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18.06.2019

BERLIN FASHION WEEK: 01 – 06 JULY 2019

After just a few seasons (since the founding of MBFW), Berlin has established itself as one of the top 5 fashion sites worldwide with up to 70,000 visitors, more than 30 fashion shows during the Fashion Week as well as numerous trade shows, events and showrooms.
In 2018, around 200,000 people came to visit the Fashion Week, further fueling the city’s economy with up to 120 million euros. The broad range of Berlin’s fashion sector offers everything. from high-end couture and tailoring to eco-fashion and streetwear, from single pieces to collections. Green Fashion and Upcycling are becoming increasingly important; more and more fashion labels in Berlin concern themselves with production according to ecological standards. Neonyt as well as other major trade shows are showcasing numerous brands of the Eco-Portfolio.

 
 

MBFW

After just a few seasons (since the founding of MBFW), Berlin has established itself as one of the top 5 fashion sites worldwide with up to 70,000 visitors, more than 30 fashion shows during the Fashion Week as well as numerous trade shows, events and showrooms.
In 2018, around 200,000 people came to visit the Fashion Week, further fueling the city’s economy with up to 120 million euros. The broad range of Berlin’s fashion sector offers everything. from high-end couture and tailoring to eco-fashion and streetwear, from single pieces to collections. Green Fashion and Upcycling are becoming increasingly important; more and more fashion labels in Berlin concern themselves with production according to ecological standards. Neonyt as well as other major trade shows are showcasing numerous brands of the Eco-Portfolio.

 
 

MBFW

In July 2019, MBFW will showcase its fashion-focused, approachable concept according to the new claim „Follow MBFW – Focus Fashion“. Within the modern and digital format that successfully launched in 2018, Mercedes-Benz and creative agency NOWADAYS band together to further strongly promote Berlin as fashion location and offer an attention-drawing platform for upcoming designers as well as established fashion brands to present their collections twice a year. The collections for Spring/Summer 2020 will be presented at ewerk located in Wilhelmstraße, Berlin-Mitte. With its raw industrial look, the location offers excellent conditions to create an authentic atmosphere where high-end fashion is the centre of attention. Within the new concept, MBFW focuses on remarkably staged presentations by a selected number of designer labels and brands in one location. Fashion interested end-consumers have the chance to watch all MBFW shows live at the forecourt of the venue or follow via digital channels like the website www.mbfw.berlin or on Instagram: @MBFW.berlin.

Monday 1.7.2019 – Wednesday 3.7.2019
LOCATION ewerk Berlin
Wilhelmstraße 43
10117 Berlin
CONTACT buero@mbfw.berlin
WEB  www.mbfw.berlin    

PREMIUM INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PLATFORM FOR ADVANCED CONTEMPORARY FASHION

Begun in January 2019, the focus this season continues to be on the restructuring of the halls. The goal is to amalgamate the theme areas more precisely and make it easier for visitors to gain an overview, as well as to inspire them and appeal to their emotions. The exhibitors will present key looks rather than huge collections.On top of this we see the recurrence of a trusty PREMIUM theme: sustainability. As a result of this, there will be no plastic in the catering areas; a strong focus on rubbish sorting; and specific promotion of eco-brands.

PREMIUM has been the leading trade show among the most important international trade events since 2003, as well as the most relevant business and networking platform for advanced contemporary fashion. PREMIUM continually aims to inspire, strengthen business relationships and promote discussion across disciplines. B2B services are constantly being perfected and developed together with the key players in the industry.


Tuesday, 2.7.2019, 10am–7pm
Wednesday, 3.7.2019, 10am–7pm
Thursday, 4.7.2019, 10am–5pm
LOCATION STATION-Berlin
Luckenwalder Strasse 4–6
10963 Berlin
CONTACT PREMIUM Exhibitions GmbH
 +49 (0) 3062 908 50
 info@premiumexhibitions.com
WEB www.premiumexhibitions.com
www.facebook.com/PREMIUMBERLIN
www.instagram.com/PREMIUMBERLIN
www.twitter.com/PREMIUMBERLIN    

PANORAMA BERLIN
PANORAMA EXPEDITION

PANORAMA BERLIN is the groundbreaking meeting point for decision makers in the fashion and lifestyle business. Since its premiere in January 2013, it has become one of the most relevant European fashion platforms and, as the leading trade fair for Berlin Fashion Week, represents a comprehensive overview of national and international women & menswear.
Twice a year, together with the Tradeshow for Quality Garments SELVEDGE RUN & ZEITGEIST and the sustainable fashion show XOOM, PANORAMA BERLIN is an "all-in-one event" for international brands, which are divided into various sectors: smart formalwear, casual and sportswear, contemporary styles, denim, heritage and streetwear, accessories and shoes as well as sustainable fashion and lifestyle products.
Following the realignment in January 2019, PANORAMA BERLIN will be taking place from 2 to 4 July 2019 under the motto "BERLIN VIBES" and will focus on the topics of infotainment, eventisation and matchmaking. The concentration continues to target brands with relevance and clear messages. More sophisticated presentations, trend capsules and limited editions, which can only be found in Berlin, stage fashion in an exciting lifestyle context. From furniture to beauty products: In new, central concept store areas in halls 1 to 4, brands and products are presented in a new exciting relationship, providing a wealth of inspiration in terms of presentation and composition. Under the motto "Knowledge to go", PANORAMA BERLIN will be presenting a wide-ranging lecture program with leading keynote speakers in the Retail Solutions Hall on a wide range of future topics relating to international trends in retail, marketing, e-commerce and digitization.

Tuesday, 2.7.2019, 9am–6pm
Wednesday, 3.7.2019, 9am–6pm
Thursday, 4.7.2019, 9am–5pm
LOCATION PANORAMA BERLIN
ExpoCenter City
Eingang Süd/Jafféstraße
14055 Berlin
CONTACT PANORAMA Fashion Fair Berlin GmbH
+49 (0) 3027 595 604 0
office@panorama-berlin.com
WEB www.panorama-berlin.com
www.facebook.com/panoramafashionfairberlin
www.instagram.com/panoramafashionfair

 SHOW & ORDER X PREMIUM
TRADE SHOW FOR FASHION, LIFESTYLE & EXPERIENCE

Thanks to the special department store concept, SHOW&ORDER X PREMIUM is different to other trade shows. Buyers gain inspiration and stories not only from the family atmosphere, but also from the spacious Experience Floor. In addition, the Beauty Lounge will be there again: the place to go to enjoy a quick freshen-up during the hustle and bustle of Fashion Week. It’s not just the KÜHLHAUS itself that has lots to offer again in July 2019 – the Outside Area, too, will be equipped for hot summer days with a beach lounge, bar and mouth-watering catering. Trade show for fashion, lifestyle & experience Over six partly open, gallery-like floors around 200 fashion brands will be exhibiting alongside beauty products, interior and design pieces, stationery, books, art, music, fragrances and magazines, as well as innovative food concepts, located in various experience spaces on the different floors of the KÜHLHAUS. The building is situated on the STATION-Berlin premises very close by to PREMIUM.

Tuesday, 2.7.2019, 10am–7pm
Wednesday, 3.7.2019, 10am–7pm
Thursday, 4.7.2019, 10am–5pm
LOCATION Kühlhaus
Etage 1–5
Luckenwalder Strasse 3
10963 Berlin
WEB www.showandorder.de
www.facebook.com/ShowandOrder

#FASHIONTECH BERLIN

#FASHIONTECH BERLIN, held twice a year during Berlin Fashion Week, is the leading tech conference for the fashion industry, discussing topics around digital transformation, innovations and disruptive technologies. Featuring keynote presentations with international experts on stage (#LISTEN!), interactive masterclasses to boost your specialist knowledge (#LEARN!) and the Exhibition Area, where visitors will be introduced to the latest developments, products and innovations on the market (#EXPERIENCE!), #FASHIONTECH Berlin has evolved to become a leading European content hub for technology, digitalisation, sustainability and innovation.
#FASHIONTECH BERLIN also creates the stage for interdisciplinary exchange between different industries. The networking areas give visitors the opportunity to network with the speakers, industry insiders and entrepreneurs, as well as to seek out new business partners and generate business leads. Since digitalisation has affects every aspect of modern lifestyle, FASHIONTECH BERLN is looking into the latest trends that shape our lives.

TOPICS OF OUR TIME IN THE ERA OF DIGITALISATION

  • DIGITAL BUSINESS
  • STREET CULTURE
  • E-SPORTS & GAMING IN FASHION
  • SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

 

Thursday, 4.7.2019, 10am–6.30pm
LOCATION Festsaal Kreuzberg
Am Flutgraben 2
12435 Berlin
CONTACT Michael Stracke
hello@fashiontech.berlin
WEB www.fashiontech.berlin
www.facebook.com/FashionTechBerlinConference
www.instagram.com/Fashiontech_berlin/
www.twitter.com/fashiontechber

FASHIONSUSTAIN BERLIN

Technology, sustainability and innovation are important drivers of the fashion and textile industry that will revolutionize the sector and its processes and production methods. On Wednesday and Thursday, 3/4 July 2019, the international conference format Fashionsustain is dedicated to precisely these topics.
The up-coming edition of Fashionsustain will be dedicated to the subject of water – from microplastics to water stewardship. Highprofile speakers from innovative companies will be presenting visionary approaches to help preserve this vital resource. In addition, the summer edition of Fashionsustain focuses on retail. This involves margins, assortments, collections, POS solutions and the communication of sustainability issues.
And the topics discussed on the conference stage will be brought to life in the “Showcase of Change” exhibition area. But taking place before that, from 1 to 2 July 2019, is the Thinkathon – a space for open dialogue and creative thinking processes. Fashionsustain is part of Neonyt, the global hub for fashion, sustainability and innovation (2 to 4 July 2019) – organized by Messe Frankfurt.


Wednesday, 3.7.2019, 10am–6pm
Thursday, 4.7.2019, 10am–6pm
LOCATION Kraftwerk Berlin
Upper level
Köpenicker Straße 70
10179 Berlin
CONTACT Falco Fuchs
Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH
+49 6975 755 938
falco.fuchs@messefrankfurt.com
WEB www.fashionsustain.com
www.facebook.com/FashionSustain
www.instagram.com/fashionsustain.berlin 

SEEK – A COMMON GROUND FOR INDIVIDUALS IN FASHION

The concept of the Trade Union, which was developed by SEEK Director Maren Wiebus and her team, will continue and will be polished from time to time.        
The bringing together of pioneers and industry visionaries will continue to have its dedicated space for promoting discussion, inspiration and food for thought. SEEK goes charity again! After the overwhelming success of the first initiative with One Warm Winter in January, SEEK and the Berlinbased NGO are planning to collect sneakers for the homeless this summer in front of the location during the show, but also before and after by collaborating partner stores. The project is supported by Sneaker Freaker.
Many reasons to celebrate: 60th birthday of Alpha Industries, 100th birthday of Champion and Farah plus a special Event OVERKILL x ASICSTIGER x SEEK Block Party Vol. 2 Fashion. Trade. Show. Each season, SEEK, the Voice of Street Culture, presents selected streetwear and urbanwear pieces that translate the current lifestyle trends for the industry. SEEK stands for democracy and fairness, clarity, friendliness and honesty, in keeping with the motto of “what you see is what you get”. The focus is on carefully selected style tribes that embody the modern zeitgeist and guarantee SEEK’s visitors valuable inspiration.

Tuesday, 2.7.2019, 9am–6pm
Wednesday, 3.7.2019, 9am–6pm
Thursday, 4.7.2019, 9am–5pm
LOCATION ARENA Berlin
Eichenstrasse 4
12435 Berlin
CONTACT info@seekexhibitions.com
WEB www.seekexhibitions.com
www.facebook.com/seekberlin

SELVEDGE RUN & ZEITGEIST

The show will be all about quality and trust.
After the successful merger with Panorama Berlin, the architecturally impressive hall at the south entrance of the Berlin Expo Center is the new home of Selvedge Run & Zeitgeist. As an integrated part of Panorama Berlin, the tradeshow for quality garments and crafted goods presents a unique exhibitor mix of the latest streetwear topics, which are highly relevant for the market, such as: denim, craft, current and outdoor. The brand list of Selvedge Run & Zeitgeist includes international iconic and heritage brands and distinctive products, some of which can only be seen in Europe exclusively in Berlin.
In July 2019, Selvedge Run & Zeitgeist will again be the hot spot for the community, offering a meeting place with like-minded people and food & drinks to discover the best quality brands and meet buyers from all over the world. In the integrated "Marketplace" you will find curated concept brands that can be ordered as well as bought directly.

Tuesday, 2.7.2019, 9am–6pm
Wednesday, 3.7.2019, 9am–6pm
Thursday, 4.7.2019, 9am–5pm
LOCATION PANORAMA BERLIN
ExpoCenter City
South Entrance/Jafféstrasse
14055 Berlin
CONTACT info@selvedgerun.com
+49 (0) 3027 595 604 0
WEB www.selvedgerun.com
www.facebook.com/selvedgerun
www.instagram.com/selvedgerun
www.vimeo.com/selvedgerun

NEONYT – GLOBAL HUB FOR FASHION, SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION

Changing fashion together. Through collaboration, communication and entrepreneurship. That is the vision of Neonyt, the global hub for fashion, sustainability and innovation.With its hub concept, Neonyt combines the most important elements of the fashion industry – style, business, inspiration, knowledge, fun and community – in a neo-new way. The hub is made up of the Neonyt Trade Show, the conferences Fashionsustain and the design-thinking format Thinkathon, showcases, the influencer and blogger event Prepeek, networking events and, last but not least, the Neonyt Party.
The Neonyt Trade Fair will present a good balance of leading brands and newcomers – from contemporary, casual and urbanwear to denim, streetwear and sportswear down to business outfits. In addition to men’s, ladies’ and kidswear, the assortment of products on show also includes outdoorwear, shoes, accessories, jewellery and beauty. Neonyt is organized by Messe Frankfurt.

Tuesday, 2.7.2019, 9am–6pm
Wednesday, 3.7.2019, 9am–6pm
Thursday, 4.7.2019, 9am–5pm
LOCATION Kraftwerk Berlin
Köpenicker Straße 70
10179 Berlin
WEB www.neonyt.com
www.facebook.com/Neonytberlin
www.instagram.com/neonyt.berlin

More information:
Berlin Fashion Week
Source:

Berlin Fashion Week

(c) Messe München GmbH
28.05.2019

OutDoor by ISPO: the new Outdoor Movement

OutDoor by ISPO is the first year-round, integrative and cross-media platform designed for a new outdoor movement. It also includes the OutDoor by ISPO trade fair, the perfect event for bringing together the international outdoor industry. It will be held for the first time ever at the Messe München site from June 30 to July 3, 2019 and will be organized in close cooperation with the European Outdoor Group (EOG) trade association.

Under the motto “There's a perfect outdoor for everyone”, the international outdoor industry will meet for the first time at the OutDoor by ISPO trade fair in Munich from June 30 to July 3.

OutDoor by ISPO is the first year-round, integrative and cross-media platform designed for a new outdoor movement. It also includes the OutDoor by ISPO trade fair, the perfect event for bringing together the international outdoor industry. It will be held for the first time ever at the Messe München site from June 30 to July 3, 2019 and will be organized in close cooperation with the European Outdoor Group (EOG) trade association.

Under the motto “There's a perfect outdoor for everyone”, the international outdoor industry will meet for the first time at the OutDoor by ISPO trade fair in Munich from June 30 to July 3.

  • More than 950 exhibitors expected
  • Highlights of supporting program fixed
  • OutDays—outdoor festival for end consumers during trade show time

More than 950 international exhibitors spanning nine halls are expected to be at the premiere. The event will be held under the motto “There’s a perfect outdoor for everyone” and will reflect consumers’ modern understanding of the outdoors: Classic outdoor activities such as climbing and hiking will form the basis but will to some extent be reinterpreted and transformed into forms such as bouldering and speed hiking. New segments such as mountain biking, trail running and water sports will also feature. OutDoor by ISPO will also be branching out by tapping into other industries outside of the outdoor sector, thus providing visitors with inspiration and valuable knowledge gained from other areas, such as environmental technology or digital retail and technology solutions.

