Spring Fair returns to the NEC from February 4-8 2018, when thousands of exhibitors from the UK and wider world will showcase their latest product ranges across a number of sectors, including:
Beauty & Wellbeing, Contemporary Gift, Children’s Gifts & Toys, Christmas Gifts, Floral & Seasonal Decoration, DIY & Home Improvement, Fashion Jewellery & Luggage, Gift, Glee at Spring Fair, Greetings & Gift, Home, Kitchen, Dining & Housewares, Retail Solutions, The Party Show, The Summerhouse, Volume Gift & Home.
For the first time in 2018 a concession for specialist garden centre trade exhibition, Glee, will open at Spring Fair in Hall 3, alongside Christmas Gifts, Floral and Seasonal Decorations (Hall 2), and Greetings & Gifts (Hall 3). From this central location it will deliver a selection of some of the best products from some of Glee’s core product sectors.
Emphasis has also been placed on the booming Beauty & Wellbeing sector for the 2018 show, which has grown in line with consumer demand as sales of personal care products in the UK reached an all-time high of £4bn last year according to the Cosmetic and Perfumery Retailers Association. To help retailers capitalise on this trend, some of the world’s leading suppliers will showcase indulgent bath and shower products, premium skincare, cosmetics, men’s grooming and natural remedies in Spring Fair’s Beauty & Wellbeing zone.
Louise Young, Managing Director of Spring Fair, said: “Recent economic uncertainty has encouraged shoppers to seek out small luxuries, rather than big-ticket items, with beauty brands finding that sales remain buoyant. The Beauty & Wellbeing sector is designed to help retailers diversify their offerings by showcasing a wide selection of products that will help them meet growing consumer demand for ‘feelgood’ products.”
The show will also incorporate the UK’s largest gathering of giftware suppliers, to include major UK and international suppliers and a wealth of new design talent. This sector will also house the UK’s largest collection of home fragrances, with more than 50 major home fragrance brands present.
There will be the major showcase of greetings and stationery in Hall 3 of the show. With the UK purchasing an average of 33 cards per person every year, more than £1.7bn was spent on greetings cards last year. The ‘Everyday’ category continues to account for the largest share of sales and as traditional greeting card companies evolve their businesses, they have extended their creative designs onto many more products, from stationery to gift ranges, presenting retailers with a great opportunity to cross-sell.
In Hall 1 of the show, the flourishing Home sector will feature the largest collection of international brands you can find in the UK this season, bringing together hundreds of suppliers who will present a plethora of inspiring, deco fashion, on-trend homeware items including textiles, furniture, interior and outdoor accessories, as well as soft furnishings.
Meanwhile in Hall 8, handpicked, design-led home and gift collections will in The Summerhouse, including a raft of new exhibitors in this destination showcase. Tabletop, kitchenware and housewares will be presented nearby in Hall 9, where the popular Housewares LIVE demonstration area – supplied by Magimix – returns with an exciting schedule of new product showcases and tasting experiences.
Kicking it all off will be actor, director, producer and writer Ryan Philpott, who will be hosting the events at Housewares LIVE, making sure that the audience gets involved as much as possible throughout the course of the four days. Kitchen hardware expert Malcolm Harradine will be joined by celebrity chefs Jeremy Pang and Ken Hom to showcase a selection of the best products and innovations to use in the kitchen, while The Wine Show’s Joe Fattorini will also explain how retailers can introduce memorable wine tasting experiences to their stores, getting them to try out a unique tasting for themselves.
According to M
intel, the kitchen has become a “hub for entertaining, eating and family leisure time at home”, while consumers’ fondness for home cooking and baking is “adding to a love of gadgets and small kitchen appliances”. This is encouraging households to splash out for greater style and has made kitchen, dining and houseware products attractive gifts all year round. More than 150 leading industry brands from around the world will be present in the sector.
Zoe Bonser, Head of Sales at Spring Fair, commented: “In a recent survey, Bira Cookshop & Housewares members highlighted that cookshops need to diversify and reinvent themselves in order to attract new customers to their stores and increase spend. The beauty of Spring Fair is that it presents buyers and store owners with the best opportunity to source their traditional ranges, but also a unique chance to identify new suppliers that can broaden their existing offering.”
As well as helpin
g retailers find next season’s bestsellers, Spring Fair will present the latest trends and deliver valuable business advice from leading industry experts.
Images from top to bottom: Woodmansterne, Glee at Spring Fair, Sara Miller licensed travel bags by My Gifts Trade, IBOERS, Santoro, Bolsius, Peace and Blessings, Parlane, Room, Fizz Creations, If You Care, Casa Grande, Ian Malkin, Voyage Maison, Casa Grande, Shelli Graham Illustration
