comment ‘Newness and innovation is the
lifeblood of the housewares sector’ Louise Young, managing director of Spring and Autumn Fair at Ascential Events, gives a post-show analysis of the February exhibition
merchandise and display products in line with the new expectations of shoppers were included too. The Atelier was informed by content from
industry-leading forecasters and platforms WGSN, Pinterest, One Click Retail and Coloro. After its warm reception, the Atelier will be
expanded on for Autumn Fair 2018. It’s absolutely crucial for retailers and suppliers to have a deep-rooted knowledge of shifts in the marketplace and have their finger on the consumer pulse. We hope to find new ways of making
The Atelier an ongoing source of such inspiration, and a real glimpse into the future. Watch this space!
resident chef Malcolm Harradine. These experiences are vital – they appeal to
the senses, offer creative stimulus to our visitors and add to the atmosphere of Spring Fair. As consumers want stores to be experience-led locations, our fairs should match this viewpoint.
Autumn Fair 2018 and beyond Expect to see more development in the same direction for Autumn Fair 2018 and beyond, including a central demonstration hub in Hall 9, which we are developing in partnership with Housewares Magazine for Spring Fair 2019. Tied to delivering more experiences, we will
H
be introducing a new section at Autumn Fair. Global Handicrafts will showcase locally made products from all over the world and demonstrate how these products came to life and tell the stories behind them. The origin of products is becoming a key
ome and giſt retailers attend Spring Fair to build relationships, find inspiration and ultimately find
new products that will excite their customers and fly off their shelves. Like many other sectors in the industry, it is a
challenging time for housewares suppliers and retailers. Changing consumer demands and the digitisation of the marketplace continue to rewrite the rule book. In addition, there is the ongoing need to reinvent the shopping experience. We understand the challenges that
businesses are facing across the industry, and will continue to work with the industry to create a marketplace that helps us meet and overcome these challenges as one. This year, I spoke with many of the retailers in
attendance, and was encouraged by the conversations we had. They delighted in uncovering new trends and products, and were looking forward to taking what they had found and learned back to their businesses. One of the new initiatives created at Spring
Fair to help retailers understand what consumers will be shopping for over the next year and beyond was The Atelier. An immersive feature, it enabled buyers to
visually and physically experience the key trends that consumers will be driven by from now, right up to 2020. Tips on how to
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revenue driver with the rise of the conscious consumer. Shoppers want to know what inspired the conception of the products they buy, how they were made and where the product comes from, as well as all the parts that went into them too. We hope that with this new section, retailers
New immersive feature The Atelier enabled buyers to visually and physically experience key consumer trends
Hall 9 Hall 9 – home to our Kitchen, Dining and Housewares section - had some real highlights this year, and demonstrated that branded products are still a leading sales driver for consumers. As well as being well-attended, we saw
stand-out celebrity appearances from Joe Wicks on the Meyer stand, James Martin on the Denby stand and Horwood stand, Joe Fattorini on the Dutch Creative Brands stand, Jeremy Pang on the Dexam stand and Ken Hom on the DKB stand. Plus, the Housewares LIVE stand (organised
by Housewares Magazine) hosted demonstrations from Joe Wicks, Joe Fattorini, Jeremy Pang and Ken Hom, along with its
•
HousewaresLive.net
and manufacturers alike will find new ways of merchandising and marketing products that promote differentiation and deliver a unique retail offer to consumers. Newness and innovation is the lifeblood of
both the housewares sector and the wider homeware and gift industry, now more than ever before. In response to this, at Autumn Fair 2018, we will be creating a section for start-ups – those that challenge the status quo and offer transformative thinking. We hope that by studying the up-and-comers, established brands will be empowered to remain inventive. While Spring Fair 2018 is over, the stage is
now set for Autumn Fair 2018, which will showcase what’s up and coming for 2019, with new product launches along with the latest in stock products for the golden quarter. We look forward to seeing you there.
• Autumn Fair 2018 will run from September 2 to September 5 at Birmingham’s NEC. Applications for stands are open at
www.autumnfair.com.
•
twitter.com/Housewaresnews March/April 2018
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