Autumn Fair, which closed on Wednesday, has once again solidified its position as a key order-writing trade event, drawing in a high-calibre of decision-makers and influential buyers, says organiser Hyve Group.
"This season saw a +6% increase in buyers actively looking to source and buy new products, a +20% rise in the number of buyers with sole or joint purchasing responsibility, and +30% brand-new buyers, underscoring the event's continuing importance for the retail industry," states the trade fair organiser.
Soraya Gadelrab, event director, says: “50% of the buyers who attended are business owners who take the time away from their store to buy and source new products at Autumn Fair, which underlines the importance of coming. They love and value the community the show offers, and they trust in it to provide the newness they need for their valued customers.”
Buyers could discover more than 800 exhibitors and inspect over 500,000 products and new launches ready for immediate purchase.
With 95% of buyers from the UK, the show’s wide variety of exhibitors attracted an impressive range of retailers from multiples, department stores and garden centres to charities, heritage sites and independents, including Next, Fenwick, Marks & Spencer, Dunelm, Homebase, Lakeland, Sainsburys, Cox & Cox, and Amazon.
According to Hyve, 85% of attendees had sole or joint responsibility for purchasing, and 40% of attendees came with a planned spending budget between £25k-£100k. Returning buyers demonstrated continued purchasing power, with 87% making purchases, a clear indication of the event's effectiveness in driving sales.
"The show offered the chance for retailers to capitalise on the year’s final purchasing opportunity, as it continues to put the spotlight on Britain’s independent retailers and help safeguard their future," says Hyve. "Regional growth was also evident with increases in visitors from the South East, the Midlands, South West, North West and London, showcasing Autumn Fair’s widening influence across the country."
The edition's success is further highlighted by the number of exhibitors which have already rebooked – over half onsite - for the September 2025 edition.
Paul Moneypenny, who has created a range with Malini, comments: “This is the third collection I have created in collaboration with Malini and it has been a huge success, we have had very strong interest. Anyone that has come to look has been very interested and placed an order. We sold all of our first stock on day one of the show, so I had to arrange a reorder."
Mike Winch, founder of Candlelight, comments: “To those brands who aren’t here, we have written as many orders in on one-and-a-half days as we wrote in four days at the last Autumn Fair. The attendance and quality of buyer has been excellent, we will back at Autumn Fair next year.”
The 2024 edition also introduced new partnerships. Online wholesale marketplace Faire began the week with the launch of new order-writing capabilities to bridge online and offline selling, promising to simplify the buying process for the event’s attending retailers and 800+ brands.
Charlotte Broadbent, UK general manager at Faire, comments: “We've had an incredibly busy few days meeting both new and existing Faire customers at Autumn Fair this week. The feedback from everybody we've spoken to about Faire's new partnership with Autumn Fair and the new tools and support we've been providing to help bridge online and offline support at this year's event has also been overwhelmingly positive. We're now looking forward to supporting all those new brands and retailers joining Faire for the first time and building on the success of this week by continuing to collaborate on future Spring and Autumn Fair events.”
Jackson Szabo, portfolio director of Autumn Fair, commented: “The response has been incredibly positive. As you walk around, you can see the scale of businesses interacting with Faire, which is encouraging for the market. Our partnership with Faire has allowed us to attract new retailers and approach them with tailored propositions (including the -50% off and free shipping offers which continue until next week), opening up new markets.
“Many attendees have been coming to Spring and Autumn Fair for years. Traditionally, our visitors may not have been the first to embrace online marketplaces, but now, many who were once hesitant, are fully on board. This shift shows how much the market is evolving and the success of brands both at the Autumn Fair and using Faire, proves how powerful this combination is.”
Product Trails, new lounges and pavilions made product discovery easier than ever, featuring refreshed trails that highlighted British, sustainable, new and licensed products, along with brands selling on Faire, complemented by dedicated lounges and new business pavilions – while the New Business Pavilion offered buyers a unique opportunity to discover emerging brands.
A daily must-see was the Merchandising Masterclasses, hosted by visual merchandising consultant, Debbie Flowerday, who presented live window-dressing installations and engaging Q&A sessions. The Ambience Clinic and the Community Development Team also offered free advice across the four days, with storytelling being one of the key themes.
Soraya concludes: “Autumn Fair has once again proven to be the leading order-writing trade event in the UK, attracting a significant number of influential buyers and decision-makers. With over 800 exhibitors and a wide range of new product launches, the show continues to be the destination for retailers to discover unique products, connect with peers, and prepare for the crucial holiday season.”
