Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
An 11% increase in overseas buyers to last month’s Home and Top Drawer shows underlines the importance of London as an international buying destination, and the demand for British design amongst the world’s most influential retailers.
So says Clarion Events, whose two co-located exhibitions attracted buyers from over 57 countries, including representatives of US stores Crate & Barrel, Bloomingdales, MoMA and Anthropologie, Mitsukoshi in Japan and El Corte Ingles in Spain.
The domestic market was also well represented, with visitor figures of around 14,000 ending on a par with those of 2012. Buyers came from, amongst others, Selfridges, Bentalls, Fenwick, John Lewis, Debenhams, House of Fraser, Achica, Amazon, Fortnum and Mason, Liberty, Conran, Heal’s and Divertimenti.
The shows hosted the largest number of British and international design-led brands in their history, and this year saw more kitchen and tabletop brands at Home, with new exhibitors such as Bugatti, JME collection, Royal Doulton and House of Hemingway.
Clarion says it aims to grow kitchenware and tabletop further within Home next year. And 2014 also sees the addition of a third show to the mix. Craft will host over 100 makers of high-quality hand-made products and international craft organisations, and will take place alongside Home and Top Drawer from January 12 to 14 2014 at Earl’s Court.
Meanwhile, this year’s autumn/winter edition of Top Drawer runs from September 15 to 17 at London’s Olympia.
