Show Preview: Exclusively

Excitement grows for Exclusively

The 2021 Exclusively Show returns to its live format at the Business Design Centre on August 24 and 25 and organisers are expecting a bumper turnout. In this preview, take a look at what visitors can expect at this popular event and uncover some of the trends set to make an appearance across a variety of products at the show.

More information about the Exclusively Show can be found via the website

www.exclusivelyshows.co.uk.

More information about visiting Exclusively can be obtained from the BHETA Member Services Team on 0121 237 1130 or via the website www.exclusivelyshows.co.uk

Early indications from both retail buyers and the media suggest that the live 2021 Exclusively Show, taking place at The Business Design Centre, Islington on August 24-25 is set to be a popular event. Housewares, small domestic electricals and gift sector buyers, journalists and infl uencers are confi rming attendance in abundance.

Big name home and department stores such as John Lewis, Fenwick, Robert Dyas, Next, Wilko and B&Q will be joined by grocery chains like Iceland and Aldi, specialists such as Lakeland and ProCook, discounters, B&M, Home Bargains, TK Maxx, Studio and Trago Mills, garden centre groups like Bents and Blue Diamond and online giants such as Ocado and eBay. Bira is incentivising housewares, gift, electrical and hardware independents among its 6500-strong membership with a £100 voucher to be used against any single order of over £300 at the show. Moreover, all buyers visiting Exclusively can benefi t from a £50 contribution to travel costs incurred in attending, courtesy of show owner, The British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA).

On the media front, 120 invite acceptances have so far been received by the Exclusively Brand Showcase, the show feature curated just for journalists and infl uencers. Titles including Marie-Claire, ELLE, Real Homes, BBC Good Food, Olive Magazine, The Sun, Homes & Gardens and ITV’s This Morning are all attending alongside key infl uencers and trade media – including Tableware International and Kitchenware International. They will not only see an edit of the Show’s most exciting products, but also be able to soak up the thinking on latest trends from forecasters, Scarlet Opus.

For Exclusively is also not just about product. It has a reputation for predicting commercial trends and a proven track record for enabling brands to get in front of buyers and the media. Popular features such as the Trend Talks and Tours provide insightful trend predictions and are a particular draw for savvy buyers. This year will be no exception and Phil

“This year’s show will also feature a wider range of product than ever before”

Pond from Scarlet Opus has given a sneak preview of three trends which will start to come through from the autumn / winter – the idea being to help ensure that the products on display at the show are perfectly placed for buyers both short term and into Christmas, as well as long term.

Neo Luxe, all sophistication and dark romance from earlier centuries combines rich luxurious colours with high drama and an almost punk quality in its provocative glamour. Key for Christmas, the look will be around for the next three to five years.

Reset accepts sustainability not as a trend but as ‘the norm’. This is about the circular economy and designing out waste and will see blues and greens with muted patterns reminiscent of foliage, herb, fruit and vegetables.

The third trend to be previewed is Togetherness, which will manifest in spring / summer 2022. Upbeat and positive, joyful, colourful and vintage, it is all about sharing, collaboration and putting people first, a multicultural outdoors theme with flavours of Africa and the Caribbean.

Having said that, this year’s show will also feature a wider range of product than ever before. Just taking the Launchpad – a new feature at the live show dedicated to smaller companies and start-ups – there are a whole host of consumables on show alongside general merchandise, making Exclusively a perfect opportunity to explore the potential of baking kits, speciality teas, exotic spice blends, gorgeous cheeses, home curing kits and foodie hampers alongside the related housewares items. In fact, one of the great things about Exclusively is the level playing field it offers to all companies – large, small and new to the market – ensuring that buyers see the leading brands, the major launches and many items that they will not have seen anywhere else. Among the exhibitors and brands on show, there will be the biggest and most established names in the industry – companies like Rayware, Denby and DRH. With equal space, presence and opportunity are new exhibitors like Katie Alice, Pure Tableware and Lazarro. It is the perfect opportunity for buyers, journalists and influencers to find everything they need including ideas that are that little bit different, and unlikely to have been seen elsewhere.

