Member Article

Christmas comes early for South Yorkshire business

It’s set to be a bumper Christmas for one South Yorkshire retailer which provides festive decorations for some of the biggest names in TV and the high street.

Barnsley-based UK Christmas World has provided decorations for Eastenders, trees for the QVC studios and Hilton Hotels and this year is set to decorate a mock home for a mobile phone advert.

Last year it supplied thousands of soft white fairy lights for the shop windows of Cath Kidston stores up and down the country.

And members of the public went crazy for its giant inflatable decorations, including a 10ft reindeer, which sold out in their hundreds by October.

The company is now set for another record festive season after investing an extra 40 per cent on inflatable decorations – which are again expected to sell out before Christmas arrives.

Eddie Riby, managing director of UK Christmas World, said: “We stock 2,000 products and have one of the biggest ranges there is.

“The inflatables are so popular and it tends to be neighbours trying to complete with each other.

“Often we’ll sell one inflatable then a few days later the customer’s neighbours will come in wanting one as well.

“Last year we sold out of inflatables in October and although we have bought hundreds again this year, they’re already very popular and we expect to sell out again.

“Along with the inflatables, we expect our fibre optic tapestries to be a big seller as they were one of our best selling products last year. And new this year are flicker flame artificial candles which are proving popular as they’re safer than a real flame so good when there’s children and pets around.”

The company has run an online Christmas store for three years and has now opened an outlet in Barugh Green, Barnsley, with 12 members of staff. Customers can find all online items in the outlet.

“We opened the outlet after getting feedback from customers,” Eddie explained. “People wanted to see the trees and lights before buying so now they can have a look online then come and buy directly.

“The outlet is 4,000 sq ft and don’t think there’s another shop with a range as big as ours all under one roof.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mark Lane .