May 11, 2023

Shoppe Object expands global, home offerings this summer

The summer 2023 edition of Shoppe Object, a trade event for curated home and gift, will take place Aug. 13-15 at Manhattan’s Pier 36 in New York City.

The biannual event will deliver a major uptick in international brands hailing from 24 countries and will showcase an expansion of products for the home, show executives said. Among the show’s returning features are the Black Lives Matter Action Initiative, which offers subsidized booth space for Black-owned brands, a NOURISH section, featuring small-batch beauty and gourmet, and the show’s selected Artist of the Season, who inspires the season’s visual energy and showcases their work at market.

A recent recipient of a Trade Show Executive Gold Award for its fast growth in both square footage and exhibitors, Shoppe Object has been sold out since April, according to International Market Centers. Presenting more than 500 brands, the event now fills two adjacent spaces including a new Cityside Pavilion, first debuted at the February 2023 show.

This August, more than 20% of the exhibit floor will feature exhibitors based outside the United States, representing diverse product categories from tabletop to home textiles to stationery. Returning notable brands traveling from abroad include Blomus (Germany, Home Decor & Accessories), Banwood (Spain, Kids), Itza Wood (Guatemala, Home Decor & Accessories), Bomshbee (China,Tabletop), Mungo (South Africa, Home Textiles), The Completist (UK, Stationery), Woloch Company (Mexico, Home Decor & Accessories), and Zafferano (Italy, Lighting). Among the many first-time exhibitors debuting at this summer’s market are Spring Copenhagen (Denmark, Home Decor & Accessories), Iris Hantverk (Sweden, Lifestyle), Jamini (France, Home Textiles), Nimes (Argentina, Personal Accessories), Kapka (Turkey, Tabletop), Mustard Made (UK,Furniture), Opinel (France, Kitchen / Bar), Rolser (Spain, Kitchen), Bergs Potter (Denmark, Garden Ceramics), and Saarde (Australia, Home Decor & Accessories). To round out a truly global showing, renowned distributor Sakai will debut at Shoppe Object with 50+ brands from Japan, and the “Made In Ireland” pavilion will return with a selection of brands featuring handmade goods from the Emerald Isle.

“We’ve been building towards international expansion for quite some time,” said Jesse James, founder and show director of Shoppe Object. “Over the past two years, our small team has been traveling around the globe, knocking on doors and visiting showrooms, engaged in conversation with stellar brands as we patiently waited for the post-pandemic clouds to shift, freeing up the opportunity for more of these companies to travel to the US and display their wares again. We’re honored and thrilled that these folks have selected Shoppe Object to mark their return or debut.”

Home goods

In home goods, the August show will feature household names such as Alexandra Von Fürstenberg (Home Decor & Accessories), Chilewich (Home Textiles), Umbra (Furniture) and Yamazaki (Furniture), as well as the return of designer favorites like KleinReid (Ceramics), MQuan Studio (Ceramics), Sir/Madam (Home Decor & Accessories), and Style Union Home (Home Decor & Accessories). Home categories will represent 50% of the overall product offerings at the August edition.

This growth is taking place ahead of Shoppe Object’s first-ever satellite activation at High Point Market this October, designed to become a permanent second home for the show and featuring an exclusively home decor and furnishings focus.

Special features

Also attending from abroad: Shoppe Object’s Artist of the Season — a seasonally selected creator who inspires the visuals of the market and showcases their work. This summer’s selected artist, Ruby Bateman, will join Shoppe Object from England, where she creates romantic drawings and paintings evocative of the Bloomsbury Set between her home in London’s East End and her getaway in the South West countryside. The artist will be selling original work, as well as exploring licensing opportunities at what will be her first stateside visit.

Returning for its fifth season is Shoppe Object’s Black Lives Matter Action Initiative (BLMAI), sponsoring (in partnership with Ribbon, Shoppe Object’s digital marketplace provider) 20 Black-owned brands in a hybrid format that offers both in-person booth space and online exhibition through the show’s established digital marketplace, Shoppe Online. The program, which offers both sponsorship and mentorship, was launched to increase diversity in the home and gift space to foster a better, more representative market.

Shoppe Object’s NOURISH section, which features the latest discoveries in small-batch beauty and gourmet, also returns this August. Curated by Dr. Maria Geyman, Vogue contributor and the naturo- pathic doctor behind Masha Tea, the section will highlight dozens of new-to-market brands including Ciao Pappy (Gourmet), Dear Botanics (Beauty & Wellness), For Sea And Oats (Beauty & Wellness), Nala Care (Beauty & Wellness), Persons of Interest (Fragrance), and Beeswax Candles by Alysia (Candles).

Shoppe Object will take place Sunday, Aug. 13 through Tuesday, Aug.15, at Pier 36 in New York City. The show is open daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.