Next month’s Autumn Fair promises to be a pivotal occasion for retailers looking to stock their shelves and create the most enticing shop windows in preparation for the Christmas period.
Visitors will have the first look at ground-breaking launches across 10 sectors, featuring over 500,000 purchase-ready products. As the largest seasonal showcase in the latter half of the year, Autumn Fair boasts more than 800 exhibitors, with 30% of them being exclusive to the show.
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 29 November, according to the IPA Insight Christmas Report based on a survey of 2,000 adults.
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 will see over 200 new exhibitors, new business pavilions, and exclusive partnerships.
‘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 home décor, toys, beauty and wellbeing, fashion accessories, and. As retailers navigate uncertainties, focusing on the Christmas trading performance is pivotal for delivering profitable growth in 2024,’ says Soraya Gadelrab, Autumn Fair event director.
Image: Lightstyle London