The three leading international consumer goods fairs Ambiente, Christmasworld and Creativeworld focus strongly on the important meta theme of sustainability. With the Special Interest Ethical Style, they offer exhibitors the opportunity to present their particularly environmentally friendly, ethically produced and sustainable products to the trade fair public. The application for the sustainability programme runs until 24th November 2023. So there's still time!
Posted: 14 November 2023
Christmasworld rings in a new round with its globally unique product mix of seasonal decorations and festive decorations. All key players are on board. With optimised routes and better connections to global sourcing, buyers will be able to find the latest highlights even faster – whether for festive decorations at home, for shopping centres or for city centres. The question is: Which exhibitors will be there?
Posted: 13 November 2023
Thousands of knitters and stitchers are counting down until The Knitting & Stitching Show opens its doors at the Harrogate Convention Centre, 16th-19th November. Whether you're a newbie or an accomplished stitch expert, this popular annual textiles celebration has something for everyone. Want to start a new craft project or learn a new skill? The Knitting & Stitching Show's Learning Curve studios offer hundreds of workshops, all hosted by top tutors. A packed programme of daily classes covers every textile craft imaginable, from macrame, crochet and embroidery to Fair Isle knitting, post box toppers and jewellery making. Fans of Christmas crafting and handmade gifts will find fun, seasonal workshops to try, like needle felt gnomes, crochet beanie hats, macrame plant hangers, quilted purses, and beaded decorations.
Posted: 9 November 2023
With just weeks until the big day, new research shows that 45 percent of Brits will be spending the same this Christmas as they did last year. 73 percent worry about finding the perfect gift and 98 percent are keen to support local businesses.
Despite cost of living concerns, over 45 percent of Brits will be spending the same this Christmas, with 33 percent spending more, according to new research from local gift card champions Town & City Gift Cards.
28 percent of people say they'll be spending £751-£1000 this Christmas, with the need to purchase gifts for friends and family given as the reason for Christmas spend staying the same or increasing.
Posted: 8 November 2023
Sustainability is under the spotlight at Paperworld Middle East and Gifts and Lifestyle Middle East trade show which will take place from 21st to 23rd November 2023 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE. Featuring a variety of eco- conscious products, the event will promote the importance of sustainability and aims to inspire positive change through impactful industry discussions and sustainability initiatives.
Posted: 7 November 2023
The image that graces the front cover of our October/November issue entitled 'Cunning' is the latest counted cross stitch kit by Bothy Threads, inspired by artist Rachel Froud. Part of The Menagerie Collection, the range is based on brightly coloured animal closeups and also includes Sea turtles, elephants, lions and more. Worked on 14 count full colour printed Zweigart Aida with pre-sorted stranded cottons this design uses cross stitch and back stitch.
Posted: 6 November 2023
Top Drawer's Spring/Summer edition is set to open the doors of Olympia London from the 14-16th January 2024, welcoming visitors into a curated retail wonderland as it returns with another jam-packed show absolutely bursting with newness and design. Visitor registration has now opened, and retailers can expect to kick-start the new year with another show-stopping edition, bringing together the best brands, products, speakers and more all under one roof.
Posted: 2 November 2023
Spring Fair, the inspirational show that puts thousands of new products for Home, Gift & Fashion at the forefront of UK retail, has revealed a thrilling snapshot of what visitors can expect at the next show in February 2024 as it kick-starts its new campaign focused on the magic of discovering new products and the people and stories behind them .
Posted: 31 October 2023
Avenue Mandarine, part of the Exacompta Clairefontaine Group has launched a new character to its popular range of 'Little Couz-IN' kits, with the addition of Noah the Penguin. Little Couz-IN kits are CE marked and suitable for children of 6 years and over, having been developed to engage youngsters in crafting activities, whilst introducing them to the joys of sewing. The kits act as an easy all-in-one sewing initiation to the craft of haberdashery, with each containing pre-holed felt and fabric pieces, adhesive felt sections, wadding, a plastic needle, 3-4 spools of thread and a set of step-by-step instructions.
Posted: 30 October 2023
Exclusive data from Kin + Carta, the global transformation consultancy, and Google Cloud has revealed that more than half of the UK's largest consumer facing brands see customer experience being the biggest area for AI innovation.
Business leaders from a range of consumer-facing brands, including Sky, EasyJet, ASOS.com and Tesco, came together for Gen.IE, an event co-hosted by Kin + Carta and Google Cloud to discuss the future of customer experience powered by AI technology.
Whilst there, attendees were asked: "What area do you see as the biggest opportunity for leveraging AI in your business?" with "enhancing customer experiences with innovative AI-driven solutions" coming out on top at 51 percent.
Posted: 26 October 2023