Here is a selection of features from Gift Focus magazine.
Blade and Rose owner Amanda Peffer found a distinctive product format which resonates with a wide audience, and is now looking to further its UK and European expansion When did you start up and why? When I was on maternity leave after the arrival of my daughter, I found I was constantly on the lookout for cute little leggings but never quite found what I wanted, so I designed my own. Initially there were only three designs, each with the unique and very cute 'design on the bum', which were a huge hit and sold out immediately. What prompted you to launch the business? The business just grew organically. I gave up my job to concentrate on Blade and Rose then twelve months later my husband Jon joined the company too.
This issue UK mailing service Washington Direct provides an insightful look at how to keep a long-term consumer base happy. Customer satisfaction is an integral part of business' ambitions if they wish to be a long-term success. Building a loyal customer base is important, but keeping those customers happy to ensure they will return in the future is essential as a business grows. Here, we look at how different brands can successfully maintain customer satisfaction, and how in some cases this has been refreshed to put a fresh spin on it.
This issue Gift Focus showcases the latest releases in the literary world, from books for green-fingered gardeners to must-haves for children, and The Queendom Within a guide to help you feel empowered as a woman - there really is something for every one! Whether you're buying for you, someone else, or your store, we're sure a few of these will get added to your reading list.
Pomegranate London Founder Katie Bulatovic evolved her brand from market stalls to a bricks and mortar stall in London, and has developed a loyal customer base that returns year-on-year. Tell us a bit about your store and how you came to open the business. I had been trading for many years through fairs and various market stalls and my sister, who owned the restaurant next door to my shop, let me know that it was available to rent and I jumped at the chance to finally have a fixed address – and also to work next door to her! Is the location important to the success of your store? Our shop is on one of the oldest garden squares in London and, whilst not on the high street, it is a frequently used walk through up to the high street. We are in such a beautiful spot and I think customers like us being this hidden gem they have chanced upon.
Visiting garden centres is a culturally British pass-time that's as popular as ever. In fact, over two-thirds of adults in the UK visit garden centres at least once a year. More young people are interested in green spaces and houseplants, with 83 percent of 18-34-year-olds thinking gardening is 'cool', and over half choosing a garden centre over clubbing. So, ensuring you are offering what young people might like is important. Here, we will explore some ways to entice more young people to visit your garden centre. Planting workshops: one way to keep young visitors coming to your garden centre is to focus on the growing hobby of caring for and rejuvenating houseplants. In 2021, the average Brit spent £300 on house plants, and members of Gen Z are the ones investing in their plants the most, study finds
A recent survey by Perspectus Global highlights how men have evolved in their gifting desires, with many now feeling their gifts are repetitive and are excited by options traditionally reserved for women. The research found as many as one in ten (11 percent) dads feel jealous of the women in their lives when it comes to the gifts they receive, while 80 percent insist women always receive more thoughtful presents. A quarter (28 percent) would go so far as to describe the gifts they receive as repetitive and uninspiring (24 percent). In fact, one in four (26 percent) say a present has made them feel unloved, while 30 percent feel regularly hard done by.
To mark Eco-Friendly Card's 30th Anniversary, Louise Prance speaks to Sue Morrish about the company's journey. Congratulations on your 30th anniversary! What were the reasons behind the initial launch of Eco-Friendly Cards? Glebe Cottage Studio (the original name of The Eco-friendly Card Co) was established with the help of the Princes Youth Business Trust by a young photographer, Scott Morrish, who was fresh out of art college and looking for a way to fund his new darkroom. Publishing cards with images of rural Devon, where he lived, seemed a good idea and Scott drove around the country lanes visiting selling his cards to independent retailers such as post offices and garden centres and Glebe Cottage Studio was born. A few years later after I (Sue) joined the business we started offering cards from south-west artists to increase the diversity of our offering to independent retail.
This issue Gift Focus Magazine showcases the latest releases in the literary world, from books for coffee-lovers and pet owners, to 'The little book of flirting' and Amazon Prime's fan-favourite Kaleb, from Clarkson's Farm, has a book out too - there really is something for every one! Could one of these exciting new titles be your next big seller in store?
Merci Maman founder Beatrice de Montille shares how the company holds motherhood at the heart of everything it does, and how it grew from a work-from-home job to the successful jewellery business it is today. Beatrice de Montille started Merci Maman over 15 years ago. After the birth of her second child, her employer rejected her request for a part-time role and she couldn't get the work-life balance she needed, so she started her own activity, originally as a sole trader working from home. However, she always had that entrepreneurial flare. She was hoping to create a few jobs but did not envisage that it would become so big. The company has had over 60 employees spread between London, Paris and Belin at the peak last year!
July is just round the corner which means only one thing - Home & Gift is nearly upon us!
The buyers' festival of the summer is gearing up for another spectacular show, which will transport visitors back to the summer of love. Socialise and connect in the laid back atmosphere of Home & Gift, which embodies the essence of togetherness and pressure-free connecting centred round a passion for quality products.
