CROSSING CATEGORY BOUNDARIES Glee 2026 is a must-visit buying destination for gift retailers in the garden sector and beyond Whilst Glee is best known as the UK’s leading garden retail exhibition, its Home, Gift & Clothing sector has become an increasingly important destination for gift buyers seeking products that align with the lifestyle-led shopping habits of today’s consumers. Taking place at the NEC Birmingham from 8th-10th September 2026, the sector will showcase a diverse mix of gifting, fashion, homewares, wellbeing and seasonal products, whilst the wider exhibition offers even more opportunities to discover products with strong gift appeal. Confirmed exhibitors within Home, Gift & Clothing include APAC Group, Backdoorshoes, Beautypro & Wonderbalm, Body Doctor, Creative Products, DK Household Brands, Forager, Hallmark Cards, Horwood Homewares, IF, Klass, LEON Ultralight Boots, Mud Mate, Rosy Roo, Sanderson Scion Crackers, Seedball, SockShop, Sox Hut, The Source Wholesale, Toymaster, UK Greetings, Ukonic and Woodmansterne. Together, they represent a broad cross-section of the gifting market, spanning fashion and accessories, greeting cards and stationery, wellbeing products, licensed merchandise, home accessories, seasonal gifting and impulse purchases. Buyers will also find products that tap into key consumer trends including self-care, sustainability, outdoor living and natureinspired gifting. Beyond traditional gift categories The Home, Gift & Clothing sector provides a strong standalone destination for gift retailers, bringing together both established suppliers and exciting emerging brands. However, one of Glee’s unique advantages is the opportunity to go beyond traditional gift categories and discover complementary products from across the wider exhibition. As consumers increasingly shop by lifestyle rather than department, retailers are finding success with products that cross category boundaries. At Glee, buyers can source everything from decorative planters, indoor growing kits and stylish gardening accessories through to wildlife products, pet gifts, outdoor entertaining ranges, speciality food and drink, and outdoor living products, all offering strong gifting potential and opportunities to create distinctive retail displays. This breadth of product categories allows buyers to identify new trends, uncover unexpected bestsellers and build more diverse retail offers that encourage repeat visits and increased spend. Europe’s biggest buying moment Adding even greater value in 2026 is Glee’s co-location with Autumn Fair, creating what organisers are calling Europe’s biggest buying moment. For the first time, visitors will be able to access two of the UK’s leading retail trade exhibitions within a single trip, unlocking thousands of additional brands across gift, home, fashion, beauty, stationery, children’s products and seasonal categories. Importantly, buyers will benefit from two full days where both exhibitions are open simultaneously, allowing them to move freely between Glee and Autumn Fair to maximise their buying time and discover products across multiple retail sectors. On 10th September, Glee will continue as a standalone event, providing visitors with dedicated time to delve deeper into the show’s extensive garden, outdoor living, pet, food, home and gifting sectors. The combined event creates an unrivalled sourcing opportunity, enabling buyers to compare trends, meet suppliers, uncover new brands and identify fresh commercial opportunities, whilst the additional standalone day ensures there is ample time to fully explore everything Glee has to offer. Matthew Mein, Event Director for Glee and Autumn Fair, said: “Retail continues to evolve, and buyers are increasingly looking beyond traditional category boundaries for inspiration. Home, Gift & Clothing remains a key destination within Glee, bringing together an exciting mix of suppliers and products that reflect the lifestyle-led purchasing habits of today’s consumers. “What makes this year’s event particularly exciting is the breadth of opportunities available across both Glee and Autumn Fair. Visitors will be able to discover established brands, emerging trends and entirely new product categories across two industry-leading exhibitions, making this a highly efficient and valuable buying trip.” See you at Glee 2026 Whether visiting specifically for Home, Gift & Clothing or exploring the wider opportunities available across both events, Glee 2026 offers gift retailers a unique chance to discover new products, identify emerging trends and source from an exceptional range of suppliers – all under one roof. Grab your free ticket to Europe’s biggest buying moment by visiting http://www.gleebirmingham.com. IN BRIEF: WHO: Glee, www.gleebirmingham.com WHERE: NEC, Birmingham WHEN: 8th-10th September, 2026 67 GLEE PREVIEW
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