The latest issues of Progressive Housewares and Progressive Electrical are available to read online now.
We are already nearing the halfway point of the year, which means only one thing for the housewares industry – it’s almost time for Exclusively, which runs on the 12 and 13 June at the Business Design Centre in Islington.
Show organiser, BHETA, sold out of exhibition space in February this year, proving just how valuable the show continues to be for the sector. From page 46, you can read from a range of exhibitors about what their plans are for the show and new product launches they are preparing.
The ever-popular drinks reception will return this year from 5.30-8pm on Tuesday 12 June, with live music from the Live Lounge Band and Daisy Kate. Other highlights at the show include trend talks and tours from Scarlet Opus, which run throughout both days. BHETA is also offering a generous incentive package for independents visiting the show. For more details, turn to the BHETA news on page 21.
As we are now almost halfway through 2024, we also caught up with some key suppliers in a special roundtable feature for this issue, to find out how the year has been so far, what the highlights have been, and what the expectation is for the remaining six months.
With the year disappearing so quickly, it’s also time to look forward to October for the much-anticipated Excellence in Housewares Awards 2024. Entries are now open via the online portal at www.ExcellenceInHousewaresAwards.co.uk and all entries to both the retailer and product categories are free to enter. The system is easy to use, but help is on hand if you need any support with entries. Submissions close on Friday 21 June, 2024, so do make sure to get your products and stores in the running.
Some of our esteemed retail judges have shared their hopes and expectations for this year’s judging process in this issue, as well as the trends they have seen emerging on the front line. The best in class will be honoured at the annual awards ceremony on Wednesday 2 October at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London, so do be sure to book your tickets and tables soon too to avoid disappointment.
Elsewhere in the issue, we hear from Anne Kong, part of the gia judging panel for the Top Window award, with her top tips for winning window displays, as well as some of last year’s EIHA finalists. Retailers who go above and beyond in terms of visual merchandising will, as always be recognised at EIHA, but the entries for those categories will also be considered for the UK finalists for the gia Top Window award 2024, so make sure your windows are entered, too.
Finally, we went on a virtual world tour for this issue, to speak to international housewares suppliers about their import and export journeys, how their move into the UK market is going, how Brexit affected the process and what their future plans are.
Over in Progressive Electrical, GfK’s Bruce Denton has shared his annual insight into the SDA sector in this issue. And although we are a year on from his last column, consumer confidence has shown little improvement.
As always, SDA manufacturers have risen to the challenge and there is plenty of innovation to suit consumer needs ready to be showcased at Exclusively this year (11-12 June, The Business Design Centre, Islington).
Earlier in the year, suppliers headed to The Inspired Home Show in Chicago and our report on the Wired and Well hall shows that there was no shortage in new product launches and exciting innovation there, either, along with some new brands emerging in the sector.
After Exclusively, many suppliers in the sector will be readying for IFA Berlin, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2024. PH caught up with new ceo of IFA Management, Leif Lindner in this issue, who shared the plans for the milestone event, as well as a new brand image and plenty of exciting additions to the show floor.
With just a few weeks to go until Exclusively, the team at Progressive Housewares is looking forward enormously to catching up with you all at the show. See you in London
