56 Fashion, Accessories & Jewellery, and Kids, Toy, Play & Clothing categories. This year, the competition moves to a new morning timeslot, designed to maximise visibility and commercial opportunity for finalists. By taking place earlier in the day, winning brands will benefit from increased exposure across the show floor, allowing buyers more time to visit stands, continue conversations and place orders throughout the day. BEYOND THE SHOW FLOOR: INSIDE THE CLUBHOUSE Alongside the buying and content experience, Autumn Fair 2026 will also introduce The Clubhouse, an exclusive buyersonly retreat space designed specifically for buyers. Positioned away from the pace of the show floor, The Clubhouse will offer a refined environment where buyers can pause between appointments, hold informal meetings, recharge and network with peers throughout the day. As retail events increasingly become about relationship-building and experience as much as sourcing, The Clubhouse has been designed to elevate the overall visitor experience and give buyers a space to step back, reflect and reconnect during a busy buying schedule. THE RETURN OF GLEE The co-location with Glee adds another major dimension to this year’s event, creating a significantly expanded buying opportunity for retailers operating across home, lifestyle, gifting, outdoor living and garden categories. Glee’s 2026 content programme will feature the return of Centre Stage, where leading industry voices will explore topics including sustainability, operational productivity, retail performance, staffing challenges and the future of garden retail. A brand-new Feed Your Business Stage will also focus on food, beverage and hospitality innovation, a rapidly growing area for many retailers looking to diversify revenue streams and enhance customer experience. Speakers confirmed for Glee include David Robinson, Chief Executive of Dobbies Garden Centres, George Hillier, Chairman of Hillier Nurseries, and Sam Dickson, Managing Director of Squires Garden Centres. The co-location also reflects a wider trend identified in the Voices of Retail report: the continued blending of retail categories and the growing importance of experience-led shopping environments where gifting, hospitality, home and lifestyle increasingly overlap. MORE THAN A TRADE SHOW Autumn Fair 2026 is ultimately positioning itself as something bigger than a sourcing event. It’s becoming a place where retailers can discover products, understand consumers, build strategy, connect with peers and leave better prepared for the rapidly evolving retail landscape ahead. From trend-led buying and practical business insight to immersive content and networking opportunities, the event reflects a retail sector that is no longer purely transactional, but increasingly driven by experience, adaptability and human connection. And with more launches, activations and announcements still to come, Autumn Fair 2026 is clearly aiming to deliver not just another buying season but a more complete picture of where modern retail is heading next.
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