range is available as individual products as well as gift set
combinations. For trade customers, prices range from £1.95 for a
50ml Bergamot and Aloe natural deodorant to £3.75 for a Vanilla and
Honey skin polish. Retailers can also mix and match products to design
bespoke gift sets exclusive to their outlets.
T: +44 (0)1179 047 212
www.aaskincare.co.uk
Durance respects the life cycle of
nature and looks at the seasons
for inspiration when developing
new collections. Deeply rooted
in the historical and botanical
heritage of the Cevennes, the
white camellia, a delicate winter
flower, is in perfect harmony with
nature. Durance selects and draws
the best to create a collection with
extract of this flower. Items in the
range include body lotion, shower
gel and silky hand cream.
T: +44 (0)7944 395 374
www.durance.fr
Seascape Island Apothecary is
delighted to introduce the new
Soothe body mist. This light delicate
all-over body spray helps soothe
the soul and uplift the senses. The
mist contains 100 per cent natural
essential oils; as with all Seascape
ingredients, this is sourced from the
UK. Soothe, as the name suggests,
is a relaxing, calming range with
uplifting elements, which is why the
company chose this range to team up with Target Ovarian Cancer; this
year five per cent of all Soothe sales will go to this charity.
T: +44 (0)8450 035 255
www.seascapeuk.com
54 giftfocus
Beefayre’s award-winning Waggledance collection is named after
the dance a honeybee performs to communicate to the rest of
the hive where the sweetest nectar lies.
The Waggledance collection includes candles, reed diffusers,
body butters, shower and bath creams and hand creams in three
uplifting fragrances made with essential oils – Bee Calm, Bee
Happy and Bee Kind.
The products feature fresh designs hand-drawn by illustrator
and founder Sharon Jervis to celebrate this calling of the
honeybee. Beefayre donates three per cent of its profits to bee
conservation to help the honeybee’s plight.
The collection recently won the 2015 Gift of The Year Award for
the Body and Bath category.
T: +44 (0)1858 434 492
www.beefayre.com
Seascape’s 8ml Sleep Oil voted best “de-stress”
product by the Beauty Shortlist 2015 awards.
“Potent, calming and beautiful!”
• Pure Beauty Awards
Silver Award winner:
Best New Natural
Product
• Seascape has products
for the whole family perfect as a gift or for
personal use
• Competitively priced to
both retail & trade
• A 100% British brand
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.seascapeuk.com
Tel:
0845 003 5255
PROUD TO SUPPORT TARGET OVARIAN CANCER
body beautiful
Gone Crabbing has
added to its seaside
soaps with two new bars
for 2015 - Just To Say Thank You features
the Sea Angel fragrance whilst Absolutely Crabulous has a
delicate hint of orange and cinnamon.
T: +44 (0)1328 838 357
www.gonecrabbing.co.uk
Shortlisted for the 2015 Gift of the Year award, the Treat Yourself
Well collection from Shruti Designs features a selection of
products that support a little bit of me-time including wash bags,
brush bags, cosmetic purses, scented candles and reed diffusers,
available in four designs in soft, muted shades and gentle aromas:
bergamot & rosemary, sweet blossom, camomile & lavender, and
lotus & amber.
T: +44 (0)1985 847 774
www.junction18.com
The Vanilla Berry Hat Box from Winter in Venice is ideal for those nights
when you need a hug and a shoulder to nestle your head into - the
ultimate pamper hamper. Bringing a hint of contemporary elegance
to any room, this faux suede storage box is generously filled with bath
salts, soft comfy slippers, body brush, a full size back scrubber and
vitamin enriched toiletries.
T: +44 (0)8456 521 223
www.winterinvenice.co.uk
56 giftfocus
Di Palomo’s dry oil is multifunctional
making it a beauty essential. Dry oil
reinvigorates skin and hair by combining
a one-of-a-kind blend of luxurious
oils blended with vitamin E, which is
immediately absorbed into your skin.
It’s so light, it can even be used on the
face to eliminate dry skin. Used on hair, it
can be an intensive leave-in conditioner,
great for long days on sandy beaches
and protection from the sun, or to give
definition to curly hair, to tame flyaway
hair or just to give a little extra shine to a
completed style. The product is available
in all four of the Di Palomo fragrances.
T: +44 (0)1803 612 772
www.dipalomo.com
Supna Cosmetics
has a new range
of natural halal
face creams to
rejuvenate and
replenish the skin.
The day cream
range comes in
two fragrances,
Jasmine & Cha
and Rose, and
contains essential
ingredients like aloe
vera gel, jojoba oil,
shea butter and vitamin E. The products are halal certified and free
from animal content and alcohol.
The night creams help the skin to regain any moisture lost
during the day by replenishing its natural tone. Their fragrances
are Lavender & Bergamot and Tea Tree & Cinnamon, and like
the day cream contain aloe vera gel, jojoba oil, shea butter and
vitamin E and are also halal certified and free from animal content
and alcohol. Both types of face cream are suitable to wear during
Islamic prayer times.
T: +44 (0)7541 139 209
www.supnacosmetics.com
Simple but
effective design...
...on bone china
mugs and vases
JH Designpoint
Celebrate the bicentenary of
Jane Austen’s “Emma”
and other 2015 events
AWARD-WINNING AND
EXCLUSIVE MUGS, VASES
AND BAUBLES
Designed and made in the UK
www.jhdesignpoint.net
with our collection of commemorative mugs.
Featuring quotes from “Emma” and others such as
MAGNA CARTA, Waterloo and Agincourt.
0141 339 4927
[email protected]
See us at
Stand - 412
Stand - 352
For further information call +44 (0) 1773 740715 or
tableware
plated up
We’ve served up some tasty tableware to offer your customers
At your next Chinese
banquet, serve cups
of green tea alongside
bowls of steaming rice.
Mandarin Arts supplies
quality Oriental tableware,
with a choice of 26 tea sets
and seven bowl sets, not
to mention saké and sushi
sets, tea caddies, lidded mugs with ceramic tea strainers, tea tools,
chopsticks, tablemats and coasters. For a diverse selection of Chinese
and Japanese-style products, such as vases and jars, furniture, netsuke,
scroll pictures, parasols, fans, mahjong, terracotta warriors, figurines
and lacquered and wooden boxes, take a look at the website.
T: +44 (0)1873 812 255
www.mandarinarts.co.uk
Half Moon Bay has some new additions
just in time for the warmer summer
months. Its new Mickey Retro Spot kitchen
range is a perfect addition to brighten up
your mealtimes, whether you’re indoors
cosying up or outdoors embracing
the sun. Featuring Mickey and Minnie
Mouse in bold repeat graphics, the range
is exclusively designed in-house and
features a vibrant ’50s colour palette.
T: +44 (0)1225 473 873
These are just some of the
Plum range of bone china
by Repeat Repeat. They
are lovingly hand-made in
Stoke-on-Trent, the heart
of the English pottery
industry. The designs may
be contemporary, but
traditional techniques are
used to create them, starting with liquid clay poured into a mould
by hand. Repeat Repeat is determined to fly the flag and keep the
traditions of the English potteries alive.
T: +44 (0)1782 845 870
www.repeatrepeat.co.uk
Solo Trading is
showcasing Philippi’s new
seasonal spring collection
at Pulse, featuring an
exciting collection of gift
and interior product ideas.
This innovative stainless
steel Skyscraper bar set
combines an ice bucket, drinks tray, wine cooler, and cocktail shaker.
There’ll also be new products featured from Philippi’s new brochure
launched at the end of 2014, packed with great gifts and interior ideas,
from flasks to key rings, and from fruit bowls to photo frames.
Philippi has a reputation worldwide for design and innovation. Solo
Trading Ltd are the exclusive distributors for the UK and Ireland.
T: +44 (0)1789 262 900
www.sololtd.com
The Wild Flower
Meadow at
Highgrove House
was established
over 30 years ago
by HRH the Prince
of Wales with the
aim of establishing
similar meadows
throughout the UK.
The Coronation
Meadows Project
has been the
inspiration for a
charming new range
of tableware which
shares its name:
the Coronation
Meadows collection
by Burleigh.
Produced at
Middleport Pottery,
the home of Burleigh, using traditional skills, the tableware collection of
finely detailed botanical illustrations includes everyday essentials such
as plates, mugs and bowls, as well as a rectangular serving dish and an
attractive two-tiered cake stand, all providing practical gift ideas.
T: +44 (0)1773 740 740
www.burleigh.co.uk
giftfocus 59
tableware
Mudpie® Living Collection
In a crowded marketplace, the US brand Mudpie Living Collection,
distributed exclusively by importer Joe Davies, takes the shabby
chic genre into the tableware arena. The range is a quirky
combination of ceramics and silver plate spoons, knives and
servers with an original home sentiment twist. Homely sayings are
glazed into the ceramics, and the spoons, knives and forks all have
on-trend words stamped into them.
The collection is extensive, with something for everyone and is
available ‘little and often’ along with the company’s other 8,000
gifting lines. The minimum order is just £100 with free carriage
nationwide.
T: +44 (0)161 975 6300
www.joedavies.co.uk
Castara Designs is taking period features into modern homes
with its collection of tableware and kitchen textiles inspired
by architectural elements. Nouveau Tudor is its first fine bone
china collection of tableware. The bold graphic designs are a
modern interpretation
of Tudor architecture in
Britain. Designed to have
maximum impact as a set,
different designs on each
piece create a dynamic
yet harmonious vignette.
This classic range would
be at home in both period
and modern rooms.
Castara supports British
manufacturers by having
each piece hand-decorated
in Stoke-on-Trent. Prices
vary from RRP of £20-£35.
T: +44 (0) 7810 448 692
www.castaradesigns.com
All Personal Gifts provides a comprehensive range of fine silverplated gifts, including the featured salt and pepper pots that can
be engraved for that personal touch and come in top quality
presentation boxes. In addition to the silver-plate collection, the
company also offer top quality metal products, which will suit all
tastes and budgets. The range consists of business card cases,
desk and table clocks, handbag mirrors, cufflinks, photo frames,
bookmarks, desk and office gifts, novelties and games, key rings,
tableware items and wine and spirit gifts.
T: +44 (0)8000 302 345
With a luxury weight and feel, every sip is a pleasure with
Dartington Crystal’s Circle glassware. Each piece is hand-made with
dishwasher-safe glass, and features a tactile base design of deep
concentric rings. A choice of tumblers is complemented by decanters
and service pieces, also in the range. Designed by Hilary Green, the
Circle collection adds a touch of affordable luxury to the drinks tray
or table.
T: +44 (0)1805 626 262
Creative Tops is pleased to present a new tableware and home
accessories collection, Into The Blue from Mikasa. Celebrate the watery
wonders of the sea with this contemporary tableware collection
featuring natural illustrations and sea blues and seaweed greens.
The mix of different materials from stoneware, coloured glass and
ombre fabrics, provides an authentic hand-made, rustic feel. This
tableware assortment enables the user to mix and match across the
range, using stripes and fish elements on crisp white backgrounds as
well as pretty accent pieces, helping to create a stylish contemporary
feel in the home.
T: +44 (0)1536 207 756
www.creative-tops.com
giftfocus 61
plated up
Enjoy tea with a pretty mug in summery colours and the observations
of Jane Austen; one of a complete set, from a bone china range by JH
Designpoint. The full range of these and other designs can be seen on
the company’s website.
T: +44 (0)1413 394 927
www.jhdesignpoint.net
A classic design by
Hinchcliffe & Barber,
Dorset Delft was one
of the first commercial
designs they created
in the ’80s. Today it’s
credited as one of their
most successful and
sought-after ceramics
ranges. This timeless
design available from
My Gifts Trade, draws
inspiration from the
British tradition of
Delftware and is a
contemporary take on the English country look, depicting blue
farmyard animals set against a fresh creamy glaze.
T: +44 (0)161 946 1234
www.mygiftstrade.co.uk
Duckydora’s tableware range includes plates, mugs, bowls, jugs,
compost caddies, utensil jars and storage canisters. All the ceramics
are designed in the UK and crafted and hand-painted in Europe.
The collection includes three designs, Amalfi, Florence and Sienna, in
a muted colour palate of blues, yellows and pinks. Whether purchased
as an accent piece for the home or as a complete set of tableware,
the collection is perfect for everyday or special occasion use. Mix and
match the Duckydora designs to create your own beautiful table.
T: +44 (0)8434 873 104
www.duckydora.com
62 giftfocus
From paper napkins to placemats, cake stands to coffee cups,
Ulster Weavers has everything required to complete and brighten
any kitchen table. The company has a range of tableware,
including bone china, melamine trays, placemats, coasters and
napkins. To view the full catalogue and tableware offering, visit
the website.
