Exhibitor profiles - Gift Focus magazine
Transcription
Exhibitor profiles - Gift Focus magazine
www.giftfocus.com Issue 84 July/August 2014 www.giftfocus.com Fresh faced Home & Gift preview ’Tis the season Christmas products – part one Trick or treat IN THE FRAME Halloween Photo frames and albums FINISHING TOUCHES Home accessories PLUS • Men’s accessories • News from Scotland • Tendence WIN! More than £900 RRP worth of products from The Fragrance Lounge July/August Issue 84 Managing Editor Lauren Dowey [email protected] Deputy Managing Editor Jo Fletcher-Cross Editor Lyndsey Dennis +44 (0)1376 535 614 [email protected] Chief Sub Editor Louise Prance Sales & Marketing Manager Robert Clark +44 (0)1376 535 606 [email protected] Sales Executive 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 Barnes Senior Graphic Designer Vicky O’Connor Graphic Designers Alex Bolton, Sarah Young, Lucy Dodds Web Development Manager Stuart Weatherley Production Assistant Aimee Smith Subscriptions Kay Tilbury, Rosie Childs +44 (0)1376 514 000 KD Media Publishing Ltd Pantile House, Newlands Drive Witham, Essex CM8 2AP UK www.giftfocus.com Cover image courtesy of: Yankee Candle® 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. contents 29 news&events industry news 6 All the latest from the world of gifts on with the show 10 Trade fair dates and news brand spanking new 14 Latest launches and hot new products hot property 121 Catch up on what’s new in the world of licensing competition features 143 in the frame Win £750 RRP worth of products from The Fragrance Lounge Photo frames & albums focus on... Home accessories company profile 50 Heaven Sends company profile 59 Di Palomo the ga 62 all the latest from The Giftware Association q&a 124 Our experts tackle your retail related queries insurance 126 Brokers TH March answer your insurance-related questions retail technology finishing touches man’s world 29 33 42 Men’s accessories shake, rattle and roll 44 Gift Focus’ BCTF winner, Memo Illustration trick or treat 47 Halloween special summer bonanza 56 News from Scotland bookshelf 140 The latest publications to hit the bookstands 38 129 Part two of David Mackley’s email marketing articles anti copying in design 136 Dids MacDonald discusses the change in law for tougher criminal sanctions to protect designers 21 Gift Focus magazine is proud to be associated with and supporters of: Average Net Circulation: 7,292 (01/07/12 to 30/06/13) shows MEDIA SUPPORTER full of inspiration 38 Round-up from Hong Kong ANTI COPYING IN DESIGN perfect timing special feature ’tis the season Christmas products – part one 53 Your guide to Tendence 21 fresh faced 65 Home & Gift unveils a new look giftfocus 3 Harrogate’s calling As the industry gets ready for its annual pilgrimage to Harrogate for Home & Gift, we bring you a bumper preview starting on P65. This year’s event welcomes the return of live music, adding to the social side that Home & Gift is known for. Mixing business and pleasure is easy at the show, with a variety of restaurants and bars within easy walking distance of the venue. Meanwhile in this issue, all things frightening take over pages 47 and 48 for our Halloween special, while part one of our Christmas special is on the agenda for P21. We explore home accessories on P33 and capture the moment with photo frames and albums on P29. On P40, Jeremy Piercy of Shared Earth discusses recycling and how retailers can do their part and benefit. It would’ve been unthinkable 20 years ago for councils to arrange door-to-door collections of paper, glass, tins and often plastics and other materials, however, recycling actually presents great opportunities. This is showcased by the many recycled products now available. Our retailer interview is with a delightful duo, Philip Downer and Andy Adamson, founders of Calliope Gifts in Dorking (P133). The shop’s success is testament to the hard work and creativity they put into running it, as well as the encouragement they give their team of staff. Having an online presence works hand-in-hand with the bricks and mortar side of the business, and the duo seem to have found the perfect mix. We continue to bring you an array of business advice, with insurance tips from TH March (P126), design guidance from ACID (P136) and retail technology from David Mackley on P129. Happy reading! Lyndsey Lyndsey Dennis Editor Editor loves… Memo Illustration’s Atomic range, which won the Gift Focus Best Gift Award at the British Craft Trade Fair in April. The designer, Helen Entwisle, is inspired by the ’40s and ’50s, and this era has heavily influenced her designs. She’s also very passionate about products that last, and sources sustainable paper and card stocks, all of which are 100 per cent recycled. The majority of the clear sleeves used to package the products are compostable, and materials are sourced from within the UK. 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 Highlights from The British Craft Trade Fair Awards Helen Entwisle of Memo Illustration For the last 39 years, the British Craft Trade Fair Awards have been recognising British talent. The categories have been extended over the years and there are now seven awards presented at the fair, with a panel of judges from industry associations, editorial staff to retail buyers. Here are the 2014 winners: BCTF Award for Excellence, sponsored by Bluefin Insurance Group Winner: Tom Philipson Highly Commended: Lauren Van Helmond Commended: Bridget McVey The Best Newcomer Award, sponsored by Craft & Design magazine Winner: Lawrence West Glass Act Highly Commended: Sarah Knowles Design Best Fashion Accessory Award, sponsored by Attire Accessories magazine Winner: Sophie Court Designs Highly Commended: BertyB Congratulations! The winner of the competition in our March/April issue is Anna Brook from Iapetus Gallery in Great Malvern, Worcestershire. Anna wins a trip to David Marshall’s gallery in Benahavis, with return flights and one week’s self-catering all included. Turn to P143 for this month’s competition where you can win £900 RRP worth of products from The Fragrance Lounge. New GA chairman installed at Members’ Day Ravensden’s Michael Papé was installed as Chairman of The Giftware Association at its Members’ Day in Birmingham after Andrew Illingworth, of Widdop Bingham, stepped down following his two-year term. Independent retail consultant Henri Davis became Vice-Chairman. Converting your customers into fans was the theme of the day, with Jenny Lambie of the Lambie Gilchrist Consultancy discussing the importance of outstanding customer service to increase sales. The other speakers were Oliver Ashton, from training provider Jump! – which focuses on giftware-oriented apprenticeships – and Simon Woolgrove, the gift and home buyer for Achica.com, the members-only online luxury lifestyle store. A networking lunch was followed by surgeries with The GA’s service providers and members. Shaken not stirred Best New Gift Award, sponsored by Gift Focus magazine Winner: Memo Illustration Highly Commended: Hawthorn Handmade THE BJA Award for Excellence in Jewellery, sponsored by The British Jewellers’ Association Winner: Chris Boland Highly Commended: Julia Parry Jones The GA Award for Excellence, sponsored by The Giftware Association Winner: Paul Emmerson Highly Commended: Simon Denvers The WOW! Factor Award, sponsored by designGAP/ARTgap Winner: Flossy Teacake Highly Commended: Amanda Cobbett 6 giftfocus Following the successful launch of its Scientific Spice Rack last year, drpd is back with a nifty new design – the Shaken Chemist. This cocktail-making set includes a large one litre calibrated flask with cork stopper for some added lab chic. Another fun feature of this product is the Chemist’s Notebook that comes with the set. This includes 30 cocktail recipes all written in the hand of the chemist, in a scientific method format. Keep an eye out for more products launching from the brand later this year. To find out more, visit www.drpd.co.uk news&events Ashleigh & Burwood launches new in-store promotion for retailers As part of many new initiatives that Ashleigh & Burwood is rolling out to support its retailers, this new monthly promotion offers a great boost for sales. Sold with the strapline Let us fund your promotional margin this season!, the enticing deal offers customers a huge 25 per cent discount on selected products, whilst Ashleigh & Burwood absorbs all loss on margin through discounting. All retailers who sign up for the monthly promotion will receive: • Seasonal best-selling Premium Lamp Fragrance – 500ml (x 36 units) • Seasonal best-selling Mosaic Fragrance Lamp – small size (x 18 units) • Image board to promote the offer in-store • 25 per cent discount applied to your invoice, allowing the retailer to enjoy the increased sales that this promotion creates in-store, without swallowing any loss of margin. Ashleigh & Burwood will also supply bespoke image boards to be used on its new Boutique Display Units. For those customers who don’t yet have the new boutique display units in store, the brand will send an A5 counter card for display so as not to miss out on the promotion. As an additional bonus, the company is also offering a freestanding wooden display unit free of charge, giving retailers the opportunity to create an attractive Ashleigh & Burwood area within their stores. The products selected for the promotion have been specifically Morplan launches Essential Retail Supplies catalogue Complete with more than 500 new products, the 2014 Morplan catalogue is now available. This year, the brand is launching its new Essentials range, a collection of everyday products that deliver the functionality, quality and features that retailers demand, at great prices everyone can enjoy. From wall systems to carrier bags, there are over 400 Essential items throughout the new catalogue. There’s also more than 1,500 prices reduced with many more frozen from last year and carriage charges have also been reduced. Delivery is still free on orders over £85 (exceptions apply), and the no-quibble 14 day guarantee means you can buy with confidence. To get your free copy, visit www.morplan.com or call T: +44 (0)800 451 122. chosen to reflect the mood and highlights of each month – fresh colours and fragrances through the spring and summer months, moving towards warming richer scents and tones for autumn and the christmas periods. Call +44 (0)1932 267 060 or visit the website at www.ashleigh-burwood-trade.co.uk. to find out more. New premium brand, Hall & Co. hits the high street New premium card brand, Hall & Co. was officially launched at Progressive Greetings Live in May. Taking inspiration from the days of precision and considered design, Hall & Co. offers the distinguished buyer an elegant collection of cards. Specifically designed for the style-conscious female looking for strong design, innovation and quality, chapter one of the brand sees the introduction of eight ranges of cards, with a touch of luxury. Offering fine craftsmanship, high quality materials and bespoke designs, the cards are designed by Hallmark to make a lasting impression and act as a treasured keepsake, heralding the return of thought and care to card giving. Jo Bennett, Creative Director at Hallmark, says: “We know that the premium card consumer is the style-conscious female seeking value through design, and that 70 per cent of her cards are bought for highly valued relationships with close friends and family, so we’ve created a collection of ranges tailored specifically with her in mind.” To find out more, visit www.hallmark.co.uk. giftfocus 7 industry news Cornish candle maker enjoys the scent of success St Eval Candle Company is enjoying a surge in online orders and preparing to extend its factory in anticipation of record Christmas sales. The company started out making church candles 20 years ago and, with an annual turnover of £1.6 million, still makes all of its products using traditional techniques at its original farm premises. Following the launch of a new website in 2012, made possible by an ERDF Convergence BIG grant worth £20,510, the business transformed its marketing strategy. To support its new approach, St Eval Candle Company benefited from Oxford Innovation’s Coaching for High Growth programme, funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Working with coach Gill Hall, a chartered marketer with more than 20 years’ experience, the business has developed much more targeted marketing methods through its new website. Last year, online retail sales quadrupled and trade orders more than doubled as a result. The business employs up to 20 staff, with a seasonal peak in the autumn in preparation for Christmas, which means the pack and dispatch area of the factory becomes particularly busy. With turnover growing by 10 per cent year on year, demand is such that the business is outgrowing its factory and is about to start work on a 280m extension. In autumn 2013, the business extended its offer beyond candles and candle accessories for the first time by adding scented reed diffusers to its product range. The business is working on a series of innovative new products, currently under wraps but due to be released in time for Christmas shoppers. The company now exports to Japan and the USA, but customers are mainly in the UK with John Lewis and 1,000 boutiques and high-end garden centres stocking St Eval products. With sustainability at its heart, the business works with a number of local suppliers including graphic designers from Penryn-based company Eight Wire and Truro-based company DMG Print. For more information about St Eval Candle Company and its ranges, visit www.stevalcandlecompany.co.uk. 8 giftfocus New faces join Di Palomo Italian-inspired brand Di Palomo has five new faces joining the UK sales team. Debbie Todd joins as Sales Office Manager based at the Di Palomo headquarters in Torquay, Devon to support new members out on the road, with the complete team reporting directly to Rob Tyler, Sales Director. The new team joins Julie Bristow, Area Manager for the southwest who’s been with the company for many years. The brand has not only invested in recruiting a new sales team but is launching a newsletter to communicate directly with its retailers giving advice on the individual products, merchandising, POS and company news. To find out more about Di Palomo, visit www.dipalomo.com. From You To Me scoops top international publishing award Multi award-winning gift journal publisher, From You to Me is celebrating international award success – this time at the Independent Publisher Book Awards 2014 (The IPPYs) where the year’s best independently published titles around the world are honoured. Bump to Birthday: Pregnancy & First Year Journal was awarded Gold in the Gift category. The award was presented at a ceremony in New York on 28th May. Visit www.fromyoutome.com to find out more about the company. Julie Dodsworth launches product range with Country Baskets Country Baskets, one of the UK’s leading floral and craft suppliers, has launched its latest design partnership with Julie Dodsworth. The new Julie Dodsworth range is designed exclusively for Country Baskets, and the first line will include 40 variants of silk flowers, ribbon, cellophane and decorative aggregates, all inspired by Julie’s Yorkshire roots and time spent aboard her beloved boat, Calamity Jane. Julie has designed and collaborated with distinguished brands such as Barbour and Wax Lyrical and her products are now stocked in a wide range of stores including Harrods, Selfridges, John Lewis and Lakeland. The Country Baskets ‘Julie Dodsworth Collection’ includes beautifully distinctive designs such as Swiss Cottage, Fairy-tale and Midsummer Ball. For more information, visit www.cbimports.co.uk. on with the show Trade show updates from home and abroad diary dates New Designers when Part 2: 2nd - 5th July, 2014 where Business Design Centre, London website www.newdesigners.com Home & Gift when where website 13th - 16th July, 2014 Harrogate www.homeandgift.co.uk California Gift Show when 18th - 21st July, 2014 where California website www.californiagiftshow.com Formex when where website NY NOW when where website Tendence when where website 13th - 16th August, 2014 Stockholm www.formex.se 16th - 20th August, 2014 New York www.nynow.com 30th August - 2nd September, 2014 Frankfurt www.tendence. messefrankfurt.com Exceptional craftsmanship at the first Spring Edition of The Contemporary Crafts & Design Fair Held at the beautiful Chelsea Old Town Hall in London, Spring Edition showcased the best of contemporary fine crafts in all disciplines across fashion and interiors. Visitors were treated to a dazzling variety of form, function and style from more than 80 highly skilled designer-makers. Photographer: Rachel Charter This was the spring edition of the established winter showcase, The Contemporary Crafts & Design Fair, with 2014 its eighth year at Chelsea Old Town Hall. Footfall for the first year of Spring Edition was encouraging, with nearly 2,500 visitors attending over the three-day show and Private View champagne reception. Buyers and galleries from the UK and abroad attended, with representatives from well-known UK-based stores such as John Lewis and Liberty visiting as well as international industry bodies including Crafts Council Netherlands. The next show is Handmade in Britain 14: The Contemporary Crafts & Design Fair that takes place between 14th - 16th November. Log on to www.handmadeinbritain.co.uk to find out more. British Craft Trade Fair reveals strong visitor results British Craft Trade Fair Organiser Margaret Bunn reported strong support from the home and gift industry for this year’s fair, with an attendance of 4,750, which is on par with last year’s figures. “Although we didn’t see any significant shift in figures this year, what we did see was a number of new buyers from the very top end of the industry, including department stores, independent galleries and retailers, along with more interior designers and architects looking for commission work for both commercial and domestic projects.” Due to its original content, many of the buyers who attend BCTF are loyal to the show and cite it as the only trade fair in the UK calendar that they attend. For details of next year’s show, visit www.bctf.co.uk. Ambiente’s USA Partner Country presentation takes shape This year’s partner country was Japan 10 giftfocus Next year, Ambiente will welcome the United States of America as its Partner Country, with Scott Henderson taking on the role as designer of the American Partner Country presentation. “Scott Henderson is distinguished by an uncompromising and unmistakable design style, especially when it comes to designing consumer goods. He has a great talent for giving mundane articles a playful quality without impairing their functionality and we're delighted he's agreed to create the very popular Partner Country presentation at the next Ambiente,” said Nicolette Naumann, Vice President Ambiente/Tendence. The Partner Country project is an important part of the Ambiente programme for exhibitors and visitors, which embraces a wide range of events including the Partner Country presentation and the special Partner Country Day with numerous activities. The next Ambiente takes place between 13th - 17th February, 2015. Visit the website www.ambiente.messefrankfurt.com for more details. news&events The 29th Jinhan Fair attracts more than 50,000 overseas buyers The 29th Jinhan Fair for Home & Gifts closed its doors in April after attracting more than 50,000 visitors from 151 countries and regions. The fair covers an area of 82,000 sq m and included 740 exhibitors revealing tens of thousands of new products. This year, 56 per cent of the buyers were from Europe or America, including the global industry leaders. Leading enterprises like Kingfisher, TJX, and Hobby Lobby, as well as hundreds of giants like Best Buy, Wayfair, Bed Bath and Beyond, Family Dollar, Creative CO-OP, and Dollar Tree from North America, Tesco, Markant, and Coop from Europe, Li & Fung and Aeon from Asia, and Falabella from South America visit the Fair. Buyers are happy with the quality supplier resource, comfortable sourcing environment and thoughtful service of the fair. The event is organised by Guangzhou Poly Jinhan Exhibition Co. and has a history of 15 years since its first session in 2000. The 30th Jinhan Fair for Home & Gifts will be held in Guangzhou Poly World Trade Center Expo on 21st - 27th October, 2014. To find out more, visit www.jinhanfair.com. Healthy rebooking of stands for Scotland’s Trade Fair Autumn Scotland’s Trade Fair Autumn is set to grow this September with 10 per cent more exhibitors than last year. With strong rebooking and decent interest from new exhibitors, this two-day gift, homeware and jewellery show offers a vital last chance opportunity to stock up pre-Christmas. Held at the SECC, Glasgow from 21st - 22nd September, 2014, this show is well attended by Scottish and northern English retailers who need more stock pre-festive rush. With many shops leaving buying as late as possible, this means that exhibitors can expect solid orders to come from this show. Mark Saunders, Managing Director of Springboard Events who organises the show, says: “With many retailers ordering as late as possible, Scotland’s Trade Fair Autumn’s exhibitors often report strong written orders at the show. It’s a final opportunity for retailers to find additional stock for the Christmas period when many don’t have the stock room or the opportunity to purchase goods earlier. Many suppliers are exhibiting impulse purchases, well designed and commercial gift ideas that are perfect for small presents and stocking fillers, as well as larger Christmas presents.” Visit www.scotlandstradefairs.co.uk to find out more. New look for Giving & Living 2015 After celebrating 50 years in 2014, Giving & Living has taken on a branding update of the colours of the show and its logo. The website will also be refreshed to reflect the show’s new, more contemporary image. The continued support of big companies such as Joe Davies, Gringo, Kandy Toys, Puckator and Something Different Wholesale – all of whom will be back in 2015 – reflects the high level of confidence exhibitors have in the results they achieve at the show. The 2015 event takes place on 11th - 14th January at Westpoint Exhibition Centre in Exeter. For more details, visit www.givingliving.co.uk or follow @giving_living on Twitter. giftfocus 11 on with the show on with the show Autumn Fair International on the horizon Trade Pencil the show 7th - 10th updates from home and abroad September, 2014 into your diary for the return of Autumn Fair International to the NEC, Birmingham. With more than 1,500 exhibitors and 30,000 visitors expected, Autumn Fair International offers unrivalled product sourcing opportunities for Christmas and for early previews of spring/summer 2015 ranges. Right time, on trend, in stock is the mantra for the show and it doesn’t fail to deliver, with a huge number of exhibitors able to offer immediate delivery and flexibility on minimum orders to meet the requirements of independent retailers up and down the country. With 10 different sectors and more than 60,000 new product launches, Autumn Fair International offers great cross-over buying opportunities. Sectors include: Contemporary Gift & Home; Kitchen, Dining & Housewares; Gifts; Home Interiors & Furniture; Gift, Home & Volume; Greetings & Gift; Children’s Gifts, Toys & Gadgets; Body, Bath & Home Fragrance; The Summerhouse and Fashion Jewellery & Accessories. Big news for 2014 includes a healthy expansion in the Home Interiors & Furniture zone, reflecting a welcome upswing in the market. Soaring demand from new and returning exhibitors has resulted in as much space already being booked and confirmed for the Home Interiors & Furniture sector at this year’s event as there was when Autumn Fair International 2013 opened its doors last September. This sector will occupy all of Hall 2 and part of Hall 3, meaning it will have its own themed entrance for the first time at the show. Within the all-important Contemporary Gift sector of the show, Pad Home and Propaganda Denmark will be exclusive to Autumn Fair International this September, while industry giant Enesco will be returning to the exhibition after a six year absence. Temerity Jones London is one of several new exhibitors, a brand new company launching to the trade for the first time at Autumn Fair International 2014. You can also look forward to seeing Urban Apothecary and Australian brand, The Beauty Collective. The Greetings & Gift sector, located in Hall 4, is also doing well for autumn, with renowned contemporary publishers such as Cardmix and Urban Graphic joining the exhibition for the first time this year. Over in Gift, Home & Volume, located in Hall 1, major returning exhibitors already lined up for the show include Liverpool-based party giant Davies Products and clearance specialist Klyne & Klyne. They join bellwether companies such as Rayburn Trading Co, Tallon International, Ultimate Products and PMS International. Once again, in 2014 Autumn Fair International will offer an inspirational selection of feature areas, seminars and demonstrations to help guide your buying decisions. Included amongst these are the seminar theatres, WGSN Homebuildlife supported Trend Bar, New Product Showcase, Fashion Catwalk, Design Lab, Cookshop & Housewares Association Village, Cardgains Village and Brands of China. For more information on the show and to register for a free badge, visit the website www.autumnfair.com. 12 giftfocus Looking ahead International Jewellery London when where website 31st August - 2nd September, 2014 Olympia London www.jewellerylondon.com Maison & Objet when where website 5th - 9th September, 2014 Paris www.maison-objet.com Autumn Fair when where website 7th - 10th September, 2014 NEC, Birmingham www.autumnfair.com HOMI (previously Macef) when where website 13th - 16th September, 2014 Milan www.homimilano.com Scotland’s Trade Fair Autumn when where website 21st - 22nd September, 2014 SECC, Glasgow www.scotlandstradefairs.co.uk Mega Show Part 1 when where website 20th - 23rd October, 2014 Hong Kong www.mega-show.com