Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Spring Fair, the UK’s leading marketplace for wholesale Home, Gift and Fashion which returns to the NEC Birmingham NEC from 5th – 8th February 2023, opens its doors this Sunday to the UK’s independent retailers and multiples including TK Maxx, Homebase, Funky Pigeon, Chester Zoo, WHSmiths, Asda, Next, Dunelm, River Island, Fenwick, Blue Diamond, John Lewis, Clinton Cards, HobbyCraft, Dobbie, Soho Coffee, The Hut Group, Ebay, Scribbler, Debenhams, Poundland, Sanctuary, Wayfair, Primark, Poundsaver, National Trust, Toy R Us, Chester Zoo, Quiz Clothing, Argos, Sainsburys, Ann Summers, V&A, NotOnTheHighStreet, NewLook, Hallmark, Deichman, Harvey Nichols, Aldi,and tens of thousands more, all looking to discover their store’s next bestsellers amongst the thousands of new products being showcased and launched.
As the definitive ‘shop for shops’, Spring Fair has supported the retail industry for over 70 years and now encompasses the UK’s longest running fashion buying show Moda, offering retailers unmissable cross-buying opportunities across home, gift and fashion, and access to up-and-coming new design talent and hundreds of exciting brands which exhibit exclusively at Spring Fair.
Nicola Meadows, portfolio director at Spring & Autumn Fair, said; “I am delighted to be back at Spring Fair in my new role as Portfolio Director and I am extremely excited to be onsite. With thousands of inspirational brands filling the halls with the latest best-selling products across Home, Gift and Fashion and hours of informative free content, this year’s Spring Fair is set to offer retailers a truly international and vibrant showcase with newness and sustainability top of the agenda.”
NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE
Buyers keen to discover the hottest new designs to launch this season should make a beeline for the New Product Showcase in Hall 4. Offering a curated edit from across the show of the most exciting, brand-new product launches of the year, the showcase will provide retailers with the chance see these innovative new products before anyone else.
Look out for the Debut and First showcases in Beauty & Wellbeing, Housewares, and Greetings & Stationery featuring brand new designers showing at Spring Fair for the first time.
SUSTAINABILITY SHOWCASE
With consumers increasingly purchasing more mindfully, buyers can visit the Sustainability Showcase on the Power of One® stand in Hall 4 to see a selection of some of the best sustainable products. The show has also created a handy Sustainable Trail. Look out for the green leaf icon on exhibitor’s stands to identify brands who are part of the Sustainability Trail helping buyers easily identify sustainable exhibitors and make more educated buying choices.
The Power of One® stand will also be hosting experts from Products of Change. Products of Change are a global educational hub driving sustainable change across consumer product markets and beyond. Returning as the headline sponsors for the Power of One® campaign, their experts will offer 121 meetings and advice to help businesses become more sustainable.
INSPIRING RETAIL STAGE
Featuring leading industry professionals and rising stars, the Inspiring Retail Stage line-up features over 40 speakers, sharing exclusive market intelligence, insights and valuable industry information all designed to provide buyers with the opportunity to increase their knowledge, understand critical market trends and themes, and connect with leaders in the field. Located in Hall 6, the Inspiring Retail Stage has a jam-packed programme with trend updates, e-commerce advice, sustainability guidance and business tips across the four days.
Join retail entrepreneur and TV dragon, Theo Paphitis who will be in conversation with The Sun’s Business Editor, Ashley Armstrong on Tuesday at 2.30pm, looking at some of the current challenges facing businesses across the UK today, and the opportunities that arise out of tougher trading conditions.
The Style Sisters will be sharing their knowledge and expertise on the hybrid home on Tuesday at 10.10am.The retail market has an opportunity to capitalise on growing demand for highly functional, yet fabulously designed products for the home, as consumers adapt to a new way of living.
The stage will also host trend updates with TrendBible. Trend Update: 2024 Home and Lifestyle Trends will uncover how householder behaviours and lifestyle choices are set to underpin product and design trends for the home over the next 12 months and beyond. Trend Update: Celebration and Gifting Trends for 2024 will provide vital insight into the key trends impacting consumers and the opportunities which will elevate celebration, occasion and gift ranges to new levels.
#SBS VILLAGE
Following a successful four-year partnership with Autumn Fair which has supported around 40 start-up businesses so far, Spring Fair now hosts the #SBS winners offering them a free stand worth thousands of pounds within the dedicated #SBS Village situated in a key position within Hall 4.
