Tuesday, 6 December 2022

VeryMe Rewards customers can enjoy a 15% discount off the Fragrance Shop online, £40 off a FitBit Versa 4 and much more this December

With the countdown to Christmas in full swing, Vodafone customers can enjoy an wonderful array of discounts and treats with VeryMe Rewards this December.

From today, Vodafone customers can enjoy a 15% discount off The Fragrance Shop online. They can choose from a wide range of new and classic perfumes, fragrances and aftershaves, complete with top, heart and base note details to help them find the perfect match.

That’s not all, VeryMe users can claim £40 off a FitBit Versa 4 (RRP £199) and £50 off a Ring Video Doorbell 3 (RRP £159). For those looking for a delicious festive snack, they can claim a free cookie from Blondies Kitchen (£3 postage).

For customers keen on finding a bargain on their Christmas shopping, or for those just wanting to treat themselves this festive period, Vodafone has them covered, too. Check out their Festive Gift Guide, showcasing the great range of offers and freebies you can treat your loved ones to this year.  

Vodafone’s VeryMe Rewards launched in November 2018 and over 94 million rewards have been claimed so far to date. The loyalty programme offers an incredible selection of weekly offers, prize draws and giveaways from both household names and emerging small businesses,  

Vodafone customers can access VeryMe Rewards in the My Vodafone app which can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play store.

Stay up-to-date with the latest news from Vodafone by following us on Twitter and signing up for News Centre website notifications.

VeryMe: for end dates and terms see My Vodafone app. 

Ts&Cs 

15% discount off The Fragrance Shop online: 5 December 2022 at 00:01 to 15 January 2023 at 23:59. 

Free cookie from Blondies Kitchen: 5 December 2022 at 00:01 to 11 December 2022 at 23:59, or one hour after the code has been claimed in the app, whichever is soonest. 

£40 off a FitBit Versa 4: 5 December 2022 at 00:01 to 25 December 2022 at 23:59. 

£50 off a Ring Video Doorbell 3: 5 December 2022 at 00:01 to 1 January 2023 at 23:59. 

https://www.vodafone.co.uk

Ideal Christmas gift for the cake baker in your family from Lily

Leading Cake baker Lily Vanilli has an illustrious clientele as she has been designing incredible cakes for numerous names you'll recognise, including Kate Moss, Kylie Minogue, Madonna and Jamie Oliver.

Now, Lily is launching an academy to give the keenest bakers out there the opportunity to recreate her Instagram-worthy creations. The newly launched academy is a place for (and to meet) cake lovers, master the art of cake decorating, and learn new skills to bring their cake designs to a whole new level.

Courses can be purchased from Lily's website and they'll make a perfect gift, delivered as a beautiful gift card for a loved one this Christmas.

Each course grants a year's unlimited online access, with the option to revisit as often as desired or required, both in real-time when decorating and at leisure to focus on learning some new skills. Each subscription also unlocks an open forum with other users, and Lily herself, for discussions and advice around best practices and new ideas.

Courses begin from as little as £4 and are designed for anyone who wants to master the core skills required for perfect cake decoration, from complete beginners up those with more expertise who would like to brush up their skills and learn some tricks of the trade.

The courses are designed by Lily to break down and demystify some of the key techniques needed to be a confident cake decorator, and inspire users to create their own beautiful creations.

All course materials are beautifully illustrated and packed with video tutorials, recipes, shopping lists, downloadable PDFs and piping practice sheets to help users master their intricate piping skills.

As an example, the Icing on the Cake package offers access to:

• An introduction to your tools plus equipment list and links

• In-depth video tutorials on how to stack, fill, crumb coat and final coat a cake, broken down into great detail with lots of tips, tricks and troubleshooting.

• 'Ice-along!" videos – for all the steps above – designed for to revisit once the basics are mastered recapping the key steps each time you make a cake.

• Video recipes for buttercreams, including American Buttercream and Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• Three of Lily's favourite cake recipes

• Beautifully designed PDF booklets you can print off or just refer to – breaking down all the info in the course

• Academy mailing list with tips, recipes and special offers

• Lifetime discount code for online orders of Lily Vanilli Cakes

• A glossary of easy reference video clips focusing on how to use your tools

• Five #bolt-on!"courses teaching specific cake styles and piping techniques to create beautiful cake designs

• Beautifully illustrated piping practice sheets you can print and reuse to master your piping skills before going onto the cake

"I'm self taught, so I know how hard and frustrating it can be to watch YouTube tutorials by people with years of experience, in these courses I've really broken it down and simplified everything in order to help you become a better cake maker.” - Lily Vanilli

Suitable for all skill levels, including complete beginners, the classes are perfect for anyone who wants to grow their confidence as a cake decorator and learn some really achievable decorating tricks and techniques to use again and again.