Commenting on the increasing excitement ahead of Exclusively, marketing manager, Steve Richardson said, “With over 130 companies and 200 brand names exhibiting, as well as a wealth of other treats such as the Trend Tours and Talks with Scarlet Opus, the Launchpad area which features eighteen of the Show’s newest and smallest exhibitors, not to mention wine tasting with Olly Smith, I can see why both buyers and media are so eager to attend.

“It goes without saying that the Exclusively Show team and the Business Design Centre (BDC) regards the health and safety of clients, staff and partners of paramount importance and we have agreed measures to ensure the safety of all those on site, in line with the latest UK Government guidance.”

Will Jones, Chief Operating Officer at BHETA and Chair of Exclusively, added, “Exclusively has always been must-see event in the home enhancement industry and one that has an excellent trackrecord for predicting trends and doing business. This year’s Show is even more highly anticipated because of the unique circumstances of the last eighteen months, and I am not surprised at the levels of interest.

“Exclusively 2021 is going to be a huge opportunity for exhibitors, buyers, journalists and influencers to see the very best of the housewares, small domestic electricals and gift sectors, to see up and coming trends and to discover new products and ideas.”

Reset Trend

With the return of the ‘live’ event, Exclusively will unveil the trends set to hit the market for the next few years to buyers, trade and consumer media and suppliers. One of the biggest is Reset and trend forecaster, Scarlet Opus will be sharing all the details at the show in a series of seminars and trend tours.

Phil Pond from Scarlet Opus gave a sneak preview of Reset at the Exclusively briefing meeting for exhibitors. It is a trend which is already manifesting in global design as sustainability shifts from being a trend to being the norm. Embracing this point, product at the show will be perfectly placed for buyers both immediately as well as long term. Reset is all about ‘preserve, conserve, protect’ and acknowledges the establishment of green cities, urban farms, rooftop and vertical gardens. This is about the circular economy and the key mantra of ‘do no harm’. As a result, this trend is about designing out waste, repairing and reusing, and products that are not disposable. In terms of style, we will be seeing blues and greens and muted patterns which reflect foliage, herbs, fruit and vegetables. A mix and match pallet that will look particularly good on glass. Key words are nature, recovery, local, waste, protect and reuse.

Neo Luxe Trend

Neo Luxe is all sophistication and dark romance from earlier centuries and combines rich luxurious colours with high drama and an almost punk quality in its provocative glamour. The trend is all about learning from the past and appreciating the sensuous style of earlier centuries - rich colours and dark luxuriance. It is a provocative meeting of the historic with contemporary and the key colours are blue, black and shades of green with textures such a velvet, walnut, gloss and gold and brass. Florals and foliage are important patterns going forward.

Products which work with Neo Luxe will not only be prevalent in the exhibition in general, but also in the Brand Showcase – a mediafriendly edit of the main show – where some 250 press, bloggers and influencers will soak up the on trend thinking and use it in all their coverage to come.

Chair of Exclusively and Chief Operating Officer of show owner, BHETA, Will Jones, said, “Given all that the world has endured over the last 18 or so months, it goes without saying that the safety of all Exclusively visitors and exhibitors is paramount. Everyone can be confident in being there and in enjoying a great show. The opportunities to see the latest product, talk to suppliers and gather all manner of excellent content and market intelligence is second to none.”

Togetherness Trend

The Exclusively exhibition has a reputation for predicting commercial trends and a proven track record for enabling brands to get in front of buyers and the media. One of the biggest new trends to be unveiled to buyers, the media and visitors is Togetherness and trend forecaster, Scarlet Opus will be sharing all the details at the show in a series of seminars and trend tours.

In a sneak peek of the trend, Phil revealed that Togetherness will begin to make its mark in early 2022 over the spring and summer and it is all about positivity and collective wellbeing. It is an immensely upbeat trend – the perfect foil for the chaotic period of the past 18 months.

Togetherness reflects permanent changes in society and is about people putting other people first. Sharing and collaboration are key and the colours we will see are joyful and vintage. Peach, cardboard brown and bubblegum pink are all to the fore.

From a cookware and tabletop point of view, food from Africa and the Caribbean will be on trend as well as more product for outdoor eating and cooking. Portable product for picnics and alfresco dining will be huge and quirky cocktails will be back in abundance and people are keen to get out and enjoy life once more.