The inaugural event bought together leading retailers including Argos, Sainsbury’s, Dunelm, Fortnum and Mason, Lakeland, TalkingTables, Wilko, Fenwick, Aldi and many more.
Offering a global showcase, exhibitors from over 20 territories including Egypt, Pakistan, Ghana, Nepal, Singapore, Europe and the US converged at the NEC, Birmingham. The launch show also welcomes country pavilions from China and three Indian pavilions.
Mrinalika Bhardwaj, founder of Kaushalam, which produces authentic Indian hand-painted homeware products and utensils, commented: “This is our first exhibition in the UK. Source Home & Gift was something I really wanted to be part of and we’ve really had a tremendous response. People really love the product. I’ve made very mice business here, some we booked on the spot, and some are in the pipeline for us.”
Source Home & Gift also hosted a delegation from Bangladesh Women in Ecommerce initiative, to highlight the work they do to support female entrepreneurs. Bangladesh is now standing at a crucial point, poised to become a developing country by 2024, it is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The Bangladeshi government has signed a three-year agreement with Source Home and Gift to help support the initiative and showcase the female entrepreneurs at future shows.
Suzanne Ellingham, director of sourcing at Source Home & Gift, added: “What an opening show. We’ve seen gorgeous, responsibly made products from around the world, met some very talented people and changemakers, and heard the brilliant and emotional storeis behind the businesses.
“The show has created life-changing connections and given the UK a genuine platform for responsible sourcing. We couldn’t have asked for more for our inaugural show and can’t wait to be back in September.”
Source Home & Gift returns to the NEC Birmingham on 3 – 6 September.