To see the full course offering, visit: lilyvanilli.com/online-cake-classes

Instagram: @lily_vanilli_cake

The full package is priced at £65

Still packed with beautiful and helpful course materials - the smaller packages, starting at £4, focus on specific cake designs and the versatile techniques needed to create them.

Gift cards now available too!

December babies often fell neglected. So why not give them a real treat this year?

It's reported babies born in December often miss out on presents, especially those born on or near December 25th, as their birthday present gets sort of lumped in with the Christmas presents. In fact new research shows people born in December, on average, receive 160 fewer gifts over their lifetimes.

How can you help to redress the balance this December and Chirstmas? Why not treat a December baby to a piece of personalised jewellery this year?

December is represented by the Topaz Birthstone, which represents love, passion, and purpose.

You can celebrate those born in December by adding their Birthstone, their name, or and initial. Choose a celestial constellation bracelet or a beautiful Birth Flower Necklace. 

You can get the excellent team at Bloom Boutique to arrange this for you. 

Personalised jewellery and gifts are their passion. For over 16 years now, they've been turning beautiful items into truly personal, memorable gifts.

Whether you want a name bracelet for an anniversary, a personalised necklace for someone’s birthday, or you simply want a piece of jewellery that is unique to you, we just know you’ll find something you or a loved one will cherish at Bloom Boutique.

Combining a range of personalisation techniques, including hand stamping, etching and engraving, with contemporary styling, they'll have something to suit anyone.

Their jewellery and gift collection can be personalised by adding names, dates, personalised messages, birthstones and letter charms, or more besides.

While it'' true they do tend to specialise in gifts for her, they also have a wonderful range of thoughtful but masculine personalised gifts for the chaps and an utterly adorable selection of children’s jewellery and toys, all of which you can personalise to your own exact requirements.

Their diverse collection caters for Christmas, Eid, Hanukkah, marriages and civil partnerships, new babies and any other occasion that you'd like to mark with a personalised gift.

Equally, we have tasteful and heartfelt keepsakes for memorials, including etchings of your dearly departed.

https://www.bloom-boutique.co.uk

Christmas charity single released for Music4Children


Santa Is Coming - 2022 Christmas charity single for Music4Children

Tony Skinner, an acclaimed guitarist and Laughter Yoga leader, has written and recorded a really catchy sing-along and laugh-along Christmas song. Designed to raise people's spirits and spread happiness, it will also generate donations and awareness for the work of the fantastic registered charity Music4Children.

"Santa Is Coming" is available to listen to on Music4Children's new Bandcamp site, where it can also be downloaded for a small donation or sent to friends and family as a gift. The site includes a really entertaining video as well, which adds to the festive fun of the seasonal tune.

All donations will help support the charity's work with disadvantaged children and young people. The Bandcamp site will also be used to showcase the charity's musical projects, featuring tracks recorded by some of the young people it works with.

https://music4children.org

The nation's favourite carrot, Aldi's Kevin, has joined celebrity video sharing website, Cameo!

Following the footsteps of Hollywood star, Lindsay Lohan, musician Chaka Khan and actor James Buckley, fans of Kevin can root for the nation’s highly adored carrot as Kevin joins celebrity video sharing website, Cameo.

Since its launch in 2017, Cameo has created over 2.5 million memorable moments for celebrity fans who signed up to the platform.

And now, Aldi is giving its followers the chance to blow fan’s carrot tops off with personalised messaging from the rooting-tooting Christmas icon himself.

Whether it be a Christmas message, birthday greeting or simply spreading festive joy, Kevin will deliver a limited number of bespoke messages via an animated video for his ever-growing bunch of fans on 5th and 12th December.  Priced at just £10 a video, Kevin’s Cameos come in 74% cheaper than the site’s most popular star, James Buckley! Carrot be-leaf it?!

What’s more, all profits made will be donated to Aldi’s food charity partner, Neighbourly and Aldi will match each donation to continue the drive to help those in need ahead of Christmas.

