Autumn Fair, taking place over 1 – 4 September at NEC Birmingham is a key event for retailers looking to stock their shelves and create the most enticing shop windows in preparation for the Christmas period.
According to the IPA Insight Christmas Report, the average British consumer is expected to spend nearly £600 on core Christmas-related products and activities – including food, gifts, decorations, socialising, and travelling – during the 2024 festive period. The outlook for the Gift sector is especially positive, with 55% of UK adults planning to allocate most of their Christmas 2024 budget to gifts for others, followed by food and drink (18%), travel (6%), gifts for themselves (4%), socialising (4%), and decorations (2%).
Ensuring shelves are well-stocked during the last two months of the year is crucial, as almost a third (31%) of all consumers are anticipated to still be shopping in December, while 43% aim to complete their shopping before Black Friday on 29th November. The timing of Autumn Fair makes it the perfect event for retailers to stock their stores with quality products just in time for the industry’s peak season rush.
Statistics also reveal that young workers are particularly open to buying gifts from new or emerging brands, with nearly two-thirds (61%) of 25-34s, more than half of 18-24s (54%), and 35-44s (56%) considering this. Autumn Fair, with over 200 brand new exhibitors, innovative new business pavilions, and exclusive partnerships, is the ideal hunting ground for discovering the perfect gifts for these consumers.
Soraya Gadelrab, event director of Autumn Fair, stated, “While the impact of the cost-of-living crisis cast a shadow over the festive 2023 period, the sector’s resilience shines through. Our exhibitors are feeling optimistic about an uplift in consumer spending on more personal, unique and meaningful gifts across toys, beauty & wellbeing, fashion accessories, and home décor. As retailers navigate uncertainties, focusing on the Christmas trading performance is pivotal for delivering profitable growth in 2024. Autumn Fair offers an unparalleled showcase for this essential buying period.”
Offering a comprehensive view of the latest trends in homeware and unmatched gift products, Autumn Fair is the go-to event for staying on trend and ready for the Christmas rush. Visitors will have the first look at groundbreaking launches across 10 definitive sectors, featuring over 500,000 purchase-ready products. As the largest seasonal showcase in the latter half of the year, Autumn Fair boasts over 800 exhibitors, with 30% of them being exclusive to the show. This exclusivity provides unparalleled business opportunities that cannot be found elsewhere.
