271_AF_SomethingDifferent_CS_WEB

100% increase in
sales year-on-year
at Autumn Fair
accelerates growth
SOMETHING DIFFERENT WHOLESALE
FOCUS AND CHALLENGES
Something Different Wholesale, established in 1999, is a leading
distributor to the gift trade. This family business has grown through
delivering outstanding products supported by exceptional customer
service. The key to success has been listening to customers
and meeting specific requests for giftware, home and garden
accessories, spiritual and gothic gifts and many other products.
Starting with a retail unit in Swansea market, then moving on to
wholesale and now selling almost 100% imports, the company has
grown to 56 staff, with a warehouse space of over 30,000 sq ft, on
average stocking over 3,000 products ready for next day delivery.
“ We wanted to tell the world about
our increased range, new products
and bigger brand. Autumn Fair was
the right show for us to make a real
impact in the market.”
JANE WALLACE JONES
CEO
SOMETHING DIFFERENT WHOLESALE
1999 was a tipping point in growth when Something Different
Wholesale embraced the early days of the Internet and set up an
e-commerce site. This move, together with creating its own product
designs – it has an internal design and marketing team – delivers
the brand promise of unique and interesting items and an easy
buying process for customers.
OBJECTIVE: To reach new customers across the UK who are
looking for new and exciting giftware.

THE AUTUMN FAIR SOLUTION
Something Different Wholesale trialed Autumn Fair in 2015
and were impressed with the results. In 2016, the company
significantly increased the size of its stand and used a new design
to increase the number of products on display.
A full pre-show marketing programme was launched in
conjunction with Autumn Fair involving colour advertising in
the show catalogue, a sponsorship deal with the Little Black
Book, as well as an email and tele-sales campaign inviting all
customers and prospects to the stand. In addition, the company
had two products nominated for ‘Gift of the Year’ and these
were showcased on the stand and acted as an additional
attraction and opportunity to start a conversation with
passers-by. The badges of all stand visitors were scanned
using the Autumn Fair application and logged on a database
for post-show follow-up.
BENEFITS
With the timing being perfect for the Christmas market, Autumn
Fair has proved to be the show that Something Different Wholesale
can rely on to help it meet its growth targets.
Sales success
• Very positive response to the brand and products
• Orders from all types and size of customers on the stand
Attract new customers
• Showcase wide range of products to inspire new customers
• Highlight commitment to small order next day delivery service
Useful market insight
• Visitor feedback helps identify future new-product opportunities
• Understand trading pressures driving change to smaller, more
frequent order patterns
RESULTS
JJ
100% increase in sales over 2015
JJ
JJ
JJ
Strong return-on-investment
Positive interest from major online companies
Increased brand awareness
“ We have already re-booked for 2017
because we are building a strong
brand presence at the show and view
it as an effective way to grow sales.”
for more information about Autumn Fair,
visit www.autumnfair.com
for more information about Something Different Wholesale,
visit www.somethingdifferentwholesale.co.uk
JANE WALLACE JONES
CEO
SOMETHING DIFFERENT WHOLESALE