I met plenty of newsagents at the Reed Melbourne Gift Fair which started on the weekend. I bet by the time the fair is over several hundred newsagents will have been through. While not the biggest gift fair of the year, this event is well worth visiting.
The representation of homewares, jewellery, toys, baby items and even outdoor items was excellent. Well worth seeing.
My POS software company has a stand at this fair and the first two days have been very busy talking with gift shop owners, newsagents, jewellers and fashion business owners. Indeed, the mix of retailers is broad. It’s mixing with such a diverse crowd that I found valuable when I was looking at the fair as a newsagent.
The timing of the fair is excellent with retailers cashed up from Christmas. That was obvious from the spending I could see.