Home & Gift 2025 concluded on Wednesday (July 23), having united thousands of buyers, brands, and creatives across four inspiration-filled days
Celebrating its 65th edition, the show combined record-breaking attendance, standout creativity, and unmistakable feel-good energy across the Harrogate Convention Centre and the grounds of the DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel.
The 2025 edition delivered significant growth across key retailer types, organisers reported, with internet retailer attendance rising by 23%, independents by 25%, department stores by 36%, and multiple retailers by 41%.
First-time visitors made up 31% of registrations, providing exhibitors with a fresh new audience to meet and do business with, alongside big-name retailers including Accessorize, Blue Diamond, Booths Supermarkets, Boots, British Garden Centres, Cardzone, Cox & Cox, De Beers Garden Centre, Dobbies, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Fenwick, Frongosh Garden Centre, Historic Royal Palaces, Hoopers, John Lewis, Jumping Bean, La Redoute, Lakeland, Lark London, Morleys, Morrisons, Next, Paper Tiger, Ransoms Garden Centre, The British Museum, TJX, Utility Retail, Vinegar Hill, Waitrose, WHSmith, and World Duty Free. In addition to the quantity, the quality of visitors was evident too, with VIP attendance rising considerably, and the show welcoming 42% more buyers possessing spending power of over half a million pounds.
With a significantly expanded show floor and 150 new exhibitors, there was a huge amount for buyers to discover across the seven halls and Design Points, and visitor feedback reflected this; the owners of Jumping Bean explained: “What I always love about coming to Harrogate is the beautiful setting. It’s fun – definitely fun – the social side of it is the best out of all the shows we attend! And then you get the cherry on the cake because you find that not only are the people you’re buying from all here, but there are so many new suppliers too – and that just makes it so exciting… it’s been amazing.”
The team from John Lewis echoed this: “The brands at Home & Gift feel like they’re selected for a certain customer type, which I feel resonated with ours… If people want inspiration, to meet the industry and to see what products are out there – Home & Gift is a nice place to do all of that.”
“We’ve had a great week at Home & Gift and we’ve seen some amazing customers… We’ve absolutely loved our time here at Harrogate and we’ve already booked for next year”
Buyers from Simply Rye vocalised the thoughts of many when they commented: “It’s always such a great show full of gorgeous things for us to fill the shop with. We absolutely love catching up with our suppliers (and finding some great new ones too!)”
Exhibitors clearly felt the benefit of such enthusiasm, reporting strong order writing from the moment the doors opened on Sunday right through to the final afternoon of the event, and a record 72% of them signed up straight away for 2026. The Art File was full of praise for the event: “We’ve had a great week at Home & Gift and we’ve seen some amazing customers… We’ve absolutely loved our time here at Harrogate and we’ve already booked for next year.”
Meg Hawkins Art shared these sentiments: “Fantastic few days at Home & Gift! Where else could you get to meet in person customers from every corner of the country – from the highlands to Cornwall, even a few internationals… The halls are full of inspiration, everyone’s new ideas and the hope for what the event may bring.’”
The founder of Letterbox Love summarized the thoughts of many, declaring: “We love this show so much.”
The event’s 65th birthday added an extra layer of festivity this year, with celebratory touches including cake, fizz, and a heartfelt visit from the Mayor of Harrogate, who formally signed the show’s commemorative birthday card.
A highlight for many was the Sunday Sundowners, affectionately renamed Raindowners after a surprise midsummer downpour, which saw guests welcomed into the Majestic Hotel’s Ballroom. Other successful social events held included the Show Party on Monday night, which saw exhibitors and visitors alike dance the night away, and Tuesday evening’s Drinks on the Lawn.
This edition was about more than numbers; it was about rekindling relationships and celebrating the future of retail together; the record-breaking rebook was the icing on the (birthday) cake!
Elsewhere, the Gift of the Year 2025 showcase, run in partnership with The Giftware Association, put boundary-pushing products in the spotlight; this year’s winning entries captured the creativity and innovation that continue to define the sector and inspire retail buyers. The show also continued its collaboration with The Better Trends Co., who’s vibrant and sustainability-focused trend installations encouraged attendees to explore what’s next in product development and conscious retailing.
Event Director David Westbrooke reflected: “Home & Gift 2025 has been a resounding success – newness at every turn, and a remarkable who’s-who of UK retail in attendance; a fitting show to celebrate 65 remarkable years. This edition was about more than numbers; it was about rekindling relationships and celebrating the future of retail together; the record-breaking rebook was the icing on the (birthday) cake!”
Home & Gift Buyers’ Festival returns to Harrogate from July 2026, 19–22. You can register your interest now to be part of next year’s summer showcase.