T: +44 (0)2890 329 494
trade.ulsterweavers.com
Fans of the
award-winning
Sophie Conran for
Portmeirion range
are in for a treat
this spring, as the
British tableware
maker announces
the addition of a new
collection, simply
titled Sophie Blue.
The 18-piece
tableware range
boasts a deep blue
motif in a choice of
four complementary
patterns. Set against
the contemporary
hand-thrown
lines for which the
Sophie Conran for
Portmeirion collection is famous, the pattern detailing is inspired
by traditional English sponge-ware techniques.
The serving pieces all come gift-packaged to make an ideal
wedding, new home or birthday present.
T: +44 (0)1782 744 721
www.portmeiriongroup.com
bookshelf
We turn the page on some of the latest gift
books to hit the shelves
HOW TO WIN AT SHOPPING BY
DAVID ZYLA AND EILA MELL
RRP: £8.99
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 978 0 7611 8382 2
How to Win at Shopping isn’t just about
clothes. It teaches how to accessorise
and buy the right make-up, jewellery, and
handbag. Learn how to shop for a job interview,
formal event, wedding, and pregnancy – plus how to navigate a
sample sale and the best day of the week to shop online (Tuesday).
Arming readers with 279 insider tips, David Zyla and Eila Mell
uncover the secrets of the retail world.
Visit www.clairebowlespr.co.uk
DRAWING PROJECTS FOR
CHILDREN BY PAULA BRIGGS
RRP: £14.95
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978 1 9089 6674 2
A step-by-step guide for teachers and
parents eager to expand their child’s
imaginative reach and enjoyment of mark-making. Drawing
Projects for Children is packed full of projects that are engrossing,
entertaining and educational.
Exciting exercises such as drawing to a rhythm, drawing like a
caveman, and drawing by torchlight help children to discover a
love of practical art and mark-making, guiding them through the
fundamentals of drawing – with the emphasis on learning through
having fun. With sessions ranging in difficulty and duration – from
10-minute tasks to longer exercises including making fossils,
appreciating colour and form, and how to make your own artist’s
book, it provides a fresh take on the traditional how-to-draw book.
Visit www.blackdogonline.com
TELL ME A PICTURE BY
QUENTIN BLAKE
LADYBIRD BY DESIGN BY
LAWRENCE ZEEGAN
RRP: £20
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978 0 7232 9392 7
Published to commemorate Ladybird’s 100th
anniversary in 2015, Ladybird by Design is a celebration of
the art and design used by an iconic publishing house over the
past century.
The book investigates the cultural significance and social impact
of these little books, and through a selection of rare photographs
and lavish images, explores their editorial and production origins,
their design, the aesthetics of their typography and illustration, and
the original way in which they captured a very British childhood.
Visit www.vintageladybird.com
RRP: £12.99
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 978 1 8478 0642 0
In 2001, Quentin Blake – the first
Children’s Laureate – chose 26 of his favourite paintings
for an exhibition at the National Gallery, London in 2001. Different
artworks were chosen, some by fine artists, some by children’s
illustrators, but all with one thing in common: a story to tell.
The accompanying book urges children to use their
imaginations and look for the stories in the pictures. Originally
published to accompany the exhibition and now reissued with a
new introduction from Quentin Blake, Tell Me A Picture will show a
new generation the adventures that await in looking at art.
Visit www.franceslincoln.com
MANUSCRIPTS FROM THE BRITISH LIBRARY,
WRAPPING PAPER BOOK FROM PIMPERNEL PRESS
RRP: £12.99
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-9102-5854 5
The book contains twelve sheets of beautifully designed, top quality gift wrap, all folded and glued into a
book, and each measuring 50cm x 70cm when unfolded. The easy-to-remove tear-off pad binding gives a
clean edge and the cover keeps the paper neat and tidy until needed.
This collection features manuscripts by artists, writers and poets from the British Library, the UK’s national
library. The line includes illustrations from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland; two cancelled chapters from
Persuasion by Jane Austen; a selection of writings and diagrams by Leonardo da Vinci; I wandered lonely as
a cloud by William Wordsworth, transcribed by his wife Mary; a fair copy of a poem by Christina Rossetti to
her mother on Valentine’s Day, plus others.
Visit www.pimpernelpress.com
64 giftfocus
pulse
finger on the pulse
Following extensive research amongst the buying community, a new-look Pulse has been
revealed for 2015; here’s a taste of what to expect
In brief
Show
Organiser
Where
When
Website
Open
Twitter
Pulse
Clarion Events
Olympia London
10th - 12th May, 2015
9.30am – 6pm;
9.30am – 5pm on Tuesday
@Pulse_London_
giftfocus 67
finger on the pulse
New and undiscovered products
Pulse 2015 has been curated by a new
panel of market leading experts who have
sourced exclusive gifts, homeware and
fashion accessories, highlighting the very
latest trends, emerging talent and directional
brands for you to buy.
The panel includes Katie Law, Design Writer
for the Evening Standard; David Nicholls,
Features Director at House and Garden; Claire
Foster, fashion trend expert; Trend Bible,
interiors and lifestyle trend agency; and The
Indytute, Master Curators and Retail Gurus.
all year round, supported by live seminars
and features at the show. Pulse Trends is
exclusively curated by the show’s official
trend partner, Trend Bible and Fashion Trends
consultant Claire Foster. Trends for autumn
winter 2015-2016 can be previewed now at
“Pulse Trends will become your source of
inspiration ahead of the Pulse show in May
2015, revealing information on future trends
unseen at any other trade shows.” explains
Trend Bible trend expert, Ruth Hilton.
and business advice.
The line up of speakers will cover subjects
such as the next big thing in social media,
the pop-up retail revolution, crowd-funding
and styling your brand. Discover the full
schedule online.
Shoptalk
Three new departments
Pulse features three exciting new show
departments: Living, Fashion, and the
platform for emerging talent – Launchpad
– featuring over 90 undiscovered rising stars
from both the UK and overseas.
The show’s perfectly timed for Christmas
buying, and the curated Christmas Trail
highlights the pick of the seasonal bunch
for 2015. Also new for this year, Pulse has
partnered with design talent scouts Secret
Emporium to bring you the newest and most
innovative fashion accessory designers.
Pulse Trends – cutting edge insight
Pulse is now providing you with up-tothe-minute trend forecasts and insights
68 giftfocus
ShopTalk at Pulse offers an inspirational talk
and workshop programme featuring practical
advice and expert insight across three new
seminar content streams: e-commerce, trends
For further information please contact
Alexandra Neill on +44 (0)20 7384 7740 or
email [email protected]
You can register now at the website
pulse
Cool Trade Winds
Stand C80
www.cooltradewinds.co.uk
Cool Trade Winds has launched a brightly coloured silk scarf and shawl
collection – perfect for those special summer events or to dress up a
casual outfit. Offering no minimum order value, this is an excellent time
to try the new collection.
Wit With Wisdom
Stand K48
www.witwithwisdom.co.uk
Wit With Wisdom will be showcasing its new collection of
witty wooden signs in on-trend Farrow and Ball paint colours.
Complementing these are its bone china mugs, coasters,
cufflinks and new wooden magnets, all made in the UK. Pulse will
give new customers a chance to buy five each of the company’s
top 12 signs, carriage paid, for only £150, a great way to try the
products out. Popular as ever, the company continues to offer
bespoke signs at no extra charge. Sister brand Deck The Halls
will be launching its new collection in soft greys and whites to
complement contemporary interior design.
Heart of the Country
Stand J70
www.heartofthecountryltd.co.uk
ntryltd.co.uk
Heart of the Country iss proud to
announce exclusive UK
K and Ireland
distribution of the Italian
ian brand Mr &
Mrs Fragrance. Blending
ng technology
with a passion for fragrance
grance and
design, Mr & Mrs Fragrance
ance is all
set to shake up the UK
K home
fragrance industry.
Heart of the Countryy is launching
Mr & Mrs Fragrance at Pulse where
the public will meet George, Mr &
Mrs Fragrance’s iconic electronic diffuser, ‘a friendly shape with
open arms releasing a world of fragrances thanks to the scented
Mr & Mrs capsules’. George is available in soft touch and chrome
as well as a Bluetooth speaker combining scent with sound. The
second design is Sisi, described as ‘a mechanical divertissement
of the 18th century; it hides in the image of a little bird perched on
a tree, the mechanism of the diffusion of perfume’.
Both diffusers utilise Mr & Mrs Capsules, made of alcohol-free
and natural base fragrances. They can be swapped and re-used
many times. Each capsule embodies the experience of a journey
– the collection includes 23 fragrances from enchanting places
around the world.
The Mr & Mrs collection also includes reed diffusers and car
and wardrobe fragrance products.
giftfocus 71
finger on the pulse
Exhibitor profiles
Heaven Scent Incense
Stand H90
www.heavenscent.co.uk
This year, as in recent years, floral candles are very popular.
Heaven Scent Incense has sold the Bluebell candle for many
years and it’s proved to be a best-selling fragrance, even selling
well during the Christmas period.
Last year the company created two more flower combinations
in time for spring/summer, Buttercup Meadow and Wild Flowers.
These scents depict the wild flower smells found outside on a
warm country walk.
Jo Clarke Design
Stand H72
www.joclarkdesign.co.uk
Visit Jo Clarke Design’s stand for some ultra fresh and tasty new designs
that are sure to make you feel great, including the new Fruit and Veg
greeting card range. There’ll also be the usual suspects featuring Cats
in Hats and Doggy Dress-Up, alongside all-new calendars and colouring
books, mugs and gorgeous gifts for Christmas.
72 giftfocus
Kutuu
Stand J10
www.kutuuwholesale.co.uk
Kutuu will be returning to Pulse this year with its established range of
pewter gifts including recent additions, such as gemstone bracelets
and cufflinks, alongside new launches for Christmas 2015. The range
includes packaging, and free point-of-sale display items are available
with first orders, which can be added to further down the line.
Additionally, Kutuu can work with you to create an exclusive design or
range with specific words, phrases or symbols.
Ladybug Home Textiles
Stand G16
Ladybug Home
Textiles will be
displaying its designdriven organic
cotton towels and
bathrobes. Its range
of bathrobes, from
flat weave lightweight peshtemal
kimonos to mediumweight spa robes and
full-weight robes,
has been increased
with new colours
and designs. Like
all of the company’s
products, these
are produced in its
workshops in Bursa
Turkey, using the finest Turkish, organic, yarn dyed cotton on
hand looms, hand-tailored and finished. Ladybug Home Textiles
will also be displaying its latest colours and designs of towels as
well as its ever-popular traditional ranges.
COOL TRADE WINDS
Tel: 01425 461 594 | Mob: 07906 627 691
Email: [email protected] www.cooltradewinds.co.uk
COME SEE US AT
PULSE STAND G16
* Award-winning towels and
bathrobes transmitting warmth
and luxury that fascinate the eyes
and seduce the senses
* Made of 100% organic Bergama
cotton, hand loomed
by master weavers
* Natural colour fast dyes
* An expression of luxury lifestyle,
typical of people who know how to
treat themselves well and how to
feel well about themselves
Tel: 01753 892603 Fax: 01753 892001 Email: [email protected]
pulse
RJB Stone
Stand: G36
www.rjbstone.com
With over 20 on-trend themes to explore, RJB Stone present
original Sass & Belle product collections to the savvy retailer.
Focusing on artfully developed themes that’ll attract customers of
all ages and tastes, the products have been re-categorised by the
company to ensure that selecting the perfect range for you is easy
and efficient. Passionate about providing retailers with beautifully
conceptualised products at principled prices, RJB Stone continue
to stand out from the crowd with one-of-a-kind designs and expert
delivery. Visit the stand to discover mid-season trends under
categories such as Floral – bringing classical and modern beauty
together through seamless design; Modern Moroccan – matching
the identity of an iconic culture with the joy of the modern home;
and Family and Friends – capturing the spirit of affection with fun,
fearlessness and femininity. Maintaining their customer focus, RJB
Stone are also offering a tempting five per cent discount on all
orders worth £500+ (before VAT) placed at the show.
Shruti Designs
Stand F66
www.junction18.com
Shruti Designs is showcasing a new category, British Talent – this
includes products from home grown designers including Susie
Faulks, Lisa Buckridge and Casey Rogers for autumn/winter 2015.
There’s a range of retro velvets with a definite ’70s vibe in various
styles and autumnal colours including handbags, washbags and
purses, a new collection in soft oil-cloth with a woodland pattern,
and an extensive range of Cosy Up blankets in seasonal tones.
