Blog

Archive for July, 2011

All that sparkles.

Friday, July 22nd, 2011

A new area in the gift range market we are moving into is jewellery. It’s always a bit of a risky prospect starting to sell something you’ve never sold before. You are not sure whether it’s a product your customers expect or want to see but we felt it was a range we could offer something a little special in. We approached the young designer Alyssa Smith about stocking some of her range because her beautiful handmade pieces stood out from the mass produced items on offer from retailers. 

Handcrafted to the highest quality in her Hertfordshire studio, she creates a range of stunning and unique jewellery in silver, gold and gemstones. Her jewellery is loved and worn by women and celebrities around the globe, so you will be sure to discover a little luxury that you will treasure forever in our great jewellery collection. Each hand-made piece of jewellery comes in a beautifully gift wrapped in a box with decorative ribbons.

It’s a buyer’s life.

Friday, July 15th, 2011

Sunday sees us off to the Home & Gift show in Harrogate to have a look for new products and suppliers for the gifted penguin. I really enjoy trade fairs (I suppose that’s why I’m the buyer!) enjoy meeting suppliers and I enjoy the challenge of buying the right type of products for our site. I don’t always get it right & to be honest I don’t believe I am any different to any other buyer, otherwise there would never be sales.  Over the past couple of years I have seen a proliferation in the number of people setting up ecommerce sites and the never ending growth of ebay sellers, some of whom don’t seem to have a basic grasp of the fact that turnover doesn’t equal profit! All of this brings a challenge to any existing company and so the key is to be ahead of the game with your purchasing and also look outside of the trade fair option of purchasing. I have been exploring new routes to finding  suppliers of unusual and quality goods and will continue to do so. I have people contact me directly and I am always happy to take a look and am often amazed at the extremely talented people out there trying to build and establish themselves.  There a number of key issues that I keep in mind when I purchase apart from the obvious one, cost(!), and the main one is what do our customers want to see on the site? What do they hope to find when they hunt for that key home accessory or that perfect gift?

I shall let you know how the trade fair pans out but just to let you know we have a great new product coming in soon that we are really excited about and it’s British made which is great.

Give Contemporary Gifts

Friday, July 1st, 2011

Gifts are traditionally associated with birthdays, Christmas and other holidays. However a gift is just as well received without reason or occasion. Some people enjoy giving them just to see the smile on the recipients face. These days there are a wide range of funky and novelty ideas to give people.

One popular trend these days are photo and personalised gifts. This makes a great present as it allows you to personalize it, giving the recipient something truly special and unique.

Some people like eco-friendly gifts, whether they have been made ethically or they use fewer resources and energy.  These gifts are perfect as they often look funky and different. There are a wide range of items to choose from, whether it be recycled gift boxes, handmade clay pots and ornaments or other handmade presents. The advantage of this way is that you are giving them something special and unique.

You can find what you’re looking for without even leaving your home! You can choose from a wide range of products in different sizes, styles and colours, to suit the person you’re giving it to! You can even shop through different brands; there are a wide number of top brands and designers that produce great gift ideas and artworks.Fair Trade Handcrafted Woollen Elephant