Jinhan Fair for Home & Gifts when where website 21st - 27th October, 2014 China www.jinhanfair.com Mega Show Part 2 when where website 27th - 29th October, 2014 Hong Kong www.mega-show.com (All dates are subject to change. Contact the organisers for more information before making arrangements). For further in-depth show previews and reports turn to: P38 Hong Kong review P53 Tendence preview P65 Home & Gift preview brand spanking new Check out some new and exciting products in the current market Jo Stockdale Love From Lemonade RRP: 148mm x 210mm card is £2.40; 120mm x 170mm is £1.99 Jo Stockdale will be launching her new collection of nine designs depicting zoo animals. As with all of Jo’s greeting cards, they come blank for year-round sales, and are available in two sizes: 148mm x 210mm and 120mm x 170mm. They’re presented in packs of six and cello wrapped with colourful envelopes. T: +44 (0)1748 821 172 E: [email protected] W: www.jostockdale.co.uk RRP: £2.45 Love From Lemonade is releasing 30 new card designs into its evergrowing quirky range. As well as some bouncy new baby ones, the company has extended its best-selling Molly & Max line to include more birthday and anniversary designs, new baby, christening, good luck and more. The cards are printed on a quality FSC board and packed in a cello bag with a white recycled envelope, and all of the brand’s products are made in the UK with materials that are either recycled, recyclable or both. T: +44 (0)7833 089 098 E: [email protected] W: www.lovefromlemonade.co.uk Rosanna Rossi RRP: £2.75 Rosanna Rossi has introduced further additions to its highly successful male birthday card collection, Retro Rocks. There are now 30 designs within the range featuring striking graphics, bold typography and masculine icons. All cards are finished with emboss detail, rounded die-cut edges and presented with complementing recycled brown envelopes. T: +44 (0)7900 698 522 E: [email protected] W: www.rosanna-rossi.co.uk 14 giftfocus Winter in Venice RRP: £6 for hand wash and £6.50 for body lotion Winter in Venice’s Classic Blends comprise four signature scents made using aromatherapy oils of rose, patchouli, sandalwood, citrus fruits, cardamom, water lily, freesia, black pepper, lavender, rosemary and cedarwood. The company has carefully blended four nostalgic scents to include Blend 3, Blend 7, Blend 8 and Blend 9, each designed to captivate, stimulate and invigorate your senses. The range is paraben free and includes a bath and shower gel, hand wash, body lotion, salt scrub and body butter. T: +44 (0)845 652 1223 E: [email protected] W: www.winterinvenicetrade.co.uk brand spanking new Mezu Silk Flowers Seascape UK RRP: £22 This invigorating scrub uplifts your senses and breathes new life into tired skin, and is made from pure sea salt and extracts of lime oil. Aimed to gently exfoliate and renew skin, this scrub is packed with naturally derived ingredients. The added natural essential oils of lavender and eucalyptus evoke a sense of calm and tranquillity, which sit beautifully with the ethos of the Seascape brand. Beeswax adds a nourishing quality to the scrub and enables it to melt into the skin easily to hydrate and soothe leaving it glowing with vitality. T: +44 (0)845 003 5255 E: [email protected] W: www.seascapeuk.com RRP: £5 - £6 Mezu is passionate about providing customers with the very best realistic silk flowers. Fresh this summer are two new colours of Old English roses – blush and dark red – adding to the range of the nation’s favourite flower. These colours complement the extensive selection of hand-made silk blooms already available, which include peonies, dahlias, hydrangeas, stocks, delphiniums, ranunculus and more. T: +44 (0)1248 422 279 E: info@mezusilkflowers.com W: www.mezusilkflowers.com Aliroo RRP: £2.40 Ink! is a fresh and funky collection of 12 occasion and six birthday cards. Each card is printed on a lightly textured card and supplied cello wrapped with a textured laid envelope. Occasions include baby, wedding, get well and leaving. The cards measure 150mm x 150mm and have a de-boss square. Contact the company for samples. T: +44 (0)1844 352 183 E: [email protected] W: www.aliroo.co.uk Black Ginger RRP: £9.50 Black Ginger has just launched these new glass soap pumps. Decorated in these popular designs, each one holds 300ml of liquid. The tops are easily unscrewed so the pumps can be refilled with the liquid soap of choice. The round soap pump with a heart pendant comes with a matching perfume bottle. T: +44 (0)118 940 3731 E: [email protected] W: www.blackginger.co.uk giftfocus 15 brand spanking new Busy Bee Candles RRP: £1.75 per pot Busy Bee Candles has introduced some exciting summer fragrances in its best-selling Magik Beanz, Wax Tart and Scented Candle formats. Fragrances include Orange Pop and Strawberry Pop to add a dash of effervescent fragrance and colour to your home fragrance line up. Hand-made in the UK, the brand’s natural wax formulations are gaining huge popularity on the social networks. Stock from the company’s huge range and it will help promote your outlet to around 30,000 Twitter and Facebook followers. T: +44 (0)7511 642 733 E: [email protected] W: www.busybeecandles.co.uk United Oddsocks RRP: £13.49 United Oddsocks creates fun, vibrant and unusual gifts that are all together different, and will be showcasing its full range of new products for 2014 at Home & Gift. Fresh items include Pop Art inspired Oh Mary! and Cotton Kandy for ladies, both gift packs offering six Oddsocks to mix and mismatch. Fine and Dandy and Ahoy! provide colourful additions to the men’s range, and for the younger fans All Aboard and Sea Legs, bursting with summer fun and packaged in a cute bucket. United Oddsocks will also be launching its new branding and display units. Visit the company on stand DP1-57. T: +44 (0)1582 882 124 E: [email protected] W: www.unitedoddsocks.com Molly Mae RRP: Under £3 Molly Mae has launched a selection of children’s giftware. Items include exercise books, party bags, bunting, three art print combinations, keepsake boxes, invitations and thank you packs. Produced in the theme of pirates, ponies, campers and fairy princesses, these new additions are created from hand drawings and incorporate quirky patterns, complementing the Molly Mae card ranges. The A5 exercise book pictured features a pirate and is tied with a skull and cross bone cut out. There are A5 and A6 notebooks available in this range, and retailing at under £3 they’re ideal for a small gift or party bag filler. T: +44 (0)844 736 2686 E: [email protected] W: www.mollymae.co.uk 16 giftfocus Root Candles Europe RRP: Glass jar: £13.99 and Votive: £7.99 Root Candles offers the power of colour and fragrance in one holistic candle, for a greater sense of health and wellbeing. The Seeking Balance range comprises all-natural soy blend wax candles with essential oil fragrances. They’re coloured with all-natural vegetable-based dyes and have a sustainable wooden wick for a comforting crackle. The glass candles burn up to 65 hours and the votives for up to 15 hours. The candles come with earth-friendly packaging printed with soy inks. This is the fastest selling new brand Root Candles has ever introduced. T: +44 (0)1484 850 059 E: [email protected] W: www.rootcandles.co.uk christmas ’tis the season Stock up for the biggest buying season of the year Gaeltag Keltika is offering nine festive glasses to choose from in the Lolita range, with a collection of attractive Martini and wine mini tree ornaments to match. From the wonderful detailing of a jolly Lapland scene complete with Santa’s workshop on the North Pole glass, to the timeless chic ice etching of Winter Wonderland, there’s a glass for all tastes from Lolita. You can view the brand’s Christmas range at Home & Gift in July. T: +44 (0)20 8998 1781 www.lolitadesigns.co.uk In readiness for Christmas, Rose & Co. has created a new festive collection. The limited edition Winter Wonderland range features a lovingly hand-crafted bath fancy trio, cupcake soap and tartlette duo complete with a magical dusting of glitter, as well as a deliciously scented candle. T: +44 (0)1827 280 080 www.graftons.co.uk The Nutmeg collection of Christmas cards from Blue Eyed Sun is based on original machine stitched artworks by Jo Corner, which are printed and embossed. Hand-finished with jewels, the range includes 36 Christmas designs. These beautiful cards all come cellowrapped with a red envelope and are 160mm square. T: +44 (0)1273 823 003 www.blueeyedsun.co.uk GiftScribes is a leading UK distributor of personalised Christmas decorations. Every product in the Special Moments Christmas collection can be personalised easily at the point of sale; which transforms every thoughtful gift into a collectable keepsake. The huge range of more than 250 items includes classic festive designs for snowmen, reindeer, Santa’s sleigh and a stocking full of presents, as well as baby’s First Christmas decorations. All are made from high quality poly resin and each one comes complete with a gift bag and hanging ribbon. T: +44 (0)1584 811 190 www.giftscribes.co.uk giftfocus 21 ’tis the season Under license from The Macneil Studio, Lesser & Pavey brings to life striking designs featuring Christmas scenes. The range is true to traditional festive scenes and comprises an extensive fine china mug series, home and housewares accessories and three sizes of quality paper gift bags with ribbon handles and tags. T: +44 (0)1322 279 225 www.leonardo.co.uk Signature Gifts has many personalised options for the festive season. Items include a Christmas pudding for family and friends and children’s books such as the 12 Days of Christmas, Your Letter to Santa and My Book of Nursery Rhymes. The company has a full license to sell and distribute alcohol, and items in this line range from traditional mulled wine to a bottle of bubbly or beer. Festive mugs make great stocking fillers or secret Santa gifts. The company adds on a customer’s own personalisation to any of its wide array of designs. All mugs are produced on site and include any name and most will include a personal message. T: +44 (0)1582 464 809 www.signature-gifts.co.uk 22 giftfocus Puckator has added many lines to its ever-growing Christmas collections. New items include an extension to the brand’s best-selling air freshener range with many Christmas designs to choose from and of course mouth-watering festive scents. There’s also Christmas matchbook nail files and lip balms. T: +44 (0)800 011 6969 www.puckator.co.uk Heaven Sends has been busy creating the must-have Christmas collection for 2014 and has put all of these products into its new Christmas catalogue. The company has built on your favourite best-sellers from last Christmas and added complementary goodies across the entire range. One highlight is the Festive Friends, a cute selection of loveable characters including silly snowmen, adorable pets and naïve nativity sets, which all make ideal stocking fillers. T: +44 (0)121 351 7457 www.heavensends.com ’tis the season Half Moon Bay is expanding its popular jigsaw puzzle range, following a double win at Gift of the Year for its Cadbury Roses puzzle. For Christmas 2014, the gift and housewares company is launching a range of traditional jigsaw puzzles that make the perfect family entertainment at this key time of year. Designs feature themed nostalgic collages, such as teatime, home cooking, the golden age of travel and Victorian Christmas. These make a great gift and are the ideal family activity after Christmas dinner. T: +44 (0)1225 473 873 www.halfmoonbay.co.uk Christmas 2013 saw record sales for Joe Davies and its customers. The company will introduce its biggest collection to date at Home & Gift, with more gifts hitting the £4.99 and £9.99 price point. LED technology has seen some great advances this year, making LED lights very affordable so many new Christmas products feature colourful, festive flashing lights to attract the customer’s eye. Minimum orders from Joe Davies are just £100 and minimum quantities are very small so buying an attractive Christmas display doesn’t have to break the bank. Repeats are also quick and easy using Joe Davies’ trademark little and often buying system. T: +44 (0)161 975 6300 www.joedavies.co.uk 24 giftfocus Shared Earth buys many of its Christmas nativity scenes and decorations from Peru. Each year, the company works with fair trade supplier Manos Amigas, which works with many artisan groups across the country to introduce fresh designs year on year. The products have a very traditional feel and are all intricately painted by hand. T: +44 (0)1904 670 321 www.sharedearth-trade.co.uk Following on from the success of last year’s best-selling sensation, the Yankee Candle® Fragranced Advent Calendar, the brand has introduced the Advent Calendar House. The stand-alone 3D Advent Calendar House reveals a new festive tea light behind each door with an extra special Sampler® votive for Christmas Eve. Alongside favourite fragrances such as Spiced Orange and Christmas Cookie, customers will be delighted to discover the new scents of the Christmas Past collection, Christmas Garland and Candy Cane Lane. T: +44 (0)117 316 1200 www.yankeecandle.co.uk ’tis the season Gibsons has a huge variety of festive puzzles in its range, from 100 to 1,000 pieces, so there’s something for everyone. Crazy Christmas is part of the Spot the Sillies range, the puzzles that take an ordinary scene and turn it upside down and inside out! In the festive edition, there are many extraordinary things that will have children crying with laughter at the astonishing items in the silly scenes. Most of these sillies can be found in the picture on the box, but a sneaky few will only appear once the 100-piece puzzle is completed and the challenge is to find all 10. T: +44 (0)20 8661 8866 www.gibsonsgames.co.uk Pintail Candles has updated its best-selling Christmas Gold range for 2014 with a Merry Christmas greeting added to each candle, as well as the addition of two new fragrances. Noir de Cassis is an alluring fusion of cassis, liquorice and rich blackcurrants with a hint of green leaves, while Épices de Nöel is a rich, powerful blend of dark spices with intense woody notes and a hint of patchouli and warm clove. These new fragrances provide a distinctly individual addition to the range, alongside all the existing favourites like Christmas Spice and Cinnamon & Orange. T: +44 (0)1539 559 007 www.pintailcandles.com 26 giftfocus Created for Enesco, Heartwood Creek by Jim Shore is one of the most recognisable brands of collectables. A new selection of Christmas and nativity figurines has been launched to delight collectors of this admiral brand – from a host of holy angels to a selection of Santas – as well as many new hanging ornaments too. Pictured here, Jim Shore’s regal nativity set is an elegantly styled depiction of the biblical scene at the heart of Christmas. Each of the 10 beautifully hand-crafted pieces feature rich hues accented in gold and Jim’s signature rosemaling design. T: +44 (0)1228 404 022 www.enesco.co.uk There are 47 Wildlife Trusts covering the whole of the UK, and Glebe Cottage is delighted to be publishing new Christmas designs in support of The Wildlife Trust for 2014. From otters to blue tits, stags to squirrels, the collection is wonderfully diverse and features the very best of British wildlife. Each card contains interesting information about the species featured. Charity Christmas card packs come in two sizes – 120mm sq and 153mm sq – with a 40p and 50p charity donation. Charity packs can be ordered alongside everyday cards and notecards for the trusts, and a 2015 calendar is also available. T: +44 (0)1626 369 269 www.glebecottage.co.uk photo frames & albums in the frame We all love to capture those special moments in life, whether it’s a holiday, wedding or the birth of a baby. Offer a range of photo frames and albums in-store to help customers relive those memories time and time again This silver-plated photo frame would make the ideal gift for any tennis fan. Measuring 165mm wide x 158mm high, the frame is just one of many available in All Personal Gifts’ silverplated range and has a very deep, shiny finish to it. The company provides a comprehensive line of attractive fine silver-plated gifts that can be engraved for that personal touch and come in top quality presentation boxes. T: +44 (0)800 030 2345 www.allpersonalgifts.co.uk Shared Earth has hundreds of innovative gift ideas, including this crayon photo frame. The pencils are factory rejects and the company’s producer, Aspiration, collects them from a small town 200km from Delhi – also a great example of creative recycling. Due to their popularity, Shared Earth will be introducing more products later this summer. T: +44 (0)1904 670 321 www.sharedearth-trade.co.uk Lesser & Pavey offers a comprehensive range of photo frames, covering a multitude of designs, shapes, sizes and fashions to suit today’s home interiors. These frames shown here feature bows and ribbon tails to enhance the frame shot. The Cherub frames offer something different. Made of resin, these frames come in an antique-style pale gold finish with detailed sculpting or white with antique ivory finish. T: +44 (0)1322 279 225 www.leonardo.co.uk Personalised Memento Company’s best-selling Mr & Mrs wedding range has been extended to include mirrored frames, which make an elegant addition to any home. Personalised Mr & Mrs photo albums complement the line, which are available in sleeved pockets and traditional pages interleaved with tissue paper. PMC has a huge range of gifts, each one individually personalised to order. T: +44 (0)1782 744 900 www.personalisedmemento.co.uk giftfocus 29 in the frame Some of Signature Gifts’ new range of photo frames can be engraved. The conjunction of Signature Gifts and Personalised Gifts UK means they now offer one of the widest ranges of engraved products in the UK. With options of wood or silver bespoke frames, all personalised with an individual message, there’s a frame for every occasion. Basic frames allow maximum personalisation, meaning more space for bespoke designs and personal messages, or frames with intricate designs, which make a great addition to the mantelpiece. Prices begin at £14.99 RRP. T: +44 (0)1582 464 809 www.signature-gifts.co.uk Joe Davies boasts the most extensive range of photo frames and albums in the country. It has designs suitable for every style of home and to suit a multitude of life’s special occasions and the people that mean the most to us. All frames and albums are available in small quantities that enable independent retailers to maximise their selection and minimise their spend. T: +44 (0)161 975 6300 www.joedavies.co.uk Giftscribes now offers a collection of high quality, resin-based photo frames. Each one takes a 6in x 4in photo and has space to add names or a personal message to create an original keepsake for someone special. Designs include Choo Choo train and Christmas themes that can be matched with the brand’s traditional piggy banks and personalised Christmas decorations to create beautiful gift sets. New animal themed photo frames will be launched at Home & Gift in July. T: +44 (0)1584 811 190 www.giftscribes.co.uk Mousehouse recently launched its baby gift ranges, which have proved very popular. Featuring gift sets and individual photo albums, all items are hand-crafted. Both collections come in baby blue and baby pink and are available from stock for immediate delivery. A line of photo frames is also available, hand-crafted with fun and quirky designs and featuring Perspex clear windows. These are also available for immediate delivery. T: +44 (0)1606 868 000 www.mousehousegifts.co.uk/trade 30 giftfocus British Manufacturers and Purveyors of Luxury Goods Founded in 2012 British lifestyle brand Urban Apothecary creates affordable luxury for a little indulgence every day. Our candles are made with 100% soy wax, cotton wicks and premium fragrance. Best of all they are lovingly made by and in our factory in Leicestershire. Contact us for your wholesale and contract manufacturing enquiries and please visit us at Autumn Fair - Hall 3, Stand Q31 0844 244 8818 www.urbanapothecarylondon.com [email protected] for further details or to receive a full colour brochure please contact us: 01606 868000 | [email protected] | www.mousehousegifts.co.uk/trade home accessories finishing touches Stocking a range of complementary home accessories can be a great money spinner for your store Shruti has been busy updating its home accessories collection with a stylish new range of blankets and cushions, using on trend colours alongside favourite classics. Lots of textures and fabrics have been used to give an interesting edge to the collection. Several of the brand’s new blankets have been hand-knitted or woven to give attractive chunky finishes, while fine lambs wool is Shruti’s choice for a super soft lightweight blanket. T: +44 (0)1453 760 070 www.shrutidesigns.co.uk Dora Designs will be showcasing two brand new collections and lots of new additions to its existing ranges at Home & Gift in July. There will be something for everyone, from cats to chickens. T: +44 (0)1733 305 452 www.doradesigns.co.uk Duckydora is a collection of British designed homewares and accessories. The ceramics and linens feature one of three bespoke designs and the tablecloths and napkins will bring a touch of elegance to a table. Made in Portugal, each piece of hand-painted terracotta tableware has its own individual character. The range includes mugs, jugs, plates and serving bowls, and look stunning either displayed on their own or used as a complete set. T: +44 (0)843 487 3104 www.duckydora.com D & J Glassware offers a range of stylish and practical glassware to add flair to any home. These colourful, hand-crafted glass coasters come in a selection of original designs. Each one has been finished to the high quality for which the company is renowned. Other items available include plates, clocks and tea light holders, with new collections added throughout the year. T: +44 (0)1953 450 280 www.dandjglassware.co.uk Heart of the Country has a wide range of sachets, and now offers bespoke lines to meet every individual’s needs. Willowbrook’s pet sachets are must-have home accessories for dog and cat owners. Available in six fragrances, pet sachets have odour absorbing and eliminating capabilities to rid the home of pet smells. New from Greenleaf this season is the Baby collection, featuring four sachets combining signature Greenleaf fragrance with special technology that eliminates and absorbs odours. The baby sachets provide fresh fragrance for places that get smelly such as nappy bins, pushchair pockets and car seats, as well as throughout the home without the dangers of having an exposed flame if a candle is burning or oil that may be spilt if using a reed diffuser. T: +44 (0)1543 481 612 www.heartofthecountryltd.co.uk These beautiful carved and painted heart couple sculptures from Tilnar Art are hand-made from Kenya. Stone sculptures have been carved in Kisii in Kenya for over 60 years. Kisii Stone is soft and varies in colour from white to rose and even grey. Carvers work in small groups with each group specialising in certain carvings. These are then hand-painted or left natural. T: +44 (0)1277 362 815 www.tilnarart.co.uk giftfocus 33 finishing touches The Japanese Shop has launched this exclusive new range of stylish prints by young Japanese calligraphy artist, Saren Nagata. Saren is one of Japan’s leading licensed calligraphy artists, skillfully combining classic kanji (traditional Japanese script) with beautiful floral designs in vibrant colours to create these stunning prints. She exhibits her work across Japan as well as undertaking various commissions for companies such as product labelling, stationery design and The Japanese Shop’s new logo. T: +44 (0)1423 876 320 www.thejapaneseshop.co.uk Pinnacle, Top of the World and Climbing to the Top are three new figurines for the aspiring collector or as a gift or trophy to celebrate an achievement. Available from JJ Vaillant, the pieces are cast in resin with electroplated figurines. T: 44 (0)121 380 0720 www.jjvaillant.co.uk Available from Creative Tops, the Katie Alice Bird Song tableware collection includes mix and match teacups and saucers, delicate plates in pastel colours, a cake stand and afternoon tea set. Katie has mixed sentimental sayings along with delicate illustrations of garden birds. T: +44 (0)1536 207 710 www.creative-tops.com 34 giftfocus Mousehouse is approaching its first birthday, and the business continues to go from strength to strength. Specialising in children’s gifts, soft toys and home accessories, one of its most popular is the themed children’s home accessories range. Designs include princess and pirate themes with matching hooks, photo frames, music boxes, height charts and bookends. These are all available from stock with wholesale prices starting from as little as 95p. T: +44 (0)1606 868 000 www.mousehousegifts.co.uk/trade Fox & Lark’s bright floral patterns are the ideal choice to brighten up the home this summer. The green and cherry blossom pattern on this cushion bring a welcome burst of the outdoors into any room and also has a zingy flash of lime – on trend for this season’s love affair with zesty colours. The cushion is available in two sizes and filled with a plump feather filler to add an instant playfulness to your décor. Fox & Lark’s cheerful range of cushions and interior accessories are designed and made in the UK. T: +44 (0)7761 734 709 www.foxandlark.co.uk RibbonWick – with the slogan, Candlelight Reinvented – features stylish glass and ceramic vessels suitable to grace any home. Its secret technology is said to give a mellower burn than that of a wooden or cotton wick. Seven new fragrances will be available from Xystos at Home & Gift in Harrogate, including Cinnamon Ribbon and Peppermint Truffle, available in medium and large sizes in the Décor Glass range. The Scalloped Glass collection has three new scents, including Golden Pumpkin and Frosted Balsam. T: +44 (0)191 499 1570 www.xystostrade.co.uk NEW! Whether it is our striking packaging, our natural fragrances or our product