SnowTime are returning to Harrogate Christmas & Gift in 2014 and Spring Fair International, bringing with them an extensive choice of new and exclusive must haves, including their licensed tapestries, artificial trees, blossom trees, fibre optics, indoor and outdoor lighting and Christmas accessories.

For something special with a touch more Christmas shimmer visit SnowTime at:

• Harrogate Christmas & Gift, Harrogate International Centre, Hall D, Stand D11

• Spring Fair International, NEC Birmingham, Hall 2, Stand 2H30-K31

The huge success over 20 years of SnowTime’s artificial tree range – the biggest in the market – is driven by supplying the highest quality product at the most competitive prices.

With over 200 different styles of trees to choose from buyers will be able to view an extensive range that meets all markets’ requirements.

The company has many years of experience in tree design and works with buyers from all retail sectors to create new and exclusive Christmas trees. These are imaginatively designed with many different features to suit buyer’s specifications, including tip count, branch design, bulb design and packaging.

SnowTime’s traditional and pre-lit artificial tree range is available in various styles, colours, materials and sizes.

Everyone loves the sparkle and twinkle of Christmas; SnowTime’s licensed, exclusive Thomas Kinkade Fibre Optic Tapestries were a best-selling product for SnowTime in 2012 and 2013.  Although the market-leading brand is unsurprised that there are some competitors claiming to hold a license, SnowTime is concerned that buyers are unwittingly purchasing unauthorised and inferior copies which will de-value the Thomas Kinkade name.

SnowTime has retained a partnership with Manual Woodworkers and Weavers Inc., a licensed Thomas Kinkade company. 

Family-owned, the US business has been in existence for over three quarters of a century; they are one of the most prominent manufacturers of tapestries and jacquard-woven textiles. SnowTime’s partnership enables the Thomas Kinkade designs to be brought to life with fibre optic lights, perfect for the Christmas market.

With new designs for 2014, the popularity of the range will continue to grow. The Christmas festivities illustrated in the artist’s famous paintings will once again be the hit of the season. 

Exclusive designs are also available from famous artists Nicky Boehme, Dona Glesinger and new for 2014, renowned artists Denis Lewan and Michael Humphries.

With over 200,000 sold in three years, SnowTime’s tapestries are the most successful Christmas product of the millennium. The perfect choice for retailers, the Tapestries make eye-catching displays and complement SnowTime’s range of Christmas essentials.

For something special with a touch more Christmas shimmer visit SnowTime in Hall 2, Stand 2H30-K31.

Trans-Continental Group is pleased to announce the release of their new website, designed with a fresh new look and user-friendly navigation.

Here, you’ll find the latest information from market leading brands SnowTime, SunTime and HomeTime, alongside the company's newest, innovative brands Hairsecret360 and Lifelite.

Trans-Continental's goals for the website development were to make it faster, easier to navigate for users, mobile device responsive and simpler for ourselves to update with the latest information.

"Most of all, we wanted our customers to get to know us better, with a brand new design which reflects our true personality, who we are and what we do," said a spokesperson.

"Thanks to the new structure, the design allows browsers to quickly find the content they are searching for and the latest events we are attending.

"The updated brand pages contain range and product information, and you can now easily find our sales representatives’ details on the home page. You’ll also be able to find out more about us, our service and read the most up to date Trans-Continental news.

"We hope that you will enjoy browsing our new website and that it will be yet another tool to strengthen our customer relations."

Visit the new website at www.transcon.co.uk

Following the success of ‘HomeTime on Tour’, the indoor furniture brand’s five-week Show Van tour of the UK, the company will be launching its next in-store, retail promotion in the New Year.

HomeTime, a Trans-Continental brand, is confident that retail sales in the furniture market will improve in 2014 with consumer confidence growing, having a more positive response to advertising and promotional offers.

Tony Lippett, HomeTime’s National Sales Manager says: "The HomeTime Tour was invaluable, not only taking our oak and pine collections on the road but, as important, receiving valuable feedback direct from retailers. We want our independent customers and our furniture ranges to stand out from our competitors’; by offering attractive marketing packages we intend to increase consumer brand awareness and promote reasons to buy."

HomeTime’s retail promotion will start in February, in time for Easter and the Spring season. Consumers will be offered a FREE outdoor Tripoli Mosaic Bistro Set worth £179.99 when they purchase a furniture set from one of the HomeTime Oak collections. For maximum exposure, HomeTime will provide participating retailers with in-store merchandising support with point of sale material.

The promotion will be available to current and new retailers from January 2014. For further information contact Tony Lippett on 07917507808.

While most students spent their summer break relaxing outdoors, five University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) undergraduates devoted their holiday to researching garden furniture in the hope of winning a money can’t buy opportunity.

The BA (Hons) Product Design students spent time exploring the competitive market and used that knowledge in their pitch to win the chance to help design Trans-Continental’s SunTime brand’s 2015 collection.

The Preston-based company offered the final year students a live project to generate an idea for the future of garden furniture.

To help with their research and creativity the Trans-Continental team opened its doors and allowed the students to visit the SunTime showroom to find out more about garden furniture industry. They also learned about big market shares and SunTime’s ethos and goals in a highly competitive industry. Attendance at SOLEX (Summer Outdoor Living Exhibition) earlier this year provided the students an opportunity to see the industry’s latest trends and innovations.

Each student gave a five minute pitch to a panel of experts comprising of Trans- Continental’s Managing Director Mike Withers, Head of Buying Sara Murray, UCLan product design course tutor Andi Armitage and Fiona Langan, from Preston-based sofa manufacturer, Tetrad.

Mike commented: “We wanted to work with UCLan and get students to look where we are now, what our competitors are doing and what the future trends could be.  By working with a university we could tap into the latest knowledge and the skills of the next generation of designers to help us gain that advantage in the marketplace.

“We’ve been impressed by the calibre of presentations, the research that went into them and the ideas that came out. We are looking forward to working with our winner to develop the ideas further.”

Matt Houghton was chosen as the winner and is taking his concept forward. The panel was impressed and intrigued by his idea of taking the inside outdoors.

Matt said: “I am delighted to have won this project and am looking forward to working my idea and concept up further with the team at Trans-Continental. I wanted my pitch to be relevant and current but also appeal to a wider audience.  You’ll have to watch this space to see the idea take shape.”

Matt will be supported both by his course tutor and by the team at Trans-Continental to develop his idea. The rest of the course will also benefit from a manufacturing and commercial viability workshop, giving the students a real insight into what it costs to develop products for market.

Matt will present his initial designs to Mike and Sara in February 2014 ready for prototyping and gaining feedback from customers and a sample for launch at Solex’s 2014 exhibition next July.