I was at the Home & Giving Fair in Sydney all day yesterday. This event is a major part of the three fair gift event on in Sydney over five days. Home & Giving is twice the size this year. It was terrific to see many newsagents at the event. All were looking for new products to consider for their businesses, products which fit with existing customer traffic.
There were new newsagents as well as long term (20+ years) operators wandering the aisles looking at gifts, homewares, jewellery and personal items such as scarves.
While I could suggest this supplier or that, you really need to visit the fair to look at all the opportunities, touch and feel the product, compare the suppliers and consider what is right for your own business. This is why I continue to advocate that newsagents should ensure they get to these fairs.
Some newsagents I met yesterday will spend four days across the three fairs in Sydney. These newsagents make excellent money from the gift and homewares categories.
I was thrilled to meet people who visit this blog at the fair as well. It’s a buzz when epople come up and introduce themselves as a regular reader and comment on what they get from this place. Thank you!
I was at the fair partly to be on the Tower Systems stand. There, I met with newsagents moving into gifts, owners of pure gift and homewares businesses as well as owners of card and gift businesses interested in migrating into newsagency lines. The evidentpursuit of change was exhilarating.
Comparing the 2011 Home & Giving Fair attendees I met yesterday with those I met with a year ago, I would note that there is significantly more optimism today. From the newsagents there was no dwelling on negative stories … they were focused on a bright future.
Among the suppliers on the floor of the trade show, there are more new products and more new suppliers. These are positive indicators for retailers including newsagents who are keen to embrace change in their businesses.