When the One Of A Kind Show opens its doors at Toronto’s Enercare Centre on March 26, it will mark the beginning of a year-long 50th anniversary celebration for what has become North America’s largest consumer craft marketplace, a milestone that reflects its enduring position in Toronto’s retail ecosystem.
The five-day spring event, running through March 30, will feature approximately 400 Canadian businesses selling directly to consumers in a format that has evolved significantly over the past decade, according to Janice Leung, the show’s director who has been with the organization since 2008 and has been in her current role since 2017.
“Shopping local still remains at the core of what we do and it is more relevant than ever,” Leung told 6ixRetail.com in an exclusive interview. “Even though the show evolved with different trends and different customer expectations, our mandate to support local has become more important than ever, especially in light of the past few weeks, where there is a strong demand for Canadians wanting to come together to support Canadian businesses.”
This half-century-old institution has witnessed significant shifts in consumer behavior, particularly over the past fifteen years. The organization has responded by reimagining the traditional marketplace format to incorporate more interactive elements.
“In the past few years, we definitely noticed that there is more of a demand for experiences within retail,” said Leung. “We make sure we insert a bit more interactivity within those opportunities so that people get that experience. But we also see that many of our exhibitors have also adopted that perspective, like how do they build out little mini experiences within their booth?”
These changes reflect broader trends in Toronto’s retail landscape, where brick-and-mortar businesses increasingly emphasize customer engagement strategies that can’t be replicated online. For One Of A Kind, this means moving beyond transactional interactions toward more immersive offerings.
“It’s not just purely a retail event in that it is a place to just go shop for things like a transaction is made,” Leung explained. “It’s much more interactive in that element that there is almost like an experiential kind of element to the show, making sure that customers and visitors are very much more involved in that process.”
The spring iteration of One Of A Kind strategically differentiates itself from its winter counterpart, which runs longer and attracts primarily gift-buyers during the holiday season.
“People come to the spring show to shop for themselves. It is a season of refresh,” Leung explained. “Whereas the winter show, obviously in the time of the year in which it happens, is a show where people come and shop for others.”
The spring show has deliberately focused on emerging talent, with dedicated sections that serve as incubators for businesses making their debut at the event.
“We have the very popular marketplace section, which is a kind of a tabletop section, if you will, where first time exhibitor at one of a kind can make their debut,” Leung said. “This is where it’s an opportunity to see emerging talent before anybody else. So many of these businesses are brand new.”
This approach provides critical market exposure for early-stage businesses while offering visitors the chance to discover makers before they establish broader market presence.
“This might be one of the first few shows that they have done,” Leung added. “So it’s definitely an opportunity to see someone new, to discover someone new, before they become bigger.”
For established vendors, sustainability has emerged as a defining characteristic that increasingly influences product development and marketing strategies. Leung identified three distinct approaches that have gained prominence among exhibitors.
“One of the trends we definitely are noticing is that sustainability is at the core of so much of what many of our vendors do,” she said. “Number one is they would be using upcycle materials to create their pieces. So sustainability is expressed in that way. Or maybe they use more eco conscious production method or they give back to their community in that sense.”
The most significant shift, according to Leung, involves a deliberate pivot toward durability and craftsmanship as a direct response to fast fashion and disposable consumer culture.
“A big trend that we definitely are noticing is that many of our vendors are looking to create products that are meant to last,” she explained. “That is a real direct response to the fast fashion or making things that might look cool, but won’t last forever. Many of our vendors are taking a stand against that. They make things with lots of intention, committed to making things using craftsmanship and quality.”
This emphasis on longevity extends beyond physical durability to include emotional connections and intergenerational transfer of goods.
“As a result of that they want people to be able to pass on their pieces from one generation to the next,” Leung noted. “That in and of itself is also an expression of sustainability—being more mindful about what you buy. By buying better, you don’t have to necessarily buy more.”
Beyond merchandise, the event has developed a distinctive community dynamic that fosters relationships between makers and consumers that continue beyond the five-day event.
“What makes One of a Kind so special and why people want to come back year after year is that special opportunity to meet the people behind the brand, get to know their stories, understand their inspirations, and learn even about the techniques on how they make the amazing things that you see at the show,” Leung said. “That is not something you can ever replicate online.”
These connections often evolve into ongoing relationships that differentiate the show from conventional retail environments.
“It also fostered this sense of community,” Leung observed. “We definitely know that some exhibitors, some customers make them lunch every show. They bring them snacks, they bring them little goodies. People do develop friendship from the people you shop from, which is also very amazing. That is not something you can do with a giant retailer.”
The event has expanded its programming to include workshops in the Creative Lounge and presentations on a Main Stage featuring notable figures including chef Colin Asuncion and designer Tiffany Pratt. These elements reflect growing consumer interest in participatory retail experiences.
“One of the things we noticed in our past few events is that more people want to do workshops,” Leung said. “More people want to be able to also exercise their own creativity. So we have been collaborating with different organizations within the city that do run creative DIY workshops throughout the year.”
These activities serve both entertainment and educational purposes, helping consumers better appreciate the skill involved in handmade products.
“Taking a moment and creating something for yourself will also allow you to really appreciate the amount of work that all of the vendors in the show need to do in order to make those pieces,” Leung explained. “Maybe previously it was more focused on shopping from the artisans. Now you can shop from the artisans, but you can also take a moment and create something for yourself.”
Looking beyond the physical shows, the organization plans to expand its year-round presence through enhanced digital channels. With a substantial email list and social media following already established, development efforts focus on creating additional consumer touchpoints.
“We are looking at updating and refreshing our website so that we can provide more touch points for customers to come to us throughout the year to discover great Canadian businesses,” Leung said. “The one of a kind show becomes the hub of Canadian creativity and it becomes the destination for people to discover great handmade businesses at our events, but also throughout the rest of the year.”
The anniversary celebrations will continue with the Winter Show scheduled for November 27 to December 7, which marks the official 50-year milestone since the event’s founding in 1975.
Retail analysts have noted the significance of consumer-direct markets like One Of A Kind in Toronto’s tourism and retail ecosystem, particularly as shoppers increasingly prioritize locally produced goods with transparent supply chains and community connections.
“More than ever it’s important to support our Canadian businesses,” Leung emphasized. “When we buy local, more dollars stays within the local economy.”
Dustin Fuhs is the Editor-in-Chief of 6ix Retail. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of Retail Insider, Canada’s most-read retail trade publication. He has over 20 years of experience in the retail, marketing, entertainment and hospitality industries, including with The Walt Disney Company, The Hockey Hall of Fame, Starbucks and Blockbuster.
Dustin was named as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024 and 2025.