The first OutDoor by ISPO in Munich will mark the dawn of a new outdoor era. The ISPO team has succeeded in developing a modern consumer-centric concept in close collaboration with the industry. The aim now is to inspire as many people as possible worldwide, break down barriers and highlight the many opportunities and types of “outdoor” that exist.

Nine halls with over 96,000 square meters of exhibition space in the eastern part of the trade fair grounds in Munich will bring the outdoor scene to life. Wide central aisles will help visitors get their bearings and gain a quick overview. The open-plan design with plenty of room for holding meetings will ensure that the whole event is a truly inspiring communications platform. A real outdoor feeling will also be achieved in the outside area with direct access to the halls, the green atrium (functioning as a quiet zone during the day and a party area during the evening) and the camping and glamping site. The Riemer Park, which is directly adjacent to the exhibition grounds, offers spacious green areas and a lake for swimming after the visit to the fair.

Hot topic: sustainability
The outdoor sector is already playing a leading role within the industry in terms of raising awareness of sustainability issues and social responsibility. Various different working groups are developing a comprehensive sustainability concept under the OutDoor by ISPO umbrella. The major driving forces behind this are the European Outdoor Group (EOG), the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) and the OutDoor by ISPO Advisory Board. Environmental pollution and deforestation along with their negative impact on the climate have been identified as the biggest challenges that need to be overcome.

Existing ideas and approaches for reducing water and electricity consumption, minimizing waste and reusing resources will be assessed and ranked in terms of their importance and then incorporated into a Code of Conduct throughout the entire duration of the trade fair. With the additional support of research findings and projections, this will result, in the medium term, in a general fact-based sustainability guide with specific, practical recommendations for managing emissions, water and waste in the outdoor sector. Based on OutDoor by ISPO and the outdoor industry, it will be extended to the entire ISPO platform and trade fair location.

The CSR Hub & Sustainability Kiosk located in Hall B6 will be a central reference point on all related matters for visitors throughout the trade fair. Display cabinets showcasing biodegradable and bio-based materials will take center stage. There will also be a diverse program of speeches and presentations packed with tips and inspirational ideas for achieving sustainable operations.

The new outdoor mindset: “outdoor” covers a myriad of concepts
The very fact that the word “outdoor” means so many different things to so many different people is reflected in the diverse range of topics covered by OutDoor by ISPO. Some of them will be specifically delved into and looked at in detail in various different focus and activation areas.

Climbing and bouldering centers are booming, especially in urban areas, making climbing sports accessible to new target groups. The Indoor Climbing Hub located in Hall A6 will focus specifically on this trend. Speakers from the international climbing scene will provide exclusive insights, highlight potential and identify opportunities for retailers and brands.

The Borderlands will celebrate its world debut. A curated exhibition space for urban outdoor fashion will be created in Hall B4 together with vanish.today, a media platform for outdoor life & style. The progressive project bridges the gap between outdoor and lifestyle. Technical yet stylish products will be showcased together with design elements and photography to create an inspiring overall impression. There will also be a separate catering area featuring superfoods to help visitors recharge their batteries.

Water sports enthusiasts will feel right at home in Hall C6 in the River Lake Camp organized in conjunction with PADDLEexpo. They can enjoy testing out the latest products designed for activities involving nature’s wettest of elements in the large indoor pool. The program will also include various workshops, presentations and discussion forums.

The latest technology, models, trends and designs from the world of footwear, socks and related accessories will feature in Hall A5 in the Shoe & Trailrunning Village. This area will also play host to the Run & Trail Summit on Monday, July 1, in cooperation with the world’s largest running magazine Runner’s World.

The travel segment is a new addition to the outdoor portfolio. The Adventure, Tourism & Travel Summit in Hall B6 will unveil opportunities for collaborations between the travel industry and the outdoor industry and highlight existing potential. Matchmaking will be at the heart of the extensive program. Partners will be experts from the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).

Bikepacking now represents a major trend in alternative travel, allowing you to get off the beaten track of mass tourism. The Bikepacking Zone in Hall C5 will tell you everything you need to know about this new movement and show you what the equipment involved has to offer. It will be part of the bike segment, which is being integrated for the first time ever this year as part of a soft launch. This will also involve the Bike Test Track organized in cooperation with ExtraEnergy. This track with mixed surfaces and obstacles will be the perfect place to test ride gravel bikes, mountain bikes and electric mountain bikes. The biggest bike textile producers on the market will also be showcasing their latest collections in Hall B6.

“Outdoor” action will of course not be confined to the halls but will also be available in the outside area: the HangOut Area, designed as an interactive exhibition space, will be the perfect place to try out and test a wide variety of products. Meat lovers in particular will enjoy the barbecue in the Kreutzers Outdoor Kitchen.

As an integral addition to the various outdoor activities, daily yoga sessions will be held in four of the focus areas as part of the Body & Mind segment. They will be based around the four elements and will each comprise relevant exercises: fire will represent the climbing-specific program in the Indoor Climbing Hub; the natural flow of water will be at the heart of the session in the River Lake Camp; runners will be able to strengthen their bodies and minds using the theme of earth in the Shoe & Trailrunning Village and the outside exhibition area will provide the perfect location for exercises using the theme of air.
A complete overview of all the focus areas is available online.

OutDays—a festival of outdoor culture
The OutDoor by ISPO trade fair may be reserved for trade visitors but everyone else can look forward to getting involved in OutDays from June 29 to July 6 in the metropolitan area of Munich. End consumers, brands and retailers will become a vital part of this new movement through the festival celebrating outdoor culture. Participants can expect exclusive workshops, meet & greets, try-outs, film screenings, presentations, prize draws and contests. The contents will also reflect the diverse nature of the entire outdoor world: from bouldering, climbing, mountain biking and trail running right through to different water sports, adventure travel and camping. The OutDays program will be available from mid of May 2019 on the Web page.

Outstanding Outdoor—award-winning innovative products
Europe’s largest outdoor trade fair is also a hot spot for innovative products and trends. “Outstanding Outdoor” is an award designed to recognize stand-out products in the outdoor industry. The popular seal of quality helps retailers, the press and end consumers find their bearings in the increasingly complex product landscape. The winners will feature in the exhibition space of the same name in Hall B5.

(c) FESPA Global Print Expo
07.05.2019

FESPA GLOBAL PRINT EXPO 2019: PRINT MAKE WEAR FAST FASHION-FACTORY

  • The Print Make Wear fast fashion factory feature at FESPA Global Expo 2019 in Munich (14-17 May 2019) will double in size compared with its launch in 2018 in response to positive visitor feedback.

The feature was introduced at the flagship FESPA event in Berlin in 2018 to meet the needs of visitors interested in the opportunities in printed fashion textiles and garments. Taking the form of a live production environment, Print Make Wear addresses every step in the garment production process. This begins with planning, design and prepress, progressing to printing, drying, cutting, sewing, welding and embellishment and finishing with packing and retail display.

  • The Print Make Wear fast fashion factory feature at FESPA Global Expo 2019 in Munich (14-17 May 2019) will double in size compared with its launch in 2018 in response to positive visitor feedback.

The feature was introduced at the flagship FESPA event in Berlin in 2018 to meet the needs of visitors interested in the opportunities in printed fashion textiles and garments. Taking the form of a live production environment, Print Make Wear addresses every step in the garment production process. This begins with planning, design and prepress, progressing to printing, drying, cutting, sewing, welding and embellishment and finishing with packing and retail display.

At FESPA Global Print Expo 2019 the expanded feature will allow more space to showcase an even more comprehensive range of garment printing technology solutions and consumables, as well as incorporating a staged area for presentations and debates and a catwalk for fashion shows. The visitor experience will also be enhanced with two separate guided tours, one with a focus on direct-to-garment production and the other tailored to visitors interested in roll-to-roll production.

The technologies showcased within Print Make Wear 2019 will include direct-to garment digital and screen printing presses with both automatic and manual presses printing on water-based inks, the roll-to-roll digital technologies will include dye-sublimation as well as other textile print technologies, with the support of brands including Adobe, Adelco, EFI, HP, Mimaki, Vastex MagnaColours, Easiway and Premier Textiles.

The garments produced and modelled within Print Make Wear will carry a striking series of exclusive designs on the theme of ‘Elements’, with the tagline Inspired by Nature – Powered by Print, which have been created specifically for FESPA by photographer and illustrator Jasper Goodall. FESPA is also working with young fashion designer Aminah Hamzaoui, who is collaborating on the design of the garments being produced using the roll-to-roll technologies.

FESPA Head of Events, Duncan MacOwan comments: “Year after year, independent market insights and visitor feedback reinforce the rising levels of interest in textile printing, while our own FESPA Census in 2018 indicated that sports apparel and fast fashion are two of the most dynamic growth applications in our community. Visitor response to the first Print Make Wear feature last year was extremely positive, with more than 2,000 visitors taking part in our expert-guided tours.”

He continues: “By increasing the floor space dedicated to this feature in Munich we can accommodate visitors more comfortably, enrich the overall experience and elevate the educational content. We’re confident that, whatever their level of knowledge or investment in garment printing, visitors to Print Make Wear 2019 in Munich will leave with a deeper understanding of the opportunities to optimise production, improve sustainability and boost profitability.”

Print Make Wear is free to attend for registered visitors to FESPA Global Print Expo 2019 and the co-located European Sign Expo. Guided tours can be pre-booked at https://www.fespaglobalprintexpo.com/features/print-make-wear. The feature is part of a programme of free educational content which also includes the new Colour L*A*B* colour management showcase and conference, Printeriors and a comprehensive schedule of live seminars in the Trend Theatre.

For more information about Print Make Wear, visit www.fespaglobalprintexpo.com/features/print-make-wear. To pre-register to attend FESPA Global Print Expo 2019 visit https://www.fespaglobalprintexpo.com/ and use code FESM906 for free entry.

 

 

Photo: Goshadron auf Pixabay
12.03.2019

RUSSIAN ONLINE RETAILERS ARE FOUNDING LOCAL AMAZONS

  • E-Commerce Market continues to grow rapidly

Russia's online retailers are entering into strategic alliances. The market is maturing and consolidating. German suppliers must prepare themselves for tougher competition.
Russia's online trade continues to record strong growth rates. In 2018, sales increased by 19 percent year-on-year to around Rubel 1.2 billion (EUR 15.5 billion; 1 EUR = 74.04
Rubles, annual average exchange rate 2018). This corresponded to about 290 million orders, according to Data Insight's analysis. By the end of 2023, the investment bank Morgan Stanley expects annual growth of 25 percent to Rubles 3.5 billion. In 2018, the cross-border Internet trade increased by 29 percent to the equivalent of EUR 4.7 billion.

  • E-Commerce Market continues to grow rapidly

Russia's online retailers are entering into strategic alliances. The market is maturing and consolidating. German suppliers must prepare themselves for tougher competition.
Russia's online trade continues to record strong growth rates. In 2018, sales increased by 19 percent year-on-year to around Rubel 1.2 billion (EUR 15.5 billion; 1 EUR = 74.04
Rubles, annual average exchange rate 2018). This corresponded to about 290 million orders, according to Data Insight's analysis. By the end of 2023, the investment bank Morgan Stanley expects annual growth of 25 percent to Rubles 3.5 billion. In 2018, the cross-border Internet trade increased by 29 percent to the equivalent of EUR 4.7 billion.

Development of the Russian online trade
  2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Sales (Bn. Rubel) 1) 560 650 805 965 1.150
Change (in %) 2) 34.9 16.1 23.0 20.0 19.0


1) Physical goods only; excluding cross-border trade, deliveries of ready meals, tickets for transport and events, coupons, consumer-to-consumer and multi-level marketing;
2) Nominal year-on-year; variance due to rounding.
Sources: Market research institute Data Insight; Association of Online Retailers (NAMO)

The share of e-commerce in retail sales is currently still around 5 percent. With the "Strategy for the Development of Online Trade by 2025", the government wants to increase this up to 20 percent. The conditions for further growth are good, as Russian consumers are Internet-savvy and open to technical innovations. Already 76 percent of all Russians have an Internet connection. According to the national "Digital Economy" project, broadband Internet penetration is expected to reach 97 percent by 2024.
 
Growth potential far from exhausted
Russia's online retailers are following this trend by modernizing their websites and are investing in goods logistics. Electronic marketplaces are becoming increasingly popular. This is because they offer smaller Internet retailers in particular the opportunity to assert themselves against the market leaders.
In the Forbes ranking of the 20 most valuable Internet companies in Russia, online retailers Wildberries and Ozon rank fourth and fifth respectively. The Russian fashion mail order company Lamoda - a foundation of the German Rocket Internet - is in ninth place.     
The Otto Group realigned its business model in Russia in 2018 and removed its subsidiaries Quelle and Otto from the market. The Hamburg-based group relies on the online brands Bonprix and Witt as well as on the eSolutions platform, which offers B2B services in the areas of marketing, sales, logistics and IT.

Leading online retailers in Russia
Company Productportfolio Sales 2017 (Bn. Rubel) Change 2017/2016 (in %) Number of orders (in Mio.)
Wildberries Clothing, Shoes,
Accessoires
63.8 40.0 39.8
Citilink Goods of all kind 55.2 35.0 5.2
DNS-Shop / Technopoint Entertainment electronics,
Household appliances
38.9 61.0 5.8
M.Video Entertainment electronics,
Household appliances
36.7 41.0 3.6
Eldorado Entertainment electronics,
Household appliances
23.7 2.0 4.3
Lamoda Clothing, Shoes,
Accessoires
23.6 6.0 4.0
Ozon Goods of all kind 23.4 44.0 8.6
Ulmart Goods of all kind 23.1 -37.0 5.9
Bonprix Clothing, Accessoires 16.5 10.0 4.0
Svyaznoy Entertainment electronics,
Household appliances
15.7 35.0 1.5

Source: Data Insight (http://datainsight.ru/top100/)

Russia gets two "local Amazons" at once 
Russian online trading is already firmly in the hands of a few large players who are continuing to expand their market presence. The market leader Wildberries added electronics and household appliances to its range in 2018. AFK Sistema Holding of the oligarch Yevgeny Yevtushenkov has increased its stake in the online retailer Ozon and is investing in the construction of new logistics centers In addition, Ozon started selling medicines, jewellery and ready meals.  

In April 2018, the Russian technology group Yandex and Sberbank agreed to establish the Beru and Bringly online marketplaces. The aim is to further develop the Yandex.Market platform into a "Russian Amazon". Russia's largest bank brings in the customer data of 100 million account holders.
Beru and Bringly's range mainly includes high-priced goods such as electronics, clothing, shoes and cosmetics. Bringly cooperates with the British cosmetics chain Feelunique, among others. In September 2018, Yandex.Market also concluded a cooperation agreement with Hepsiburada, Turkey's largest online marketplace. 

Alibaba expands its market presence in Russia
In September 2018, the next major merger in Russian online trading was announced: The Mail.ru Group and Megafon (part of the company empire of the oligarch Alisher Usmanow), the Russian Fund for Direct Investments and the Chinese technology group Alibaba intend to establish a joint online marketplace by the end of the first quarter of 2019. Alibaba intends to expand its presence on the Russian market.
The Mail.ru Group provides access to the data records of around 100 million users - an enormous new customer potential for the Chinese online giant. On March 5th  2019, AliExpress, the Russian subsidiary of Alibaba, also launched a platform for the sale of passenger cars of the Chinese brand Chery.

Duty-free limit continues to fall
Two thirds of Russian online buyers also order goods from foreign traders. 90 percent of the deliveries come from China. If the price and weight of the product are within the exemption limits, no sales tax is payable. On 1 January 2019, the exemption limit for cross-border online trading was halved to EUR 500 and the weight limit was lowered from 31 to 25 kilograms. From January 1st   2020, the tax-free allowance will fall to EUR 200.  However, this measure is unlikely to generate any additional revenue for the Russian State. In 86 percent of cross-border online purchases, the maximum value of goods is at about USD 22.

