I got back to Australia yesterday after a busy few days this week at the Hong Kong Gift Fair. With more than 4,000 exhibitors and 100,000+ attendees, this was a busy fair. There were plenty of newsagent suppliers there as well as some newsagents.
The fair is an excellent opportunity to spot trends. For example, whereas three years ago when many of us were stocking our first interactive products, the Fair that year had little interactive product. This year, many companies had interactive products – showing to me that what was unique then is now everyday.
I saw plenty of innovative products and got to talk with suppliers of some products that a few years ago newsagents would not have stocked.
What is clear is that gifts as a category is broader now than ever before. This is both exciting and challenging. Exciting because we have plenty of places in which to play and challenging because we are really only just starting out in this product category.
While I appreciate that getting to the Hong Kong Gift Fair is difficult for many newsagents, it is worth it in terms of the inspiration, advice and opportunities you encounter.