The core Shruti lines for high summer 2015 in a fresh, cool
palette will also be available for immediate delivery. Items include
cotton scarves, handbags and other must-have accessories.
Arthouse Meath
Stand J82a
www.arthousemeath.com
Arthouse Meath is
a social enterprise
that presents the
talents and skills
of adults living
with complex
epilepsy, learning
and physical
difficulties. Artists
work alongside art
instructors who
enable groups or
individuals to create
artworks, which
are developed into
designer products for sale. All work derives from the skills each artist
brings to the enterprise and every contribution holds true value. All
sales revenue goes back into the business for ongoing development.
Products include hand silk screen printed cards that are well-known
for their warmth and humour. Also popular are dog, cat, bird, dancer,
boats and British wildlife designs that appear on products ranging from
fine bone china mugs and jugs to tea towels, notebooks and gift wrap.
giftfocus 75
finger on the pulse
Exhibitor profiles
Repeat Repeat
Stand H19
www.repeatrepeat.co.uk
Repeat Repeat has added more designs to its successful
Menagerie range designed by Gillian Naylor and Mark Faulkner.
Inspired by the art of découpage, the range features a weird world
of vibrantly coloured flora, fauna and Neoclassical architecture.
The generously proportioned bone china mug holds well over half
a pint, perfect for anyone who prefers a bigger drink. It’s made in
Stoke-on-Trent, the heart of the English pottery industry.
Solo
Stand H20
www.sololtd.com
Solo has added a new computerised rotary engraving machine, which
has enabled them to extend their personalisation product range to
items that require engraving around curved surfaces such as tankards
and awards.
Solo has been personalising metal gifts with diamond engraving
for over 20 years, but over the last five years, there’s been a meteoric
resurgence in personalisation driven by online innovations. In that
time, Solo has seen its wholesale business change from having a
handful of personalisation customers to now accounting for 60 per
cent of the wholesale business.
Solo has eight computerised diamond engraving machines, a huge
range of engraveable gifts and flexible processes, all of which are vital
for its personalisation service. View the collection at Pulse.
76 giftfocus
Beefayre
Stand K28
www.beefayre.com
Beefayre will be launching its new autumn/winter 2015 collection at
Pulse. The Christmas collection includes reed diffusers, candles and tea
lights and will be available in three new seasonal fragrances. Three per
cent of all Beefayre profits are donated to bee conservation.
For the first time the company will be showcasing its new Hyacinth
range, a perfect fragrance for spring. The fragrance is an addition to the
Bee Garden collection, which is inspired by the flowers and bees from
the British countryside.
Beefayre is offering free delivery for all trade orders placed at the
show with a minimum order of £150.
Tempest Designs
Stand A68
www.tempestdesigns.co.uk
Tempest Designs is
storming ahead with its
leather range, launching
hundreds of new styles
every season, offering
a premium quality
product at the right price
for today’s competitive
marketplace. Savvy
buyers who are looking
for quality and price
should check out on this collection.
pulse
Olive & Belle
Stand K41a
www.oliveandbelle.co.uk
Olive & Belle are delighted to be back at Pulse again this year,
launching not only a range of gift wrap but also new card range
Peppercorn Press. Comprising 18 designs, this quirky range
features a selection of British wildlife, animals and pretty florals.
Designed and printed in the UK, each card is sized 120mm x
170mm and comes complete with a recycled kraft envelope.
Life Charms
Stand D78
www.lifecharms.co.uk
Exciting new brand Life Charms will be launching six new designs for
summer, along with its highly anticipated wedding collection. See the
gorgeous designs for yourself at the stand. Life Charms has exclusively
offered Gift Focus readers the chance to use the code GIFTFOCUS10
which will give 10 per cent off online purchases.
Red Hen Originals
Stand H16
www.redhenoriginals.com
Launched
in 2008 by
professional
artist Julia
Burns, Red Hen
Originals is a
quirky lifestyle
brand, which
oozes both
charm and
integrity. Based
on the most
traditional of
crafts – potato
printing – and
inspired by the stunning countryside surrounding her North
Yorkshire home, Julia’s original imagery and innate sense of style
give her products a contemporary edge with a broad appeal.
Despite the economic climate of the past few years, this little
business continues to grow, surprise and delight.
Temerity Jones
Stand E18
www.temerityjones.com
The summer season will be in full swing on the Temerity Jones stand
at Pulse this year. This is the company’s debut at this prestigious
show, and it’ll be launching its fabulous new Summer Festival range,
including picnic-ware, cocktail sets, inflatable swans and ukuleles –
everything you’ll need to make your shop ready for a summer of fun.
giftfocus 77
new exhibitor showcase
We reveal some of this year's hottest new suppliers
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Visit the 14th Exclusively Housewares and this year also enjoy Exclusively Electrical, which
will run alongside the show for the first time
In brief
Show
Organiser
Where
When
Website
Opening times
Twitter
and Exclusively Electrical
Brooke House Exhibitions
Business Design Centre,
Islington, London
9th - 10th June, 2015
www.exclusivelyhousewares.co.uk;
www.exclusivelyelectrical.co.uk
9am - 5.30pm
@ExclusivelyHW;
@ExclusivelyElec
Visitors to Exclusively Housewares and
the new Exclusively Electrical show will be
able to take advantage of three valuable
presentations being offered by the shows
this year.
All will take place on the second day of
the show, starting at 10am with Mike Robey,
Sustainable Electricals Programme Manager
of WRAP, the government’s resource efficiency
body. Mike will be covering the latest news
on the Electrical Sustainability Action Plan
(esap), which seeks to deliver value through
sustainability for electrical appliance
suppliers and retailers.
He will be followed at 10.30am by Anthony
Williams, housewares Account Director
from leading market research company GfK.
Anthony will be providing a briefing session
titled The changing face of food preparation
and dining, which will cover developments in
the housewares and small electricals market.
Finally, at 11am, trend forecasting agency
Scarlet Opus, represented by Victoria
Redshaw and Phil Pond, will be sharing their
thinking and research on the design, material
and pattern trends that are likely to have
the most impact on the housewares and
small electricals product sectors – focusing
on Christmas 2015 and on into the spring/
summer season for 2016.
All three sessions will take place in the
Anthony Williams
Mike Robey
presentation room located opposite stand
442 on the Gallery, which will be signposted.
They’re free to attend, with seats allocated on
a first come, first served basis.
Phil Pond
Victoria Redshaw
The presentation room will also feature a
trends display prepared by the Scarlet Opus
team utilising material from exhibitors, which
will be available for visitors to view. g
giftfocus 81
exclusively housewares
make a happy home
make a happy home
Do your Christmas shopping at
Visitors to this year’s Exclusively Housewares
and new Exclusively Electrical show are being
encouraged to come along and do their
Christmas shopping when they attend.
“June is a good time to place orders for
delivery in October ready for the busy
Christmas sales period,” says Show Director
Simon Boyd. “So we’re asking all our exhibitors
to think ahead and make sure they’ve got
some good offers available.”
With high-end kitchen gadgets, colourful
sets of kitchen appliances, matching
accessories, great tableware, juicers and coffee
machines all making great functional gifts,
the show will have plenty of seasonal present
ideas for visitors to take a look at.
“Exclusively Housewares and Exclusively
Electrical will be the perfect place to find
attractive Christmas gift ideas to help attract
footfall – and whether the items ordered are
a mainstream or complementary offer, they
will add colour and impact to any festive
retail environment.
“Many products in housewares and
electricals are fashion-led, on-trend, and are
often a key visual element in the home. They
also make great gifts – so whether you run
a kitchen showroom, a department store, a
specialist cookshop, or a general electrical
store, a good product offer will help to create
interest and deliver good profit margins.”
The Christmas shopping promotion will be
presented as a Christmas Offer Trail, with a
special Christmas tree icon and leaflet to help
guide visitors around the offers in both shows.
Exclusively Housewares and Exclusively
Electrical are both free to visit for bona fide
trade buyers. All visitors will be well looked
after, with free refreshments on offer, and
includes lunch.
82 giftfocus
Buyers interested in visiting either show
can register their interest online via
www.exclusivelyhousewares.co.uk or
www.exclusivelyelectrical.co.uk or by
calling +44 (0)1212 371 130.
make a happy home
Xystos
Stand 422
www.xystostrade.co.uk
Retailers are placing repeat
orders for the HearthWick
range, which has been flying
off the shelves. It was a best
seller for Xystos at turn-ofthe-year shows and Spring
Fair where the stylish vessels,
stunning fragrances, different
coloured waxes and oneof-a-kind wicks made it a
favourite with buyers. Some
12 new scents have been
added, including Fireside
(pictured), Baby Powder,
Island Coconut, Jasmina,
Dew Drops and Marionberry.
Dartington Crystal
Stand 316
The UK’s only remaining crystal and glass manufacturer focuses
on grass roots with a selection of quality hand-made crystal
products created in Devon – with a mix of on-trend colours.
You’ll also find several collections of boxed drinkware, which
each has its original appeal, as well as an array of gifts.
Ulster Weavers
Stand 418
www.trade.ulsterweavers.com
The Ulster Weavers’ new quirky Dotty Sheep range is a perfect addition
to the home. With fun, colourful patterns across a wide range of
products including kitchen textiles, tableware and bags, the items will
brighten up any room. Visit the stand to see the full collection.
Denby
Stand 412
www.denby.co.uk
Kyoto is the new addition to the Monsoon Home dinnerware
collection by Denby, featuring an oriental inspired floral design in
soft watercolour tones of aqua and blue with contrasting accents
of tangerine and pink.
Known for its feminine and eclectic designs, the collection by
Denby blends together the exotic allure of eastern colour and
prints, with a western bohemian style and influence. With Denby’s
expertise in manufacturing ceramics for over 200 years, Kyoto is
stylish, practical and durable, making the entire range suitable for
use in the oven, dishwasher, microwave and freezer.
84 giftfocus
Intoducing
Maya
See us at
Stand - 412
Stand - 352
For further information call +44 (0) 1773 740715 or
far from extinct
Managing Director Rebecca Jay takes us back over the past 50 years of the
original family planner, the Dodo Pad
Dodo Pad is celebrating its 50th anniversary
this year. How did it all begin?
Writer, painter and illustrator Sir John Verney
launched the Dodo Pad in 1966. He had a
family of seven children and he was looking
for a way of organising the comings and
goings of the family. He came up with the idea
of a grid format so that everyone’s activities
and appointments could be easily seen at a
glance and, as an artist and incredibly witty
man, embellished this with illustrations and
anecdotes. The story goes that he was having
a conversation with his publisher William
Collins, who asked him about the topic of his
next book. He told him that he was done with
writing books and would now be spending
his time creating the Dodo Pad. The notion
was that it would be a tool to ensure family
time didn’t become extinct because of the
pressures of daily life, hence the name.
Publisher Harper Collins saw the
commercial opportunity because the Dodo
Pad was a product that would be printed
every year and hopefully engender repeat
purchase. The Dodo Pad was born and it was
initially hugely successful, with more than
25,000 copies produced every year by the
mid ’70s.
How did you develop the Dodo brand?
By 1995 – almost 30 years after the launch
of Dodo Pad – production had reduced to a
tiny print run of 4,000 a year. Harper Collins
sold its stationery division in this year and
Dodo Pad was not included as part of the
sale because of the short print run. Dodo Pad
had been hugely popular through the ’60s
and ’70s, but it suffered for various reasons,
including VAT rules at the time and the fact
that Sir John Verney was getting older.
My involvement came in 1996. I’d been
working as CEO of Eastern Europe for Saatchi
86 giftfocus
& Saatchi over in Prague. In early 1995, the
business started to fall into decline following
moves by a USA-based investment analyst
to remove chairman Maurice Saatchi from
the board. The company was in turmoil and
I found out, quite unexpectedly, that I was
pregnant. I decided to take redundancy and
move back to the UK.
Here I was, back in the UK and pregnant
– very happily so, but I should add that at
the age of 40 I knew I had a big decision to
make. I’d been offered the chance to continue
working for the newly-formed M&C Saatchi
agency in London, knowing it would be 14-to15-hour days. Up until then I’d enjoyed a great
career, but I didn’t know if I could cope with
this and a new baby.
