REFRESHED AND REPOSITIONED TOP DRAWER A/W 26 SEES SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN EXHIBITORS AND HIGH-CALIBRE BUYERS

Attendance more than doubles among VIP and VVIP buyers in September show

Top Drawer A/W26, which closed on Tuesday 15th September, delivered an overall 11% increase in visitor numbers, driven by a significant uplift in the quality, influence and spending power of its audience, bringing an increasingly concentrated community of serious buyers to Olympia London.

The show welcomed exceptional growth among its priority buying groups, with visitors from Department stores, Museums, and independent retailers rising by 25%, 13% and 7% respectively.  VIP and VVIP attendance increased 76% year on year, with growth recorded across every annual buying-budget category above £1 million; attendance more than doubled among VIP and VVIP buyers controlling annual budgets of between £1 million and £2 million, rising 116% year on year. Attendance also increased 51% among those with budgets of £2 million to £5 million, 66% among those with between £5 million and £10 million, and 75% among those with annual budgets exceeding £10 million. Across the wider audience, attendance from visitors with annual buying budgets above £500,000 was also up 13%.

Subsequently, a veritable who’s-who of retail came through the doors, including Accessorize, Anthropologie, ASOS, Barbican Centre, Barnes & Noble, Blue Diamond Garden Centres, Borough Kitchen, Card Factory, Cass Art, Cotswold Trading, Creaseys, Diddly Squat Farm Shop, Dunelm, English Heritage, Fenwick, Fortnum & Mason, Graham & Green, Harrods, Harvey Norman, Heal's, Historic Royal Palaces, Hoopers Department Store Group, Imperial War Museums, Jarrolds, John Lewis, Jojo Maman Bébé, Jumping Bean, Lark London, Le Bon Marche, Liberty London, London Transport Museum, Lords At Home, Mamas & Papas, Merlin Entertainments, Moonpig, Morleys Department Stores, Mothercare, National Gallery Global, National Theatre, National Trust, Natural History Museum, NBC UNIVERSAL, Next, Oliver Bonas, Ottolenghi, Oxfam, Paper Tiger, Papersmiths, Postmark, Rockett St George, Rossiters of Bath, Royal Ballet & Opera, Ryman, SAATCHI GALLERY, Sainsburys, Science Museum Group, SCP, Scribbler, Selfridges, Southbank Centre, Tate Enterprises, The Design Museum, The Dulwich Trader, The V&A, The Walt Disney Company, TJX, Twentytwentyone, ULSTER STORES, Urban Outfitters, Vinegar Hill, Walmart, Waterstones, White Stuff, Whole Foods Market, Wolf & Badger, ZSL, and countless more.

Retailers were treated to an abundance of choice, as several areas of the show boasted double-digit exhibitor growth, with Fashion expanding by 10%, Greetings & Stationery by 15%, and the Home section by 17%. 142 exhibitors also made their Top Drawer debut to give buyers access to new suppliers not seen at the event before, and 14% of all exhibitors hailed from overseas, underlining the importance of Top Drawer on the global stage.

Following the event, Event Director David Westbrooke commented:

'' Top Drawer has always been about championing great design and showcasing innovative products. The refreshed look and feel coupled with the show’s recent repositioning has helped us attract back contemporary suppliers and retailers alike, reinforcing Top Drawer’s position as a commercially valuable destination for brands looking to connect with design-led, high-spending retail buyers. We’re delighted with the outcome of this season’s event and look forward to doing it all again in January! ''

Buyers praised the look and feel of the event alongside the choice of suppliers on offer:

Top Drawer is a must-attend event for us every year - it’s where we find new trends, fresh inspiration, and exciting products that shape our buying plans. This year’s burst of colour, innovation, and emerging designs has been especially energising.

Deputy Head of Licensing – V&A

We attend Top Drawer to discover new designs, fresh products, and catch up with our existing suppliers to see what’s next. Every visit introduces us to new brands we’re excited to work with… Top Drawer is fantastic for discovering new suppliers, and it’s always inspiring to see those on-trend products that make a difference.

Georgia Fisher, Buyer – Heal’s

Top Drawer is a buyer’s dream - it’s a treasure trove of inspiration, from greeting cards and homeware to unique lifestyle finds. Unlike other trade shows, we’re constantly discovering fresh brands and products we’ve never seen before. We love the variety, the focus on ethical and sustainable choices, and the stories behind the brands. It’s where we find designs that inspire and help us stand out.

Senior Buying Manager – OXFAM

Top Drawer is such a friendly atmosphere to catch up with current suppliers and meet new suppliers to work with… My favourite part has been finding inspiration for the season ahead and seeing some of the winners of the awards and the trend report. I like that new designers and makers have more visibility now too, and championing UK made product.

Florence Burnaby-Davies, Senior Buyer – Royal Academy of Arts

For us, Top Drawer is a chance to see what's trending, what's new and check in with suppliers that we work with… We love seeing brands here [showing] anything unusual and anything new that we've not seen before. It's a good place to come for a lot of independent and small business suppliers.

Deejay Nye, Senior Buyer - Science Museum Group

The increased overall visitor footfall, combined with growth in bigger-spending buyers was certainly felt amongst the exhibitors, both old and new alike:

We had big, big fun at Top Drawer this week, it was our third time at the show and it felt like another significant step forward for Ornament Art. We caught up with our fab customers, met some new lovely ones, and came away with some exciting leads.

Ornament Art

What a wonderful few days! We're coming away from the show in need of a little rest but feeling incredibly energised by all the fantastic conversations, new connections and exciting leads.

Le toy van

I met so many lovely buyers, shop owners and curators from beautiful independent shops, boutiques, galleries and department stores

Eloise Rose Design

Full hearts, tired feet. Until next time!

Block

The best Top Drawer yet!

www.topdrawer.co.uk

Top Drawer S/S runs from January 10-12 2027 at Olympia London

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