news Selfridges opens its Christmas Shop…
Selfridges unveiled its new Christmas Shop at its flagship branch on London’s Oxford Street on July 29. The retailer claims to be the first department store in the world to launch its Christmas Shop a ‘record’ 149 days before Christmas Day.
Selfridges launches its Christmas Shop in two phases. The first phase has launched with 100 more product lines than in 2018, bringing the total choice to well over 600 lines. Phase two is set to launch on September 2 with the complete, full-scale product offer of 3,500 lines across
baubles, ornaments, decorations, Christmas trees and festive stationery. Most of the items are handmade or finished by hand, with some ranges made in the UK. There are also six new sustainable brands across categories that include decorations, gift wrap and Christmas cards. The most expensive product sold currently is a 30cm tall ‘Santa Yoga’ figurine priced at £100. Come September, among the most expensive items sold will be a pre-lit Bedminster fake Christmas tree at £2,000.
Selfridges said: ‘The on-
going commercial success of the summer launch of our Christmas Shop translates into year-on-year record sales, driven by both domestic early Christmas shoppers and souvenir-hunting overseas customers, keen on taking home mementos of a London Christmas.’
Studio William teams up with TINCTURE
Cotswold-based cutlery maker Studio William has partnered with luxury chemical- free cleaning brand TINCTURE London to
PHOTO: MATT WRITTLE/SELFRIDGES © copyright Matt Writtle 2019
… and officially reveals its 2019 festive theme
PHOTO: MATT WRITTLE/SELFRIDGES © copyright Matt Writtle 2019
‘Future Fantasy’ is the title of the 2019 Christmas theme for Selfridges. The department store group said that this year it is ‘rethinking traditional, beloved festive stories and retelling tales as old as time, but through a modern lens.
Product drops in as if by magic in unexpected galactic colourways and editions – many exclusively for Selfridges. This is a next generation Christmas; an interplay of old and new – even Santa has undergone a sleek and radical makeover by becoming Future Fantasy Santa. Both ‘traditional’ Santa and his 2019 alter ego Future Fantasy Santa will roam Selfridges come the Christmas season to delight children and grown-ups alike.’ Selfridges’ ‘hero’ housewares Christmas gifts include the exclusive UK launch of Aarke water carbonation systems, an
exclusive white marble cast iron dish from Le Creuset, coffee machines from Ratio 8, cold brew coffee systems from bi.du.heave, and the VSpin Wine Aerator. For budding chefs, there is
the exclusive range of Savernake knives, while design lovers on the hunt for yuletide presents will discover new brand SUS Gallery’s range of titanium tumblers and bowls in a range of metallic colours. Also launching exclusively for Christmas are Angele Riguidel’s robot sculptures made from upcycled discarded kitchen equipment.
Housewares bucks trend in Bira survey
The latest quarterly sales figures reported by members of the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) show an average fall in sales of
Bira ceo Andrew Goodacre
-2.94% compared with the same three months in 2018. Scotland saw the sharpest fall in the UK compared with April, May and June in 2018. East Anglia was the only region reporting that sales
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had increased marginally, by an average of 1.32%. The best-performing sector was Cookshop and Housewares, which posted a 2.41% uplift. In contrast, Gifts, Glass, China, Accessories and Luggage saw the biggest fall of -6.75%, closely followed by Pet Products and Cards; and Stationery, Crafts and Hobbies. Both sectors reported a -5.4% reduction in sales. Bira ceo Andrew Goodacre commented: “These results reflect the testing times that independent retail is facing. However, independent
business owners are nothing if not resilient - and they will continue to fight and develop to save themselves. “One of the greatest things about being independent is that they can be nimble and change quickly to adapt to changing trends, unlike the bigger retailers. ‘This gives independent
retailers an edge, and we are seeing lots of our members diversifying to allow them to offer products and services that shoppers need to come to the high street for and can’t just buy online.”
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enhance its Care of Cutlery service, which forms part of the brand’s long-term customer service strategy. William Welch, designer and ceo of Studio William, said: “We make beautiful products that last a lifetime. And they genuinely will - if cleaned and stored properly. Our Care of Cutlery service aims to show people how easily they can give these beautiful, everyday objects longevity. “TINCTURE London's products will help our customers take better care of their investment so they don't have to keep buying replacement items. We’re far more interested in being a brand that gives something back.” Leading the partnership is marketing manager Andrew Greenhalgh. He said: “Finding a safe, effective, chemical-free cleaning solution that complements our products is really exciting. We believe our customers will love this marriage of two ethical, premium brands."
Three new members
sign up for BHETA Three companies have joined BHETA (British Home Enhancement Trade Association): Casa & Casa, Patterson & Rothwell and Hardware Lane Distributors. Edinburgh-based housewares supplier Casa & Casa is a family business which made its debut at Spring Fair 2019. It offers a range of insulated drinks containers, cool bags, foldable furniture and shopping trolleys. It exhibited at London trade show Exclusively Housewares in June for the first time, where it launched its insulated flasks and cups marketed under the Xento brand. Injection moulder and toolmaker Patterson & Rothwell is a £15 million turnover business that specialises in injection moulding presses, robotics and related software, while Hardware Lane Distributors is a supplier of paint brushes and applicators, and painting and decorating equipment for professional and DIY painters.
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twitter.com/Housewaresnews July/August 2019
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