RANGE REVIEW: HOUSEWARES & GIFTS CHRISTMAS -


winter is our peak trading period and customers, particularly independents look to us to support their sales with a strong seasonal offer, says Richard Walker, Commercial Director at Eddingtons.


M


An early start Christmas


for 2021 started early


for Eddingtons and many other homewares and gifting suppliers. The journey to launch started way back in the previous year, i.e. the Autumn of 2020. Usually at this time we will have assimilated newness from all international trade shows, sourcing trips manufacturer meetings and we have already had a chance to monitor early pre-sales for Seasonal products ahead of the season. These indicators give us a heads up to indicate to our buying teams the product successes particularly against any new launches. We find there are two schools of


thought on when customers need to stock to arrive for


‘Christmas’.


This may be August for multiples and chains as they begin to switch out from summer ranges with the second window following close behind in September/October. Indies usually switch out their Autumn store windows and displays metronomically the day following


aybe not with Brexit, Covid and supply chain issues, but we need to make the best of it. Autumn/


‘The Eddingtons Christmas range continues this year – I’d argue is one of the most comprehensive seasonal baking ranges you will find’


Halloween and they need stock to be available to make that change. December is usually a great time to wrap up sales and discuss with customers their successes in order to build on these for the following year. There is a lot of back and forth with samples, renders and concepts in order to work up ranges for the following year. Lead times have increased since Covid and as a result our Production schedules are agreed and confirmed around March to allow a 90-day manufacturing lead time. By this time, we will have fully reviewed our overall Christmas sales for the previous year. We may have repeat forecasts in from multiples but usually we have to make a call on projected volumes. Our product development team will have completed new concepts, worked up packaging and even tested out samples before production is scheduled. Once our orders are ready to ship, we are seeing a lead time of a further 60 days due to container availability and shipping capacity issues.


This year Eddingtons are delighted


New launches to


www.diyweek.net launch under


our Stow Green banner The Snowman licensed range. Featuring


themes created from the classic illustrated story by Raymond Briggs. The Iconic Snowman collection is designed with festive baking in mind, spatulas, whisks and mixing bowls sitting perfectly alongside a selection of kitchen textiles – aprons, tea towels and oven gloves, there are also some extremely giftable ceramic mugs with the ‘Walking in the Air’ design featuring a wintry night sky and the iconic Snowman classic mug. Also, in our Licenced portfolio we have our Peter Rabbit Christmas Porcelain Mug in a four-colour gift -box, extremely collectable! Our Peter Rabbit Cook’s set includes a high heat spatula and beechwood Spoon, handy accessories for getting Christmas baking underway. The Eddingtons Christmas range continues this year – I’d argue is one of the most comprehensive seasonal baking ranges you will find. The range has been fine-tuned over the years to focus on best sellers and sure-fire winners all coordinated in our striking red Nordic packaging. Napkins are all three ply thickness and feature new seasonal designs. We have a collection of fine Biscuit Cutters in


Brass, Copper,


or Traditional Stainless Steel complemented by our 62-piece Bake & Take Sets which have tags, boxes


DECEMBER 2021 DIY WEEK 21


and ribbon with baking nozzles and bags and even a recipe to create seasonal gifts – simply Bake and Take!


Our Christmas Spatulas are always popular and we have new designs this year too, each set 12 is supplied with a free display tin to give height and


presence to merchandising


displays. Our Reindeer traditional dish brush and tea towels are perfect to adorn any kitchen and we even have refills to fit the brush so after Christmas customers can upcycle and switch the head to an all year round Valet version.


New for 2021 is our wooden biscuit and pie press with a less than £5 retail price, this will be a wonderful pick-up or till point line… at this wonderful time of the year!


• To find out more about the range of housewares and gifts available from Eddingtons, visit the company’s website at www.eddingtons.co.uk


THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR?...


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36