‘Strong interest’ at Indx Woman trade show

Taking place on 29-30 January, Indx Woman is part of the trade show series held at Cranmore Park Exhibition Centre in Solihull, organised by Associated Independent Stores (AIS).

The womenswear, footwear, and accessories show had over 130 brands exhibiting this year, 25 of which are new to the event including Apricot, Blue Vanilla, Baleno, Hot Diamonds and Pineapple Island. This compared with 127 exhibitors in January 2024.

Other highlights include the return of Bestseller, BTX Group and Godske Group. It has also moved its after-show events to its new loft for brands and buyers to network away from the showrooms.

The AW25 edition has seen an “influx of late registrations”, said James Crabtree, head of fashion at show organisers AIS: “There has been a bit of ‘let’s get through Christmas and see how sales progress before we make the decision to buy new products’.

“It is a cautious time as retailers are trying to understand the impact of the changes to National Insurance and business rates, but buyers have been placing orders and discovering new brands.”

Tom Joule, founder and CEO of Joules, described the show as “a great platform for capturing a broad customer base” and “a real success for Joules this season, with a constantly buzzing stand.”

“We had pre-booked our appointments which has helped to structure the days as it can be very busy at points,” he said. “There has been strong interest from walk-on independents and department stores and we have also spoken with international stockists who have travelled for the show.”

The lifestyle brand has been rebuilding its distribution under the ownership of Next and Joule, with a focus on the UK market. The business plans to revisit Ireland and Europe for wholesale opportunities as it heads towards SS26 development.

Will Brown, head of partnerships of Joe Browns, said: “Day one at the Indx trade show has been a fantastic success. We're thrilled to welcome a number of new retailers eager to stock our autumn/winter 2025 collection. It's been great reconnecting with our current partners too.”

He added that knitwear and outerwear are growth opportunities for Joe Browns in the year ahead.

Judy Smith, director of Twine Clothing, in Denstone, East Staffordshire, attended the show to place orders with existing brands such as Alice Collins and Pomodoro and to discover new styles.

“We saw this jewellery stand [Jianhui London] who’s exhibiting for the first time. Its jewellery is made with recycled plastics and leather and we find it very interesting,” she said. “[Overall] it was a good show. There are lots of colourways and lots of brightness this time.”

Collette Lee, owner of Maidstone-based fashion and accessories independent Lottie’s Loft, is positive about the show after visiting for the first time: “The venue is easy to get to and it’s definitely worth visiting for us.

“We are trying to find something a bit different. I think new brands are the way to forward for us.” The retailer has taken on Spanish brand Arggido and Cornwall-based label Pink lemons.

Brands are hoping to take on new stockists too. Tracie Ashford, sales manager of Cornwall womenswear brand Nomads: “It’s nice to catch up with our existing customers and we did have a couple of new ones as well. [For the year ahead,] it’s all about getting new businesses on board.”

However, retailers and brands have also spoken out about the challenging retail environment caused by rising labour costs and uncertainty around customer sentiment.

Twine Clothing’s Smith said: “It was a tough [autumn/winter] season out there and everyone has pulled back their purse strings a little bit this year.

“It’s noticeable that some brands have cut down on their stock. We are being more cautious and are sticking to the brands that we know will get us the mark-ups and won’t go into Sale.”

AIS’ Crabtree said: “The main focus for retailers is margin. There is no point working with a brand that is going to undercut you, but companies that are offering competitive retail price points at high margins are definitely winning.

“We all know it’s not going to be an easy year but at the same time, you’ve got to be positive and find new opportunities. Retailers that are bringing new products and creating nice experience in their stores are going to have a good year.”