With festive experience earned over three decades Giftware Trading is also a veteran exhibitor at Christmas & Gift. We spoke to Managing Director Ben Jeffrey about trade show excitement, new suppliers and the current cost-of-living…
This January will mark Giftware Trading’s 14th time exhibiting at Harrogate. How has the show changed since you’ve been a part of it?
Trade exhibitions naturally change over time mostly due to some companies either no longer attending for various reasons and others wishing to attend. I think we along with many other companies which have attended for many years are most often in the same location from one year to the next which I think really helps buyers and brings a certain familiarity to the show. For as long as we have exhibited at the Harrogate Christmas & Gift Fair I do not think it has lost any of its charm. And long may that continue!
You are also regular exhibitors at Spring Fair. What do you think it is that makes them such different events?
Harrogate is quite focused on Christmas and therefore does attract the buyers who put a lot of emphasis on seasonal. I think many of these buyers would then visit the Spring Fair to explore all the many other sectors knowing that a good majority of their Christmas selections have already been made at Harrogate Christmas & Gift. Spring Fair obviously covers so many different sectors within the industry that it naturally attracts a wide and varied audience.
Do you tend to do a majority of your Christmas sales at Harrogate and do you also showcase your Spring or Easter ranges there?
It’s great to kick off the year at Christmas & Gift and thankfully we are always quite busy over the four days. Many customers will place an order on the stand while others wish to have a quotation sent and a firm order will follow after the fair. The Harrogate show together with The Spring Fair certainly lay a solid foundation for our festive sales. Last year we showed a small selection of our Easter range which proved popular so we will also have some of our Easter and Spring ranges this year. For the first time we will show a small Halloween range due to customer demand, including some really fun pieces.
Giftware Trading is known for working with a huge range of suppliers in China, and across Asia. Have you taken on any new ones in preparation for the 2023 shows?
Trying to find new suppliers has been hard without the physical trade shows taking place in China, however shows have taken place in other parts of Asia which has been encouraging. Suppliers are active in presenting new ranges and ideas so there is always a lot of nice new product, it is not uncommon to receive details of new products from a booth you may have visited at a show from a few years ago.
You’ve always had a reputation for being very competitive on pricing, but has the cost-of-living situation affected any of your product range choices or designs for 2023?
I think we’ve all got very used to – and maybe a little fed up of – hearing about the cost-of-living crisis which wasn’t really a prominent issue at the start of 2022. We’ve always offered many products at quite low-price points so haven’t really had to consciously introduce any new ranges to accommodate a change in spending habits. Unfortunately, this will most likely continue throughout 2023 but hopefully people will always have a love for Christmas even if spending a little less.
For more information visit: www.giftwaretrading.co.uk
Harrogate Christmas & Gift: Hall A, Stand A30
Spring Fair: stand 5A01