Above all, capacity bottlenecks in the delivery of online orders are currently putting the brakes on sector. VTB-Bank is therefore investing around EUR 410 million in the construction of 40 logistics and distribution centers for the Russian Post Office (Potschta Rossii) by 2021. The state-owned company intends to profit from the growth in the online commerce and increase its revenue from parcel services for e-commerce to Rubel 122 billion by 2023. Since September 2018, the Russian Post has been distributing deliveries from China via hubs in Siberia and the Far East.
The logistics service provider DPD has been working with the Avito advertising portal since October 2018. In future Its customers will be able to collect their parcels at around 1,500 DPD stations. Since June 2018 DHL and eBay have been working together on logistics services in Russia.

The development of B2B platforms is becoming increasingly important in Russia's online trade. The potential is huge: the Russian B2B online market amounts to around USD 20 billion - and the trend is rising. Pioneers such as Sewerstal, Alrosa or Technonikol already rely on B2B platforms to sell directly to their end customers. In 2018, the Chinese Fosun Group acquired around 20 percent of the shares in the B2B platform Prod.Center, on which agricultural products are traded.

More information:
Russia E-Commerce
Source:

Hans-Jürgen Wittmann, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

ISPO Beijing (c) Messe München GmbH
29.01.2019

ISPO Beijing CELEBRATES SUCCESSFUL ANNIVERSARY

More than 400 exhibitors representing 682 brands and approximately 30,000 trade visitors and key opinion leaders (KOLs) took part in ISPO Beijing and Alpitec China held at the China International Exhibition Center (CIEC) from January 16 to 19, 2019. This year, the most important sports trade fair in the Asia-Pacific region was jam-packed with numerous forums, trends and innovative products and services relating to winter sports, outdoors, health & fitness, and manufacturing & suppliers. Soccer also featured for the first time.

More than 400 exhibitors representing 682 brands and approximately 30,000 trade visitors and key opinion leaders (KOLs) took part in ISPO Beijing and Alpitec China held at the China International Exhibition Center (CIEC) from January 16 to 19, 2019. This year, the most important sports trade fair in the Asia-Pacific region was jam-packed with numerous forums, trends and innovative products and services relating to winter sports, outdoors, health & fitness, and manufacturing & suppliers. Soccer also featured for the first time.

“The Chinese have discovered a passion for soccer and their enthusiasm for it continues to grow. European clubs and leagues in particular are a huge source of inspiration for the emerging Chinese soccer market. ISPO Beijing has found a strong new partner in Bundesliga International for continuing to drive the soccer boom in Asia over the next few years,” says a delighted Elena Jasper, Exhibition Director ISPO Beijing. The specially created Football Activation Area played host to seven German first-league teams, namely Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt, FC Schalke 04, VfB Stuttgart and VfL Wolfsburg. They challenged visitors to take part in various activities such as Speed Goal and Goal Wall Shooting and created a thrilling soccer atmosphere for them. The program also featured the Football Forum, which was held on the opening day of the trade fair. High-profile speakers from the clubs set out their strategies for activating the market in China and presented concepts for promoting and encouraging fresh young talents as well as ideas on brand positioning.

Winter sports continue to be popular thanks to Olympics
Winter sports have proven to be hugely popular for several years now, especially in view of the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. As well-known brands and exhibitors in this segment, Burton and Oakley made a welcome return to ISPO Beijing. The Market Introduction Program, designed for brands keen to penetrate the Chinese market, also focused on this area. As part of the two-day seminar program, representatives of 10 brands from across Europe, Asia and the U.S. gained a solid understanding of the specific ins and outs of the Chinese market thanks to industry experts in distribution, online and offline retail and commercial law, and made preliminary contacts.

The Asia Pacific Snow Conference was held for the 11th time in collaboration with the longstanding partner event Alpitec China, the leading trade show for mountain and winter technologies. Representatives from the technology, sports and tourism industries discussed advances being made with China’s ski resorts as well as models and measures for developing, maintaining and expanding them.

Ski Resort Tour participants were given an insight into the infrastructure of the winter sports resorts and treated to a taste of what to expect from the Olympics. Three 2022 Winter Olympics training venues and sites were on the itinerary, namely the Shougang Olympic Park, Wanlong Ski Resort and Genting Ski Resort Secret Garden. “China’s professionalism in preparing for the major sporting event is very impressive. Sports venues are being designed and built in line with the very latest standards. The Olympics will be just the start of China’s development as a winter sports nation,” says Klaus Dittrich, Chairman and CEO of Messe München.

Valuable knowledge transfer throughout all segments
An extensive supporting program was also provided for the other trade fair segments. The Sports Industry Forum focused on the topic of new investment opportunities for the sports business in China, including with regard to digitalization. Sport injuries and rehabilitation options were the main focal points of the Health & Fitness Forum. The China Climbing Report was published as part of the China Rock Summit. In the ISPO Textrends Area, international consultant for textile trends, Louisa Smith, presented the textile trends relating to materials, fibers, cuts and accessories set to take the industry by storm in the next few years. At the ISPO Award Exhibition and the ISPO Startup Village, visitors gained an overview of the most important innovative products and latest ideas to be devised by young entrepreneurs.

Creation of an advisory committee for ISPO Beijing
An international advisory committee has been set up in order to further develop and bring ISPO Beijing even more in line with the needs of the market, exhibitors and trade visitors. Representatives of exhibitors’ interests, industry representatives and partners met for the first time ever on the eve of this year’s event in order to discuss the strategic direction of the trade fair. The consensus amongst all participants was that the current format of ISPO Beijing represents a solid base with plenty of potential. New segments such as Sports Fashion and Travel should be added to the event in the future and the target group of key opinion leaders (KOLs) should be further expanded. Exchanging experience with Europe is the primary focus of interest.

The next ISPO Beijing will be held from February 12 to 15, 2020 at its new location, the China International Exhibition Center (CIEC).

For more information on ISPO Beijing, please visit https://www.ispo.com/en/beijing

(c) Deutsche Messe AG
22.01.2019

DOMOTEX 2019 - A TRADE FAIR TO CONNECT THE CONTINENTS

  • Final Release

The latest edition of DOMOTEX – the world’s leading showcase for carpets and floor coverings (January 11 to 14) – has underscored its reputation as the sector’s biggest and most important hub for business, innovations and trends. Over 1,400 exhibitors from more than 60 nations came to Hannover to kick off a successful new year of business. With close to 90 percent of all attendees having decision-making authority, the caliber of the show’s visitors remained extremely high – a fact confirmed by exhibitors. Due to growing market concentration, DOMOTEX recorded a slight dip in attendance. According to the exhibition survey, the order situation of exhibitors remained constant, while the purchasing volume per visitor went up. About 70 percent of all DOMOTEX attendees once again came from abroad – a clear sign of the flagship fair’s international appeal.

  • Final Release

The latest edition of DOMOTEX – the world’s leading showcase for carpets and floor coverings (January 11 to 14) – has underscored its reputation as the sector’s biggest and most important hub for business, innovations and trends. Over 1,400 exhibitors from more than 60 nations came to Hannover to kick off a successful new year of business. With close to 90 percent of all attendees having decision-making authority, the caliber of the show’s visitors remained extremely high – a fact confirmed by exhibitors. Due to growing market concentration, DOMOTEX recorded a slight dip in attendance. According to the exhibition survey, the order situation of exhibitors remained constant, while the purchasing volume per visitor went up. About 70 percent of all DOMOTEX attendees once again came from abroad – a clear sign of the flagship fair’s international appeal. In terms of visitor backgrounds, attendance was notably up on the part of wholesale and retail professionals. The figures also revealed an increase in attendance by architects, interior designers and contract business professionals. In addition, DOMOTEX 2019 saw an increase in the amount of display space sold.

“Thanks to its strong international drawing power, DOMOTEX serves as the sector’s definitive global marketplace. The positive and optimistic outlook on the 2019 business year that was tangible in the trade fair halls proves the success of this year’s exhibition,” said Dr. Andreas Gruchow, the Managing Board member in charge of DOMOTEX at Deutsche Messe.

“Manufacturers and customers as well as partners, architects and designers from all over the world come together to network at DOMOTEX, spawning new business relationships and collaborative opportunities previously not deemed possible,” remarked Sonia Wedell-Castellano, the new global director for DOMOTEX, adding: “That’s what this year’s theme of Create’N’Connect is all about.”

Upbeat mood among exhibitors
Fabian Kölliker, Head of Marketing at the Swiss Krono Group, voiced early praise for the professional nature of the event: “We are very satisfied with the number, quality and internationality of attendees. Even after day two of the fair, we are already extremely happy with our success so far.”

The Balta Group has remained faithful to DOMOTEX since the origin of the fair. As Marketing Director Geert Vanden Bossche reports: “The rug business is a global business and this is the best place to connect with people and customers from around the world. In only four days we can meet with a lot of customers, giving a good return on our investments.”

For Myriam Ragolle, Managing Director of Ragolle Rugs, DOMOTEX represents the ideal opportunity to present the new products to a worldwide audience within just a four-day period: “It is impossible to achieve that by traveling. We can also make contacts with new customers from all over the world. This makes DOMOTEX unique.”

Exhibitors from the skilled trades also expressed keen satisfaction with the run of the show: “Here at DOMOTEX 2019, we have once again succeeded in impressing a trade audience from Germany and abroad,” said Julian Utz, CEO of Uzin Utz, adding: “The show’s international focus gives us access to exactly the right potential customers.” As he pointed out, Uzin Utz is strongly focused on Asian and Arab-speaking markets. “So the strong turnout by customers from these regions is a real boon for us.”

The benefits of attending DOMOTEX
Susanne Gerken, a Color & Trim designer at Volkswagen, came to DOMOTEX 2019 to catch the latest trends and check out innovative materials. As she pointed out, color trends and issues such as sustainability, recycling and new material lifecycles are all equally applicable to the automotive industry, and her takeaway was much more than just new impressions: “At DOMOTEX I picked up several ideas I can use to great advantage in my work.”

In contrast, business matters were the prime objective for Alex Hosseinnia, CEO of Dallas Rugs in Dallas, Colorado: “My line of work is all about buying and selling,” he said, adding that what he liked about DOMOTEX was the way it made it easy for him to meet up with suppliers, and that it was an ideal place to discover the latest trends and fashions, for example colors and patterns, that were “likely to be showing up in U.S. retail channels in the course of the next year or two.”

“CREATE’N’CONNECT” at DOMOTEX 2019
The inspiring “Framing Trends” showcase in Hall 9 proved its worth. In its second year, it once again featured impressive displays of innovative products by manufacturers, artists, designers and students. International architects, designers, planners and influencers were particularly appreciative of “Framing Trends” as the beating heart of the event. The new showcase has proven to be highly effective at bringing visitors together and spawning lively interaction and business dialogue.

Under the motto of “Gaining Ground”, the “Treffpunkt Handwerk” skilled trades hub in Hall 13 proved popular among interior designers, parquet and floor layers, painters and varnishers. The hands-on demo area gave flooring experts an opportunity to see innovative floor treatment and finishing tools and machinery in action while comparing notes with fellow professionals.

Digital tools for sales and marketing in the floor covering industry
A key topic at the event involved solutions for the digital presentation of carpets and floor coverings. The new digital solutions ran the gamut of VR and AR applications, including visualization aids for every aspect of the marketing mix, plus innovative software which makes it easy for customers to discover and choose their favorite designs and collections while providing retailers with new options for digital product presentation and sales.

 

Foto: Pixabay
17.12.2018

PRICE WAR ON POLAND'S CLOTHING MARKET GETS TOUGHER

  • Online sales increase

Warsaw (GTAI) - More and more clothing and shoe companies are merging in Poland. Demand is growing, but the price pressure is increasing. Customers appreciate the quality of German brand products.
Sales of clothing and footwear in Poland are rising steadily. However, the price war is becoming increasingly fierce: off-price shops offering branded goods at low prices, online shops and outlet centers are putting pressure on retailers and lowering the average returns.
Demand will receive an additional boost at the end of the year, as clothing and shoes are popular Christmas gifts. According to a survey by the consulting firm Deloitte, Polish families want to spend an average of EUR 271 on the occasion of the 2018 season, - 6 percent more than in 2017. German branded products are highly valued for their quality.

  • Online sales increase

Warsaw (GTAI) - More and more clothing and shoe companies are merging in Poland. Demand is growing, but the price pressure is increasing. Customers appreciate the quality of German brand products.
Sales of clothing and footwear in Poland are rising steadily. However, the price war is becoming increasingly fierce: off-price shops offering branded goods at low prices, online shops and outlet centers are putting pressure on retailers and lowering the average returns.
Demand will receive an additional boost at the end of the year, as clothing and shoes are popular Christmas gifts. According to a survey by the consulting firm Deloitte, Polish families want to spend an average of EUR 271 on the occasion of the 2018 season, - 6 percent more than in 2017. German branded products are highly valued for their quality.

Sales of clothing and footwear in Poland (EUR billion)
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
6.9 7.4 7.7 7.8 8.4

Source: Euromonitor International

The US chain TK Maxx already operates 43 off-price stores in Poland. The assortment includes various goods - from household goods to clothing - which are greatly reduced. Neinver from Spain currently operates four outlet centers under the name "Factory" in Poland. There are two in Warsaw and one each in Krakow and Poznan.
Neinver plans to use the commercial park Futura Ursus in Warsaw commercially in the future. In total, there are a good dozen outlet centers in Poland. On the site of the Galeria Rumia shopping center in the town with the same name northwest of Gdynia, the Pomerania Outlet center is planning to open at the end of 2019 with 80 shops.
The German online retailer Zalando is with its shopping club Zalando Lounge for special offers present in Poland, It has set up a logistics center in Olsztynek (Hohenstein), primarily for further expansion in Europe with this concept. Discount chains such as Biedronka and Lidl are also offering inexpensive clothing.

Sector consolidates
The growing pressure of competition and prices is leading to further consolidation among domestic companies in the sector. Various mergers are emerging. The Vistula Group will take over its competitor the men's outfitter Bytom already in 2018. The antitrust authority UOKiK has already approved the merger. From 2020 on the Group expects this to generate additional revenue of around EUR 1.9 million to EUR 2.3 million annually.
The acquisition of the apparel company Simple Creative Products S.A. (Gino Rossi Group from Slupsk) with its brand Simple for upmarket women's clothing by Monnari Trade S.A. cracked in November 2018. Simple is represented with 63 salons and Monnari with 163 stores in Poland.
OTCF, a company specializing in sportswear, owns the sports brand 4F with over 200 stores in Poland. OTCF has a strong presence abroad. Gino Rossi owns a total of around 90 shoe salons in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Market leader LPP expands
The largest clothing company, LPP from Gdansk, continues to expand. It opened its 20th store in September 2018 with the name of its largest brand Reserved in Germany. The LPP's shops are located in the capitals of the federal states and other commercial metropolises. LPP has set up its latest store in the Zeil shopping mile in Frankfurt. According to its deputy chairman, Slawomir Loboda, LPP with Reserved generated higher revenues abroad than domestically in the second quarter of 2018.
LPP not only wants to open further stores in Western Europe, but is also aiming for other markets. In November 2018, first sales salons of the LPP brands Reserved, House, Mohito and Sinsay followed in Almaty in Kazakhstan. These brands can be purchased in Germany via online trade. The German market is LPP's fifth largest foreign market in terms of turnover.

Revenues of the largest clothing and shoe companies in the first half of 2018 (in EUR million, change to the first half of 2017 on a Zloty basis in %)
Name of company Revenue Change
LPP 844.3 18.0
CCC (shoes) 471.0 9.6
Vistula Group 82.4 14.8
Redan 63.5 -1.0
TXM 38.4 0
Monnari 24.9 5.9
Wojas (shoes) 24.4 -3.1
Bytom 22.1 12.3
Gino Rossi (shoes) 1) 20.5 -8.4
CDRL (Coccodrillo chain for children's clothing) 2) 15.6 3.0

1) without Simple; 2) in Poland
Source: Company data according to daily newspaper Rzeczpospolita

CCC does not rely on the online segment only
The country's largest shoe company, the CCC Group, which is also expanding strongly abroad - including Germany - already achieved a fifth (19.8 percent) of its turnover with its online trade in the first half of 2018. The online sales were very successful: In the first three quarters of 2018 the revenues on a zloty basis rose by 59 percent compared to January to September 2017 to EUR 150.3 million.
An important platform for CCC online trading is eObuwie.pl, in which CCC holds a 75 percent stake. There are plans to place eObuwie.pl at the Warsaw Stock Exchange. eObuwie.pl intends to use the result to expand and strengthen its logistics. At its location in Zielona Gora (Grünberg), eObuwie.pl is building a modern, automated warehouse.

