With many people already ‘out of office’, and just five days to go until Christmas Day, GiftsandHome.net would like 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 Monday 6 January 2025 to bring you the very latest festive news.
It’s been another challenging year for everyone – suppliers, retailers, reps and agents – yet as always, the industry’s determination, tenacity and positivity has shone through.
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.
In May, Wrendale Designs was honoured with a King’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade. The company received the award for a second time, having won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise International Trade in 2019.
Making it a double success for Wrendale’s founder and creative director, Hannah Dale, she was also presented with The Greats Outstanding Achievement Award at May’s The Gift Awards.
A raft of companies celebrated milestone anniversaries in 2024 to includesuppliers Lang’s (75 years); Enesco (30 years); Carrie Elspeth (25 years) and the The Somerset Toiletry Company (25 years), along with independent retailers Jeyes of Earls Barton (35 years); Utility (25 years), Hugs & Kisses (21 years); Maia Gifts, (15 years) and Bill & Bert’s (5 years).
Despite a challenging year, many gift retailers expanded their retail portfolios by opening new shops during 2024. They included (in alphabetical order): Brocante; Lark; Maybugs, Oliver Bonas, Paper Tiger and Utility.
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 2025, 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 2025!
Sue Marks, Editor
Ali Farrell, Advertisement Manager
