18 minute read
Trade Talk A selection of Home & Gift exhibitors reveal what they are hoping to achieve at the show
Trade talk
With the 2022 edition of Home & Gift just around the corner, we ask a selection of exhibitors what products they are most excited about launching at the Harrogate event, and what they are hoping to achieve at the show
Stephen Thurlow
Director Alexander Thurlow
Why are you exhibiting at Home & Gift?
We feel this is probably the best time to have a trade show. It’s perfect for the forthcoming Winter season. It also gives us time to see how our new ranges are being received, and if we need to tweak any products.
We are launching a new selection of animal designs. We have managed to recreate some wonderfully lifelike designs - which is what has been so important in the success of our Love Nature products.
What are you hoping to achieve at the show?
For us, the main point of the show is to meet new customers and keep our brand at the forefront of people’s minds. We advertise in trade magazines heavily before Harrogate, so hopefully this is picked up by some of the retailers (large and small) that we are keen to work with.
Because we are concentrating on producing our own unique designs, it’s not something that’s really on our radar at the moment.
What makes this show special for you?
Well, we have been showing at Harrogate off and on since the very first show. I still have a show catalogue from 1954! So we have a great fondness for this event. The customers always arrive in a buoyant mood, the sun always seems to be shining, and there’s always some great socialising at the end of the day in the town.
Any top tips for visitors?
Stay for at least two days, to give yourself time to get around. There really is a lot to see. And enjoy not only the show, but Harrogate itself.
Richard Wood
This is our first time exhibiting as Broughton & Beech and although the trade show is not new to me, we believe it is a great opportunity to showcase our new product ranges and home fragrance solutions. We have a great location in DP1-C48 and plan to bring more than 50 new products across both our Julie Dodsworth and Mr & Mrs Fragrance brands.
We have a diverse range, including melts, incense, hand cream, soap, electrical diffusers, candles, reed diffusers, and car fragrance, most of which will be exhibited for the first time. We are excited to share our new patterns and designs that Julie has created, and the evolution of her brand alongside the unique and unmistakable products and characters from Mr & Mrs Fragrance.
What are you hoping to achieve at the show?
We are looking forward to spending time with our existing customers and sharing all our newness, while also looking for new retailers and partners.
What makes this show special for you?
The show environment and setting are unique and one that is keenly anticipated every year. I have been exhibiting or visiting the show for nearly 25 years and it is my favourite: that view, I know, is shared by retailers and exhibitors alike. The mix of young and mature businesses, and some amazingly creative and talented individuals, make this show a source of inspiration with a great sense of community that is shared across this wonderful industry.
Vanessa Curry
Home & Gift is our favourite show of the year. It has a totally different feel; it’s more relaxed, with a real buzz around the halls. And not to mention it’s a treat to go to Harrogate every year!
It’s the start of the busy season for us: a chance to reconnect with our customers and show off our new fragrances and candle ranges that we’ve been working on over the past few months.
We launched our rebranded Just Because candles and boxed tea lights at Spring Fair and we’ve been blown away by the volumes of sales - so much so, that we’ve extended the range to include new titles to celebrate friends, family and special occasions.
And following on from the amazing reception for our Just Because candles, we’re launching a new Christmas range along the same lines. A perfect Christmas gift, there are 12 new candles in silver tins, each with a different festive design and a scattering of snowflakes, and holly - and not forgetting our signature sparkle.
The build-up to Christmas is when most gift retailers hear their tills ringing loudest, so it goes without saying that anticipation, excitement, and joy felt by customers is felt equally by retailers.
And we’re excited to announce that we have rebranded our Christmas Elegance range. The new design is fab, with a sophisticated elegant twist. In a festive gold tin with a few new names to entice customers, we have Cozy Nights, Mulled Cranberries & Orange, Pine Cones & Spruce, and a fabulous Plum Pudding.
What are you hoping to achieve at the show?
To reconnect, refresh and renew relationships with our current customers - and build long-lasting relationships with new customers.
What makes this show special for you?
Home & Gift is a great show. Visitors always seem happy and relaxed and have a little more time - and, of course, they enjoy the refreshment experience (the Gin Bar!). For us, the whole experience is a positive one, from its location, to its well organised build-up and break-down procedures, to welcoming customers onto our stand. We are really excited to attend every year. And once the doors close, we too enjoy the refreshment experience!
Any top tips for visitors?
Restaurants and hotels can get very busy, so plan ahead. There’s some super restaurants in Harrogate so get your reservations booked.
For consumers, Christmas can be an expensive time, but with the bite of the cost-of-living crisis continuing, it seems consumers are shopping more wisely. They are looking for quality gifts, at sensible prices.