Online shoe trade relies on 3D models of feet
According to eObuwie.pl chairman Marcin Grzymkowski, who holds 25 percent of the shares the platform wants to use the esize.me scanner in order to motivate more Poles to buy shoes online. This scans feet and creates accurate 3D models of them. Based on these, virtual shoes will be selected that guarantee the best possible fit. It is planned to place such scanners at around at 40 locations in shopping centers. So far, according to estimates by eObuwie.pl, only 10 percent of Poles buy shoes online, as the daily Rzeczpospolita reports. In spring 2019 eObuwie.pl plans to establish an e-shop for high-quality clothing.
CCC already ordered shoes from Gino Rossi to distribute them through eObuwie.pl. Now the group wants to offer these articles also in stationary shops at home and abroad. Therefore CCC intends to acquire approximately 120,000 pairs of shoes from Gino Rossi in 2019 and approximately 180,000 pairs in 2020. After all, orders are expected to increase to around 500,000 pairs per year. Gino Rossi has factories in Slupsk and Elblag.

CCC will also acquire the license to use and sublicense the Gino Rossi brand name. The group may design its own shoe models under this brand name. Special collections are to be sold in around 200 selected CCC stationary stores among other countries in Poland and the Czech Republic. Through the agreement with CCC, Gino Rossi plans to earn an additional EUR 3.5 to 4.2 million in 2019 and EUR 8.4 to 9.3 million in 2020.

 

 

 

More information:
GTAI Polen
Source:

Beatrice Repetzki, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

Outdoor by ISPO (c) Messe München GmbH
16.10.2018

NEW CONCEPT AND VENUE: EXHIBITORS AND PARTNERS COUNT ON OUTDOOR BY ISPO IN MUNICH

OutDoor by ISPO is coming to Munich and numerous exhibitors and partners have already confirmed their involvement in the trade fair (June 30 to July 3, 2019) – around nine months in advance. The international trade fair for the outdoor industry owes its popularity in no small part to the new profile, which extends far beyond the exhibition halls themselves: the 365-day platform provides brands and manufacturers with the digital and physical channels they need to be able to communicate with their customers all year round. As such, OutDoor by ISPO is the reliable, modern and pioneering platform that the industry has been looking for.
 

OutDoor by ISPO is coming to Munich and numerous exhibitors and partners have already confirmed their involvement in the trade fair (June 30 to July 3, 2019) – around nine months in advance. The international trade fair for the outdoor industry owes its popularity in no small part to the new profile, which extends far beyond the exhibition halls themselves: the 365-day platform provides brands and manufacturers with the digital and physical channels they need to be able to communicate with their customers all year round. As such, OutDoor by ISPO is the reliable, modern and pioneering platform that the industry has been looking for.
 
At the end of June during the Outdoor by ISPO launch conference it was already clear that the concept developed by Messe München in cooperation with the European Outdoor Group (EOG) was exactly what the market needed. Over 250 international industry representatives also welcomed the plan to raise the profile of OutDoor by ISPO by establishing it as a year-round platform for the outdoor industry in addition to the trade fair. Numerous exhibitors, from a total of 25 countries so far, including for example Arc‘terix, Maloja, Mountain Hardware, Jack Wolfskin, Ortlieb, Petzl, Scott, Sining Rock, Tatonka and Vaude as well as the Oberalp Group with its brands Dynafit, Salewa, Pomoca and Wild Country, have already registered for the first event in Munich. The new OutDoor by ISPO will open its doors for the first time at the Messe München Exhibition Center from June 30 to July 3, 2019. An overview of the brands and manufacturers, which have already booked their places, updated every week, is available online as is information on the exhibitor registration process.
 
“OutDoor Easy” – flexible stand construction concept for more modest budgets
OutDoor by ISPO is an important industry event both for small and big brands and hence caters for companies of all sizes. Outdoor Easy is specifically targeted at exhibitors with a more modest budget and aims to make the exhibition process as smooth as possible. Markus Hefter, Exhibition Director OutDoor by ISPO, says: “This flexible and cost-effective stand construction concept is a high-quality and authentic solution enabling companies to showcase their products in the perfect setting without having to undertake all the set-up work on their own.” The concept consists of a cost-effective full package offering an open and attractive layout as well as a good location in the hall. More information on OutDoor Easy is available here. 
 
PADDLEexpo enriches OutDoor by ISPO with its experience
With the PADDLEexpo as partner the booming water sports sector will now be properly represented at OutDoor by ISPO. The professional trade show for kayaking, canoeing & stand-up paddling (SUP) in Nuremberg has been an ISPO partner for ten years and the partnership is now being taken to the next level with the installation of the Paddlesport Village at OutDoor by ISPO. This area will be exclusively dedicated to paddlesport products and will be an important meeting place for kayaking, canoeing and SUP experts. More information on PADDLEexpo is available at ispo.com.
 
OutDoor by ISPO available 365 days a year for the industry
ISPO is known for being a year-round ecosystem offering analog and digital products and services. ISPO customers have been benefiting from this mix of information, innovation and networking for years – and this portfolio is now also available for OutDoor by ISPO. OutDoor by ISPO now offers market players the opportunity to present themselves to the world 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With it, the annual leading trade fair for the outdoor industry is supplemented with a far-reaching platform, which is available to the entire outdoor community, from brands and manufacturers right through to retailers and consumers all around the world.

 

More information:
OutDoor Show
Source:

Messe München

European press conference on 6 September 2018 in Madrid for imm cologne/LivingKitchen 2019 © Koelnmesse GmbH
02.10.2018

FURNITURE INDUSTRY GREW ONLY MARGINALLY BY 1% IN THE FIRST HALF-YEAR

  • Almost 1 in 3 pieces of furniture is exported
  • 14% of furniture sales now online

At the European press conference in September 2018 in Madrid for imm co-logne/LivingKitchen 2019, Jan Kurth, Chief Executive of the Association of the German Furniture Industry (VDM), reported on the state of business in the sector:

  • Almost 1 in 3 pieces of furniture is exported
  • 14% of furniture sales now online

At the European press conference in September 2018 in Madrid for imm co-logne/LivingKitchen 2019, Jan Kurth, Chief Executive of the Association of the German Furniture Industry (VDM), reported on the state of business in the sector:

At the end of an exceptionally hot summer, which has driven consumers to outdoor pools and beer gardens rather than furniture showrooms, the German furniture industry looks back on correspondingly subdued growth in the sector. Following a decline in sales in the second half of 2017, the business climate for manufacturers did improve slightly in the first half of 2018, but the bottom line is that furniture sales have stalled, especially within Germany. While the year began distinctly positively on the back of imm cologne, a significant slowdown in business subsequently set in.
From January to June, sales in the sector reached approximately Euro 9.1 billion, just 1 per cent higher than in the same period of the previous year. Following a 0.7 per cent fall in sales for 2017 as a whole, marked in particular by a negative trend in the second half-year (–1.6%), German furniture manufacturers were thus able to generate slight sales growth, but the situation remains disappointing.

Growth stimulus comes from abroad
This marginal increase in sales was exclusively attributable to international business, since sales outside Germany grew in the first six months by 2.7 per cent in comparison with the same period of the previous year. Domestic sales, on the other hand, stagnated with a minimal rise of 0.3 per cent. Export business benefitted from revived demand in key European sales markets and, increasingly, from the positive economic development in the major growth regions outside the EU. Almost one third of German furniture exports are now sold to non-EU countries.

Results of the latest VDM survey
In summer 2018, the VDM conducted a survey of the economic situation faced by companies in the sector. Participants rated the current business climate as satisfactory (34%) to poor (40%), with only 26 per cent judging it to be good. Compared with summer 2017, the situation for business had worsened in the view of 51 per cent of those surveyed.

State of export business better than domestic market
The disparity between the domestic market and export business is also reflected in the business survey. While most respondents (57%) judged the situation for domestic business as poor, an overwhelming number of manufacturers considered the situation for export business to be good (29%) to satisfactory (56%).

The current difficulties in domestic demand are largely confirmed by the furniture retail sector. Naturally, the long period of high temperatures moved many activities outdoors, but still this explanation falls short. To discover a little more about this, the VDM commissioned a representative study from the prestigious market research institute Kantar TNS, which put the furniture buying behaviour of Germans under the microscope. We were particularly interested to learn where people seek information about furniture and where they buy it. Do they look at advertising supplements in daily newspapers or rather retailers’ websites? Are people increasingly buying furniture online, or is the official sales channel statistic correct, which has been citing an almost stable figure of between 7 and 8 per cent for several years?

Customers increasingly seek information online
First, a look at the information sources. Overall, the furniture store itself – that is to say, looking at furniture in person – remains the most important source of information (68%), followed by brochures from furniture showrooms (54%). But 48 per cent of all those surveyed now use the Internet as a source of information and inspiration. In the younger target groups (<40 years old), the significance of the information source sees a clear shift, with the Internet dominating (77%) but furniture stores still being used by 63 per cent.

When it comes to formal educational attainment, there is a clear correlation with the information sources used. Those with a lower level of education favour brochures and advertising from furniture stores. The higher the level of education, the more buyers actively seek information online.

80% have bought large furniture items in the past 5 years
Online shopping or a trip to the shops? Generally speaking, over 80 per cent of Germans have bought relatively large items of furniture in the past five years. As can be expected, this proportion tails off with increasing age. Of those who bought furniture, 75 per cent carried out this latest transaction in a furniture store. Just under 10 per cent of shoppers bought from a purely online retailer and only 4 per cent purchased via the website of a furniture retailer. This gives a 14 per cent share of sales now taking place online and thus double the figure given out by the official sales channel statistics. In terms of online shoppers, people living alone and the under-30s lead by a clear margin. As young people get older, they are unlikely to move away from online shopping for furniture, and new “Internet savvy” consumers enter the market, the “normality threshold” for the remaining age groups is also expected to fall. There is therefore clearly still a great deal of potential for online furniture sales, and the industry and trade would be well advised to exploit this potential through engaging concepts and information suited to the target groups, moving away from discount and clearance promotions.

Additional online potential
We also see the growth of online business as offering opportunities for the furniture sector as a whole. Firstly, the fixation on prices and discounts is not as pronounced online as in highly concentrated bricks-and-mortar retail. Secondly, the short delivery times and short-notice availability typical of online trading tend to be served more flexibly from internal German sources than from Asia.

Official assessment: sales in the individual segments
According to official statistics, the individual segments in the German furniture industry developed unevenly between January and June 2018. Kitchen furniture manufacturers recorded sales growth of 4 per cent to around Euro 2.5 billion. The office furniture industry reported a distinctly positive result with sales of around Euro 1.1 billion (+7.9%). Manufacturers of shop and contract furniture saw a year-on-year increase of 7.2 per cent and generated sales of around Euro 920 million.

Manufacturers of upholstered furniture registered a noticeable decline, with sales falling by 5.3 per cent to around Euro 480 million from January to June 2018. With a drop of 1.6 per cent to Euro 3.7 billion, the sales performance in household furniture, other furniture and furniture parts was also more negative than the industry average. The smallest segment in the industry – mattresses – recorded the most significant decline in sales of 12.8 per cent to Euro 400 million. This must, however, be put in the context of the above-average growth in sales in this segment in recent years.

Furniture industry generates new jobs
We now take a look at the employment figures for the industry. The 482 businesses currently operating with more than 50 staff (–2.2%) employ 84,300 men and women, which is slightly above (+0.7%) the previous year’s level. Approximately 600 new jobs have been created in the industry in the last year, despite the difficult market conditions.

Compared with the same period of the previous year, German furniture exports in the first half of 2018 grew by 2.2 per cent to Euro 5.5 billion. With an increase of 1.2 per cent, sales to EU countries only crept slightly above the previous year’s level, thus developing much more sluggishly than exports as a whole. Having said this, exports to the German furniture industry’s largest external market, France, achieved growth of 3.5 per cent, and the Dutch (+6.2%), Polish (+10%) and Spanish (+6.1%) markets also saw positive developments from the perspective of the German furniture industry. However, furniture exports to the important sales markets of Austria (–1.3%) and Switzerland (–3.8%) declined.

Negative trend in Great Britain
The furniture industry also clearly felt the negative effects of the Brexit negotiations and the fall in the pound over the course of the previous year, with furniture exports to Great Britain contracting by 8.9 per cent in the first half of 2018. No other major export market performed as badly as the United Kingdom from the perspective of German furniture manufacturers.

Boom in exports to the USA, China and Russia
The key growth markets for German furniture now lie outside the EU. The outstanding performance of German furniture manufacturers in the largest growth markets of the USA (+9.5%), China (+25.9%) and Russia (+14%) is particularly noteworthy. Given the size of each of these markets and the strong demand for high-quality furniture, these figures are sure to see further growth. Other markets outside Europe, such as Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea and Singapore, are currently developing well, although exports to these countries are still at a relatively low level. Overall, the non-EU market is expected to become an important driver for growth for the German furniture industry in the years ahead.

Export ratio up by 32.6%
The industry’s export ratio – that is to say, the proportion of goods shipped directly abroad by domestic furniture manufacturers against total sales by the industry – climbed to 32.6 per cent in the first half of 2018, thereby achieving a new record. The corresponding figure for the first half of 2017 reached 32.1 per cent. This means that the furniture industry’s export ratio has doubled since the turn of the millennium.

Furniture “made in Germany” highly regarded
The success of German furniture manufacturers abroad can be put down to the quality, reliability of supply, design and individuality of our products. German manufacturers often have a better grip on processes and logistics than their international competitors. These are important selling points for consumers – whether they be in Shanghai, St Petersburg or San Francisco.

Greater support for exporters
In view of the increasing importance of exports for the industry, the VDM will be expanding the support it offers exporting companies. A new VDM Export working group aims to encourage dialogue between individual manufacturers, identify the main markets and coordinate export and trade fair activities for the industry as a whole. Information days and workshops for furniture manufacturers will be organised to share industry-specific expertise relating to the individual export markets. Practical tools will also be made available to support the successful involvement of German furniture manufacturers abroad. These additional export activities are intended to help German furniture manufacturers to grow their market share on the world market.

Slight increase in imports
Import competition remains strong: after German furniture imports achieved growth of 0.8 per cent to Euro 12.7 billion for 2017 as a whole, in the first half of 2018 they rose by a further 0.6 per cent to Euro 6.6 billion. However, the trade deficit reduced by 8.1 per cent to around Euro 1.2 billion in the same period as a result of substantially increased exports. Overall, furniture imports to Germany from eastern Europe are increasingly gaining ground from their Asian competitors. Poland enjoyed growth of 7.4 per cent and, as has been the case for a number of years, remained by far the largest source country in terms of furniture volume. Nowadays, more than one in four pieces of furniture (26.3%) imported into Germany originates from our neighbour to the east. The Czech Republic remains the third-largest source of imports with a slight rise of 0.7 per cent. Altogether, imports from EU countries achieved a significant increase of 1.8 per cent. By contrast, imports from Asia fell disproportionately (–5.9%), especially from Vietnam (–12.3%), Taiwan (–13.9%) and Indonesia (–9.8%). Imports from the second-largest originating country, China, declined significantly with a drop of 5.2 per cent. The structure of German furniture imports is highly concentrated, with around 56 per cent of all German furniture imports now attributable solely to the three largest supplier countries: Poland, China and the Czech Republic.

56% of all imports from Poland, China and the Czech Republic
Almost two thirds of participants in the VDM survey expect the business outlook to remain the same in the six months ahead. 24 per cent anticipate an improvement in the situation and just 12 per cent a worsening. According to the assessment of the respondents, the major factors affecting the trading climate in the next six months will be increasing prices of raw materials (33% of respondents), a shortage of skilled personnel (27%), growing pressure from imports (18%) and increasingly protectionist trade policies (9%).

Rising material costs hit the industry hard
The rising cost of materials as regards solid wood are seen as a particular obstacle for development in the sector. Companies in the German furniture industry taking part in the survey report an average increase of 9 per cent in the cost of solid wood when compared with summer 2017. Prices of wood-based materials increased by 5 per cent in the same period, with logistics costs also up by 5 per cent and staffing costs by 3 per cent. Given the market power of purchasing associations, it is not possible to pass on this rise in costs in full to the German furniture retail trade.

