Gift Focus - Jan/Feb 2018 (Issue 105)

giftfocus 7 news and events 20 YEARS OF LAUGHTER FOR THE LITTLE DOG! The Derby-based card and gift company, founded by artist Anna Danielle and her brothers Gavin and Nathan Smith, is proud to be celebrating its 20 th anniversary in 2018, and the years seem to have flown by. From its humble origins of one girl and her dog working from the spare room, Anna had no idea her creations would form the bedrock of a business that now employs a talented team of 11 and sees her distinctive designs appearing in stores the length and breadth of the country. Having enjoyed some highs, many lows and quite a lot of plain old everyday slog, the working ethos of The Little Dog Laughed remains the same today as it did all those moons ago: “To create cards and gifts that bring a smile to your day, and to do this in an honest, reliable, friendly way, never putting profit above quality and fairness.” The Little Dog is currently home to three original brands created solely by the talented Anna. Alongside her dog and cat collections sits Rufus Rabbit, a beautifully packaged mummy and baby gift range which is now six years old. The company’s most recent new brand is Douglas The Boy Wonder, who will celebrate his milestone first birthday at Spring Fair. The charming Douglas is a contemporary gift and accessories collection based around an antique toy terrier who is missing his wheels but not his zest for life and new adventures. You can see the full collection from The Little Dog Laughed at Spring Fair Hall 3-3A stand: S10 or visit the website for more information: thelittledog.co.uk GECKO RE-LAUNCHES TRADE WEBSITE The new Gecko responsive site has now launched and it’s bigger and better than ever. Not only has Gecko’s website had its own extreme makeover; the company has made it much more user friendly. Gecko has added a few special functions, along with some exciting new upgrades to make your online ordering experience as easy as the click of a button. Gecko’s new and improved features include: • Full access to your account information. • Online payments 24 hours a day. • Access to your rebate scheme. • A quick and easy direct dispatch option. • Daily stock and pricing updates, plus a few more exciting extras to accommodate all of your online needs. Ruth Johnson, Head of Sales and Operations, comments, “Gecko strives to provide a first class customer experience, therefore a main objective for 2017 was to update our website offering. Providing a platform that is easy to navigate and allows the customer to have complete control over their ordering 24/7, which is something we understand is imperative in the current retail climate.” You can visit the website at geckojewellery.com FAREWELL RON! After 14 years of loyal service, Ron McGee, WIDDOP and Co.’s territory manager for the East Midlands is taking a well-deserved retirement at the end of December 2017. Ron, who has spent all of his life in a sales role of one kind or another, will be sorely missed not just by the company but also by the hundreds of customers who have come to appreciate his wealth of experience together with his good humour. Sue Speirs who joins the company from Yankee Candle, where she has worked as part of the sales team for the last seven and a half years, will be taking over from Ron from the beginning of January. With more than 20 years of varied sales experience working for Mr Fothergills Seeds and Coca Cola, Sue is really excited about her new role at Widdops, “Joining the WIDDOP and Co. team at this exciting stage of its history is a real privilege. I’m looking forward to the challenge of applying my 20 years of sales experience to this new role to grow and develop the territory”. Sue can be contacted by email Sues@widdop.co.uk and she is taking over Ron’s mobile phone number in January.