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Picnic Product Collection: Help Your Customers Get Picnic-Ready

Picnic Product Collection: Help Your Customers Get Picnic-Ready

Summer is finally upon us, and while most of us would be jetting off on holiday in the next few months, holidays are hanging by a thread as the government looks to create safe measures with other countries and holiday providers.

And while some UK hospitality businesses may open as soon as July 4th, holidaymakers will have an air of caution at the beginning of summer.

People that have decided to keep their feet planted on UK soil will be looking for alternative ways to have fun in the sun. We’re predicting that picnics will be popular this summer, as people look to enjoy the outdoors without gathering in holiday destinations both abroad and at home.

Your customers can still enjoy summer by investing in the equipment they need to make their picnic an enjoyable experience. We’re going to cover the basics, the nice-to-haves and the things people always forget.

Use these sections to build up your product base and create the perfect picnic product collection!

The Basics

When you’re building a product collection you need to get the staple items right, otherwise it’ll look like a collection of random items that don’t have any connection, here are the basics for a picnic.

Picnic Blanket

Picnic Blanket

No picnic is complete without a picnic blanket. Is it even a picnic if there isn’t a blanket present? It’s a staple that people will be on the lookout for if they don’t already have one. And sometimes one isn’t enough, especially as group gatherings will start to rise as we progress out of lockdown. We have a selection of picnic blankets which include waterproof and kids options.

Food Containers/Storage

No food containers equal no picnic, there’ll be food splattered everywhere! It’s wise to have a good selection of containers as different foods vary in size, smell and consistency. We have a selection of food containers that’ll allow your customers to keep their food fresh.

Plates & Cups

What’s a picnic without anything to eat and drink from? Incredibly messy, that’s what. People aren’t going to take their best plates and cups, so if you can give them an alternative to eating out of their laps you should be able to sell some cups and plates. We have a selection of plastic cups and disposable plates, as well and compostable cups.

Utensils

Utensils

Potato salad, coleslaw and any other wet foods can cause a mess if they aren’t dished out properly, so it makes sense for your customers to take utensils on their picnic trip, and they won’t want to take their best stuff from home. We have a selection of utensils, we recommend the slotted spoon, ladle and kitchen spoon.

Cooler Blocks & Drink Coolers

The last thing people want when they’re sat out in the baking sun is a sweaty cheese sandwich, a warm bottle of prosecco and a beer that’s hitting the temperature of a hot chocolate. Let your customers keep their food and drink cool with our selection of cooling accessories. We have a beer cooler and a wine cooler to keep those drinks crisp and cool, and a set of cooler blocks to keep food fresh.

Sun Care

Suncare is essential if the sun is shining, especially for customers that have children and want to stay out for a few hours or more. We have plenty of sun care options for all skin types, including creams for babies and children. Ensure you’re stocked up with a range of sun care options by visiting our sun care page.

Pet Supplies

Pet Supplies

Essential if you have pets, although we’d imagine the only pet someone would take to a picnic is a dog – and we don’t want the pooches getting thirsty or hungry. We don’t think dog owners will be looking out for anything super expensive when it comes to bowls, so this basic non-slip bowl should be enough to whet their dog’s appetite. Some owners will let their dogs off the lead as well, so it’s worth having some dog toys in stock.

The Nice-To-Haves

We’ve all been at a picnic before and thought, wouldn’t it be nice if I had this? It’d make the event much better. You can stop those thoughts from entering people’s minds by offering them products that are ‘nice-to-have’.

Table & Chairs

While some of us are happy relaxing on a picnic blanket, older family members or those with illnesses or ailments may prefer something a little sturdier. Plus, some people prefer to sit on a chair. If you want to offer something extra, this Summit Folding Chair and Roll Top Table are easy to transport and set up.

Bug Spray

Bug Spray

With any luck people will pick somewhere they won’t get bitten to pieces by bugs and other pesky insects. However, it does happen so it’s important to go prepared. There’s also the chance someone might annoy a bee or wasp and end up with a painful sting, insects are drawn to all the tasty food at picnics but don’t like to shooed away! We have a selection of sprays and creams that keep the bugs away and soothe any stings.

Umbrella

Since when has British weather ever been reliable? One minute you’re sitting there with the sun reflecting off your sunglasses and the next minute you can’t see anything because the rain is washing your recently applied sun cream into your eyes. Typical. Make sure your customers go prepared for changes in the weather with our selection of umbrellas.

Outdoor Activities

Food and conversation are all you need to make a picnic great, but activities add to the fun and allow everyone to bond and enjoy each other’s company while being active and engaged. The type of activities will depend on the type of people you’re with. If you have children you’ll want to include something for them, such as a playball for the younger ones or a cricket set if you have a group of kids. Adults like to keep themselves entertained too, so you could stock some playing cards.

Mini Fan

Mini Fan

The weather is set to be extremely warm in July, and there’ll be plenty of picnickers that are aware of this. They’ll be wondering how they’re going to keep themselves cool while they’re sat on the park in the sweltering heat, so make it easy for them by including these Texet Handheld Mini Fans in your product collection.

Bluetooth Speaker

Nothing completes a picnic like the addition of a little music to keep everyone’s mood up, and our speaker sales have increased since people started spending more time on their local parks – and we don’t see that changing any time soon. Stocking a speaker is worth it on pure product popularity, but including it in your collection will persuade customers to buy it more freely. We’d recommend one of our bestsellers, which is this Juice Bar Speaker that has a battery life of up to eight hours.

Straws

Let’s be honest, people either love to use straws or they don’t. It’s as simple as that. But straws also come in handy for children, one over-ambitious gulp can leave them covered in liquid, and if there’s no spare clothing at hand, it’s going to be a tricky hour or two! You can browse our straw collection here, which contains recyclable paper straws.

The things people always forget

The Things People Always Forget

It happens, people are so busy focusing on the food and fun that they forget some of the practical, less exciting elements of having a picnic. The supporting cast, they might not look like they do much but they’re vital!

Bottle Opener & Corkscrew

There’s nothing worse than kicking back after you’ve eaten your food and getting a lovely cold beer out of the cooler only to realise there’s no bottle opener. Disaster. And we all love the person who remembers to bring a bottle opener (although they probably don’t love us). This County Lever Bottle Opener & Corkscrew is simple and sturdy. 

Baby Wipes

Let’s face it, picnics can get messy. Pets, children, or maybe the adults can’t stop getting food everywhere! If your customers have a collection of mucky pups going along to their picnic, they’re going to need something to keep themselves clean. Ensure you place some baby wipes with your product collection, it’s something people can easily forget if they don’t have a baby. Here is our selection of baby wipes. If your customers prefer a more environmentally-friendly option you could go for napkins.

Disposable Bags

Disposal Bags

Everyone should make an effort to make themselves more environmentally-conscious, and clearing up after ourselves is a great place to start. Encouraging your customers to take bags and clear up after themselves is a step in the right direction, and it would show great responsibility, especially now more people are gathering in parks and open spaces. We have a stock standard bin bags as well as biodegradable carrier bags.

Harrisons Top 6 Picnic Products

To make your life a little easier, we’ve selected our best products to help you start your picnic product collection.

  1. Summit Waterproof Picnic Rug
  2. Bare By Solo Compostable Paper Cups
  3. 5 Airtight Micro Containers
  4. Size 3 Cricket Set
  5. Biodegradable Carrier Bags
  6. Pampers Sensitive Baby Wipes 52’s

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