TV dragon and Small Business Sunday creator Theo Paphitis says: “Exhibiting at Autumn Fair, in the #SBS Village, has meant the world to our #SBS winners since 2018, helping many of them on a fantastic growth path for their business models. I am delighted that we have extended the partnership to Spring Fair, where this year’s Exhibition winners will have an even more valuable opportunity in the early part of 2023. This is an exciting development for #SBS, one of the UK’s leading small business initiatives, and I am looking forward to visiting the show and meeting all our brilliant and deserving winners.”
12 new winners and two past winners who had been unable to exhibit previously, will present their designs, including beauty and wellbeing brand Glamavan with their biodegradable and sustainable glitters; botanical cast fragrance diffusers from The Fox Glove Tree; indulgent bath and body care by Awesome Botanicals; and organic and cruelty-free skincare and candles by Okiki. Gift sector winners include thoughtful sign language gifts from Give Gifts; Glosters Pottery with their range of ceramics created by the sea in Porthmadog, North Wales; wallpaper, prints and luxurious limited edition cushions with the wow factor by Sally Brown; an innovative new dry wash shampoo from TingTang; beauty gifts from Wolf & Griffin; Kitsch Republic with their range of fun homewares and gifts, mosaic kits from China Petals; and Chocolate Moments, the business behind the UK’s first bar of chocolate combined with crunchy crisps offering a unique combination which gives you the best of both sweet and savoury worlds.
Visitors will also be treated to the unique handmade toys from The Wonky Woolins; and inspirational creative, physical, musical, literacy, numeracy, social and scientific learning activity packs from Busy Brain Activity Packs.
Natalie Dawson from Awesome Boanicals said; “I am so grateful to Spring Fair & #SBS for selecting me as one of the winners, I am so excited to be here and grow the wholesale side of the business.”
HOME
Within Home, Living & Décor and The Summerhouse buyers will discover newness and the most stylish and on-trend furniture, textiles, housewares, art, and decorative interior and outdoor accessories from the UK and around the world. The Summerhouse welcomes back Malini, Bloomingville, MyGiftsTrade (including Urban Nature Culture), Hot Tomato, The Libra Company, Terrace & Garden / Casa Verde, Present Time, Jellycat, Stone Glow Candles, Hug Rug, RoseHill, Biggie Best, Morgan Wright brands including Also Home and Rain & Humble, DeluxeHomeart, VanillaFly, and Gallery Direct who is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
New to Spring Fair, visitors will be delighted to discover one of Scandinavia’s leading wholesalers, Wikholm Form, bringing their comprehensive range of products, decorations, furniture, and accessories made from ceramics, glass, wood, metal, basketware, leather and textiles.
Spring Fair welcomes back an array of home and outdoor lifestyle brands for the 2023 event in February, including Coach House, McGowan & Rutherford, Art Marketing, Kaemingk, Mint Interiors by Kettle also featuring Mambo Outdoor Living, London Ornaments, Bakers, Ascalon, Ivyline, Minster Stylish Living, Dutch Import & Daughters, Waltons of Yorkshire, Lows of Dundee, Sparta Decor, Tweedmill, Chic Antique, Fifty Five South, Hanlin, and Hill Interiors. Voyage Maison rejoins the Spring Fair line-up at the front of Hall 6, while lighting industry leaders Searchlight will present a mixture of decorative lighting. Hunter Price and their new Billie Faiers range can also now be found in Home, Living and Décor sector.
Serving up the best in culinary must-haves, from the latest innovations in cookware to the most beautiful table décor, visitors to Housewares will encounter kitchenware and dining ideas from Apollo Housewares, Honest Bottle, Artisania, Kin Limited, Captivate Brands, David Mason (Design), Goodtobee, Jomafe, International Cookware, Juice and Jam, Kuhn Rikon, Olivawood, Pendeford Housewares, T&G Woodware Ltd, RKW, Ultimate Products, Blue Stem Group, JVL Products, and Ulster Weavers. The BIRA/BHETA Village also returns.
New to the show are Pure Table Top, pitched as ‘the home of beautiful tablewares’, their collections feature much-loved brands including Joules, Olly Smith, and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, each with their own signature style.
The Everyday sector in Hall 1 continues to meet the growing demands for everyday affordable items and this season sees an abundance of newness and innovations from Avron, Hovemint, Summit part of PMS, Shatchi, Tallon, RSW, Gem Imports, Import Distribution, RMS International, Pricecheck, Gifts 4 All Occasions, Dina International, Whitefurze, Anand International, Winners Europe, Arix Europe, RAM Enterprise, Rayburn Trading, and 151 Products.
