Sustainable footwear brand Ocean Refresh has become the first UK flip-flop brand to achieve the coveted B Corporation Certification for meeting the highest verified levels of environmental performance, economic accountability and social standards. The Manchester-based footwear brand, which also boasts the UK's first 360o RecycleFootwear Programme, hopes the B Corp certification will inspire more UK brands ofall sizes and from all sectors, to undertake the rigorous assessment process to put people and the planet above profits and not just commit to doing less harm, but to do more good.... read more
Posted: 20 July 2021
The Giftware Associations podcast The Prodcast, which celebrates the home and gift industry, has been featured in a top 20 list of retail podcasts.Best Startup website featured the podcast amongst others focussing on UK retail, with a curated list of the best podcasts out there. Best Startup says, "We have selected these podcasts for a variety of reasons, but they are all well worth a listen. We tried to select a variety of podcasts across the spectrum from hosts with a wide breadth of experience."The Prodcast was set up initially to celebrate... read more
Posted: 28 June 2021
Voice International now uses Ecosilver in the manufacture of all of its silver jewellery designs. Ecosilver is made of 100 percent recycled silver and as a result is an eco-friendly alternative to sterling silver, yet still has the same quality and hypoallergenic properties.As of April 2021, all of Voice's silver jewellery, from new designs such as the Pinto collection, or new batches of the staple Half Moon, Entwined or Stacking Rings, have been made from Ecosilver sourced from Cooksongold's Ecosilver range – this includes silver wire, sheet and solder but excludes fastenings and earring posts, which are currently unavailable in Ecosilver.... read more
Posted: 4 June 2021
Award winning British indie jewellery brand Scream Pretty has announced its further expansion into the international market, launching in America in June. Founded in 2016 by sisters Lucy Lee and Jessica Pearce, Scream Pretty has fast become the UK's go-to jewellery brand. Designed with the ethos Be Seen. Be Heard. Scream Pretty, the upcoming U.S. launch follows a natural progression in the international strategy for the rapidly growing brand, having successfully launched in Australia in 2019.... read more
Posted: 24 May 2021
Ronin Jewellery has announced it is to be stocked in the shop at the Royal Horticultural Society's newly opened garden RHS Bridgewater, near Manchester. Simon says, "The RHS is world famous and this new garden is a must visit for garden lovers. The last year has been tough for our small business so we needed a positive boost like this. We are so thankful that as big as it is, the RHS supports small businesses like ours."... read more
Posted: 20 May 2021
Footwear company Vivobarefoot has partnered with the Oxygen Project. The partnership will serve as a bid to lobby UNESCO in to initiating a global education program, as well as calling upon governments to end destructive agricultural and industrial practices. The movement has been supported by leading activists including Dr Mark Hyman, Anna Semak, Rob Greenfield, Schuyler Bailar and many others.Whilst algae blooms can occur naturally, there is now mounting evidence for the blooms becoming more frequent and damaging, as a result of human activity; the compound effect of a warming planet.... read more
Posted: 17 May 2021
Every April 26, the World Intellectual Property Office celebrates World Intellectual Property Day to learn about the role that intellectual property (IP) rights play in encouraging innovation and creativity. Today, we will hear from parliamentarians and some of the best UK designers from different industry sectors about the importance of IP to stimulate innovation for growth. Why IP Matters? And also, what are the challenges of bringing new ideas to market? WIPO say, "Every business starts with an idea. Each of the millions of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that operate across the globe every day started with an idea that took shape in someone's mind and made its way to market."... read more
Posted: 26 April 2021
Luxury watch retailer Watchfinder & Co is said to be the first UK watch seller to remove gender labels from its operations, including its website and all stores. The company will instead label the watches as small, medium or large. The industry-first move has seen the brand launch a campaign with award-winning music artist Tinie Tempah –calling for all jewellery and watches to be made genderless as standard.The brand is urging manufacturers to follow suit and refer to watches by their size alone and ditch the 'redundant, restrictive and outdated' gender model, which labels certain watches as only suitable for those of a particular sex, undermining people's personal tastes and size choices.... read more
Posted: 7 April 2021
J Boult Designs has updated it's gift packaging for the Shotgun cartridge hip flask gift set. The packaging is a recyclable cardboard tube with the J Boult Designs story on an eco-friendly Kraft sticker. Made in the J Boult Designs workshop, each hip flask is made with a full leather-bound 6oz (177ml) stainless steel hip flask with an up-cycled 12 bore shotgun cartridge riveted into the high-quality leather. J Boult Designs is set to exhibit this handmade product and it's range of eco-friendly, upcycled products at the Home & Gift 2021 (18-21 July) in Harrogate. Wholesale price: £20, RRP: £50.... read more
Posted: 1 April 2021
Joe Davies has announced extra help for independent retailers in preparation for a return to more normal trade. In addition to the upcoming 'At Home' Spring Fair, the company is giving an extra 30 days credit on all deliveries to independent retailers throughout March. The company's standard terms are end of month following month of delivery, with the extra help meaning that customers will have up to 90 days to pay. The company has already launched over 1700 brand new lines for 2021.... read more
Posted: 1 March 2021