FEATURE
BUYERS ‘MADE AWARE’ AT SOLEX 2017
Insight into the trends and innovations in outdoor living products for next summer will be presented at SOLEX 2017 on July 11-13 at NEC, Birmingham
which ones are part of the scheme. New exhibitors at SOLEX this year include Alfresco Chef, Apollo, Cane Industries, Charles Taylor, Hampson Agencies, Miriad, Tepee and Tramontina. “This year will be our 10th anniversary show and year on year the exhibitor numbers grow as companies want to have a presence because it is the best route to market for our product classes,” concluded Mr Gibbs.
A
imed specifically at buyers of equipment for outdoor living the Summer Outdoor Living Exhibition (SOLEX)
is organised by the Leisure and Outdoor Furniture
Association
(LOFA) exclusively for its members to exhibit their products. “This year’s event promises to be bigger and even more attractive to retailers”, said secretary Phil Gibbs, “showcasing the very latest in garden furniture, barbecues and pizza ovens, outdoor lighting and heating, parasols, gazebos, decorative metalwork and play equipment from more than 70 leading brands in readiness for the 2018 season”.
National and international
retail purchasing managers will have the opportunity to check out what leading manufacturers and suppliers of garden products are planning for next summer, allowing them to exert greater influence over the ranges of products they will stock in their shops.
Keeping garden products green Very much a focal point of the show will be LOFA ‘s ‘Made Aware’ campaign and the association encourages retailers to visit their stand to find out how participants operate their businesses with due
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regard both for the environment and its workers by seeking ways to improve the environmental and ethical impact of their own products and activities. LOFA’s primary aim as a
professional trade association is to work with its members to develop good working practices, a respect for the environment and to provide consumers with up-to-date information on lifestyle products for the garden. “We invite retailers to visit our stand to find out for themselves the importance of compliance issues with regard to the products they sell,” explained Mr Gibbs. “Many of them are involved
directly in importing these themselves rather than via a third party but often don’t appreciate that they are as liable as the supplier should they retail items that are actually illegal. We are making every effort to assist our members with the knowledge they need to ensure they comply with environmental and ethical regulations; all have been audited and we will carry out a further audit in the Autumn to ensure their business activities and products meet requirements including timber and cushion flammability regulations.” Having made a commitment, companies display the ‘Made Aware’ scheme label on their products so that customers can see
30 JUNE 2017 DIY WEEK 21
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