Forecast for the current year: +1%
While the contribution of foreign markets to German furniture industry sales is expected to remain positive in the second half-year, in view of the very significant growth in recent times, there are clouds on the horizon as far as domestic trade is concerned. Consumer confidence in Germany is also on the wane. Economic forecasts for this year have recently been revised downwards by leading economists. On this basis, we continue to anticipate sales growth at the end of the year by around 1 per cent in 2018.

 

More information:
imm cologne Furniture market
Source:

Jan Kurth, Chief Executive of the Association of the German Furniture Industry (VDM), at the European press conference on 6 September 2018 in Madrid for imm cologne/LivingKitchen 2019

NIEDERLÄNDER KAUFEN GERNE ONLINE EIN Photo: Pixabay
14.08.2018

DUTCH PEOPLE LIKE TO BUY ONLINE

  • E-commerce to grow by 17 percent in 2018

Berlin (GTAI) - E-commerce in the Netherlands is expected to grow in 2018. The most popular products are media and entertainment. Strong growth was recorded in the food trade.
The Dutch online food trade is gaining momentum, and high growth rates are expected for 2018. Customers also look beyond the borders and shop abroad. However, the online shops with the highest turnover are in Dutch hands.

  • E-commerce to grow by 17 percent in 2018

Berlin (GTAI) - E-commerce in the Netherlands is expected to grow in 2018. The most popular products are media and entertainment. Strong growth was recorded in the food trade.
The Dutch online food trade is gaining momentum, and high growth rates are expected for 2018. Customers also look beyond the borders and shop abroad. However, the online shops with the highest turnover are in Dutch hands.

Dutch people are very open to new technologies. In 2018, around 97 percent of the population (16.8 million people) will have an Internet connection. On average, the 13.9 million online shoppers spend EUR 1,242 a year. In 2018, e-commerce revenue will grow by around 17 percent to EUR 26.3 billion. This is predicted by an investigation of the organization Thuiswinkel. Already in the first quarter of 2018, EUR 6.3 billion were spent online, an increase of 13 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year. The last quarter of a year with the holidays (Christmas, Santa Claus and Black Friday), in which 30 percent of the annual sales are taken place, is always very promising.

According to the Portal Commercenews online trading amounted to EUR 22.5 billion in 2017, up 13 percent from 2016, accounting for 9.7 percent of the total retail sales, which grew by only 4.2 percent. The e-commerce boom was followed by new company foundations: around 9,200 new webshops were established, but 5,400 were closed too. Most of these webshops also have foreign markets in their view.

Laptops are most commonly used for online purchases, but mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular. 2017 was marked by growing mobile commerce (m-commerce), a further increase is expected in 2018. After all, the country has more mobile devices than inhabitants (110 percent).

Not only the web shops benefit from the booming e-commerce. The Dutch Post is also pleased about the growth. Their e-commerce revenue is estimated at 42 percent of total revenue in 2018 (2017: 34 percent).

Food is bought more frequently online
Demand is focused on the media and entertainment sectors, where some 8.5 million purchases were made in the first three months of 2018. Food and near-food products (goods that are not food but are also available in supermarkets) were in demand in the first quarter of 2018, 42 percent more than in the same period of last year. Although their share of total purchases is still low, experts are already forecasting 3.7 percent in 2018 after 2.9 percent in 2017, when the sales exceeded EUR 1 billion for the first time. The purchases were mainly made at the large Albert Heijn and Jumbo supermarkets. The third important market Picnic, which only operates online, wants to expand into Germany and has already started a pilot project in the Düsseldorf area.

The Albert Heijn supermarket is about to make it even easier for its customers, to receive goods even when they are not at home. It is testing a so-called intelligent key (smart door lock) from Nuki. Customers can use their mobile phones to control who enters the apartment in their absence. By this this way he can let the delivery service in after his call..

Buyers are usually satisfied with their online purchases. Nevertheless, they fear that the goods are not clearly enough illustrated and described, as well as difficulties in returning them and their costs. Web shops can score points if they offer free shipping and fair return options.

The thrifty Dutch also compare when buying on the Internet. According to Ecommerce Foundation, 60 percent look around at multiple merchants before deciding, 53 percent use websites that compare prices or products, half consider other users' reviews on the web and only 8 percent buy spontaneously based on advertising or social media ads (multiple answers possible).

Dutch spend more and more abroad
Around 3.8 million Dutch people bought from foreign webshops in 2017, spending rose by 28 percent compared to the previous year. In 2017, they spent around EUR 1.5 billion on webshops in the European Union. Also Chinese sites with favorable offers are popular. Around EUR 248 million were invested in shops such as Aliexpress, Banggood, Dealextreme, Geekbuying, Gearbest, MiniIn TheBox. The most popular countries were China, the United Kingdom, Germany and the USA.

The most popular payment provider on the Internet is iDEAL. Around 95 percent of customers use the Dutch online payment system, in which several local banks are involved. Its market share is an impressive 57 percent. In 2017, the number of transactions via iDEAL grew by almost 34 percent. Foreign webshops have also joined the system: About one third of the payments went to them.

Most popular online payment methods
(in %, multiple selections possible)
iDEAL      95
Kreditkarte    50
pAYPAL 31
Tikkie 22

Source: Ecommerce Foundation

Many Dutch retailers among top online shops
Many of the most successful online retailers are Dutch companies. Bol, the local online seller with the highest turnover, was able to grow because large e-traders such as eBay or Amazon were not yet present in the Netherlands. Bol developed from a project of the German Bertelsmann Group with a focus on books and DVDs, but is now in Dutch hands and has considerably expanded its offering to other product groups. In 2012 Bol was acquired by the Ahold Group.

The Rotterdam-based company Coolblue launched an online store in 2000. Subsequently, several web shops were opened, each focusing on one product category. A stationary business was added in 2005. Coolblue today sells mainly consumer electronics, white goods and fitness equipment and is the second largest online retailer. The company is known for its excellent customer service.

Wehkamp began as a mail order company in 1952 and sold all articles via its Internet platform before 2000. The Internet pioneer has developed slowly, but has recently invested heavily in order to survive in the Dutch top league.

Like eBay in Germany, Marktplaats.nl in the Netherlands is the marketplace for second-hand goods. Google Shopping achieved strong growth in 2017. The portal is also expected to become the most important comparison portal in the Netherlands in a short time.

Important e-commerce events in the Netherlands
Event Date
Digital Marketing World Forum, DMWF Expo Europe, Amsterdam 19 - 20 September 2018
Savant Supply Chain Congress, Amsterdam 2 - 3 October 2018
Shopper Insights & Retail Activation International, Amsterdam 29 - 31 October 2018

 

More information:
ecommerce Onlineshopping
Source:

Inge Kozel, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

„CREATE’N’CONNECT“ (c) Deutsche Messe AG
31.07.2018

„CREATE’N’CONNECT“– KEYNOTE THEME FOR DOMOTEX 2019

  • Opportunity for manufacturers to star as trendsetters in the flooring industry

The redesigned DOMOTEX – with its more transparent clustering of allied products and the visually stunning  “Framing Trends” showcase – has been warmly embraced by the market and is now gearing up for its second season. DOMOTEX 2019 will run under the banner of “CREATE’N’CONNECT”, a keynote theme that puts the spotlight on innovative flooring industry developments and ideas inspired by today’s connectivity megatrend. Powered by advanced technology and digital change, being connected is a tremendously important aspect of our daily lives and interaction at home and on the job.   Connectedness is an important aspect of flooring in the sense that floors are unifying, connecting elements of room design. Floors and flooring provide the very foundation for the rooms in which we live and work.

  • Opportunity for manufacturers to star as trendsetters in the flooring industry

The redesigned DOMOTEX – with its more transparent clustering of allied products and the visually stunning  “Framing Trends” showcase – has been warmly embraced by the market and is now gearing up for its second season. DOMOTEX 2019 will run under the banner of “CREATE’N’CONNECT”, a keynote theme that puts the spotlight on innovative flooring industry developments and ideas inspired by today’s connectivity megatrend. Powered by advanced technology and digital change, being connected is a tremendously important aspect of our daily lives and interaction at home and on the job.   Connectedness is an important aspect of flooring in the sense that floors are unifying, connecting elements of room design. Floors and flooring provide the very foundation for the rooms in which we live and work. Floors inspire us, give us orientation and set the stage for human interaction.
 
“CREATE’N’CONNECT” keynote theme to be creatively staged by trend leaders
The “Framing Trends”special area in Hall 9 at DOMOTEX 2019 is a unique opportunity for manufacturers to breathe life into the “CREATE’N’CONNECT” theme and thereby demonstrate their creative genius and position themselves as trendsetters of the flooring industry. Complete with a quality supporting program of talks, lectures and discussions inspired by the keynote theme, “Framing Trends” is a vibrant networking platform and the beating heart of DOMOTEX. It is a place where creatives from all parts of the design spectrum can gather, make connections and contacts and spark new business opportunities. For manufacturers, retailers and designers, it is also a rich source of inspiration for new collections. With its out-of-the-ordinary artistic staging and groundbreaking product presentations, “Framing Trends” is an absolute magnet for fashion and lifestyle-savvy visitors, architects, interior decorators, designers and influencers.

“Framing Trends” - Apply to exhibit and start making connections  
As a major highlight of DOMOTEX, the “Framing Trends” special area is one of the main stops on the show’s special Guided Tours for architects and journalists. This premium exposure is further enhanced by the area’s strong presence in the organizer’s social media channels and on the DOMOTEX website. Furthermore, companies that give exclusive interviews at DOMOTEX are permitted to use the interviews for their own promotional purposes. As in 2018, the “Framing Trends” showcase at DOMOTEX 2019 will have a Blogger Lounge where bloggers and visitors can meet up, talk and collaborate.

The “Framing Trends” area includes the “Flooring Spaces” zone – a series of spaces where selected exhibitors and companies from the flooring industry can stage their unique, creative visions of the “CREATE’N’CONNECT” theme in the form of physical installations, interactive display circuits or workshops. Applications for participation at the “Flooring Spaces” zone are now open. Each applying organization is invited to submit a design proposal for a “Flooring Space” of any size from 20 sqm to 60 sqm. On request, the DOMOTEX organizers will arrange for designers to help applicants with their proposals. An expert jury made up of big-name designers and architects will select the participating exhibitors from among the applicants. The jury will make its decision by the fall of 2018.

Examples of creative flooring-related connections
The connectivity theme can be creatively expressed in many wonderful ways, as the following examples from the flooring and various allied industries show.
In teamwork with the studio Lotta Agaton Interiors, Austrian carpet maker Tisca Textil staged a home environment collage at DOMOTEX 2018 combining handmade woolen rugs with furniture by Vitra, Artek and Team7.

The lively graphic motifs used in the Infused Collection by Mannington Mills conjure up various aspects of five different U.S. metropolises. This LVT tile collection’s mix-and-match approach lends itself to the creation of imaginative mosaics using any combination of tiles desired.

Swedish design firm Kinnasand presents its rugs on a limited series of steel tubing “structures” created in cooperation with Berlin design studio Greiling. Draped over stylized bench, ottoman and daybed structures, the carpets take on a three-dimensional aspect.

Furniture manufacturer Walter Knoll uses the floor pillows and daybeds in its “Badawi Pillows” collection to create connections with its own sofa and carpet range. Details like the finishing on the leather headrest rolls attest to the firm’s high level of craftsmanship.

Gan, the rug and textile brand of Spanish outdoor furnishing company Gandia Blasco, includes a whole range of new products that explore the connection between rooms and their floors. For example, the “Parquet” kilim collection by Swedish designer duo Front (Sofia Lagerkvist and Anna Lindgren) reinvents the timeless aesthetic of wood parquet in soft floor coverings. Meanwhile, the “Mirage” collection by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola comprises hand-knotted rugs made from New Zealand wool that look like they are woven from three dimensional planks whose ends protrude into the surrounding space. Her “Garden Layers” collection features layers of rugs, mats, roll pillows, cushions and even textile-covered Indian beds. The individual elements can be arranged in many different ways to create infinite inviting possibilities for outdoor living.
 
“Framing Trends” showcase well received by the market
Business decision-makers who participated in the inaugural “Framing Trends” showcase were full of praise for the enhanced DOMOTEX format. Their stories are glowing reports of successful business contacts made at DOMOTEX 2018. For instance, Jutta Werner, CEO of Nomad, an interdisciplinary design firm in Hamburg, described the “Flooring Spaces” area as a “well signposted proving ground for innovation and contemporary thinking.” She said the response to her presentation there was “overwhelming.” Benny Jensen, CEO of Denmark’s Fletco Carpets, was impressed with the Guided Tours and their ability to communicate targeted information to visitors. He said the tours enabled his company to present its new, award-winning “LockTiles” product directly to a quality, pre-qualified audience. Jensen noted that “architects, designers and planners made a special point of visiting the ‘Framing Trends’ display.” Floor coverings manufacturer Classen used the “Flooring Spaces” zone at “Framing Trends” to present a vision of a living space from the future. The flooring creation at the heart of Classen’s “Flooring Space” was developed specially for DOMOTEX at the company’s own design center, while the creative design and production of the space as a whole was undertaken on Classen’s behalf by a designer. The presentation raised Classen’s profile as an innovator. Marketing Director Heinz-Dieter Gras says the visitors showed a “great deal of interest” and described the presentation as “spectacular” and “masterfully done”.

Thomas Trenkamp, CEO of Carpet Concept, was very pleased with the “massive response” to his company’s “Framing Trends” presentation generated in the press and among industry peers and trade visitors. The kaleidoscope project which Carpet Concept realized in partnership with Schmidhuber, Munich, was a major attraction on site, in the press and across social media channels. Creative Matters, a Canadian design firm that specializes in carpets, rugs and wall coverings, staged a series of creative workshops that proved enormously popular with attendees. President and co-founder Carol Sebert described “Framing Trends” as a “vibrant, high-energy” showcase that enabled exhibitors and visitors to “experience the latest innovations and creations in the flooring world first-hand.” Jürgen Dahlmanns, the founder and creative mind behind cutting-edge German carpet label Rug Star, believes that DOMOTEX’s managers have moved the show in an “exciting new direction” with Framing Trends. “It’s a fun thing to be involved in as an exhibitor”. Textile floor coverings specialist Balta Group, of Belgium, has been exhibiting at DOMOTEX right from the early days. Marketing Director Geert Vanden Bossche said the new format has “further cemented the strong connection” his organization felt with DOMOTEX. Balta exhibits both at DOMOTEX in Hannover and at DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR in Shanghai.

DOMOTEX 2019 will be held in Hannover, Germany, from 11 to 14 January (Friday through Monday). The show is expected to feature around 1,400 exhibitors from more than 60 nations.

Shopping malls Photo: Pixabay
24.07.2018

NEW TRENDS IN ITALIAN RETAIL OPEN UP OPPORTUNITIES

  • Franchising takes off, more and more German retail chains discover Italy

Milan (GTAI) - The Italian retail sector is modernizing and the franchise economy is growing. Italian franchise systems are gaining ground. New modern shopping centers, including the largest in Europe, create space for new shops. German retail chains are expanding in many segments, from discount food and other consumer goods to services. Northern Italy is considered a popular test site. High quality and a price advantage are the keys to success.

  • Franchising takes off, more and more German retail chains discover Italy

Milan (GTAI) - The Italian retail sector is modernizing and the franchise economy is growing. Italian franchise systems are gaining ground. New modern shopping centers, including the largest in Europe, create space for new shops. German retail chains are expanding in many segments, from discount food and other consumer goods to services. Northern Italy is considered a popular test site. High quality and a price advantage are the keys to success.

The Italian retail sector is changing. The number of classic corner shops is declining, the modern organized retail trade is growing. The franchise economy in particular is developing positively. Beyond the classical areas such as food and fashion, various Italian franchise systems are spreading more and more visibly in the big cities.
 
