EVENT REVIEW: SPRING FAIR 2023 SPRING FAIR T
housands of independent retailers, online stores, multiples, department stores, lifestyle boutiques,
garden centres, pharmacies, florists, museums, destination stores, convenience stores, supermarkets and many more including Very Group, Debenhams, Harrods, Selfridges, Marks & Spencer, Next, Argos, Sainsbury, Tesco, Asda, Hello Fresh, Natural History Museum, TK Maxx, Funky Pigeon, John Lewis, Scribbler, Fenwick, Blue Diamond, Hallmark, Dobbies, Poundsaver, Quiz Clothing, Dunelm, Deichmann, Science Museum, Waterstones, TruffleShuffle, WHSmith, Wowcher, Soletrader, Poundland, Paramount, HMV, Boots, QVC, V&A, and Harvey Nichols visited during the four day show at NEC Birmingham. Nicola Meadows, Portfolio
Director of Spring Fair said: “The atmosphere has genuinely been magical over the last four days. The stories we’ve heard from our fantastic visitors and exhibitors has highlighted what an awe-inspiring, diverse, inspirational, collaborative, and friendly community Spring Fair
offers. The scale of business being done across all our Gift, Home and Fashion sectors underpins the value of incorporating so much variety and cross-buying opportunities. It is incredible to hear about so many life-changing connections and micro-communities being developed.” Karen Wright, Director of Honeysuckle and winner of the £1,000 gift voucher to spend at Spring Fair said: “Spring Fair was great and very inspirational, showcasing a good homeware and lifestyle collection which is exactly what we were looking for. We got what we needed to move our range forward for spring, as well as getting stock for Christmas 2023 with new ideas for themes to recreate at our store. We will now be able to freshen up our shops and show fresh new trends. There was a great selection of suppliers and a great opportunity to see stock and pull together ranges.” Olivia Hogg from Morleys Store added: “This will mark my 15th visit to Spring Fair as a buyer and it never disappoints on the offer and atmosphere. I had a jam-packed day with suppliers, existing and new.
IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS
Spring Fair, the UK’s leading marketplace for wholesale home, gift and fashion, closed on a high with buoyant feedback highlighting the variety and diversity of retailers in attendance creating a very optimistic outlook for the industry as international buyers and normality returns and cross-buying opportunities create newness and excitement on the show floor.
As I have multiple stores, I cannot place orders at the show but the brands that can produce a digital favourites report score highly with me. The fair is easy to get to from London and some fab food for lunch down the concourse on the way to The Summerhouse. A must visit for any buyer.” Nigel Waller, Founder of Art Marketing in Home, Living & Décor said: “We’ve had a very good opening day. We’ve been doing Spring Fair for 35 years, it’s important to display our stuff so customers can see our products. We come here to meet new customers and of course, see our existing customers.”
Hannah Goundry from Home County Candle Co in Gift said: “This is our fourth Spring Fair; we’re getting lots of reorders from existing customers and we’ve met some new accounts. We’re really happy with how it’s going. We always do Autumn Fair; NEC shows are the best for opening orders and new accounts. In general, we find it more transactional in terms of people are here to place orders, and they’re here to do business. We do a
24 DIY WEEK MARCH 2023
lot of business with garden centres, independent businesses, and farm shops – that’s our target market with retail. We’ve met an interesting chain of garden centres this time. We leave the show knowing that we’ve more than covered the cost of our stand. Spring and Autumn Fair make a difference.”
Spring Fair shines spotlight on supporting new retailing talent Spring Fair welcomed one of retail’s most forward-thinking entrepreneurs on day three, TV Dragon and #Small Business Sunday Founder Theo Paphitis, as part of the show’s continuing ethos to support and guide up-and- coming design and retailing talent and nurture the show’s retail community.
Speaking to a packed audience of
retailers, Theo Paphitis, interviewed by The Sun’s Business Editor Ashley Armstrong, said: “I’ve had an incredibly vibrant career being an entrepreneur, it was never a career in my day. Hunger and passion is key, but it can’t be taught. There are different levels of entrepreneurial success. Most entrepreneurs are
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