By chance, just after my son was born in
early 1996, I received a call from one of my
best girlfriends, asking if I’d speak to another
of her friends about Dodo Pad. I’d been given
a Dodo Pad diary as a gift for Christmas
when I was young and remembered it very
fondly, and all those years later it was almost
unchanged. This was a family diary and I
was a new mum. All my experience to date
had been in branding development and
advertising, and I saw a brand with heritage
and humour that I felt had relevance. At that point I genuinely believed we’d
just be having a 30-minute conversation;
however, when I spoke to Bee Peak, she told
me about her plans to save Dodo Pad from
extinction and asked if I’d be prepared to
help. Thanks to my redundancy package, I
had the luxury of not needing to get straight
back to work so thought it’d be an interesting
project to keep my brain working in the early
days of motherhood. I remember having my
son James – just weeks old at the time – on
my lap, with a pen in the other hand, as we
launched our bid to save the Dodo Pad.
Bee had been to uni with Sir John Verney’s
daughter and had a very similar sense of
humour and artistic talent and, with my
professional background, it was a brilliant
company profile
team effort.
We published ourselves and printed
5,000 copies of the 1997 edition. We had
a marvellous article printed in the Sunday
Times and had 3,500 orders placed on the
back of that alone. By December 1996, we’d
completely sold out and had to put on
another print run to fulfil the orders. Starting
from scratch to build a retail customer
base, by the autumn we had more than 70
outlets including Fortnum & Mason, the John
Lewis Partnership and Selfridges. We had
no computers in our converted sitting room
office and our first edition was definitely a
triumph of belief over experience because, as
first time publishers, we had none!
In early 1997, at a ‘wash-up’ meeting to
review how things had gone, I said that I
believed we had a business that could be
developed and that we should go for it so I
became a 50 per cent shareholder and we
devised a five-year plan. In the years to come
we set about developing the brand into other
areas of life that could benefit from the Dodo
Pad style and we started by creating recipe,
gardening and travel organisers.
Due to manufacturing costs, production
had to move from the UK to China and we
were able to develop the range of niche
organiser products, such as our wedding
book. Naomi McBride, a very talented artist
and designer came on board as a compiler of
the Dodo Pad in 2005 and remains an integral
part of today’s creative and development
team. In that year I also looked at how we
could get better cash flow for the business, as
our income was hugely skewed towards the
second half of the year. We came up with the
idea of the mid-year planner (August-August)
Acad-Pad, predominantly aimed at students
and academics. This product was aimed at
a new generation, as well as helping with
year round cash flow. We’d been incredibly
popular in the ’60s and ’70s and we were now
on to the third generation of families using
the Dodo Pad. The Acad-Pad has proved
incredibly popular in the 10 years since it was
launched and is used by thousands of newer,
younger customers who buy it alongside the
Dodo Pad and not instead of it. Over the past
five years we’ve developed each brand into
a variety of size formats and more recently
we’ve branched into everyday stationery,
including jotters and reminder pads, which
have so far been a runaway success.
What products do you offer?
Dodo Pad offers products to organise every
single aspect of life. As well as our original
Dodo Pad diaries and planners, we of course
have the Acad-Pad, wedding planners for
brides-to-be, dinner party planners, wall
planners, jotter pads, an organiser for mumsto-be, house moves, household chores and
wellbeing - and everything in between.
Why do people love the Dodo brand?
The brand really does have a personality and
people relate to it. It’s funny, it’s witty and it’s
quirky and creative. Dodo Pad is a one-of-akind brand that people love. What other diary
brand have you ever heard people say they
love? Dodo Pad has also been a leader in its
field. There may be a number of planners
available now that use the grid format in
some shape or form – but all of them are
based on the original Dodo Pad.
Who is Lord Dodo?
Lord Dodo is the eponymous character who
has ‘appeared’ in Dodo Pad diaries since
1966. But does he really exist? Is he a man?
Is he a dodo? Nobody knows! He’s in charge
of Dodo Pad’s Twitter account, but he’s a
very mysterious character and nobody has
actually ever seen him!
How are you celebrating 50 years of
Dodo Pad?
Our main celebration is a party at Claydon
House in Buckinghamshire, seat of the
Verney family for more than 550 years, on
19th June. We’re also launching our special
50th anniversary Golden Jubilee collection
of Dodo Pad diaries and planners, designed
in gold and purple. For this edition, we’ve
reproduced a set of some of the best
illustrations and weekly grid designs from
the past 50 years. By coincidence (or was it
design?) 1966, like 2016, was also a leap year
so many of the illustrations have been able to
be lifted straight from the original Dodo Pad.
At the base of each grid is a small watermark
stamp marking the year it first appeared.
What future developments do you foresee
for Dodo Pad?
We’ve some exciting plans in progress for the
2017 edition of the Dodo Pad and we plan, for
the first time, to print in full colour. Currently
we use a two colour palette on any page but
with the development and success of some of
our more recent stationery products, we want
to expand this into the diaries, retaining and
enhancing the character of Dodo Pad.
We’re also looking at the potential for
a digital Dodo Pad, which will involve a
collaborative project with a partner. Another
important aspect for me, in terms of the future
of Dodo Pad, is to bring more print production
back to the UK. For the first time in 15 years,
partial production of our diary range is now
being done in the UK, but I’d like to increase
this even more. g
For further information, visit the website
www.dodopad.com
giftfocus 87
rugby world cup
carry them home
The Rugby World Cup 2015 is here and the world’s
top 20 teams can now begin the final countdown to
the game’s showcase event, which will be hosted in
England and Cardiff this September and October
The London Silver Company.Com is an
exclusive licensee to the Rugby World Cup 2015
in the creation of hand-made sterling silver
jewellery. The collection includes cufflinks,
tie slides, collar stiffeners, money clips and
key rings.
The company also has licenses to create
jewellery for England, Wales, Australia, New
Zealand and South African rugby. Perfect gifts for
him or her, whoever they support in the Rugby
World Cup.
T: +44 (0)20 3150 0340
www.thelondonsilvercompany.com/rwc2015
ExaClair, the
UK subsidiary
of Exacompta
Clairefontaine,
is sure to delight
Rugby World
Cup fans with
Ruckfield, a new
Clairefontaine
Collection of
rugby-themed
stationery, bags
and accessories.
The range is
endorsed by
legendary French
rugby star Sebastien Chabal, with each product featuring his silhouette as he carries
the ball in his trademark one-handed style.
Nick Parry, Head of Art and Craft at ExaClair, says Ruckfield’s tagline, Road to
England, will capitalise on the excitement in the run up to the Rugby World Cup. “The
collection is fun and styled to appeal to both male and female rugby fans. With so
many different items including magazine holders, numerous note pads, rucksacks
and pencil cases, the range is worth a try and sure to convert into sales.”
T: +44 (0)1553 696 600
www.exaclair.co.uk
Ulster Weavers has been producing textiles
for over 125 years and are proud to offer
officially licensed Rugby World Cup 2015
kitchen textiles, designed to bring a touch of
colour and rugby to the home. All purchases
of official licensed product assist with
promoting and developing the game of rugby
around the world for all to enjoy.
T: +44 (0)2890 329 494
www.ulsterweavers.com
A new, fun member to Pyramid Internationals’
officially licensed premier commemorative mug
collection is the player mug. This 11oz, ceramic,
dishwasher and microwave proof mug incorporates
the Rugby World Cup logo and makes an ideal gift for
any rugby aficionado at home or in the office.
T: +44 (0)116 284 3645
www.pyramidinternational.com
giftfocus 89
pg live
Here’s a little taster of what’s in store at PG Live’s seventh
annual show
In brief
Show
PG Live
Organiser Max Exhibitions
Where
Business Design
Centre, London
When
2nd – 3rd June, 2015
Website www.progressivegreetingslive.com
Open
2nd June: 9.30am - 6pm;
3rd May: 9.30am - 4.30pm
PG Live facts
• Lucky for some – 2015 is the seventh
The UK is a world-leader in greeting card
design and publishing, so it’s no surprise that
PG Live is playing host to the largest collection
of greeting card publishers in the world –
perfect for gift shops looking to do their
greeting card buying.
PG Live brings the greeting card industry
together, making the two-day show an ideal
place to source fresh products and find
exciting new publishers and artists.
Diversification is key to retail, and greeting
cards continue to increase in importance to
gifts shops – with 29 per cent of independent
gift retailers reporting that they were looking
to start selling cards during 2015. A wise
move, considering that over 90 per cent of
gift retailers who already carry cards reported
growing or stable sales, with many of them
reporting that cards are the fastest-growing
area of their business. With this in mind, PG
Live offers a perfect opportunity to ensure that
your card offering is as modern and fresh as
the rest of your store.
Over 220 exhibitors will be showcasing
their latest collections, ranging from major
publishers and leading brands to boutique
names and new designers. Most importantly,
PG Live gives gift shops the opportunity to see
the fantastic new releases from high-profile
specialist gift shop suppliers like Belly Button
Designs, Five Dollar Shake, Blue-Eyed Sun,
Wendy Jones Blackett and Glick Designs.
“The support that’s been shown to PG Live
is fantastic,” said Simon Boyd, Joint Show
Director. “We have all the major publishers
exhibiting, and many of them have some
incredibly exciting plans in store for the show,
with major launches, private viewing rooms
and even a few celebrity visits.”
PG Live show.
• Over 220 exhibitors will be showcasing
their latest creations and ranges.
• PG Live attracts buyers and exhibitors
from 40 different countries.
• PG Live’s free lunch service sees
1,200 buffet lunches, 300 rounds of
sandwiches and 1,800 soft drinks served
each day.
• Over £8,500 worth of Gold and Silver
tickets are given to The Reta Award
winners and nominees each year to
spend at the show. The Greats Award
winners and nominees will also be
receiving them for the very first time
this year.
This year’s Springboard section is also
playing host to over 80 new specialist
publishers who’ve never exhibited before,
with many of them gearing their offering
specifically to the needs of gift shops.
Everyone visiting and exhibiting at PG
Live receives free refreshments throughout
the show, a delicious complimentary
two-course lunch, a colourful keepsake
show catalogue, full use of the Henry Cole
Buyers’ Lounge and a free post-show
drinks party on the first night.
Register now at
www.progressivegreetingslive.com or call
the team on +44 (0)1635 297 070.
giftfocus 91
Exhibitor profiles
Alljoy Design
Stand 770
www.alljoydesign.com
Alljoy Design will be showcasing its new pop-up cards. All cards are flat
packed, and will pop up automatically when you open the card. There
are 12 animal designs and 12 Christmas designs. The cards measure
180mm x 180mm, and are left blank inside for your own message.
There is a display unit available to present your cards.
Intelligent Retail
Stand 431
www.intelligentretail.co.uk
Intelligent Retail
specialises
in Intelligent
EPoS, Intelligent
e-commerce and
website design,
together with central
stock control. If you
want an e-commerce
website, Intelligent
Retail’s experts
can design and
implement your
website and link it to
a Connect till in your
shop – making it easy
to sell in-store and
online. It has already
helped hundreds of
retailers to sell across store and web successfully.
Intelligent Retail says, “With us, you only do things once. It’s
beautifully simple. You work efficiently to increase profits with
central stock control and reports.”
92 giftfocus
Blue Eyed Sun
Stand 524
www.blueeyedsun.co.uk
Blue Eyed Sun is launching two new ranges of Christmas cards.
The Enchantment collection is based on beautiful original
machine-stitched artworks by Jo Corner. Hand-finished with
jewels, the range includes 32 Christmas designs to complement
their new best-selling everyday Enchantment cards. These
Christmas cards all come cello-wrapped with a red envelope and
are 160mm square.
Little Lights is based on delicate illustrations by Jo Corner and
feature hand-finished jewels to resemble little Christmas lights
on the card. This new range, printed on luxurious watercolour
board, includes 32 designs, including all the top selling Christmas
captions. These beautiful 160mm square Christmas cards are
blank inside and all come cello-wrapped with a red envelope.
Blue Eyed Sun’s cards are available to order through its tradeonly website and the 2015 brochure, and the company also has a
team of sales agents across the country that can come in to see
you with samples and help you choose the right look for your shop.
Exhibitor profiles
Judy Lumley
Stand 706
www.judylumley.com
If you’re looking for something original and special for your 2015
Christmas card collection, Judy Lumley Print has just the answer.
The linocut three-dimensional cards are now available in a new
winter collection. This includes Santa, a Christmas tree, as well
as a pheasant, turkey and a partridge in a pear tree also joining
the existing range of animals. Each card folds out to become a
three-dimensional paper sculpture, making a perfect addition to
the Christmas decorations. Visit the stand to see the full range of
cards, now featuring motorbikes, cyclists and sailboats.
Amscan International
Stand 236
www.amscan.co.uk
A leading supplier of party
products, balloons and
costumes Amscan International
will be returning to Progressive
Greetings Live again this year. On
display you can look forward to
seeing an array of foil balloons
from its extensive collection,
featuring innovative formats
and the latest designs and
licences. From Mini balloons to
the impressive AirWalkers there’s
something to suit every business within the greetings sector. The
company’s hot new ranges include Paw Patrol, Minions and Big Hero 6
to name a few. Also look out for its exciting new retail balloon concept
to provide a convenient solution when creating balloon bouquets.