According to the industry association Assofranchising, the franchise industry had a turnover of approximately EUR 24.6 billion in 2017. This represents an increase of 2.6 percent compared to the previous year and an increase of 5.7 percent since 2014. With a similar number of systems (929 in Italy, 972 in Germany), the German franchise industry generated almost five times as much turnover. One reason for this is that German franchise systems have on average more than three times as many businesses per franchise.

Development of the franchise economy in Italy
  2016 2017 Change (in %)
Sales (Euro Mio.)  23,930 24,545 2.6
Franchise systems 950 929 -2.2
Businesses 50,720 51,671 1.9
Italian businesses abroad 7,871 10,079 28.1
Italian businesses abroad (min. 3 companies) 169 179 5.9
Foreign systems in Italy 61 71 16.4
Employees 195,303 199,260 2.0
Average size of systems in Italy (number of companies) 53.4 55.6 4.2
Average size of Italian systems abroad (number of companies) 46.6 56.3 20.9

   Source: Rapporto Assofranchising 2018

But the segment is catching up in Italy. Italian franchise systems are expanding, also abroad. Outside Italy, their number increased by around 6 percent in 2017, while their average size (measured by the number of businesses) increased by around 21 percent. The domestic average dimension is also growing. The country is also becoming more attractive for foreign franchisors. In 2017, the number of foreign franchise systems increased by 16 percent. The relevant trade fair is the Salone Franchising, which will take place from October 25th to 27th 2018 in Milan.   

New shopping centers are driving the developments forward
Developments in the retail sector are accompanied by new construction projects. A number of new shopping centers are currently under construction in Italy, creating space for the new generation of franchises and retail chains. The major CityLife project on the former Milan exhibition grounds is a current example. In addition to two of the three planned skyscrapers (including Allianz's new headquarter in Italy), a new shopping center was inaugurated in autumn 2017. Particularly in the catering sector new Italian chains, which are expanding nationwide, can be seen. A new gastronomy floor with restaurants and cafés in the middle price segment was recently inaugurated at the Termini railway station in Rome.

A number of modern shopping centers are still under construction, including the new Westfield Milan. Project operators describe it as the largest shopping center in Europe. With an investment EUR 1.4 billion Westfield Milan is to be inaugurated in 2020. The majority of the new construction projects are located in the larger cities in the north, but Rome and Naples will soon receive new shopping centers also.

Shopping centers under construction in Italy
Designation Investment (Mio. Euro) Area (1,000 sqm) Completion Remarks
Westfield, Milan 1,400 60 2020

http://www.westfieldcorp.com

Maximo, Rome 300 61 2019 Cushman & Wakefield
Emilia Shopping District, Parma 200 74 2019

http://www.sonaesierra.com

Maximall Pompeii, Napoli 150 200 2019

http://www.maximall.it/pompeii

Falcon Malls Cascina Merlata, Milan n.a. 65 2021 http://falconmalls.it
Falcon Malls Concordia, Milan n.a. 131 2021 http://falconmalls.it
Waltherpark Shopping - Bozen 23 k.A. 2021

https://waltherpark.com

    Source: Research of Germany Trade & Invest

Opportunities for German retail chains
Another trend in Italy is the expansion of German retail chains. One growth area is the market for discount foods. According to Nielsen, discounters had a market share of 17 percent of the sold food at the end of 2017. The market leader is Eurospin from Italy, followed by Lidl. In 2018 Aldi opened its first store in northern Italy and by the end of 2018 it is planned to open 45 stores. Lidl is defending itself against its new competitor with planned investments in Italy amounting to EUR 350 mio for a new inner-city store concept. A total of 40 new points of sale are planned, and a further 50 stores are to be modernized.

Both German supermarket chains confirm that a local strategy for Italian gourmets is indispensable. Lidl sources 80 percent of its food products from Italy, while Aldi's share is almost as high at 75 percent.

In terms of price, the recipe for success of the German retail chains is somewhat different from Germany. Although German retailers continue to score with a good price-performance ratio, the focus in Italy is on the mid-price segment.

The latest example is the drugstore chain dm. The first branch was inaugurated at the end of 2017. There are plans to open 100 stores in northern Italy by 2020. dm offers not only a price advantage over its Italian competitors, but also high-quality products. In addition, there are hardly any "one-stop shops" in Italy, which are also drugstores, but also sell beauty products, organic and natural products as well as baby products.   

The Douglas perfumery chain is expanding also in Italy. At the end of 2017, Douglas' parent company completed the acquisition of two of the leading perfumeries in Italy, Limoni and La Gardenia.    

Fielmann is another example of a German chain that has conquered the Italian market in recent years with high-quality products and a price advantage. With entry into the South Tyrol market and ongoing expansion in northern Italy, Fielmann is popular with Italian consumers despite the large competing manufacturers of glasses in Italy due to its price advantages.

Germany's successful model is not limited to food and other consumer goods. The Berlin-based company Flixbus is an example that the concept of quality and price competition can also be successfully applied to the service sector. Flixbus has been in Italy since 2015 and the number of passengers is increasing constantly. In 2017, 40 million Italians were on the road with Flixbus, twice as many as the year before. Italy is the fastest growing market among 26 countries for the company.

More information:
Italy Franchisesysteme Retail
Source:

Robert Scheid, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

Blockchain Fashion Transparency ©Martine Jarlgaard Provenance
10.07.2018

How blockchain paves its way through the fashion industry

For most people, blockchain technology is still quite an abstract concept. We can think of it as some kind of virtual database that saves all transactions in so-called blocks. This creates transaction or block chains, which are perpetuated with every subsequent transaction. Through the high degree of transparency, the system can do without a central controlling entity, as it is permanently controlled by many. The blockchain can be changed afterwards. So far, this technology has been used mainly to materialize cryptocurrencies, but it increasingly paves its way also through the fashion industry. The following section outlines a few blockchain concepts from the fashion industry:
 
Blockchain makes fashion forgery-proof

For most people, blockchain technology is still quite an abstract concept. We can think of it as some kind of virtual database that saves all transactions in so-called blocks. This creates transaction or block chains, which are perpetuated with every subsequent transaction. Through the high degree of transparency, the system can do without a central controlling entity, as it is permanently controlled by many. The blockchain can be changed afterwards. So far, this technology has been used mainly to materialize cryptocurrencies, but it increasingly paves its way also through the fashion industry. The following section outlines a few blockchain concepts from the fashion industry:
 
Blockchain makes fashion forgery-proof
The Berlin-based startup business Lukso has created an opportunity to take action against trademark counterfeiting and forgeries by using blockchain. A chip replaces traditional QR codes, which can be copied easily. The data stored on the chip are locked in and thus cannot be edited. Thus, the authenticity of the garment can be verified. The founder of Lukso, Fabian Vogelsteller, used his experience he had gained as a developer for the Ethereum cryptocurrency in order to develop this chip.
„The Fashion industry is the perfect industry for a blockchain-network, since it is forward thinking and eager to try out new things. Especially the interaction between users is an important factor here. Also forgery-proof is still an unsolved problem,“ explains the founder of LUKSO, Fabian Vogelsteller.    

The data stored on the chip can be analysed, but not read. Thus, the information about the products is disclosed in the blockchain in a transparent way for the customers and retailers. However, by not disclosing the system, the information can neither be changed nor copied, making the history of the garment traceable at any time. This technology provides protection against counterfei¬ting in particular with regard to brand and luxury goods. The system is also suitable for second-hand shops selling high-quality products, as the buyers are given a guarantee that they have bought a genuine product.

…and its origin transparent
SourceMap is another development using blockchain for the fashion sector. SourceMap is a kind of social network based on blockchain technology developed by the software company Provenance.
 
It allows everyone from the farmer to the textile mill to the cut-and-sew factory to communicate directly with the brand that buys from them, and it is using Provenance’s blockchain technology to verify those communications. They envision a world in which every fashion product has traceable, transparent origins. The developers promise that for example organic and Fair Trade certifications cannot be faked. The designer Martine Jarlgaard from London produced smart labels from Provenance using blockchain technology already in 2017, allowing the customers to scan these labels to track every step in the production.
 
Also, the fashion label Babyghost has launched a kind of social network. With specific chips woven into the garments, the customers are able to track the entire history of the clothes using their smartphone. The blockchain technology behind that even allows the consumers to add their own photos, videos and messages. This way, each garment gets its own story that is accessible at any time.

Berlin-based business wants to revolutionize online shopping experiences with blockchain
Wysker is an app developed by Tobias Haag and his team from Berlin to revolutionize online fashion shopping. With the blockchain system, users can decide on whether and what data they want to disclose to the retailers. Those who provide data will be rewarded with discounts. The Wysker app itself shows only photos, prices and the providers of the products. Those who find what they are looking for will be forwarded to the respective business partner. The developers expect that the bonus model will become a small revolution. Every app user is given bonus points, so-called Wys tokens. The more intensive the app is used, the more tokens are given. The tokens can be redeemed with the participating retailers. They are based on blockchain technology and connected to the Ethereum cryptocurrency. The value of the bonus points increases with the popularity of the app, as the number of tokens is limited. Thus, increased demand leads automatically to a higher value. The app is still in the initial stage. However, many users have already been generated during the first few months.
 
The fashion industry shows once again its innovative strength and uses blockchain to embark on new paths, with blockchain technology being a means to the end. It creates transparency that can reward the users and bring new shopping experiences.

Further information:
https://www.lukso.io/ 
https://www.wystoken.org/ 
http://martinejarlgaard.com/Home 
https://www.mybabyghost.com/ 
http://www.sourcemap.com/ 

CHIC Shanghai - THE MOTTO 'NEW MAKERS' BY CHIC INTERPRETS THE PROGRESSIVE CHANGE IN THE CHINESE FASHION BUSINESS Photo: JANDALI MODE.MEDIEN.MESSEN
26.06.2018

CHIC Shanghai - THE MOTTO 'NEW MAKERS' INTERPRETS THE PROGRESSIVE CHANGE IN THE CHINESE FASHION BUSINESS

  • The important trade fair platform for entry into the Chinese consumer market with China's most influential consumer group for the fashion and beauty sector with the strongest growth in consumption - the millennials - as target group
  • The international fashion showcase for decision makers with an overview of na-tional and international fashion brands
  • Strategic market development through comprehensive visitor marketing for inter-national brands at CHIC

 
CHIC, China International Fashion Fair presents around 800 exhibitors in an exhibition space of approx. 50,000 sqm (CHIC in March 100,000 sqm) in two halls from 27 to 29 September 2018 at the National Exhibition & Convention Center in Shanghai.

  • The important trade fair platform for entry into the Chinese consumer market with China's most influential consumer group for the fashion and beauty sector with the strongest growth in consumption - the millennials - as target group
  • The international fashion showcase for decision makers with an overview of na-tional and international fashion brands
  • Strategic market development through comprehensive visitor marketing for inter-national brands at CHIC

 
CHIC, China International Fashion Fair presents around 800 exhibitors in an exhibition space of approx. 50,000 sqm (CHIC in March 100,000 sqm) in two halls from 27 to 29 September 2018 at the National Exhibition & Convention Center in Shanghai.
The current conditions for international fashion companies in the Chinese market offer significant improvements for international brands. Import tariffs will be lowered from 15.9% to 7.1% to further promote the import and upgrade of the industry.  

The McKinsey study "THE `Chinese consumer´ no longer exists” defines Chinese consumers no longer as interested only in low prices, but as selective, healthconscious with diverse shopping hab-its and preferences. The fashion awareness changes to an individual sense of style, influenced by international and national trends. China's millennials are the WORLD'S most influential consumer group, with a 16% share of the population, driving consumption growth in the Chinese market and contributing more than 20% from today until 2030.  
 
According to the edition's motto "New Makers", Asia's leading fashion fair is picking up on the latest changes in the Chinese fashion market and providing the essential tools for the Chinese market. The new, young design of the fair, which was launched in March this year at CHIC, is being ex-panded. The individual sections of CHIC present the latest trends in the Chinese and international fashion market. CHIC connects and brokers partnerships and launches the new generation gar-ment industry, which builds on high-tech strategies and interlinks industrial production with modern information and communication technologies, relying on intelligent, digitally networked systems in self-organized production.

The individual fashion areas of CHIC  
FASHION JOURNEY puts the focus on interna-tional exhibitors. In addition to the large Italian pavilion, the French pavilion "Paris Forever" and the Korean show-inshow "Preview in China", in-dividual participants from Poland, the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Japan and the USA use CHIC as a bridge in the Chinese market. The next German group participation is planned for March 2019, whereby Germany will also be rep-resented with individual brands such as ESISTO in the area NEW LOOK.

IMPULSES, CHIC's designer section, features emerging designer brands such as Junne, Hua Mu Shen, King Ping, Anjaylia, Mao Mart homme, Tuffcan, etc.

The SUSTAINABILITY ZONE, first showcased at CHIC in the fall of 2017, is receiving even greater emphasis due to the increasing environmental and health awareness of Chinese consum-ers, featuring sustainable supply chain solutions, sustainable innovation and sustainable fashion collections. Programs such as Chemical Stewardship 2020, Carbon Stewardship 2020, Water Stewardship 2020 and Circular Stewardship 2020 are presented. The womenswear section NEW LOOK of CHIC presents next to the leading Chinese brands like AVRALA, and CMH also international brands like Saint James from France, ESISTO from Ger-many, Trenz Eight from Canada or PN JONE, USA.

Beside the suppliers of classic menswear, URBAN VIEW, the menswear section, also includes casualwear brands like NRDMA and SUPIN as well as bespoke companies like H. Pin& Tack, Jin Yuan Yang, Fa Lan Qian Mu, Long Sheng and DANDINGHE.
CHIC YOUNG BLOOD shows young lifestyle brands, KID'S PARADISE offers e.g the largest fashion group in China for children's fashion XTEP KIDS.

SECRET STARS (fashion accessories), SHANGHAI BAG (bags), HERITAGE (leather & fur), SUPERIOR FACTORY (ODM) and FUTURE LINK (services) complete the fashion offer at CHIC. FUTURE LINK gathers fashion service providers for among others supply chain solutions, smart retail and smart production, RFID, laser technology and data utilization.

Visitor management
On the rise in China's retail scene, multi brand and custom stores are the fastest growing offline sector. The number has increased significantly in the last five years from less than 100 to more than 5,000 stores. Exclusive shopping experiences and an individual offer are important. Custom-ers value a wide range of products: a mix of international and national exclusive brands is the most common concept.

The high investments of the CHIC organizers in the visi-tor management for the fair pay off: CHIC has a per-sonalized trade visitor database of over 200,000 con-tacts, which are used intensively for the visitor marketing in the run-up to the fair for a commercial matching for the exhibitors. At the fair, VIP match making activities will take place especially for selected international brands, that will have the opportunity to present them-selves there and make the relevant contacts in the Chi-nese trade. Meetings are organized among others with multi brand stores and buyers such as The Fashion Door, Dong Liang, Jing Dong, VIP Shop and department stores, and retailers such as Carrefour, Amazon, De-cathlon, Wang Fujing, etc. An important tool for the CHIC visitor marketing is social media; for this special programs are run, in which individual brands are pre-sented to prospective visitors.    

CHIC is visited by representatives of all distribution channels for distribution in the Chinese market, at the last event in autumn 2017 more than 65,722 visitors from all over China and other nations were registered at the CHIC, with a significant increase in multi brand stores.
 
Seminars and shows

The future of fashion business in China will be discussed in a panel of experts as part of CHIC TALKS. Furthermore, a trend seminar from WGSN for FW 2019 and a workshop on bag and shoe production from the Moda Pelle Academy are planned.

CHIC shows provide an overview of selected international brands.

CHIC is organized by Beijing Fashion Expo. Co. ltd. and China World Exhibitions, supported by China National Garment Association, The Sub-Council of Textile Industry (CCPIT) and China World Trade Center.

Lifestyle Collection Area: Outdoor as a way of life (c) Messe Friedrichshafen | OutDoor Show | www.outdoor-show.de
12.06.2018

LIFESTYLE COLLECTION AREA: OUTDOOR AS A WAY OF LIFE

  • Lifestyle trend area for apparel, footwear and accessories brings like-minded brands together

Outdoor, everyday use and lifestyle - athleisure wear and urban fashion are a permanent fixture on both urban streets and the outdoor market. Urban lifestyle is also a growing trend topic on display at the OutDoor show from 17 to 20 June, 2018. At the Lifestyle Collection Area, exhibitors are showing that there is more to outdoors than being out in nature. Lifestyle collections reflect a way of life and mindset that blends responsibility for the natural world with an international approach and worthwhile fashion. In addition to the full spectrum of outdoor goods, OutDoor 2018 will be showcasing all facets of lifestyle trends from apparel, footwear and accessories for trade visitors. Start-ups and new brands will also be exhibiting at the area.

