The last two years have been dominated by supply chain issues, in particular by the unprecedented rises in freight costs which forced the prices of garden furniture and structures into previously unseen heights. With container prices for some suppliers and centres skyrocketing to north of $20,000 for one 40-foot container, up from $1,500 in 2020, the knock-on effect on prices and supply/demand of freight added even more pressure to an already turbulent trading time. Though sales held steady due to huge demand during the pandemic, these high prices would pose a serious threat as the cost of living crisis begins to bite. 

Fortunately, the cost of freight underwent a dramatic collapse at the tail-end of 2022, falling close to 2020 prices. Although land-side transport costs are still increasing, this significant fall means some suppliers, like Ascalon Design, are able to implement major price cuts to their furniture and garden structures.

Head of Sales and Marketing at Ascalon, Minty Stokes-Rhys, says: “Going into a potentially challenging economic climate this season, we felt that the best thing we could do for our customers was to reduce our prices across the board. Thanks to the fall in freight rates and our subsequent price adjustments, many of our products have seen price decreases of between 25-30%, with some falling up to 40%, bringing them firmly back into the range of an impulse buy. 

“Several customers have asked me how we have been able to do this given the general levels of over-stocking in the industry. Although we are holding some stock brought in at higher prices, we have decided to help stimulate trade with the temptingly low prices that we can now offer, rather than holding out to recoup any of the recent excesses paid to shipping lines.”

For more information about Ascalon products, you can visit them at Spring Fair (Hall 6 C50-51), or find out more online at www.ascalon.co.uk. 

Ascalon Design return to Spring Fair this year with a plethora of exciting new products and familiar best-sellers across their ranges of garden furniture, garden decor and Christmas.

Their stand in Hall 6 showcases an extensive selection of their signature wrought-iron garden furniture, including their enduringly popular wrought-iron bistro sets and benches. The furniture is supported by an array of colourful garden seat-pads, with a huge range of patterns and styles available to suit any set or seat. 

Ascalon’s extensive selection of garden decor and giftware will also be available to explore. There’s a vast range of products on offer, from stow-stopping garden stakes to cast iron animals, wall art, wind chimes, garden mirrors and much more. 

Sitting alongside this array of garden products is a hand-picked mix of over 1000 festive lines, arranged into 12 curated themes. New themes for this year include the calming scandi tones of Soulful Seasons, the adorably endearing Gonks’ Grotto and the frosty magic of Winter Wonderland, all of which sit alongside customer favourites including Woodland Yuletide, Merry Mice and Santa’s Toy Shop. 

You can find Ascalon Design in Hall 6, stand C50-51. Find out more online at www.ascalon.co.uk 

Ascalon Design were pleased to celebrate a successful show at Harrogate Christmas and Gift Fair this January. The show marked the first display of this year’s ‘12 Ranges of Ascalon Christmas’, with featured themes including Gardener’s Christmas, Celestial Ballet, Merry Mice and much more.

With over 1000 products on display across the stand, there was a huge range of choice for Ascalon’s customers, with products to suit any range and budget. Highlights included an extensive range of Christmas themed garden items, such as LED garden stakes, a popular selection of on-trend mushroom items, over 100 gonks, and everyone’s favourite Space Mouse (visit Ascalon at Spring Fair to find out more…).

Head of Sales and Marketing, Minty Stokes-Rhys said: “Harrogate is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our Christmas ranges and it’s great to start the year seeing our customers in person and helping them chose exciting new products for the upcoming year. 

With many of our customers experiencing a slightly slower Christmas in 2022, it was wonderful to receive so much positive feedback regarding our product performance. Our themes for this year had a really enthusiastic reception from both existing customers and new alike, and we’re looking forward to taking all our Christmas ranges to Spring Fair at the NEC in a week’s time”. 

To see the full stand, visit Ascalon at Spring Fair, Hall 6  C50-51, or find out more online at www.ascalon.co.uk. 

With inflation still rising and the cost-of-living crisis taking hold, as well as high stock levels across the board, the industry is understandably nervous about investing in further stocks of expensive garden furniture. With many premium sets costing thousands of pounds at retail prices, there is concern that shoppers will no longer have the cash to purchase such high-ticket items.

Ascalon Design’s wrought iron furniture products offer a combination of both premium quality and affordability, having benefitted further from significant price cuts due to falling freight costs. Three-piece bistro sets now range from between £200-£250 RRP, with most five-piece dining sets now coming in at under £500 RRP. Meanwhile, a bench from Ascalon’s extensive selection retails between £150-£200. These lower price points allow these products to remain attractive to financially cautious customers, whilst Ascalon’s classic ‘English Garden’ aesthetic ensures that all products retain a sense of aspirational, luxurious design which belies their affordable price points. 

This balance between elegant design and affordability continues throughout Ascalon’s garden structure offering, with arches retailing from around £135, and gazebos and tunnels available to suit any budget.

A further attraction of Ascalon’s furniture and garden structures is their dual purpose. Rather than being restricted to their roles as dining, seating and support, Ascalon products are known for being highly decorative, and are purchased as much for their look as they are for their functionality. This means the market for these designs is significantly larger than the average furniture product, as these benches, bistro, and dining sets are often purchased and used in addition to existing functional products rather than as replacements. 

To find out more about Ascalon’s furniture and garden structures, visit www.ascalon.co.uk

With February underway, many of us are searching for the perfect Christmas products to fill our stores from September onwards. 

Buyers eager for timeless products with a natural focus should be sure to pick up a copy of Ascalon Design’s Christmas 2023 look-book, showcasing their latest ranges for this season’s festive period. 

Bursting with beautiful ideas, the look-book presents a preview of the vast range of products offered by Ascalon, from wreaths and garlands, to candle rings, tree-trims, standing ornaments, and much more. 

