John Athwal, managing director of one of the UK’s largest Christmas suppliers – Premier Decorations – discusses some major changes for the company in recent years, that will future-proof the business in line with the ever-changing retail landscape. He explains …
In the past couple of years, Premier Decorations has undergone some major changes. We are gradually waving goodbye to the days when people walked into their local high street shops to see what is new, saw something fabulous and purchased it without questioning whether it was safe and kind to the environment; and whether they could purchase it cheaper elsewhere.
The millennial consumer is conscious of the impact their purchases may have on the planet; they are concerned about the health and safety of the products they purchase; and importantly they have the internet in their hand giving them access to not just every physical and online retail outlet in the UK, but potentially the world too. Herein lay the first problem, in that the internet does not always guarantee the foregoing.
Stores across the board from multiple departments, small independents to individual garden centres and chains have had to adapt to this new retail landscape, not only ensuring they have the type of products that consumers are seeking, but also providing a shopping experience to tempt them away from their computer screens to purchase instore. The garden centres in particular capture this in their stride.
Adapting to demand
Recognising all the challenges that our retail customers face, Premier Decorations has scrutinised its business model and adapted to ensure it delivers on every aspect that will keep its customer’s sales flowing and profit margins increasing.
Existing clients will already be aware of the new divisions in our product offerings. Our designers are constantly coming up with fantastic new products and consequently our annual Premier Decorations catalogue was getting so big, it could almost stop a bus in its tracks! We decided it was time to restructure. We took this opportunity to not only compartmentalise our products, but to rebrand them with a fresh new image making them even more attractive to the end consumer. All of our summer, garden and outdoor products are now presented under the umbrella of The Outdoor Living Co and The Summer Living Co. Halloween has its own catalogue and also The Tree Company – as we have so many exciting new greenery products from Christmas trees to floristry ranges, we felt they deserved their own imagery under the Tree Company trade mark. This means that when you now pick up a Premier Decorations Christmas 2020 catalogue – it will contain exactly what it says on the tin – hundreds of decorations, ornaments, novelties and gifts, and lighting all aimed specifically at the Christmas market.
Customers will notice the new packaging on lighting, which on previews has received excellent reviews. Remarks such as ‘best in the market;’ ‘now so much more upmarket;’ to ‘now we have a product range that not only is the best specification but now looks the part.’
In-store inspiration
To add to this and help our retailers with a little inspiration, we have also once again launched our hugely popular Christmas Stories catalogue for 2020 which highlights different colour schemes to appeal to all sectors from sophisticated and on-trend to cute and traditional. Examples include the Winter Forest collection which has rustic wooden tones, shades of green and grey with crisp white connecting nature and winter animal scenes and appealing to those who prefer a natural look to their festive decorations; whilst North Pole is themed to appeal to children with bright primary colours, modern nostalgia and joyful characters (including nutcrackers and naughty elves!). There are eight themes to choose from and retailers using these collections for inspiration for their instore displays have already commented on the effectiveness of increasing sales. When the consumer sees how well the products all complement and enhance each other they find it difficult to walk away without purchasing more!
Effective instore displays really are key to attracting impulse buys – and Premier is ensuring that its customers have the tools to make the very best of its ranges. This includes display pieces such as nutcrackers from 6ft polyresin and 6ft plush pieces, right down to tree decorations in an array of colours and finishes, sequins, glitter, painted and fabric. We have invested in larger, eye-catching display items including a 6ft plush wobbly body Santa, Reindeer, Nutcracker and Angel, along with a flexible body cheeky elf (smaller in size – but still larger than the rest!).
Gingerbread is one of our show-stopping display areas this year from trains to nutcrackers, candy canes and cakes, gingerbread figures and tree trims. We also have three new ranges of our own-design products: Night Before Christmas, Frosty and Friends and Christmas Reindeer – all of which have multiple products including door mats, candles, Christmas Eve boxes, pre-lit canvas and tree trims (to name just a few).
The real deal
The consumer move towards more natural looking Christmas trees has not gone unnoticed and The Tree Company has focused on this for its 2020 range; as well as the use of Ultrabrights® pin wire lights on pre-lit trees. In addition to its commitment to offer quality products at achievable prices; there has also been a move towards higher price point trees for next year, as consumers appear to be spending more, preferring to invest in more expensive products designed to last. Another exciting new development is the detachable star topper, which creates a stunning effect by wrapping lights around the star.
Floristry has been a major growth area in 2019 and next year’s range will deliver on all fronts from the high-end dressed floristry to lower price point naked wreaths and garlands. Natural eucalyptus products were also a huge success and consequently this range has also been expanded.
Quality and sustainability
Premier Decorations is proud to have achieved FSC accreditation and in line with this, is committed to reducing its use of non-reusable plastics even further throughout its ranges. Our QA standards remain high with inspections of every production order undertaken. Flame retardant PVC is used on all tree and floristry items, as well as QA procedures such as tilt tests and sharp point tests undertaken at source.
As retail is changing, so has our packaging and we now offer high-grade corrugated cardboard boxes which are tough enough to withstand courier transportation systems.
Assisting our retailers
Acknowledging the challenging and fast-changing market, the Premier team aims to help its customers wherever it can. We not only offer a range of eye-catching, quality POS solutions, but have a photo library of catalogue items, product specifications and media packages to help with marketing.
To see more of what Premier has to offer for next year’s festive season, including some outstanding offers and deals, contact the Premier Decorations team on 020 8624 5555 or email: sales@premierdec.com
