The December 2020 issue of Progressive Preschool is available to read now, packed full of all the latest industry news, commentary and insight. This post-PPSA awards special brings you all the behind-the-scenes info you could ask for, in addition to our regular product focuses, retail interviews, supplier feedback and of course all the industry news and views you can shake a Christmas-themed stick at.
Read the December 2020 issue now.
The run-up to Christmas is always a busy time of year for the preschool sector, although 2020 is – of course – proving to be slightly different. Although customers did return to shops following the second lockdown, town centres are proving to be a quieter affair in general, with footfall across the UK down by 30% compared to the same period last year.
At first glance, this sounds disastrous; we all know how significant the Christmas market is to the toy and gift trades. But if there is one thing we have all learnt this year – other than the importance of washing our hands – it is that the preschool industry is both inventive and resiliant in this new era of retail. Independent stores are also in a strong position to make the most of the nationwide call to shop locally and help support smaller businesses.
Athough progress with the vaccination programme looks promising, it’s unlikely to change the way businesses will operate in the coming weeks and months. And with no shows in the diary until at least March, preschool brands are coming up with increasingly inventive ways to present their new ranges via digital platforms – see our feedback feature to find out more.
Indeed, a number of digital and virtual platforms have proven to be invaluable in keeping the industry connected throughout 2020. PPS held its first-ever digital Progresive Preschool Awards on Thursday 12 November and yes, there is no denying that it was different to the ‘real-life’ version – there were less midnight Ubers, for a start!
But the virtual awards ceremony was a resounding success, allowing us to continue to recognise outstanding product, exemplary service and those who have gone the extra mile this year. We were delighted to have our biggest-ever audience, with over 500 of you in attendance – thank you all so much for coming, and a huge thank you also to the judges and sponsors for believing that we could do it! See our awards special in this issue, for behind-the-scenes info and of course the all-important winners’ reactions.
And so with that, we come to the end of another year. It’s been a hugely memorable one, for reasons both good and not-so-good, but we’d like to thank you for being a part of what we do, and for sharing your highs, your lows, your rants and your worries. The PPS team is proud to have been at their desks every single day this year, taking your calls, connecting people and indeed still publishing our print and digital news and hosting our awards – though the thought of a few months off does rather appeal after this year! Our view has very much been that the media has to be there in the tough times as well as the good times, we’re proud to have been in the fight with you.
However you’ll be spending the festive season, let’s take the preschool product and retail sector into 2021 in style. See you on the other side!
As ever, please drop us a line with any news, views or anything else you’d like us to look at in the future. In the meantime, read the latest issue in full online here.
