Buyers rethink trade show strategies as Pure heads to Birmingham

Yesterday, Hyve Group announced that Pure London will be located alongside Moda and Spring Fair at the Birmingham NEC on 2-5 February 2025.

It comes after Hyve Group acquired Just Around the Corner in August 2023 and merged the two shows to form Pure London x JATC. From February 2025, JATC will be absorbed into Moda x Pure.

Premium womenswear show Scoop will remain at Olympia West as scheduled on 9-11 February 2025. Source Fashion will be held at Olympia London on 18-20 February 2025.

Tiffany Moore, owner of Lancaster-based womenswear independent Renes Fashion, is rethinking her trade show visits for the upcoming season: “I went to Pure and Scoop in the summer. There was a good atmosphere but I didn’t write any orders. Moda is always one I missed out on because you can’t do them all.

“With Pure moving to Birmingham, I will probably have a look and see what’s going on. Birmingham is in the middle of the country so a kind of middle ground for everybody. But Pure and Scoop are now separated.”

Moore believes further consolidation would be beneficial for businesses as the trade show landscape has evolved: “I think it would make sense if more can come under one roof. They are playing against each other in a way.

“A lot of the agents show in their showrooms so sometimes it’s easier to book the appointments, stay in London and see them in one go [rather than attending shows].” She added that Harrogate Fashion Week is becoming an increasingly important show for her business.

The director of one womenswear brand said the footfall “wasn’t great” when she last exhibited at Pure London so she hoped the newly combined iteration would be able to attract more buyers to attend, especially from more established retailers.

“If you can get bigger buyers from Next, M&S or some of those names, then I think it would be a show worth going to,” she said.

Hyve Group said the integrated show aims to strengthen Spring Fair's position “as a destination for the fashion sector, driven by evolving market conditions and the desire for a more integrated buying space for fashion retailers”.

Amy Newman, buyer at lifestyle independent Ed in East Dulwich, London, told Drapers that the business currently visits Spring Fair for gifting and Pure for fashion and is thinking about its plans for the February editions.

“We wouldn’t be able to do [fashion and gifting] in one day so we would have to stay in Birmingham overnight, which is probably more difficult,” she said, “For fashion, we might end up seeing our brands at their showrooms in London rather than at Pure in Birmingham as it’s more convenient.”

Antony Nathan, managing director of footwear agency 33 Joints, which currently showcases its brands at Scoop, Footwear Today and Shoes Next Door in the UK, having previously exhibited at Moda before it reduced its footwear offering when combined with Spring Fair in 2021.

He is considering making a return to the new iteration of Moda x Pure: “We will come in and have a look. For clothing it’s a good show and for shoes, it is sometimes. Any shows that can generate a bit of buzz and get a good turnout, I think people will go back to.”

Drapers understands the new iteration of Moda x Pure will include an increased footwear presence, and Pure's catwalk show.

Nathan continued: “We have found trade shows a bit more difficult because of changes in the way people buy and discover brands. I like trade shows and interacting with people but a lot of it can be done online now and people discover new brands on Instagram. [Trade show organisers] need to make it an experience rather than just looking at products so people want to come for the day.”

Jackson Szabo, retail portfolio director at Hyve Group, said: “As the industry evolves, it’s crucial for us to adapt our offerings to strengthen Hyve Group's position at the forefront of fashion events.

“By positioning Pure and Moda together at Spring Fair and focusing on London’s premium fashion event Scoop and Source Fashion, we ensure that Hyve Group continues to deliver the commercial opportunities that brands and buyers seek.”