Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Christmas came early to Selfridges on Monday (August 1) when the department store group unveiled its Christmas Shop.
The retailer said that opening on the first day of the first working week in August means Selfridges is the first department store in the world to launch its Christmas Shop this year.
The fourth floor of Selfridges’ flagship on London’s Oxford Street has been given a makeover with over 50,000 decorations on display in the Christmas Shop – which will expand later in the year to accommodate more than 70,000 additional decorations and accessories.
Selfridges Christmas home & decorations buyer Geraldine James said: “Despite the summer weather, we’re in full festive mode here at Selfridges. We’ve been working on this year’s Christmas Shop since Christmas last year.
“We have so many customers visiting from all over the world who are eager to snap up festive souvenirs on their summer holidays, which they can’t buy at home. So, we have to make sure we’re ready to showcase Christmas decorations they will truly treasure.
“We also have a large number of domestic customers who love to Christmas shop very early in the year to ensure they can take their pick of the very best selection available, whilst all collections and product are available.”
“We’ve been opening the doors to our Christmas Shop during the summer for years now and have become a real destination for those fans of Christmas and festive decorations within and outside the UK. Some of these customers return to us year after year, excited at the prospect of discovering the new collections.”
When the Christmas Shop fully opens in the Autumn it will include: over 120,000 products across the whole Christmas decoration range, from baubles to Christmas cards, including: over 75,000 baubles, over 1,200 festive decoration options, over 1,000 different cards and wrapping paper options, over 150 lights and tree options and over 100 cracker options.
Top of Selfridges’ ‘big trends hit list’ are: personalised decorations (such as personalised baubles, wrapping paper and cards), Disco Gems (to reflect the retailer’s 2016 ‘Shine On!’ Christmas theme – see separate news story), Warm and White Metallics, Nordic Wood (Scandinavian whites, reds, pale wood, wool), The Manor House (golden, vintage and traditional), Santa’s Toy Chest (including over 50 different style of Santa baubles, reindeers and elves), and Iconic London (Union Jack decorations).