Each range is presented in a two-page spread, with lifestyle inspiration and copy giving you a feel for the range, and a selection of products on the opposing page offering a taste of what’s available. A handy QR code will take you straight to the online range page to see more. 

Want to take a better look? Email sales@ascalon.co.uk to request your copy now, or visit Ascalon at Spring Fair (Hall 6, C50-51) to view the full range of products on offer in person. 

Whilst birds have always been a firm favourite amongst gardeners, the prominence of various species in popular culture is rising due to the numerous conservation campaigns capturing the attention and hearts of the public. This love of garden birds has permeated the design industry, driving a demand for bird-themed designs across all areas of garden décor. 

To help you stay ahead of the trend, Ascalon Design have pulled together a selection of their favourite bird-themed items, focusing on three popular categories – swallows, robins and chickens. 

Always a beloved symbol of returning summer, swallows have long had a special place in the hearts of the UK public. Sales of swallow-themed items have soared in the last couple of years, with wall art and stakes themed around the birds proving to be smash hits in garden centres. Here are a few of our favourite swallow themed products available in 2023:

1. 2847 – Swallow Balancer
2. 4934 – Swallows on Wire Wall Art
3. 4932 – Swallow Wall Art (M)
4. 2851 – Swallow Trellis (1m)
5. 2868 – Swallow Stake
6. 4933 – Swallow Wall Art (S)
7. 4936 – Flight of Swallows Wall Art

Long beloved amongst garden birds, there’s no sight quite like that of a cheerful robin redbreast fluttering though the garden or hopping close to the ground in search of a tasty treat. Our proprietary ‘Robin’ range continues to go from strength to strength, with new pieces designed in-house each year to expand this best-selling range. Look out for a new addition in 2023 and make sure your customers can collect the set!

1. 3029 – Robin on Fork
2. 3002 – Robin
3. 3010 – Robin Balance Stake
4. 3005 – Robin on Stick
5. 3030 – Robin Bird Bath

The pandemic-induced boom in homesteading and self-sufficiency has driven a growth in chicken-keeping and this passion for poultry has placed hen and cockerel designs firmly back in the spotlight. Our new silhouette garden and pot stakes are the perfect way to cater to this market, bringing an on-trend modern twist to this classic motif. 

1. 2842 – Spotty Chicken Stake
2. 2843 – Pecking Chicken Stake
3. 2860 – Hen with Three Chicks Stake Set
4. 3655 – Iron Hen
5. 2861 – Cockerel Stake

To find more gorgeous garden designs, discover our full range at www.ascalon.co.uk and visit us at Spring Fair – Hall 6, Stand C50-51. 

Known for their focus on natural materials such as wool felt and pinecones, as well as metal, Ascalon Design’s Christmas offering has a distinctly wholesome feel. With two generations of the founding Stokes-Rhys family at the helm, ‘family Christmas’ is at the heart of what they do, with a focus on ‘classic’ Christmas themes with an up-to-date twist. Their beautiful selections capture the imaginations of old and young alike, from berry wreaths for the traditionalists to dancing fairies and festive mice for anyone (both young and young-at-heart) looking for some Christmas magic. 

Many of you will have had the chance to explore their ranges at Harrogate in January, but for those who have missed out, here’s a quick look at three of their most popular ranges so far this year. 

Cosy Christmas:

Help your customers curl up and relax this festive season with the soothing Scandi tones of Ascalon’s Cosy Christmas collection — perfect for Hygge devotees, or anyone looking to indulge in a little self-care during the winter months. 

Full of soft wooden hues, warm beiges, and gentle whites, this calming range evokes feelings of comfort and relaxation, making it a wonderful winter balm to end a challenging year.

Woodland Yuletide:

Welcome your customers into an enchanted forest wonderland this Christmas with Ascalon’s popular Woodland Yuletide range. Packed with charming critters, marvellous mushrooms and fabulous foliage, there’s something for the whole family in this magical collection.

With more and more people looking to bring nature into the heart of their celebrations, this range contains everything you need to delight nature-loving customers this festive season.

Christmas for the Garden:

Building on its spectacular success in 2022, this range of gorgeous Christmas decorations for the garden has significantly expanded for the 2023 season. 

Spotlight products include new shapes for Ascalon’s best-selling light-up stakes, new designs of festive fat ball hangers and bird feeders, and the return of the enduringly popular stag stakes — the perfect collection to get gardeners feeling festive this winter.

To explore the full range of Ascalon products, you can visit them at Spring Fair, Hall 6  C50-51, or find out more online at www.ascalon.co.uk. 

With re-wilding high on many people’s agendas, particularly within the garden industry, designs featuring natural motifs and colours are an essential part of any garden furniture and décor range. Ascalon Design has built on the success of their woodland arch and woodland bench (pictured below) with a host of products incorporating the popular leafy motif. 

1. 4220 – Woodland Arch
2. 4079 – Woodland Bench

Both the bench and arch are now also available in a gorgeous green colour, a soft natural alternative to the classic rustic finish which has performed so well over the last few seasons. This colour features prominently in the new collection, accenting a whole host of conservatory furniture, allowing your customers to display their favourite plants in style: 

1. 4222 – Woodland Folding 4 Tier Shelf
2. 4226 – Woodland Rectangular Tables (Set of 3)
   
3. 4227 – Woodland Bird Cage Plant Stands (Set of 2)
4. 4229 – Woodland Butler’s Table

Keeping the woodland aesthetic going in the garden, Ascalon’s range of woodland themed trellises continue the foliage motif, creating a beautiful background to growing plants which will blend seamlessly when plant cover increases. 

To find more gorgeous garden designs, discover our full range at www.ascalon.co.uk and visit us at Spring Fair – Hall 6, Stand C50-51.