Welcome to the September issue of Progressive Gifts & Home that’s buzzing with the latest insightful news, views, trends and new product launches.
For gift retailers, September is the beginning of the all-important fourth quarter, with lower inflation hopefully seeing interest rate hikes slow down, going some way to calming the financial anxiety that many people have felt this year.
Encouragingly, at PG&H’s annual retailer round table, held at Harrogate’s Home & Gift in July, this year’s ‘round tablers’ were cautiously optimistic about the next few months. Find out what else our cross-section of gift indies had to say about life on the high street – and at a major London visitor attraction. Click through to pages 21-25.
Of course, nothing evokes the festive season like fragrance. Home fragrancing suppliers reveal their Christmas themed ranges, with traditional scents and colours taking centre stage. To find out more, click through to pages 45-49. Plus, Blue Diamond Group’s Carla Ringer predicts some festive best sellers for the garden centre that include an array of home entertainment products. Click through to pages 41-43.
Meanwhile, Lesser & Pavey’s Julian Hunt and Jonny Greves reveal the company’s newest launches for Autumn/Winter, (click through to pages 26-27), while Debbie Hunt at CME Jewellery highlights a season of sparkle and glamour (turn to page 75), and Floss & Rock’s Tim Hislop and Gill Stratton reveal what’s trending for 2-10 year olds. (Click through to page 83).
Elsewhere, Widdop & Co’s ceo Stephen Illingworth discusses what will be taking the company forward into a new decade and a new era, with the expansion of the UK manufacturing side of the business very much in the frame. (Click through to pages 36-37).
Our regular columnists are back of course, with The Giftware Association’s Sarah Ward commenting on the five questions she’s most frequently asked at trade shows,(click through to page 31), and Libby Holden, owner of Lovely Libby’s in Rayleigh, enthusiastically ramping up her Autumn/Halloween offer this year, with her stock room already filling up with pumpkins and gonks! (Click through to page 33).
And finally, with last minute Christmas buying in mind, the focus is now very much on Autumn Fair, (click through to page 9 and page 55), and Top Drawer, (click through to page 11 and page 77), with the PG&H team eagerly looking forward to heading off to both shows this month, as well as to Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) in October. (Click through to Licensed Giftware on pages 67-68). But first, click through to pages 9-17 for all the latest, most up-to-the-minute industry news.
To read the full issue of Progressive Gifts & Home September 2023 click here.
Enjoy reading!
Sue
Sue Marks
Editor, Progressive Gifts & Home & www.GiftsandHome.net
