With physical trade shows unable to take place, GiftsandHome.net has been catching up with suppliers to find out more about their new launches for Spring/Summer.
Helen Cotterill, marketing director at Enesco, talks about sustainability as well as the company’s new launches.
What’s Enesco’s big focus at the moment?
“Definitely sustainability which is at the top of our agenda now, and currently, we have two to three collections that are completely sustainable. It’s our focus in the UK, as well as with our global teams, as it’s becoming a very important issue for everyone. If we can make something sustainable – in terms of being recyclable or re-usable – we have, an example being moving away from printed, coloured gift boxes to Kraft boxes.”
What are your current new launches for Spring/Summer?
“We had a really strong launch in January, with nearly 600 new pieces, which are arriving now. There was nothing brand new, but there were a few collaborations, such as Beatrix Potter and Jim Shore. Otherwise, it’s been mainly line extensions which I think was the way to go, as people need to play it safe. Particularly when retail re-opens next month, retailers will buy what they know sells, and I’m delighted to say that our bookings are really strong until Q3. As a sector, because everyone is struggling with shipping delays and long lead times from China, we are trying to get customers to change their mindset and order earlier. It really helps with planning and purchasing and making sure that we have enough stock for everyone.”
Are you finding the consumers are buying differently?
“In the current environment, consumers are not making big purchases such as buying a home or a car, or booking a holiday abroad. Instead, they’re buying things for the home. Our Disney figurines have been phenomenal sellers, and we can’t keep Willow Tree in stock. It’s the company’s 21st anniversary, and as soon as stock comes in it goes out. From the start, Willow Tree’s artist Susan Lordi said that she wouldn’t bring out lots of new products, and this has really carved the way for the brand, because the best sellers now are still the same best sellers from 20 years ago.”
What do you think is the secret of Willow Tree’s success?
“Susan Lordi gets the messaging and interacation between the figurines and people right. Everyone can relate to how the figurines look, and can relate a part of their family, or a sentiment, to Willow Tree. Plus, they’re in a neutural colour palette, so they’re a safe buy as a gift. It’s what makes the figurines timeless. They don’t go out of fashion. It’s a fantastic line, and currently, Willow Tree is going crazy!”
I guess it’s much the same with American folk artist Jim Shore?
“Yes, he’s one of our key artists. Last year, we closed our warehouse in the wake of Covid, but had to open it again after three weeks because of the demand from our European customers for Jim Shore’s brands. They were saying, you have to supply us. Everything Jim touches seems to work. Jim draws people to him and there is so much activity online with all his brands. Our customers who have online shops back them up with strong social media activity, with the figurines helping to counteract Covid. In fact, it’s when people aren’t spending that we always do well. They want something in their homes that remind them about good times.”
Are you planning any collectors events for later in the year?
“We haven’t got any plans to being anyone over, but collectors definitely want to see Jim Shore and get a signed piece. So we will doing it virtually on Zoom or similar. Jim is very camera friendly and we’ll get pieces pre-signed and shipped over, so that they can all receive one.”
Aside from figurines, what other types of gifts have you done well with during the pandemic?
“Thoughtful gifts that can be easily posted have been very successful for us, to include a range of soaps in tins. On our websites, our message was that the products are safe, we can ship carefully and that they are easy to send out to the end consumer.”
What advice would you give to retailers as they get ready to open their shops on April 12?
“They need to be ahead of the game and to be different. They need to keep their customers interested and make them want to come and visit their shops. That’s the key. I think that there will be a resurgence on the high street because people will be desperate to go out. The shops therefore need to be compelling, to have great window displays and good offers, as opposed to the internet, where you go online to buy a specific product. When you go shopping you are more likely to impulse buy because you are seeing things you don’t always see. It’s about buying something unique, and that’s what people want when they go shopping – something different. They get excited when they go shopping and I imagine it will be like that when the high street re-opens. I think the retailers who have survived the pandemic and been proactive are the ones who will stay strong, and we support all our retailers in any way we can, with PoS and through messages on social media. In fact, we have a lot of retailers contacting us now.”
Above: Helen Cotterill, Enesco’s marketing director.
