CHRISTMAS GIFTING
August/September 2026
housewareslive.net
All I want for Christmas is…
Christmas is a crucial time, with shoppers searching for gifts that are useful, thoughtful and worth keeping, Housewares Magazine unwraps the trends set to shape the festive season and finds out what should be on retailers’ Christmas lists this year.
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hristmas is fast approaching and, for housewares retailers, that means one of the biggest gifting opportunities of the year is almost here.
The kitchen and dining room play a huge part in the festive season, so it is perhaps no surprise that housewares find their way under plenty of Christmas trees. From stocking fillers and Secret Santa presents to premium cookware, tableware and those bigger-ticket gifts someone has had their eye on all year, there is something for almost every budget. But what will shoppers actually be looking for this Christmas? With consumers thinking carefully about where they spend their money, useful gifts, quality and products with a little personality are all coming into play.
Yule be spoilt for choice
The Christmas table is becoming a little less formal. Matching white dinner sets are making way for a mix of colours, patterns and statement pieces, while shoppers are looking for serveware that can cope with everything from the big day itself to a relaxed Boxing Day lunch. Hayley Baddiley, Group Marketing Director at The Portmeirion Group,
says this more informal approach to entertaining is shaping demand, particularly for larger serving platters, generous salad bowls and oven- to-table dishes. “We are seeing a clear move away from the traditional matching 12- piece white dinner service,” she says. “Instead, customers are enjoying the freedom to layer different designs and colours, creating tables that feel more personal and playful.” It is a trend that lends itself well to Christmas gifting. Rather than buying an entire collection, shoppers can pick out an individual piece that complements something the recipient already owns – and perhaps return for another birthday or Christmas. There is also growing interest in where products come from. Ms Baddiley points to British manufacturing, craftsmanship and heritage as increasingly important, particularly when shoppers are searching for something with a little more substance than a generic present. Useful gifts are very much part of the picture too. Portmeirion Group
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is seeing consumers choose products around hobbies and interests, whether that is an espresso mug for the coffee drinker or a serving platter for someone who loves to bake and entertain. For this Christmas, Spode’s new Christmas Tree Yuletide range includes sets of two mugs and espresso cups and saucers, while Portmeirion’s Botanic Garden Christmas Holly collection offers pieces including the Robin Latte Mug and Bella Jug. At the smaller end of the scale, Spode Christmas Tree ornaments, Blue Italian baubles, mini vases and decorative cones provide stocking-
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