April’s Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair Great Success For Battersea

Review of April’s Battersea Decorative Fair: Better Than Fair!

Quality and practicality are the orders of the day at The Spring Decorative Fair…

Buyers visiting the Spring Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, held from 21-26 April 2009 at the Marquee in Battersea Park, were seeking out very practical, but good quality, items of furniture and decoration.  The majority of sales made were of useful furniture, in almost equal measure traditional, C20th century and decorated.  Twentieth century stock sold well in general.  Keenly priced items sold best.  Whilst there were sales at prices up to £12,000, the majority were under the £5000 mark.

It was interesting to note that small ticket items (inexpensive impulse purchases) were not nearly as numerous as they had been in January.  However, exhibitor Sean Berg noticed that at the weekend, when young private visitors come for leisure and who have previously perhaps purchased a small item under £200, were “having a £700 moment” instead – upgrading their buying to small furniture items and better accessories.  Sean said: “it felt like these younger customers had more spending power at this Fair, perhaps due to several consecutive months of reduced mortgage payments

BBF Shippers reported that they had been asked to undertake a much larger proportion of overseas deliveries at this Fair (including to the USA), although overall they were not quite as busy as at the October 2008 and January 2009 fairs.

Footfall was down on the previous two fairs, which is perhaps an unfair comparison as they were two of the busiest fairs ever.  The mood was more restrained than in January, and buyers were being discrete and considered in their purchasing.

Three quarters of exhibitors attending the Spring fair have confirmed they are re-booking for Autumn; with the numerous additional applications for space, this indicates the next event, to be held from 29 September to 4 October 2009, will be a complete sell-out.

David Juran, Fair Organiser, said: “Despite the tough economic conditions, it was reassuring to see the volume of sales made at this Fair of larger items, which is good for the trade all round.  Unusual and interesting furniture always remains in demand.  Exhibitors maintained their usual high standards of stock selection and presentation, which can make all the difference to sales success.”

The Autumn Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair will take place from 29 September to 4 October 2009 at The Marquee, Battersea Park, London SW11.