Spring Fair reports a busy and buzzing first day

Spring Fair, the UK’s largest retail trade show for Home, Gift & Fashion was opened this morning by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen at the NEC Birmingham and welcomed thousands of retailers looking for new products and inspiration and reports indicate a positive and buzzing first day of trading.

Thousands of buyers eager to discover their next best-sellers and the forthcoming year’s retail trends descended on Spring Fair including John Lewis, M&S, TJX, Morrisons, Jarrolds, Pet & Country, Treadwells, Graham and Green, Trago Mills, The Range, Barkers Home, Ouverture London, The Notting Hill Bookshop, Paper Tiger, The Card Gallery, Cards Galore, Wilkies, Diptyque Paris, A Little Bird, Baldwins Department Stores, Elphicks, HSamuel, The House of Bruar, Alligator Pear, National Maritime Museum, Bladons, Elm and Grey, The Post Box Gifts, Mercado, Abraxas Cookshop, Shepherds of Sweden, Rutherfords, Meubles furniture Store, Furniture World, LOFT, and Blenheim Palace, and many more.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen remarked; “I’ve been coming to Spring Fair for years, there’s a huge amount of energy here and it is such an important moment in our retail calendars. This is where the world will change for retailers and brands in the next two decades!”  

Spring Fair, running from 2nd – 5th February, is celebrating 75 years heritage as well as triple digit growth in exhibitor numbers for this year’s show, delivering unmatched newness, innovation, diversity and inspiration. The show’s new Mascot also made their debut with the competition to name them underway.

Soraya Gadelrab, Event Director, Spring Fair said at the end of Day 1 of Spring Fair 2025, “It has been such a special opening day at Spring Fair. For 75 years, Spring Fair has been at the heart of the retail community and this year we’ve welcomed over 1,500 exhibitors to the NEC, 400 of which are brand new to Spring Fair! It was great to see long queues outside the halls this morning before opening and it’s remained busy all day. I’ve had so many conversations with exhibitors and buyers who all highlighted the importance of Spring Fair to their businesses.”

Kicking off our array of content with speakers like Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and Rachel Henderson today has been really exciting for our visitors with stages packed out. By joining forces with Pure London to create Moda x Pure we’ve been able to offer the best of both shows under one roof, while Source Home & Gift has proved to be hugely popular already with our buyers who are wanting to expand their search for products.”

With this being the 75^th anniversary of Spring Fair we’ve added some exciting new elements to the show, including entrance takeovers, a stunning anniversary fragrance, an interactive timeline celebrating the history of the show, special collaborations with partners, a celebration of the 5 senses in the Buyers Lounge, and lots more. We can’t wait to continue with Spring Fair tomorrow and welcome more buyers to be a part of Spring Fair’s 75^th.”

Putting the spotlight on 12 sectors across five halls including Beauty & Wellbeing, Gift, Greetings & Stationery, Kids, Toys & Play, Christmas, Festive & Floral, Home, Living & Décor, Housewares, The Summer House Edit, Everyday, and Moda x Pure for fashion and jewellery, Spring Fair is firmly established as UK retail’s shop for shops.

Exhibitors have had a great start to the show, with Jacob Powell and Faye Whitley, Co-Directors at Beevive saying, “This is our first Spring Fair, it’s been great! So far, we’ve taken more orders than we have done at any other show, there’s been a fantastic reception to our product and the buyers we’ve seen have been quick to covert leads into orders.”

Steven Illingworth from Widdop & Co said, “There has been a great buzz for day one, we have seen positivity from retailers.” 

Emily Atlee from Seedball remarked “Spring Fair is the most solid and most important show for us in the year. Nothing compares it to, we just don’t see the volume at other shows, we see all the good gift shops and independents, who are so important to our business.”

Buyer Tracey Sysum from Marina Homeware said, “We have found everything we are looking for. It’s been great meeting suppliers, and the Buyer Lounge is a real treat.”

The Buyers Lounge in Hall 3, which recreated a high street with pop up shops focused on the five senses with samplings and experiences throughout the day, was hugely popular. The immersive space brought to life the energy of the high street with The Coffee House, Art of Sampling, Ambiance Clinic, and Meet the Perfumer. Buyers were treated to sights, sounds and smells and enjoyed the new Heritage 75 fragranced candles and diffusers.

Moda x Pure made its highly anticipated debut today, creating a new fashion destination. This dynamic event brings together the best of both show under one roof with four sectors covering – Womenswear, Clothing & Footwear, Fashion Accessories, and Jewellery & Watch – alongside a rich programme of inspiring content, establishing itself as the ultimate destination for fashion buyers and industry professionals. The Moda x Pure Catwalk showcased inspiring looks from exhibitors, highlighting the season’s must-have styles.

Live content at Spring Fair this season is more diverse and exciting than ever before. Today saw a dynamic session from content creator and designer, Rachel Henderson, who revealed insider techniques to craft visually striking content and provided actionable strategies to make brand imagery stand out from the crowd.

Llewelyn-Bowen took to the stage with his trademark wit and style to present Unleashing Creativity: Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen on Licensing, Art, and Designing for Retail Success. He shared his remarkable journey from celebrated designer to global brand, offering insights into the art of merging creativity with commerce and revealing how he built a career turning bold artistic ideas into household names.

Championing the British high street, stating how important it is for individuality and choice, he said, “I feel very strongly that we’re on a pivot point where independent retail has the opportunity to do something really different and powerfully positive; and it’s to do with the relationship between retail, manufacture and design. In this country the leverage, the real power, the real difference happens through independent retail. It happens through the fact that you make your own decisions, because you know who you’re selling to, because you don’t patronise your customers. This is the point of Indies, we provide choice.

