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.

Creating the Perfect Picnic

I love picnics. I love the feeling of getting close to nature, of being out in the fresh air, surrounded by greenery. Picnics can be a wonderfully intimate time for a couple if you choose to make it a special date or a fun time with friends or a quality time outing with family. The perfect picnic contains a number of integral elements to create a good atmosphere. Good company, beautiful locations, good weather, tantalising food, and good equipment. You will be the judge of who to invite for your picnic. But here are some tips for the location and equipment. For a good atmosphere the combinations of the elements are important, as a family we have a few favourite locations. Many cities will have some sort of bird sanctuary, many of these are free parks maintained by the municipality and are a welcome sanctuary for city weary folks, due to the silence expected when at a sanctuary they make perfect locations for couple picnics; however our children also enjoy them. At the entrance to our neighbourhood bird sanctuary there is an overhanging mulberry tree and we pick a few on our way in as part of our culinary treat for the day. We usually take two or three picnic blankets with us. We use one to spread the food out on and use one for my husband and I to lie on and one for the children to sit on. This is why picnic blankets make an excellent year end corporate gift. There are a number of different styles. For comfort choose a fleece blankets, but make sure that it is a proper picnic blanket with a waterproof lining. If you choose a plain fleece blanket, then the grass tends to stick on it, making it impossible to shake off and you have to pick bits of dry grass off. However we do sell a zip up fleece pillow/blanket which is a great pillow for your picnic if you feel like napping under a shade tree. It is also a great general blanket to put into your car, in case of emergencies. You may ask what sort of emergencies you can get that you need a blanket for. Well, if you are with children and your picnic carries on until close to sun down and the weather changes, you can cover them in the car on the way home with the blanket. This make the zip up blanket a very practical corporate gift. If you are with elderly family, you may want to take outdoor chairs with you on your picnic and get a table and gazebo for shade. Frail people have trouble bending down and getting up, so a chair is a far easier option for them. We regularly go to the botanical gardens, especially during their concerts and many families set up their tables and outdoors chairs on the fringes of the park where they can still hear the concert, but not obstruct the view of the other guests. A botanical garden is a great place to go for a short day hike. Choosing the perfect picnic item depends on where you are going. If you are planning to lounge around for the afternoon and ease away the tensions of the week, then a luxurious traditional wicker picnic basket creates a wonderful nostalgic atmosphere. As many of these baskets have a carry handle and if you lucky a strap, the person carrying all the gear may start to take strain if you have to walk a lot. So I would not recommend these for hiking days or if you are walking a lot, like at the zoo. Or a zoo picnic or a hiking day, opt for a picnic backpack. This leaves your arms available for climbing or carrying children or as a couple, simply to hold hands. If you are hiking, then a picnic backpack with a cooler bag component is wonderful as your hydrating drinks will still be cool when you really need refreshment. Picnic backpacks are a strong seller for year end corporate gifts. As a family that likes variety we have a few of them. That allows us the create theme outing, plus we are also prepared for larger groups. Speaking of drinks, a great nifty cooler bag that is now in our range has cup holders in it. After countless picnic on uneven grassy planes, we have lost our fair share of beverages, so whoever though of this great design of cooler bag, was a genius. It has space for two cups, so of you have a large group, get two of them. They are a very practical corporate gift for people who love the outdoors. A picnic is a way to revitilise the soul, get away from the television and enjoy a special environment. It is usually a very low cost outing, so if you are choosing corporate gifts this year, giving a picnic item is a wonderful gift for any family as it can help them to create special memories and boost relationships. For more ideas on corporate gifts contact us on info@belleregalo.co.za or visit us on www.belleregalo.co.za