From the Sector

For 2023, imm cologne is adapting its concept. The trade fair has been given a new schedule, which will see the international Interior Business Event host a new, one-off spring edition in 2023. The dates have been chosen in close consultation with its market partners.

“Today the imm cologne advisory board gave the concept proposed by Koelnmesse for the imm spring edition in June 2023 the green light unanimously. Our thanks go to the advisory board and in particular to the German industry, the retail sector and the purchasing associations for their support. This concept will ensure that imm cologne can take place again after a two-year break. The industry has given its backing to a strong interior design trade fair in Germany, the biggest market in Europe,” says Gerald Böse, Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse. “I firmly believe in face-to-face exchanges. In my view, they are immensely important for the industry’s development, especially in challenging times. The sector needs an in-person platform in Germany, an event with international appeal and a strong communication reach like imm cologne,” he adds.

imm cologne’s new story will take shape in two steps
The imm cologne team presented its vision for a new concept at the start of June 2022. The new story for imm cologne will unfold in two steps. The first step will be the imm spring edition from 4 to 7 June 2023. “The spring edition is synonymous with a new beginning. imm cologne wants to use it to motivate and to show how it is experimenting with new ideas and leaving well-trodden paths behind,” explains Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse. “What’s more, the event in June gives our partners planning certainty.”

Four-day with a trade audience focus
The cornerstones of the new concept are clear: The imm spring edition will take place over four days, running from Sunday to Wednesday, and will be geared towards trade visitors. End consumers will be able to visit the trade fair by invitation, giving the spring event a clear business focus. “It’s also our goal to create new participation formats in the market,” says Matthias Pollmann, Vice President Trade Fair Management at Koelnmesse. The kitchen segment will also be included in the imm 2023 spring edition. At the same time, the plan is to incorporate the city more closely into the spring edition as an event location.

Vision 2024+: imm cologne as the forum for future issues facing the industry
The second step will then follow in the summer of 2023. In close consultation with the industry and the associations involved in the event, the future dates for imm cologne and LivingKitchen will be set. The future vision for imm cologne conceives the interior event as more than just a key business platform. As a catalyst for the sector’s development, it addresses both industry and external issues of relevance to the imm cologne community.

• Sorge vor steigenden Preisen verfestigt sich

Laut einer aktuellen McKinsey-Umfrage bereiten die rasch steigenden Preise den Konsument:innen zurzeit die größte Sorge, die Corona-Pandemie spielt kaum noch eine Rolle. Rund 48% der Befragten geben an, ihre größte Sorge sei aktuell die Inflation - ein deutlicher Zuwachs gegenüber dem April.
 
„Die Sorge der Konsumenten vor weiteren Preissteigerungen verfestigt sich“, sagt der McKinsey-Partner Marcus Jacob. Die Angst vor dem Ukraine-Krieg ist dagegen in den vergangenen Monaten geringer geworden. Hatte noch im April jeder dritte Befragte (34%) die Invasion der Ukraine als größte Sorge bezeichnet, so tat dies im Juni nur noch jeder Vierte (24%). Trotz der aktuell hohen Infektionszahlen nannten nur 4% die Corona-Pandemie als größte Sorge.

Die steigenden Preise haben der Umfrage zufolge bereits spürbare Auswirkungen auf den Alltag vieler Menschen. „Die große Mehrheit - 73% - hat das Einkaufsverhalten bereits verändert, um zu sparen“, so Marcus Jacob. So landen häufiger die Eigenmarken der Handelsketten in den Einkaufswagen. Statt im Supermarkt oder im Fachgeschäft wird häufiger beim Discounter eingekauft. „Dieser Trend beschleunigt sich“.

Während mehr Geld für Benzin und Lebensmittel ausgegeben werden muss, wird außerdem bei nicht essentiellen Ausgaben wie beispielsweise Bekleidung, Schuhen, aber auch Möbel oder Elektronik gespart. 59% der Befragten geben an, sie würden inzwischen genauer auf den eigenen Energieverbrauch achten.

Als einer der führenden Anbieter für Gutscheinkarten und Payment Solutions für die Arbeitswelt setzt Edenred einen neuen Standard bei der Materialverwendung. So werden künftig alle Edenred Gutscheinkarten aus recyclebarem PVC (rPVC) hergestellt. Die neue Kartengeneration ist für Neukunden bereits seit dem 1. Juli 2022 im Einsatz. Durch den Einsatz der rPVC-Karten werden im Herstellungsprozess künftig 31 Prozent CO₂ pro Karte eingespart.

