What We Saw at Shoppe Object and NY NOW 2026: Trends and Takeaways for Product Brands

A few months ago, we walked the home and gift trade shows in New York, and I wanted to share a bit about what we saw and heard. It’s always so fun to browse all the booths, and I always end up with a running shopping list in my head (a few personal favorites: Son of a Sailor’s Float glass jewelry, Leaf and Loom’s artistic trays, and whaaaat is this amazing walrus mount from Cody Foster?).

We got to see a bunch of beloved clients in person:

2026 Trade Show Trends

We also found some new brands and discovered some new trends while walking the NYC trade shows this year.

We saw lots of products that looked like food. There was a whole supermarket of food-shaped handbags, and many clever food-shaped and scented candles.

We saw rainbows galore: products in an array of color options, sorted in rainbow order, and just so much color everywhere. We also saw lots of wild and wacky sock options, including socks with seashells dangling from the ankles.

But the trends weren’t restricted to the products themselves, there were also trends in how the products were displayed. Jessica Knopp from Son of a Sailor told us:

“Honestly, one of my favorite parts of doing a show again was just getting to see how everyone else does it — what’s on trend, what buyers are gravitating toward, how other jewelry brands are choosing to present their work. And it was interesting: a lot of other jewelry brands had their pieces laid out flat on a table instead of up on stands. I’ve always felt that it was better to have jewelry up at eye level so people can actually see the shape and form of it. But I’m letting myself break out of that a little and experiment, maybe with a future booth, but definitely in the shop, to explore new ways to get people engaging with our pieces. It was a genuinely useful thing to notice.”

This year, there are also shifting trends in what kind of trade shows brands are attending and whether they’re attending trade shows at all.

Katie Hunt from Proof to Product, who has been helping brands successfully scale their wholesale revenue since 2011, told us:

“We’re seeing an uptick in our community members exhibiting at regional and niche wholesale shows sometimes in lieu of or in addition to the larger international gift shows. These shows tend to be shorter, less expensive and when aligned right, sales are strong. Our community of product creators sell a wide range of products including home decor, apparel, jewelry, toys, desktop, stationery & gift products — and they are having success exhibiting at shows for booksellers, plant enthusiasts, food & beverage boutiques, museums and more.”

Shoppe Object vs NY NOW: What’s the Difference?

I hadn’t been to the trade shows since 2023. Since I started walking the trade shows in 2016, a lot has changed. I’ve seen the National Stationery Show get absorbed into NY NOW, and NY NOW has gotten smaller and smaller, while Shoppe Object appeared on the scene, getting larger every year.

If you’re new to these trade shows, both are typically held twice a year in New York City (usually in February and August), but they have completely different vibes.

NY NOW is more of the traditional wholesale show, featuring larger gift brands and often catering to bigger retail chains and classic gift shops.

Shoppe Object positions itself as “design-forward” and caters to high-end buyers like museum gift shops and upscale boutiques. It’s also a juried show with a selective application process.

Here’s what felt different to me in 2026:

Shoppe Object

Shoppe was much bigger! It seems to get bigger every year. It was two stories, with six big sections. I like the new location with the food court, but it was a bummer they didn’t have the shuttle going back and forth between the two shows. Even though the show was bigger, it was still super well curated, and every booth was interesting and gorgeous in its own way. This show just has a great vibe.

I heard from exhibitors that they do well at it and the show staff treat them well. For instance, Jessica Knopp from Son of a Sailor shared this about her experience at Shoppe Object in 2026:

“It was our smallest booth we’ve ever done — a sterile little four-by-eight box — and I think we did a really good job warming it up with texture. Overall, I’d call the show a success — there are a lot of ways we try to measure something like this, and it’s never just how many orders we write. We didn’t quite hit our more optimistic goals — but we’re trying not to count our chickens before they hatch. There’s follow-up ahead, relationships to nurture, and we know these things take time to pay off. Would we have loved to feel like we were popping a bottle of champagne because we blew our numbers out of the water? Sure. But realistically, we can still call this one a win.”

Sandra Bonazoli, the jeweler and metalsmith behind Beehive Handmade and Sailors Valentine believes that trade shows are “an expensive but worthwhile investment if you can find the right fit.” And she told us that Shoppe Object has been a good fit for her brand:

“When I started the Sailors Valentine jewelry collection I launched it at Shoppe and got waaaay more orders than on Faire. I think jewelry in particular is less compelling to buy online. And connecting with your customers in person is really important for long-term relationships. One sort of interesting thing is that many brands exhibiting at Shoppe also have their own stores or websites carrying third-party products from other brands, so being at the show with those brands is like getting bonus customers!”