Retailers are well aware of the magic price point of under £10 and that’s why we have held firm with price rises, allowing our candles to sell at £9.99. By doing this, we have met the needs of the retailers and consumers, with quality candles at sensible prices.
Trade talk
Paul Travis
Sales & Marketing Director Ceramic Design Heritage Why are you exhibiting at Home & Gift?
Harrogate gives us an early opportunity to meet our retailers, finding out their trends and requirements, and getting ahead of the market. We feel Harrogate is the strongest second half show for designer gifts.[Show organiser] Clarion Events seems to understand the sector, with this show and Top Drawer.
We are launching a complete range of bespoke giftware with The Tale of Ballard and Hill. Co-founder Susan Ballard Leigh’s designs are so stunning: bringing gallery work to the creations from her original paintings.
What are you hoping to achieve at the show?
We hope to continue our strong growth seen over the past two years and work with new inspired designers to create their own branded giftware.
Marketing & Product Director Enesco
Why are you exhibiting at Home & Gift?
Spring Fair turned out to be a great opportunity to open new independent accounts, and many of our new collections proved to be very popular with these customers. So we then decided to take a small space at Home & Gift to showcase these to a potential new audience. Everything we will be showing will be in stock in 2022 and perfect for those all important Q4 sales.
We will be bringing our new Demdaco Portfolio collection. This is a superb offering of both functional and sentimental gifts for all occasions, presented beautifully and at extremely good price points. The show also gives us a perfect opportunity to present Allen Designs to a wider audience. Since we launched this at Spring Fair, we have been overwhelmed with the response. This bright, colourful and quirky collection is exactly what the marketplace needs right now!
What are you hoping to achieve at the show?
We are always looking for new independent stockists, garden centres, visitor centres and, of course, we hope to see as many of our existing customers as possible. After two years of isolation it’s a fantastic opportunity to catch up. And, of course, the team will no doubt be doing a little bit of socialising!
Any top tips for visitors?
Enjoy! It’s great to be able to talk to people again and look for something new. Consumers visiting the high street want to see new, inspirational gifts and in-store displays. Selling the same product does not generate the same spark! And plan your activity calendar and buy accordingly. Social media is also a great platform for retailers, so talk to your stockists about support with imagery and so on. Stand out from the crowd!
I think functional gifts will be the key to 2022. In times when the financial environment is uncertain, we do see a shift towards mugs, home fragrance, frames, planters and clocks. Large purchases could be put on the back burner. However, babies will continue to be born and birthdays, weddings and anniversaries celebrated.
What makes this show special for you?
Harrogate is really the last of the traditional shows: combining business with pleasure, and making everyone smile while achieving their objectives. And don’t forget the odd cocktail too!
Any top tips for visitors?
Buy early, as there will be supply issues in the third quarter, and also the possibility of further price increases.
Gifts for the home, with functionality being a plus, is a strong area. We are finding designs that are different are strong, taking over from some of the old favourites. Buying from independent designers gives retailers a point of difference, encouraging consumers to visit their stores. I feel there will be a continuing move towards UK suppliers with all the increased cost and shipping issues from the Far East.
David Roznowski & Jocelyne Royou-Roznowski.
Co-Founders, D & J Glassware
Why are you exhibiting at Home & Gift?
After the restrictions of the past two years or so, it’s important for the industry to get together again. Suppliers need retailers and retailers need suppliers!
Home & Gift gives everyone the opportunity to strengthen existing relationships and forge new ones in a relaxed environment. We are looking forward to displaying our beautiful collections and introducing everyone to our new arrivals.
Can we say everything?! Seriously though, we are really excited to be able to show our beautiful new home textile collections. The colours are fabulous, and the designs feature our adorable glass animals. They are superb quality and, what’s more, they are made in Britain.
Times are tough and sadly there’s still much uncertainty in the world. We believe this will strengthen the existing trend for buying gifts with a meaning or purpose or that are uplifting. The focus is very much on family life, so gifts that enhance the home will sell strongly. Good quality at a realistic price will be key in the second half.
What makes this show special for you?
Harrogate was D & J Glassware’s first show! This year we’re celebrating 20 years in the industry, so it will be very special to be part of Home & Gift 2022. We have many memories and have met some lovely people over the years.
Any top tips for visitors?
Make sure that you allocate sufficient time to look around every hall and marquee. Try to keep an open mind as you walk around: that’s the only way to find that ‘hidden gem’! Apart from that, remember to wear comfy shoes and drink plenty of water.
Paddy & Ursula Heyland
Joint Managing Directors Heyland & Whittle Why are you exhibiting at Home & Gift?
Home & Gift has always been one of our most successful trade fairs. It’s always a beautiful looking show, with a great variety of companies exhibiting, which we are very proud to be part of.
