The UK’s premier responsible sourcing show, Source Home & Gift 2025, will be open until Wednesday, February 5, 2025. It will include international innovation and craftsmanship from manufacturers and craftspeople worldwide, with top industry experts available to provide visitors with insightful guidance.
Buyers from an array to top retailers have visited Source Home & Gift since it opened, including British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research, Costco, Fenwick, RSPCA, Scribbler, Laura Ashley, TJX, Wayfair, Barnardo’s, British Garden Centres, V&A, PepsiCo, House of Marbles, Morrisons, John Lewis, ArneClo, The Essence Vault, Vinegar Hill, The Apple Orchard, and Countryside Feeders, looking for responsibly made products.
Poppy Marshall-Lawton
Poppy Marshall-Lawton, Vice President at Laura Ashley said, “This is my first time today at Source Home & Gift, it’s a good platform for us as a brand to license rather than direct source, and the show gives us an opportunity to see product that is made outside of the UK market. We can also see different capabilities of different manufacturers and see their products directly rather than going through third-party companies.’’
Andrew Goodacre
Attending as an expert to offer advice to visitors, Andrew Goodacre, CEO at British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) commented, “I can see a whole host of well-presented, well-crafted items. There are so many manufacturers that can do something different. What’s really impressing me is the stories these manufacturers have and the passion they have. As long we’ve got people coming into the retail world with that ability, that creativity and that passion to do something different and make an impression then it gives me every chance of believing that all is well and good within retail in the UK.”
Kat Graham
Tuesday’s Ask the Experts sessions featured Ami Rabheru, Retail Strategist from Retail Huddle on seasonal buying strategies, the power of pop-ups for pure play online retailers, crafting profitable product strategies, driving sales and sustainable growth, and pitching to retailers and wholesale; and Mike Coates, Assistant Director of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) who covered topics including upcoming legislation, regulatory changes, greenwashing advice, using appropriate language to avoid misleading claims, and sustainability lessons from the fashion industry. Kat Graham, Managing Director, Scout & Swan was also available to talk all things innovation and product evolution, compliance on Digital Product Passports compliance, and digital retail operations. Graham also shopped the show, “I’ve really enjoyed meeting the pavilion from the ITC. I’ve met some sustainable suppliers from Egypt, Tanzania and Ethiopia – one of the Egyptian exhibitors uses trees that have fallen and turns them into amazing products. It was really interesting meeting them and understanding more about their supply chain. All of this really reinforces the conversations I’ve had with other manufacturers from Algeria and other North African territories.”
Top Picks from the Show Floor
Sumaq Qara
Suzanne Ellingham, Event Director of Source Home & Gift took to the show floor to pick out her product highlights. She said, “I love walking the show floor and meeting the makers and listening to their stories. I’ve been so impressed with the handcrafted designs including Natural Felt and Handmade Craft’s exceptional felt flower garlands and intricately crafted dinosaurs amongst other gift items. Peruvian brand Sumaq Qara creates distinctive home accessories and cushions with beautiful finishes, and Kendaka.Upcycles showcased their innovative textiles made from binbags which feels like woven material, complimented by beautiful patterns.
Student Handicraft Enterprise
“Cananor Guild is one of Kerala’s first handloom luxury brands that focuses on scaling the traditional weaving craftsmanship worldwide, to support and revive the handloom industry of Kannur, Kerala. Their textiles feel such beautiful quality. New for this year, Mat India Corporation’s handwoven rugs and textiles are new for this year and are a prime example of the beautiful diversity of handmade products. Nepalese collective Student Handicraft Enterprise promotes their small makers ensuring profit goes back to the artisans who create beautiful giftware. I love the gorgeous felt and wool animal figurines.
“Yiwu Shuangyuan Christmas Artware anticipates the 2025 festive season with an array of trend-led designs using materials like rattan to create a unique and stylish Christmas decorations. Tabo have an amazing selection of soy, paragon and bees wax candles with sculptural beauty and exceptional quality. The new Egyptian Pavilion offers UK and European buyers a unique opportunity to source responsibly, showcasing the benefits of working with Egyptian manufacturers like VeryNile.shop whose innovative and functional gifts are made from plastic waste taken out of the Nile.”
Sabahar
Ethiopian woman-owned fair-trade business Sabahar showed off its ancient weaving and spinning traditions, quality, and authentic designs with a product range including household items such as kitchen, bath and resort towels; table linens, placemats, napkins and runners; blankets, throws and pillows; as well as silk, cotton and linen shawls and scarves made from natural fibres.
Kathy Marshall, General Manager at Sabahar said, “People have appreciated that we’re here and that’s it’s handmade and sustainable products. Everyone that we’ve talked to has been super encouraging – and there’s a lot of companies here exhibiting at Spring Fair that want to go into home textiles, so they were really excited to find us. I feel really positive. Everybody has said the quality of the products has been amazing.”
Tomorrow at 9 a.m., the show will resume. Supply chain resilience, future trends, consumer behavior, in-store experiences, brand development, sourcing and regional variations, buying, merchandising, and sustainable storytelling are all topics that Retail 100 returns with Anna Berry, its co-founder and director.
For further information on Source Home & Gift please visit https://www.source-homeandgift.com/welcome