  • Lifestyle trend area for apparel, footwear and accessories brings like-minded brands together

Outdoor, everyday use and lifestyle - athleisure wear and urban fashion are a permanent fixture on both urban streets and the outdoor market. Urban lifestyle is also a growing trend topic on display at the OutDoor show from 17 to 20 June, 2018. At the Lifestyle Collection Area, exhibitors are showing that there is more to outdoors than being out in nature. Lifestyle collections reflect a way of life and mindset that blends responsibility for the natural world with an international approach and worthwhile fashion. In addition to the full spectrum of outdoor goods, OutDoor 2018 will be showcasing all facets of lifestyle trends from apparel, footwear and accessories for trade visitors. Start-ups and new brands will also be exhibiting at the area.

Cheeki, the Australian manufacturer of high-quality stainless steel drink bottles and flasks, is entering Europe. The company is presenting its products at OutDoor in the Lifestyle Area for the first time. "It suits us down to the ground, because our products are not just for work, school, picnics, sport or just for hiking and camping - instead they represent a lifestyle,” explains Simon Karlik, Cheeki’s director. Simon Karlik feels that Cheeks water bottles reflect an attitude towards life. This is also clear to see in the company’s product catalogue, which shows how Cheeki bottles help reduce mountains of plastic rubbish. They are also a personal statement against pollution of the seas. Cheeki is a mindset - an attitude and a way of life.

Swedish manufacturer Icebug has been exhibiting at OutDoor for a number of years, and has chosen deliberately to present at the Lifestyle Area in 2018. Country Manager for Germany, Mathias Basedow sees the traditional outdoor look as past its zenith: "Running, camping, climbing - they are all lifestyles, but you don’t always want to look like you are on an expedition. We need pioneers from retailers and brands, who are bold enough to break away from the design status quo, without sacrificing performance.” The shoe manufacturer wants to take up the challenge with the clean, stylish, Scandinavian design of its new performance sneakers.

Both products and functionality are important for urban environments, but there is more to it than that. There is the mindset and mentality behind them. Sustainability is also an issue here. Take, for example the manufacturer Steinkauz, who make products from natural functional materials: Loden, felted wool and waxed cotton. "Loden is a thick waterproof woollen cloth with excellent breathability and is also a biologically degradable natural fabric,” argues Markus Holthausen, Managing Director Waldkauz/Steinkauz. He sees it as decisive that: "Loden strikes a chord with contemporary environmentally-friendly attitudes and looks at home both when trekking and in other environments. This is why we belong in the lifestyle segment.”

Outdoor attitudes always involve crossover to some extent. No one expects to have a separate product for each activity, or specialist clothing for each social appearance. Cavida are presenting their distinctive Wave Hawaii Ponchos at OutDoor. "They were designed especially for outdoor use, but are also ideal for home, swimming pool or sauna.” Our stylish designs capture the contemporary zeitgeist,” says managing director Carsten Raphael. Outdoor, everyday use and lifestyle apply to sunglasses from Slastik, who also belong to Cavida. Raphael describes them as "exceptionally stylish” and "trendsetting”. "We are going to attract a lot of interest here too.”

The OutDoor Lifestyle Area has consciously decided not to include any large booths. "This would run contrary to the whole idea of the Lifestyle Area,” explains project manager Dirk Heidrich. "Small stands, independent stand designs and opportunities for new brands and start-ups as well as long-standing OutDoor exhibitors to mix it up and experiment, while enjoying maximum exposure.” As such, the Lifestyle Area functions as an exhibition inside the OutDoor show. There will be everything from high-quality functional apparel and backpacks, tents and sleeping bags to a diverse range of accessories - all with an emphasis on style and responsibility. This is outdoor as a lifestyle.

The 25th OutDoor jubilee edition show takes place from Sunday 17 to Wednesday 20 June 2018 and is open to trade visitors only. For more information, please visit:
: www.outdoor-show.de and www.facebook.com/OutDoor.Show/.

Photo: Pixabay
29.05.2018

ITALIAN FASHION INDUSTRY ON COURSE FOR INNOVATION

  • FOCUS ON DIGITIZATION AND SUSTAINABILITY

Mailand (GTAI) - The Italian fashion industry is changing. The digitalization of production and the growth in online trading are forcing a rethinking in the traditional sector. The topic of sustainability is becoming increasingly important. Against this background, Italian fashion houses are increasingly investing in their future strategies. German companies see good business opportunities as technology partners.

The Italian fashion industry is one of the core sectors of the Italian economy. In 2017, the sector increased its sales by 2.4 percent to EUR 54.1 billion, as reported the industry association Confindustria Moda. For 2018, the association expects a further increase of 2.6 percent to EUR 55.4 billion. The goal is to exceed the EUR 60 billion by 2020.

  • FOCUS ON DIGITIZATION AND SUSTAINABILITY

Mailand (GTAI) - The Italian fashion industry is changing. The digitalization of production and the growth in online trading are forcing a rethinking in the traditional sector. The topic of sustainability is becoming increasingly important. Against this background, Italian fashion houses are increasingly investing in their future strategies. German companies see good business opportunities as technology partners.

The Italian fashion industry is one of the core sectors of the Italian economy. In 2017, the sector increased its sales by 2.4 percent to EUR 54.1 billion, as reported the industry association Confindustria Moda. For 2018, the association expects a further increase of 2.6 percent to EUR 55.4 billion. The goal is to exceed the EUR 60 billion by 2020.

But the sector is developing inconsistently. Sales of intermediate products such as fabrics have been stagnating for years, while sales of end products such as clothing, shoes and bags are increasing. Both areas grew in 2017. End products (+2.9 percent) continue to be more successful than primary products (+2.2 percent). The main reason for the positive development of the fashion industry in recent years is the strong export demand for Italian products. In 2017 exports rose by a total of 3.5 percent and exceeded the EUR 30 billion mark for the first time.

The main export hits are clothing (one third of fashion exports), leather goods (around 20 percent) and shoes (around 18 percent), followed by fabrics (9 percent) and home textiles (9 percent). Sector representatives are concerned about developments in some important sales markets. Exports to the USA and Japan declined in 2017, the rising demand from China and Russia could not compensate these losses.

Significant rise in fashion imports
Domestic demand for fashion stagnated in 2017, while significantly more preproducts from the Far East and end products from industrialized countries were imported. Overall, imports increased by 2.2 percent to EUR 21.1 billion in 2017, Confindustria is expecting a further increase of 2.4 percent in 2018.

Germany is one of the most important markets for Italian fashion manufacturers; Italian shoes and bags are particularly popular with German customers. In return, Germany, with imports worth EUR 1.3 billion (plus 4.1 percent), ranked fourth as a supplier country in 2017, behind China, France and Spain. Clothing accounts for about half of German fashion imports and textiles for the other half. Germany is an important supplier of technical textiles, including sports goods and for the automotive industry.

Many companies strengthen their online presence  
The digitalization of the Italian industry does not stop at the fashion industry either. Thanks to the new technologies, traditional manufacturers can increasingly reach their customers directly without intermediaries.

How well this works was demonstrated by the Italian start-up company Yoox, an online luxury fashion retailer. Founded in 2000, the company merged with the French online fashion company and strong competitor Net-a-Porter in 2015. The Group is now active in 180 countries and generated sales of EUR 2.1 billion in 2017.
Many companies are strengthening their online presence and using their stores primarily as showcases to promote brands or new collections. The company Beste with the still new brand for men Monobi is an actual example. The traditional fashion houses Loro Piana and Zegna have been active in this direction already for several years.

Industry 4.0 sets impulses
Digitalization also makes new production processes possible for fashion houses. The networking of machines reduces production times, increases efficiency and reduces electricity and water consumption. In addition, manufacturers get the opportunity to offer tailormade solutions. Digitalization also ensures through just-in-time concepts that inventories and sales areas can be reduced, which leads to falling costs.

Well-known Italian fashion houses are investing heavily into the future. The luxury company Gucci has invested around EUR 100 million in a new innovation center, the so called ArtLab, in the greater Florence area. The company Beste has started two research projects in the field of Industry 4.0. The intensive research focuses on the development of new, environmentally friendly materials and the development of a digital platform for the planning, production and distribution of garments.

Sustainability is increasingly becoming a sales argument
The topic of sustainability is becoming increasingly important. The National Chamber of Italian Fashion (CNMI), for example, organizes discussion rounds on the subject. The fashion house Ferragamo has presented a sustainability plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. A new development by Ferragamo is also a sustainable fabric made from orange peels.

Gucci, Armani, Bulgari, the list of the world-famous Italian fashion companies is long. At the same time, Italy also has a large number of small and very small companies in the fashion sector. In 2017, the average number of employees in the companies was 9. Small and medium-sized com-panies also rely on sustainability.

The major Italian bank Unicredit, together with the European Investment Bank, is providing low interest loans for small and medium-sized fashion companies (up to 250 employees) for relevant investments. Similar programs are provided by the major bank Intesa Sanpaolo.

Source:

Robert Scheid, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

Furniture market in France Photo: Pixabay
24.04.2018

FURNITURE MARKET IN FRANCE IS GROWING VIGOROUSLY

  • Sales of Kitchens and Beds is outperforming
  • E-commerce puts pressure on the Sector

Paris (GTAI) - Furniture sales in France rose sharply in 2017 for the third year in a row, although the record level of 2011 has not yet been reached. This is reported by the association FNAEM in its annual balance sheet and refers to the close connection with the booming housing market. This also should push the furniture sector in 2018.

  • Sales of Kitchens and Beds is outperforming
  • E-commerce puts pressure on the Sector

Paris (GTAI) - Furniture sales in France rose sharply in 2017 for the third year in a row, although the record level of 2011 has not yet been reached. This is reported by the association FNAEM in its annual balance sheet and refers to the close connection with the booming housing market. This also should push the furniture sector in 2018.

After growth rates of 2.4 and 2.3 percent in 2015 and 2016 the French furniture market has again achieved a stable growth of 2 percent in 2017. According to the FNAEM Federation (Federation française du negoce de la ameublement et de equipement de la maison), the market developments are closely linked to the housing and real estate markets. According to the association, every third furniture purchase was made by a household that has moved within the last 24 months.
 
In 2017 16 percent more homes were built in France compared to the previous year. By the end of October 2017, the real estate market also had also registered 16 percent more transactions. The FFB (Federation française du batiment) expects a strong total construction activity again but with a slight decline of 2.5 per cent in the construction of new housing in 2018.

The development of the overall economy and the political environment also have a strong influence on the furniture market. For example, the presidential elections and the change of government in France led to an initial uncertainty among consumers and delays in the awarding of public contracts. Sales of furniture initially developed weakly in the first half of 2017, but then all the more dynamically.

Furniture market in France 2017
  Sales 2017 (in Euro billion) Change  2017/16 (in %) Share (in %)
Kitchen furniture 2.57 4.0 26.3
Upholstered furniture (sofas, armchairs and benches) 2.42 2.3 24.8
Beds 1.34 3.0 13.8
Bathroom furniture 0.24 -1.6 2.5
Garden furniture 0.13 2.0 1.4
Other home furniture (tables, chairs, chests, drawers) 3.06 0.1 31.2
Total 9.76 2.0 100.0

Source: IPEA (Institut de prospective et d'etudes de l'ameublement)

Most strongly grew the kitchens segment in 2017, whereas in recent years in particular bedroom furniture led the sales. Kitchens are particularly benefiting from the improving housing market and a continuing trend in French households to pay more attention to kitchen equipment.

Fitted kitchens gain market share
According to an analysis by the market research company IPEA (Institut de prospective et d'étes de l'ameublement), only 60 percent of households in France have fitted kitchens, much less than in other Western European countries (Germany: around 80 percent). This difference promises good growth rates for this segment for years to come.
According to the market researchers, the gap between the well-running segment of sofas and armchairs over benches is increasing in favor of upholstered furniture. Above all, folding sofas, which are always offered cheaper, continue to make competition to banks.

Other home furniture such as tables, chairs or chests, which continue to make the majority of the market, were, according to the FNAEM association, unable to make up much ground in retailing compared to kitchens and beds in 2017. Also, in 2018, according to the association's expectations, there will be no signs of recovery. According to FNAEM at most the online trade should continue to grow in the home furniture segment.
The sales of garden furniture benefited from warm weather periods in spring 207, which extended the sales season. According to IPEA bathroom furniture could not fully benefit from the upturn in the housing market in 2017. The business often depends on the hardware stores, which often promote low-cost products. Installers would have sold less bathroom furniture in favor of heating systems.
 
Good sales forecasts for beds
The bedroom segment, the leader in growth in recent years, has developed less strongly in 2017. IPEA attributes this to a tougher competition with more price promotions. Lower prices had slowed the sales despite good volumes. The buyers continue to ask for larger beds sizes with a width of 160 cm.

According to a study by the market research firm Xerfi, the bedding segment is expected to grow steadily by 3.3 percent per year until 2019, supported by the housing market and higher disposable income. French consumers would also exchange their mattresses now more often. According to the trade Frenchmen buy a new mattress every 14 year, whereas this happens in the US every eight years. The association of the mattress industry calls 13,5 for Germany.

Retailers operate multichannel strategy
However, the competition in the bed and mattress market is growing, above all due to the success of e-commerce. Online mattress suppliers such as Casper from the USA (with production in Germany), Tediber and Ilobed from France or Simba and Eve Sleep from the UK have launched massive advertising campaigns in France. According to estimations of the providers, they now have reached a market share of about 5 to 6 percent in the mattress segment.

The stationary trade with furniture stores like Ikea, Conforama or But and the bed specialists Maison de la literie, Compagnie du lit or Litrimarche defend themselves against the pure on-line offerors. All major retailers now operate a multichannel strategy, meaning that they try not only to sell in their furniture stores but also via their own online channels. At the same time the shops are upgraded by events, more advice or more frequently changing exhibitions.

Leading in France are the large furniture stores Ikea, Conforama and But. Market leader Ikea claims a market share of 19.4 percent in 2017. Conforama and But did not publish any shares for 2017 but came to 16.1 and 13.4 percent respectively in 2016. According to estimates by IPEA, online commerce accounts for a total market share of around 12 percent. Half of this is accounted for by pure online providers and internet sales by conventional, previously purely stationary, providers.

Ikea aims for a 10 percent online share in France. Conforama claims to already generate 10 percent of its sales via the Internet. However, the company also offers entertainment and household electronics. Of the online furniture purchases, 82 percent are still being picked up at the stores. Conforma wants to do justice to this with additional furniture markets in the low-price segment. At the same time, other sales rooms should be created in which new furnishing ideas will be presented.

Furniture retail in France by sales channel 2017
  Sales 2017 (in EUR billion) Change 2017/16 (in %)
Furniture stores 4.91 +0.9
Kitchenhouses 1.30 +6.0
Furniture stores, medium segment 1.02 +1.4
Luxury furniture stores 0.37 +2.0
Craft 0.33 -0.4
E-Commerce, catalog-trading and others 1.83 +3.3
Total 9.76 +2.0

Source: IPEA

Conforama joined the French online pioneer Showroomprive.com in 2017 as an investor, hoping to gain expertise in online marketing. Due to the impending bankruptcy of the South African parent company Steinhoff Conforama sold its shares in early 2018 to the supermarket chain Carrefour.

However, the company intends to take advantage of the increased customer interest in the bedding segment with a new high-end store chain under the brand "Il etait une nuit" and is buying additionally more smaller bed houses. The chain But was for a long time for sale until it was taken over in mid-2016 by the third largest furniture retailer Lutz from Austria together with financial investors.

Contacts
Name Internet address Comments
AHK Frankreich http://frankreich.ahk.de Advises on entering the market in France
Federation française du negoce de l'ameublement et de l'equipement de la maison (FNAEM) http://www.fnaem.fr Association of the furniture trade
Union nationale des industries de l'ameublement français http://www.ameublement.com Association of the French furniture manufacturers


      

More information:
France Furniture market
Source:

Peter Buerstedde, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de. Translation Textination.