performance, Seascape is one of the most exciting bath & body collections to come out of Britain in a long time. SEASCAPE AND SEA SALT. PERFECT! NEW! Uplift 175ml Sea Salt Scrub. Already in demand. Seascape’s new sea salt scrub is invigorating, effective and a perfect compliment to our Uplift Body Wash and Uplift Body Lotion. Our new scrub is naturally fragranced with a host of essential oils, highlighted by Eucalyptus and Lime. RRP £16.00 Seascape. A little goes a long way! SEASCAPE ISLAND APOTHECARY: A 100% BRITISH BRAND Email: [email protected] Web: www.seascapeuk.com Tel: 0845 003 5255 FOR INFORMATION ON SEASCAPE AT THE UPCOMING HOME & GIFT HARROGATE FAIR, PLEASE CONTACT HELEN HOGGARD: Tel: 07825186641 email: [email protected] finishing touches Poole Pottery has celebrated ceramic form, design and decoration since it was founded in 1873, and has a reputation for vibrant statement giftware collections. Available from Denby, its latest introduction is Jasmine, a feminine floral design inspired by the soft forms of impressionist painters. It’s the latest addition to the Living Glaze collection, inspired by the elements of nature. Hand-made and decorated in the UK, this range pays tribute to the skills of both the designer, Lorna Whitmarsh, and Poole’s craftsmen. It includes nine best-selling pieces and a new addition in the shape of a beautifully deep round dish. T: +44 (0)1773 740 899 www.denby.co.uk Available from New Overseas Traders, these chain-stitched cushions are fairly traded. Each one is intricately hand-crafted by women in rural Kashmir and is cotton backed with a zip, measuring 40cm x 40cm. T: +44 (0)1672 851 166 www.newoverseastraders.co.uk Joe Davies offers the independent retailer customer a huge selection of exciting products to choose from, including shabby chic wood and metal, inspirational and humorous signs, home fragrances, ceramics and figurines. More than 2,000 new products will be introduced at Home & Gift, offering something for every style and budget and all available in sensible quantities with free delivery nationwide to make life easier for the independent retailer. T: +44 (0)161 975 6300 www.joedavies.co.uk 36 giftfocus Launched in June 2013 and available from Enesco, Contemporary Classics has been receiving some very positive reviews. In these figurines, the emphasis is on movement over realism, as these three new figures – Cockerel, Highland Cow and a new black and white version of the popular Collie – illustrate. Drawing on popular subject matter from the Border Fine Arts portfolio, i.e. native wildlife, this collection has been created to offer more choice for changing times and tastes in the form of a contemporary glazed ceramic look finish. T: +4 (0)1228 404 022 www.enesco.co.uk This season, Urban Apothecary has sought to capture the essence of three of the UK’s favourite brews and place them in a soya wax candle. Earl Grey combines bergamot with lemon and the dry, calming scent of the tea leaves. Chai Tea Masala is a blend of Indian spices, black tea leaves and warmed milk, creating an intoxicating and aromatic fragrance. White Tea is a refreshing blend of bergamot, mandarin, jasmine and ginger with soft woody notes that support a delightful mix of White Tea notes. T: +44 (0)844 244 8818 www.urbanapothecarylondon.com Pintail Candles specialises in the manufacture of high quality fragranced candles and reed diffusers. This year, the company is adding Baroque candle tins to its product offering. Six fragrances are available in eye-catching colour combinations. All of Pintail’s products are hand-made in the UK by highly skilled crafts people, using only the finest quality ingredients. There are more than 40 fragrances available across the brand’s product range, offering a product to suit every individual and interior. T: +44 (0)1539 559 007 www.pintailcandles.com full of inspiration Highlights from the 2014 Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair The Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair and Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair welcomed more than 65,000 buyers from 151 countries and regions, with overseas buyers up by six per cent. Buyers from Asia, including the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, India and Indonesia, recorded double-digit percentage growth. Traditional markets such as Japan, the UK, Korea and New Zealand also recorded significant growth. Global buyers More than 4,500 exhibitors spanning 35 countries and regions exhibited at the two fairs, welcoming 164 buying missions comprising some 12,400 buyers from 74 countries and regions. “The Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair is an extremely international show welcoming more than 53 per cent of visitors from outside the region, making the show a gateway not just to Asia, but to the world.” Rebecca Gough, Senior Coordinator of British Jewellery & Giftware International, organiser of the UK Pavilion. 38 giftfocus Three new zones Three new zones were added to this year’s fair: Avenue of Inspiration, presenting young entrepreneurs and their companies and products; the Travel Souvenirs Piazza; and Christmas Lighting. The Small-Order Zone features some 400 showcases including around 4,000 products. This zone attracted more than 23,000 buyer visits during the four-day period, generating 40,000 business enquiries. Other areas included the Hall of Fine Designs with approximately 150 brands, the World of Gift Ideas featuring 774 exhibitors, and iAccessories that spotlighted gadgets and accessories for smartphones and computers. hong kong Spotlight on Indonesia During the gift fair, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) signed cooperation agreements with ASEAN member Indonesia to strengthen bilateral trade promotion. The agreements cover areas ranging from gifts and premiums to housewares, food, textiles and fashion, focusing on the promotion of Indonesian products through HKTDC fairs and online. “The Indonesian retailing sector has been growing rapidly in recent years, offering ample business opportunities for Hong Kong’s companies,” said HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau. “The cooperation agreements that the HKTDC has signed with Indonesia’s Directorate General of National Export Development, Ministry of Trade, and the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs are set to expand bilateral trade promotion and exchange. At the same time, Indonesian enterprises will be able to use our trading platform to promote their products to the whole world.” The UK Pavilion “British Jewellery & Giftware International, in conjunction with UK Trade & Investment, led a UK Pavilion to the hugely popular and influential show. The UK Pavilion featured 28 UK companies including previous exhibitors, Alchemy England, Helen Exley, Heyland & Whittle and Whitbread Wilkinson. New exhibitors welcomed into the pavilion included Amber Bright Creations, Apples to Pears Ltd, RedDog Design Ltd, Julie Bell and Locomocean Ltd. “The Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair is an extremely international show welcoming more than 53 per cent of visitors from outside the region, making the show a gateway not just to Asia, but to the world,” said Rebecca Gough, Senior Coordinator of British Jewellery & Giftware International and organiser of the UK Pavilion. g Visitor feedback “This was my third visit to the Hong Kong fair. I was looking for new promotional items from packaging products to paper items and electronic gadgets. I’ve visited different international trade fairs; this is the best fair of the world in terms of finding new ideas and novelty products.” Javier Moliner, CEO of International Gadgets Promotions, Spain “This is an excellent fair and the scale of exhibition is so big. I established contacts with 12-13 new suppliers from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland for different items such as headphones, mirrors with LED lights, toys and wine glasses. An order was already made with a Chinese supplier for 50,000 mirrors involving a consideration of about US $100,000. I will definitely visit the fair again.” Subash M Nair, Director (Sales) at Global Tech General Trading, UAE “We visit the Hong Kong fair every year. I like the layout, making it easy to walk around and negotiate business. I’ve found 15 potential suppliers from the Chinese mainland for some new products such as LED items, toys and sound products. The total amount of initial orders with the new vendors is estimated at US $80,000.” Chris Hodge, President of CleggPromo, USA The next Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair takes place between 27th - 30th April, 2015. To find out more, visit www.hktdc.com. giftfocus 39 think first Jeremy Piercy, Managing Director of Shared Earth, discusses recycling and how retailers can do their part A slogan often used by environmentalists is ‘Reduce, Re-use, Recycle’. Although I’m not in favour of over-consumption, in a world where so many have so little, as a retailer I’m not so keen on the ‘reduce’ side of this; if people buy less, how do we survive in business? We can all easily support re-using and recycling, however, and indeed benefit. In the last issue of Gifts Focus, I wrote about re-use, and more specifically the damage that plastic bags are doing to wildlife and our planet generally, suggesting re-usable jute bags as an excellent alternative. Now for recycling. In poor countries like India and Bangladesh, almost everything gets recycled. In Britain, our landfill sites are filling up and it’s standard practice for councils to arrange door-to-door collections of paper, glass, tins and often plastics and other materials – something that would’ve seemed unthinkable 20 years ago. Some of you may consciously avoid over-packaged products when you buy your food. What else can we do as retailers? Recycling actually presents great opportunities, as so many recycled products are now available. We can act responsibly towards our planet and at the same time benefit our businesses by selling them. Customers are always pleased to find new, original ideas. Many of them care about the environment and want to support retailers who show that they care too. There are many small wholesalers selling a wealth of products, often with great designs. Some make them from traditional recycled products such as paper and glass. For instance, Green Glass in Cornwall carefully dissects old wine bottles in half to convert one half into a wine glass and the other into a tumbler. Others use more unusual materials, such as Cutouts in Huddersfield, which makes clocks, coasters, frames and other products out of recycled computer boards. Such is the quality of their design and finish that both Green Glass and Cutouts supply their products to many top-class high street outlets. Other materials recycled are even more unusual. Shared Earth has products made from door-locks, crayon stubs, old saris, and, soon to appear, jewellery made in Cambodia from old shells and bullets. It also has a large range of products made in India from bicycle chains, which it sells increasingly to bicycle shops. Nasma, a seamstress at Motif Making baskets from recycled crisp packets A clock recycled from computer boards 40 giftfocus Owning one myself, I like to support small businesses whenever I can. One such company is Motif, a fair trade business near Dhaka in Bangladesh. It employs women who are vulnerable as a result of divorce or sexual abuse, the stigma of diseases such as leprosy and so on. It makes as much as it can from recycled materials. Its products include baskets made from crisp packets, and more recently, accessories made using denim factory off-cuts and glass earrings fashioned from broken bus windscreens. Nasma is one of the seamstresses working on the new recycled denim range. She was sacked from a garment factory when found to be pregnant and could only get work on a building site. Motif found her there breaking bricks, carrying her month-old son while she worked, and took her on. Within three months she’d earned enough for her husband to buy a rickshaw and her son became the first member on either side of the family to attend school. This is an example of fair trade improving not just one life but a whole family’s, perhaps for generations to come. I don’t want to sound smug, because I make plenty of mistakes. But it’s immensely satisfying to feel I’m doing something to help both the planet, and the people who make the products, as I make my buying decisions. g Jeremy Piercy is the Founder and MD of Shared Earth, a fair trade business which began in 1986. T: +44 (0)1904 632 896 or visit www.sharedearth-trade.co.uk man’s world Accessories for the modern man The Bee’s Knees keyring from Kutuu is new for 2014. With an RRP of £12, a matching charm is also available in the company’s Chains and Charms range. T: +44 (0)1244 346 490 www.kutuu.co.uk Midhaven’s Tribal Steel men’s collection continues to expand with many new leather and stainless steel styles. The range of stainless steel, carbon fibre and rubber has doubled with lots of new engravable lines including ID bracelets, tie slides, necklets and cufflinks. Trade prices range from £4 to £20, and sizes are from 19cm to 24cm with the fastest selling size of 21cm accounting for around 70 per cent of sales. A new men’s point of sale is available free with orders of £200 or over. T: +44 (0)1299 851 513 www.midhaven.co.uk Walking stick specialist Classic Canes has introduced a new range of smart yet inexpensive men’s formal canes with acrylic handles in a choice of traditional and contemporary colours. At a suggested retail price of £25, they’re ideal as gifts for wedding ushers or glamorous accessories for proms. The company stocks more than 700 models to suit all budgets. T: +44 (0)1460 75686 www.classiccanes.co.uk Half Moon Bay has an extensive range of retro bags and boxed wallets that are full of character and proving very popular. This autumn, the brand is launching a Cookie Monster retro bag and wallet to expand on its sought-after Sesame Street range. These key men’s accessories are top sellers for the licensed giftware company, with popular character designs including Doctor Who, Mickey Mouse, R2-D2 and Batman. T: +44 (0)1225 473 873 www.halfmoonbay.co.uk Mala Leather has a large collection of men’s accessories in various leathers and price points. Axis is the popular range made with an oil finish leather and packaged in a premium box. There’s a wide selection of styles, as well as a washbag and iPad holder. New for autumn/winter 2014 is the revamped Origin range with new lining, logo and styles. T: +44 (0)1827 67401 www.malaleather.com 42 giftfocus shake, rattle and roll We chat to Helen Entwisle of Memo Illustration, worthy winner of the Gift Focus Best Gift Award at the British Craft Trade Fair, about her mid-century inspiration Helen Entwisle is usually found in her studio in Kendal, Cumbria with a squeegee in one hand and a cup of black coffee in the other. She spends her days drawing and screen-printing, as well as working as a part-time lecturer on the BA Illustration course at UCLan in Preston. With a first class BA (Hons) degree in Visual Studies from Norwich School of Art and Design, Helen has gone on to develop her illustrative style and hone her screen-printing skills to create a wide range of hand-printed products under the Memo Illustration brand. The world of Memo Illustration is influenced by the past and considers the future. Helen is a big collector of objects and clothing from the ’40s and ’50s and is a keen believer in making objects that are sustainable and of lasting quality. Every item is individually hand-printed onto 100 per cent recycled card, paper or natural cotton sourced from within the UK. “I think I always knew I wanted to draw and make stuff when as a child I first came into contact with boxes of lovely old ’40s and ’50s sweet tins full of beads and buttons,” says Helen. “The tins belonged to my Grandma who was a dressmaker and collector of all sorts of things.” Over the past seven years, Helen has 44 giftfocus developed the brand into something she feels reflects her character and interests, and hopefully appeals to other like-minded individuals. “I think the freedom to create images and products that are visually exciting to me is amazing. I’m very lucky to be able to call this my job! It’s hard work and I’m always busy, but if it wasn’t hard work then it wouldn’t be rewarding.” Helen is a big collector. “I’m fascinated with colour and pattern and design aesthetics of the ’40s and ’50s. Anything from kitsch animal ornaments, Atomic furniture, children’s books, sweet tins, cocktail paraphernalia through to clothes, cowboy shirts and Bakelite jewellery – the list goes on. These items are all over my house and provide me with an endless flow of inspiration be it colour, pattern, texture, fonts… mid-century design had it all! I also love that things were made well with longevity in mind; a big contrast to today’s throw away culture, which is a scary thought and something that needs to change.” So what makes Helen’s work different from others in the marketplace? “The range is vibrant, kitsch and impacts on the environment. I source sustainable paper and card stocks, all of which are 100 per cent recycled. The majority of the clear sleeves used to package my work are compostable. I screen-print every element of each product including the packaging. If I’m going to print a set of notecards, I might as well print a matching display box to package them in!” Helen recently produced two new ranges just in time for the British Craft Trade Fair in April, entitled Atomic and Houseplants. Both ranges draw directly from her collections, those of ’50s novelty fabric prints and the many cacti and succulent houseplants that are scattered about her home. “I’ve enjoyed creating patterns based on memo illustration “For Valentine’s Day this year my Dreamboat greetings card featured in the Urban Outfitters seasonal range. Last year another design called Float My Boat also featured in the brand’s online Valentine’s range.” both themes and applying these to a range of products including drinks coasters, notepads and stationery packs. Printing these items in a range of bright colours has been a lot of fun and sparked ideas for more new work.” The Atomic stationery line won Best Gift Award at the BCTF. This year was her first time exhibiting at a trade fair. “I wanted to challenge myself to produce as much new work as possible and push the Memo range to where I really wanted it to be. My stand at BCTF was a culmination of what I consider my strongest work to date, and winning an award for the new products really made my day!” As well as traditional stationery, Helen is launching Seed Saver envelopes; little packs containing eight screen-printed envelopes to store seeds in from your garden for next year. She may be tempted to design more gardenrelated products, and perhaps some fabrics for deck chairs and garden cushions. “I’m always up for a new challenge,” she explains. The majority of retailers stocking Memo Illustration items are independent art, design and homeware boutiques, predominantly across the UK, with a small number overseas in Canada and Singapore. “I’ve worked with larger clients and produced work on a bigger scale in the past too – my aching arms will vouch for this!. For Valentine’s Day this year my Dreamboat greetings card featured in the Urban Outfitters seasonal range. Last year another design called Float My Boat also featured in the brand’s online Valentine’s range.” Helen’s current project is building a screenprinting exposure unit with the help of her fiancé Sam. “When this is complete I’ll be able to do every stage of the print process at home. At the moment I use a local workshop to put images onto screen. I’ll be printing even more when the new unit is finished.” In terms of what’s next for Memo Illustration, there’s a new catalogue of current product ranges, which can be viewed on the website. “Car boot sale season has now begun; I plan to attend as many local ones as I can, add to my collections and gain some new inspiration. Who knows what kind of treasure I might find…” g Call +44 (0)7855 413 580 or visit www.hellomemo.com. “I source sustainable paper and card stocks, all of which are 100 per cent recycled. The majority of the clear sleeves used to package my work are compostable. I screen-print every element of each product including the packaging. If I’m going to print a set of notecards, I might as well print a matching display box to package them in!” giftfocus 45 halloween ween trick or treat Create a spooky display in-store for Halloweenn Joining Yankee Candle®’s much-loved Witches Brew and Candy Corn fragrances is the spooky new Ghostly Treats scent set. The fragrance is available as a medium Classic jar candle, Sampler® votives, wax melts and tea lights. The company also has the Black Cat ceramic accessory collection, and new for 2014 is the hanging wax melts warmer and a jar candleholder. The spooky new Ghost Luminaries give a twist of cheeky fun to the supernatural; these two ghosts come to life with the brand’s tea lights. For a more subtle, sophisticated Halloween decoration there’s the Black Spider Web accessories collection, available as a jar holder, Sampler® votive holder, Illuma-Lid® jar topper and multi tea light holder. To complete the range, the brand has launched the first Yankee Candle® Halloween lantern. T: +44 (0)117 316 1200 www.yankeecandle.co.uk Available from Enesco, GUND® Uglydoll™ plush charact characters have been extended with new characters added to the popular Universal™ Studios and KISS® ranges, as well as a new Origins collection aimed at younger children. Joining the Universal™ Studios and KISS® Uglydoll™ ranges are clips, ideal for hanging on backpacks or keys. Enjoy the witty humour of the Uglys as they dress up as their favourite horror film characters such as Frankenstein’s monster and the Wolfman, or the iconic look of the rock band KISS® on the OX Demon™ and Babo™ Catman clip. There are also new Uglys for the Halloween and Christmas seasons; Batty™ and Poe™ make a fine pair for trick or treating. T: +44 (0)1228 404 022 www.enesco.co.uk Xystos is planning to launch the Spooky Pumpkin at the Home & Gift show in July. The fragrance description is freshly carved pumpkin with a delightful dash of crushed cinnamon and clove; the perfect ingredients for a seasonal staple. T: +44 (0)191 499 1570 www.xystostrade.co.uk Shearer Candles offers a range of candles and tea light holders for Halloween gatherings. Hand-made in Scotland, the large Orange & Cinnamon candle in a tin burns for 40 hours, as does the large Amber Noir candle, a blend of tuberose, violets and amber in a tin. T: +44 (0)141 445 1066 www.shearer-candles.com Daisy Roots, a specialist in shoes for babies and young children, offers two Halloween designs. The Cat with Moon and Stars is on dark purple, and Ghost on a navy background. The company uses luxurious, soft and safe chrome-free tanned leathers to provide comfort and warmth for little toes. T: +44 (0)1604 880 066 www.daisy-roots.com giftfocus 47 trick or treat Star Cutouts has a licensed range of Walking Dead masks and standees, perfect for fancy dress parties this Halloween. Customers can choose their favourite character from the show. The company also has a line of Disney Halloween masks for children, as well as haunted house cutouts for dressing up party venues and zombie and skeleton stand-ins for the perfect photo moment. T: +44 (0)161 344 5839 www.starcutouts.com Neviti has two very different ranges for Halloween, designed to appeal to both adults and children. The fun-filled Trick or Treat collection offers tableware and decorations featuring the friendly skeleton, pumpkin, spider, vampire and monster characters. With a vibrant colour palette of purple, orange, blue, green and black, this fun line offers many tableware items including paper plates, bowls, napkins, cups and lunch boxes. For the adult market, Neviti is launching Graveyard Gathering, a gruesome collection featuring a dusky graveyard scene with a skeletal hand emerging from the ground. The range offers some really different products including Devil’s Brew and Bat’s Blood bottle labels and a creepy glass decoration in the shape of a hand. T: +44 (0)1494 473 211 www.neviti.com Puckator has a spooky new addition to its top selling Solar Pal range. This fun skeleton will dance away under natural or artificial light. T: +44 (0)800 011 6969 www.puckator.co.uk Heaven Send’s team of Angels have been busy conjuring up a devilish range of goodies. From pumpkins and ghouls to witches and owls, the Halloween collection is full of frighteningly good sellers. They’re all featured in the Spooktacular Halloween brochure. T: +44 (0)121 351 7457 www.heavensends.com 48 giftfocus piece of heaven Fiona McAllister, Managing Director at Heaven Sends, gives us an insight into the business and its team of Angels (Account Managers) When did Heaven Sends first begin and how? Having been involved in the retail gift trade for many years, Heaven Sends started life quite by chance more than 10 years ago in an old WWII munitions factory at the bottom of the garden. Being uninspired by the offer from wholesalers at the time, I set out to source something original and landed on some remarkable hand-crafted glass Christmas decorations that are still a Heaven Sends classic to this day. The Angels were born. Were there any teething problems when setting up the business? It would be untrue to say that everything ran smoothly from day one. There are always challenges when setting up a new business, whether financial or logistical, but a true passion and belief in what you’re trying to achieve is all-important and will see you over most obstacles. Trying to maintain a work and home life balance is the biggest challenge, especially with the demands of young children. What’s the inspiration behind the company and its products? Heaven Sends always strives to be different, extraordinary, a bit edgy, to stand out from the crowd in whatever it does, whether it be the products offered or the service it provides to its customers. One-of-a-kind and quirky are synonymous