We have repackaged one of our most popular collections to meet the needs of our discerning customers and keep focused on our brand identity and consumer demands. Harrogate is the first opportunity in our buying calendar to launch our Winter/Festive collection, which we will proudly reveal!
What are you hoping to achieve at the show?
We look forward to meeting loyal customers and welcoming new customers to our stand to see the innovative collections of natural handmade soaps and home fragrance that we are known for.
We believe we have been market leaders in our development of an eco collection which includes 100% recycled glass vessels for our reed diffusers and candles, and eco packaging - which has been the emphasis for Heyland & Whittle: to follow a path of sustainability and to reuse and repurpose.
What makes this show special for you?
Harrogate is a fabulous town for mixing business and pleasure with fellow exhibitors and buyers after the close of the show each day. It offers a superb choice of bars and restaurants and, with the exhibition hall being located in the centre of this vibrant town, it’s advisable to make the most of all of its facilities for a truly enjoyable experience.
Trade talk
Paul Hooker
The timing of Harrogate is perfect for launching our entire Autumn Winter Collection, while at the same time having available the best of our current range for immediate delivery. Independent retail is at the centre of everything we do and there is no better place to support our customers than at Home & Gift - it’s a firm fixture in our exhibition calendar!
With such a broad church of product there is plenty to get excited about. Christmas always features strongly at Home & Gift and we are also launching the Autumn/Winter collection from our new fashion brand SugarLane.There are some amazing developments too across Equilibrium Jewellery and a whole new range of snoozies! pairables that will make their debut. For general gift, we have hundreds of new products; particularly exciting is a new home fragrance collection called Serenity, which also extends into a lovely range of home sentiment plaques.
What are you hoping to achieve at the show?
Most important for us is that all our customers, new and old, receive a warm Joe Davies welcome and see first-hand our entire collection at the show. Nothing makes us happier than seeing customers leave the stand happy, having made a great selection across the range.
General gifts featuring houses, bees and gonks are coming through very strongly, especially where they feature sentiment messages. Frames, tealights, ceramic plaques and oil burners are on the up. There is also a developing trend in gingerbread themes for Christmas.
What makes this show special for you?
Home & Gift is a lot less frenetic than other exhibitions: customers are much more relaxed and there is nowhere quite like Harrogate in the summer. This all goes into making a truly unique and very special atmosphere that is unmatched at any other show.
Any top tips for visitors?
Only for people to take their time around the show, visit everywhere, and always take a moment to ask suppliers what their best ranges are - you will usually always get a good steer.
Sarah Watmore
It’s our favourite trade show for the location and atmosphere. It’s very important for launching our A/W season and works especially well for our customers from Scotland and Ireland.
All of them! Just seeing the new collection all together and properly displayed for the first time is always a buzz.
We love colour and that comes through strongly as we exhibit by colour blocks for maximum impact, and to help retailers with display ideas. It’s often only when you set it all out - the jewellery co-ordinating with the scarves that you make your best guess as to the top sellers for that season.
More specifically, we have a new style of resin that we know will be popular and a great combination of popular styles in new colours, alongside brand new designs.
What are you hoping to achieve at the show?
The perfect balance of orders for immediate dispatch and pre-orders for Autumn, from both existing and new customers. The show will also hopefully be the first time we get to use our new digital ordering system, so we have our fingers firmly crossed for a smooth transition from paper and pen, and a more efficient order confirmation and turnaround process for customers.
What makes this show special for you?
Home & Gift is the only trade show where we don’t commute daily, so it’s a bit like a mini-break away from the kids and the daily routine, with a peaceful breakfast and dining out in the evening! And, if the forecast is good, I will take my bike and get a couple of local rides in too.
Any top tips for visitors?
For anybody visiting a trade show for the first time, comfortable shoes has to be the top tip, along with a decent rucksack if you’re going to be picking up literature or samples.
Specifically for Home & Gift, I’d say: have a plan but don’t be rigid about it, and take advantage of the outdoor seating areas and the music and entertainment.
Often, the chance to chat with other retailers and share recommendations is a great way of finding new suppliers you might otherwise overlook. And don’t forget us in DP3; the hall looks a bit unassuming from the outside, but it’s full of great small businesses and has the best air-conditioning and toilets!
The cost-of-living crisis is going to put pressure on everybody this year and value will be incredibly important in the golden quarter.
While price increases have been unavoidable in raw materials, production and shipping, we have worked hard to minimise the impact and Miss Milly products still represent great value for money with the vast majority coming in at an RRP of below £25. We expect our best-selling magnetic brooch collection to gain even greater traction; offering a fantastic gifting choice in a wide range of styles and at an excellent price point.
