The winners of Gift of the Year 2025, organised by The Giftware Association, have been unveiled.
Gift of the Year honours outstanding products that capture the spirit of giving across the retail landscape. This year saw a record-breaking number of entries and some of the most inventive, heartwarming, and sustainable gifts the industry has ever seen.
These winners stood out for their exceptional design, innovation, and ability to wow the judges — who were made up of buyers and retailers — and ultimately will see their products in the hands of consumers, whether on the high street, online, or in boutique stores across the country.
Posted: 23 May 2025
G H Stafford & Son LTD — one of the UK's leading suppliers of leathergoods and accessories — is launching a nationwide Window Display Competition to celebrate the creativity of independent retailers. The competition kicks off on Saturday 24th May 2025.
Retailers are invited to submit photos of a window display featuring G H Staffords' products by Monday 7th July 2025, with a £100 account credit awarded to the best entry in each of six regions:
Scotland & NI, North, Midlands, South, Wales, and Ireland.
Posted: 22 May 2025
Clarion Events has announced that the January Furniture Show has been named a finalist in the Best UK Tradeshow (More Than 8,000sqm) category at the AEO (Association of Event Organisers) Excellence Awards 2025.
This prestigious recognition celebrates the January Furniture Show's continued commitment to delivering an outstanding event experience for the UK's furniture and interiors industry. Taking place annually at the NEC Birmingham, the show brings together thousands of industry professionals, leading brands, and emerging designers to showcase the very best in British and international furniture design and manufacturing.
The AEO Awards celebrate excellence across the events industry, highlighting innovation, growth, and impact. Being shortlisted in the More Than 8,000sqm category underscores the scale and success of the January Furniture Show as a leading trade exhibition.
Posted: 20 May 2025
Get ready to discover a fresh wave of gift inspiration with the exciting launch of the INDX Gift Edit, a dynamic new trade show set to invigorate the UK giftware market in 2026.
Designed to connect leading suppliers with UK and Ireland retailers, the INDX Gift Edit will arrive at Midlands event venue, Cranmore Park on 19 May 2026.
Responding to the evolving needs of the gift industry, the INDX Gift Edit promises a commercially curated selection of high-quality products spanning food and drink, homeware, fashion accessories, stationery, toys, artisan crafts, and much more.
Jane Bartlett, Director of Events, AIS, and Cranmore Park: "We have listened to the industry and are creating an event that is both commercially focused and inspiring."
Posted: 20 May 2025
Autumn Fair, the UK's largest B2B retail trade show for Home, Gift & Fashion of the season, returns to the NEC Birmingham from 7–10 September 2025, bringing together over 800 leading brands and 12,000+ retail buyers for four days of high-impact product discovery ahead of the busiest season in retail.
At the heart of this year's edition is a powerhouse line-up of industry favourites and bestselling brands across ten curated destinations who use the show as the perfect stage to unveil new products.
Retailers can expect to source from the likes of Candlelight Products, Bedeck, Ty UK, Gingko, Widdop & Co, Kikkerland, Sass & Belle, Bomb Cosmetics, Five Dollar Shake, Baby Republic, Ohh Deer, Powell Craft, and My Gifts Trade.
Posted: 13 May 2025
Scotland's Trade Fair Autumn is set to return to the SEC, Glasgow from 21-22 Sept 2025.
After a temporary shift to August, this boutique show is moving back to its traditional September slot – a more convenient buying period for retailers as the busy Scottish summer tourist season winds down.
This curated trade event will welcome around 100 exhibitors, offering a rich showcase of high-quality Scottish products alongside innovative brands from across the UK and beyond. Nearly a third of the exhibitors are new to the show, bringing fresh ideas and products to Scotland for the first time.
Ones to take a peek at are Harrow & Green Christmas gifts, MuseARTa, Christopher Walster illustrations, The Modern Crafter and Curiously Charmed jewellery.
Posted: 6 May 2025
Autumn Fair returns to the NEC Birmingham from 7–10 September, offering retailers a key opportunity to refresh their product ranges ahead of the peak shopping season. The 2024 edition saw a 34% rise in new, high-calibre buyers, and following this success, the show is expanding with 10% more floor space. Now 85% sold and close to being fully booked, it will feature an expertly curated collection of over 800 brands, showcasing thousands of must-have products across three key destinations: Home, Gift, and Fashion.
Posted: 1 May 2025
The Creative Retail Awards has unveiled the judging panel for the 2025 Awards, which celebrate innovation and excellence across the retail, leisure, and hospitality sectors.
This year's panel is tasked with selecting the most impactful projects.
The 2025 judging panel includes:
· Isabella Fish – Retail Editor at The Times and The Sunday Times, widely recognised for her in-depth coverage and analysis of trends shaping the retail landscape.
· Ian Scott – International retail consultant and founder of Ian Scott Consulting, known for his expertise in retail strategy and global trends. He is notably credited with introducing the concept of Symbiotic Retail, an approach that advocates for all retail channels to function cohesively as a unified ecosystem to enhance the shopper experience.
Posted: 29 April 2025
New research from jewellery brand Azora reveals a cultural shift in how Brits shop for jewellery, with younger generations abandoning trend-led buys in favour of minimalist, meaningful pieces that define a new kind of status symbol – the capsule collection.
In a nationwide survey, conducted to coincide with Earth Day, the data found that eight in ten Gen Z (people under 28 years of age) consumers now shop exclusively for everyday or investment pieces. For Millennials, the figure is two-thirds. Jewellery has become an expression of personal identity – worn daily, chosen with care, and rooted in emotional significance.
Despite the UK jewellery market exceeding £11 billion in 2023/2024, today's shoppers are embracing a "fewer, finer" mindset.
Posted: 28 April 2025
Source Fashion returns from the 8th -10th July 2025, moving into a larger venue, The Grand Hall, Olympia London to accommodate its season-on-season growth.
The show has grown by 30 percent each season, and now in its 3rd year, is showing no signs of slowing down.
Source Fashion is a global platform with exhibitors from over 25 countries including manufacturing power houses China, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Turkey as well as a growing focus on the UK and emerging African markets.
As the gateway to the UK fashion industry, Source Fashion connects audited, international manufacturers and suppliers with UK retailers, brands, wholesalers and corporates who want to make better.
Posted: 28 April 2025
