Autumn Fair 2023 hosted over 500 exhibitors and their innovative new products, along with thousands of retail visitors.
Retailers including Sainsbury’s, Next, Dunelm, Ocado, Oliver Bonar, Fenwick, Lakeland, M&S, Matalan, Tesco, Aldi, THJX Eruope, Morrisons, British Garden Centres, Aylett Nurseries, Cotswold Living, and many more converged at the NEC Birmingham from 3-6 September to shop teh show. Many enjoyed special features including the New Product Showcase and the Gift of the Year Showcase, as well as an insightful and visual content programme on the Inspiring Retail Stage.
Daniel Mayhew, event director, Spring and Autumn Fair, commented: “Both the Gift of the Year Showcase and the New Product Showcase displayed some of the best products in show and buyers made a beeline for Hall 6 to discover teh hottest designs for the season ahead.
“We really enjoyed creating a dedicated space to champion our Autumn Fair newcomers and love to see how much our visitors enjoy these and the stimulating content we offer on the Inspiring Retail Stage and Moda Catwalk. Thank you to everyone who has attended and taken part in the show.”
This season’s New Product Showcase championed the new home, gift and fashion brands joining the Autumn Fair line-up for the first time. Buyers looking for newness discovered a curated display of over 50 new exhibitors showcasing over 100 new products as well as the latest products from established favourites and some new designs from returning brands.
The Inspiring Retail Stage welcomed visitors to a programme dedicated to trends, sustainability and business advice. On Monday, TrendBible hosted two presentations on the key trends for 2024.
On Tuesday, Helena Mansell-Stopher, founder of Products of Change, James George, a senior strategist and consultant on circular economy, and Mike Swain, a Products of Change ambassador for packaging, opened with ‘Navigating the Future of Sustainability: Part 1’. Products of Change then returned in the afternoon to panel a session on sustainability journeys.
Retailer feedback from the show was positive. Steve Haspell from Barsleys Kent, commented: “I am buying for our family-owned department store, currently in our fourth generation. I am here buying gift and furniture accessories, I am finding things that I wasn’t intending to buy today. Shows have changed, I have been coming here 10 years, the layout has changed so you are throwing me into areas that I was missing before so I am finding new suppliers.”
