The Housewares Show (March 5-6, Cranmore Park, Solihull), organised by AIS, was the largest of its kind to date, held across two showrooms with thousands of brands from over 70 exhibitors. The show was open to all independents on its second day.
AIS’ Rachel Breen, show organiser explained: “Trend areas were pocketed around the showroom, displaying on-trend themes and providing inspiration on how to create impactful in-store displays; these included marble and eco-friendly products.”
With the introduction of more environmentally friendly products, Rachel continued: “It was clear that many brands are aware that consumers are becoming more conscious of the impact of single use plastic.”
Among the eco-offering at The Housewares Show was Eddington’s range of sustainable products, including food wraps made out of beeswax, organic cotton, organic jojoba oil and tree resin as an alternative to plastic. Smidge (the new brand from Horwood) also offered consumers a wide range of trendy products to replace single use plastics.
Established brands at the show included Joseph Joseph, Brita, Tefal, De’Longhi. G-tech and home accessories company Umbra, with many featuring new launches, including Denby’s new Studio Grey tableware.
Tim Yeadon from KitchenCraft said the show “was extremely positive,” adding: “The presentation and facilities were first class as always and initiatives such as the eco and hydration displays were very well received. The attendance and support of the members felt very robust and the addition of the non- members day on Wednesday created an interesting dynamic.”
Matt Sampson from Captivate Brands – one of eleven new exhibitors – also described The Housewares Show as “very positive,” with “plenty of interest and several orders taken from buyers looking for new and exciting products from alternative suppliers.”
Meanwhile, the Show’s free Social Media Training “was a great success, offering retailers suggestions on how to drive more traffic to their social media pages and create more brand awareness,” reported Rachel Breen. The show partnered with McCann, a market leading advertising agency for the training.
The Housewares Show returns on August 12 – 14.
Visit www.housewaresshow.co.uk
Top: A view of the recent Housewares Show.