with Heaven Sends. Please explain the product ranges you offer. Although originally best known for Christmas gifts, Heaven Sends has branched out over the years and now provides a vast array of home and giftware as well. More than 1,300 new products were launched this year, including a profusion of patterns in the Eclectic Nostalgia collection, fabulous florals within the Fleur range and exclusive Family and Friends collectable characters, to name but a few. Showroom 50 giftfocus Having been a retailer myself for many years, I have a greater understanding of our customers’ needs than most and this has led to the launch of the Counter range of carrier bags – not for the consumer to buy as you might think by the great designs, but for the retailer to use themselves behind the till. This is another ground breaking move by Heaven Sends. What are you working on at the moment? In a bid to remain original and individual, Heaven Sends is working on a number of exclusive designer collaborations, which will Packing Room range company profile Eclectic Nostalgia Festive Friends Original glass Angel “It’s a very exciting time at the company in terms of product development. A revamp of the website is also in the pipeline and due to go live later at some point in the year.” be launching very soon along with many more in-house designed products. It’s a very exciting time at the company in terms of product development. A revamp of the website is also in the pipeline and due to go live later at some point in the year. What trade shows will you be exhibiting at and why? The trade show season starts early for Heaven Sends, with the Christmas & Gift show in January and Spring Fair in February being key events. It’s a great opportunity to catch up with old friends as well as making new ones, a chance to get valuable feedback and a vital time to share ideas and discuss developments for bespoke ranges. These early shows are important for Heaven Sends’ customers as they allow them to pre-order stock for the festive period while the previous year’s success is still fresh in their minds. Other highlights of the show calendar include the Home & Gift show in Harrogate, where the atmosphere is much more laid back and there’s a garden party vibe. It’s one of the most enjoyable shows for customers and Heaven Sends alike. Then there’s Autumn Fair in September where pre-ordering spring lines is the name of the game, and you start to see some fresh ideas appearing for the following year. How do you see the business developing? It’s important to Heaven Sends to remain true to its core values: great customer service and desirable products at value for money prices, and any developments will reflect this. Heaven Sends will continue to broaden its appeal, the ultimate goal being to offer the retailer a one-stop shopping experience. What trends do you predict for the coming months? The whole crafting revolution is strong again for 2014 and beyond, and this is the primary inspiration behind the launch of the Packing Room range earlier this year. Where craft meets gift best describes the range, which includes everything the budding crafter could wish for – tapes, tags, pretty gift boxes and bags as well as stickers, twines and embellishments. This is a really exciting new departure from the existing collections for Heaven Sends. Why do you think your customers use you? Heaven Sends strives to put its customers first and to that end customers have a dedicated Account Manager (an Angel) to help out wherever possible. We see our customers as part of the team; their success is our success. Being nominated in the Best Service to Independent Retailers category at the Greats Awards this year was a real recognition of this. We were really thrilled. g The Heaven Sends’ Angels are a friendly team. T: +44 (0)121 351 7457 or E: [email protected] to place an order, or treat yourself to a showroom visit in the West Midlands and view the whole range at your leisure. Visit the website www.heavensends.com giftfocus 51 tendence perfect timing Visit Tendence for last-minute Christmas orders and a preview of 2015 spring/summer lines In brief Show Organiser Where When Website Open Twitter Tendence Messe Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main 30th August 2nd September, 2014 www.tendence. messefrankfurt.com 9am - 6pm and 9am - 5pm on the last day @tendencefair The 13th edition of Tendence will open the busy autumn, winter and Christmas season from 30th August - 2nd September, 2014. This year, the show will run a week later instead of over the August bank holiday. Tendence gives the retail trade the chance to place last minute orders for Christmas at the same time as offering an initial preview of the 2015 spring and summer collections. “Tendence holds a firm place in the European trade fair calendar as an order and inspiration platform. With its clear focus on the European consumer goods sector – especially East Europe and Scandinavia – it brings together buyers with decision-making authority and professional suppliers at the perfect time,” explains Nicolette Naumann, Vice President Ambiente/Tendence. Six exhibition halls offer a huge spectrum of new products and popular classics, with numerous renowned brands and international key players covering the subjects of living and giving in their entirety. Giving This area of the show is all about gift ideas for the Christmas season and spring 2015. Professional buyers will find everything they need for a creative approach to their product ranges, from the classics to more unusual trending products and amusing fast-sellers. There’s also genuine and costume jewellery, stylish accessories, high-end plant pots and pot covers, fashion products and stationery items. Gifts Unlimited – Hall 9.1, 9.2 Personal Accessories – Hall 9.2 Carat – Hall 9.3 Times Square – Hall 9.3 Young & Trendy – Hall 11.1 “Tendence holds a firm place in the European trade fair calendar as an order and inspiration platform. With its clear focus on the European consumer goods sector – especially East Europe and Scandinavia – it brings together buyers with decision-making authority and professional suppliers at the perfect time.” Living In the Living section, exhibitors will be presenting everything from interior design to the latest accessories for the home, as well as seasonal decoration ideas. The range of goods includes high-end and traditional furnishing ideas, home textiles and small pieces of furniture alongside lamps, outdoor items and garden accessories. giftfocus 53 perfect timing second time the show will be held parallel with Tendence. Exhibitors will be presenting high quality, responsibly sourced and manufactured consumer goods that combine design, functionality and environmental considerations. Webchance Webchance is a two-day conference held in the Galleria over the weekend. It combines a specialist exhibition and conference for successful internet-based advertising and sales for bricks and mortar retailers. This year marks the premier of the event, when it will be held concurrently with Tendence. g Interiors & Decoration – Halls 8.0, 9.0 Seasonal Decoration, Outdoor Living – Hall 8.0 Loft – Hall 11.1 Custom-made programmes for young designers and start-ups To help young professionals gain a foothold in the business, Messe Frankfurt offers fledgling designers a free presentation area where the attention of exhibitors, trade buyers and journalists is drawn to new trends and up and coming designers. Visitors will find another Talents area focusing on jewellery in the Carat area, in Hall 9.3. The Next programme for young design talents is aimed at start-ups that have already been able to gain initial business experience in the sector and can be found at two locations: Hall 9.2 where the focus is on personal accessories and Hall 9.3 where everything 54 giftfocus revolves around jewellery. Window dressing live Karin Wahl, a German expert for window dressing and shop design, will show her tricks for a nicer shopping experience. The workshop will provide a host of valuable tips about visual merchandising, such as how to turn shop windows into genuine customer attractions and an impressive showcase for the shop. Form Tendence is an important presentation platform for contemporary arts and crafts. The Form exhibitions show judged industrial and artisan projects made by the show’s exhibitors, which are distinguished by particularly high quality and a wealth of ideas. Ecostyle Ecostyle, the sustainable lifestyle trade fair, will run alongside Tendence in Hall 9.2. This is the For more information and to register to attend, visit the website at www.tendence.messefrankfurt.com NO MINIMUM ORDERS NEXT DAY DELIVERY DROP SHIPPING SERVICES “Luxurious Toiletries and Gifts” “British Award Winning”.. “Paraben Free and Vitamin Enriched Formula” “Truly Beautiful and creative after re-usable packing.” Trade Orders : www.winterinvenicetrade.co.uk summer bonanza Mark Saunders, Director of Scotland’s Trade Fairs, looks at the effect of the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup on the Scottish gift market This summer season, an abundance of different events will bring visitor numbers over Scotland’s threshold. Naturally, hotels and restaurants will cash in on the bonanza offered by the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup but what will it mean for the gift shops around Scotland? Will the host towns be ghost towns, with stadiums full but tumbleweed blowing down the high street? Will these showpiece events unleash a tidal wave of spend in shops as a result of this tsunami of sports-led enthusiasm? The key question will be how many of these tourists take a few days extra to walk a glen, bag a Munro or visit a castle. If they do then it’s more than likely they’ll wander into a gift shop and part with a few quid for a slightly more authentic memory of Scotland rather than a t-shirt with a strange thistle-headed creature called Clyde on it. A recent study conducted by Glasgow 2014 indicates one in 10 spectators have decided to combine attending the games with a longer trip to Scotland. This means that other parts of the country should expect more visitors – welcome news indeed. Edinburgh was named as the place most people would consider or intend to visit, with 40 per cent expressing an interest in the capital. Almost a third (31 per cent) said they would travel north to the Highlands and the Isle of Skye, while a quarter (25 per cent) preferred to stay closer to Glasgow, travelling to Stirling, Loch Lomond and The Trossachs and the wider Glasgow area. So, the benefit will hopefully be felt throughout Scotland. Edinburgh is big enough to look after itself with world-class assets like the castle and the festival, but what of the other destinations? According to Pauline Murray, Owner of Tippecanoe on the Isle of Skye, “There’s an expectation that during the events themselves trade will be slower as people stay in to watch it on TV. But hotel bookings on the island are high once the closing ceremony is over, which should lead to healthy trading, on top of the traditionally strong summer holiday business in the gift shops.” Retailers are astutely aware that trade in London during the Olympics was disappointing. Fiona Fabien, owner of Papyrus in Glasgow, is confident the city has learned from this and says, “Hopefully the message won’t go out to visitors to avoid the city centre and busy shopping streets. There’ll be some disruption but hopefully not enough to deter shoppers. We’ll extend our opening hours in the evening and increase our range of gifts that will appeal to visitors, and I’m particularly interested in stocking made in Scotland/UK as this is something that our customers are specifically looking for.” Richard Hally, owner of R Watson Hogg of Auchterarder (the nearest town to Gleneagles), says: “Auchterarder will be dead during the Ryder Cup week as everyone will be at the golf and will be bussed or trained into Gleneagles. The benefit for us will be before and after as people hopefully visit Gleneagles to play the Ryder Cup course.” With the Games running from 23rd July - 3rd August and the Ryder Cup from 26th - 28th September, it seems certain that gift shops in the popular destinations should be in for a bonanza this summer. Of course, the weather – the devil on the shoulder of Scottish Tourism – may well have the final say on the outcome. It usually does for better or worse! g House of Edgar www.houseofedgar.com Mclaggan Smith Mugs www.msmugs.com 56 giftfocus Contact For more information, visit www.springboardevents.net or www.scotlandstradefairs.co.uk company profile scents of achievement Rob Tyler, Sales Director of Di Palomo, chats to us about the business’ developments over the last 11 years Wild Fig & Grape Lip balm range When did Di Palomo begin? Di Palomo first previewed its range at Autumn Fair International in 2003 and then officially launched at Spring Fair International 2004. Prior to the launch of Di Palomo, we spent several years working with high street retailers to design and produce our own brand ranges. This experience has proven invaluable in helping us to shape the product range for Di Palomo as we worked closely with buyers Per Lui for men giving us first-hand knowledge of the market, price points and of course, devising a product range consumers would love. Were there any teething problems? Yes, of course! As with any new business, we didn’t get everything right first time. The brand was financed from within the company, so cash was always a consideration as well as balancing our growth path with realistic budgets. It took several years to shape our product offering into the form that it takes today. October 2006 was a key turning point for the brand with the launch of our Wild Fig & Grape fragrance. This range really was a hit from day one and continues to be our top seller nearly eight years later. “October 2006 was a key turning point for the brand with the launch of our Wild Fig & Grape fragrance. This range really was a hit from day one and continues to be our top seller nearly eight years later. ” What inspired you to launch Di Palomo? In July 2003 our story began. The three directors of the company, already friends, were having a glass or two overlooking the River Dart in Devon on a hot summer’s day. The inspiration came from simply chatting about vivid memories and recollections of time spent in Italy. Each of our fragrance collections is inspired by a different time and place in Italy, from a Tuscan farmhouse in the early morning to an evening walk through the orange groves or sunlight sparkling on an Italian lake. Di Palomo is all about indulgence and escapism. What ranges do you offer? Five fragrances (including one for men): • Wild Fig & Grape • White Grape with Aloe • Orange Blossom with Wild Honey & Olive • Tuscan Rose • Per Lui (For Him) 16 SKUs per range (four in Men’s range) • Eau de Parfum • Bath/shower products • Hand and body products giftfocus 59 scents of achievement Tuscan Rose “Fragrance is a very personal choice and everybody smells fragrances in a slightly different way, therefore trends can be very difficult to predict. We’ve listened to the market and our customers and launched our new men’s range for 2014, Per Lui. A complex fragrance that’s doing really well with retailers, so we must’ve got something right!” • Home fragrance • Year round gift sets Price points range from £4 - £25. What are you currently working on? Following the successful launch in the first half of 2014 of our lip balms and Per Lui men’s collection, we’re looking forward to our Christmas gift offering with 24 new gift lines ranging from £6 to £35 – perfect for our retailers. White Grape with Aloe 60 giftfocus We’re also embarking on some research to decide on our next fragrance launch for 2015. What trade shows are you exhibiting at and why? Harrogate Home & Gift is our best show. The timing is perfect for our buyers to finalise their Christmas offer and for us to meet new retailers looking to launch for the second half. How do you see the business developing in the future? We’ve recently invested heavily in our sales team and structure along with marketing support and PR to drive the business to the next stage. We’ve put in place targets to increase our sales in the UK by 400 per cent over the next three years. What trends do you predict for the rest of the year? Fragrance is a very personal choice and everybody smells fragrances in a slightly different way, therefore trends can be very difficult to predict. We’ve listened to the market and our customers and launched our new men’s range for 2014, Per Lui. A complex fragrance that’s doing really well with retailers, so we must’ve got something right! Why do you think your customers choose you? Di Palomo products create a perfect solution for retailers looking for a gift range that combines product quality to ensure repeat/ self purchase. In addition, we support our retailers with great customer service and support with our small friendly team. Our retailers get help with POS, display solutions, promotional activity and gifts with purchase. We’ve also just launched our first newsletter to increase the communication channels with our customers, and there are more initiatives in the pipeline. g Orange Blossom For more information about Di Palomo and its product ranges, T: +44 (0)1803 612 772 or visit www.dipalomo.com. Isabel Martinson, CEO of The Giftware Association GA news We bring you the very latest news from The Giftware Association GA website is a big hit In the 12 months since The GA’s new-look website (www.ga-uk.org) went live, there’s been a 148 per cent increase in new members joining online. Isabel Martinson, Chief Executive of The GA, says: “It’s gratifying that we now have a bounce rate of only 0.63 per cent, signifying that the site is attracting relevant users and keeping them there. “The GA member search area is still the most popular page, while the virtual showrooms are also getting lots of viewings and are now the fifth most visited pages on the site. This is terrific news for our participating suppliers and the retailers who are looking for fresh product.” The Garden Showroom is currently open on the website and features products from T&G Woodware, Talking Tables, Winter Flora, Ragged Rose, Deco-Pak, Nick Smyth Trading and Martin Baxendale Agencies, while Widdop Bingham is among the companies whose products can be viewed in the Wedding Showroom. Other showrooms this year will feature baby, graduation and Christmas products. If you’re interested in promoting your latest products in these increasingly popular virtual showrooms, please contact Michael Hardwick by calling +44 (0)121 237 1145 or send an email to: [email protected]. Voucher scheme and special membership offers at Home & Gift The GA and its retailer and exhibitor members will have a high profile at the Home & Gift show in Harrogate. The member-to-member voucher scheme, which has gone from strength to strength, will again see retailers taking advantage of product discounts and other special offers from GA suppliers. Among the GA companies offering deals at the show are: Blue Eyed Sun, Bottleclocks, Cavendish French, CSC Imports, Dartington Crystal, Deco-Pak, Giftscribes, Global Journey, Keep This Design, Miss Milly, Tilnar Art and Tomcat Cards. Those businesses in the industry that don’t belong to the association can take advantage of its special membership offers, which will run until the end of the show. Retailers who sign up with a credit or debit 62 giftfocus card will enjoy two years’ membership for the price of one, while suppliers will receive a 20 per cent discount on their first year of membership. Those who wish to join, or require more information, should visit The GA stand at the entrance to Hall A, which will again feature a display of this year’s winning and highly commended Gift of the Year products. Recognition at The Greats Ken Johnson, Managing Director of Enesco UK, was awarded The Giftware Associationsponsored Honorary Achievement Award at The Greats Retailer Awards. Presenting the award, GA Chairman Andrew Illingworth described him as “someone who continues to lead and influence giftware; someone who has spent a lifetime in the industry and remains as ambitious as ever for his sector of the market.” Surrey-based GA member Alligator Pear scooped the Greats’ Award for Independent Gift Retailer of the Year – Home Counties, South & South East. “We try to be more than just a shop but part of the community too,” said Sinead Merry, Manager of the Tadworth retailer. “It’s a one-stop shop – you can come in and get something for everyone.” Throughout the year it organises a number of events on the premises, an eight-room converted house on the village high street, which is home to its different gift categories – everything from children’s and baby gifts to interiors and jewellery and accessories, and with price points to suit all pockets. Another GA member, Joe Davies, again received the award for Best Service to the Independent Retailer. Charity begins at work for BATF Benevolent Society Isabel Martinson says that people who worked – or may still be working – in the gift and home industry and have fallen on hard times could receive help from the British Jewellery, Giftware and Finishing Federation Benevolent Society, the registered charity of the British Allied Trades Federation (BATF). The society is funded entirely by donations from companies within the BATF – of which The GA is a part – and from the proceeds of the annual Benevolent Society Ball. As a result it’s able to provide modest financial help to assist beneficiaries in the purchase of essential household items such as cookers, washing machines and fridges, as well as providing grants for medical requirements such as mobility scooters and wheelchairs. The society will also help suitable candidates, who can demonstrate their financial distress, to meet utility bills and bad debts. In some cases, regular financial support is provided as are interest-free loans. “Not all our members know about what we can offer, so please spread the word and if you know of someone in need then please point them in this direction,” says Isabel. Another feature of the society’s work is an annual outing and lunch for its regular beneficiaries. “For many participants this provides their only holiday of the year and is very much appreciated,” says Isabel. Want to catch up? If you couldn’t make it to this year’s GA Members’ Day, which took place on 5th June, it’s not too late to find out what went on. Just go to www.ga-uk.org and click on the video link. g Further information For The GA, log on to www.ga-uk.org home & gift fresh faced A refreshed and reinvigorated Home & Gift returns to Harrogate in July In brief Show Organiser Where When Website Open Twitter Home & Gift Clarion Events Harrogate International Centre, Harrogate 13th - 16th July, 2014 www.homeandgift.co.uk 9am - 6pm (9am - 4pm on the last day) @HomeAndGift2014 The beautiful spa town of Harrogate will once again play host to Home & Gift. Recognised widely as the retailer’s favourite buying event, the show offers an original mix of designled launches combined with a wide range of general giftware, all set in an exceptional social atmosphere. With 53 years under its belt, Home & Gift has received a refreshed and more contemporary image for 2014. The event is suitably timed at the start of the key second buying season. Visitors will have the opportunity to discover brand new and innovative brands such as Creative Tops, Manhattan Toys, Burgon & Ball, Bolla Bags and The Country Candle Company, and revisit established favourites such as Enesco, Widdop Bingham, Joe Davies, PD Global, Select Cards, Hill Interiors, Gisela Graham, Caroline Gardner, Windhorse and many more. Show sectors Gift Whether you’re looking for design-led or general gifts, Home & Gift will help you stock your store with thousands of products you won’t find anywhere else this summer. More than 400 dedicated gift exhibitors will showcase new launches, so you can test your gift stock earlier and prepare for your most profitable season yet. Discover your Christmas best-sellers from a wide range of companies including Quintessential, Wild & Wolf, Cubic, Ginger Fox, Neviti, Gisela Graham, Heaven Sends, Enesco, Suki Gifts, Manhattan Toys, Widdop Bingham, My Gifts Trade and more. Home Source your next best-selling homeware lines in this section. Discover the latest launches from exhibitors such as Portmeirion Group, Walton & Co, Bronte Tweeds, Lisbeth Dahl, PD Global, Lesser & Pavey, Creative Tops, Voyage Interiors, Churchill China and many more. Jewellery & Fashion Home & Gift continues to showcase a vast range of jewellery and fashion products, from contemporary to classic chic. More than 160 dedicated suppliers will be presenting their products, including Lionite Mele, Alexander Thurlow, Bardot Fashion Accessories, Treaty Jewellery, Sea Gems, Nour, Tutti & Co, Capiz, Bewitched Accessories and Estella Bartlett. Greetings & Stationery With more than 150 suppliers, including talented new designers, independent artists and leading publishers, finding your most profitable greetings and stationery lines has never been easier. You can find the Greetings & Stationery exhibitors in Hall H. Spotlight Never-seen-before brands have been brought together in Hall G’s sold-out Spotlight showcase to present the trends of tomorrow. More than 100 up-and-coming designers will display a variety of original, contemporary and innovative gifts, homeware, fashion accessories, greetings and stationery products and more. Found in Hall G within the Harrogate International Centre, brands secured include: Chase Me Charlie, Heather Alstead, Jessica Hogarth, Kick Ass Cushions, Lonetree Cards, martha and hepsie, Always Sparkle, Paperplay Designs, Rock the Custard, South Beach Designs, The Design Mould, White Leaf Jewellery and more. Product trails Best of British – Home & Gift is launching the Best of British Showcase this year following a continued trend for its visitors to buy British, locally-made products that support giftfocus 65 fresh faced the national economy. This showcase invites exhibitors to nominate products for consideration that are made using