Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - Page number 109 - September/October 2021

Have any styles taken you by surprise with their popularity? Our Pet Lovers collection – room spray, candle and diffuser – which masks ‘Eau de Pet’ has been a runaway success. People really are bonkers about their pets! How do you keep your designs fresh and current? Do you follow trends? We are always interested in what our customers want. Rather than following trends, we talk to our independent retailers and also our customers at shows. They are a wealth of information, our best critics and our fabulous ambassadors. What sets you apart from your competitors? Our Eco Collections – new to market – are unique. Post-pandemic, we know that sustainability is increasingly important. Customers are looking for home fragrances and soaps that meet today’s all-important sustainable and ethical must-haves and which will make considered lifestyle choices easy. We have created a range of beautiful palm-free soaps, packaged in recycled packaging. Our eco candles and diffusers in decorative recycled glass vessels are also new and different – these in turn can be re-purposed again and again. How are you finding the current climate in the UK? Is it affecting business? Undoubtedly COVID bought us no end of challenges. We had to set up new systems and work hard with our teams to make these a success. However, it also bought surprising bonuses. We created a lovely fragrant sanitiser that quickly became a best seller and our soap sales have been remarkable. How do you view the future of independent retail post-pandemic? We have put the pandemic behind us and are moving forward with a positive approach. We are looking forward to returning to the trade fairs and meeting with our fantastic independent retailers again. Are you active on social media? How is this important for the business? Yes, indeed. Social media is a must – it is important to have a voice and share our news. We try and keep it fun and light and very ‘us!’ Do you have any advice for new businesses starting out in the world of gifts? Be brave and be positive. Winston Churchill summed it up when he said ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts’. What can we expect in the future from the company? We are working hard as a business to develop good practices that will care for the environment. We are hoping to move our packaging production to the UK and recycling and sustainability will be high on our product development agenda. HEYLAND & WHITTLE Tel: +44 (0)1293 525 825 www.heylandandwhittle.co.uk 109 COMPANY PROFILE