Kevin The Carrot has been a very busy vegetable this Christmas season, from fighting off intruders in the supermarket’s TV advert to dealing with press interviews and predicting this year’s World Cup winners. 

Now, joining punnets of celebrities on Cameo, is there anything this little carrot can’t do?! Those wishing to spread hap-pea-ness this Christmas, can head to Cameo site via this link: https://www.cameo.com/kevinthecarrot.

Secret savings: 27 million Brits turn to secret Santa to save money this Christmas

Almost half of us 48%)  are looking for more affordable presents to gift loved ones this December, according to research carried out by Nectar.

Whilst 3 in 5 of is still want to spoil friends and family, 38% are concerned they won’t be able to afford to do so.

Brits favourite secret Santa gifts have been revealed, with a bottle of alcohol, festive chocolates and a scented candle topping the list.

2 in 5, or more than 27 million, Brits are cutting costs this Christmas by turning to secret Santa so they'll still be able to spoil family and friends despite the cost-of-living pressure.

According to the new research from Nectar, 60% want to treat loved ones but 38% are concerned they won't be able to afford it. As a result, almost half (48%) are seeking out more affordable options.

The gifting game has proven popular in recent years, especially among friendship groups and work colleagues. This year though, 38% of people, or over 7 million families, are gifting each other this way.

The study has revealed shoppers think the ideal amount to spend on a secret Santa gift is £13.

Considering the average Nectar user has £20 worth of points saved up, it’s no surprise many are using their points to make their shopping go further this year.

Despite the cost savings, it turns out not everyone is sold on secret Santa. 1 in 3 only enjoy it when they get someone they like and 1 in 4 prefer receiving presents to gifting them.

Topping the list of the easiest people to buy for is a child, whereas a colleague you rarely speak to proves to be the most difficult.

Even with the right person, the fear of giving a bad present is strong, with 35% saying the struggle to buy a good present puts them off secret Santa completely.

But this year, it is back on the cards with offices, friendship groups and families all gearing up for thecheaper option. According to the research, the top secret Santa gifts are a bottle of alcohol and chocolate:

 Top secret Santa gifts

 1. Bottle of alcohol

 2. Festive chocolates

 3. Scented candle

 4. A book

 5. Selection box of biscuits

In previous years, millions of savvy shoppers have cashed in on their Nectar points at Christmas. In fact, last year alone nearly £50 million worth of points were redeemed in December – that's the equivalent of 2.5 million turkeys, 82 million KG of roasties, and 253 million mince pies.

Meanwhile, Nectar issued its 1 trillionth point this month – meaning over £5 billion worth of points have been issued to Nectar users over the last 20 years! That’s an average of £250million points per year. Customers have had the option to either spend these on their food shopping, save them for a treat or exchange them for rewards across hundreds of Nectar’s partners. The recently launched My Nectar Prices has also ensured customers are getting great value from personalised offers all year-round.

Alex Naisby, Director of Loyalty and CRM at Nectar said: “Despite the challenges this year, our customers are telling us it’s still really important to them to make Christmas as special as they can, and our research shows that secret Santa is a great way to still be able to treat loved ones. We know that customers often have around £20 worth of Nectar points left to spend at this time of year so redeeming those is a great way to help festive celebrations go that little bit further. Whether it’s secret Santa gifting or topping up on Christmas dinner essentials, we hope that customers can use our top tips to make their Christmas shopping a little bit easier this year.”

The price is right

Price is on everyone’s lips this year and with so many struggling it’s important to have an affordable price limit for gifting that won’t put people off taking part. Nectar’s research suggests that the ideal price limit for Secret Santa is £13, so aim to stick somewhere around there. A low price limit takes the pressure off, and there are still plenty of gifting options available to fit the budget.

Use up the points you already have

The average Nectar user has over £20 in unspent points at this time of year which is the perfect amount to buy a secret Santa treat without spending a single penny!

Knowing what to buy

Choosing a gift for a loved one can be overwhelming as you want to get it just right. Suggest each person makes a wish list to avoid any awkward present exchanges this Christmas.

Alternatively, if you’re really stuck on what to buy them, research suggests you can’t go wrong with a festive candle, a good book or something tasty.

Timing

It seems we are a nation of last minute Christmas shoppers!! In fact, each year Nectar sees a rush of shoppers redeem their points on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd December. Whilst this might sound stressful , the longer you wait, the more Nectar points you’ll have saved up to spend on a gift.