Das Recycling von Rohstoffen vermindert die Treibhausgasemissionen erheblich. Ein positiver Effekt für die Umwelt, zu dem künftig auch die Gutscheinkarten von Edenred beitragen. So wird der Plastikanteil ab sofort aus 100 Prozent recycelbarem PVC gefertigt. Für Nutzer stellt die Materialumstellung dabei keinen Nachteil dar, die Produktlebensdauer und die Materialeigenschaft unterscheidet sich nicht von der PVC-Kartengeneration.

Neue Kartengeneration: Einsparungspotenzial bis zu 1,5 Tonnen PVC
Bis zu 40.000 neue Edenred Karten kommen jeden Monat auf den Markt. Bis Ende des Jahres werden also eine viertel Million rPVC-Karten ausgegeben. Die Umstellung ersetzt damit insgesamt 1,5 Tonnen neues PVC. Da jedes Kilo rPVC der Menge an Neu-PVC entspricht, trägt Edenred dazu bei, eine deutlich reduzierte Menge an neuwertigen Kunststoff in Umlauf zu bringen.

CO₂-Fußabdruck dank Recycling senken
Bereits im Herstellungsprozess der rPVC-Karten lassen sich 31 Prozent CO₂ einsparen. Laut dem Kartenlieferanten tag systems gleich der CO₂-Fußabdruck, der mit dem Lebenszyklus von 100 Karten verbunden ist, einer Autofahrt von 50km.

 „Für uns ist die komplette Umstellung der Karten auf recycelbares PVC ein konsequenter und logischer Schritt im Sinne der Nachhaltigkeit und zudem ganz im Sinne unseres Unternehmensverständnis.  Umweltschutz ist ein fester Bestandteil sowohl in unserer Corporate-Social-Responsibility-Politik als auch in unserer Ethik-Charta und umfasst weitreichende Maßnahmen zur Reduzierung der Kohlenstoffbelastung, des Ressourcenverbrauchs sowie der Abfallproduktion. Alles mit dem Ziel eine Optimierung der Umweltauswirkungen sowie des ökologischen Fußabdrucks zu erlangen“, so Christian Aubry, GF Edenred Deutschland.

Premium Group and JOOR have renewed their partnership to power the SS23 PREMIUM and SEEK trade shows through JOOR’s digital platform, underpinning their belief in the power of a hybrid approach to wholesale.

From 7 - 9 July, buyers visiting the shows in Berlin will be able to learn more about and shop from exhibitors in a new hybrid way. Buyers can discover the full PREMIUM and SEEK portfolio of brands both in-person and online 24/7 by visiting JOOR Passport, JOOR's digital trade show destination.

Premium Group unites its various show locations to one cosmos for SS23 at Messe Berlin. The PREMIUM and SEEK shows will be joined by two further components— The Ground is a D2C creative platform for brands and consumers to meet, connect, and collaborate through one-of-a-kind experiences, engaging content, and innovative products, while FASHIONTECH, features masterclasses and panel discussions from the fashion industry’s most brilliant minds. A calendar of content includes deep dives into strong, successful, and sustainable strategies. As part of the content offer, JOOR will facilitate a masterclass on ‘Digital Wholesale’ and a future-looking roundtable discussion with four leading fashion brands on the FASHIONTECH stage.

Throughout the duration of the show, in-person buyers and visitors will have the ability to shop via the Premium Group mobile app. By simply scanning a brand’s corresponding QR code, visitors will link to the brand’s custom profile on JOOR Passport and be able to shop collections directly on the platform. JOOR Passport will also extend the duration of the shows by up to three months, allowing brands to continue wholesale selling digitally outside the window of the physical show.

JOOR and Premium Group’s flexible hybrid format allows visitors and brands a seamless digital and physical introduction to each other and their collections, the opportunity to connect in an efficient, effective, and longer term way, and the convenience to shop the show 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world.

Brands participating include Drykorn, Closed, Bertoni of Denmark, Veja, Ecoalf, Wrangler and Absolut Cashmere.

111 companies from nine different countries took part in the 4th edition of one of the leading trade fairs in Turkey for occupational safety and health, TOS+H EXPO, from May 14-17, in Istanbul. Due to the ever-increasing importance of personal protection, occupational safety and a healthy workplace, TOS+H EXPO came just in time. Exhibitors were able to target a Turkish audience with the latest trends and products in industrial safety, health promotion at work and occupational safety management. The Occupational Health and Safety Symposium, which was organised by the Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ICI) was also very well attended on all four days. Current occupational safety and health issues were addressed and provided important impulses for establishing a prevention culture in companies in Turkey and its neighboring countries. A total of 4.309 visitors from 58 countries attended the 4th TOS+H EXPO.

