Mintel forecasts steady Christmas as British shoppers embrace Black Friday!

*Mintel forecasts December retail sales to be worth £48.7 billion 

*39% of consumers bought something during last year’s Black Friday promotions - Electrical items were the most popular purchases - bought by 49% of Black Friday shoppers

Love it or loathe it, Black Friday is now fully ingrained in the UK retail calendar.  While the official date of Black Friday isn't until November 29, many retailers are launching special deals starting from today, Friday, November 22, catching shoppers who want to do some early Christmas shopping.  

So whether you want to brave the high street full of bargain hunters and tourists or opt for shopping online in the peaceful home (or office) setting, there are serious deals and savings to be had, from electronic toys to games consoles, clothing, beauty and personal care.

Luxury Personalised Christmas Cracker - Family Treats by The Handmade Christmas Co. 

Black Friday is a tradition that originated in the US where retailers cut prices the day after Thanksgiving.  In recent years, UK retailers have hoped on the bandwagon and embraced it as a major annual shopping event in the run-up to Christmas.


According to retail and market experts at Mintel, last year almost two in five (39%) British consumers made a purchase during the Black Friday promotions.  Avoiding the retail rush, 86% of Black Friday shoppers bought online, while just under three in ten (29%) bought in-store. Amazon was the most popular destination, with 42% of Black Friday buyers shopping with the online giant during the event. 

ENGLISH LAVENDER COLLECTION By Yardley London

Overall, electrical items were the most popular purchases, bought by 49% of Black Friday shoppers, followed by clothing and footwear (38%) and beauty and fragrance (25%). 

Nick Carroll, Associate Director of Retail Research at Mintel, said:  “Black Friday is here to stay, and we expect it to be potentially the biggest it’s ever been in the UK. Unlike in recent years, Black Friday 2019 falls right at the end of the month - after payday and less than four weeks before Christmas. This makes perfect timing to capitalise on shoppers who are looking to save during this uncertain period.
Mintel forecasts December retail sales to be worth £48.7 billion 

Despite a particularly tough year, Mintel forecasts some Christmas cheer for Britain’s retailers. Latest research predicts that December’s retail sales will reach £48.7 billion, growing a respectable 3.8% compared to last December when sales hit £46.9 billion.  

 Personalised Christmas Bottle Bags can be ordered from Vanilla Reindeer.

Sales through non-food retailers this December are expected to reach £23.9 billion (including £4.2 billion from online sales generated by physical stores); while food retailers will enjoy sales of £18.8 billion (including £1.4 billion from online sales generated by physical stores). And in the battle between the clicks and bricks, Mintel estimates that internet pure players (online only retailers) will account for £6.0 billion worth of sales.

Mintel forecasts total online sales this December will be worth £11.6 billion, accounting for 23.7% of all retail sales.

Nick Carroll, Associate Director of Retail Research at Mintel, said: “The past few festive periods have shown that customers can be resilient in the face of uncertain times and we believe underlying demand will hold up reasonably well. Customers will, of course, be looking for value, and with fewer days between Black Friday and Christmas this year retailers’ margins may be particularly stretched.

“Although high-street retailers may be under pressure … those that can provide valued experiences whilst tapping into other underlying trends, such as local sourcing and ethical production, combined with attracting value-conscious shoppers, put themselves in a good position this festive season.”

Museum Shop Sunday December 1st - over 1,000 cultural venues

Museums and galleries offer not only arts, cultural and heritage attractions, but are also destinations for retail therapy, especially at this time of the year when consumers are on the look-out for unique gifts that range from quirky bespoke ranges to ethically sourced items.

Christmas Traditions – published in September 2019 from British Library Publishing - is a hardback that offers fascinating compendium of Christmas history by renowned popular historian George Goodwin.  It includes 60+ illustrations of original artwork celebrating a traditional Christmas and attractively packaged in a gift-book format.

Come December 1st, more than 1,000 cultural venues worldwide will celebrate the third annual Museum Shop Sunday, that will offer wide selections of gifts and include also happenings for consumers to participate and experience, such as food sampling and drinks tasting, book signings and craft activities.

Baby T. rex costume by Natural History Museum, London, for playtime, parties, anytime.  Ages Height Chest Waist 12 - 18 months 80cm 50cm 45cm 18 - 24 months 86cm 51cm 46cm 2 - 3 years 98cm 54cm 52cm

Participants in the UK include Historic Royal Palaces, London Transport Museum, the British Library, Imperial War Museums and Royal Museums Greenwich, Garden Museum, to name a few, as well as smaller local museums and galleries.