Secret Santa present suggestions

1-1000 Nectar Points (worth up to £5)

Taste the Difference Celebration Ale 75cl

by Sainsbury’s Soft Amaretti Tin, £3.50

Sainsbury's Cinnamon Bun Inspired Cookies, Taste the Difference 200g

1001-2000 Nectar Points (worth up to £10)

by Sainsbury’s Nutcracker Truffle Tin 148g

Sainsbury's Spiced Ginger Biscuit Flavour Irish Cream Liqueur, Taste the Difference 70cl

Sainsbury's Winter Toffee Shortbread 500g

2001-3000 Nectar Points (worth up to £15)

Taste the Difference Winter Bramble Gin Liqueur 70cl

Sainsbury's Christmas Spice Inclusion Candle Large

Sainsbury's Prosecco Rosé with Salted Caramel Chocolate Truffles Gift Set, Taste the Difference 75cl

3001-4000 Nectar Points (worth up to £20)

Sainsbury's Highland Malt Scotch Whisky, Taste the Difference 70cl

Habitat Classic Cassis & Cedar Multi Wick Candle

Sainsbury's Demi-sec Champagne, Non Vintage 75cl

This year, Sainsburys and Nectar are running a Super Secret Santa campaign, giving customers an opportunity to donate their money, including Nectar points, to help tackle food poverty. Donations can be made both in store and online, and for each donation, Sainsbury’s will match it up to the value of £1.5million.

Research conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Nectar between 25-28 November. 2,000 UK adults were polled.

61% of consumers fear cost-of-living crisis is final nail in the coffin for our high streets

UK high streets have been under increasing pressure to merely survive, due to the impact of changing shopping habits and the global pandemic. 

But just as the outlook seemed to be slightly improving, the current cost of living crisis, fuelled by international events and soaring inflation, has provided another setback for our high streets.

New analysis by the BBC revealed after two years of Covid related lockdowns, there were 9,300 fewer retail outlets in March 2022 than March 2020 due to closures of banks, clothing shops, and department stores.

Research by KIS Finance learned that 61% of people are concerned the high street in its current form is under real threat and that the continuing volume of store closures will lead to a permanent change to the retail landscape.

The UK is a nation of online shoppers

26% of total retail sales in the UK are now online (ONS data Oct 2022). Back in 2006 only 2.8% of retail sales were online, but this took off sharply during the pandemic and by January 2021 it peaked at 37.8%. As life returned to normal the level of on-line shopping decreased, but appears to have now stabilised at the current level.

Online expenditure has been growing rapidly, peaking in November 2020 at £3,349.2 million, when the pandemic again had a massive impact on all our shopping habits. Although the amount of expenditure fell back from this peak, the level of internet retail sales in the UK is currently £2,227.6 million and has remained fairly consistently around this level over the last year.

When asked why the popularity of on-line shopping had grown to this extent, 64% of respondents to KIS Finance’s survey stated it was the convenience of online shopping that was a key factor for them, with the 24/7 availability primarily attracting them to this option.

Despite the rise of online shopping, we still love the high street

The survey by KIS Finance found 82% of people confirmed if they were given the choice of only shopping online or on the high street, they would choose to shop in store. Clearly consumers aren't  ready to lose the in-person shopping experience just yet.

However, age seems to be a factor here, with 18% of respondents between the age of 25 and 34 confirming they do all their shopping online. So if the high street is going to survive in the future, there must be a focus on appealing to all age groups to ensure future generations still value that in store experience.

The changing face of the high street

There have been a large number of high street casualties, mainly due to changing shopping habits and the pandemic, but the current cost of living crisis is a further hit for retailers. The physical retail sector has been in decline since the recession in 2008 and since 2016 more shops have been closing than opening each year.

According to PWC, in the first six months of 2022, 6,147 shops belonging to multiples and chains with five or more outlets left the UK high street. This equates to 34 closures each day, although this is a reduction on the 61 closures per day in first half of 2020. The rate of decline isn't accelerating in the way it was during the pandemic and there'd been some positive signs starting to emerge in the market, but the cost-of-living crisis and impending recession now pose a further threat. In fact, Deloittes has forecast a further 30,000 net store closures are likely by end of this year alone.

What can be done to reverse the trend?

