From Gifting to Retail Crime: Autumn Fair Highlights What Retailers Need Now
Practical retail advice, product discovery and live commerce take centre stage on Day Two
Day Two at Autumn Fair brought together buyers from leading retailers including John Lewis, TJX, Blue Diamond, Daylesford, Gifts Galore, Fenwick, DFS, IKEA, Burberry, Scribbler, Hallmark, Rockett St George, Dobbies, NEXT, Oxfam, The Range, ZSL, Zoohause and many more.
Alongside product discovery and new supplier connections, the day focused on the key issues and opportunities shaping today’s retail landscape, including meaningful gifting, retail crime, social commerce, live shopping and the growing role of digital tools.
Buyers Discover New Suppliers
Claire Bevan, Head of Buying at the Natural History Museum, highlighted the value of bringing a wide range of suppliers together under one roof.
“It’s been a great show. As always, it’s really useful to be able to visit so many suppliers across so many different categories, all in one place and under one roof. I’ve already found some really great new suppliers as well as catching up with existing contacts, so it’s been a really productive visit.
“In the area I buy for, I’m seeing more products that are story-led, creative and distinctive, with a real focus on working with great producers and suppliers and creating products that have a strong story behind them.”
Products That Tell a Story
Product storytelling, retailer education and meaningful gifting were key themes during the Gift of the Year: How to Spot Retail’s Next Big Products session.
Emily Charles, Head of Brand at Gibsons Games, and Lindsey Scott-Walker, Founder of Feather Robins Gifts, shared their perspectives on what makes products stand out in a competitive market.
For Scott-Walker, retailers need to understand the products they sell in order to create stronger customer conversations.
“Retailer education about the product is key to selling,” she said. “I like products that tell a story, and love a meaningful gift. Consumers are looking for this connection in gift giving at the moment.”
The session also highlighted the growing importance of longevity over short-lived trends. Charles identified sustainability, mindfulness, wellbeing and screen-free moments as longer-term consumer directions influencing games and gifting.
Reaching Beyond the UK
Autumn Fair also continued to attract international buyers, with retailers travelling from across Europe and Ireland to discover new products and suppliers.
Rishi Soni, Managing Director of Urban Bliss, said, “The show has brought a strong mix of independents and smaller store groups, and we’re looking forward to seeing more buyers as the week progresses. We’re also seeing buyers coming from further afield, including Europe and Ireland, so there’s a real breadth of opportunity for brands here.”
Content Programme Tackles Retail Challenges
The Counter Talks Stage continued to provide practical insights into the challenges and opportunities facing retailers, covering topics ranging from retail crime and changing consumer behaviour to social commerce, TikTok Shop, live shopping, AI and digital growth.
Retail Crime: Working Together to Protect People and High Streets
Retail crime took centre stage during Tackling Retail Crime: How to Reduce Theft and Protect Your People, featuring Jackson Szabo, Portfolio Director, Retail at Hyve Group, Lisa Maslen, Superintendent at City of London Police, and Andrew Goodacre, CEO of BIRA.
The discussion examined the changing nature of retail crime, including theft, staff abuse, organised criminal activity and the resale of stolen goods. Speakers stressed the importance of collaboration between retailers, police, government and local communities.
For independent retailers, the impact can be particularly personal.
Goodacre said, “Theft in independent retail feels like you’re being mugged every day. Small indie owners are passionate about their shops; it should be a good, fun experience. It’s a challenge for the sector to keep our people safe.”
The panel also pointed to positive signs from increased collaboration and enforcement, while emphasising the need to address the channels through which stolen goods are resold.
Maslen added, “It’s all about the partnerships. We need to keep government focus so that high streets and local communities feel that safety. People are realising how important retail crime is in creating that sense of safety in the community. We’ve started, but we have a long way to go.”
Pitch Live Home & Gift Spotlights Emerging Brands
The second Pitch Live session showcased three emerging Home & Gift brands and their commercial potential.
Arthur Betsy took the top spot with its Restore Set of bath salts, combining Himalayan and Epsom salts with botanicals and essential oils.
The female-founded wellbeing brand focuses on making accessible self-care part of everyday life.
Founder Amy Hall said, “We are absolutely over the moon to have won. Arthur Betsy is my baby, it’s my brand and it’s four years old. We focus on understated luxury and wellbeing that’s accessible. The products, ingredients and quality are of a luxury standard, but the price point means they’re accessible for everyone. A huge thank you to Autumn Fair and the team for the Pitch Live experience.”