Heaven Sends
Stand 336
www.heavensends.com
Heaven Sends is excited to return to Progressive Greetings Live to
display its expansive range of attractive stationery and innovative
packing solutions. The current range encompasses quirky stitched
greetings cards, vintage floral tags, rope twine, chalk stickers,
printed washi tape and much, much more.
Laura Darrington
Stand 435
www.lauradarrington.co.uk
Laura Darrington will be
exhibiting its Christmas 2015
collection, which introduces
a burst of colour for the
festive season. The designs
are foiled and embossed to a
high standard and presented
on 120mm x 170mm cards.
The trade price is £1.25 and
RRP £2.99. Laura will also be
exhibiting new masculine
designs, plus an exciting
collaboration with Glick will see
the launch of wrap and gift bag
collections on show.
94 giftfocus
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Joanna Pollard, Chair of BAFTS
BAFTS news
Joanna Pollard, Chair of BAFTS, the British Association of Fair Trade Shops
and Suppliers, brings you the latest news in Fair Trade retailing
Annual conference
BAFTS members work together to bring about
improvements in the status of developing
world producers through Fair Trade retailing
and campaigning. Our annual conference
offers fantastic opportunities for formal and
informal networking between our members.
This buzzing two-day event in the middle of
May features workshops, speakers and panel
discussions which cover a range of topical
issues within the wider Fair Trade movement.
To reflect our national membership, our
conference moves around the country; recent
venues have been Leeds, Fife, Reading and,
this year, Leicester. We always seek out
like-minded venues which can offer fairlytraded refreshments and have an interest in
social justice.
BAFTS at Spring Fair
Spring Fair at the NEC in Birmingham is one
of the biggest dates in the giftware calendar
and this year 31 of our supplier members
were exhibiting – the highest figure to date.
We also took over the Trends theatre for a 45
A school in Nepal supported by one
of our supplier members
minute panel discussion on Tips for Successful
Fair Trade Retailing this February and were
delighted with the jam-packed attendance,
which left some standing at times!
BAFTS membership
Membership is based on adherence to the
10 Principles of Fair Trade as set down by
the WFTO (World Fair Trade Organisation)
of which we are a member. These principles
cover 10 basic points for ethical trading such
as payment of a fair price, ensuring no child
or forced labour, creating opportunities for
economically disadvantaged producers,
gender equality and the right to join a union.
Many of our members are inspired to get
involved with Fair Trade in the first place
through first-hand experience of travelling
to developing countries and seeing the
challenges faced by marginalised producers
and their families. Through developing
ongoing, long-term trading partnerships with
their producers, members are able to make
a real difference in communities. Members
contribute to many groundbreaking projects
BAFTS annual conference
which result in, for example, children being
able to attend school rather than work;
communities having fresh running water for
the first time ever; a family getting the leaking
hole in their roof mended; or simply making
sure workers have enough food to eat, or are
able to afford basic medicines.
World Fair Trade Day
May is a busy time for Fair Trade. May 9th is
World Fair Trade Day, the following weekend
is the BAFTS Conference and shortly after
comes the WFTO Biennial Conference,
held this year in Milan. One lucky member
received a bursary to attend on our behalf.
This is important to ensure that our views are
represented at this important event. g
BAFTS is the British Association of Fair
Trade Shops and Suppliers, a national
member organisation offering advice
to, and providing a community for Fair
Trade shops and wholesale suppliers who
trade fairly with the developing world.
The company currently has just over 140
members and this figure is increasing all
the time. For further information, please
visit www.bafts.org.uk
96 giftfocus
maiden voyage
Noah Crutchfield, owner of Maiden in fashionable Shoreditch, reveals all
about his brick n’ mortar store, online presence and pop-up shop
What’s your career background?
I started working at Harvey Nichols on the
shop floor many years ago and loved it. After
a few years of working my way up in various
companies, I became Head of Retail at the
Design Museum. After that, I was Furniture
Sales Manager at Heal’s Tottenham Court
Road and then I was Retail Manager at
the Southbank Centre. I gained loads of
experience in all the key retail areas like
buying, visual merchandising and operations.
When did you open the shop and why?
Maiden opened in 2009. I wanted to open
my own shop because I felt I had gained
enough experience in other retail positions
and I wanted to challenge myself by starting
my own business. It felt like the right time in
my life to do it; I’d always had the dream of
having my own shop and I wanted to make
it happen.
What made you also launch the
online shop?
Any gift retailer who wants to survive and
grow must have an online presence. It’s a
great additional revenue stream and also
a great shop window for all our wonderful
products. Moreover, the cost of running an
online shop is absolutely tiny in comparison
to a bricks and mortar store. If you want to
be taken seriously as a business, then you
must have a good online store. That’s a fact.
Nowadays many people will check your
products out online first before coming in to
the store to have a look. Also, customers want
choice, and therefore giving customers the
choice to buy in store or online is vital.
What items do you sell
and which suppliers
do you use?
Maiden sells a
large range of fun
gift items and
lifestyle product
including ceramics,
homeware,
lighting, books, soft
furnishings, cards
and toys. We have
nearly 100 different
suppliers, so it’s
impossible to
name them all.
How do you keep ahead of the game in
regards to trends?
I’m based in the heart of Shoreditch, an area
that’s globally recognised as trendsetting and
ahead of others in terms of fashion, design
and lifestyle fads. Therefore I don’t need to
travel that far to see what’s on trend. I also
go online a lot to design-led websites to see
what new products are being launched.
Social media is also great, because you can
follow people whose aesthetic and eye you
like and see what’s inspiring them. I go into
central London regularly to look at all the big
department stores. The visual merchandising
and store windows are a total inspiration. I
also visit cities like Paris and New York to see
the shops there and what they’re selling.
Which trade shows do you attend and why?
I go to Top Drawer and Pulse in London because
I think they’re the best curated shows in terms of
what products I’m looking for.
I also visit Maison et Object in Paris as it’s the
best international show for gifts and homeware.
What’s your current best-seller?
The rabbit night-light from Rex International
has been our best-selling item for years.
98 giftfocus
retailer interview
Do you do much on social network sites, and
if so how do you use them?
I use social media every day to post photos
of new products and new displays to remind
customers of key gifting dates like Valentine’s,
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
Social media is a great way of starting a
conversation with customers and engaging
them with your products. Facebook is a great
way of advertising specific products to a
targeted audience and it has great analytics,
so you see how your customers have engaged
with each campaign.
What’s next for Maiden? Do you have plans
to open up more shops?
Our pop-up shop The Gift Box was so
successful that we’ve decided to keep it open
for the whole of 2015. We’re also looking at
locations for an additional retail space for
later this year. We feel much more confident
about expanding further now that we’ve
proved to ourselves we can be successful in
two locations. g
Do you ever hold events or promotional
evenings in your store?
Yes, we often hold pop-up events in our
basement space. We’ve hosted lots of fun
things down there over the years such as
Eat Your Heart Out, the world’s first adultsonly cake shop. We also hosted a number
of royal wedding themed events and events
to celebrate the London Olympics. We tied
product ranges around those events and got
lots of publicity because we were one of the
only shops doing something creative and fun
based around them.
What category of customer is your store
aimed at?
Our target customer is 20 to 45 years old with
a playful sense of style and appreciation of
popular culture. Shoreditch is an area that’s
absolutely buzzing with young professional
people and young tourists, so it’s important
we aim our product selection and brand
towards them.
How often do you change your window
dressings and shop displays?
The windows are changed at least every
six weeks and the visual merchandising is
reviewed every month. It’s so important
to keep things fresh, exciting and visually
stimulating for our customers.
Tell us a bit about your pop-up shop. Why
did you choose to do this?
I wanted to expand into a second location to
capitalise on Christmas trading and I wanted
to find a location close to our existing location
because I felt it’d be easier operationally to
have two shops selling different ranges of
products in close physical proximity to each
other, rather than opening a new shop in a
completely different part of London.
Boxpark was the perfect location for our
pop-up shop because they offer short-term
leases. Boxpark is now one of the top retail
destinations in London. We pulled together
a very commercial selection of fantastic
giftware that was perfect for Christmas gifting
and settled on the name The Gift Box for our
pop-up venture. Sales were very strong and
we’re very pleased with it.
To find out more, browse online at
www.maidenshop.com
giftfocus 99
ny now
shopping stateside
Take a bite of the big apple and visit NY Now
In brief:
Show
NY Now
Organiser Emerald Expositions
Where Jacob K. Javits Convention
Centre, New York
When
15th – 19th August, 2015
Website www.nynow.com
Twitter @nynowmarket
A robust roster of new and returning
exhibitors, complemented by a
comprehensive slate of seminars and original
networking opportunities, planned for NY
Now, the Market for Home and Lifestyle, will
provide market participants with a dynamic
shopping and sourcing experience.
“NY Now offers attendees unparalleled
shopping and sourcing opportunities,
unrivaled networking activities and exclusive
educational information,” said Randi Mohr,
NY Now Co-Director and Vice President.
“The Market provides easy access to both
industry-leading suppliers and to innovative
newcomers. NY Now’s exhibits, education and
events – all presented against the backdrop of
New York City – make it a must-attend show
for the industry.”
Covering every aspect of gift and home, NY
Now delivers over 100,000 products within
three collections: Home, which includes home
furnishings, textiles and tabletop; Lifestyle,
which includes baby and child, gift, personal
accessories and wellness; and Handmade,
which incorporates Designer Maker and
Global Design. Attendees from the USA and
more than 70 countries will be able to source
products from 2,500 exhibitors, from more
than 300 countries.
Exhibit floor highlights for the summer
market include the return, for the second
consecutive year, of Etsy Wholesale, an online
platform that allows retailers to connect and
transact directly with emerging independent
designers. The nearly 2,000 square foot
pavilion will feature nearly 20 Etsy Wholesaler
sellers in the Javits Centre North Connector.
Open House project
Attendees can complement exhibit floor
finds with colour and trend insights through
NY Now’s fourth annual Open House project,
presented in 2015 in cooperation with Pantone
and Progressive Business Media. This curated
onsite exhibit will present directional colour
and design trends in four key trends – Bijoux,
Ephemera, Footloose and Mixed Bag – and a
related seminar will explore both colours and
concepts in more detail. NY Now’s popular
SustainAbility: design for a better world exhibit
will showcase the latest in eco-friendly and
socially-responsible products, production and
business practices.
Seminars
Rounding out the onsite market experience,
the show’s comprehensive series of seminars
will address both practical and directional
aspects of the home and lifestyle industry,
with subjects ranging from retail operations
and social media marketing to colour
and design trends. Over the five days of
market, Snap Retail will present 18 sessions
discussing tips and tools for online marketing,
while CRAFT (Craft Retailers and Artists For
Tomorrow) will deliver six Power Hour sessions
on retail strategies. Trends in gifting will be
the focus of a presentation by Fashion Group
International and the Day Spa Association will
share strategies for visual merchandising. g
Information and registration is available
online at www.nynow.com
giftfocus 101
Catch up with all the latest from the world of licensing
hot property
Bleacher Creatures coming to the UK via
Premier Licensing
Premier Licensing, a leading
supplier of licensed gift
and sports accessories,
is delighted to announce
it’ll exclusively be bringing
Bleacher Creatures to the UK
gift and collectible market.
Bleacher Creatures, the
true-to-life plush figures that
turn the greatest athletes
and entertainment icons into characters, have been nothing short
of a phenomenon in the USA and Premier Licensing are hoping to
replicate that success in the UK and Ireland.
Kevin Funnell, Director, commented: “As well as Batman,
Superman, the Hobbit, DC Comics and other sports and
entertainment licenses, we’ll be working hard to use our
relationships to add other UK football and rugby licenses to bolster
our proposition in the UK.”
For more information on the Bleacher Creatures plush
collectibles, please go to www.bleachercreatures.co.uk
Jumbo Games and Warner Bros. partner for
European license deal
Jumbo Games has signed a European licensing deal with Warner Bros.
Consumer Products (WBCP) to produce a series of licensed Looney
Tunes, Batman and DC Super Friends children’s games and jigsaws.
Warner Bros.’ timeless Looney Tunes and DC Entertainment’s most
recognisable band of Super Heroes, the DC Super Friends, as well as
Batman, continue to entertain fans of all ages. Now, together with
WBCP, Jumbo Games will help introduce these beloved characters to
the next generation of pre-schoolers with new games and puzzles.
