The only platform of its kind for international sourcing, Source Home & Gift, is scheduled to take place at NEC Birmingham from September 1–4, 2024. Its content lineup for the upcoming edition of the show features a range of globally renowned industry professionals and experts discussing topics such as new laws, trends, circularity, the increasing role of artificial intelligence, sourcing in new regions, and navigating geopolitical challenges.
“This season our content programme has been created to inspire and educate visitors with many new speakers taking to the stage to discuss topics such as responsible sourcing, the power of retail transparency and how to source in new regions, and crucially how to navigate geopolitical and economic challenges,” says Suzanne Ellingham, Director of Sourcing, Source Home & Gift. Throughout the daily sessions, our informed and inspirational industry experts and business leaders will share their experiences and triumphs.
Jack Stratten, Head of Trends at Insider Trends, will speak on “Sourcing and storytelling: Why history and heritage matter more than ever” at 12:15 p.m. on Sunday. Retail is evolving as AI drives the rise of ultra-fast fashion and new business models emerge to drive record-breaking growth. However, it’s now more important than ever to use storytelling as a differentiator. Join Jack Stratten as he discusses how AI is influencing this shift in retail and the customer behaviors that have been driving this transition. He will present top narrative brand examples from around the globe along with advice, resources, and insights to help you develop your own approaches.
Therese Oertenblud, founder of Small Business Collective, and Louise Welby, managing director of Buy-From, will have a fireside conversation on “Re-engaging with the high street” at 2:00 p.m. on the stage. The high street has seen significant transformation in recent years due to shifting consumer tastes, which has forced businesses to quickly adjust if they want to grow their clientele both online and off.
But as we start to spend more time shopping in person again, it’s critical for brands and shops to know how to reinvent how they interact with the high street. Attend this event to learn how to customize your marketing techniques, incorporate in-store retail experiences, and collaborate with the high street to make improvements.
Join Júlio Félix, Managing Director at Bioneurodesign, and Suzanne Ellingham, Event Director at Source Home & Gift, at 3:15 p.m. for a fireside chat on “How retailers and manufacturers can build open and transparent relationships for better results.” The discussion will center on the manufacturer’s perspective and explore ways to understand each other’s goals, strengthen relationships, and figure out what more can be done to collaborate effectively.
Ian Scott, a retail consultant, takes the stage at 11.15 a.m. on Monday to discuss “The merging roles of humans and technology in retail.” Since COVID, physical retailers have changed what they provide and started valuing the special qualities of in-person sales. The store now serves as the hub of retail ecosystems and provides distinctive experiences that are not possible with technology. Ian will be demonstrating how people and technology can collaborate to create the best retail solutions. While the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies presents new opportunities, they should be integrated with the conventional elements of retail to provide a smooth shopping experience.
Join Mike Coates, Assistant Director, Fashion Retail Enforcement, CMA, as he discusses “The importance of accurate and truthful environmental claims” and the most recent developments on UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) regulations. The released an open letter in March 2024 to all fashion retail companies stressing the importance of taking consumer protection laws’ requirements into account when making environmental promises. The letter highlights the CMA’s “Green Claims Code” guidelines and reiterates the organization’s continued commitment to advancing environmental sustainability.
Coates explains the implications for the home and gift industries as well as the steps you should take to get ready. Get an update on important laws and regulations that will impact you, as well as information about current inquiries into greenwashing, what internalYou should think about the compliance procedures and the significance of making true and correct environmental claims.
Don’t miss the 1.30pm session, “Retail 100’s Regional Intelligence: How to source in new regions – near shore vs. far shore?” if you’re interested in learning how to source in new regions. A profitable sourcing strategy requires careful thought and decision-making on a number of fronts. This can be a daunting undertaking if you’re just beginning your sourcing journey, particularly if you want to make more sustainable and ethical business decisions.
Together, the retail 100 have over a century of buying and merchandising experience. Attend this event as they discuss the fundamentals of ethical sourcing and provide you with the know-how to consider working with manufacturers in new areas. Regional differences between near- and far-shore, how large customers purchase, and how to diversify and reduce risk to create a successful sourcing strategy will all be covered in this session.
In order to guarantee that sustainability and transparency are addressed throughout the supply chain, how can suppliers and brands collaborate to make this happen?
Attend the panel discussion “Transparency and traceability – ensuring sustainable practices across the whole supply chain” at 2:15 p.m. to learn more. Along with Smruti Sririam, CEO of Bags of Ethics, and brand ambassador Stuart Lorimer of Bosilunlife, the moderator Andrew Goodacre, CEO of BIRA, will talk about the current and potential methods of preserving transparency throughout a product’s lifespan as well as how to effectively support and collaborate with suppliers to increase transparency and traceability.
Start your Tuesday morning with a session on “Building a more eco conscious narrative – communicating via social media” led by Amy Hobson, Digital Marketing and Social Media Trainer from Social B. It is becoming increasingly crucial to communicate your sustainability journey and aims to your customers. Consumers are making more ethical and ecologically concerned purchases, and businesses must acknowledge their own role in this. Join Amy as she discusses how to use social media to create enduring storytelling and how to convince customers of this.
Moderator Anna Berry, Co-Founder and Director of Retail 100, is joined at 12:15 p.m. by
Stuart Lorimer from Bosilunlife and Jo Spolton, the founder of Rumage, will talk about “Reducing overconsumption and overproduction – can we achieve true circularity?”
The panel will go over how crucial it is to use materials that are durable but also recyclable—creating with the end goal in mind in the end. Additionally, it will concentrate on the ways in which businesses may assist consumers in learning how to extend the durability of goods.
Allison Waterhouse, Corporate Partnerships Manager at SATCoL, will continue the circularity at 1:15 p.m. when she presents “How SATCoL are closing the loop in home and giftware.” In this session, SATCoL discusses lowering the environmental impact of textiles and the lessons that can be learned across industries to effectively remove barriers to circularity and contribute to extending the useful life of home and giftware products. The fashion industry has a lot to teach us about waste reduction and upcycling materials.
Come hear “Outlook for 2024/25 – derisk your business and increase supply chain resilience” with Anna Berry from Retail 100 at 2:15 p.m. Understanding geopolitical and economic difficulties helps organizations adjust and get ready to prosper in the face of change. This kind of foresight is becoming increasingly valuable in light of the recent turmoil.
On the last day, there is a sector insight session on toys, candles, ceramics, and home textiles at Retail 100. The home and giftware industries are very large; it can be intimidating to know where to find products within certain industries, but there are helpful tools and advice that can help.
Attend the 1pm event to learn everything you need to know about the Developing Countries Trading Scheme and hear from UK policy makers on how to benefit from new legislation that lowers or eliminates import taxes from 65 developing countries. The program’s objective is to boost commerce with those areas seeking to diversify and boost exports, promoting local prosperity while offering financial incentives to UK companies seeking to source more effectively.
With Source Home & Gift, the globe is brought to the UK as a more convenient, affordable, and efficient way to find out what’s popular as well as to create and source new materials and goods. For the retail community, Source Home & Gift is an event that’s not to be missed, whether you’re searching for toys, gifts, furniture, home goods, packaging services, or anything else entirely.The program brings together prominent retailers, brands, and designers with international manufacturers in search of ethically and sustainably sourced new products.
The upcoming edition of the event is anticipated to feature over 180 manufacturers, making it the largest to date. Registration is now open. Although there is a designated entry in Hall 19, Autumn Fair attendees can still use the crossover area for free.
