Spring Fair news and archive

Spring Fair 2026: Buyer confidence and exhibitor momentum point to market recovery

Spring Fair's February 2026 edition closed with signs of renewed confidence across the UK and international retail landscape. With 40,000 visitors from 124 countries attending the four-day event at the NEC Birmingham, both buyers and exhibitors pointed to higher footfall, stronger intentions to buy and a noticeably more optimistic atmosphere...

Fairs

Spring Fair: Morleys’ new CEO talks the reopening of Jolly’s Bath store

Ahead of the reopening of Jolly’s store in Bath, the new chief executive of Morleys took to the stage of Spring Fair to discuss his vision for the future of the department store. Ray Clacher, who took up the helm of the group on January 5, spoke on the evolving role of these retail formats and how he intends to channel this into a transformed...

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Fairs

Spring Fair: Tesco eyes continued expansion for F&F via online-only models

Supermarket giant Tesco has enjoyed increased momentum of its clothing line F&F over recent years, driving an expansion of the offering online and enhancing its assortment. Now, as the British retailer continues to invest heavily in the range, it is upping its game through further digital expansion and a potential rollout of online-only styles....

Fairs

Spring Fair: Anthropologie buying director outlines relevance, restraint and customer connection

At this year’s ongoing Spring Fair in Birmingham, UK, visitors gathered at The Style Atelier to hear how one of fashion retail’s most distinctive chains defines relevance in the current landscape. In conversation with fashion commentator Caryn Franklin, Gill McCulloch, buying director at Anthropologie Europe, set out how the brand balances...

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Fairs|Interview

Spring Fair's event director talks industry evolution, strategic focus, and the role of fashion

Spring Fair, a trade show bringing together fashion, home, gifting and gardening brands, is almost upon us, and major transformations are underway, reflective of an industry in need of change and fairs that can then cater to these evolving desires. This edition of Spring Fair will be one of newness: The Hidden Forum stage will platform leading...

EventPress Release

Spring Fair 2026 Unlocks the Hidden Forum: A New Stage for Retail’s Most Powerful Conversations

Spring Fair, the UK’s definitive showcase for Home, Gift and Fashion, today unveils The Hidden Forum, a brand-new, executive stage launching at Spring Fair 2026, with confirmed speakers including TV Dragon and retail entrepreneur Theo Paphitis; Ray Clacher, CEO of Morleys Department Stores; and Koreen Fader, CEO of QVC UK. Designed for candid,...

People

New event directors appointed for Spring Fair and Autumn Fair

A series of leadership appointments have been made among the portfolio of Hyve Group, as the event organiser positions its trade shows for long-term growth. Fay Tranter has been named the new event director for Spring Fair, while Matthew Mein has been tapped for the same position at Glee and Autumn Fair. Tranter, who took up her role on December...

FairsPartner Content

Fashion at Spring Fair 2026: Where Product, Perspective and Performance Converge

As retail continues to evolve beyond category silos, Fashion at Spring Fair 2026 arrives as a destination shaped by how buyers now think, source and trade. Taking place at the NEC Birmingham from 1–4 February 2026, the reimagined fashion offering sits at the intersection of inspiration, insight and intelligent buying, uniting apparel,...

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Fairs

Navigating UK trade shows: Key events for apparel and textile professionals in Jan/Feb 2026

As we approach the new year, buyers, manufacturers and brands alike will be battening down the hatches in preparation for the upcoming buying period. With the event season in constant flux, it can be hard to keep track of which fairs will be rolling through in the UK. With this in mind, FashionUnited has highlighted some of the fastest growing...

Fairs

Spring Fair is expanding The Licensing Lab at February’s event

Home, gift and fashion trade show Spring Fair, which takes place at the NEC Birmingham from February 1 to 4, 2026, has announced that ‘The Licensing Lab’ connecting the worlds of licensing and retail will return “bigger and better”. ‘The Licensing Lab,’ which launched at last year’s show, is being expanded to connect “brands, creativity and...

Fairs

Spring Fair to debut new fashion-dedicated destination at February 2026 show

UK trade show Spring Fair is set to introduce a new fashion-focused destination at its upcoming February edition as it doubles down on the apparel sector. ‘Fashion at Spring Fair’ will debut at Spring Fair’s next show, taking place at the NEC Birmingham between February 1 to 4, 2026. Its launch intends to respond to buyer demand for a...

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Retail

Independent retailers call for government to “step up” to revitalise the UK's high streets

Independent retailers across the UK have revealed in a new survey that the government isn’t listening and doing enough to address challenges such as dwindling footfall, surging costs and decline in consumer confidence, and needs to be doing more to revitalise high street communities. The survey of more than 250 independent retail businesses...