“Be brave in your design choices; we have the landscape, retailscape to ourselves. The big conglomerates will never be able to get that sense of personality across to their customers as indies can. This is where the intersection between design and retail come together; pattern. It’s all about pattern. Because pattern is the ultimate storyteller, it’ll take your mind wherever you need it to go, making the connection between retailer and customer stronger – in the independent retail sector, pattern is something that can make an instant impression of getting people to understand who you are and what you’re doing.”

Elodie Sarvaiya, Head of Retailer Partnerships at online wholesalers Faire took to the Masterclass studio where she delivered a session covering all aspects of utilising online tools to boost effectiveness for retailers

Google Digital Garage Digital Marketer and Trainer, Kirstie Kavanagh took to the Masterclass Studio to discuss how brands can boost their productivity with Generative AI. Digital content creator and TikToK influencer, Putri Elizabeth Napitupulu, with Tejas Dave, Founder & CEO of eBusiness Guru and Avasam, along with Avani Vispute, TikTok Influencer Marketing Manager at eBusiness Guru spoke at the Licensing Lab about leveraging TikToK. They recommended retailers embrace the new way of selling to engage with the fastest growing app in the world.

75 Years of Excellence Awards

Ending the day on a high with the 75 Years of Excellence Awards, Gadelrab said, “Welcome to the Spring Fair ’75 years of Excellence’ Awards. For decades, Spring Fair has been more than just a show; it has been a dynamic gathering of innovators, artisans, and enthusiasts whose passion and creativity have transformed challenges into opportunities and ideas into achievements.

“This year’s show is a recognition of the steep history of retail in the UK and we wanted the opportunity to celebrate those businesses and people who have led the way. Today, we honour that legacy and the trailblazers who embody its spirit. As we reflect on the traditions that have paved the way for our success, we also celebrate the fresh energy and distinctive character that each participant brings to the table. These awards are not just accolades-they are a tribute to the enduring commitment, ingenuity, and community that have defined Spring Fair from its very inception.

“And of course, this couldn’t be possible without our partners, so we would like to thank GES for sponsoring this year’s awards, and our fabulous media partners that have helped us judge the Best New Product entries. So, let us come together to applaud excellence, honour our shared history, and look forward to a future where creativity and collaboration continue to shape our industry. Welcome to an event of inspiration, recognition, and celebration at Spring Fair’s inaugural ’75 years of Excellence Awards’.”

Award winners include:

Best New Products in:

Gift – Swapseazz by Puckator

Greetings, Party & Celebration – Alchemy Collection by Paper Salad

Home, Living & Décor – Hand Painted Wood Art Collection by Liz Corley Art

The Summer House Edit – Wisteria Blossom by Stoneglow Candles

Beauty & Wellbeing – Aromaflow by Sukha Oils

Clothing & Footwear – Lace Me Up Swimsuit by Azure Fshion

Fashion Accessories – Robin Magnetic Brooch by Miss Milly

Jewellery & Watch – The Bold Edit by Scream Pretty

Kids, Toys & Play – Scented Polish by No Nasties Kids

Christmas, Festive & Floral – Burgundy Bouquet Christmas Cracker by Heart & Soul Studio

Most Eco-Friendly Brand – VENT for Change

Heroes Awards

Retail Ambassador of the Year – James Thomas from Forever England and Michael Apter from Paper Tiger

Most Influential Person in Retail – Theo Paphitis

Spring Fair returns tomorrow, highlights across the stages include:

Masterclass Studio  

• 10.30am Exceptional Shopper Experiences: Delivering Short and Long-Term Impact. Through in-depth analysis and real-world examples with David Wall and Jauneen Tarin from Kantar.
• 2pm Andrew Xeni, Founder & CEO – Fabacas & Nobody’s Child on Digital Product Passports: The Future of Connected Commerce.
• 3pm End of The Line for Barcodes: Are You Ready for 2027?

Inspiring Retail Stage

• 10.30am Keynote – Andrew Xeni, Founder & CEO – Fabacas & Nobody’s Child on Scaling Sustainability: Growing an E-commerce Brand in a New Retail Era.

• 12.15pm Keynote – Jeff Banks on Licensing, Branding, and the Keys to Lasting Success. Join Jeff Banks as he reflects on 60 years of success in the world of licensing, branding and design.
• 2.15pm Join Ron Sachs, Shopping Director at Deliveroo, for From Click to Customer: Deliveroo’s Cross-Sector Journey in Digital Retail Excellence.
• 4.15pm AW25/26 Homeware & Festive Celebrations Trends: “From Modern Modular to Raw Minimal”.

Licensing Lab

• 10.30am Join Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen for key insights into design and the Garden of Pattern.
• 12pm Lunch and learn at the Licensing Lab. Expanding Horizons: Licensing Success and Diversification at Nobody’s Child with Andrew Xeni, Chairman of Nobody’s Child, CEO Fabacus.
• 3pm Jeff Banks on Unlocking the Power of Licensing in Fashion and Beyond. Join legendary designer Jeff Banks to discover how strategic licensing partnerships can elevate brands, expand market reach, and create enduring success in fashion and beyond.

Don’t miss your chance to celebrate the past, present, and future of retail. Register now for an unforgettable experience at Spring Fair 2025 and discover what’s next in home, gift, and fashion.

To register to attend visit https://www.springfair.com/visitor-registration.