Gray Richmond, Managing Director at Jumbo Games, said, “We’re
thrilled to be working with WBCP on such esteemed licenses and are
looking forward to a
strong range of games and
puzzles hitting the shelves
later this year.”
For more information
visit www.jumbo.eu
102 giftfocus
Penguin Ventures’ first tranche of licensees to
the Vintage Collection from Ladybird Books
Ladybird Books is celebrating its centenary in 2015, and so Penguin has
capitalised on this to launch the official licensing programme.
Elements from the most iconic and beloved illustrations from the
golden era of Ladybird Books, spanning the late ’50s to the ’70s have
been utilised in a fresh style guide and cover a range of themes. The
Vintage Collection captures a nostalgic British view of life that’ll appeal
to adults who grew up with the original Ladybird books as well as
design-conscious consumers.
The first products in the collection include greeting cards from Kiss
Me Kwik, prints and canvases from King & McGaw, dated stationery
from Portico, wooden postcards from The Wooden Postcard Company
and mugs and tea towels from W2, which are all available now. A
range of adult retro games, jigsaws and kits from The Lagoon Group
will launch in September and a further stationery and gift range from
Portico will be available in the summer. There’s also a range of vintage
titles being published by Ladybird Books throughout 2015.
For further information visit www.vintageladybird.com
Rocket appointed to manage The Smurfs
licensing programme
Rocket Licensing has
been appointed as the
exclusive UK and Eire
agent for The Smurfs. The
company will develop a
dual licensing strategy
that both expands the
range of the classic
Smurfs brand, which
enjoys strong affinity among both parents and children, and
develops product for Sony’s eagerly anticipated new Smurfs film.
The main licensing categories include; toy, apparel, nightwear
and underwear, loungewear, accessories, homewares, digital
product and publishing. The movie brand will include all of the
classic categories as well as toys, FMCG, promotions, paper product
such as prints, calendars and cards, stationery, back to school
ranges, partyware, gifts, novelties and entertainment, and tablet
and phone covers and cases.
For further information visit www.rocketlicensing.com
hot property
licensing isn’t a one-way street
Ian Downes, Director at Start
Licensing, reveals the latest in the
world of licencing
You can’t fail to be impressed by the creativity
and invention in the gift industry. However,
despite recognising the creativity that’s a central core of the
industry it struck me that there may be some companies who are
overlooking the commercial potential of licensing.
A well-chosen license
can create an immediate
competitive advantage
for a company – allowing
them to create a range
of products that none
of its competitors can
replicate. Imagine that
Neviti
you’re producing a range
of ceramics but are struggling to get noticed by retail buyers and
are perhaps being turned down in favour of a more established
supplier. Licensing can move you up the selection short list. Yes,
you pay for the license, but if it increases your competitiveness, it
might be a price worth paying. It can also be a calling card to start
other conversations that benefit your other products.
In some cases I think this reticence may be due to a fear of the
unknown – in my experience many companies misunderstand the
cost and process of licensing. I sense there are also concerns over
losing control of key business decisions. With the right preparation
and research, this doesn’t need to be the case. Most good
licensing companies foster a spirit of partnership and a license can
add value throughout a company’s activities.
It’s probably worthwhile talking to companies who use licensing
outside your own immediate category to get some insight into the
benefits of licensing. Good examples are companies like Rubie’s in
dress up and Neviti in partyware.
On the other hand I also think companies could also add value
to their businesses by looking to license out some of their designs
or brands. Licensing isn’t a one-way street. Companies can create
additional revenue streams through licensing. It can also allow
companies to explore new product categories in a relatively safe
way. They can utilise a licensee’s expertise.
An example of a designer and brand that’s embraced licensing
is Emma Bridgewater – through carefully chosen licensing
partnerships, the brand has grown, the book value of the business
has increased and it’s been able to stretch the business into new
categories. Look at your own brand and designs - if you’re able to
build a sales case based on consumer and retail demand, you may
be sitting on an asset that can be grown through licensing.
Ian Downes
Frozen jewellery by Disney Couture
Disney Couture has created a magical range of licensed adult and
children’s jewellery inspired by the popular Disney animation, Frozen.
The collection consists of 11 premium white gold-plated designs
featuring characters and quotes from the Frozen movie ranging from
£22 to £39. For retailers, special Frozen starter packs costing from £300
are available.
“We’re delighted to be distributing the Disney Couture brand in
the UK and believe there’s a significant gap in the jewellery and gift
market for high quality, licensed jewellery. With original designs and
inspirational quotes, our jewellery holds a special meaning for the
recipient, which is what makes the brand so successful.” said Tom
Coulter, Director of Disney Couture Jewellery UK.
For more information about the Disney Couture brand, please visit
www.disneycouture.co.uk
TPA launches EMEA licensing
campaign for the world’s
favourite street cat
Independent licensing agency TPA has been
appointed EMEA licensing agent for Bob, the
street cat that changed the life of a homeless
busker and became a publishing sensation.
After he tended and befriended an injured
cat, James Bowen wrote about how his
cat changed his life in the book A Street
Cat Named Bob. The book has now sold over a million copies in
the UK, and has topped the charts in the USA, Germany, Brazil,
Portugal and Turkey, to name just a few of the more than 30
countries in which it’s been published.
There’s now a powerful demand for branded product linked
to the pair, which is why the literary agency representing James
and Bob — Aitken Alexander Associates — has appointed TPA
to manage a licensing programme for Bob the brand. The first
product to launch will be calendars and diaries.
Chris Taday, MD of TPA, says: “Bob the street cat is much more
than a publishing hit. He’s an inspirational figure with strong
name recognition, lasting appeal and a potential that extends
into many product categories.”
For further information please contact Chris at The PartnerShop
Agency +44 (0)7921 280 206.
Ian Downes
www.startlicensing.co.uk
giftfocus 103
the print revolution
Dids Macdonald, CEO of Anti Copying in Design, discusses the opportunities
and IP challenges of 3D printing
For designer makers within the gift sector,
the development of three-dimensional (3D)
printing has matured to deliver added value
so that 3D objects can be more tailor made
and bespoke, offering broader manufacturing
scope. It also offers affordable options for
prototyping in the design development
process, from idea to marketplace. The
evolution of 3D printers started some 30 years
ago and is now developing at break-neck
speed so no longer is this the domain of larger,
more established companies but is now much
more accessible to SMEs.
Whilst 3D printing opens up many
possibilities, realistically, designers have to
evaluate the challenges, especially where
intellectual property is concerned. So what
can 3D printing do? Nick Kounoupias, ACID’s
Chief Legal Counsel and ACID Legal Affiliate
says, “At present there are commercially
available printers that can be purchased that
104 giftfocus
can produce objects in three dimensions
made from acrylic, most fabrics, plastics,
precious metals and certain hard metals
such as steel. So anything from clothes and
fashionable dresses to bicycles, parts for cars
and robots can be produced without the need
for industrial premises or skilled craftsmanship.
Currently, genuine parts are routinely made for
the automobile and aerospace industries using
this technology. I’ve even heard of certain guns
being produced from 3D printing.”
So what are the legal implications? “These
developments will cause legal uncertainty,
much like the arrival of creative content
supplied digitally did. Whilst it’s very early
days to consider what changes will be needed
to the existing IP laws, it’s obvious that more
and more patents have already been sought,
and granted for 3D printers. Increasingly,
however, the focus will also need to be placed
on enhancing the protection afforded to
unregistered and registered designs under
UK and EU laws. To this end it was very
encouraging that last year the IP Act 2014
made it a criminal offence to intentionally
copy a registered design. Copyright laws have
very limited applicability to objects in three
dimensions and not at all where products have
been created through industrial means.
“The real challenges to the law will come
when commercial competitors and organised
criminals identify opportunities to produce
cheap and poor imitation copies of wellknown or novel furniture designs without
huge investment, or risk, using 3D printing
technology. What is then likely to happen
is that the infringers will reverse engineer
genuine furniture to understand how it’s
been made, then feed this information into
computer aided design software, using this to
create prototypes by 3D printing and finally,
mass producing them.
“The implications are mind boggling. If entire
and working cars can be manufactured in just
44 hours, how long will it take to reproduce
less complicated products? 3D printing offers
many opportunities to companies wishing to
trade legitimately within all industries. But it
also offers opportunities to those wishing to
trade illegally. The challenge for the giftware
industry and for law makers is to ensure that
the existing laws offer maximum protection to
those in the industry and to ensure that they’re
fit for the 21st century. If they need changing,
lobbying organisations such as ACID must be
supported to ensure that those changes are
identified, supported and implemented.”
Design registration makes absolute sense
but it’s limited to preventing copies for
commercial purposes (and it’s the same with
unregistered rights) so this presents design
ownership challenges when the ‘would be’
creator at home uses your design for domestic
purposes, thus cutting the original design out
of the equation. For the majority of UK giftware
designers, who rely on unregistered design
rights, the ACID Design Databank offers third
party evidential proof of a design’s existence
from the date the design is lodged.
Nick Kounoupias of DMH Stallard is one
of the leading figures in the UK IP world
handling all kind of IP disputes, Nick is well
known for his lobbying, he’s also a fully
accredited mediator. g
Further information
To find out more, visit www.acid.uk.com
all the answers
Our experts tackle your retail-related queries
Q
A
Natalie Cromie runs WeWood UK, a company that
specialises in making watches and eyewear from
sustainable materials. Since WeWood as a company
was founded in 2010, more than 400,000 new trees
have been planted worldwide through various tree
planting partners.
Contact Natalie on T: +44 (0) 1202 901 626 or
Amanda Partridge has worked as a buyer within the
independent sector for 15 years and part of her role
includes organising the INDX Accessories and INDX
Intimate Apparel shows which take place at Cranmore
Park in Solihull. INDX represents a group of original
fashion trades shows, which are buyer and business,
focused and designed specifically for independents.
Contact Amanda on T: +44 (0)121 711 2200 or
As an Independent Retail Advisor to businesses in the
cards, gifts, stationery and heritage industries, Henri
Davis combines 30 years of retail experience with her
knowledge of trends and consumer motivation to
analyse markets and identify new opportunities. She
has worked at Habitat, Next, WH Smith and the National
Trust and now works with many small and medium-sized
businesses, including multi-site retailers, national and
international manufacturers and suppliers.
Contact Henri on T: +44 (0)7974 241 209 or E: mail [email protected]
Eco-friendly
Q
A
I’m in the process of setting up my own business,
however I’d also like to contribute to helping the
environment. Do you have any suggestions?
Natalie says: More and more businesses around the
country are now thinking about what impact their business
has on our environment and whether they’re considered to
be eco-friendly. Depending on what type of business you
operate, there are lots of things you can incorporate into
your business to ensure your carbon footprint is as low
as possible.
Firstly, try and use email as much as you can for your
correspondence, and this includes all printed material;
think about whether can you send your catalogue or
your business cards via email. Issuu is a great free digital
publishing service where you can upload your catalogue
online and send to your customers as a link.
If you’re manufacturing, ask yourself, is there a material
you can use which is sustainable such as bamboo, a
material that’s recycled or one that’ll biodegrade over
time? If you’re a retailer, then take a look at the bags
that you give to customers – are they plastic? Could you
consider replacing these with a bag that’s made from
recycled materials or one that’ll biodegrade?
Finally, there’s the give back philosophy. Here at
WeWood, if you buy a watch, we’ll plant a tree. This is a
great way to give back through your success. There are
some wonderful conversation charities in the UK such as
The Woodland Trust and WWF, or you may have a local
conservation project that you’d like to contribute to.
Please beware, though; you’ll need to speak to the charity
beforehand to get permission.
All of the above tips are small steps. However, if you can
implement just a few and encourage others around you
to do the same, then it’ll have a positive impact on our
environment in the future.
Trade shows
I’m looking to apply to exhibit at a show. What kind of
criteria will organisers be assessing my products on?
Amanda says: The most important thing to consider is
the relevance of the product you are offering. Ask yourself
two questions: Firstly, how relevant is the product you
are offering within the wider product category? In simple
106 giftfocus
Selective stocking
Q
A
What are the benefits of stocking a Gift of
the Year award-winning product?
Henri says: The Gift of the Year Awards are
judged in January of each year by a panel of
experienced retail buyers from a broad cross
section of businesses such as independent gift
retailers, specialists retailers, on-line retailers
as well as large multiples like John Lewis: the
sorts of buyers suppliers spend a lot of time
trying to get their products in front of.