Taking over the grounds of the DoubleTree by Hilton and the Harrogate Convention Centre from the 16-19th July, buyers will have 5 halls and multiple Design Points to explore - bursting with thousands of lust-worthy products from over 500 brands.
Gisela Graham is celebrating its 40th anniversary – check out how the company got to this milestone achievement. Gisela registered the business in 1983 and have just had a glamorous celebration of its 40th anniversary. Looking at what's to come, Gisela is launching an endless stream of good and original ideas and outstanding service! And in the near future will be launching her 2024 Easter/Spring collection in July.
The supply chain affects every industry to some degree, from the movement of products and labour to finding the right tools for the job. And making sure that you can provide your customers with the best experience is key for the running of any business. Customer satisfaction can cause loyalty for your business, making it an important factor to consider. To maintain this, you need to adapt to changes and challenges which you will face, including problems with the supply chain. Here, Peter Campbell of Snowshock, a UK based slush machines and slush syrups business, explores what the supply chain is, what issues it can face, and how businesses are managing to navigate these issues successfully.
Starting in the height of the Pandemic, Wag&Wool creates matching pet and human accessories – a growing trend in the UK. March 2020, the pandemic gave us all a chance for pause and introspection. For me, it was an opportunity to put the vitality of the high fashion industry on hold and concentrate on a project closer to my heart. Having shared my life with dogs since I can remember, I wanted to begin designing a beautiful range of gift-worthy knitwear for dogs. The lightbulb moment came to me when I met my friend and her dog, Monti, on a particularly chilly day in Brighton. We wrapped Monti up in one of my hand-knitted lambswool scarves to keep him cosy and I never looked back. Wag&Wool was born.
Shinya Masuda, Managing Director of JPT Europe Ltd, discusses their brand King Jim and the demand for Japanese products in the UK. "We're a Japanese company and importer of Japanese products. King Jim is one of our Japanese brands we distribute in the UK. Our parent company in Japan established in 1942. And we started our UK branch in London in 2000. Originally, our company started exporting Japanese publications including newspapers to Japanese emigrants overseas. As the times changed, our mission shifted more to exporting Japanese culture worldwide. In the UK, nowadays we present an extensive range of items such as characteristically well-designed stationery and traditional gifts directly imported from Japan.
Sara Davies gives us tips on how to make your business stand out amongst the rest.
She says: In the business world, first impressions count and standing out in the right way can really pay off. There are so many ways to present your business in the best way so it can shine brighter than the rest.
Firstly, get creative with your ideas!
Father's Day is one of the prime gifting events throughout the year, with the product choices continuing to expand...
Forget the socks this Father's Day and instead send your love with a fabulous "Man Candle" or "Mandle". With over 40 fragrances in its range, Pintail Candles has a great range of masculine and gender-neutral scents and styling to suit every dad, daddy, father and pa. A popular choice for men is the Driftwood fragrance which comes in many different candle sizes to suit every pocket. This is an invigorating clean, fresh fragrance, combining notes of massoia wood, vetiver and oak moss intertwined with refreshing citrus hints of bergamot and lemon.
The Beeswax Company was launched due to Founder Fran Beer noticing a gap in the market for sustainable alternatives to cling film. The venture was a success from the start, with collaborations forged between the likes of the National Trust and Cath Kidston. When did you start up and why? I founded The Beeswax Wrap Co. in 2017 in a bid to live more sustainably and plastic-free, starting within my home. Sadly, I found little to no alternatives to cling film on the market. So, blending my love of crafting and the planet, a journey to create a product that was planet-friendly, useful and beautiful began – and The Beeswax Wrap Co. was born!
Capitalise on the trend for products made in Britain with these gorgeous offerings. The Queen's Platinum Jubilee collection celebrates 70 years since HRH Queen Elizabeth the Second's coronation. The intricately hand-drawn design was inspired by the magnificent dress worn by The Queen during her Coronation in 1952 featuring embroidered flowers from across the Commonwealth including the Tudor rose (England), thistle (Scotland), leek (Wales), shamrock (Ireland), wattle (Australia), maple leaf (Canada), fern (New Zealand), protea (South Africa), lotus flowers (India and Ceylon) and wheat, cotton, and jute (Pakistan).
With a strong range of products on offer, Lesser & Pavey prides itself on its customer contact and bringing creativity and innovation to the marketplace... When did you start up and why? Lesser & Pavey was established in 1971, becoming a leading UK trade supplier of giftware and homewares. We recognised an opportunity at a time when the established importers lacked innovation and new products at value for money prices. Today the company prides itself on exceptional quality with on trend products at great value for money prices and our brand 'The Leonardo Collection' is renowned worldwide.
Groovy UK has a wide product offering that is steeped in quality design. Despite finding the pandemic challenging, the company is excited to try new ideas. Here Monique Scott, Managing Director and Owner tells us more...
When did you start up and why? Groovy UK was launched in 1991. I always had a love for design and items with unusual features – art college taught me to create and work from concept to finished product. I opened gift shops but still couldn't find the things I wanted from many suppliers, so I found out about manufacturing in China and started to make my own products. Due to the size of the MOQ's I needed to sell the extra stock, so I set up a wholesale/distribution company.