Christmas cards that Plant Trees and save bees from extinction!

This Christmas, send cards to loved ones that show you also care about our planet.

Each 100% recycled card from 1 Tree Cards comes with the planting of 1 tree in an area of mass deforestation. Inside, the receiver is greeted by a token telling them that '1 tree has been planted for you'. This token is embedded with seeds and can be grown into beautiful bee friendly flowersThis design is taken from our Leaf Moments collection and shows a beautiful festive scene carved out of a leaf image from the Suffolk countryside.

The humble greeting card has now been given an eco makeover that spreads joy to bees and the environment too, thanks to 1 Tree Cards which is on a mission to help save the bees with their 3-in-1 eco greeting cards that send love, plant trees and grow bee-friendly flowers.

When opening a 1 Tree Cards (printed with vegan inks on 100% recycled card), the receiver is greeted with a flower seed token infused with seeds that can be grown into bee-friendly flowers.

A box of Tree Planting Eco Christmas Cards from 1 Tree Cards.  Each box has 10 cards inside; each plants 1 tree and include a seed token that grows into bee friendly flowers. This box is called 'Tree Wishes' and has 2 cards of 5 designs each depicting a single tree with a winter companion.

Co-founder Becky Kijima says: “Bees are a keystone species (who pollinate our food supply) so without them, our ecosystem could cease to exist altogether. We wanted to raise awareness and give people a tangible way to help feed declining bee populations. What better time to do this than when someone’s already full of positive vibes from receiving a card?”

With more people wanting to help save the planet, these Eco cards have been a huge hit since launching last Summer with their growing number of almost 100 stockists, according to 1 Tree Cards.

UK retail sales to grow 2.5% this December

With the current bout of railway strikes and the just announced post office strikes, one can understand why many of us Brits are shying away from the Christmas high street rush.

A luxury home festive scene set by this plush Claude Armchair in Prussian Blue and matching
 Georgette Footstool In Prussian Blue, both available at Made.com

New research from market intelligence agency Mintel reveals that as many as one in five (20%) Brits are expected to shop online more for this Christmas, rising to 24% of men and 28% of 16-24 year olds. The top three reasons why Brits shopped online for gifts last year were to get cheaper prices (55%), to avoid the crowds (49%) and to shop when it suited them (49%).

According to the new research, Mintel estimates that total UK retail sales will reach £42.2 billion, a growth of 2.5% this December.

Richard Perks, Director of Retail Research at Mintel, said: “When it comes to Christmas shopping, it is increasingly artificial to make a distinction between online and in-store as the two increasingly are working together to suit shoppers’ needs. We are seeing pure players recognise the advantages to having a physical offering, signified by Amazon and Zalando’s interest in moving to the high street. At the same time, a number of high street retailers now price match against online retailers, trying to fight back against the continued belief among shoppers that it's cheaper to buy online.”

Overall, 93% of Brits bought gifts for Christmas 2015. 86% bought gifts in-store and 76% purchased online. Just under one in ten (8%) Brits bought all of their Christmas gifts online, compared to one in five (18%) who bought all of their Christmas gifts in-store.

Richard adds.“The economic background for consumers continues to be favourable. Real incomes are rising and unemployment is falling. There are some worrying signs though. Consumer credit has risen back to record levels and the housing market has weakened a little but overall, the prospects for Christmas remain good.”

Presents for Self and Others, from the V&A Collection at Heal’s

While looking for 2017 calendars to gift, I'm glad to find now available at Heal's Christmas Market at their Tottenham Court Road, London flagship store is a selection of wonderful goodies - an edited pick of V&A (Victoria & Albert Museum) products on offer - including not only calendars but also notecards, note books, diaries, interesting children’s books, tote bags and an array of iconic prints.  My favourite is a William Morris colouring book.  All available until Christmas eve.

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.

Canon and Stella McCartney Linda camera bag arriving in Selfridges and Harrods

If you are a camera buff and a follower of designer trends, or know someone who is, the limited edition Linda camera bag newly launched by Canon and Stella McCartney could be a desirable gift contender this Christmas. 

