What are the Trends in Year End Gifts?

As the year is coming to a close, I like to review what our clients are spending on. It gives us a good feel of what trends are emerging and helps other clients to make decisions. Leather We have seen a strong move towards timeless classics such as leather gifts for year end gifts. Leather gifts have a timeless elegance. We have had a big boost in leather wallets, both personal wallets, ladies leather purses and leather travel wallets. In fact in none of the preceding years have we ever sold as many small leather items. When I say small, I mean in comparisons to leather bags, which are larger in size. After coming through some troubling global economic times, people are looking for security ad hope. Timeless classics like leather have distinguished and established look, which adds longevity and trust to relationships. In the past people have had the misconception that leather is expensive, however the smaller leather items, such as leather wallets and purses are not as expensive as one might imagine. These days decisions are about value and not just cost. Our clients want to know that the gifts that they give are actually going to be used and not just put into the bottom drawer. Another leather gift that has had a boost is the leather notebook covers. These are more visible than a wallet or purse as they are used in meetings, making your brand more visible. We have also had an increase in personalisation, where a person’s individual name is debossed onto the item. Diaries Diaries remain a firm favourite, with sadly many clients still waiting to order until the last minute. The challenge with diaries is that because of the dates on them, diaries that are not sold are counted as a loss. This means that printers would rather under print than over print. It makes logical sense, to minimise potential losses. However this means that at the end of each year, some people will be disappointed if they have not planned ahead. It is understandable that some corporates may wait until they feel more certain with budget. If this is a challenge, then we would recommend organisers instead of diaries. There are great leather organisers as well as PU organisers. The inserts are generic can be changes every year. Travel Gifts We have had a strong growth in the travel market and travel related gifts. Custom made passport covers, leather luggage tags and leather travel wallets has been very popular items. We have noticed a lot of activity in the travel/tourism industry and also with the amount of tour t-shirts that have been ordered. Outdoor Gifts As the holidays approach, clients are looking at giving gifts that can be used in a family outdoor setting. Our clients have shown a lot of interest in braai sets, cooler boxes and cooler bags. Picnic baskets and picnic bags remain a firm favourite. As a family we have a number of them. Some are for two, when you have a special couple date and some are for four, when you are having a family picnic. Alongside that, picnic blankets work well, with many families using two to three picnic blankets at a time. One picnic blanket to place the food on and the other two to sit or lie on. While there are thousands of year end gifts to choose from, these categories have emerged as popular year end gifts for this year. For more gifting ideas contact us on info@belleregalo.co.za or visit our website www.belleregalo.co.za or call us on 0829487461.

You can Go Green and Still Have Great Corporate Gifting Strategy

The evolution of eco products seems to be slow, but there are far more gifting options than before.

One of the things that I really love is that we cannot use your corporate banners and recycle them into a range of conference bags and other items that help us reduce waste. This does take a bit of panning, but there are also now ex stock items such as bamboo gifts in the form of pens, home ware gifts and a number of other fun gifting options. You may wonder why you should go for “green” gifts. • The customer gets it: Many consumers are gearing towards supporting companies that have greener business

practices. This is not just a fad doing the rounds now, but a trend that is gaining. If you would like to be seen as an eco-friendly company, heed the small details too and tap into this emerging consumer base. • Novelty doesn’t mean expensive: With the eco-friendly promotional gift option comes the opportunity for innovation. This means that you can think outside of the box and get great gift ideas like eco stationery sets and eco corporate wear without breaking the bank. Eco-friendly doesn’t necessarily translate to more expensive. • Sustainable and responsible: Not only will you solidify your commitment to greener business practices among your consumers, but you will also be contributing to a cleaner and safer environment. These are only a few of the reasons why it will pay to opt for eco-friendly gifts for your employees and consumers. Get it Right with Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas! One thing to remember is that when you opt for the eco gifts option, you don’t have to settle for the ordinary or boring. You can still let your imagination run free and come up with exciting and novel promotional gifting options. Here are a few gift ideas to get the message across: • Bamboo Pen sets. Every year thousands of pens are sent out. While recycled pens are low cost, the bamboo pens options are more upmarket and are a lovely gifting option. • Bamboo notebooks. As green as you want to go, it is hard to have a truly paperless world. That is why the bamboo notebook option is a great combination of eco friendliness and practicality. • Gift baskets: If your budget allows you can compile gift baskets that contain many different small promotional gifts that together will have the desired impact on the recipients – making them feel appreciated. • Eco-friendly mouse and mouse pads: Who doesn’t use a computer mouse and mouse pad these days? Ever thought of branding this ubiquitous piece of hardware and using it as a promotional gift? • Solar powered radio: This novelty is a great idea if you want to drive home the eco-friendly aspect of your promotional gifts. Solar powered radios can easily be branded and it’s such a novelty that your company’s name will be displayed wherever the radio travels with its owners. • Recycled banners for conference bags. There are now some stock options, but you can also use your own large format banners to make up conference bags, folders and even pencil cases. • Organic corporate gifts. Herbs and plants also make superb corporate gifts and are a gift that has longevity. For More information contact us on info@belleregalo.co.za or visit us on www.belleregalo.co.za