“The remarkable outcome of TOS+H EXPO 2022 is clearly asserting its significance as the leading trade fair for the industry, in Turkey,” says Petra Cullmann, Executive Director at Messe Düsseldorf. “Our new partner, the Istanbul Chamber of Industries, paved the way for a high-caliber symposium with inspiring insights and intensive discussions, and our exhibitors again proved their expertise with a comprehensive overview of innovative products, equipment and services at the trade fair. We are proud to be sending clear signals in the market. We're giving a lead, both in Turkey and beyond, on the element that matters most: the individual.”

TOS+H Expo 2022 and the Occupational Health and Safety Symposium organized by the Istanbul Chamber of Industry were officially opened on May 14, 2022 by Ms. Petra Cullman, Executive Director Messe Düsseldorf and Sadık Ayhan SARUHAN, ICI Vice President. The new partnership with the Chamber of Industry will ensure the quality of the event and also strengthen the leading position of TOS+H Expo in Turkey.

“The Occupational Health and Safety Symposium, which we organized simultaneously with the 4th TOS+H Expo - Turkish Occupational Safety + Health Exhibition, was concluded with the presentations of 84 speakers in 22 sessions. Our symposium included highly interesting presentations on the environment, sustainability and labor law and was met with great interest by all parties and especially by representatives from all industrial sectors which deal with the topic of occupational safety and health at work. As ICI, we will continue to work to improve OHS processes in the next period”, said a spokesperson for the Istanbul Chamber of Industry.

Der E-Commerce boomt. Gleichzeitig steigen die Erwartungen und Ansprüche der Endkunden, die auch kleinere Onlineshops erfüllen wollen. Sie möchten ihre Kunden ebenfalls mit professionellen Verpackungen bedienen, die schick aussehen, Kosteneffizienz zeigen und zudem nachhaltig sind. Der Verpackungsspezialist Smurfit Kappa bündelt durch die Entwicklung kompakter Verpackungsportfolios nicht nur die neuesten Verpackungsinnovationen auf dem Markt, sondern verhilft mit seinem eShop auch kleinen Unternehmen zu Versandverpackungen.

Laut dem Bundesverband E-Commerce und Versandhandel (bevh) wuchs der Branchenumsatz 2021 im Privatkundengeschäft erstmals auf mehr als 100 Mrd. Euro an. Das Wachstum zum Vorjahr betrug 19 Prozent. Der gesamte Internethandel über Onlineshops und Marktplätze zwischen Firmen einschließlich Produktionsverbindungshandel und Großhandel erreicht ein Volumen von mehr als 180 Mrd. Euro.

Smurfit Kappa hat diesen Trend bereits vor einigen Jahren erkannt und sein Portfolio an professionellen Verpackungsmaterialien sukzessive konsequent auf Zielbranchen zugeschnitten. Das Unternehmen bietet jede Form und Größe angepasst an die Bedürfnisse großer Kunden mit individuellen Anforderungen sowie standardisiert aus dem Onlineshop für kleinere Mengen direkt auf Abruf. Dabei hat Smurfit Kappa kontinuierlich die unterschiedlichsten Segmente analysiert und in kundenindividuelle Verpackungs-Portfolios übersetzt.

Manipulationssichere Verpackungen für die Healthcare- und Beauty-Branche
Manche Waren, die online geordert werden können, benötigen einen besonderen Schutz vor Manipulation oder Diebstahl. Smurfit Kappa hat daher z.B. die manipulationssichere Verpackung „Tamper Evident Pack“ entwickelt, die Bestandteil des neuen Health & Beauty-Packaging-Portfolios ist. Das Tamper Evident Pack hat einen cleveren Verschlussmechanismus, kommt ganz ohne Klebeband aus und sorgt dafür, dass die Ware sicher am Zielort ankommt. Dieser Schutz funktioniert sowohl für den Erstversand als auch bei Retouren von Artikeln.