materials sourced in the UK, and that are designed and produced locally. Eco showcase – There are some fabulous products out there with great stories, which try their hardest to reduce their impact on the environment. Companies that are experimenting with new sustainable products or product lines are welcomed onto the trail to inspire retailers with an interest in sourcing an eco-friendly/sustainable product offering. “With retailers becoming more conscious of the impact of their sourcing decisions on the environment and the economy, we're very excited to announce the launch of these showcases,” enthuses Show Director Cleere Scamell. The selected products will be showcased at the Cairn Hotel, and will also be available as part of a trail around the show. All exhibitors included in the trail will be displaying a sticker on their stands, to highlight their inclusion in eat and socialise within walking distance of the show in the main town. Cleere reflects on the individual appeal of the exhibition: “To say I’m looking forward to Home & Gift this year is an understatement. It’s a show like no other and the team is working hard to add fresh content to what is an amazing event for sourcing new products, but with the feel of a buying festival. In particular, I’m looking forward to welcoming back some of the elements that make the show special – buyers are reminded to keep an eye on our social media feeds for the latest news between now and the show.” g the trail. Cleere continues, “We understand that retailers are short on time when visiting our events, which is why we've decided to offer both a showcase and trail, to help retailers source environmentally responsible products, and products that support the British economy, quickly and effortlessly.” Mixing business with pleasure Home & Gift allows you to mix business with pleasure, and this summer welcomes the return of live music to the show, with a younger, contemporary group playing summer hits from years gone by to modern day. There’s also a wide selection of places to To register for your ticket and to find out more, visit www.homeandgift.co.uk 66 giftfocus [email protected] www.absolutelydivine.uk.com 07979 918 594 See us at home & Gift Stand Q30 fresh faced GENERAL GIFTS Halls A, B, D and Q Gift & Home Marquee Cairn Hotel Enesco Marquee Exhibitor profiles Pintail Candles JJ Vaillant Stand A2 www.jjvaillant.co.uk With Tiffany-style lamps seeing a resurgence in popularity, JJ Vaillant is offering a range of luminaires. The shades are made from stained glass, with some containing more than 300 pieces, which are individually hand-cut and soldered into place. The bases are die-cast metal with a bronze finish. Tastes vary between the traditional base/ shade models and contemporary square all-glass designs. JJ Vaillant stocks around 60 fittings, but the Iconic Dry Fly and Pearl still appear high in the brand’s top 10 each year. 70 giftfocus Stand A10 www.pintailcandles.com Pintail Candles will be launching its new Baroque line of candle tins at the show. The company has combined rich, opulent colours with dark, intense fragrances to create a collection that’s stylish, elegant and on trend for the autumn/winter season. The range includes new fragrances such as Smoked Saffron and Chocolate Kirsch. Baroque adds a touch of decadence to the Pintail product line up. Hazel Atkinson Jewellery Exhibitor profiles Yankee Candle® Stand A16 www.yankeecandle.co.uk Yankee Candle® is back at Home & Gift with a show-stopping festive collection, designed to tempt and tantalise customers during the busy Christmas buying season. Exhibiting at Home And Gift stand QS-33 www.hazelatkinsonjewellery.co.uk - tel 0115 9411110 H a n d m a d e I n Th e U K Christmas Past and Christmas Present This is the theme for this year’s new festive Classic collection, tempting customers in store with an all-encompassing range seamlessly uniting traditional and contemporary scents. Two nostalgic fragrances welcome the festive season in Christmas Past, Candy Cane Lane and Christmas Garland, evoking fond memories of familiar Christmas traditions through sweet, sugary magic and fresh, zesty evergreen notes. For Christmas Present, two subtle scents create a perfect winter wonderland, Angel’s Wings and Icicles. Stylish and sophisticated, these contemporary and airy aromas are cleverly layered with delicate fragrance notes to charm and delight. Both festive themes also see the launch of a fresh collection of gift sets. Christmas Past welcomes four new sets: Small Jar, Classic 4 Sampler® Votives and four Bucket Holders, two Medium Jars and a Classic Melt Warmer. Christmas Present embraces the fresh, bright and sparkly style associated with modern day festive trends with four new gift sets: two Medium Jars, five Sampler® Votives, Classic nine Wax Melts set and the popular Christmas Votive Book. Opening the door to a scent-sational Christmas Following on from the sell-out success of last year’s best-selling sensation, the Fragranced Advent Calendar, Yankee Candle® has unveiled a new look for 2014 as well as a brand new innovation: the Advent House. The stand-alone 3D Advent House reveals a new festive tea light behind each door with an extra special Sampler® Votive for Christmas Eve. Alongside favourite fragrances such as Spiced Orange, customers will discover the new scents of Christmas Past. 72 giftfocus Fans of the original Yankee Candle® Advent Calendar can now discover a new Christmas Present design, which adds a touch of decorative fun to the big countdown. Featuring a refreshing new colourway, each door reveals a selection of best-selling and new fragrances. Let it snow The Snow Globe collection combines original accessories with three delightful new fragrances, creating a collectable range perfect for celebrating, decorating and gifting. Three Snow Globe Jar Toppers and three matching Jar Holders are destined to shake up sales throughout the festive season. To complement, three new fragrances join the collection: Magical Frosted Forest, Sugary Sweet Snowfall and Santa’s Candy Castle, all available in the three classic candle forms of a large jar candle, large two-wick tumbler and a regular tumbler candle. Jewellery Storage solutions The Original & Only Little Book of Earrings Designed to hold up to 48 pairs of earrings. Earrings are kept WEJI WIGYVIERHEQEXGLMRKTEMVMWEP[E]WIEW]XSÁRH 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 giftfocus 73 fresh faced Exhibitor profiles Heart of the Country Stand A26 www.heartofthecountryltd.co.uk Bridgewater Candle Company’s candles are a great gift and home accessory, combining high quality fragrance and performance with stylish design. The purchase of a Bridgewater candle feeds a child for a day through the brand’s partnership with a charity called Rice Bowls, whose mission is to feed orphaned children worldwide. As Heart of the Country is convinced of the positive impact burning a Bridgewater candle in store has on sales – as it enables customers to experience the fragrance and see the clean burn – it now offers free burning samples to retailers. Bridgewater Candle Company’s new range of sachets, Inspirations for Life, are on trend this summer with decorative packaging inspired by whimsical and colourful birds and butterflies. As people look to home fragrance products to complement their interior design, the combination of unbeatable, fresh fragrances with beautiful packaging means these sachets are a must for fragrancing any space in style. 74 giftfocus Ashleigh & Burwood Stand B4 www.ashleigh-burwood-trade.co.uk Ashleigh & Burwood encourages all fragrance enthusiasts, as well as those retailers as yet unenlightened to the rewards that fragrance sales can bring to their business, to visit its stand to experience this season’s exciting new autumn/winter scents for themselves. The home fragrance brand presents two new key festive scents, Christmas Treasures and Sparkling Cassis, as well as two key autumn/winter scents, Rose & White Oud and Rhubarb & Wild Gooseberry. These scents accompany fresh fragrance lamp designs and lamp gift sets that will also be on show. In addition, debuting at the show will be brand new reed diffuser twin packs, as well as room sprays and festive home fragrance sets from its popular The Scented Home brand. Don’t miss new festive scent Warm Winter Punch, which will be available across the product portfolio including last Christmas’ best-seller, the Scented Pomander. These and many other exciting new product introductions can be found on the Ashleigh and Burwood stand. fresh faced Exhibitor profiles Intelex Mala Leather Stand A28 www.malaleather.com Mala Leather will launch its autumn/winter collections at the show. These will include the revamped Origins range with new colours and styles. All Origin products have got RFID protection as standard, giving this range a great USP and price. At Mala, colour is always important and there are some great new shades of the favourite pinks and purples and some more muted tones for autumn. Stand B9 www.intelex.co.uk Intelex has launched a novel new range of full warmable toys. The six cuddly characters include bear, cat, bunny, cow, puppy and lamb, offering children a choice of their favourite animal. Made from a blend of different fabrics, the variety of textures and colours give the Warmies® characters a quirky and lovable look that kids aged from three years+ will adore. The best thing is the dual-purpose nature of Warmies® – cuddly play toy by day and snuggly bed warming companion by night. They’re filled with treated millet and gently scented with lavender and can be warmed in the microwave. Kenro Stand B24 www.kenro.co.uk Kenro is launching a number of new frame and album ranges that are of particular interest to the gift market. The City series features London scenes, while the Holiday range focuses on both traditional and exotic beach locations. Other new albums are specifically aimed at weddings and babies, making them ideal for gifts and keepsakes. There are lots of new and extended Kenro frame collections including the Eden series in Scroll, Daisy and Beaded designs. The fresh Chloe range of frames comes in a romantic heart shape as well as a square version, while Vienna, Madison, Mellow and Avenue offer a variety of fresh looks. 76 giftfocus Exhibiting at Harrogate Home and Gift DP1 Stand 35 T: 020 8808 3818 Email: [email protected] www.terramundi.co.uk Exhibitor profiles Opticaid UK Stand B30 www.opticaid.net Opticaid will be showcasing its new autumn/winter 2014 Remaldi ready reading glasses, as well as other best-selling styles. New designs include the Cairns range (pictured) in eye-catching red, aqua and caramel print. Also new is the expanded Treviso range now in four colours. Treviso has polycarbonate lenses that are approximately 30 - 40 per cent thinner and lighter than a traditional plastic reading lens. The brand will also launch its new Quilted collection of aluminium wallets, as well as new patterns. The wallets hold up to 12 cards and are tested to block RFID (radio frequency identification) used by fraudsters to steal your card data. 78 giftfocus Clere Concepts Stand B25 www.clereconcepts.co.uk Clere Vision’s glasses for the autumn/winter 2014 season again reflect the quality and trend-setting designs synonymous with the brand. The new collection of 16 pairs of glasses contains a mixture of classic and contemporary shapes, bold designs and rich colours, as well as some more conservative styles equally suitable for gents. Floral, geometric and crystal designs make for an eye-catching display that will complement autumn and winter fashions perfectly. There are also additional colours to some of the current best-selling ranges, and of all the new collections will be on show for the first time at Home & Gift. giftfocus 79 fresh faced Exhibitor profiles Goodlookers Stand B26 www.goodlookers.co.uk Goodlookers is excited to introduce an array of trendy new reading glasses as part of its autumn collection that will be unveiled at Harrogate. New readers include the innovative Hampstead, which combines a popular vintage style unisex frame with natural bamboo side arms, finished with a contemporary paint design that enriches the grain of the bamboo. Other new models include Tunis, which fuses an ultra-thin, yet incredibly durable polycarbonate frame with a wild animal print pattern, available in three vibrant colour options; and Abbi, retro readers that are designed to be worn at the end of the nose for that quintessentially ’30s look. All Goodlookers readers come complete with coordinating carry pouch for safekeeping. To complement the eye-catching new specs collection is a trendy new range of accessories, including a fresh line of chunky glasses chains and on-trend leopard print and rose design glasses cases. Wild Things Gifts Stand D4 www.wildthingsgifts.com In July 1984, Jules Vahrman returned from living in California and set up business in the UK. The original company was called Blast! and made holographic jewellery for just one customer. Unfortunately that customer went into liquidation. Blast! morphed into Chaos and relocated to Devon. Priding itself on its diversity, the company made designer photo-etched jewellery, glow-in-the-dark Dizzy Discs, Illusion bookmarks, continued with the laser earrings and added a line of crystal suncatchers. Five years ago the company decided to focus on one thing. Under its new name of Wild Things Gifts, the company now sells crystal suncatchers to 24 different countries and employs 30 homeworkers. Recently the company has ventured back into jewellery made with Swarovski® Elements. It makes angel and birthstone earrings and necklaces, but is most proud of its flower-inspired jewellery. Pictured are the brand’s favourite Wisteria earrings. 80 giftfocus ALLJOY DESIGN © New Paper Cut Greeting Card Collection 2014 Please find more information on our trade site: www.alljoydesign.com email us at: [email protected] Reading Glasses, Sunglasses, Sun Readers & Accessories Home & Gift Harrogate Hall B Stand B25 T: 01635 297911 E: [email protected] W: www.clerevision.co.uk fresh faced Exhibitor profiles GiftScribes Gifts D & J Glassware Stand D27 www.dandjglassware.co.uk Discover the best in quality hand-crafted glassware at sensible prices from D & J Glassware. The company’s hugely popular collections include Fused Glass, Tree of Life Balls, Friendship Balls, Hearts and tea light holders. All designs are one-of-a-kind to the brand and are proven to be strong sellers. Customers can be assured of friendly and efficient service from the UK’s favourite glassware supplier. Stand D42 www.giftscribes.co.uk GiftScribes supplies a huge selection of high quality, Christmas decorations that can be personalised, with more than 250 products in classic festive season designs. The company will also be showing a range of piggy banks in traditional designs featuring beautiful, fun and contemporary themed artwork, including three new ones. Fresh for 2014 is a collection of photo frames including animal and Christmas themes that can be personalised. The Tale of the Tooth Fairy storybook set will also be available, which was shortlisted for The GA’s Gift of the Year 2014. Best Kept Secrets House of Dorchester Stand D60 www.hodchoc.com House of Dorchester will be introducing new packaging that’s changed to create a smarter, sophisticated and clearer brand identity. A number of new tantalising chocolate treats have been added to the brand’s existing line up of luxury British chocolates. Other lines such as Flying the Flag and London England will also be exhibited, alongside a selection of personalised chocolates to give visitors a snippet of what House of Dorchester does in terms of personalisation. There’ll also be the introduction of what the company has to offer as its seasonal chocolates. 84 giftfocus Stand Q1 www.bestkeptsecrets.co.uk Best Kept Secrets has completely revamped and relaunched its glass candle range for Home & Gift. The original glass candle line has been significantly extended to incorporate many of the leading candle tin scents, and many glass candles are now available with additional aesthetic decoration, sparkles and a lot of the features that have been incorporated into the full Best Kept Secrets candle tins and award-nominated Super 7s and Three Lite collections. A wider selection of candles has been created, which provides a much greater range of fragrances, with a focus on high quality ingredients that the brand knows will appeal to the market. All of its candles benefit from much better burn times, with an average 50-hour burn time on the new Sparkling Glass candles. Harrogate Home & Gift Hall A Stand A28 www.malaleather.com Tel: 01827 67401 Fax: 01827 67046 2 Bridgeside Trading Estate, Kettlebrook Road, Tamworth, B77 1AG fresh faced Exhibitor profiles My Gifts Trade Tilnar Art, Besmo & MO-Home Cairn Marquee 1-9 www.tilnarart.co.uk Fair trade supplier Tilnar Art is very proud to announce it has linked up with WWF to produce a special WWF collection of its popular small soapstone range that was launched at Spring Fair. The new WWF Soapstone collection had a great reception from all of their retailers at Spring Fair, and the brand is sure it’s going to be a best-seller in 2014 and beyond. It’s a great privilege for Tilnar Art to be able to support, with its fair trade products, such a wellrespected and world-renowned conservation and environmental charity as WWF. The WWF collection includes all of Tilnar Art’s extremely popular soapstone hearts, keyrings and fridge magnets. All of these now come in beautiful white branded WWF display boxes. 86 giftfocus Stand Q25 www.mygiftstrade.co.uk My Gifts Trade is pleased to launch British design brand Hinchcliffe & Barber’s exclusive new collection of giftware and homewares at the show. John Hinchcliffe and Wendy Barber launched their distinctive brand in 1980 to explore their love of traditional craft skills, using varied techniques such as block printing, paper cuts and potato printing to create joyful and charming designs. Their colourful ceramic and textile ranges were soon stocked by retailers internationally with great success, and Hinchcliffe & Barber’s seductive lifestyle was documented by many interior magazines. This new line of gifts and homewares draws from Hinchcliffe and Barber’s long and established heritage as British designers; the collection is sophisticated, elegant and celebrates of the countryside. JellynBean Stand Q46 www.jellyandbean.com A new series of 6in x 6in wooden plaques are now available from JellynBean. Continuing its humorous and tonguein-cheek captions, these latest editions really capture today’s modern world. Retailing at £4.99 (trade £2.08), they’re a great impulse buy for any retail outlet. There’ll also be many other great products made in the UK by JellynBean on display in Harrogate. home & gift Joe Davies Cairn Hotel 12 www.joedavies.co.uk Independent retailers are in for a treat when they visit Joe Davies’ large Cairn Hotel stand. Joe Davies is a stalwart of the show and every year uses Harrogate to launch its new autumn and winter collections. More than 2,000 new gifts, home décor products, jewellery and fashion accessories will be introduced to eager customers, and the company’s stand is always one of the biggest at the fair. Poo~Pourri®, the best-selling before-you-go toilet spray, caused a minor sensation on its Spring Fair launch and retailers report huge and increasing sales as word gets out about this product. It promises to be the big hit of the year, and to help things along there are new fragrances and a hilarious new selection of Christmas Poo~Pourri® to make the festive season more fragrant for everyone. Snoozies®, the cosy little foot coverings from the States, have also proved a huge Christmas seller with increasing sales year on year. Seven new series will debut at Harrogate including fresh kids and boys snoozies® and delightful baby animal snoozies® too. Joe Davies offers something for everyone and with everything available in small quantities, minimum orders of just £100 and quick, free delivery nationwide, placing an order doesn’t have to break the bank. The company recently won an unprecedented 12th Gold Award for Customer Service to the Independent Retailer at the recent Greats Awards in May. Joe Davies’ best-selling Equilibrium collection of jewellery and fashion accessories is one of the highlights of Harrogate. Sales have been nothing short of phenomenal and retailers can select from more than 300 brand new jewellery lines and hundreds of new scarves, bags, gloves and hats. Stocks of Equilibrium always fly off the shelves, so early ordering ensures regular deliveries of this exciting collection. The famous Leonardo Collection from Lesser & Pavey is one of the leading brands available to the independent retailer. Joe Davies is proud to be the UK’s largest distributor and has been selling Leonardo for over 45 years. All that’s new and good from the collection will be on show at Harrogate – all available in small quantities with next-day delivery. giftfocus 89 fresh faced Xystos Cairn Marquee Stand 1 - 5 www.xystostrade.co.uk As Xystos approaches its 10th anniversary, flame and fragrance is seen as a very big part of its future. At Home & Gift, the brand will unveil scores of products to cater for its loyal and demanding retailers. Xystos expects to write tens of thousands of pounds worth of candle business, and customers will be pleased to hear that its orders will be processed even quicker in Harrogate than at previous shows as the company’s sales team goes paperless. Staff be using the new Blue Alligator sales presenter, which has everything in one application for easy access via iPads. WoodWick remains the clear best-seller for Xystos, while sister brand RibbonWick, which features stylish glass and ceramic vessels, continues to attract new customers. But, the rising star is another American company, the Aquiesse collection of Aesthetic Scents, which has become a well-established 90 giftfocus brand in independent shops and department stores in the UK. Also from the US is Trapp Candles, which uses a full bottle of perfume in every 7oz candle. Xystos is also delighted with sales of The Naked Bee eco-friendly bath and body range. At Home & Gift, WoodWick’s core range will see nine new fragrances – including Sonoma Sunset and Cranberry – available in 10oz, 22oz and mini sizes, together with reed diffusers and wax melts, while Canyon and Vanille are added to the male-oriented Reserve Collection. Peace & Joy, Autumn Comforts and After Sunset are new 10oz and 22oz WoodWick Trilogy scents. Linen is the name of the Gallerie Tins’ addition, while there’s a facelift for the Inspirational range which has five new vessels – Faith, Family, Friends, Happy Birthday and Love. There are also three new patterns in WoodWick Accessories – Peacock, Purple Pebbles and Golden Trellis. Ribbonwick has seven new fragrances – including Cinnamon Ribbon and Peppermint Truffle – available in medium and large sizes in the Décor Glass range, while the Scalloped Glass collection has three new scents, including Golden Pumpkin and Frosted Balsam. There are also seven new La-Tee-Da! lamp patterns; among them are Snowflake, Purple Pebbles and Oyster Shell. fresh faced include Floral Bird, depicting a colourful bird perched on a flower; Love is Real, a graphic-led design with a bold declaration of love; and Tic Tac Toe, a witty interpretation of the favourite game using hearts and crosses. Each Art Heart carries the artist’s name and comes with specially designed packaging to create a gift that will be cherished. Art Hearts can be hung by the tasseled ribbon as an ornament or displayed using the key stand. Enesco Stand CM1 www.enesco.co.uk Bea’s Wees is an enchanting collection from Enesco Gift. Artist Natalie Kibbe, who draws inspiration for the expressive figurines from her happy experiences as a mother, wife and daughter, designs each Wee. Each one carries a heartfelt happy and affectionate message such as Sunshine and Sweet Pea, which are two of the six Ev-Wee Day figurines. Be Merry and Kiss Me are from the Hanging Ornaments and Christmas Wees ranges. The Wees create attractive groupings and are ideal for celebratory and festive occasions. Art Hearts is a new collection of 12 heart sculptures from DEMDACO. Each heart shape features a contemporary and imaginative design from a popular artist in the gift industry, and expresses sentiments of love, friendship, celebration or thoughtfulness. Designs 92 giftfocus Enesco’s Enchanting Disney collection celebrates the magic and charm of the most beloved of Walt Disney’s characters. Four figurines join the collection this summer –Cogsworth and Lumiere, Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio and Goofy, as well as a colourful porcelain snack set featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse. The Cogsworth and Lumiere figurine, from Beauty and the Beast, complements last year’s launch of Belle, and it reflects the quirky characters of this humorous pair of friends in their unusual guise of clock and candelabra. Enesco is adding some new items to its quirky range of fun and practical home décor pieces, featuring witty newspaper clippings and covering a variety of occasions worthy of attention. The Really Great News products include wine glasses, photo frame coasters and magnetic bottle openers, all styled in the ever-fashionable monochrome front cover look. HOME Hall M Exhibitor profiles Creative Tops Stand M27 www.creative-tops.com One of the many highlights on the Creative Tops stand will be the new Country Kitchen range in association with The National Trust. Drawing inspiration from the trust’s archives, the collection incorporates 19th-century florals with a fresh homespun aesthetic. Influenced by a Dahlia and Chrysanthemum wallpaper design originating from Oxburgh Hall, a National Trust property in Norfolk, Creative Tops has lovingly applied this charming pattern to vintage-style tableware, sophisticated storage and delightful textiles for today’s modern home. Complementing the look is a selection of rustic kitchen essentials in on-trend copper tones. Lesser & Pavey Stand M14 www.leonardo.co.uk Amongst the stationery ranges on show by Lesser & Pavey will be the Bird Song, featuring illustrated birds on a cream background. This line covers many items of giftware as well as hatboxes and gift tags. The company will also be showing a collection of Vintage Lane gifts for mother and grandmother, including gift bags, plaques, wine glass, mug, cup and saucer, cushion and candles. 