It Was Never Just About The Products

A Reflection On Reed Gift Fair Sydney 2026

Reed Gift Fair Sydney signals the beginning of our year and the unfolding of a new season. It is where ideas are exchanged, partnerships strengthened and direction quietly refined. Yet beyond the collections and the displays, it consistently reminds us that this business has never been about product alone. It has always been about people.

The Space Before The Story

Bump-in day carries a very different energy to show day. The exhibition halls hum with movement as forklifts move across the concrete floor, crates are unpacked and temporary walls rise into place beneath bright lights. Scott and Haps, our warehouse manager, walk the space with our plans in hand, refining measurements until the structure feels exactly right.

At that stage, it is simply a framework within a vast hall, yet we already know what it will become. We have mapped where each fragrance story will live, how the colour palettes will sit together and how texture will soften the space. It is the quiet beginning before the layers are added.

Turning Structure Into Story

On the following day, the atmosphere shifts and the visual merchandising begins. The noise of forklifts fades and the stand starts to come alive.

The flowers arrive and we consider which arrangements belong with each fragrance collection. I adjust candles, reposition a diffuser to catch the light and step back to study the composition again. Styling is never rushed; it is intuitive, deliberate and quietly refined.

This year, I brought pieces from my own home to layer into the display, including handmade ceramics I have crafted myself, books from my shelves and styling elements I live with every day. I never want our stand to feel staged or transactional. I want it to feel authentic and collected, as though someone has stepped into a thoughtfully curated home.

We build gradually, introducing height through books and marble trays and grounding arrangements with ceramics. Each collection reveals its own personality. As we refine the space, I continually ask whether it feels natural and whether it would sit comfortably in someone’s home, because that is ultimately what we are helping our wholesale partners create within their own stores.

A display should do more than showcase product. It should tell the story of how our collections live beautifully in store and seamlessly in your customers’ homes.

The Season Comes To Life

By Saturday morning, retailers from across Australia step into the space, some long-standing partners we have worked with for decades and others discovering Urban Rituelle for the first time. There is curiosity, shared insight and honest conversation about what customers are responding to and what they are looking for next.

Reed Gift Fair Sydney is not simply a showcase of our Australian made home fragrance and body care collections. It is an opportunity to listen as much as it is to present. The feedback and conversations we gather directly shape how we evolve our wholesale offering.

It is also our moment to introduce new collections and fragrances, to share the thinking behind them and to see how they resonate. Trade fairs are never transactional for us. They are where partnerships are strengthened and the season ahead is shaped together.

The Art Of The Vignette

One of the most common questions we are asked during the show is how best to display our collections in store. My advice remains consistent: tell a story.

Alongside arranging products in clear fragrance families, create considered vignettes that feel cohesive and intentional. Build around a colour palette that reflects the fragrance profile, introduce varied heights through books or trays, incorporate texture with ceramics or linen and allow the space to breathe.

My background in visual merchandising continues to shape how we present Urban Rituelle. Styling is not simply about aesthetics; it is about guiding the customer’s eye and creating an emotional connection. Our stand has been recognised with four Best Stand awards over the years, a reflection of the care and intention behind every detail.

When home fragrance is styled as an experience rather than a category, customers linger longer and connect more deeply. They begin to imagine the scent in their own homes, and that emotional connection elevates retail into something memorable.

The People Behind It

Perhaps the most meaningful part of the Gift Fair is having our sales team together in one place. They travel from every region across Australia to support the show, giving us the rare opportunity to reconnect, share insight and reflect on the season together. Watching them represent Urban Rituelle with professionalism and pride is something we never take for granted.

To every retail partner who made the time to visit us, who shared thoughtful feedback and entrusted us with space in your business for another season, we are sincerely grateful. Your partnership continues to shape our collections and strengthen our direction year after year.

As the final day draws to a close and the stand is packed down, I am reminded that while the displays and collections matter, they are not the heart of what we do. The heart lies in the relationships, the shared ideas and the belief in creating spaces that feel warm, considered and beautiful.

It was never just about the products. It has always been about the people.

Written by Leanne Haining, Creative Director, Urban Rituelle