Sourcing show, Source Home & Gift closed its doors last week following a successful and insightful four days, connecting the global sourcing community.
The show attracted leading retailers including Fenwick, Next, John Lewis, Laura Ashley, ProCook, and many more, sourcing responsibly made homewares from hundreds of manufacturers and brands from around the world.
Source Home & Gift’s largest edition to date championed ethical and sustainable manufacturing as a catalyst for positive change in retail. Innovative makers and artisans from emerging markets such as Senegal, Ghana and Nepal joined over 400 suppliers from over 25 countries, including Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, UK, US and more.
Hisham El Gazzar, ceo at exhibitor Yadawee, said: “This is my third time exhibiting at Source Home & Gift. For me as an Egyptian exporter, the UK market is important because we have bilateral agreement between the UK and Egypt which enables us to have our products in the UK with preferential tariffs. In the last two days, we’ve had very good buyers coming in and passing by. We’ve had wholesalers, retailers and museum shops coming by, so there are different buyers with different needs. This is something very good for our business.’”
Very Nile Shop added: “We recycle plastic bags and also plastic bottle caps collected from the Nile River. These can be donated, but we also collect these from the Nile directly. We work with communities on upcycling or recycling them to create a wide range of products from tableware to bags and lifestyle products in general, and we create materials that can actually be sold and used by brands. The show has been so great. The thing I like is that a lot of people are interested in the materials we create because they’re very unique, and the story is also that we empower artisans from a marginalised community. We will definitely be back in September.”
Alexandra Edmunds, category sourcing manager at John Lewis said: “Source Home & Gift has been great. There are a variety of locations at the show, and to see exhibitors from new and emerging markets is very exciting.”
Visitors to the New Product Showcase discovered a myriad of products from around the world, from powerhouse manufacturers and artisan producers. For example, South African-based Gingham Ceramics displayed its hand-crafted ceramic tableware.
The Responsible Retail Stage played host to internationally renowned industry professionals who discussed the success and challenges of sustainable retail, latest trends and shared invaluable advice on how to foster global collaboration.
The next edition of Source Home & Gift takes place on the 1st – 4th September at NEC Birmingham. Visit www.source-homeandgift.com for more information.