German Shopping Miles attract Turkish Merchants Photo: Pixabay
10.04.2018

GERMAN SHOPPING MILES ATTRACT TURKISH MERCHANTS

  • Companies expand branch network

Bonn (GTAI) - Thanks to the constantly good economic situation, the Germans are in best consumer mood. Turkish retailers also want to benefit from this and are expanding their store network in Germany. However, in order to be successful in the country, they have to respect a lot. Turkish investments in production facilities are seldom in Germany. However -the location offers a decisive advantage to the companies.

  • Companies expand branch network

Bonn (GTAI) - Thanks to the constantly good economic situation, the Germans are in best consumer mood. Turkish retailers also want to benefit from this and are expanding their store network in Germany. However, in order to be successful in the country, they have to respect a lot. Turkish investments in production facilities are seldom in Germany. However -the location offers a decisive advantage to the companies.

Modern furnished industrial lofts characterize the picture of the Düsseldorf Schwanenhöfe. Scenery restaurants, studios and companies have recently established themselves on the former chemical site in the district of Flingern. Since September 2017, the Turkish glass manufacturer Pasabahce became represented here with a showroom. On nearly 300 square meters expensive wine glasses, carafes and numerous other glass products are exhibited. After New York, Madrid, Milan, Shanghai and Moscow, it is the sixth outlet outside Turkey for the Istanbul company. Pasabahce is part of the Sisecam Group and one of the largest glass producers in the world.
 
Most Turkish investors come from the clothing industry
Turkish companies are currently focusing on the consumer goods market in Germany and are opening up business like Pasabahce. The investment focus is on the apparel market. Of the 211 projects by Turkish companies listed the Financial Times fDi-intelligence database between 2003 and 2017, every fifth is assigned to the textile and clothing industry. Another 11 percent comes from areas such as the furniture or cosmetics industry. For most traders, the local Turkish community does not play a major role as a target group. The Turkish companies are competing with other international brands in the German market for a broad western consumer group.

Turkish fashion houses are expanding
This includes the newcomer Yargici, which opened  four stores in top location throughout Germany in 2017. It was the first foreign engagement of the Istanbul clothing company. "In this and the coming years, more branches will be added, after all, we did not come to Germany to open just a few stores only", Germany boss Erik Schaap explains confidently.

The Turkish fashion company Sarar has been present here for over 17 years. In the year 2000 it opened its first branch on the Düsseldorf Königsallee. Since then, the company has invested about EUR 15 million in the country and opened eight boutiques. Sarar also wants to continue growing and is planning to reach 20 stores by 2020. However, Turkish retailers in Germany do not find it easy, as Sarar Europe GmbH marketing manager Salim Ünyeli admits: "The competition is very strong due to the ubiquity of Zara, H & M and Co. Most consumers do not know Turkish labels and prefer for the same price known Western brands."
"The tensions between Germany and Turkey have damaged our business, and potential customers are deterred from buying from a Turkish company." (Marketing Manager Salim Üniyeli of Sarar Europe GmbH.

Who thinks Turkish, fails
Turkey expert Suat Bakir knows the typical pitfalls for Turkish companies looking to start a business in Germany. Bakir is the capital representative of the German-Turkish Trade Association (DTW) and was previously managing director of the Turkish-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry for seven years. "Many fail because they do not spend money on professional advice and ask a Turkish acquaintance for advice instead," Bakir said. Gastronomy and clothing chain in particular have a high fluctuation rate, because it is particularly important in these segments to find and use the right location and a suitable marketing. "Anyone who thinks in Germany like a Turk and does not adapt its products to German consumer taste will not succeed on the long term," Bakir says. Because of the strained relations between the two countries, he advises against introducing a Turkish brand on the German market right now: "The German tourist, who is currently avoiding Turkey, will probably not buy from a Turkish company."
 
Deutsche Bogenn opens factory
Although only very few Turkish companies have invested in production facilities in Germany so far, Suat Bakir recognizes potential in this area. Turkish companies could adopt the positively occupied brand made in Germany, if they would manufacture in the country. The most recent example is the company Deutsche Bogenn, which opened a new plant for plastic pipes last year on Rügen. Behind the extra German sounding name the Turkish Dizayn Group is hided. From its new location, the company wants to produce pipes for various infrastructure projects with 100 employees and sell them worldwide.

Low investment volume
Turkey so far has played a minor role as an investor in Germany - despite the many bilateral relations. Turkish companies have invested just EUR 1.8 billion in the Federal Republic. According to Suat Bakir a key reason is the low level of internationalization of Turkish companies. Another obstacle are the visa restrictions for Turkish business people. The DTW estimates that so far 1,300 companies of Turkish origin have settled in Germany, one in three in North Rhine-Westphalia alone. That is a merit of a committed location marketing. Suat Bakir recommends that all federal states should exploit the interest of Turkish companies and promote their state more in Turkey. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has already recorded a recent success with the establishment of Deutsche Bogenn on Rügen.

More information:
Retail Turkey
Source:

Sofia Hempel, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

RETAIL IN HONG KONG EXPECTS STRONG UPTURN Photo: Pixabay
27.03.2018

RETAIL IN HONG KONG EXPECTS STRONG UPTURN

  • Sales increase of 4 to 6 per cent targeted for 2018
  • Population favors traditional shopping experience

Hong Kong (GTAI) - Hong Kong's favorite pastime is shopping. Chinese tourists also visit the city just for shopping quite often. The demand for jewelry, watches and cosmetics in particular is booming. The retail sales of the Special Administrative Region (SVR) is expected to rise to around USD 60 billion in 2018. The status-conscious consumers prefer Italian and French luxury goods. German providers can score in certain categories.

  • Sales increase of 4 to 6 per cent targeted for 2018
  • Population favors traditional shopping experience

Hong Kong (GTAI) - Hong Kong's favorite pastime is shopping. Chinese tourists also visit the city just for shopping quite often. The demand for jewelry, watches and cosmetics in particular is booming. The retail sales of the Special Administrative Region (SVR) is expected to rise to around USD 60 billion in 2018. The status-conscious consumers prefer Italian and French luxury goods. German providers can score in certain categories.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) retail sector experienced one of its worst years of recent history in 2016. According to the statistics office, sales shrank nominally by 8 percent compared to the previous year. On the one hand, domestic consumers showed themselves buttoned-up side in the face of a rather sluggish economy. Private consumption rose in real terms by just under 2 percent.
 
On the other hand, the number of foreign visitors decreased. The tourism authority counted around 57 million arrivals in 2016 only, which was almost 5 percent less than in 2015. Three quarters of the tourists traditionally come from the neighboring Chinese mainland and are particularly eager to buy. But in 2016, they restricted their purchases.

Domestic consumption rose in real terms by nearly 7 percent in the third quarter of 2017
However, the second half of 2017 brought the turnaround. The overall economy of SVR revived noticeably. Consumer spending in the third quarter increased by nearly 7 percent in real terms compared to the same period of the previous year. The number of tourists also rose again. From January to December, the authorities registered a growth of more than 3 percent.

Foreign visitor arrivals in Hong Kong (in millions)
Year Visitors
2014 60.8
2015 59.3
2016 56.7
2017 58.5
2018 *) 60.0

*) Forecast
Source: Hong Kong Tourism Board

Retail sales rose in 2017 as a result by just over 2 percent to more than USD 57 billion. Especially at the end of the year, business had developed very briskly. In the fourth quarter, revenues increased by nearly 6 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year. That leaves the economic researchers hoping for 2018. The auditing company PWC, for example, expects a market growth of 4 to 6 percent. As a result, the total revenues should rise to around USD 60 billion. It would thus be on about the same level as in 2014, but only in nominal terms.

Hong Kong retail sales (in USD bn, change on year to year in %)
Year Value Change
2015 60.9 -3.7
2016 56.0 -8.1
2017 57.2 2.2
2018 *) about 60,0 4.0 to 6.0

*) Forecast
Source: 2014 til 2017: Hong Kong Statistical Office; 2018: PwC

The individual sectors of the retail trade developed very differently in 2017. The demand for electronic articles was weakening. But the business with jewelry, watches and cosmetics flourished. These are small and light goods, that Chinese tourists usually can take across the border without customs clearance. The equally lively sales of food and beverages as well as motor vehicles is mainly due to the greater spending pleasure of domestic consumers.

Retail sales in 2017, by product group
(in USD bn, year-on-year change in %)
Product group Value Change
Jewelry and Watches 9.6 3.4
Textiles 7.7 0.2
Medicine and Cosmetics 5.6 5.5
Food and Beverages 5.4 3.2
Electronic Articles 3.1 -9.0
Automotive, incl. parts 2.0 3.1
Furniture 0.9 2.2
Books and Stationery 0.9 1.0

Source: Hong Kong Statistical Office
 
For German providers of consumer goods, the former British colony is a not unattractive market. Although the population of 7.4 million is quite small, it has a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita that is at the level of Germany. Since there is virtually no manufacturing industry, almost all goods need to be imported. The Chinese tourists increase the volume of demand. In 2017 45 million visitors from the People's Republic came to Hong Kong. Many of them came just for one day, whose only goal was shopping.

German consumer goods are quite popular with both domestic consumers and Chinese tourists. However, there are big differences between the different sectors. Apparel, leather goods and cosmetics are dominated by French and Italian brands in the upper market segment. For furniture (especially kitchens) or stationery German suppliers however play a significant role. Also body care and food "Made in Germany" enjoy a great popularity.

Big chains dominate the market
The retail sector is predominantly in the hands of large corporations. In the food sector the chains Wellcome and ParknShop dominate, in the drugstore area Watsons and Mannings as well as in the electronics division Fortress and Broadway. The e-commerce however has undermined its dominant position a bit.
However - the population still prefers the traditional shopping experience. Purchasing via the Internet does not yet play a major role for the end customer as in other countries around the world. But it has changed the business in the B2B area. In the meantime restaurants and hotels mostly shop online.

Internet addresses
Name Internet address
Census and Statistics Department http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/home/index.jsp (Homepage); http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp320.jsp?tableID=089&ID=0&productType=8
(Overview of retail sales);
http://gia.info.gov.hk/general/201802/01/P2018020100410_277399_1_1517469181773.pdf
(Detailed retail sales statistics)
Hong Kong Tourism Board http://partnernet.hktb.com/filemanager/intranet/pm/VisitorArrivalStatistics/ViS_Stat_E/VisE_2017/Tourism%20Statistics%2012%202017.pdf
(Visitor Information and arrivals)  


   

 

More information:
Hong Kong Retail
Source:

Roland Rhode, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

DOWNPASS e.V.’s FIRST TRADE FAIR IN CHINA Traumpass e.V.
20.03.2018

DOWNPASS e.V.’s FIRST TRADE FAIR IN CHINA

  • The association's zero tolerance standard was presented at Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles between 14 and 16 March
  • The association enjoyed a successful appearance together with three certification bodies from Germany, Japan and the US/China
  • Chinese manufacturers showed great interest in the unique combination of animal welfare and quality control

‘We met many committed companies – primarily from China – that showed great interest in traceability and the ethically sound sourcing of feathers and down. The potential that Downpass offers as a traceability standard together with continuous quality control was clearly recognised and won companies over not only for export-oriented purposes, but also for the domestic Chinese market’, explained Dr Juliane Hedderich, who was responsible for the trade fair appearance as managing director of Downpass e.V.

  • The association's zero tolerance standard was presented at Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles between 14 and 16 March
  • The association enjoyed a successful appearance together with three certification bodies from Germany, Japan and the US/China
  • Chinese manufacturers showed great interest in the unique combination of animal welfare and quality control

‘We met many committed companies – primarily from China – that showed great interest in traceability and the ethically sound sourcing of feathers and down. The potential that Downpass offers as a traceability standard together with continuous quality control was clearly recognised and won companies over not only for export-oriented purposes, but also for the domestic Chinese market’, explained Dr Juliane Hedderich, who was responsible for the trade fair appearance as managing director of Downpass e.V.
‘The follow-up after the trade fair will be crucial to translate Chinese companies’ interest into actual memberships.’

The association's representatives and rotating teams from the certification bodies Wessling, QTEC and IDFL advised visitors at a large stand in the foyer of hall 4.2 (HOME) with a deliberately puristic design. These independent testing institutes and auditing organisations are companies’ direct contacts for audits and product monitoring. As is common for trade fairs, the largest crowds were seen on the afternoon of the first and second day of the event.

The markets are increasingly demanding materials that guarantee trading partners and therefore consumers the greatest possible security when it comes to ethics and sustainability, alongside high product quality. Products certified by independent testing institutes gain in importance and set sales standards.

Ms Anna Elisa Wessling, legal representative of the subsidiary Wessling Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd. and representative of the German Wessling Group at the trade fair, was happy to engage with customers directly, explaining, ‘our presence as a consulting, analysis and testing company at Intertextile Home gave us the opportunity to talk to visitors and thus allowed us to increase transparency on the Chinese market such that retailers and consumers are suitably informed of the highest requirements of product quality and of the origin of bedding filled with feathers and down.’
As a German family company, the Wessling Group has stood for continuous improvement in the quality and security of products and processes for 35 years and is set to move into new, larger premises for its subsidiary in Shanghai in the near future so that it can fulfil the increasing number of testing requests in Asia with a larger team.
‘We expect constant growth in our analysis and consulting segment feathers and down, especially as our international customers see Downpass as a clear advantage for customer acquisition domestically and abroad. As an independent testing institute, we play a substantial role in underpinning trust in the Downpass brand’, highlighted Ms Weßling.

The Japanese institution QTEC also confirmed Downpass’ high level of visitor interest and, like its colleagues, stressed the importance of an institute’s independence. The managing director of Shanghai QTEC Testing Laboratory, Hiroyuki Nakamoto, who successfully presented the company’s three Chinese sites – including Shanghai and Wuxi – at the home textiles trade fair, explained, ‘our knowledge of the Japanese market, together with our testing expertise, make us a top contact for manufacturers of bedding and clothing products filled with feathers and down to ensure the supply chain is ethically sound.’ The institute expects a steady rise in the number of testing requests for Downpass, especially at Chinese sites.

A large, bilingual English-Chinese sales team from IDFL China, based in Hangzhou was available at the trade fair in Shanghai to answer all questions relating to audits and testing procedures with its varied specialist expertise. Together with its cooperation partner, the Chinese national down and feather laboratory CIQ Xiaoshan, IDFL has capacities for a broad range of different tests and audits.
IDFL’s Global Audit Manager Bryan Mortensen highlighted that Downpass had become a standard and therefore a seal that is recognised worldwide and in China in particular. The joint appearance with other certification bodies provided the opportunity to answer the questions of Chinese companies along the supply chain, from wholesalers to clothing and home textile brands and trading partners.
‘We are seeing strong demand for the current version of the standard, Downpass 2017, and its seal. IDFL carried out numerous audits across the globe in 2017 and we receive new requests every day. Overall we anticipate a successful future for Downpass in the down and feather industry’, explained Mortensen. IDFL – which will celebrate 40 years in the industry in 2018 – has been carrying out audits in the field of down and feathers for more than 10 years and is currently undergoing certification in accordance with ISO/EN 17065 and 19011.

In their first summary of the event, the extended Downpass trade fair team took stock of a successful trade fair premiere. ‘We aim to promote the sustainable use of natural resources across the globe and to increase transparency in the supply chain’, explained Dr Juliane Hedderich. ‘Animal welfare and guaranteed product quality are our hallmarks. We did a great job in Shanghai of jointly informing others about these and finding new collaborators.’

 

About the zero tolerance standard DOWNPASS 2017
Products filled with feathers and down that are certified in accordance with Downpass 2017 exclude products sourced from live plucking and production based on force feeding. The animals’ rearing is monitored and monitoring may be extended to the parent animal farms.
To this end, farms, commodities traders and producers are subject to audits and monitoring.
Pre-made products are bought by mystery shoppers at the point of sale and subsequently undergo quality control in independent testing laboratories.
As of January 2018, 503 million animals had been audited in accordance with DOWNPASS 2017.
Labelled products are available in North America, Europe and Asia.