Happy new year 2015!

Season's Greetings Everyone!

At the Royal Opera House, London with Padding Bear in Rainbow
designed by Darcey Bussell.

Gift cards and vouchers are among favourite gifts this Christmas

Consumer gift card and voucher sales have soared in the third quarter of 2014, growing by 9.07%, according to statistics from The UK Gift Card & Voucher Association (UKGCVA), the trade body representing the key players in the £5 billion gift voucher, cards and stored value solutions market.

For those of us who have run out of gift ideas for loved ones and friends who have everything, gift cards and vouchers are great ideas.

For Christmas gift ideas, go to Etsy.com

A new report compiled independently by consultants at BDO shows that in the third quarter of 2014, the gift card and voucher industry grew by 9.71%.   Growth among consumers was supported by the exceptional growth of gift card malls, which increased by 72.84%.  Online gift card and multi-choice voucher sales also grew by 13.16% and 48.85% respectively.

Andrew Johnson, director-general of the UKGCVA, comments:

“Growth of over nine per cent is a very positive end to our third quarter, a result we are extremely pleased with. It’s a sure sign that the gift card and voucher industry is continuing its momentum.

“Consumer sentiment towards gift cards and vouchers appears to be building momentum, and it’s great to see this spreading across multiple product types to include multi-choice products as well as category specific gift cards. Time will obviously be the test, but this is a very encouraging position to be in, in the run up to Christmas when we’re expecting bumper sales.”

Sock Club London releases Camo Tuesday collection.

Sock Club London is on a roll and has just released its "Camo Tuesday" sock collection which is available exclusively on their web store Tuesday 9^th December. 

Camo Tuesday socks are lightweight, made in a blend of pure wool and nylon for a snugger fit. The toes are

hand-linked to ensure a premium level of comfort.

‘Camo Tuesday’ is a weekly event promoted and sponsored by Sock Club London for the right to wear camouflage on a Tuesday.  The new line of camouflage socks celebrates a collaboration with Corgi Hosiery and are made in the UK.

Sock Club London has chosen a camouflage style from the Corgi range; and applied their touch through the use of wool (blended with nylon) and also through the choice of colours used.  

These lightweight socks are a blend of pure wool and nylon for a snugger fit. The toes are

hand-linked to ensure a premium level of comfort.

The camouflage socks come in three distinctive colour options, inspired by the British Armed Forces Disruptive Pattern Material, or DPM for short; the term given to denote this specific camouflage pattern, first used exclusively by the British Special Forces.

Sock Club London‘s  Camo Tuesday’collection will be released to the public on Tuesday 9th December. Exclusively available on the Sock Club London web store.

World's most expensive Chrstmas Crackers?

Could these possibly be the world’s most expensive Christmas crackers?  

The crackers contain some of the most luxurious treat ever, including the trip of a lifetime or even a yacht, a Cartier diamond necklace, a stunning Breguet Tradition 18-carat rose gold wristwatch.  How about an Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe.

The crackers themselves are created by Simply Crackers and are available in a range of colours to suit your table décor.

A donation of £1,000 will be made to The Prince’s Trust charity should the crackers be purchased.

See full details at VeryFirstTo  - the web-based shop cum club for a world of luxuries, but you need to sign up first as a member to gain access and be the Very First To know about new luxury goods.