94 giftfocus JEWELLERY & FASHION ACCESSORIES Hall C Queen’s Suite Vizati Stand C16 www.vizati.com Made in the UK, Vizati’s range of high quality dichroic glass provides a classy splash of eye-catching colour in a shop window; something to make heads turn. Calibrated pendants and matching stud and drop earrings come in a variety of shapes and colours and include snake chains and attractive gift boxes. Prices are extremely competitive, as is the case with the silver-plated 5XTRA range, which includes both stunning traditional designs as well as more traditional fare, and comes in a variety of attractive finishes. Last, but not least, the White Satin sterling silver collection contains many highly original designs set with genuine and inexpensive tanzanite, opal, ruby and other stones. Midhaven Stand C22 www.midhaven silver.com Alison and Tony Hargreaves look forward to showing visitors many new silver lines in CZ, marcasite, fresh water pearls and amber. Three new boxed ranges include beautiful freshwater pearls, polished lavish silver and boxed stainless steel Tribal items for men. A big display of Tribal Steel will of course be on show, with many new styles including neon. giftfocus 95 fresh faced Exhibitor profiles Sea Gems Stand C15 www.seagems.co.uk Sea Gems’ jewellery and gift collections feature innovative and original designs. Contemporary sterling silver jewellery brand Pure Origins encompasses an eclectic blend of wildlife, romantic and floral designs. Pieces are hand-crafted with textured finishes, gold, pearls and gemstones, creating a whimsical range, perfectly showcased in the new charm bangles. The Celtic Lands and Mackintosh collections captivate the legacy of historic design, combining modern ideas with ancient motifs. Vibrant fine enamels transform pill boxes, compact mirrors, new scarf rings and jewellery into attractive gifts. Pens and bookmarks complete this rich and diverse heritage collection. Absolutely Divine Stand QS-30 www.absolutelydivine.uk.com The Pick Up Sticks double-sided charm collection continues to be very popular with customers and retailers alike. Wholesale prices start from just £5, making the collection very affordable as a meaningful gift or a personal acquisition. The charms are created from reduced vintage graphics, enhanced by wonderful verse and set behind glass in polished pewter frames. Many new charms will be launched in Harrogate and show orders will receive a gift valued at £15. NOA Jewellery Stand QS-32 www.noajewellery.com NOA has introduced a range of high quality cufflinks with many beautiful designs specifically for men. The cufflinks are presented in a branded NOA box. The vibrant coloured ceramic tiles are framed in sterling silver, aluminium or brass, and the large range of tile designs on offer make it possible for buyers to tailor collections to suit their own customers. NOA also has a wide range of pendants that can come with a matching pair of earrings and bracelet. 96 giftfocus fresh faced Exhibitor profiles Kate Hamilton-Hunter Studio Stand QS-42 www.katehhstudio.co.uk Kate Hamilton-Hunter’s collections are stocked in approximately 500 boutiques, gift shops and department stores nationwide, as well as selected independents abroad. All of the jewellery is hand-made on the North Wales coast from upcycled tins, recycled silver and Swarovski crystals and pearls. The Occasions collection shown here is designed especially for weddings and contains brand new pieces for brides using an elegant ivory, white and silver colour palette, alongside items for little bridesmaids, flower girls and adult bridesmaids. 98 giftfocus Hazel Atkinson Stand QS-33 www.hazelatkinsonjewellery.co.uk Even though summer is in full swing, Hazel Atkinson turns her attention towards the festive colours of Christmas at Home & Gift. Hazel offers a warm and colourful collection of anodised aluminium jewellery to fend off the winter chill. The Strata range, with layers of ochre, tangerine, amethyst and fuchsia, will feature strongly this coming season. Individual design and great craftsmanship combine to make this original product line a winner with hundreds of galleries and independent retailers. Prices start as low as £6 per item. GREETINGS & STATIONERY Hall H Exhibitor profiles Alljoy Design Stand H10 www.alljoydesign.com Alljoy Design will launch 36 new designs of its Birdie laser-cut card at Home & Gift. All of the designs are extremely intricate with beautiful detailing and come cello wrapped with a red envelope. Holy Mackerel autumn 2014 range in stock now! see us at home and gift (stands QS-50 & DP1-87) call - 01620 824 392 email - [email protected] order online - www.fairtradewholesale.co.uk 100 giftfocus Stand H31 www.holy-mackerel.co.uk Holy Mackerel will be launching a whole host of new Erica Sturle cards at Home & Gift. Erica’s Ferdie & Friends range of children’s age, birthday and special occasions cards now includes this beautiful card for a proud big sister (and there’s one for a new big brother too). You’ll also find lots of new Funny Olde Worlde historical cards, including Lord Kitchener and some Tommies, a welcome light touch to reflect the 1914 commemorations this year. Look out for new notebooks and tea towels too. :[HUKV\[MYVT[OLJYV^K Simply Stunning Glassware Blue Eyed Sun Stand H61 www.blueeyedsun.co.uk Blue Eyed Sun is adding 36 new designs to its best-selling Picnic range of stitched cards at Home & Gift. Picnic is based on original, free-hand, machine-stitched embroideries by artist Jo Corner. The designs combine the best elements of the company’s Vintage collection and Henries award-winning Gorgeous series in an exciting new shape and price point. Printed in Blue Eyed Sun’s distinctive, bright and colourful style, the cards are all hand-finished with jewels. These new designs include numbered birthdays, key relations and milestone anniversaries. Retailing at £2.49 (trade £1.04 each), there are now 72 every day designs. The cards measure 120mm x 170mm, are sold in sixes and come cello-wrapped with a recycled kraft envelope. -VY[OLILZ[X\HSP[`OHUKTHKL;YLLVM3PML)HSSZ-YPLUKZOPW JVSSLJ[PVUZHUK-\ZLK.SHZZKLZPNUZJVU[HJ[ +1.SHZZ^HYL![OL<2»ZMH]V\YP[LNSHZZ^HYLZ\WWSPLY '-*ODVVZDUH +RPH*LIW+DUURJDWH+DOO'6WDQG www.dandjglassware.co.uk Tel: 01953 450280 giftfocus 101 fresh faced SPOTLIGHT Hall G Exhibitor profiles Clockwork Soldier Stand G65 www.clockworksoldier.co.uk Clockwork Soldier takes pride in creating innovative products that encourage children to stretch their imagination, learn and have fun. With the company’s products and a little imagination, children can do almost anything including travel to the moon, heal animals and roam the earth as dinosaurs. This year, Clockwork Solider is excited to take children on all new adventures. They can create their own cool dance moves with Street Dance The Colouring Book, explore space with Create Your Own Solar System, become a famous storyteller with Create a Comic Book, and learn about dinosaur anatomy while creating a reversible t-rex with Build Your Own Giant Dinosaur. DESIGN-LED GIFTS Design Point 1, 2, 3 and 4 Cavendish French Stand DP1-7 www.cavendishfrench.com Cavendish French offers an original collection of contemporary sterling silver and stone set jewellery, which focuses on beauty, quality and individuality. With creative styling and craftsmanship from around the world, the brand’s classic plain pieces celebrate the grace and elegance of silver with attractive hand-crafted quality and detailed designs. The 2014 Starlight collection of micro pave set silver and CZ jewellery offers wonderful sparkling replicas of fine diamonds but without the price tag, with designs from classic and elegant to red carpet glamour and glitz. The company also has a vintage-inspired jewellery collection, created using the original designs and stampings for the Edwardian and Victorian eras. 102 giftfocus Temple Island Collection Stand DP1-32 www.templeisland.com Temple Island Collection will be exhibiting at Home & Gift for the first time. The team is excited to show a whole new section of the gift market its collection of ranges inspired by British and Parisian life. Lucy Iaciofano, Commercial Director, says: “We have great loyal, long-term customers in the south and we hope to repeat those relationships in the more northern territories.” The company will be showing the newly launched Alice Tait Dogs range and Paris Classique, as well as the brand’s headline collections. Shruti Designs Stand DP1-12 www.shrutidesigns.co.uk Shruti Designs has updated its home accessories collection, adding a selection of blankets and cushions using trend colours alongside favourite classics. Lots of textures and fabrics have been used to give an interesting edge to the collection. Several of the new blankets have been hand-knitted or woven to give attractive chunky finishes, while fine lambs wool is Shruti’s fabric choice for a super soft lightweight blanket. 6 GORGEOUS NEW FRAGRANCES IN COLOURFUL CONTEMPORARY PACKING PACKING A REAL VISUAL PUNCH TO YOUR HEYLAND & WHITTLE COLLECTION 01293 525825 [email protected] fresh faced Exhibitor profiles Heaven Sends Stand DP1-47 www.heavensends.com Join in with all the fun of the fair with Heaven Sends. The company will be showcasing original and quirky design-led gifts and Christmas decorations. With more than 1,300 new products launched this year – including a profusion of patterns in the Eclectic Nostalgia collection, fabulous florals within the Fleur range and the Family and Friends collectable characters – you’ll be spoilt for choice. Heaven Sends will also be exhibiting its new Packing Room products, where craft meets gift, and exciting new designs within the Everyday Counter bags range. Not only that, it’s also the perfect opportunity to order for Christmas before stock sells out. Terramundi Money Pots Stand DP1-35 www.terramundi.co.uk Terramundi Money Pots has always urged customers to reuse their broken money pots, giving them a second life. As summer has arrived, here’s one suggestion for such a breakage. Remember, once full, a Terramundi Money Pot must be smashed while making a wish; perhaps a wish to get down to a garden centre and buy some glorious flowers to plant in it. Carrie Elspeth Stand DP1-36 www.carrieelspeth.com This new autumn collection from Carrie Elspeth is particularly special for the family-run company, as it coincides with its 15th birthday. Carrie’s award-winning beaded jewellery designs continue to be handmade in Wales. The best-selling Sentiments bracelets and earrings continues to prove popular, and there’s a new range of attractive designs as well as a branded display stand in addition to new lines for the Opulence range. 104 giftfocus Exhibitor profiles Gibsons Games Stand DP1-53 www.gibsonsgames.co.uk As always, Gibsons has several exciting products to showcase, such as its Christmas family games range that includes the much-anticipated redesign of the detective game, 221B Baker Street. This family board game encourages players to assume the role of the world’s most celebrated fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, and travel through the streets and alleys of London picking up clues and solving the most intriguing cases. With 70 cases and a brand new box design, 221B Baker Street provides hours of fun for the whole family. Dora Designs look forward to welcoming you to their stand at Home & Gift. *M\PMÅZ[\\W[MM\PM[\ZQSQVOVM_ZIVOM[ Stubbs Mugs Come and visit us at Harrogate Home & Gift - 13-16th July - DP2-18 Contact details: T 01733 305452 F: 08432 161879 [email protected] www.doradesigns.co.uk Follow us on Twitter @DoraDesigns 106 giftfocus Stand DP1-59 www.stubbsmugs.co.uk Stubbs Mugs offers a wide selection of fine bona china mugs, coasters and linens. New titles have been added to the Rather range, including I’d Rather Be Satisfied and I’d Rather Be Cycling. Check out the Simon Hart collection, including brightly coloured crabs, lobsters and fish. There are also some new additions from Clive’s Cats, and the company’s Time for Tea mugs. New Overseas Traders Stand DP1-61 www.newoverseastraders.co.uk New Overseas Traders will be showing its summer collection of fair trade gifts, home accessories and furniture. The stand will also feature a rich autumn range preview to showcase the many new attractive products available. The company is a member of BAFTS (British Association for Fair Trade Shops and Suppliers) and WFTO (World Fair Trade Organisation). There’s no minimum order and carriage paid is £174 (exc. VAT) for UK mainland delivery. Jo For Girls® Stand DP1-74 www.joforgirls.co.uk Among the new offerings from Jo for Girls® this year is this cute owl set made with sterling silver and cubic zirconia. Be sure to also check out the brand’s latest range of birthstone bangles, pearl charm bracelets and bracelets made with druzy crystal. Over the last eight years, Jo for Girls® has built a reputation for wowing and delighting girls aged three to 13 with its elegant designs. You can see all of this and more at Home & Gift, and catalogues are available on request. giftfocus 107 fresh faced Exhibitor profiles Apples to Pears Stand DP2-9 www.applestopears.com Sleepy Bear, Travel Bear and Cuddly Bear from the Teddy in a Tin line-up will join Apples to Pears’ award-winning Gift in a Tin range this autumn. A charming craft and keep concept, each of the Teddy in a Tin designs comprises a pre-sewn teddy shape, stuffing, thread, plastic needle, birth certificate, as well as individual bear accessories. Once they've sewn their bears together and chosen names to put on the birth certificates, kids will be keen to head out for adventures with Travel Bear and his map, share hugs with Cuddle Bear and settle Sleepy Bear into his tin bed for a nap before heading off to bed themselves. The teddies are Apple to Pears’ first collectable designs and are presented in distinctive special edition tins illustrated with tumbling bears. Pony Modelling Kit, Build Your Own Microscope and Eiffel Tower in a Tin complete the brand’s new designs, which along with the rest of the Gift in a Tin range – including Under £10 Gift of the Year 2014 Winner, Car Journey – will be on display at Home & Gift. 108 giftfocus Earth Squared Stand DP1-87 & QS-50 www.fairtradewholesale.co.uk Earth Squared returns for autumn/winter 2014 with a new collection inspired by classic fabrics in seasonal shades. Earth Squared is a fair trade accessories label that takes great pride in producing quality products at affordable prices to offer great margins while continuing to deliver great looking, fashionable and functional textiles bags, purses and scarves. The new collection features three key ranges with a selection of styles to choose from, as well as new prints for jersey scarves featuring cute bird and animal motifs, designed in house to appeal to Earth Squared’s customers, old and new. Highlights for this season include some sophisticated new tweeds, a stylish hounds tooth as well as a fresh take on spots, all available in a broad selection of colours. You’ll also see some old favourites and new styles appearing in a range of elegant tweeds, velvet and cosy cotton jersey. Heyland & Whittle Stand DP1-78 www.heylandandwhittle.co.uk Heyland & Whittle will be exhibiting a wonderful range of gifts, room fragrances, hand-made soaps, candles and more. New for 2014 is the HOME range, a contemporary collection of six fresh home fragrances. Both reed diffusers and natural soy candles pack a glorious visual punch in their bright, bold boxes. Fragrances include sweet and smoky Lavender, crisp and fresh Grapefruit, heavenly fragrant Rose, delicate and citrusy Earl Grey, aromatic and woody Alpine, and aromatic and warm Orient. You can experience all six of these beautiful scents on the Heyland & Whittle stand. fresh faced Exhibitor profiles Dora Designs Stand DP2-18 www.doradesigns.co.uk Dora Designs will introduce some great new designs to capture the imagination at Home & Gift. As well as two fresh collections, there are lots of other new characters being added to existing ranges. The team looks forward to welcoming new friends and old onto its stand. Wild & Wolf Stand DP2-2 www.wildandwolf.com Wild & Wolf looks forward to sharing its autumn/winter offering, showcasing some of its best designs yet. The brand has had a busy year so far with Folklore, an enchanting Scandi chic enamelware collection; Cartography and Rendezvous – two equally stunning travel accessory collections; and Home Front, a range of functional gifts and kits inspired by vintage wartime posters and the Great British spirit. Wild & Wolf has teamed up with the Royal British Legion for this collection and will be donating a percentage of royalties to the charity. There are new items for Christmas in the following ranges: Ridley’s, Gentlemen’s Hardware, Ted Baker, Paul Thurlby and Scrabble, as well as fresh collaborations with The Makery and Hazel Nicholls, as well as own brand work from Wild & Wolf ’s Bath-based designers. BamBam Stand DP2-23 www.finestforbaby.co.uk BamBam creates beautiful baby gifts at affordable prices. There’s everything from silver keepsake boxes for that first lock of hair or tooth, to a silver plastic cast set to keep imprints of their tiny feet and hands forever. There’s also a hotel bathroom set comprising a bathrobe and slippers, and hats that rattle and ones confirming I am a Boy or I am a Girl. Everything arrives beautifully packaged for that instant gift. 110 giftfocus Little Bird Told Me Stand DP2-19 www.littlebirdtoldme.co.uk Little Bird Told Me will be showcasing its beautiful new infant range, The Dog And The Bear. Consisting of plush toys, a luxury play gym and a push along, the range also features the endearing Mr Benson, a soft huggable bear who comes with his own comforting blanket. When it’s not needed, it tucks neatly up his sleeve. He plays a classical melody and holds a textured teething ring. His sidekick, Percy Pup, is both lovable and playful, offering more interactive fun in the form of rattles, crinkles, squeaks and mirrors. home & gift Aroma Home One Button Stand DP2-39 www.onebuttonuk.com One Button’s range of jewellery for autumn/winter 2014 heralds a mixture of pattern and texture, featuring lustre, shine and even lamination. Bold is beautiful and proportion is big. Chic mixes with casual; there are no boundaries between classic luxury sparkle and playful oversized pearls. Shapes are abundant and lively, including a line of beaded collars. There’s also a collection of scarves made from a selection of materials including weighty luxury modals, mixed soft wools and the brand’s well-known Oh So Cuddly faux fur, which sells out every season. Stand DP2-26 www.aromehome.com Aroma Home is launching the first fragranced plastic hot water bottle. The two options available are Relaxing Lavender and Rosemary, and Calming Rose, both with two specially designed knitted covers to complement the fragrances. This exciting innovation has been created by Aroma Home together with a European hot water bottle manufacturer, and the bottles are fully compliant with all UK regulations. Neviti Stand DP2-28 www.neviti.com Neviti, one of the UK’s leading designers and distributors of wedding and party supplies, will be exhibiting for the first time at Home & Gift. The brand offers more than 700 high quality lines for special occasions. Some of its most successful ranges include its licensed collections, Baby Miffy for baby showers and christenings, and the Dear Zoo party line, not to mention its one-of-a-kind ranges all created by British designers. 2014 has been an exciting year for the team, with five new ranges and the expansion of some of its best-selling lines. New items include Fairy Princess and Dino Island, the new Frills and Spills party range, Happy Easter and the Just My Type vintage wedding collection. The Keep Calm party range includes new additions to celebrate those commemorative 60th, 70th and 80th birthdays. A selection of 60 new items have also been added to the company’s wedding offering. New launches at Home & Gift will include Tree Top Friends featuring an adorable owl and songbird design, and Robot Heroes with bold, futuristic illustrations. giftfocus 113 fresh faced Exhibitor profiles Half Moon Bay Stand DP2-33 www.halfmoonbay.co.uk This year, Half Moon Bay has significantly expanded on its licenses, with additions such as Disney, The Muppets and Jelly Babies to add to the list of family favourites. For Home & Gift, the company will be previewing new additions for autumn such as tableware, shower curtains, and book ends. Big entertainment licenses including Disney, Superman and Sesame Street will see exciting product launches in the run up to Christmas, as well as a stunning new Jacob’s Crackers range comprising textiles, tinware, and a cheeseboard and a side plate set. Bath House Stand DP2-47 www.thebathhousehsop.com This beautiful house-shaped gift box by Bath House is part of the brand’s Nordic Golds collection for autumn/winter 2014. Bath House now makes more than 80 per cent of its fragrance, bathing and natural skincare in its converted grain store in Cumbria. The company’s best-sellers fill the shelves of many independent retailers and are ideal for the Christmas season, with prices starting at £4.99 RRP. New collections will be launched at Home & Gift. Little Shop Of Beefayre Stand DP2-43 www.beefayre.com Since launching in 2012, Beefayre has enjoyed huge success with its collection of natural plant wax candles, diffusers, body and bath products and greeting cards. Their distinctive style combines traditional botanical illustrations with contemporary design and colour. The new Homeware collection is creating quite a buzz this year, using an on-trend pastel palette of colours, ideal for any home. Also new for 2014 is the Waggledance three candle box set, complete with matching gift card. All Beefayre products are hand-made in England using the finest natural ingredients, and three per cent of profits go to bee conservation. 114 giftfocus Stand DP3-2 www.littleshopof.co.uk Little Shop Of developed the Little Book of Earrings to solve the problem of how to store and carry your earrings safely and securely at home or when travelling, helping globetrotters keep their earrings in matching pairs. The Little Book of Earrings is designed like a book with each of its four pages able to hold up to 12 pairs of earrings, including clip ons and creoles. The pages are padded and the fixing holes are off set to ensure the earrings are held securely when the book is closed, preventing them from becoming tangled and possibly damaged. fresh faced Exhibitor profiles Gaeltag Keltika Stand DP4-5 www.lolitadesigns.co.uk This year marks 10 years since the Lolita range first hit the market in the USA, and the brand continues to grow in strength. “We’re launching more new products than ever this year,” said Frank Emmel of European licensee Gaeltag Keltika. At Home & Gift the company will be previewing its Christmas range, introducing some beautiful seasonal items that make great gifts or lasting table accessories. Also making a first appearance at the show will be a number of new wine glasses, including No1 Grandma and the glitzy, jewelencrusted new addition called Quiet Night. Not forgetting the men, there’s also a fresh Lolita beer glass design called Sportsman of the Year for all those aspiring (armchair) athletes. Gaeltag Keltika will also be showcasing Tindra candle bags and CowParade collectables at the fair. 116 giftfocus Rose & Co. Stand DP4-7F www.graftons.co.uk Rose & Co. is famous for its quirky, modern-vintage bath and body products. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to take a wander into the enchanting world of the Rose & Co. Apothecary in Yorkshire, you’ll know that it’s brimming with gorgeous scents, dreamy colours and pretty designs of all shapes and sizes. For years, Caroline Rose and her team of Patisserie de Bain chefs have been developing mouth-wateringly pretty cupcake soaps, and now they’re available to Rose & Co. stockists all over the world. Carefully made and finished by hand in the UK, this selection of Patisserie de Bain Cupcake Soaps perfectly epitomises what makes Rose & Co. products so original in terms of design, fragrance and quality. Each soap is carefully packaged in its own pretty box, making it a perfectly elegant gift or self-indulgence. Choose from eight sumptuous fragrances: Cranberries & Cream, Hyacinth, Lemon Bon-Bon, Orange Crush, Pink Grapefruit, Raspberry, Rose and Sugared Violet. The RRP is £5. Miss Milly Stand DP3-9 www.missmilly.co.uk Exhibiting at Home & Gift for the first time, Miss Milly will be showing a great mix of summer jewellery and scarves, early release autumn/winter products and pre-order pieces. Choose from on-trend tropical brights, pretty pastels or darker blues and purples for next season. Miss Milly will also introduce a gift-boxed silver-plated range of necklaces and bangles. In addition to a wide range of colours and prices that offer excellent margin potential, the award-winning brand is offering free UK mainland shopping on all show orders. The full range is available on the brand’s website with a £50 minimum order and no minimum order quantity. Fun Rings Come see us at DP1 stand 74 fresh faced Exhibitor profiles The Country Candle Company Stand DP4-14 www.thecountrycandlecompany.com The Country Candle Company’s products are all hand-made in Wiltshire, ensuring consistent quality for each and every product. Exhibiting for the first time at Home & Gift, the brand will launch new fragrances and collections. Due to popular demand and brand appeal, the Superstars collection remains a Country Candle best-seller. The range has been extended with six new fragrances including the on-trend Sea Salted Fig, Red Amber & Clove – perfect for the autumnal months – and the fresh, clean scent of Ice Hotel. For the festive season there’ll be a new gift pack with three tin candles, new Chic Pillars that offer the finishing touch to a decadent December, and Winter Warmers giving a warm glow to a home. 118 giftfocus The Music Gifts Company Stand DP4-50 www.musicgifts.co.uk The Music Gifts Company is back at Home & Gift after a year’s break and is launching many new gifts including a collection of cufflinks to retail under £10. All of the range is designed in-house and makes ideal gifts for the 11 million musicians in the UK as well as music lovers of all ages. Choose from stationery, men’s gifts, jewellery, mugs, kitchen gifts, pewter pins, key rings, 3D cards and much more. For 19 years, the range has been popular in a wide variety of outlets including gift shops, cathedrals, historic houses and museums, mail order catalogues, online, concert halls and department stores. Duckydora Stand DP4-22C www.duckydora.com Exhibiting at Home & Gift for the first time, Duckydora offers a beautiful collection of British designed homewares. Featuring bespoke fabric designs, its linens are made in the UK and include aprons, oven gloves, tea towels, tablecloths, napkins, placemats and coasters. All the ceramics in the collection are made from terracotta and hand-painted in Portugal. Presented in three beautiful designs, the range includes mugs, jugs, plates and bowls, and can be used as accent pieces or as a complete set. All of the pieces are dishwasher safe. ats nd a wls c ssy Pu Summer Meadow O NEW AND UPDATED DOUBLE PEN SET PACKS New Owl & Pussycat and Cats & Dogs combined pack. New variants of existing packs being introduced throughout autumn/winter 2014 ky Fun CLERE CONCEPTS T: 01635 297911 E: [email protected] ogs D and s t Ca HOME & GIFT 2014 HALL B STAND B25 W: www.clereconcepts.co.uk ic us M tan Tar hot property Catch up with all the latest from the world of licensing hot property Cartamundi launches Disney Planes game box Playing card giant Cartamundi has added a new addition to its popular Disney portfolio: the Disney Planes Wings Around the Globe Game Box. The three-in-one game box is targeted at a wide range of retail including toy and gift shops, supermarkets and online retailers. The set contains the Wings Around the Globe Action game, the Planes Action game and the ever-popular Happy Families adapted to a Planes format. Trudi Bishop, Head of Marketing and Licensing, says: “The continuing popularity of Planes and the arrival of a new film later this year are expected to keep demand for Planes-related product high. This wonderful games box is a stylish and entertaining addition to our very successful Cartamundi Display range and will no doubt be a big favourite with fans.” Visit www.cartamundi.com to find out more. Neviti signs new deal with Beano The Simpsons™ LEGO® Minifigures have arrived LEGO® has released its latest Minifigure series based on the characters from The Simpsons™. Every Minifigure comes with a display plate and its own personal accessory that you’ll recognise from the hit TV series, making it a must-have item for LEGO Minifigures collectors and fans of The Simpsons™. Each one comes in a sealed mystery bag with a collector’s leaflet, perfect for those last minute gift ideas. Visit www.lego.com for more details. Neviti is delighted to announce its new licence, Beano. Having celebrated its 75th birthday last year, Beano is still followed by many loyal readers and is now enjoyed by younger generations. Neviti will bring the popular characters such as Dennis the Menace and Gnasher to life on a new line of tableware and decorations that’s ideal for birthdays and celebrations. “We’re delighted to have the chance to work with the Beano licence and our creative team can’t wait to start designing the new range, working with Start Licensing,” says Tracey Cooper, Director at Neviti. “The collection will be launched later this year and we’re sure loyal Beano fans both young and old will love this new collection.” Visit www.neviti.com for more information. giftfocus 121 hot property Pink Chillies and Fashion UK join forces A new licensing deal signed in May sees elephant-based character brand, Pink Chillies and merchandising company, Fashion UK join forces to create a new range of Pink Chillies clothing and apparel. Suzanne Till, Founding Director of Pink Chillies, says she’s thrilled with the deal, “This is exactly the sort of partnership we’ve been looking for. Teaming up with Fashion UK means our products and environmental messages will be seen by a global audience.” The brand was born out of a love for elephants, wildlife and the wider environment. Each named character has a special power and represents an endangered species and/or environmental issue. Related causes benefit from a percentage of the character’s sales profits. To find out more about the brand, visit www.pinkchillies.com. Neviti introduces new children’s licence Neviti has announced a new children’s licence, Guess How Much I Love You. The adorable hare characters from the popular books by Sam McBratney will feature on a new range of tableware and decorations due to launch later this year. The creative team at Neviti is looking forward to working with the books’ lovely illustrations to develop a new party collection. “We’re delighted to be working with Walker books on the new range of partyware, which will be ideal for children’s celebrations. Guess How Much I Love You has been so successful and we hope that the collection will appeal to fans of these charming books.” Log on to www.neviti.com. Wicked Cool Toys appointed Master Toy Licensee for Garfield Wicked Cool Toys has announced its appointment as Master Toy Licensee for the beloved animated cat Garfield after signing a deal brokered by Bulldog Licensing, Garfield’s US licensing representatives on behalf of Paws. The licensing agreement grants Wicked Cool worldwide rights to develop and market a comprehensive line of figures, plush, vehicles, play sets, role-play and seasonal products based on Garfield. “We’re excited to partner with Wicked Cool Toys to introduce new Garfield toys to his dedicated fans,” says Jim Davis, the mastermind cartoonist behind the character. “We’re expecting some witty and wacky playthings to arise from this deal, and personally I couldn’t be more excited.” For more information, visit www.wickedcooltoys.com or www.bulldog-licensing.com. 122 giftfocus Monkey seals two new deals Bulldog Licensing has signed two new licensing deals for TV advert icon Monkey, with Aykroyds and Poeticgem both on board for apparel. Aykroyds will be developing a line of nightwear featuring Monkey, which will include pyjamas, onesies and dressing gowns, whilst Poeticgem is set to product t-shirts for men and women. Other licensees include Igloo for publishing, Danilo for greetings and calendars, BB Designs for gift ranges and Roy Lowe and Sons for socks. “Everybody loves Monkey – his ads are some of the most popular on TV and this means the brand enjoys huge brand awareness,” says Bulldog Managing Director, Rob Corney. “This gives licensees a fantastic platform and we’re confident that both Aykroyds and Poeticgem will enjoy considerable success with these new lines.” For more information, visit the website www.bulldog-licensing.com. Time to get ahead Time to get together Time for Harrogate 3UR¿WIURPWKH¿UVWSLFNRIWKRXVDQGVRIQHZVHDVRQOLQHV RYHUH[FOXVLYHUDQJHVIURPRYHUH[KLELWRUVDW +RPH*LIW+DUURJDWHWKHPRUHVRFLDEOHZD\RIGRLQJEXVLQHVV Register today for free at www.homeandgift.co.uk/gfocus GIFT | HOME | SPOTLIGHT – NEW DESIGNERS JEWELLERY & FASHION | GREETINGS & STATIONERY all the answers Our experts tackle your retail-related queries Q A Tony Jones is the Director of ActSmart, the business support organisation for specialist retailers, their supply partners and trade associations. ActSmart currently delivers business support services worth £300 million per annum across multiple specialist retail channels. Contact Tony or the ActSmart team on T: 0845 618 7256 or E: [email protected]. Kerry Wilson is Creative Manager at Morplan. Since studying Fashion Design & Marketing at university, Kerry has spent more than 20 years working with Morplan’s Marketing department to develop and promote the 5,000 plus retail products within the company’s range. She’s also worked in fashion and accessory retail and PR. Contact Kerry on T: +44 (0)1279 451 122 or E: [email protected]. Jasmine Jones is the International Business Development Manager at Sheaffer. She has been with the company for nearly 10 years. She works closely with Sheaffer’s independent UK distributor, Stone Marketing and also with colleagues in Europe, North America and South Africa. Contact Jasmine on T: +44 (0)1895 827 100 or E: [email protected]. Piyush Suri is Founder and Creative Director of Handmade in Britain: The Contemporary Crafts and Design Fair in Chelsea, and Akin & Suri, specialists in handmade interiors. Contact Piyush on T: +44 (0)20 7286 5110 or E: [email protected] 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: [email protected] 124 giftfocus Pension auto-enrolment I run a very small business with only a couple of employees and I think it’s likely they’ll opt out anyway. Does pension auto-enrolment still apply to me? If so, what do I need to do? Tony says: The short answer is yes, automatic enrolment does apply to you! Automatic enrolment affects all employers in the UK – no matter how many employees you have. Those aged 22 or over and earning more than £10,000 will need to be auto-enrolled, but even staff who fall outside this range can still ask to be opted in so you must be prepared. You may think that your staff will opt out, but surprisingly the latest government figures found that fewer than 10 per cent of employees have chosen to remove themselves from their company scheme, so don’t bank on a significant opt-out rate. Plus, even if they do opt out, you'll need to repeat the process of opting them back in automatically every three years. Even if your staff do opt out, you'll still need to comply with the auto-enrolment process – failure to do so could result in fines of up to £10,000 per day. By simply allowing yourself plenty of time to plan both administratively and financially ahead of your staging date, everything should run smoothly. A company like yours with only a few employees may not need to begin auto-enrolment until 2018 – depending on your allocated staging date. However, many auto-enrolment specialists have already reported a log-jam as business owners seek specialist financial advisors, payroll providers and software suppliers. Get prepared now and you won’t need to panic as your staging date draws closer. You can find out more, including your staging date, at www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk. Business support organisations such as ActSmart can guide you through the process, providing free information and even introduce you to a specialist in the field to help get you started on the way to auto-enrolment. Q A q&a Q A Q A sourcing my stock? Piyush says: British crafts have always been known for their quality. Nowadays, customers are becoming increasingly interested in knowing the story behind the product and are happy to pay the price for the right item, hence many department stores, boutiques and concept stores are all looking for products that are original, design led, high quality and moreover hand-made in Britain. If you’re thinking of stocking products that are hand-made in Britain but aren't sure, the best way is to approach the designer-maker you feel will suit your target market and get as much information about them. Background information always helps to find out if the maker is professional and has dealt with trade buyers before. Price is an important factor. It should be relevant to the market; sometimes up and coming makers aren’t aware of the trade margins and the recommended retail prices, so it’s important to discuss this upfront so that they’re not selling at lower prices than your store. A quick check on where else the designer is selling is always a good idea, so you don’t end up selling the same products as other stores in your area and nearby. It always helps if a maker considers sale or return on expensive products for an initial period of up to three months in a new market to test the success of their products. This can also be an excellent opportunity for makers to showcase their products in a completely new market. An honest discussion about part BUY part SOR is worth considering. It’s very important to know if a designer accepts commission projects, as some clients can be fussy and might want to change things such as the colour and size, depending on the product. Time management is also an important factor to consider. Check the lead times beforehand, as some of the processes can be very complicated. A clear understanding of their making process is very crucial. Last but not least, design and quality are the most important factors to consider. Hand-made gifts Q Displaying scarves I’d like to start stocking items that are handmade in Britain. What should I consider when I’m introducing a line of scarves into my gift shop but unsure about the best way to Stationery – pens I’d like to introduce a range of stationery into my gift shop. What should I consider before deciding on a brand? Jasmine says: Space is premium in any shop, so we’d recommend selecting one pen range that caters for all prospective customer budgets and needs, from a quick pick-up impulse selection through to a more considered luxury purchase. Look for a brand that has a recognised history and heritage because the impact of the gift is much greater if the recipient recognises the brand, and of course the person giving it wants to feel that they've chosen wisely too. Is the packaging suitable for a gift? It’s a nobrainer that the excitement and anticipation starts at the first glimpse of the box while unwrapping a present. Is a warranty offered with the product? We all hope that there’ll be no problems but in the unlikely event that something goes wrong, wouldn’t it be better to know that the manufacturer will support you fully and remedy the issue? Ask what resources the brand has available to you. Does it supply point of sale materials at no cost? Can it offer you display cabinets and will the company offer merchandising suggestions? Do they offer product training? Will they visit you regularly and keep you up to date with new products? Do they have seasonal promotions that will be suitable for your customers? It’s difficult to remember a time before social media, but as I’m sure we all recognise these platforms are a great way to keep in touch, engage and communicate with the people who love our brands. Select a company that’s active in these channels. If its speaking and listening to its customers, its raising awareness of its brand, which in turn will impact positively on your business to bring customers through your front door. There’s lots of choice out there but a brand that can offer you all these things will see you as a long-term partner rather than just a customer and will work with you as you build your business. A display them. Do you have any tips please? Kerry says: There are a multitude of clips, hooks and hangers on the market specifically designed to hold scarves, and many more general purpose ones that will also do the job. What you choose is going to depend on several factors: what the scarves are made of, how much they will retail for and the style and designs. Knitted scarves will do well on circular hangers with a bar across the middle to hold them a little more securely without stretching them. Many of these hangers will have holes near the hook to allow you to add matching hats or gloves with a tagging gun. For lightweight, woven scarves, a peg hook should suffice but choose one with a gentle grip to prevent damaging the fabric. Pashminas, wraps and large square scarves will stay neatly folded on a trouser or peg hanger, which both have the added bonus of displaying any pattern or design more clearly, reducing the amount of handling (and potential soiling) your merchandise will endure while customers browse the rails. If your range is particularly delicate or highly priced, it could be worth displaying them in a protected environment – a glass counter or showcase – or keeping them wrapped with samples displayed out of reach. If you choose this option, ensure prices are displayed clearly so that only genuinely interested customers ask to take a closer look. And finally, for your window displays, the options are endless. Wrap your scarves around anything from a purpose-made display head with a long, sinuous neck to a beautifully worn and twisted length of driftwood. Knot them around rails, cascade them from shelves or link them to other ranges using colour or design. g A Q giftfocus 125 insurance solutions Neil McFarlane, Managing Director of T.H. March & Co Limited Gift Focus readers put their insurance queries, concerns and questions to leading brokers T.H. March How do I minimise risks to customers on my premises? Customer personal injury claims can be costly and very damaging to a retail establishment’s reputation. They can be much more frequent than employee claims in some types of stores, especially in warehouses that allow customer access in them. Employee safety programmes aren’t sufficient to protect customers, who are more at risk of accidents than employees for three main reasons: • Customers expect a retail premises to be safe to enter. • Groups such as children and the elderly are predisposed to injury. • Unlike your employees, your customers don’t receive safety training. Q A So, it’s important that you understand to what extent you are liable for customer injuries on your premises and take steps to prevent injury. Q A What is my liability? You’re required to maintain safe premises for your customers. In legal terms, you have a high duty of care. This includes the duty to warn customers of non-obvious, dangerous conditions that you know about, to use ordinary care in active operations in the business, and to make reasonable inspections to discover dangerous conditions and make them safe. Most customer accidents are preventable, so it’s important to take steps to make your facility safer and less exposed to the risk of customer injury and litigation. What are the most common types of customer injuries? Common injuries that could become your liability include: • Slips and falls as a result of wet floors, torn carpets, poor lighting or escalators. This type of injury is extremely common. • Head and body injuries from falling objects, retail displays, out-of-reach objects or other fixture mishaps. • Overcrowding injuries such as trampling. • Car park injuries as a result of cracked, improperly designed lots or failure to remove ice or snow. Q A What steps can I take to minimise risks to customers and staff? • Identify high-risk areas of the facility (such as where liquids are frequently spilt or tracked), and set up an employee inspection schedule to ensure it doesn’t become a dangerous condition. • Install video cameras to monitor the premises more efficiently for dangerous Q A 126 giftfocus “It’s important that you understand to what extent you are liable for customer injuries on your premises and take steps to prevent injury.” conditions and provide proof in case of a claim. • During snowy, icy or rainy weather conditions, take care of dangerous situations on pavements, stairs and car parks promptly. • Ensure there’s proper lighting in all areas of the store, and check on a regular basis that all bulbs are functioning. Document your inspections. • Ensure that displays are stable, and always put heavy items near the bottom of shelves. • Control crowds, especially during busy seasons or large sale events, through physical methods, such as entry turnstiles. • Design car parks to avoid injury. Repave, repair and check for hazardous conditions regularly. Document these inspections. Liability insurance will address the cost of legal damages and claims up to policy limits. Work with T.H. March to design the liability package that best fits your business and you’ll be able to select from a wide range of cover options to suit your individual needs. g Further information: T.H. 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 retail technology marketing tips David Mackley brings you part one of a two-part series about email marketing Email marketing can be an under utilised tool by retailers. We work with hundreds of retailers and I only see a small percentage that really put it to good use. Those that do reap the rewards see longer-term customer engagement as well as a direct impact on visitors and sales. So, what are the different types of email campaign, how often should you run them and how do you do it well? This mini series of articles looks to answer these common questions. Types of email marketing There are different types of email marketing, and having an understanding of each can help you plan your campaigns. Promotional emails An email promotion or campaign tends to communicate one single topic or idea, such as your current sale or a new product. The key to increasing your success with promotional email campaigns is to segment the customer base. In an ideal world, customers would see an email personally tailored to them. Amazon goes some way to doing this with recommendations for the customer. For most independent retailers, and in fact most businesses, this is too hard to achieve. However, if an email is more relevant to the customer, there’s a greater chance of getting engagement. The tricky part is how to segment. A survey of the email marketing industry “The key to increasing your success with promotional email campaigns is to segment the customer base. In an ideal world, customers would see an email personally tailored to them. Amazon goes some way to doing this with recommendations for the customer.” found that 73 per cent of companies are only doing very basic segmentation. The problem is there are so many ways to segment customers; it’s hard to know where to start. For example, products purchased, age of child, number of children, customer location, length of time since last purchase, sales channels used, e.g. shop or web. The question a lot of retailers ask is how far do you go with segmentation? With limited time to do any marketing, at least a global email is better than nothing, unless it risks alienating your customers and reducing the likelihood of them opening further emails from you. Newsletter emails Newsletter emails often have multiple topics and tend to educate (vs. sell) and build rapport with your readers. Your newsletter should always offer readers valuable information. You can include items like: • News: Press releases, news about gift ideas, blog articles or other publications that will help your readers. It’s a good idea to summarise longer articles in a few short sentences and create a call to action button for the reader to giftfocus 129 marketing tips view the entire article on your website or blog. • Upcoming events: These may be events you’re hosting or participating in. • Important announcements: Include improvements to your products or services, new people in the team or new brands you’re bringing on board. • Images: Keep your newsletter interesting with images relating to your content. • Calls to action: Tell your readers what you want them to do with clear calls to action such as ‘read more’, ‘learn more’ and ‘register now’. You can easily create call to action buttons for your website or emails and newsletters here. Why/when to send newsletter emails? • Remind people about you. Build trust and engage customers by providing useful information. Announce new exciting ranges and give them a reason to revisit. • Newsletter can be sent out monthly. Transactional emails These are emails that are triggered by a customer action. For example, an email to all those people who signed up to your loyalty scheme this month, welcoming them and highlighting some member benefits. What about an email to all customers who shopped in store or online in the last few weeks? Maybe thank them for their custom? Zappos, a leading online retailer in the US, sends a nice welcome email to new customers saying: ‘Let the good times begin… now you are part of the Zappos family, you can keep up with the latest brands and styles. Enjoy these “Tell your readers what you want them to do with clear calls to action such as ‘read more’, ‘learn more’ and ‘register now’. You can easily create call to action buttons for your website or emails and newsletters here.” 130 giftfocus perks too: Fast free shipping, free easy returns etc.’ Then they have a call to action which links back to the website. Why send transactional emails? • Transactional emails are less likely to be considered as spam as they form a part of a process undertaken by your customer. • As such they have nearly 50 per cent higher open rates than promotional emails. They also have significantly higher click through rates. • These emails also promote repeat custom. Other types of transactional emails include reminders about orders customers have placed. If a customer purchased a certain type of product, whether it’s a brand or a general item like a buggy, why not send a transactional email to every customer in the last few months offering a cross-sell product special offer? Next article: Email marketing part two: David Mackley looks at how to write emails to increase customer engagement and how to test for success. g “Transactional emails are less likely to be considered as spam as they form a part of a process undertaken by your customer. As such they have nearly 50 per cent higher open rates than promotional emails. They also have significantly higher click through rates. ” David Mackley MBA BSc is Managing Director of Intelligent Retail – www.intelligentretail.co.uk – providers of Multichannel EPoS and eCommerce websites for independent retailers. If you have any questions you can contact David on +44 (0)845 680 0126 or [email protected]. /rootcandles @RootCandleBuzz Sales: 0800 772 0189 / Office: 01484 850 059 email: [email protected] www.rootcandles.co.uk retailer interview winning combination We speak to Philip Downer and Andy Adamson, founders of Calliope Gifts in Dorking, Surrey, which won the Best Newcomer Award (South & Wales) at The Greats Retail Awards the world recovered from the credit crunch, we decided there was a gap in the market for somebody to take a new approach to gift shops, and that our varied retail experience would fill that gap – and thus Calliope’s concept was born. Please tell us about your career backgrounds. Calliope has two directors, Andy Adamson and myself (Philip Downer). Broadly speaking, Andy takes care of inventory management, vendor relationships and systems, and I focus on shop operations, marketing and cash management – but needless to say, there’s plenty of overlap! Andy and I have both been in entertainment retail of one sort or another since the ’80s, working with music, books and stationery, with companies like Our Price, HMV, WH Smith and the National Gallery. Andy worked on the distribution side for a number of years, for THE and EUK, and we’ve both spent some time working abroad; I was in Boston with Waterstones in the ’90s and Andy was recently in Chennai working for Landmark (Tata Group). Although we’d both been at Our Price many years ago, we started working together at Borders, the US-owned books/music/café superstore business that’s sadly no more. As When did you open the shop? Our Dorking shop opened in February 2014 in St Martin’s Walk, an attractive open-air arcade off the main high street. We had a 10-day run-up to Valentine’s Day, and we carpeted Dorking with discount vouchers to ensure we drove as much early trade as possible. We were therefore able to get off to a flying start, with strong spring selling seasons and an excellent first Christmas. We’ve operated on a number of key trading principles: 1. Although most gifts are bought for women, and most gift shoppers are women, we wanted to ensure that Calliope could offer a gift to suit any recipient. This has given us a broader and more diverse range than more traditional shops, and this appears to drive repeat business for us. 2. It isn’t possible to carry a completely individual range in any town, but we do our best to avoid duplication with other shops so that there are always plenty of good reasons for customers to shop with us. We offer fair value on everything we sell, but we aren’t discounters; most of our goods are priced below £30, as we don’t do apparel, fine jewellery or furniture. We have a cornucopia of different products and we regularly refresh our range. If something doesn’t sell well, we don’t reorder it; if it sells very well, we might also rest or retire it, and ensure that we’re offering something new. 3. Dorking is a market town, and while it’s too big for everyone to know everyone else, it’s small enough to feel like a coherent community. We’ve done our best to integrate with the community and put something back in, from sponsorship and raffle prizes, through participating in local traders’ groups, to supporting local designers, craftspeople and regional publishers. 4. Nothing matters as much as good, friendly, reliable customer service. We have some great staff who really understand how to communicate with our customers – how to advise or suggest without coming across as pushy sales people. Customers will come back to a good-looking friendly store where they can spend some time browsing. What items do you sell and from which companies do you source them from? We sell plenty of gift shop staples – greeting cards, stationery, home storage, home décor, candles, costume jewellery and toys, which we overlay with products that reflect our retail giftfocus 133 winning combination heritage (books, CDs, DVDs) and interesting and unusual gift ideas. We work with a wide range of suppliers, as we aren’t bound by a particular look. Key suppliers of gifts and general merchandise are: Wild & Wolf, Junction 18, Gisela Graham, Half Moon Bay, Paperblanks, Heaven Scent Candles, Widdop Bingham, House of Dorchester/New Forest Chocolates for confectionary, Two’s Company, Ulster Weavers and Cavallini. We deal with more than 50 card companies, but the key ones would be GBBC, Woodmansterne, Pigment, Portfolio, Blue Eyed Sun, Forever Handmade, Paperlink, Tracks, Museums & Galleries, Art File, Archivist & CardMix. Please describe the interior of your shop. We worked with brand designer Stay&Co and shopfitting consultant RetDev to create a welcoming interior with some bold signature colours in focus areas (pink behind the counter, mocha for men’s gifts), and neutrals elsewhere. I’ve always believed that the products are the heroes in a shop, not the furnishings, so our environment has been designed to be attractive, welcoming, double buggy friendly, and easy for customers to understand. Our dark timber floor (actually a very effective vinyl), and our stripped out, bare concrete ceiling create a spacious and airy space, and we use spotlights, tables and cabinets to hero specific lines. How often do you change your window dressings and shop displays? Every time I turn my back, something changes. Our staff have an eye for what works in the windows and on our display tables, and are always making changes to reflect seasonal priorities (e.g. Father’s Day), the arrival of new ranges, and refresh old favourites. Each of the shelves around the shop walls is a selfcontained box, and we encourage our team to treat every box as though it’s a miniature stage set, so that there are no dull corners anywhere. We always encourage staff to have a go with displays – of course, the measure of success is not if it looks nice, but does it sell? What’s next for Calliope Gifts? We launched our transactional website, www.calliopegifts.co.uk, in May of last year, and that has given us both a sales boost and an increase in visibility for our brand. We regularly send out newsletters to our 750-strong mailing list, and also make regular use of Facebook and Twitter to tell customers and the community what we’re doing. We always intended for Dorking to be a springboard from which we could grow the company, and we’ve spent many days visiting towns across southern England, reviewing demographics and travel times, and familiarising ourselves with competition. We were delighted to secure a lease in Alton, Hampshire for our second shop, which opens in June. The recipe will be much the same as in Dorking, and we’re really looking forward to introducing our wares to the Alton community. g For more information about Calliope Gifts, visit www.calliopegifts.co.uk 134 giftfocus www.ulsterweavers.com/trade E:[email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 28 90329494 design protection Dids MacDonald, CEO of Anti Copying in Design (ACID), discusses tougher criminal sanctions to protect designers becoming law After a 15-year long campaign by ACID to strengthen design protection, an Intellectual Property Bill has been passed by both Houses of Parliament and now awaits Queen’s Assent. The ACID campaign for design law reform will now include tougher penalties for intentional registered design infringement, communicating a real deterrent message to those who take the fast track to market by free riding on the backs of others’ creativity and innovation. Clause 13 of the IP Bill will introduce criminal provisions for the intentional copying of a UK or EU registered design. The objective is to reduce the scale of registered design infringement by acting as a deterrent and to increase protection for the holders of registered designs. The introduction of criminal provisions will also better punish perpetrators of blatant and intentional design infringement. Taken together, these measures will help designers and business to better protect and commercialise their design property. Individual directors will also be held accountable and liable if they intentionally copy a registered design. So, those who’ve hidden behind a strategy of copying will have to ask themselves a serious question, “Do I really want to risk a criminal record if I intend to copy a registered design?” Registering your designs Therefore, now couldn’t be a better time to consider registering your designs either in the UK with a national registration at www.ipo.gov.uk, or in the EU by visiting www.oami.europa.eu, with a single registration covering 28 member states. Another benefit of the IP Bill is that the UK will become signatories of Hague Convention, which means that with one single application to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (www.wipo.int) you can protect your designs in approximately 60 different countries. 136 giftfocus Some of the benefits of possessing a national, EU or international design registration are: • You have a numbered certificate which effectively says you own the design. A registered UK or EU design attracts a monopoly right, lasting 25 years and renewable every five years. • You don’t have to prove copying. It’s more straightforward for an IP lawyer to act on your behalf. • If your registered design right registration number is displayed on product packaging and in your marketing material, it can act as a deterrent against copying. • Having a registered design within your IP portfolio is an asset and can be useful in obtaining funding or grants. It demonstrates to your competitors that you’ve taken the trouble to register something that you value and should be respected. In the UK and EU you have a one-year time period from first marketing your new product in which to obtain registration. You therefore have the opportunity to test your product’s popularity before registering the design. This is useful to know if budget parameters preclude registration of all your new designs. However, with registration comes cost considerations and so the majority of UK designers rely on unregistered rights; this is where ACID’s newly launched Marketplace can play a significant role in a joint design protection and promotion strategy. ACID’s Design Databank, where approximately 25,000 designs are now lodged annually, has developed a further benefit in conjunction with ACID Marketplace, incorporating the same security for members who want the option of promoting designs as that already in place for storing hidden designs. Members can individually invite buyers to view their new product launches or they have the further option of allowing their designs to be on full view to potential design buyers. Lee Broom, Designer, says: “As a company who strives to bring original and exclusive British design to the global marketplace, we’re delighted to support ACID’s new system launch. Not only does it secure evidence of the creator’s ownership, but expands the availability of intelligent ideas to the market and encourages greater access to suitable buyers. I hope the entire industry will support this important endeavour.” Crystal bulb by Lee Broom “Staying ahead of the market and having new designs to offer is as important for the retailer as it is for us suppliers. If we can give our stockists the edge by enabling them to view upcoming designs without compromising our own position, what’s not to like about ACID Marketplace?” says Angus Gardner, Managing Director of Caroline Gardner Publishing Ltd. Scarf Hangers Caroline Gardner By providing a safer trading environment, the design protection element includes the process of design buyers registering their details and agreeing to the ACID Design Buyer’s Charter before they can view anything on Marketplace. Each ACID member has their own profile, which contains the results of a tracking system so they can see who’s viewed their designs. This is a real positive and additional marketing benefit – a bit like your own exhibition zone but with the added security of knowing exactly who’s viewed your designs. Unregistered UK Design Right Unregistered UK Design Right arises automatically and applies to original, non-commonplace designs of the shape or configuration of articles, which means that it protects 3D designs but not pattern or ornamentation, which is 2D (they’re protected by copyright). EU Community design protects only those designs that could be registered as registered designs – where the appearance of features, including the lines, contours, colours, shape, texture, materials or ornamentation of a product, must be new and have an individual character (it must produce a different overall impression on an informed user to any other existing similar designs). UCD protection lasts three years from the date when the design was first made available to the public in the EU, and protects EU wide (currently 28 member states). Uploading designs to ACID Marketplace incorporating the ACID Design Data Bank doesn’t add to unregistered UK or EU IP rights (designs and copyright) but provides third party evidence of the existence of the design on the date the design was uploaded onto ACID Marketplace. Firstly, start making your designs work harder for you by adding another marketing platform to promote your products, where potential design buyers can view seasonal or promotional launches and new product collections. ACID Marketplace provides you with a safer trading platform for your innovative designs, encouraging ethical trading with those who respect design originality. g Further information To find out more, visit www.acid.uk.com Only £1.45 - Visit us at the Autumn Fair, Hall 3 - R20 - See the Whole Collection at www.blackginger.co.uk - Call us on 0118 940 3731 JH Designpoint Argento wish to recruit additional Wholesale Agents for mainland UK to cover the following geographical areas: Jane Austen • Wales & South West • North West & Borders: Liverpool - North Wales • Midlands (excluding Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire & Leicestershire) • East: North East & Humberside • Central: Cambridgeshire & Oxfordshire Above right: Bicentenary of Mansfield Park Wildlife Left: Squirrel from the British Wildlife set Christmas baubles: Job Description Above left: Red dragon available with or without gold. The Wholesale Agents will be responsible for maintaining existing accounts and acquiring new accounts for all assigned geographical areas. Contact details: Please email for more information [email protected] www.jhdesignpoint.net JHDesignpoint [email protected] tel/fax: 0141 339 4927 Kids London bookshelf We turn the page on some of the latest gift books to hit the shelves 30 Minute Sewing, by Heather Love RRP: £9.99 Format: Paperback ISBN: 9781782210955 This book includes 60 projects that will inspire crafters to create original last-minute gifts, beautify everyday items for use around the house and recycle the worn out into the wonderful. The patterns in this book are designed to get crafters sewing quickly and easily, with essential tips and techniques along the way. 30 Minute Sewing is ideal for beginners or anyone trying new sewing and crafting skills. Visit www.searchpress.com RRP: £9.95 Format: Paperback ISBN: 9781908966131 Kids London is an essential guide for new parents and families visiting or moving to the capital. With handy hints and secret tips, this book covers an extensive selection of places and activities to entertain and inspire children while exploring the city. Visit www.blackdogonline.com Getting to 30, by Jeffrey Jensen Arnett and Elizabeth Fishel RRP: $14.95 Format: Paperback ISBN: 9780761179665 Getting to 30 is the book that addresses the new reality for parents of kids in their ’20s and the issues that everyone in the media is talking about: when will this new generation of 20-somethings leave home, find love, start a career, settle down, grow up? It’s the book that will soothe parents’ nerves, loaded with information about what to expect and guidance on what to do when problems arise. Visit www.workman.com In a Glass, by Francis Van Arkel Top 10 For Men, by Nick Harper RRP: £12.99 Format: Hardback ISBN: 9781742573441 In a Glass brings you ideas for creating a selection of amuses – bite-size tasters that can be served before or with one of the courses during a meal. The recipes in this book all make eight amuses, and there’s a selection of dessert choices too. Visit www.newhollandpublishers.com RRP: £10 Format: Hardback Prepare to be hit in the face with the fact list with this homage to the greatest, weirdest and most clever facts of all time. Topics include facts and stats on the world’s fastest cars, deadliest weapons, shortest football players and strongest drinks. This book features a new improved design, edgier content and inclusion of some more subjective ideas. Visit www.octopusbooks.co.uk 140 giftfocus product showcase We reveal some of this season’s hottest gifts Hornby Paying homage to the best toys ever made. We have some gorgeous men’s gifts featuring a montage of vintage Hornby imagery and tan leather branding - perfect gifts for men of all ages! Including a lovely whistle and card holder, hip flask, notebooks, Sudoku, playing cards, wash bag and flask. Prices range from £7.95£27.95. T: +44 (0)1225 789 909 or E: [email protected] W: www.wildandwolf.com Creative Tops is pleased to present the new Katie Alice range, Bird Song The Katie Alice Bird Song collection is a truly inspiring giftware and tableware collection offering a fresh, retro appeal through the use of the pretty pink, yellow and aqua pastel colour scheme. This is a perfect range for summer, and with the inclusion of lovely sayings and the signature Katie Alice polka dot pattern, like Katie, you will fall head over heels for this charming collection.Visit stand M27 at Home & Gift, Harrogate. T: +44 (0)1536 207 756 W: www.creative-tops.com E: [email protected] Mini Key Ring Pens Great British Dogs Clere Concepts’ latest version of these best-selling pens is now available! Brightly coloured with a bold design, they will always be easily visible in a busy handbag or among a large bunch of keys. Available in packs of 10 by colour or in assorted packs of 60. See them along with many more new lines at Home & Gift in Harrogate - Hall B, Stand B25. Temple Island Collection can’t wait to show its Alice Tait, Money and other brands at Home & Gift, Harrogate in July. Items include kitchenware, Stationary, Pretty Gifts and purses. Visit Stand DP1-32. For more information T: 01494 474 037 W: www.templeisland.com For more information T: 01635 297 911 W: www.clereconcepts.co.uk E: [email protected] Ted Baker Sneak peek! We have some brand new Ted Baker giftware coming in for Christmas for both men and women launching at Harrogate. New concepts such as a gift wrap book, bento box, ladies travel wallet and notecard set are beautifully stylish in coral and floral prints. For the men there is a stunning collection featuring imagery of beetles, fishing and gorgeous tan leather. T: +44 (0)1225 789 909 or E: [email protected] W: www.wildandwolf.com To advertise here telephone Sharon Connelly on +44 (0)1376 535 607 www.giftfocus.com The UK’s leading magazine for the giftware industry competition WIN! More than £900 worth of home fragrance products from The Fragrance Lounge The Fragrance Lounge is the proud distributor of leading global brands Abode Aroma, Paddywax and Olivina. The innovative products use only the finest ingredients, ensuring long lasting and truly effective performance. Not only that, the striking packaging makes them the ideal gift for that difficult-to-buy-for friend or relative. Abode Aroma is a distinguished global brand renowned for producing aromatic reed diffusers of outstanding quality, presentation, longevity and fragrance. Its popular line of Hue room diffusers are made with Abode Aroma’s exclusive 90 per cent fragrance oil formulation. The revered fragrances are poured into elliptical bottles with elegant brushed aluminum collars and packaged in attractive gift boxes. The new hi-tech dispersion wicks deliver an even more effective and consistent scent, making Hue room diffusers intense, stimulating and long lasting. Paddywax is a leading boutique fragrance company committed to the artisan process. Its ranges offer distinctive fragrance products with designer appeal and eco-friendly qualities. The Relish collection pays homage to the trend of repurposing vintage jars. This iconic vessel has been transformed into candles, room diffusers and luxurious hand washes available in a range of beautiful colours and signature fragrance blends. When the last flicker of light has gone out and the final drop of oil has dispersed, the beautiful jars can be easily upcycled to store life’s little treasures. The collections offered in this competition are a snapshot of the beautiful products available from The Fragrance Lounge. Across the brands of Abode Aroma, Paddywax and Olivina there’s a wide choice of home fragrance and body care products suitable for all tastes, budgets and retail partners. T: +44 (0)1829 730 028 or E: [email protected] for more information or to place an order. g HOW TO ENTER To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize, simply answer the following question: What percentage of fragrance oil is used in Abode Aroma’s superior fragrance formulation? The winner will receive a selection of top-selling lines from Abode Aroma and Paddywax worth more than £900 RRP. Enter online at www.giftfocus.com before the closing date of Monday 25th August, 2014. Terms & conditions apply. giftfocus 143 Subscribe to Gift Focus Fill in the form below to receive a regular copy of your favourite magazine. 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 Do you work within the giftware industry? Yes Name next issue... sneak peak • Autumn Fair • Top Drawer Top Drawer ’tis the season No Christmas products – part two Job title the write stuff Company name Greetings cards Address Denby www.denby.co.uk Postcode Telephone Fax Email address Please tick one or more of the boxes below which best describe your business Independent Gift Shop Importer Gift Shop Multiple Mail Order Garden Centre Agent/Rep Department Store Manufacturer Wholesaler/Cash & Carry Museum/Heritage Outlet Other (Please specify) Number of Employees 1-5 6-15 51-100 101-300 Annual Turnover £0 - £25,000 16-30 31-50 301-1000 1001 + £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 fine dining Tableware products £50,000,001 + Do you wish to receive a free copy of Gift Focus Magazine? Yes Signature No Date Send the completed form to Gift Focus Magazine, Pantile House, Newlands Drive, Witham, Essex CM8 2AP. Alternatively, register online at www.giftfocus.com. 144 giftfocus Issue 85 September/October Available from: 25th August, 2014 Plus Advertising deadline: * Gifts for teens * Toys and games 8th August, 2014 woolly wonders Stephanie Carswell shares her love for needle felting through her company, Hawthorn Handmade When did you launch Hawthorn Handmade and why? I started designing kits as a way to bring needle felting to as many people as possible. When teaching workshops, I could see the joy it bought and I was often asked about kits to take home. I finally found the time at the end of 2012 to sit down and make a plan. It was clear there was a market for it and though there were other kits available, I wanted to create a set of designs that people would be really proud to make. I also wanted to create a kit that wouldn’t only teach them how to make what’s on the box but also how to needle felt so they could then explore the craft on their own. We launched the first six designs in May 2013. I’ve since created 10 more standard kits and our mini kits. What’s your career background? After working for a few years in hospitality in France and various other jobs including a sales assistant in a high-end jewellers, I moved to Bournemouth in 2006 to study Arts and Event Management. On graduating I worked at a local craft centre and an arts festival before opening my own contemporary craft gallery, which I ran for four years showcasing the work of British designer makers. It was there that I started needle felting as something to do on the quiet days and I haven’t stopped since! I closed the gallery in March 2014 to focus on felting and Hawthorn Handmade full time and I’m enjoying the freedom this has given me to grow the business. What makes your products different from others in the marketplace? All of our wool and fibres are UK-sourced, including the Alpaca in our Barn Owl kits. Using British wool is something I feel very strongly about and we’re an active supporter and partner of the Campaign for Wool. I’m also very proud of our detailed instructions. They really do guide you through the whole process with more than 27 large colour photos and clear steps as well as an introduction to needle felting and a size guide. Please tell us a bit about your collection. To date we have 16 standard kits available and three mini kits, as well as a range of felting supplies. The mini kits make a very cute animal head brooch, though we’ve had people turn them into key rings and even fridge magnets. Our standard kits each make an animal that’s about 15cm wide so you get plenty of wool to play with. There’s a wide variety of creatures available and you can order them with or without a foam block (used as a working surface) meaning the kits are very flexible, especially for the growing number of customers who are making every piece in the whole collection. Where do you get your inspiration from? I’m really inspired by the Dorset countryside surrounding the town where I live. There’s so much wildlife in the area and I’m a huge animal lover, so turning that passion into designs is something that comes quite easily. I’m also inspired by the wonderful variety of British wools and fibres I find. It’s great fun discovering 146 giftfocus a fibre and thinking about what animal it could become. What’s your best-selling design? The Rabbit is our most popular kit closely followed by the Swaledale Sheep, but the new Fox designs have been really popular so they may take over soon. In which shops are your products stocked? We’ve got more than 65 stockists now including everything from small high street wool and gift shops, to garden centres, wool mills, museums and galleries; so a pretty broad variety! What are you working on at the moment? The mini kits have proven really popular so I’m currently working on the next three designs; a hare, a sheep and a highland cow, which will hopefully be available later in the summer. g T: +44 (0)7941 528 124 or visit www.hawthornhandmade.co.uk.