With many people already ‘out of office’, and just four days to go until Christmas Day, GiftsandHome.net would like to take this opportunity to wish all our fantastic readers a wonderful festive break! We’ll be taking some time out over the Christmas and New Year period too, returning on Wednesday 3 January 2024 to bring you the very latest festive news.
It’s been another challenging year for everyone – suppliers, retailers, reps and agents – not helped by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis – yet as always, the industry’s determination, tenacity and positivity has shone through. And some very welcome, unexpected Christmas cheer is that inflation has fallen, boding well for interest rate cuts in 2024 and more money in people’s pockets.
Before we finally tuck into the mince pies, here’s a round up of some of the gift industry’s most memorable highlights . . .
For Progressive Gifts & Home, the huge success of The Gift Awards, in partnership with The Giftware Association, once again united the gift industry, recognising and rewarding the winners of The Greats gift retailer awards, and the Gift of the Year awards.
And staying with Awards, among the gift businesses thrilled to be honoured with a King’s Award For Enterprise: International Trade in 2023 were Talking Tables and Sebnini.
Several gift retailers opened new shops during 2023, expanding their retail portfolios. They included (in alphabetical order): Brocante; Keepsakes Scotland; Lark; Mooch London and Utility.
A raft of milestone gift retailer and supplier anniversaries have also been cause for celebration. They include Bentleys in Stourport-on-Severn (70 years); The Tokenhouse in Nottingham (50 years); Cardies, Stevenage (35 years); Oliver Bonas (30 years); Caroline Gardner (30 years) and Olive Branch, Billericay (30 years). Progressive Gifts & Home was also proud to celebrate the magazine’s 30th anniversary in July.
And on the acquisition front, Max Publishing, owners and organisers of PG Live, recently acquired London Stationery Show from Ocean Media.
Thank you all so much for being such a big a part of what we do. We couldn’t bring you GiftsandHome.net or Progressive Gifts & Home without your fantastic input. So going into 2024, please continue to send in your news, views and opinions as we’re always delighted to hear from you, and look forward to seeing you all at the January shows.
From all of us here at Progressive Gifts & Home/GiftsandHome.net, we wish you the merriest of Christmases, and a happy, healthy New Year, with every continued success in 2024!
Sue Marks, Editor
Ali Farrell, Advertisement Manager
