The Trend Curve™

The international authority on color and design trends in home furnishings

  • Home
  • The Trend Curve Blog
  • About Us
    • What We Do
    • Consulting
    • About Michelle Lamb
    • The Trend Curve Story
    • The Trend Curve Team
    • Life of a Trend
  • Contact
  • Members (now open to all)
    • *Member Homepage*
    • Member-Only Posts
    • The Trend Curve for Members
    • Trend Flash™
You are here: Home / Trend / Retail Trends / Christmas Is Going To The Dogs

Christmas Is Going To The Dogs

December 12, 2005 By Michelle Lamb -

It was fun to see how cats and especially dogs were being played up for the Holiday season in London. This was not at all because of a new trend in ornaments. Rather, it was because the concept of remembering your pet at Christmastime could not be ignored at retail.

Hip home décor store Heals, for example, offered a display table filled with pet Christmas gifts, including T-shirts for dogs, treat canisters, cat and dog stickers, feeding dishes and the like. Each item was well colored and most had some sort of clever packaging to make them memorable.

Yet even more noteworthy than these fine pieces and how they were presented was the fact that the store placed the same stuffed dog offered for sale in this display in several vignettes. The little White dog sat just as your own faithful pet might—on an ottoman or on the floor by the sofa—so this life-sized dog toy made each vignette in which it appeared feel warmer and more welcoming. The addition of this cute stuffed animal to the furniture selling floor was not only whimsical but also a clever way to give displays a homier feeling.

While Paper Passions tucked an adorable Black with White cat statue among the gifts in their display, Harrods offered everything from aprons to note pads imprinted with the Harrod’s name and a picture of a Westie. The color story: White on Black.

At the Holy Trinity School playground just off Sloan Street, a Saturday Christmas market presented by V V Rouleaux was one of my best finds in the city. A company called Holly & Lil showed their line of “collar couture” for dogs and cats. A bit pricey, these hand made, one-of-a-kind, charm-studded collars (a combination of new and vintage elements) run about 75 pounds, or close to $140.00, but are worth every penny (pence?) of it.

Sitting among the collars to wear everyday were several others decorated with traditional Christmas icons like Santa or trees. The most popular Holiday look this season has been a penguin theme that was already sold out by the time I arrived (note: March of the Penguins is playing all over London right now). I think this would be a great line for high end U.S. pet boutiques to carry during the Holidays. If anyone is interested, you can contact Sarah Wyndham Lewis at hollyandlil@yahoo.co.uk.

Harvey Nichols took another approach in windows that featured a robot theme all along the street. One window was devoted entirely to pet products—a carrier, a house for your cat, a toy—all things that could be tucked under the tree for Christmas morning.

Just as in the U.S., the role of dogs and cats in London seems to have been elevated from devoted pet to beloved member of the family. Now worthy of our doting attention, pets are providing retailers and consumers with new avenues to express the Holiday spirit of giving.

Filed Under: Retail Trends  

Recent Posts

  • Color Trends from Guimarães Home Fashion Week 2022
  • Trending at Maison & Objet: Valets
  • Embellishments Lit Up High Point
  • Green is a Rising Star
  • Updating Neutrals for Christmas

Posts by Category

Post Tags

Ambiente Americasmart Animal Skin Asian Style Black and White Ceramic Chelsea Flower Show Christmas Color Copper COVID-19 Design Details & Embellishments DMC Dogs Florals Functionality Geometrics Halloween Harvest High Point Furniture Market Key Items Kids Licensing Lighting Maison & Objet Marble Metals and Metallics Mixed Media Paper Pattern Shape Showtime Spring/Summer Sustainability Tabletop Textiles Texture Thanksgiving Toy Fair Transparency Trendcurveteam Valentine's Day White Wood Trends

Site Menu

  • Home
  • The Trend Curve™ Blog
  • Member Content (now open to all)
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Sign Up for Email Updates

  • Hidden

Connect With Us!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Contact Us

The Trend Curve™
16 Penumbra
Lake Forest, CA 92630

Phone: 949-662-1515
Fax: 952-893-1264
Contact us here

Copyright © 2022 · The Trend Curve™ · Trend Staff: Log in