Whilst the march towards an ever-increasing on-line retail sector looks set to continue, this doesn’t necessarily mean the high street's demise. Retailers are finding ways to blend their on-line offerings with their stores to provide customers with the best in choice and experience.

But what we need to see is the Government undertaking a radical review of both the tax and business rates systems to ensure all companies, including giants like Amazon, are competing on a level playing field.

The benefits of an on-line sales tax

One potential approach to rebalance the market could be the introduction of an ‘e-commerce sales tax’, levied on all on-line sales. This could be balanced against a reduction in business rates for high street stores. Whilst this might not appear to be in the consumers’ interests, any related price increases could be offset against price reductions for goods brought in high street stores. Essentially consumers would be paying for the convenience of buying on-line, whilst the potential for lower prices in store might encourage an increase in traditional sales.

Radical redesign of business rates

As an alternative to a specific on-line tax, the current business rates system could be redesigned to make it applicable to both store and on-line businesses. Whilst current business rates are essentially a property tax, if they were redesigned as a tax based on volumes of sales, this could be applied on an even basis across the sector. This would level the playing field and mean that on-line giants like Amazon would have to pay taxes on the same basis as their competitors.

Are local businesses the way of the future

As the cost of essentials soar, consumers are cutting back on non-essential shopping, which is continuing to hit the already challenging retail environment. But with large player like Debenhams gone, which have been the foundation of many high streets over the past few decades, the chance for small independent retailers has really begun to emerge.

According to the British Retail Consortium, footfall remains 10 -15% below pre-pandemic levels, but independent retailers appear to have recovered more rapidly from the pandemic than retail chains.

This shift towards supporting local and independent shops started to gain traction during the pandemic and local retailers are continuing to call out for shoppers to support them during the current challenging times. 

Local campaigns are popping up across the country, like the “shop small” campaign in Exeter, where independent retailers are turning to the local community to support them by choosing small local businesses over large national chains.

Other towns such as the ancient market town of Wellington, Shropshire are running shop local campaigns called "Love Wellington" in the case of Wellington. 

However, in the current climate, the question is whether small retailers will have the resources to withstand the increasing costs  all are now facing, with inflation at a 40 year high and the cost of supplies, transport and electricity soaring. To help them reach a widder customer base some small retailers introduced home delivery and online options for the first time during the pandemic and many have now kept these in a bid to compete with larger retailers.

A sense of community appears to be a strong factor influencing many consumers, particularly during difficult times. What initially started during the pandemic has now continued as the cost-of-living crisis deepens, but local retailers need to find ways to retain this level of good will.

Local retailers adapting to survive

Small shops and businesses can maximise their chances of maintaining their new customer base by focusing on what large retailers can’t offer; a personal, human touch. Whilst large companies’ data bases may remember your birthday or recommend products you may be interested in based on your last order, this is impersonal and automated. Only small, local businesses can connect with their customers in a real way and build up genuine and beneficial relationships.

A shift from retail space to residential units

Many town centres are seeing an increasing number of applications to convert commercial retail spaces to residential use. Whilst this will change the look of the high street, it has the potential to bring life back to central locations and make them a core part of the local community.

At KIS Finance we are seeing an increase in applications for development finance and bridging loans to purchase and convert old retail premises into new modern apartments.

There was a 37% increase in applications to convert UK high street shops into living accommodation in 2020/21. However, nearly half of developer’s plans were rejected by councils, showing that this option for empty retails space isn’t always a straightforward one.

We spoke to retail expert James Child, retail analyst at Estate Gazette, about the what the future holds for the UK high street.

James says: “The challenge in the future will be ensuring that locals have real reasons to actually visit these locations, and create more than a row of shops, but proper destinations. There needs to be a reduction in the amount of retail space, replaced with other mixed-use schemes and residential elements to encourage locals to engage in their local areas. The high street of tomorrow will be easily accessible, safe, clean, and able to be enjoyed by all.

"Town centres and high streets must be at the forefront of engagement in their communities, listening to what people want as opposed to giving them what they think they want,” James says. “Introduce more housing into central locations, make parking free to encourage further footfall, but the biggest take away surely has to be – make your high street interesting again.”

The full report can be found here

https://www.kisbridgingloans.co.uk/finance-news/the-future-of-the-high-street

Of course, we can all do our bit by shopping on our local high streets this Christmas. 

(Image courtesy of Markus Spiske and Pixabay)