Spring & Autumn Fair, the UK's largest and most inspirational retail trade shows for Home, Gift and Fashion, has announced the creation of a new Advisory Board designed to drive the continuous enhancement of the two shows and ensure that UK retail has a thriving marketplace in which to do business.
The board, chaired by Stephen Spencer, Ambience Director at Stephen Spencer + Associates, comprises 15 of the industry's leading figureheads.
Including John Halliday from British Independent Retailers Association, Sarah Ward of the Giftware Association, Ben Massey from the National Association of Jewellers, exhibitors including Stephen Illingworth from Widdop & Co, Aylish Ellwood from Enesco, who all provide valuable industry insight and advice assisting in the on-going development and growth of Spring & Autumn Fair.
Posted: 22 February 2024
Spring Fair, the UK's largest and most inspirational retail marketplace for Home, Gift and Fashion, closed on a high after four days of intensive buying, creativity and fun, and now looks ahead to its 75th anniversary in 2025. From Sunday to Wednesday, the UK's longest serving retail show attracted thousands of buyers from retailers including John Lewis, Asda, Fortnum & Mason, Tesco, Aldi UK, Elphicks, Cards Galore and more.
Posted: 15 February 2024
The plans for National Stationery Week 2024 are off to a fabulous start, with seven leading brands already having pledged their support as sponsors for the weeklong event which will spread the love at both retail and consumer levels about all things stationery. National Stationery Week runs over Monday to Sunday, 13th -19th May, this year, and encompasses the London Stationery Show on the Tuesday and Wednesday (14th -15th May) at the Business Design Centre in Islington.
Posted: 13 February 2024
The UK trade show for the festive trade sector experiences significant increase in both exhibitor and visitor numbers for the 2024 show, attracting buyers from across Europe. Harrogate Christmas & Gift has enjoyed year-on-year growth for more than 10 years, but the 2024 show, which took place from 14th to 17th January at the Harrogate Convention Centre, exceeded all expectations with a further increase in visitor numbers of over 11 per cent compared with last year.
Posted: 8 February 2024
Buyers highlighted their delight at their new discoveries and the feedback throughout the day was buoyant and energised. Hillary Fuller, from Attico in Bournemouth said, "We've had such a great show, and seen loads of new and innovative products. We're actually running behind schedule as we discovered two new companies that we've not bought from before and they are perfect for us, and now we're off to meet more of our regular suppliers." Stephanie Taylor Howl from Just-Tickety Boo Events, Burton-on-Trent added, "The show is amazing, it's not just an average show, it's much bigger and better! The stands really draw you in, it has been a really immersive experience. We have found it easy to navigate around the show, signage has been excellent. It's been good to meet the brands in person and make relationships directly with the sellers. I found some lovely high-end ribbon, some amazing frosted trees and some enormous wreaths which will be great for my Christmas events. We have seen some lovely new products, the quality is excellent and the prices have been competitive. We stumbled across some new suppliers, they are local to us and we never would have found them without visiting Spring Fair, which is great!"
Posted: 8 February 2024
The trio of Frankfurt consumer goods fairs, consisting of Ambiente, Christmasworld and Creativeworld, impressively demonstrated that the entire global consumer goods industry was a guest at the fully booked Frankfurt exhibition grounds for five days. Even the rail strike could not dampen the success: "Mission accomplished! Together with around 5,000 exhibitors and participants from over 170 countries and regions, this top-class trade fair trio strengthens the consumer goods industry in uncertain times", summed up Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt.
Posted: 6 February 2024
The 2024 edition of the January Furniture Show (JFS) closed on a high with a 6 percent rise in visitors and a record breaking rebook for 2025.
A vibrant feel to the show was reflected in the buzz of the halls as buyers visited the NEC Birmingham with over 25 percent of these buyers visiting for more than one day.
Positivity for the show was evident, signalling the importance of JFS in reuniting the industry and embodying the show's ethos of 'building the future of furniture, together.'
With multiple opportunities at the show for networking and an emphasis on connecting with the industry, JFS brought brands, buyers, designers, architects, manufacturers, and distributors together in their passion for quality, innovative furniture.
Posted: 29 January 2024
Top Drawer S/S24, the first sourcing event of the year for the UK's retail industry, closed its doors last week following three days of successful, vibrant trade at Olympia London; having delivered a show that was 10% larger than 2023, it also benefited from a second successive year of visitor growth following a hugely successful acquisition strategy that resulted in thousands of new faces on the show floor, with 35% of them never having attended previously. The international flavour of recent editions also continued, with over 40 countries represented across the three days including the likes of Argentina, Australia, Bermuda, Canada, Chile, Greece, Iceland, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, Turkey and the United States.
Posted: 24 January 2024
Spring Fair has announced that British fashion and textile designer and pioneer Dame Zandra Rhodes will take to the Inspiring Retail Stage for a fireside chat with retail analyst Natalie Berg, exploring her remarkable journey in design, leadership, and innovation.
The Fabric of Success: Dame Zandra Rhodes on Reinventing Fashion and Retail Leadership will take place at 12.30pm on Wednesday 7th February in Hall 2 within Moda, Spring Fair's trusted fashion destination.
Delving into her origin story, the evolution of British fashion, and her role in home furnishings, discover how her style and daring collaborations shaped her brand, drove innovation and legacy.
This session is a must-watch for those interested in the intersection of retail creativity, industry advocacy and the cultivation of female leadership in retail.
Posted: 15 January 2024
Top Drawer, the UK's premier design-led retail trade show, is back in one week with its Spring/Summer 2024 edition, featuring a collection of over 600 hand-picked brands across 9 curated sectors. Taking place at Olympia London from 14th - 16th January, buyers will have the opportunity to discover the latest products, brands and trends, as well as network with the rest of the retail industry. This season's show is a must-visit, as it's jam packed with everything a retailer needs to start 2024 with a bang! Here are just some of the highlights to see and enjoy at Top Drawer: Bigger and Better Than Ever Following double-digit visitor growth in 2023, this January's Top Drawer has seen a 10% increase in exhibitor numbers, bringing retailers an unparalleled choice of hand-picked suppliers to explore.
Posted: 9 January 2024
