Well done to the winners in the Cards & Stationery category at Scotland’s Trade Fair.Â
The Gold award went to Hole in My Pocket’s calendar, the silver to eco-friendly paper tape from Cascayde, and the third to fridge magnet cards from Wee Wishes.
In warm sunshine this week, rather than Glasgow’s usual inclement January weather, Scotland’s Trade Fair returned to the SEC in Glasgow with a fantastic range of suppliers and products.
Yvonne Carr, Visit Scotland buyer, said: “This Show is so important for us to source and support Scottish producers and we have loved seeing so many new companies. The Show is just not long enough for us to complete all our buying!â€
Visitor attendance was down on previous years, primarily due to the high rate of Covid infection in Scotland, the postponement of the show from January to March, and the clash with Mother’s Day.
However, organisers said the mood at the Show was upbeat, with most exhibitors glad about the quality of the buyers and enjoying the chance to re-connect with fellow suppliers and see old and new customers in person.
Archie Macdonald from The Highland Soap Company said: “The Show has been good for us with many orders but most of all we have enjoyed seeing many customers whom we have not seen for two years. If we hadn’t been here we would have missed many great opportunities.â€
The Best Product Awards, sponsored by The Giftware Association, were judged on the opening morning of the Show by retail experts Linda Birkbeck from House of Bruar, Catherine McGurk from Glasgow Museums and Sarah Ward, chief executive of the Giftware Association. They were impressed with the quality of many of the entries, especially from newer, younger companies.
Linda Birkbeck said: “The winners naturally stood out from the rest with quality, desirable products that retailers would want to stock. Many showed real innovation in what they were producing, which is so good to see.â€
The 2023 Show will be held from 22-24 January 2023.
