With 2021 now well underway, PartyWorldwide.net spoke to Fran Hales, head of marketing and content for Rubies and Bristol Novelty, to find out how the year has started for the fancy dress experts and why World Book Day can still be a success for independent party retailers.
How have the first few weeks of the year gone for Rubies and Bristol Novelty? Is anything exciting in the pipeline?
“We’ve started 2021 as we finished 2020, with a positive outlook on what’s to come. We have very exciting plans in place to utilise all our showrooms across Europe, starting with our incredible permanent showroom in Nuremberg and the newly refurbished Bristol showroom, which are both hosting virtual tours of the latest collections for our incredible portfolio of products.
Coming into 2021 we are seeing the same trends with licensed dress-up continuing to hold its own, while demand for generic is still impaired. Of course, we have hopes for generic to pick up with World Book Day taking place at home and there are continuous efforts from the industry and outside sources such as the brilliant Nick Jametta with his focus on mental health and Joe Wicks on physical wellbeing, who both continue promoting dress-up in lockdown.”
Looking to the next big dress-up season – what are your thoughts on World Book Day 2021? Do you think it will still go ahead?
“We had all hoped that primary schools would have re-opened in time, so that younger children could participate with their classmates, but it is now clear that primary school children will not return after the February half-term. However, the organisers of World Book Day have advised that the event will continue as planned and so we are working on making the best of it and promoting dress-up at home while encouraging reading wherever possible.
World Book Day is an occasion that can still very much take place at home. It has been proven that wearing costumes motivates children when learning to read, which is why schools encourage dressing-up as part of the event. We fully endorse anything which opens the doors to educating children and opening their eyes to the joys of reading.
Many children are compromised by reading, while some parents may not feel confident reading themselves or have the capacity to do so in these difficult times. A costume can open those doors by bringing the story to life, help to visualise the characters and inspire the imagination. Some children need the visual stimulation to get started and once they start, what could be more fun than recreating some scenes dressed as their favourite character to show parents or grandparents.
Keeping the kids entertained and focused during lockdown isn’t easy, which is why wearing a costume could help make the day a little different from the daily routine. By bringing a character to life while embracing storytelling, little ones’ spirits can be lifted through both the book and the costume which supports it.
It is important to recognise the core principle of World Book Day, which is to celebrate literature and to share a story. A costume should be utilised as a tool to encourage creativity and nurture the joy we get from reading or through reading to others.
Rubies is fully aligned with the central message of World Book Day. If teachers and students wish to dress up for the big day, then we will of course be there to provide inspiration with all our fantastic ranges of generic, curriculum and licensed costumes.”
How have you been preparing for World Book Day this year? Are there any new lines being launched?
“Preparations have been in place for months to accommodate and provide the support to all our customers and retailers as we approach the day. There are multiple new characters and costumes coming into the licensed range this year, such as Raya and The Last Dragon from our Disney collection, to name just one. As usual we are also promoting the strong curriculum range from Bristol Novelty, having built on this last year with new additions of Saxon warriors and Tudor royalty.”
Why should schools get behind World Book Day this year, even if children have to celebrate at home?
“The charity says it best themselves; in 2021, World Book Day – just like everything else – will be different. Everyone is adapting to ensure we can still celebrate landmark events in our lives such as birthdays, Halloween, Christmas and now World Book Day. Schools will do their best to support the day in whatever form that may take online, as will we here at Rubies. Our job is to make sure we continue to help raise spirits through the power of costumes and dress-up while ensuring we promote the positive message about picking up a book and reading, more so in lockdown than ever before.”
How can retailers get involved in this and what steps should they take to encourage local schools and communities to get involved?
“Support the World Book Day charity in what they do. If you can promote the fantastic £1 book initiative while promoting a costume or product, we highly recommend doing so. Alternatively, encourage your customers to pair a book with their costume if possible or get creative with costume ideas to align with the core message of World Book Day. Let’s face it, each day we are part of history and starting a new chapter, which is why on World Book Day we have a chance to reflect on tales of the past and celebrate different worlds, events, or adventures.
Whatever you decide to do on the day, please take some time to pick up a book and read it – while wearing a costume of course!”
