Gift cards are proving to be a game-changer for retailers, offering a dual advantage of attracting new customers and driving incremental spend. Brands participating in multistore gift card schemes or offering their own gift cards are reaping the rewards, particularly from younger demographics like Millennials, who are embracing gift cards for their convenience and flexibility.
The latest research from the Gift Card & Voucher Association (GCVA) and Global Data highlights how gift cards are effective tool for channeling consumer behaviour by not only introducing new shoppers to brands but also encouraging them to 'upgarde' their purchase beyond the card's value.
Posted: 4 December 2024
Spring Fair, the UK's leading Home, Gift, and Fashion trade show taking place from 2nd – 5th February 2025 at NEC Birmingham, has announced an impressive line-up of industry leading bellwether brands making the show the largest and most comprehensive marketplace in the UK with over 1,200 exhibitors and over 30,000 visitors expected to shop the whole show for their next best sellers.
As retailers in the UK become adept at leveraging product diversification to differentiate themselves and maintain competitiveness in an ever-evolving market, the scale and breadth of Spring Fair meets their needs in sourcing products from across all the show destinations.
Posted: 2 December 2024
Spring Fair, the UK's leading Home, Gift, and Fashion trade show taking place from 2nd – 5th February 2025 at NEC Birmingham, has launched a new Greetings, Party & Celebration destination in Hall 3 packed full of inspirational brands, new events and activations.
The new destination now brings together the most creative, fun and colourful greeting cards, wrapping papers, stationery, paper decorations, and is the only destination to find the best party suppliers in the UK.
A series of exciting events and activations will honour the industry's vibrant spirit and the show's 75th anniversary. In collaboration with partners including the Greeting Card Association, Cardgains, The Art File, Paper Salad, and N Smith, both visitors and exhibitors are invited to join in the celebrations.
Posted: 27 November 2024
Art licensing and design studio The London Studio has announced a collaboration with Parisian fashion-house Olympia Le-Tan® for an exciting new range of high-end clutches and designer evening bags. These stylish accessories will feature designs from The London Studio's new retro-inspired brand called Dreamadelic.
The range will be previewed during Paris Fashion Week, an annual week-long fashion industry event where the latest collections are highlighted in runway fashion shows to buyers and the media. Paris Fashion Week takes place from 23-29 January 2025. The launch into retail is planned for fall-winter 2025, a fashion season that takes place between summer and autumn.
Posted: 25 November 2024
Dulux announced their Colour of the Year as True Joy - and it's easy to see why! We all want happier, uplifting home interiors for 2025 and the colour yellow gives us a boost of positive inspiration ahead of the new year.
Amthal Karim, Head of Design at Furniture And Choice comments: "Dulux True Joy is an energetic shade of yellow with warm, golden undertones. The timeless charm of the colour of the year comes from its balance of dusky versus bright. True Joy is more vibrant than a mustard tone and has more depth and warmth than shades of lemon or canary yellow.
Posted: 18 November 2024
Christmas spending is set to hit £88.29bn this year as consumers boost spending on festive celebrations after years of Christmas cutbacks.
VoucherCodes.co.uk's Shopping for Christmas Report 2024 forecasts a 4 percent boost in sales this festive season, with consumers spending on gifts, food and drink, and holiday travel.
Whilst this rise comes partly from inflation, it's also driven by a 1.4 percent rise in sales volume year-on-year, as consumers have more money in their pockets to buy more items.
Whereas other European nations will see a decline in spend YoY, the UK is the only nation out of seven analysed to see a healthy boost in festive sales.
Posted: 11 November 2024
Spring Fair, the UK's leading Home, Gift, and Fashion retail trade show taking place from 2nd – 5th February 2025 at NEC Birmingham, has launched a competition to win a 2-night stay during the show to celebrate its 75th anniversary. Register for Spring Fair 2025 by November 13th to be one of two lucky winners to receive a two night hotel stay at one of the show's exclusive hotel partners.
Posted: 8 November 2024
Sustainable consumption is becoming increasingly important to consumers worldwide. For 10 years now, the joint programme of Ambiente, Christmasworld, Creativeworld and Nordstil, under the name Ethical Style, has been giving visibility to companies and products that focus on sustainability. The scheme provides orientation for the trade and brings together supply and demand. Online registration for participation in 2025 is open until 22nd November.
Posted: 5 November 2024
With its prime location at Westpoint in Exeter, Giving & Living is renowned for being the leading show in the UK for coastal gifts and souvenirs, unique on the exhibition circuit for its dedicated Coastal Path.
This makes it an essential show for retail and hospitality businesses that are located close to tourist hotspots and want to fully tap into the tourist trade in those areas.
Whether it's puffin art prints or seascape greetings cards, seashell jewellery, driftwood sculptures or souvenirs, the Coastal Path at Giving & Living will reveal a treasure trove of brands and products, many of which are unique to the show, due to run from Sunday 12th - Tuesday 14th January.
Posted: 28 October 2024
Spring Fair, the UK's largest home, gift, fashion trade show which celebrates its 75th anniversary on the 2nd – 5th February 2025 at NEC Birmingham, needs your help to bring together a Hall of Fame compilation of nostalgic memories, pictures and great stories from the show's 75-year history.
The Hall of Fame will be brought to life at Spring Fair, offering the show's community the chance to reminisce and remember seven decades of its history as well as a snapshot of memorable past events and current affairs between 1950 - 2024. The show's timeline, a large digital screen of pictures and stories, and a selfie wall to capture the industry's biggest trade show gathering in 2025, will create a celebration of retail's past and present.
Posted: 25 October 2024
