Spring Fair, the UK home, gift and fashion trade show which takes place on 2-5 February 2025 at NEC Birmingham, has launched a new Retail Insights podcast series for retail, and by retail, to celebrate its upcoming 75th anniversary. The trade show has collaborated with designer and TV personality Jeff Banks CBE to create the free series, which features interviews with 15 industry figureheads and runs over 14 weeks from 20 October.
Featuring guests with a wide breadth of knowledge of the retail industry across all backgrounds and sectors, the series will benefit retail businesses of all sizes, from start-ups through to 50-year-old staples in the industry. Candid conversations reflect on the past, present and future of retail, with stories that come out of building a retail business or being part of a retail business.
Listeners will be able to enjoy Banks in conversation with independent retailers including Nest and Coopers of Stortford; brands such as leading British children’s fashion brand Blade & Rose; buying group EK Retail; as well as The Giftware Association and The Greetings Card Association.
Commenting is Soraya Gadelrab, event director of Spring Fair
“In honour of Spring Fair’s 75th anniversary, we’re shining a light on the incredible businesses that continue to make this a successful event for the retail industry. As we embark on this milestone event and reflect on the journey we’ve taken together, this coming 2025 show we’ll be turning our focus outwards. After all, we can’t celebrate Spring Fair’s 75-year history without honouring the people and community who got us here. We are incredibly excited to launch this anniversary podcast series – which is available for free to all of retail to help inspire.
“As a business leader or owner in retail, this podcast is for you. For anyone looking to start a retail business, this podcast is for you. And for the retail community, this podcast is for you. There are also a few tips and tricks on how these businesses have either successfully shopped trade shows or successfully sold their products at trade shows. These are money can’t buy insights on how to be successful for businesses looking to sell products B2B. The series really has the feel-good factor and makes for very interesting listening.”
Interviews discuss an array of insightful topics
These include reinventing your brand; growing a bricks and mortar store; catering to all customer demographics; catalogue and mail orders business development; growing a small business; being a designer/maker and business owner; the power of licensed products; how to sell your products to a global buying group; and how retail associations can help your business be more successful.
The interviews also reflect on what it means to be part of the retail community; how to keep your company relevant for over 30 years; the power of storytelling; and how to stay true to environmental strategies and make a profit.
Each 10-20 minute episode is available to listen to or watch as a video via Apple, Spotify, YouTube, all popular podcasting platforms, and Spring Fair’s website.
