Gift Focus - Jan/Feb 2018 (Issue 105)

giftfocus 85 spring fair preview with British, European and global visitors and exhibitors. While the ultimate result of Brexit will not be known for some time yet, we’re now seeing an increase in the number of international giftware and homeware suppliers enquiring about exhibiting at Spring Fair, particularly those based in The Netherlands and Scandinavia. Ultimately, they see a huge opportunity to either enter or expand in the UK because of the favourable exchange rate, which is attracting record numbers of tourists to the country. And with bricks and mortar stores across Europe looking to diversify their ranges in a bid to mitigate the competition from virtual outlets, the event is a perfect opportunity to showcase new product lines and secure all-important orders from an assortment of retailers. Do you have any up and coming companies you’d recommend as ‘ones to watch’? Brand new to the Home sector at Spring Fair will be up and coming Swedish brand Spira of Sweden, which does superb soft furnishings and accessories. Over in Gifts, Temerity Jones, Adobe and Batela are definitely ones to watch for their quirky gift ranges covering eclectic, gardening and nautical themes respectively. In The Summerhouse, PTMD Collection from the Netherlands and Lascelles of London are new suppliers for buyers to check out. Finally, why should buyers visit Spring Fair 2018? While other shows tend to focus on one sector, be it gifting, greetings, tableware, home interiors or fashion, Spring Fair provides something for everyone and our 14 sectors cover all aspects of the gifting sector, providing unrivalled opportunities to source a diverse range of merchandise. And we don’t only focus on one end of the market – we have exhibitors showcasing big- ticket, luxury goods, as well as those offering more affordable, small gifts. It makes us a one-of-a-kind destination for independent retailers, lifestyle shops, garden centres, furniture and department stores to stock next season’s must-have giftware. Visitors to the event will also find two additional shows to explore; the Jewellery & Watch show is ideal for gift retailers looking to diversify into jewellery as an accessible and varied line for customers with a competitive profit margin for the business. The show displays mid-range fashion and costume jewellery as well as watches. There’s also the new Glee concession I mentioned earlier, which will cover the latest in garden and outdoor living products that make great gifts, giving retailers plenty of opportunity to stock new ranges. What’s more we decode and package up all the latest trend insights into tailored and easily-digestible content that retailers and buyers simply won’t find elsewhere. This kind of expertise and valuable business advice, as demonstrated in our new The Atelier feature, is yet another USP for Spring Fair and just part of the many reasons why buyers should visit us in February. g Spring Fair 2017 boasted over 58,000 visitors, covering the entire retail industry and all the major players – from large multiples to smaller independent stores. Spring Fair 2018 will take place at Birmingham’s NEC from 4 th - 8 th February, 2018, with Volume opening a day earlier. For more information please visit springfair.com