A limited run of 1,000 bags has been produced and will only be available as a special package with the Canon EOS 100D White.   

You can appreciate why the bag is called Linda, named after Stella’s late mother who was a professional photographer. 

Specially designed for the Canon EOS 100D White, the Linda camera bag stays true to Stella McCartney’s vegetarian philosophy as it is completely cruelty free, crafted with an innovative Eco Alter Nappa leather alternative which uses natural vegetable oil coating that is less harmful to the environment.

The box shaped bag is in a colour combination of matte neutral tones and metallic finish and also doubles as an everyday handbag featuring an adjustable strap to be worn either over the shoulder or as a handheld tote.

According to Canon, the  EOS 100D White, the world’s smallest DSLR camera. 

The chic EOS 100D is suitable for all skill levels with the following key features:

-          18.0 Megapixel  Hybrid CMOS AF II sensor

-          Compact, portable design

-          Simple shooting with Scene Intelligent Auto

-          Optical viewfinder and large touch screen

-          Full-HD movies with Hybrid CMOS AF II

-          Creative Filters and Extra Effect Shot

-          Built-in Feature Guide

-          EOS System of lenses and accessories

The camera on its own is available on sale in a wide number of UK stores including John Lewis and Argos retailing at between £400 and £500. 

But if it’s the Canon EOS 100D White-McCartney Linda bag combi you are after, the limited edition package will be available from Harrods and Selfridges for £1,200 from November 18th. Just in time for Christmas.

Handmade gifts and vintage items for Christmas from Etsy and Heal’s

Etsy Announces First UK Pop-Up Shop in London This Christmas

Heal’s presents an exciting line up of in-store events in the run up to Christmas

Etsy.com has also identified four major
Christmas 2014 trends,
including Natural Scandi.  
Click here to read more.

This Christmas, handmade gifts and vintage items will be top of shoppers’ list when seeking that unique gift for loved ones and friends.

That is why it is welcoming news that Etsy.com, the global marketplace for handmade and vintage online marketplace founded in New York in 2005, is opening its first pop-up shopping experience in the UK.

'Etsy House' will open for three days from Friday December 5th to Sunday December 7th in Covent Garden, London selling a curated selection of the handmade and vintage gifts from over 100 independent creative businesses across the UK.

For sale at the Christmas pop-up shop will be a wide range of handmade gifts, home decorations, jewellery, stationery and accessories.  Over the weekend of Etsy House, visitors will be able to watch live crafting by Etsy artisans, take part in workshops led by Etsy designer-makers and have gifts customised by makers live in the store.

Shoppers will be able to purchase items at the pop-up shop using wireless card reader technology powered by iZettle, and point-of-sale payment provider Vend.

It is the first time Etsy House in this format will be executed outside of the US as following on the success of Etsy’s first ever pop-up shop in Soho, New York in 2013 which attracted over 20,000 visitors during the 10 days it was open.

Etsy.com is an online marketplace that allows people around the world to buy and sell unique goods directly from each other – anything from food to furniture . In 2013 alone, Etsy sellers sold nearly $1.35B worth of goods and 14 million new members joined the marketplace, making our global community 40 million strong.  The  company is today based globally, from the US to Australia, France, Germany and United Kingdom, United States and ships around the world.

Etsy House will open in London from 5th - 7th December at 5 Great Newport St, London, WC2H 7HY (nearest tube Leicester Square).

Meanwhile furniture and lifestyle retailer Heal’s has lined-up a series of in-store events in the run up to Christmas, to entertain and inspire customers during the winter season. From festive floristry to a masterclass in crayon making, these dynamic sessions will provide design inspiration to last through to the New Year.

On November 27^th, Heal’s Tottenham Court Road flagship store will be transformed into a hub of festive activity to play host to its annual Christmas Party which promises to be a fun filled evening with music, drinks, tastings and other entertainments.

Throughout November and December,  experts in floristry, craft and interiors will offer workshops and demonstrations in  Heal’s stores around London.

Among these events is a special workshop for patrons to learn to design, style and create their own wreaths for the festive period, jointly hosted with London florist Wildabout Flowers.

To get in the Christmas spirit, guests will be greeted with bubbles and nibbles, then set to work to create a masterpiece, worth up to £90, with the help of a talented florist from Wildabout Flowers.

Cost: £40

Book: www.heals.co.uk/event. Places are limited. To book, click here.