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Since we began Faire Markets, we’ve helped save retailers over $104 million (over £83.5 million) and created 727,000 new relationships between brands and retailers. It’s an exciting moment to bring our industry partners, trend forecasters, and merchandising experts together—and help you find exactly what you need to make your business shine. This past Faire Winter Market was no exception—each day was packed with shopping, exclusive discounts, and discovery.
Below, we’ll dive into what we learned from this year’s market: the insights, the buying trends, and what to expect in this next year of growth and opportunity.
Participation, by the numbers
This year, over 85,000 retailers shopped the market—that’s 49% growth over last year. We’re thrilled that so many people from around the world came together. What’s more, the average retailer ordered from five different brands, and over 1.1 million products were purchased.
Global buying trends
To give you a sense of emerging trends and help you buy for the season ahead, we went through the trade show’s search and purchase data. Here’s what we found:
USA
Poppy & Pout’s handmade lip balms lead many baskets, and retailers also snapped up sugar-free syrups by Jordan’s Skinny Mixes. Itzy Ritzy’s plushies were next on the list and then Fishwife’s smoked rainbow trout. And Geometry’s cheerful tea towels are the perfect herald of the season to come. One trend we noticed straight away? All of these are timelessly giftable.
Canada
Blume’s SuperBelly Hydration & Gut Mix was the top item for Canadian shoppers at the market this year, and Happy Hippo Bath’s kid-friendly bubble bombs came next. Om Organics Skincare was also a favourite here, along with KITSCH’s pre-wash scalp oil and Milk Jar Candle Co.’ soy candles. There’s a clear thread through Canada’s most popular items: plenty of health and wellness in its most natural form. This matches what we saw in our 2025 trend forecast for Neutral Good: From the earth and good for the Earth is good for you.
UK
ARTHOUSE Unlimited’s chocolate bars topped the UK’s charts this year, followed by Ark Colour Design’s cat tails bookmark. Also popular: East End Press’s sewn garlands, hot chocolate from Harth Chocolate, and cards from Bewilderbeast. It seems that everyone in the UK is prepping for a party or perhaps gearing up for Valentine’s Day with the finest small-batch chocolates and handmade gifts.
France
It appears that many of France’s most popular retailers are falling into our 2025 prediction of the Victorian Noir trend—chic maximalism in the form of Bacanha’s organic syrups, Autour Du Parfum’s beautifully scented pouches, Pepin’s sculpted Olla tools, and a wildly glittery bum bag from Luciole et Petit Pois. As for the final pick? That lines up with another trend we’ve scouted: Intentional Detours or free-spirited nostalgia, with a 1,000-piece puzzle from Piece & Love.
Germany
We’ve been seeing an upward trend in the spirit-free lifestyle in the US, and this is clearly happening in Germany as well, as Dr. Jaglas’ alcohol-free aperitifs were the most popular item at the Winter Market. Retailers are clearly thinking ahead for the holidays with TDJ Stadtgärtner’s Easter flowers as a close second and lots of cards from Togethery and HERR&FRAUHEMPEL. It seems these retailers are also excited about their four-legged consumers: Pet toys from Lambwolf Collective were also some of the most popular items at the market.
What retailers want
This year, retailers have remained consistent in their searches, looking for gifts in line with upcoming holidays like Valentine’s Day and Easter, including candles, jewellery, chocolate, tea, and candy.
Most popular brand values
We know consumers shop with their values, and the most popular brand value tags at this Winter Market were women-owned, not sold on Amazon, eco-friendly, handmade, and organic. These tags—especially eco-friendly, handmade, and organic—are very much in line with our 2025 trend predictions, as consumers seek natural products that are good for them and the Earth.
Make the most of your new relationships
Just because the trade show is over doesn’t mean the work is. In fact, it’s really just beginning. Now’s the time to nurture these new relationships and turn them into something meaningful. So get your outreach ready, stay connected using Faire tools, keep things personalised, and lean on automation to save time where possible. And if you need to refresh your merchandising strategy with all your new products, look no further than Kristen Fisher, the CEO of Bocu.
