Gift Focus - Jan/Feb 2019 (Issue 111)

giftfocus 21 trends The Giftware Association has the excellent opportunity of having a varied membership base, covering the whole of the home and giftware world. We get to meet these members at trade shows, our Meet the Buyer events and through our Gift of the Year competition, giving us a unique insight into trends. Being socially conscious is a huge trend that we think will gain more traction in 2019. We have seen a lot of companies adapting and diversifying their product ranges to be included in this, and what’s more, it is more than just a trend – it’s saving our planet for future generations. Keywords such as plastic waste, climate change and blue planet are used to highlight the demise of our planet, and we have seen products that have been designed to counteract this issue, such as reusable and eco-friendly bamboo cups, an influx of water bottles, picnic sets made out of palm leaves, corn starch cellophane used on card products and countless other products that fit into our ethical gift category. We live in an age when the end consumers are socially conscious and want to do their part to save the planet. Gift companies are reacting by providing solutions to this global problem. We have also seen a sharp rise in products being entered in our ethical gift category in Gift of the Year which is always a sign of big things to come as companies look at changing materials, utilities and even the processes they use. Another closely aligned trend to being socially conscious, is the health and wellbeing movement and looking after number one. We have seen this in the industry via personal pamper kits, bath bombs and products designed to eradicate stress, such as shower spas, beauty treating kits, wellbeing books and books about mindfulness – all of which are designed to promote a healthier lifestyle, both physically and mentally DIY kits have also been very popular. With people no longer satisfied with the final products, they want to get into the act of making it themselves. As such, we have companies like Bakedin, with its monthly delicious baking kits, Ross and Ross, with its sumptuous roast dinner kits with spice rubs and curing equipment, and the awesome little Den Kit Co, a kit designed for kids to go into the wild and build a makeshift camp with tarp, a wooden hammer and information about their surroundings. We have also had cheese-making kits and beer-making kits perform very well in our competitions, and who doesn’t like cheese or beer? We now see these biggest of department stores and retailers and make perfect gifts. Sarah Ward and Christopher Workman, CEO and PR and marketing manager, The GA, ga-uk.org There are two dominant stories affecting trends in 2019. The first is Brexit, and the second is the continuing war on single-use plastic. Brexit is a key driver behind the cheerful bolds and brights coming through on products. It’s something uplifting to contrast the constant negativity and uncertainty in the news about Britain’s prospects post-Brexit – an escape from our everyday reality, if you like. With this in mind, I think escapist licences like Disney will fare well this year. They have a host of new movies coming out this year, including live action Lion King and Dumbo reboots, as well as the Mary Poppins, Toy Story, Aladdin and Frozen sequels. With Star Wars Episode IX and Avengers 4 also set for release in the coming months, expect a big year for Disney licenced products. The Blue Planet effect has had a huge influence on the type of products we are buying and how they are packaged. Blue Eyed Sun’s BambooCups by chic.mic and other eco-friendly products continue to sell well, and brands with good provenance on their eco credentials will thrive in 2019. Expect those that don’t really know what they are selling and haven’t had their products externally audited to come unstuck, particularly on social media. Trust is key in the war on single-use plastic. It’s better to open about making changes and moving in the right direction than to keep your head in the sand on this. With that in mind, it’s important that all suppliers and retailers take a good look at how they operate, how they can improve on the environmental front and to start taking steps in the right direction. We all need to work together to minimise our impact on the environment. Expect steep learning curves in an ever-changing eco landscape. The UK’s continuing determination to do the right thing on environmental issues is leading to an increase in repurposed products made from a mixture of textures and materials. These will continue to grow in popularity this year and are a key trend. We are also seeing a return to nature, with botanical drawings and animals performing well. Llamas, sloths and unicorns probably have a few more months left in them, depending on where you are in the country. For those in the trend-driven cities and shops across the country, I expect we will see new motifs supersede them this year. Jeremy Corner Managing director, Blue Eyed Sun blueeyedsun.co.uk