The criteria the products are evaluated
against are functionality, quality, packaging
and pricing, so that they offer good value for
money plus any specific features required
for their category, e.g. Made in the UK, and
thus would drive strong retail sales for its
type; all the things that you’d be looking for
q&a
Q
A
terms, ‘compare apples with apples.’ Show
organisers will be comparing your product
with other similar products on a number of
levels, including pricing, commerciality and
brand awareness. When I have conversations
with potential new exhibitors, I’m always
considering our existing exhibitor base and
looking for product that offers something
different and complements, not duplicates,
so you must be ready to sell your product and
list its one-of-a-kind selling points.
Secondly, how relevant is the product you
are offering in terms of the target audience
of the show? Every exhibition has a different
level of footfall and visitor attendance, and
the show organisers will know who their key
visitors are and will develop an exhibitor list
which is relevant to them. For example, if the
show you’d like to exhibit at attracts luxury
or premium jewellery retailers, your product
should match those criteria.
INDX shows are specifically designed for
the independent sector and we’ll therefore be
looking for exhibitors who cater to that retail
level commercially.
Beefayre’s Waggledance collection Gift of the
Year Winner for Bath, Body and Spa
when selecting products yourselves. What
this means is that the winning products are
viewed by this group of buyers as having
strong sales potential and this should give
you real confidence that these products are
definitely worth consideration; what you
have to think about is are they relevant to the
customers in your shop?
To enter the awards, the products have
to have been launched on or after 1st March
of the previous year, i.e. 2014, and a lot of
suppliers present products they're about to
launch at the current Spring Fair, so many of
them are absolutely up to the minute and on
trend for this season.
If you’re thinking of moving into a new
product category, looking at a winning product
and supplier of a Gift of the Year award would
be a good starting point to look at the quality
of the product, the way it’s presented and the
price, firstly in terms of whether it’s something
you feel would be right to stock in your shop,
but also then to benchmark other products
you were looking at stocking against. And of
course these suppliers will have lots of other
products, which may be equally suitable for
what you’ve planned.
I’d always suggest looking at the Gift of the
Year products on the displays at the Spring
Fair. They show you the winners and highly
commended, and it should prompt all sorts
of thoughts and ideas that you can follow up
while you’re at the fair, so you can go and talk
to the suppliers, look at and feel the products
and get a real understanding for the offer and
how a selection of products or a range could
work in your shop.
As buyers we go to trade fairs to find great
new products and suppliers to generate
sales for the forthcoming year, and you don’t
have to find many great lines to have a good
year’s sales. While winners of the Gift of the
Year Awards are not guaranteed to be right
for every retailer, it would seem silly not to
consider them as part of your
our hunt for that
winning product. g
WeWood
If you have any questions about any
aspect of the gift retail industry, simply
write to: Q&A special, Gift Focus magazine,
Pantile House, Newlands Drive, Witham,
Essex, CM8 2AP. Alternatively, send your
queries to E: [email protected]
giftfocus 107
Neil McFarlane, Managing
Director of TH March & Co
Limited
insurance solutions
Gift Focus readers put their insurance queries, concerns and questions to
leading broker TH March
We’re often asked for advice regarding
Employers’ Liability Insurance, so here are a
few tips that should help Gift Focus readers
negotiate this often tricky subject.
Be aware that insurers will likely analyse
your claims history when underwriting your
Employers’ Liability premium, so it follows
that if you can help to control your claims,
you can potentially lower the price you have
to pay.
Q
A
What should I do if or when an
accident happens?
Investigate accidents immediately and
thoroughly; take corrective action to eliminate
hazards, and be aware of fraud.
What should I do straight away?
Report all claims to your insurer immediately.
Alert the insurer to any serious, potentially
serious or suspect claims. Frequently monitor
the status of the claim, and communicate
with the adjuster to resolve them as quickly
as possible.
Q
A
Q
A
On return to work, how do I deal with an
injured employee?
Take an aggressive approach to providing
light duty to all injured employees upon their
release from treatment. Supervise light duty
employees to ensure their conformance with
the restrictions.
What about more serious cases?
In more serious cases that involve lost time,
communicate with the loss adjuster to
demonstrate your interest in returning
the injured employee back to his or her
gainful employment.
Q
A
Q
A
Do I get colleagues involved?
Set safety performance goals for those
with supervisory responsibility. Success in
achieving safety goals should be used as one
measure during performance appraisals.
Q
A
What procedures should I put in place?
Develop a written safety programme, and
train employees in their responsibilities
for safety. Incorporate a disciplinary policy
into the programme that holds employees
accountable for breaking rules and
rewards them for correctly following safety
procedures.
Frequently communicate with employees,
both formally and informally, regarding the
importance of safety and make safety an
absolute priority. Lead from the front! Senior
management must be visible in the safety
effort and must support improvement.
Q
A
What about keeping records?
Evaluate accident history and near-misses at
least monthly. Look for trends in experience,
and take corrective action on the worst
problems first. Talk to your insurance broker
if you have any questions at all – they’re there
to help. g
Further information:
TH March is a chartered firm of insurance
brokers. Established in 1887, the company
has offices in London, Birmingham,
Manchester, Glasgow and Sevenoaks, as
well as its National Administration Centre
in Yelverton near Plymouth.
To find out more T: +44 (0)1822 855 555,
E: [email protected], or visit the
website www.thmarch.co.uk
108 giftfocus
retail technology
creating an online
marketing strategy
David Fairhurst, Head of Creative Online Marketing at Intelligent Retail, talks us through
making the most of your website
I work with a large range of retailers who all
have a common problem – they all know that
their online properties are an important part
of their companies’ overall business strategy
(and may be the growing part of the business)
but in many cases, those same retailers are
lacking in the knowledge required to push all
of those potential online gold mines to
the max.
This isn’t at all a criticism. I’ve spent
the past 16 years learning what’s required
to effectively market a website online,
and techniques have to be updated on a
seemingly daily basis. Marketing methods
which worked quite nicely last year may
not be applicable today, so it’s no wonder
retailers, who are focused on selling, not
marketing, are behind the curve when it
comes to being able to get the best effect
from retail websites and marketplaces.
What retailers really need to know is
that, because of the rapidly changing face
of the online world, it really isn’t all about
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or paid
advertising. What’s required is a more
rounded approach incorporating a large
range of different marketing and
advertising methods.
Because of social media sites like Twitter,
Facebook and Pinterest, more than ever the
people who retailers are trying to sell to have
access to a vast array of information. We’re
therefore in a situation where those retailers
who engage in social media win; others just
fall by the wayside. Add to that the inexorable
rise in smartphone and tablet usage – if you’re
not using display advertising, email marketing
and social media marketing in your overall
marketing strategy you’re on to a loser.
So what exactly do you need from an online
marketing strategy for your business? The
answer is really: ‘It depends on what you
are selling!’
Ask the Right Questions
As with many things in life, to get the right
answers, sometimes you have to ask the
right questions.
As a giftware retailer, your first question
should be ‘what can I offer to make my
company different?’ This is a pretty broad
question, but it does point to a fundamental
but sometimes overlooked truth to online
giftfocus 111
creating an online marketing strategy
selling, namely that niche, original or hard-tosource ranges of products are far easier to sell
online than readily available ranges with lots
of competing suppliers.
Going as niche as possible is of course
a good strategy on the high street as well,
but with the online marketplace, you aren’t
restricted to a limited pool of potential local
buyers for your products; you literally have
the whole world to sell to, which makes
stocking ultra-niche products an enticing and
lucrative idea.
So first thing, take a good, long look at what
you’re offering and then get on Google – see
who else is selling those product ranges and
how they’re selling and promoting those
sales. If there’s a lot of competition from
top flight, established retailers and auction
sites then don’t pin your hopes on that
range (unless you’re selling cheaper than
anyone else).
Secondly, if you do manage to find a niche
product range, which, admittedly, is a lot
harder than it used to be, make sure everyone
knows about it. Your website should be full
of original text about the range, social media
profiles should scream that you’re the people
to talk to, and you should be doing regular
bulk emails to back everything up.
Search Engine Optimisation – get your
content right
So you have your niche ranges, your prices
are competitive (or even better, you’re the
cheapest online) and you have the knowledge
required to push the products, what do you
do next?
Firstly, make sure every one of your product
ranges on your e-commerce website has an
original product description. This should be in
standard English, be well written and have no
grammatical or spelling errors.
Try to avoid bulleted lists, too many line
breaks or HTML tables as this just adds the
time required for Google’s spiders to crawl
through the text. Next add category content,
backing up what your range is all about.
This allows you to optimise for higher level
keyphrases (like brand name, product type, etc.)
and as you’re adding even more one-of-a-kind
text, Google will like your website even more.
Don’t forget that to be truly successful with
112 giftfocus
an e-commerce website, you have to promote
not only return to the website but a sense of
community, so think about providing useful
articles and information on your website
around the area that you’re selling in. These
can then promote external linking, which will
be required to grow your website’s reputation
with Google.
Social media and SMM (Social
Media Marketing)
Once the website is sorted out with text,
get your social media profiles set up if they
haven’t been done already. Most social media
sites now offer a business or promotional
page, so get your personalised page name
and add information all about your business
(and of course, your niche ranges). Once
done, make sure you converse with visitors to
your social profiles.
Successful use of social media could
warrant a full library of books all in itself, but
it’s safe to say if you do have social media
profiles and you don’t monitor interaction
constantly, it can be a hindrance, not a benefit
to your business.
Once you have social profiles, many
services now offer paid advertising, for
instance Twitters offer sponsored tweets,
Facebook offers targeted Facebook ads and
Pinterest offers sponsored pins. Utilise all
of these to get the best exposure for your
business pages and website.
Email marketing
Email is a very old technology, with the first
email being sent way back in 1971, before the
World Wide Web even existed. This doesn’t
mean email marketing is dead, not by a long
way. Targeted email marketing can catapult
your business past all of your competitors
if done correctly, with many of my clients
seeing massive surges of traffic to the website
immediately after campaigns are sent out.
Do bear in mind that bulk emailing rules
in the UK are now so draconian you can get
into serious trouble for spamming, so either
check the rules first via the Information
Commissioners Office or choose a company
to handle bulk emailing for you. Get bulk
email marketing right and you’ll see turnover
double or treble each month.
Paid advertising (Pay Per Click)
What if you could have a form of advertising
for your bricks and mortar store where you
only pay when someone walks through your
door? That’s exactly what you get for your
website with Pay Per Click advertising on
Google, Bing, Amazon and many others.
If you run Google AdWords (including
Google shopping ads, which are also now
part of AdWords) alongside organic results
for the same products in Google, not only are
click through and conversion rates increased,
you’re far more likely to get clicks on your
organic result, so therefore you don’t pay for
the Google AdWords ad in the first place.
Google Shopping ads are giving fantastic
ROI right now and, for the majority of our
clients, massively out-perform traditional
AdWords ads.
Amazon, as well as Google, now offer
Product Listing Ads with a range of cost
bands to suit your type of products. This
then displays ads alongside products directly
in Amazon, directing people to your own
website. Even if you don’t sell via Amazon you
can utilise these ads and as Ebay/Amazon
account for a large portion of UK online sales,
this seems a great way to get your products in
front of fully qualified potential buyers.
Everything else
There are many other things you can use
to push your online business forward, such
as affiliate advertising (advertising through
a network of partner websites, offered by
Google and many others), utilising review
sites and quite a few others. However, if you
get the basics of SEO, SMM, email marketing
and PPC going, you’ll see immediate and long
lasting improvements in turnover, making
your e-commerce website a sustainable and
valuable part of your business. g
David Fairhurst is Head of Creative Online
Marketing at Intelligent Retail. David
has been involved with search engine
optimisation and web development since
1999 and has spoken at many retail and
SEO conferences including Spring Fair and
SES London. You can contact David on
T: +44 (0)845 680 0126.
Isabel Martinson, CEO of The
Giftware Association
GA news
We bring you the latest news from The Giftware Association
The GA reaches out to the next generation
People who will help shape the future of the
giftware industry will feature in a panel debate
when The GA makes ‘The Next Generation’
the overarching theme of its Members’ Day at
Federation House in Birmingham on
10th June.
Among those sharing the platform will
be Steve McGuire, Global Sales Director and
Senior Vice-President at LSA International,
and Sara Allbright, John Lewis Partnership
Buyer for home and gift collections/
candleshop.
“We’re reaching out to the young
entrepreneurs who help run the numerous
successful gift supply and gift retail businesses
in the UK,” said GA Chief Executive Isabel
Martinson.
“Many of the products winning Gift of the
Year awards are designed and created by
the upcoming stars of home and gift. The
Members’ Day is the perfect opportunity
to bring these young leaders together to
debate the future of our great industry and
discuss what can be achieved collectively to
maintain the health of this vibrant sector of
the economy.
