2013 - WBC Blog

Don’t forget New Year’s gifting opportunities

We hope you’re having a stonker of a Christmas sales season so far. But if your customers are anything like us, they won’t stop at Christmas, they’ll be partying well into the New Year.

So this is just a little heads up, to hammer home the point that opportunities for sales of gifts and hampers don’t just end on Christmas Day. There are corporate parties planned well into the New Year, and heaven only knows how many relatives to take a bottle round to. So here’s a little inspiration to help them gift it in style. A graphic monochrome palette that will keep your gift packaging fresh and on trend well into 2014.

From all of us at WBC,

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

All that glitters is our golden gift packaging

Gift Packaging / Hamper Inspiration / How to 4 Dec 2013 Bobby Stearns

The classically elegant look of Christmas is gold. Aesthetically luxurious, decadent and chic – gold transcends all ages and brings instant glamour to any present.

In our recent Gift & Hamper Packaging Autumn/Winter collection we highlighted how easy it is to put together a seasonal gift offering that uses a limited supply of gift packaging, and avoids over-stock and space issues. It’s as simple as a generic container and letting the finishing touches do all the work. We stock a wide range of gold gift packaging and accessories: from satin ribbons and metallic shreds, to gilded wire cord and golden ballotin boxes. This season is your chance to experiment with layering textures of gold and creating dramatic retail spaces where your gifts become their own display.

How to make the perfect pull bow for hampers

How to 26 Nov 2013 Bobby Stearns

Cheat of course! It's not something we'd advise in all circumstances, but certainly when it comes to making bows for your hampers, Nobel prizes for physics are often won with…

Highland Fayre – The Home of Luxury Hampers

Business Matters / Gift Packaging 14 Nov 2013 Bobby Stearns

With Christmas coming on thick and fast, it’s fascinating to have an insider view on what it’s like for you, as you prepare for the festive season. Highland Fayre has been a loyal customer for many years and we have worked with them on bespoke projects, as well as supplying them with gift packaging from our standard range. We asked Stewart Donaldson to explain what it’s like preparing to supply the nation with luxury filled Christmas hampers at what’s possibly for most of us, the craziest time of year.

To ship or not to ship, that is the question.

Bags for Life / Business Matters 8 Nov 2013 Tim Wilkinson

Being in charge of operations at WBC has its perks – among other things, free and scintillating subscriptions to magazines all about container shipping!

In a recent issue however, there was in fact a fascinating article about the shipping line Maersk’s new super-size “Triple E” class vessel. It unearths some pretty interesting points for all of us who ship goods from further afield; whether you do so directly or indirectly. Our India bags for life service, is by far our most economical in terms of cost to you and the design options it provides. But as you’ll see below, it’s also by far our ‘greenest’ option too.

Gift packaging ideas for the perfect RED Christmas

Gift Packaging / Hamper Inspiration / How to 4 Nov 2013 Bobby Stearns

As a traditionally classic colour – red, in all its shades, is an essential part of the winter palette. In colour psychology, it evokes strong emotions that we often associate with love, warmth, and comfort. In A retail merchandising settings, red creates energy and movement. It increases your heart rate and provokes urgency – that’s probably why it’s often seen in clearance sales.

Multi-media marketing agency, Precision Intermedia states:

“If you want to draw attention, use red. It is often where your [customer’s] eye looks first.”

Perfect this season. At WBC, we have tons of products you can use to create enticing Christmas gifts merchandising displays, hot spots and windows. We’ve chosen just a few of our favourite packaging options sure to give your store a very berry Christmas feel.

Creating bags for a wholesome market

Bags for Life 15 Oct 2013 Bobby Stearns

Whole Foods Market may be described as a supermarket in the US, but at least in the UK, it’s anything but. Selling the ‘highest quality natural and organic products’ available, and enlisting a varied roster of artisan producers to do it, we like them; primarily because they treat their suppliers as partners – with respect, fairness and integrity. Despite being essentially ‘a multiple’, Whole Foods Market manages to retain the service levels and personality of an independent retailer, and for that they get our thumbs up.

Social responsibility and environment concerns are high on the agenda for Whole Foods, obviously. So when they asked us to make their eco-friendly ‘bags for life’, we jumped at the chance. This case study looks at the concept for their bags and the combination of services they used to make them.

‘Gerry Loves’ helping you create excellence in your space.

Retail Display 11 Oct 2013 Gerry Moss

You’ve heard of the #PropShop, now get ready for Gerry Loves!

From billowing bundles of galvanised buckets to eccentric and dramatic butcher’s hooks, I delve into the world of retail props and visual merchandising fixtures and fittings to bring you my pick of the bunch, the crème de la crème, and the must have’s you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.

We totes make a fashionable appearance at the Serpentine

Bags for Life 11 Oct 2013 Bobby Stearns

Cult London based designers Sorapol recently launched their Spring/Summer 2013 collection at The Serpentine, and WBC were proud to produce a designer cotton tote bag to mark the occasion. Using our UK Express service, the Sorapol logo was printed onto a 5oz cotton shopper and given out to an audience of celebs and industry fashionistas.

Halloween is spookily good for UK retail sales

Hamper Inspiration / How to 7 Oct 2013 Bobby Stearns

It’s always been a thing Stateside – but up until recently, some of us in the UK could be accused of underestimating the importance Halloween has for annual sales.

Not anymore.

It’s big business now. It outsells both Mother’s and Father’s Day combined. It’s the third biggest retail money-spinner after Christmas and New Year. Plus it tops well over £300 million in annual UK sales. It’s not a passing craze.