Visitors to this year's Stationery Show London will be able to top up trend appreciation, find out how the stationery sector and Britain's high streets are faring behind the headlines and hear from retail entrepreneurs NearSt about how to make retail stock easily searchable online. Trend analyst Phil Pond, from agency Scarlet Opus, will be familiar to visitors who have attended the show in previous years. Phil will speak twice, once to share a key trend, "The Traveller," which will play a large role in this year's Christmas sales, and a second time to share a longer view of leading global con ..read more

Taking place from 7th-9th April, this year's British Craft Trade Fair is the largest event of its kind, focusing exclusively on British-made artisan products. Now in its 45th year, the show will host hundreds of designer-makers at the Yorkshire Event Centre. Products on display will include handmade ceramics, porcelain, fashion accessories, jewellery, hand-blown glass, metalwork, woodwork, greetings cards and fine art. Trade prices will start from a few pounds and all exhibitors are guaranteed to work within Great Britain and Ireland. The show's organisers can also provide advice and support ..read more

Sustainable knitwear designer Katie Jones will share a range of colourful eco-friendly designs at The Spring Knitting & Stitching Show, which opens this week. Katie, who combines 'playful aesthetics with serious ethics' will showcase her range of handmade technicolour womenswear, homewares and accessories in the show's Make It Yourself (MIY) gallery. A brand-new collection will also be launched at the event. “The exhibition will aim to inspire and demonstrate how you can approach sustainability in a fun and colourful way,” explains Katie. “Over-consumption is one of the biggest issues in ..read more

The deadline for entries has been extended two weeks, giving retailers until midnight on Friday 1st March, 2019 to enter. The retailer categories are brand-new for this year's show. The retailer categories are: - Best Specialist Stationery Retailer - Best Non-Specialist Stationery Retailer - New Store of the Year - Best POS/Merchandised Display of Stationery - Best Customer Experience Initiative Entry to the awards is completed via an online form on the Stationery Awards website, at www.stationeryawards.co.uk Each form also allows up to eight images or supporting documents to be uploaded to ..read more

Useful data from the much-anticipated Craft Report 2019 was revealed yesterday at CHSI Stitches. The latest results were taken from a sample of over 3,000 crafters, with research conducted by independent research specialists Linda Jones & Partners. “Visitors to the show have exclusive access to some vital industry data through The Craft Report research, presented to benefit their businesses and deepen their understanding of customers and the retail landscape,” says Dominic Fleming, show director. “This kind of insight makes the show a must for everyone in the creative craft industry.” Co ..read more

Lion Capital has acquired The DMC Group from BlueGem Capital Partners. The needlecraft group comprises a portfolio of leading European brands including DMC, Wool and the Gang (WATG) and Sirdar, as well as Tilsatec, a high-performance technical yarn. BlueGem formed The DMC Group in August 2016 as a consolidation platform for its needlecraft brands, beginning with the acquisition of DMC and WATG. BlueGem identified DMC as an unloved and undermanaged company with strong brand heritage, high-quality products and untapped growth potential, and launched a programme of intensive rejuvenation across ..read more

Crafter's Companion has announced that it will be moving to Create & Craft TV. The partnership was announced by company founder Sara Davies via email and on social media, and marks the end of a three-year partnership with Hochanda. “It was a hard decision to leave Hochanda as we've become very close to many people over the three years we've been there, but ultimately, we need to do what's best for Crafter's Companion,” explains Sara. “Those of you who have been following the company long enough will know that I started on my craft journey at Ideal World over 13 years ago, so I'm delighted ..read more

Following the success of its Big Tea Cosy knitting event in 2018, national charity Breast Cancer Haven is once again encouraging crafters to get knitting. The organisation is inviting people to 'make a brew for breast cancer' in the month of March, as well as hosting a crafternoon and trying their hand at knitting and crochet to help support those going through treatment. Online craft community LoveKnitting will continue to support the Big Tea Cosy campaign by selling exclusive patterns, with all proceeds going to the charity's supportive service. Customers can keep their woollen creations or ..read more

Crafter's Companion has appointed Ross Brown as its new head of commercial to help drive the company's continuing success. The business saw a sales growth of 38 per cent over 2018, with an export sales growth of 59 per cent over the same period. With 180 employees worldwide, the company continues to go from strength to strength. “I have known and worked with Ross for a number of years now, so I know he is a perfect fit for our company's ethos,” says company founder Sara Davies. “His ideas and understanding that we place the consumer at the heart of our business, as well as his vast range of e ..read more

Textile Heritage will be launching a range of new designs at CHSI Stitches this month, including this eye-catching collection inspired by the TV series Outlander. The iconic images of Scotland lend themselves perfectly to several of the company's most popular projects, including bookmarks and keyrings. Each product is beautifully packaged and includes everything needed to complete the make. Retail display boxes and POS are also available. The company will be exhibiting on stand 12A09 For details, go to www.textileheritage.com ..read more