NY NOW

This show has gone through a lot of changes over the last few years. I’m interested to see what’s next.

Since 2023, this show has become much, much smaller. It’s still in the huge Javits building, but occupies one medium-sized area on one floor now. Many years ago, this show had some great stuff and some junky-seeming stuff, and some suppliers and service providers. This time, it seemed much better curated, with no tacky mass-produced factory Santas in sight. The publishers still have a strong presence here, and jewelry also had a strong showing.

Earlier this year, NY NOW renewed its partnership with the Greeting Card Association (GCA) to co-locate their NYC events.

GCA’s Noted: The Greeting Card Expo was a show-within-a-show, which is where we met ArdorU founder Franz Gerhardter, who told us:

“As a pretty new player in the category, showing at NY NOW was an important decision for us. We have invested significant time and resources into perfecting our brand and product over the last 2+ years, and sometimes it’s hard to convey the quality and tactility of our product via a screen.

Selling cards is a people business, and being able to meet a lot of our retailers in person and make new friendships is so important and fun. We also loved debuting our new POS line, which received very positive feedback, and we are already committed to coming back for Noted at the beginning of next year.”

NY NOW also changed ownership in April 2026, and so far it sounds like the changes are hopefully going to be very positive.

Katie Hunt recently brought Dorothy Belshaw, part of NY NOW’s new ownership team, onto the Proof to Product podcast to talk about what’s changing under the new management. They discuss what support is being built for newer and smaller exhibitors, including Handmade returning as a juried category, and they chat about why Shoppe Object and NY NOW are on different weekends for Winter 2027 (and the plan to get back to the same dates).

Tips for Exhibiting at Trade Shows

While we’ve shared lots of trade show tips over the years, we couldn’t resist getting a few more.

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A post shared by Erin Dayhaw | Quirky Goods with Sarcasm (@erindayhaw)

We met Erin Dayhaw at NY NOW, who told us that she attends trade shows to expand her network and reach more stores. She mentioned that branding your booth is key:

“Someone should be able to walk by and instantly know what you sell and what your vibe is, even if they’ve never heard of you.”

Many of Erin’s stationery products are text-heavy, and as she says, “Text-heavy doesn’t stop foot traffic; people don’t want to pause and read.” So she’s come up with a fun freebie to get people engaged with her work:

“I use a sticker sheet with minis of my best-selling stickers. I hand it over with a simple “here’s a sticker sheet,” they read it, laugh, and that laugh pulls them into the booth. Without that hook, most of the people who stopped would’ve just kept walking.”

Erin also recommends taking the time before the show to ensure success:

“Show up with a real plan. Never wing it. I built a to-scale mockup of my booth in Illustrator ahead of time, with measurements from every direction. The tool I couldn’t live without: ruler tape. This product helps me keep everything straight and stick to the plan.”

And Erin’s last tip is crucial for surviving the long days on the show floor:

“Secret weapon: make friends with your booth neighbors. Most people are alone. And the days are long. Making friends with your neighbor will allow you to have someone to watch your booth while you run to the bathroom or fill your water bottle.”

Speaking of long days, Jessica from Son of a Sailor had one last confession to consider when planning for trade shows:

“Being in your mid-forties and hauling giant suitcases around New York hits different than it did in your mid-thirties. Our bodies did not let us forget it. Recovery is apparently just part of the show budget now.”

If you’re preparing for your first trade show, check out these posts for more tips:

• Trade Show Tips for New Exhibitors
• First Trade Show? Here’s Our Advice
• Expert Trade Show Secrets: 12 Tips from Top Sellers

What’s the Trade Show ROI?

It was great to connect with folks that we work with, see some favorite brands in person, and see all that is new in 2026.

Everyone I asked at the trade show said that being in person is crucial to their wholesale strategy, and Faire isn’t a replacement for building and maintaining relationships.

Kim Bartolotta from Leaf + Loom has been doing trade shows for over 40 years and is also a wholesale consultant. She told us:

“The importance of showing your product in person is critical for growth… I tell my clients, if you have $X to spend on advertising for the year, SPEND IT DOING TRADE SHOWS!”

Trade shows can be a valuable marketing opportunity for small businesses, but only if they’re approached strategically. If you need help honing your wholesale strategy, we can help!

Whether it’s adding a wholesale app to your existing Shopify site or designing a wholesale brand book and order forms that will make a lasting impression, contact us to learn more.