“It’ll also enable new companies to learn
from those members with great experience.
They, in turn, may also be able to glean some
useful information.”
Those watching the live feed will be
encouraged to join in the debate via Twitter
and email. “We want this to be the start of an
ongoing conversation within the industry,”
continued Isabel. “Those who can’t get away
from their businesses on the day will be able
to access the debate and keynote speeches
afterwards via a videolink.”
Speakers will include Daniel Sinclair Taylor,
Partnerships Manager at Funding Circle, the
marketplace in peer to peer business finance,
who will also be available in the afternoon for
114 giftfocus
one-to-one sessions with members looking
for more detailed information on how SMEs
can use the scheme – which has government
backing – to raise funds to move their
companies forward.
Richard Hill of digital marketing
consultancy SEO Traffic Lab, will tell retailer
and supplier members how to increase online
sales on their websites and the way social
media can help them achieve higher search
engine rankings.
After a networking lunch, one-to-one
surgeries, discussion groups and workshops
will span the law relating to sales agents,
with lawyers from Steeles Law; insurance
and financial services (TH March); analysing
information from your EPOS systems (Data
Strategy Consulting); lead generation and
conversion technology (Reach Local); and
social media with Tamsin Fox-Davies. New GA
member and national committee member
Gary Schaffer, of United Oddsocks, will also
run a session on selling skills.
Meet the Buyer events with the John
Lewis Partnership and Achica
There were more plaudits for The GA
following its recent Meet the Buyer events
with the John Lewis Partnership and Achica.
Hannah Dale, founder of Wrendale Designs
– supplier of cards, gifts, prints, stationery
and giftwrap – who met John Lewis buyers,
commented, “It’s an opportunity that
shouldn’t be missed – a one-off chance to
pitch your products to decision-making
buyers. The event was well organised and a
brilliant initiative from The GA.”
Paul Connett, a Director of My Gifts Trade,
which took The Judges’ Choice prize at
Gift of the Year and also won the Made in
UK category for its Hinchcliffe and Barber
Songbird Grey Ceramics, said of his meeting
with Achica, “It was one of the most effective
and inexpensive ways of formalising my
company and brands and building concrete foundations in such an
intimate arena.”
Lucy Howard, Office Manager of Emma Ball – which supplies
original watercolours, greeting cards, homeware and fabrics – met
John Lewis buyers. She commented, “The GA put together a really
welcoming event, giving small businesses, such as ours, a chance to
pitch and promote products in a way which gave me the chance to gain
experience and enjoy myself at the same time.”
The GA recruits even more
members and now has 1,000
retailer subscribers
The GA has recruited 39 new
members – a mix of suppliers and
retailers – in the first quarter of 2015,
including antique reproduction
company McGowan & Rutherford.
This represents a 44 per cent
increase on the same period
last year.
Membership Development Manager Simone Rose, who also reports
that the number of GA retailer subscribers has hit the 1,000 mark, said,
“We’re growing an impressive database of retailers to promote our
supplier members to. We’re striving to fulfil the aim of GA Chairman
Michael Papé to bring both sides of our industry closer and so enhance
trading opportunities.”
Simone Rose
Two new virtual showrooms – and Baby on the way
The GA now has three year-round virtual showrooms up and running
on its website – and a fourth on the way. Suppliers are continually
adding images as new product becomes available.
There are two new showrooms – Garden and Outdoor Living, where
suppliers include Nick Smyth Trading, Ragged Rose, Talking Tables,
T&G Woodware and Winter Flora – and Wedding, where products
from companies such as Two Little Boys, Giftscribes, from you to me,
Widdop Bingham, RJB Stone and Enesco can be found.
The Christmas showroom is also on the website – and Baby is
expected soon. Please contact via email [email protected], or
call +44 (0)121 237 1145 for more information. g
Further information
For The GA, log on to www.ga-uk.org
competition
WIN!
a Morplan voucher worth £750
To celebrate the launch of its biggest ever
catalogue, Morplan is offering a £750 voucher to
spend on any of its products. You could refresh your
shop fittings, update your displays, choose carrier
bags or gift boxes printed with your name and logo
or simply use it as you need it on the everyday
consumables your store requires. Be inspired by
over 600 brand new products including coloured
clothes rails, summery striped carrier bags, wooden
jewellery display stands and a new collection of
exclusive sale promotion material.
Morplan offers over 5,000 products for the retail
industry with free delivery on orders over £85
(exceptions apply), free credit and a no-quibble,
14-day money back guarantee. Trading for over
170 years, the company attributes its longevity to
offering the quality you demand at the prices you
enjoy with the service you expect.
To find out more visit www.morplan.com or call
+44 (0)330 44 55 666 and ask for a catalogue. g
HOW TO ENTER
To be in with a chance of winning
this fantastic prize, simply answer the
following question:
How many years has
Morplan been trading?
The lucky winner will
receive a Morplan voucher
worth £750.
Enter online at
www.giftfocus.com before
the closing date of 29th
June, 2015.
Terms & conditions apply.
giftfocus 117
Subscribe to Gift Focus
Fill in the form below to receive a regular copy
of your favourite magazine.
next issue...
www.rjbstone.com
Gift Focus magazine, the leading trade title for the giftware industry,
is available free of charge to qualified registered readers. Published six
times a year, Gift Focus contains news on industry trends, new products
and all gift trade events. Simply fill in the form below and post to Gift
Focus magazine, c/o KD Media Publishing, Pantile House, Newlands
Drive, Witham, Essex CM8 2AP. Alternatively, photocopy the form and
send a fax to 01376 514 555 or register online at www.giftfocus.com
ay/Ju e 0 5
ssue 89
www.giftfocus.com
THE
BIG ATTRACTION
Get ready for Spring Fair
www.giftfocus.com
SHOW PREVIEWS
Flaming
good
London Stationery Show
British Craft Trade Fair
Candles and
home fragrances
ON
TREND
Expert advice
for 2015
www.giftfocus.com
Issue 88 March/April 2015
www.giftfocus.com
www.giftfocus.com
Issue 87 January/February 2015
www.giftfocus.com
WIN!
r worth
A vouche m
£750 fro
Morplan
SHOW PREVIEWS
• Exclusively Housewares
• Pulse
• PG Live
CAPITAL IDEAS
London special
Thanks
Forest
finds
MUM
Stock up for
Whimsical
woodland
treasures
AR
Show
the 20 case of
15 aw
winne ard
rs
FLUFF LOVE
The wonderful world
of plush
PLUS
WIN!
PLUS
• Novelty gifts
• Easter treats
£750 RRP worth of stock
from Blue Eyed Sun
• Father’s Day
• Stylish stationery
• Best of British
Dish of
the day
GIFT
THE OF
YE
Mother’s Day
WIN!
More than £750 RRP worth
of stock from RJB Stone
Tasty tableware
HERE COMES THE SUN
PLUS
• Bath & body
• Mr & Mrs
• Baby gifts
creature comforts
Do you work within the giftware industry?
Yes
Name
Home accessories
No
santa baby
Job title
Company name
Christmas part one
Address
man about town
Postcode
Telephone
Fax
Men’s accessories
Email address
Please tick one or more of the boxes below which
best describe your business
Independent Gift Shop
Importer
snap happy
Photo frames and albums
Gift Shop Multiple
Mail Order
Garden Centre
Agent/Rep
Department Store
Manufacturer
Wholesaler/Cash & Carry
Museum/Heritage Outlet
show previews
Other (Please specify)
51-100
101-300
Annual Turnover
£0 - £25,000
16-30
31-50
301-1000
1001 +
www.messefrankfurt.com
Number of Employees
1-5
6-15
• Home & Gift Harrogate
• Tendence
£25,001 - £50,000
£50,001 - £100,000
£100,001 - £250,000
£250,001 - £1,000,000
£1,000,001 - £5,000,000
£5,000,001 - £10,000,000
£10,000,001 - £50,000,000
£50,000,001 +
Do you wish to receive a free copy of Gift Focus Magazine?
Yes
Signature
No
Issue 90
Date
July/August 2015
Send the completed form to Gift Focus Magazine, Pantile House, Newlands Drive,
Witham, Essex CM8 2AP. Alternatively, register online at www.giftfocus.com.
Available from: 29th June, 2015
Advertising
12th June, 2015
deadline:
118 giftfocus
If you’ve enjoyed reading Gift Focus
magazine, why not log onto our website
at www.giftfocus.com? Containing
up-to-the-minute news, events and
special offers, the site is updated
regularly with information to help you
advance your business.
Find a supplier
The latest feature on www.giftfocus.com,
the supplier directory allows you to
contact advertisers in the magazine for
more information about their products
or services. Simple to use and available
worldwide 24 hours a day, the supplier
directory is a reader reply service for the
21st century.
PREVIOUS ISSUEs
AVAILABLE
TO DOWNLOAD NOW!
• Back issues archive
If you’re looking for information on a
particular giftware sector or show, take
a look at our back issues archive. All
back issues will be sent out post-free.
Special features
• Featured articles
Read our regularly updated spotlighted
features whenever you wish, covering
legal issues, intellectual property advice,
the latest EPoS information, tips from
the Giftware Association and much,
much more.
• Media pack
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advertising rates and specifications.
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120 giftfocus
120 giftfocus
product showcase
We reveal some of this season's hottest gifts
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To advertise here telephone
Sharon Connelly
on +44 (0)1376 535 607
www.giftfocus.com
The UK’s leading magazine
for the giftware industry
for the love of tea
Angela Warlow, like both her grandmothers, loves nothing more than a
cup of tea. No wonder the next step was opening Bettimay
Inspired by both of her grandmothers’ love
of knitting and crochet, Swansea’s Angela
Warlow spent many a weekend drawing and
embroidering, dreaming of one day becoming
a fashion designer. Having completed
university and travelled around Australia,
Angela then spent 14 years working in a highpressured job – however her heart wasn’t in
it. Her eyes were opened after a car crash, and
she realised the new path she wanted to take.
A decision was made, and two weeks after that
terrifying moment, tableware and homeware
company Bettimay Ltd was registered.
“The next step was working out what the
business would look like,” Angela explains. “I
knew starting out as an online retailer was for
me. I sourced suppliers I wanted to work with
and had an idea of print and colours I wanted
to use. My style was always going to be vintage
floral with mix and match colours. I signed up
to the software I needed and started teaching
myself. Hours were spent on YouTube, but I
was determined to design my own product.”
Angela had a clear vision in mind, “As a
consumer, one of my biggest bugbears was
the inability to find a brand where you could
completely mix and match and create your
own tea set. I found myself bound by buying
a set of one colour, or two colours decided by
the brand, but this wasn’t what I wanted. I find
the reason why great tea parties work is the
sheer mix and match of colour and style. It was
122 giftfocus
important to me to create this within my brand.
Also a lot of ceramics these days are porcelain
and for me, there’s nothing quite like tea from
a china cup!”
In October 2014, Angela started selling
online. There are two collections in the
Bettimay range – Betti and May. “The name
Bettimay, came from the names of my two late
grandmothers, simply pushed together a little
bit and having a cwtch (welsh for hug), I like to
think. They, like me, were both big tea lovers,
always from a teapot and, more importantly,
with something sweet on the side.”
“The name Bettimay,
came from the names of my
two late grandmothers,
simply pushed together a little
bit and having a cwtch
(welsh for hug)”
The Betty design originates from her
favourite tea tin she used to store her special
blend of loose leaves. The tin was black
decorated with floral sprays and bird patterns.
This design has been updated to give a classic
but contemporary look with an injection of
sweet shop colours. It’s decorated on fine bone
china, with hand-painted gold trim and comes
in four colours to mix and match as you wish.
The May design originates from May’s
love of roses. Angela remembers, “She loved
receiving them and had them in her bouquet
on her wedding day. The rose design has a
contemporary feel, with bold happy colours
– the print is all about happiness and fun
for everyday life. The May teapot reads ‘May
you be happy everyday and find life sweet in
everyway’. This quote was found on a vintage
postcard given to me by a special friend, like
an epiphany it was adressed ‘Dear May’ – it
was meant to be! It totally sums up May’s
ethos on life and now the words can be found
on cushions along with other uplifting quotes.
This collection will develop into a baking
range, so watch this space.”
With her first trade fair, Spring Fair, under her
belt, Angela has already had a great response.
With a new colourway launching in the May
range as well as tea towels, gift items and a
Christmas range, we hope Angela has time to
sit down with a cuppa and reflect on what an
exciting year it’s been. g
For more information, visit the website
www.bettimay.co.uk

Low-resolution - Gift Focus magazine

Transcription

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