Autumn Fair saw a 6% increase in buyers actively looking to source and buy new products, a 20% rise in the number of buyers with sole or joint purchasing responsibility, and 30% brand new buyers.
Soraya Gadelrab, event director of Autumn Fair said: “50% of the buyers who attended are business owners who take the time away from their store to buy and source new products at Autumn Fair which underlies the importance of coming. They love and value the community the show offers, and they trust in it to provide the newness they need for their valued customers.”
Buyers could discover more than 800 exhibitors and over 500,000 products and new launches ready for immediate purchase. With 95% of buyers from the UK, the show’s wide variety of exhibitors attracted a range of retailers from multiples, department stores and independents including Next, British Garden Centre, Fenwick, British Heart Foundation, Haven, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Poundland, River Island, Champneys, WHSmith, ZSL, Squires, Costco, Dunelm, TJX Europe, TJ Hughes, Card Factory, Ryman, Aldi UK, G Rutherford & Co, Elphicks, Lucy & Yak, RSPCA, Farmfoods, Walt Disney Company, Blue Diamond, Dobbies, Lark London, New Look, Homebase, Osprey, Liverpool FC, Lakeland, Waitrose, River Island, Forbidden Planet, National Trust, HOPE Menswear, Baldwins Department Stores, Boyd Stores Ireland, Sainsbury’s, F Hinds, World Duty Free, Sue Ryder, Elphicks Ltd, Robert Dyas, House of Cards, Cox & Cox, and Amazon.
85% of attendees had sole or joint responsibility for purchasing and 40% of attendees came with a planned spending budget between £25k – £100k. Returning buyers demonstrated continued purchasing power with 87% making purchases, a clear indication of the event’s effectiveness in driving sales.
The show offered the chance for retailers to capitalise on the year’s final purchasing opportunity, as it continues to put the spotlight on Britain’s independent retailers. Regional growth was also evident with increases in visitors from the South East, the Midlands, South West, North West and London, showcasing Autumn Fair’s widening influence across the country.
The success of Autumn Fair 2024 is further highlighted by the number of exhibitors who have already rebooked – over half re-booked onsite – for the September 2025 edition including Ty UK, Keel Toys, Widdop & Co, Hippy Chick and many more. Many exhibitors reported an increase in order values with quality visitors actively buying.
Mark Swallow, chairman of Ty UK said: “We have been delighted with the response to our new bounce beanies which we have launched here. We are amazed to have opened so many new customers after exhibiting for so many years at Autumn Fair.”
The 2024 edition also introduced new partnerships, which were met with enthusiasm by visitors and exhibitors. Leading online wholesale marketplace Faire began this week with the launch of new order-writing capabilities to bridge online and offline selling and simplify the buying process for the event’s attending retailers and 800+ brands. The collaboration aims to make it even easier for retailers to discover and purchase unique products.
Charlotte Broadbent, UK general manager at Faire commented: “We’ve had an incredibly busy few days meeting both new and existing Faire customers at Autumn Fair this week. The feedback from everybody we’ve spoken to about Faire’s new partnership with Autumn Fair and the new tools and support we’ve been providing to help bridge online and offline support at this year’s event has also been overwhelmingly positive. We’re now looking forward to supporting all those new brands and retailers joining Faire for the first time and building on the success of this week by continuing to collaborate on future Spring and Autumn Fair events.”
Jackson Szabo, portfolio director of Autumn Fair commented: “The response has been incredibly positive. As you walk around, you can see the scale of businesses interacting with Faire which is encouraging for the market. Our partnership with Faire has allowed us to attract new retailers and approach them with tailored propositions (including the 50% off and free shipping offers which continue until next week), opening up new markets.
“Many attendees have been coming to Spring and Autumn Fair for years. Traditionally, our visitors may not have been the first to embrace online marketplaces, but now, many who were once hesitant, are fully on board. This shift shows how much the market is evolving and the success of brands both at the Autumn Fair and using Faire, proves how powerful this combination is.”
Product Trails, new Lounges and Pavilions made product discovery easier than ever, featuring refreshed trails that highlighted British, sustainable, new and licensed products, along with brands selling on Faire, complemented by dedicated lounges and new business pavilions.
A daily must-see was the Merchandising Masterclasses hosted by visual merchandising consultant, Debbie Flowerday. She presented exciting live window dressing installations and engaging Q&A sessions.
The Ambience Clinic and the Community Development Team have both offered a huge amount of free advice across the four days with storytelling being one of the key themes. A number of new businesses attended keen to find out how to best communicate their stories and how to make storytelling a bigger part of their store offer.
Soraya said: “Autumn Fair has once again proven to be the leading order-writing trade event in the UK, attracting a significant number of influential buyers and decision-makers. With over 800 exhibitors and a wide range of new product launches, the show continues to be the destination for retailers to discover unique products, connect with peers, and prepare for the crucial holiday season.”
