Retailers are looking back at the highlights of last week’s Exclusively Housewares and Exclusively Electrical (June 11-12 Islington BDC).
Jayne Stewart, buyer for Ulster Stores lists her top products from the shows:
“Aircraft Powerglide Hard Floor Cleaner – Finally a new development in floor cleaning. Smidge for its eco-credentials but not comprising on style. Sage Whizz food processor with peel & dice – you’ll never need a potato peeler again! Hip Clean Straw (from Auteur) – eco credentials but you can actually clean this straw easily. Véritable (also from Haus) – the innovative ‘grow your own,’ and allotment in your kitchen.”
Meanwhile Sarah Wood, joint md of Trevor Mottram, Tunbridge Wells summed up her show highlights as: “Colour Colour and more colour finally!” Sarah’s top picks are: “T&G’s soap dishes, the Kuhn Rikon/Kochblume stand, Dexam’s Lunchbags and Véritable Indoor Garden for herbs, which is new from Haus.”
Lucy Richards, manager at The Kitchen Range in West Wickham describes Exclusively Housewares as “fantastic” with “90% of the show was relevant to what we do and stock.” Her highlights included Premier: “A supplier we haven’t dealt with before, however their great brand, on trend products, approachable reps and prompt and efficient response post show puts them as the forerunners.” Lucy also highlights the Véritable Indoor Garden, which Haus has just taken on, stating: “We placed an order straight away.”
Lucy also selects the “reinvented Lock and Lock boxes from JWP – a fast selling line for us anyway, their new look is completely recyclable and made totally from off cuts in manufacturing. Even better still: they have kept their same retail price.”
At Upstairs Downstairs in Oswestry, director Yossi Gliksman describes Exclusively Housewares as “one show we will never miss as long as we are trading!” He admits to placing “several orders with suppliers, which we wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for the show.”
Yossi also reflects on the benefits of meeting up with industry colleagues: “We have been visiting this show every year , it is the most focused and well-presented Housewares show. No other show can compare when it comes to serving the independents! The atmosphere was very comfortable, everyone was friendly and relaxed, no one was pretending that business was “booming “, it made us realise that we are all in the same boat.
“Our industry has been, and still is going through, difficult times. It is so important and comforting to meet and talk to old friends and colleagues about our businesses. We find exclusively Housewares the best event for that.”
Top: On the colourful Kuhn Rikon and Kochblume stand at Exclusively Housewares, Ann Hunt and Stephanie Thomas show some Kochblume products, including Stretchii, an alternative to clingfilm.
