T ra d e S h o w Business
5 REASONS TO
ATTEND A TRADE SHOW Organisers of some of the biggest events in the industry e plain the enefits of attending trade shows
01 Networking “Christmas decorations and festive gifts are particularly visual products, so seeing, feeling and even smelling them is imperative for buyers when deciding what ranges to stock for the following season. Exhibitors at Harrogate Christmas & Gift present the latest colour ways and upcoming trends, so retailers can be confident that the products they order will meet consumer demand. Trade shows really offer a one-stop-shop for retailers and buyers, and many manage to wrap up their entire order requirements for Christmas at the show.” Simon Anslow, organiser of Harrogate Christmas & Gift
02 Latest trends “When you spend the day at a trade show you feel part of a community; you meet new brands and designers creating incredible products, you reconnect with people who run established businesses, you explore and discover trends and come away with a renewed energy and excitement for the forthcoming season. The possibilities for business relationships, for merchandising ideas, for inspiration and collaborations are endless. “As the shape of retailing changes so are the needs of buyers. Lifestyle retailers are looking for trusted, cost effective environments to fulfil a large proportion of their buy.” Jessica Dawnay, event director of Autumn Fair
04 Meet new brands “Packed full of hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of products, exhibitions are the perfect way to refresh your retail offering. Any retailer visiting a trade event such as Glee will be able to not only catch up with existing suppliers but will be able to source a wide selection of new brands to complement and bolster their current offering. In doing so, these retailers can not only drive sales within their existing customer base but to potentially extend it to new consumers yet untapped.” Matthew Mein, event director of Glee
www.gardencentreretail.com
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03 Inspiration “Trade shows are a hotbed for inspiration and are valuable for retailers who want to upgrade their instore displays and customer experience. Whether drawing inspiration from the way exhibitors display and promote their newest innovations, or tapping into the show’s educational content, retailers can alwa s find something unique that will help differentiate their store from the competition. Be sure to walk into the show with an open mind – often the most interesting ideas can be found in the most unexpected corners of the show!” Matthew Mein, event director of Glee
05 Business tips “One of the easiest ways to discover new ideas that could help boost your business is to attend the free seminars at a trade exhibition. These talks are designed to give retailers ahead-of-the-game ideas on new lines, new a roaches and new rofit otential. ost seminars last half-an-hour so there’s no time to become bored. In fact, because of the time limit, there’s a lot of information packed into such a short session and often it’s a good idea to take notes or write down bullet points. Usually, the speaker will take questions at the end of the talk.” Gordon Thomas, organiser of PATS Telford
Garden Centre Retail August/September 2021
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