The judging panel, comprising Ami Rabheru, Retail Strategist and Founder of Retail Huddle; Judy Bendall, Head of Retail at Blenheim Palace; Alexandra Beckett, Founder & Buyer of Ivy & Rose Gifts; and fashion designer Jeff Banks, also assessed Jarapa, which presented recycled glass lamps, and Significant Otter, which showcased its DIY Dubai Chocolate Kit.
The pitches highlighted opportunities beyond traditional retail categories, spanning accessible wellbeing, sustainable homewares and experiential gifting.
Live Commerce Moves from Screen to Show Floor
The Whatnot experience in The Clubhouse offered retailers a practical look at live commerce and how brands are using live selling to connect with new audiences and build online communities.
The day concluded with the Whatnot Takeover After Party, where visitors could experience going live themselves with one-to-one support from the Whatnot team.
Exhibitors Report Strong Buyer Engagement
Exhibitors reported positive buyer engagement on Day Two, with existing stockists returning, new relationships being established and orders being placed across the show floor.
Helen Locke, Director & Founder of Fable and Bear, said, “We had a successful show last year, which is why we came back, and it’s been really good again this time around. We’ve reconnected with existing stockists as well as making new connections. We’ve mainly been meeting independent retailers, and what really stands out is how confident they are in who their customer is and what they’re looking for, so you can have really valuable conversations with them.”
Becky Woodward, Senior Account Manager at Gift Republic, said, “It’s been a really good show, with lots of orders and a great response to our new products. Retailers have had a challenging year, but there’s definitely excitement around Q4. For gifting, this is the biggest moment of the year and people seem positive that we’re going to have a great end to the year.”
Lucy Vernon, Founder of The Tipsy Candle Co., said, “It’s been incredibly busy and it really highlights how important it still is for customers to experience products in person. With fragrance in particular, however much you advertise or describe it, being able to see, feel and smell the product makes such a difference. We’ve had existing stockists coming specifically to see us, while also meeting potential new stockists from across the country, including independent shops, garden centres and farm shops.”
Rita Davanzo of La De Da Living, who has exhibited at Autumn Fair around ten times, said, “We’ve been really happy with the show so far and have met a mix of existing and new customers, including independents, garden centres and department stores from across the UK and Ireland. If the next two days continue in the same way, we’ll be very happy and looking to rebook.”
Autumn Fair and Glee Create Cross-Category Opportunities
With Glee opening the following day, exhibitors also highlighted the potential to connect with new audiences, particularly within the garden centre sector.
Woodward added, “Garden centres have been performing really well for us and it’s definitely an area we want to explore further. Bringing the two shows together means more buyers, more people to speak to and the opportunity to open new accounts.”
Matthew Mein, Event Director, Autumn Fair, said, “We’re really looking forward to opening the doors to Glee tomorrow and seeing the opportunities the co-location creates for exhibitors and buyers. Retailers want their buying trips to work harder, and bringing the two shows together means they can discover even more products, suppliers and ideas in one place.
“For exhibitors, it opens conversations with buyers who may not previously have considered their category. We’ve already seen a real appetite for that cross-category opportunity, and tomorrow is when we start to see it come to life.”
Parking Campaign Gains Momentum
Autumn Fair’s campaign calling for 90 minutes’ free parking in town and city centres continued to gain support on Day Two, with the Parliamentary petition surpassing 3,000 signatures.
Alexandra Beckett of Ivy and Rose Gifts in Birmingham said, “If we want people to support our high streets, we have to take away the barriers that stop them coming, and one of those barriers is accessibility and parking. People are still driving, but if it’s easier and free to park out of town, that’s where they may choose to go. Making our high streets easier to access gives people more opportunity to spend time there, support local businesses and be part of the community.”
Andrew Goodacre, Chief Executive of BIRA, commented, “This is such an important campaign and it addresses one of the big issues our members face. People talk about the success of retail parks, and you can see why – one of the big benefits is free parking. It’s about accessibility and footfall. It doesn’t matter how good the shop is if we don’t deliver people to the high street. The cost and availability of car parking is one of those unseen barriers. If Government is serious about revitalising high streets at a local level, car parking has got to be on the agenda.”
Looking Ahead
The content programme on Tuesday will explore digital growth with Shopify and Squashed Pixel, emerging kids’ brands at Pitch Live, consumer and buying trends from Faire, the Buying & Beyond live podcast, and Google’s practical online business session.
Autumn Fair takes place at NEC Birmingham from 6 to 9 September 2026, while Glee 2026 runs from 8 to 10 September 2026 at the NEC Birmingham. Exhibitors and visitors to both shows benefit from free parking at the NEC.
Looking ahead to 2027, Autumn Fair and Glee will align their September dates, with Autumn Fair scheduled for 5 to 8 September 2027 and Glee from 6 to 8 September 2027 at the NEC Birmingham.
