The Giftware Association’s Chris Workman on opportunities for food and drink brands in gifting

Great to catch up again Chris. Can you remind us about the focus and purpose of the Giftware Association?
Hello Ian, thank you for having me back, always a pleasure. The focus and purpose of The Giftware Association is to be first choice and the go to association for gift and home suppliers and retailers requiring support, representation and thought leadership. For over 70 years we have supported the industry with these values and continue to do so.

We have adapted over the years, as the world we work in has evolved, to offer more educational content, increase our events output and always be visible at trade shows for help and support. We also run the fantastic Gift of the Year awards which is a great way of creating relationships between buyers and suppliers, as well as discovering the best new products and brands to market.

What are some of the key issues affecting your members at the moment?
Trade with Europe still has its complications after Brexit, but a positive side of this means that brands are now looking to discover new territories to trade in, such as the Americas and beyond – which businesses are repeatedly turning their focus to. We have been supportive with this and have international support that help takes a business on its first steps overseas.

With cost of living rises, end consumers are being more and more tactical where their disposable income is being spent, resulting the High Street changing… Though this can affect some of the big players, the independents tend to be more flexible and have adapted to the evolving landscape.

Getting in front of buyers and getting their products seen is also a key priority to all brands in our sector. As an Association we hope we can help with that, but ultimately Gift of the Year is great way to open some of those doors to not just new accounts but collaborations, partnerships and a great many friendships that we have seen over the years.

On the Gift of the Year Awards, can you tell us about the purpose of the awards and where you currently are in the process?
The Gift of the Year Awards is fantastic to work on. At its heart, the main purpose is to raise the profile of brands with great products in our industry and bring their business to the next level by connecting them with the audience that is key to them – retailers and buyers.

Throughout the years the Awards, which was previously just for members, have been opened out to the whole of our wonderful industry, allowing anyone in the home and giftware world to be able to enter. This opens up the Awards to a huge talented pool of brands… Whether that’s in the licensing world, the food and beverage world or the home and garden space, the awards covers it all with its 20 categories.

The awards are now open up until November 30th. Brands in our sector are highly recommended to enter to get in front of over 100 judges made up of buyers and retailers.

Reflecting on past years, what do you think have been the benefits to Gift of the Year Award winners?
A huge amount of exposure to new audiences and increased interaction with new buyers. We have adapted the system so the judges can view the products in the best light, and it also really get brands thinking about their entries.

With sustainability being so important to a judge’s decision and final end consumers too, we have added more in-depth questioning and the ability for brands to add to their company story – as that’s what really sells products these days.

Through each stage of the awards brands get more exposure to our audience through social media shout outs, trade show showcase, guest blog posts and opportunities to get in front of new audiences. We have recently had a Gift of the Year area at Spirit of Christmas, and we do our live judging at Spring Fair – the largest trade show in the UK. This is where the shortlisted products are showcased on a huge stage to a huge international audience, not just the judges.

The Judges get materials to share and add to their products and we are working on POS for retailers to showcase winners in shop fronts.

I know a category you are keen to see more participation from is the Food and Beverage category. How has this sector evolved gift-wise in recent years?
The food and beverage market is a huge opportunity for us, with the rise of specialised trade shows and even normal home and gifting shows increasing their F&B offerings. It’s great to see so many food brands out there thinking about how their products could work in the gift market.

The category has seen a great many new brands that have been pure food and then turned their eye to more gift-led products, and we know there are hundreds more out there that should be seen in gift shops, as well as farm shops and delis across the UK. Garden centres are increasingly important in our world and the food offerings really blur the lines between pure food and gift products. We see many brands embrace this an opportunity to enter into these coveted centres.

What tips would you give to companies from this category thinking of entering the Awards?
As a brand they need to think about their products in the line-up… Can it work as a gift? Packaging is also really key. Last year’s winner, Tyga, created a make at home Date Kit focusing on different cuisines around the world. It had beautiful packaging with all the information and ingredients needed to create a full meal, but also went above and beyond… It included a playlist option, scented candles and menu pairing ideas. Spice Kitchen has also mastered this, being a winner a few times with their thali tins wrapped in a silk sari – they really stand out.

We saw the same with The Modern Art Distillery, whose gins, vodka and rum boast beautiful artwork on the bottles. These were incredibly popular at the live judging.

How have gift retailers embraced the food gifting category in recent years?
It’s a growing area. When we visit shows such as the Farm Shop & Deli Show and the Speciality Food Show, we see so many great producers that have incredible products and are thinking outside the box to make them suitable for gifting. I think the influx of food influencers and lockdown getting people cooking more at home has really increased the viability of food products as gifts – and really good gifts at that!

The retail market is really opening its arms to these new food producers. John Lewis has a growing gift food section as well as many other department stores too. There is a huge opportunity for F&B brands with unique products to get into these big stores, as well as the independents who are quicker to move on new product trends.

More broadly across the gift sector, have you picked up on any fresh design trends this year?
I know it’s not a design-led, but sustainability is still key for brands, whether they are on their first steps or have been applying it their business and products for years… It’s really important for buyers to buy into this as well as the actual products, as they know the feeling of the end consumers.

In terms of design, big bold colours in product photography have been great. Product lifestyle shots over the years have really come a long way, so this is always welcome. Last year we saw a lot of floral and botanical prints and patterns, which is still running strong through gift and homeware. At Autumn Fair this year, we saw a lot of paper products too, be it decorations for festivities or make it yourself kits like the fabulous clockwork soldier.

Finally, thinking ahead to Christmas, do you have a ‘top three’ Christmas gift picks you can share with us?
Wow, this is tough as it’s terribly subjective! I will go with my top three products entered so far, which I love for their designs and also collaborations.

Kimm & Miller love a collaboration and have previously worked with Pot Noodle and Heinz with various fun products, but his year’s entries sees them enter the Asian food market with a Bao Bun kit – this really appeals to my inner foodie.

Kikkerland have always brought design-led and practical products to the awards and this year is no exception. I love their Kidoki range and this year they’ve introduced some pretty cool wind-up boats.

Big Potato Games have fantastic games for all year round, and I think as board games have become more and more popular, these are key to bringing family, friends and even teammates together for some fun.

Great picks. Thanks Chris!