63 GIVING & LIVING PREVIEW Covering the coast Giving & Living exhibitors offer everything from handmade gifts, homeware, and jewellery created by artisan makers, to market leading wholesale brands selling outdoor toys and souvenirs Running from Sunday 15th – Tuesday 17th January 2023 at Westpoint, Exeter, Giving & Living will get the trade exhibition calendar off to a flying start. Or perhaps we should say ‘swimmingly’, as Giving & Living covers more coastal regions – and with more dedication –than any other UK show. Located close to the beautiful city of Exeter, Giving & Living exhibitors will offer everything from handmade gifts, homeware, and jewellery created by artisan makers, to market leading wholesale brands selling outdoor toys and souvenirs. All gifting occasions will be covered, including the all-important spring seasons, birthdays, anniversaries, christenings and back to school, as well as Christmases to come. As one of the first trade events of 2023, the show offers an ideal opportunity to reconnect with others in the home and gift industry and share feedback on Christmas trading and the general state of retail in Britain. As supply chain pressures continue to impact our industry, Giving & Living also delivers a golden opportunity to be first in the queue for new product collections. Visitors will once again benefit from a host of exclusive and enticing show offers that help make Giving & Living an essential place to do business at the head of every year. Official show features for 2023 include the Coastal Path, Naturally, and the popular and expanding Designed and Made in Britain area, helping to organise the enormous variety of products you can look forward to seeing on display at Westpoint. These will include: ceramics and tableware, greetings cards, stationery and wall art, wellbeing and beauty, beachwear, fashion accessories and books, soft furnishings and home textiles, trinkets, jewellery and souvenirs. Retailers will also be able to find companies able to provide them with bespoke and ownbrand merchandise, as well as multitude of wonderful niche products which reflect Britain’s unique heritage. With many products exclusive to Giving & Living in 2023, there is always the chance to find something that little bit different to tempt both tourists and eagle-eyed local shoppers. The appetite for UK staycations is still going strong and tourism spend is likely to be crucial for retailers who need to beat the ongoing pressures facing British high streets. Mike Anderson, the Managing Director of Giving & Living organiser, Hale Events, comments: “Our tourist destinations are as attractive as ever, and the consumer appetite for Britishmade products continues to grow, but there’s no mistaking that our industry is facing another challenging year. It’s more important than ever for retailers to draw the silver lining from the economic storm clouds in every way possible and we will do everything we can to help them achieve this goal in the year ahead. “Strategic sourcing which homes in on different consumer groups at key shopping times can help coax some more spend from hesitant shoppers. Times might be tough but there are millions of consumers out there with a lot of birthdays between them! Even if people can’t afford gifts, a beautiful card can convey a huge amount of sentiment and Britain leads the world in greeting card design. Emphasising the story behind locally made products, regularly updating window displays, moving with the seasons and reacting swiftly to trends, can all help give independent retailers the edge over slower-moving majors. “Convergence retailing is also still gaining momentum, meaning there are ample opportunities for hospitality and leisure destinations to optimise their businesses by offering souvenirs, mementos and own-brand speciality foods and gifts to visitors. The tried and tested combination of coffee and cake (or bread and wine!) together with gift shopping is still a sound recipe for success on Britain’s high streets. Our industry will weather these difficult times with nimble and creative retailing solutions that help businesses maximise profits whilst reducing costs.” IN BRIEF Who: Giving & Living, www.givingliving.co.uk Where: Westpoint, Exeter When: Sunday 15th – Tuesday 17th January, 2023
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