Luxusmarken von SMCP mit Verpackungen des E-Fashion Portfolio
Das Unternehmen SMCP, zu dem unter anderem die Marken Sandro, Maje und Claudie Pierlot, gehören, brauchte ein gänzlich neues Verpackungsportfolio für die Optimierung der internen Prozesse sowie für den Online-Versand. Gemeinsam mit Smurfit Kappa wurde hier eine Rundum-Lösung gefunden, mit einer schicken Versandverpackung für das aktuelle E-Fashion-Portfolio des Unternehmens.

The DiloGroup informs at Techtextil in Frankfurt (June 21 – 24, 2022) about new developments aimed at improving production technologies with a focus on needlefelts.

It becomes more evident that the textile industry comes into the focus of regulatory authorities who push respecting sustainability principles and who initiate a new body of laws. Hence all industrial sectors are requested to achieve savings in material and energy. The textile machine building, of course, plays an important role by seizing this initiative and offering solutions for fibre pulp recycling and reduction of energy, water and ancillaries. DiloGroup has made big efforts to meet these challenges together with a circle of partner companies. In this regard focal points of the development work are:

1. Intense Needling
   Needling per se is a mechanical production method with a high energy efficiency. For this reason, the development efforts of DiloGroup aim at producing nonwovens by “intense needling” instead of water entangling, even for light nonwovens made of fine fibres for the medical and hygiene sector with an area weight of 30 – 100 g/m². This would result in a reduction of the environmentally relevant production costs; per annum to about 1/3 to 1/5 of current.
   Despite the prospective advantages of the mechanical intense needling method over the hydrodynamical, water entanglement is at the moment the most important production method for low area weights and highest production capacity and is also offered by the DiloGroup as general contractor in cooperation with partner companies.
2. “Fibre Pulp Recycling”
   Fibrous material in nonwovens and particularly used clothes can be successfully recycled, if staple length can be conserved in the tearing process. In the classical tearing process, staple lengths are dramatically reduced and therefore these fibres can only be used as base material for inferior uses in thermal or acoustic insulation or in protective textiles, transportation or protective covers etc.
   When recycling textile waste in the context of the collection of used clothes, the so called “filament-saving” tearing using special tearing machines and methods must be used to produce fibres with longer staple lengths which can be fed to a nonwoven installation. Hence product characteristics can be better specified and controlled.
3. Additive nonwoven production
   The additive production method of the “3D-Lofter” is especially suited for automotive parts with differently distributed masses; but there may also be potential for increasing uses in the sector of apparel and shoe production.
4. “IsoFeed”-card feeding
   In the field of card feeding, the “IsoFeed” method offers great potential for a more homogeneous card feeding at the same time reducing the variation in cross-machine fibre mass distribution and thus the fibre consumption while conserving the end product quality.

• Currency-neutral sales down 3% as supply constraints reduce top-line by € 400 million
• Western markets continue to show strong momentum with combined currency-neutral sales growing 13% across North America (+13%), EMEA (+9%) and Latin America (+38%)  
• Gross margin down 1.9pp to 49.9% driven by significantly higher supply chain costs
• Operating margin of 8.2% reflecting additional investments into brand, DTC, and digital
• Net income from continuing operations reaches € 310 million
• FY 2022 outlook for revenue and net income confirmed at the lower end due to the impact from covid-19-related lockdowns in Greater China

“In the first quarter, consumer demand for our brand and products was strong in all Western markets. Our combined sales in North America, EMEA and Latin America grew at a double-digit rate. Backed by an exceptionally strong wholesale order book and relentless focus on driving growth in our own DTC channels, we expect this positive development to continue for the rest of the year,” said adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted. “In the East, we will return to growth in Asia-Pacific in the second quarter, while we expect the challenging market environment in Greater China to continue. With strong double-digit growth in the vast majority of our markets, representing more than 80% of our business, we are well positioned for success in 2022. “

For the full press release, see attached document.

A new interview study from NGO ChemSec shows that there is a gap between supply and demand when it comes to recycled materials, causing confusion and bottlenecks. Among other things, suppliers go out of their way using elaborate trade schemes to reach the coveted ”100% recycled” tag, which – it turns out – is not that important to consumer product brands. Far more crucial aspects, according to several major B2C companies, are:

• Honest communication towards customers
• Comprehensive information from suppliers
• Clear standards for recycled material

These are some of the conclusions from NGO ChemSec’s survey and interview study with 26 highly well-known consumer product brands. All brands responded to a survey concerning their current plastic use, as well as their needs, expectations and challenges regarding using more recycled material, to enable the shift to a circular economy for plastics.

Ten of the brands then participated in in-depth interviews on the same topics:, Essity, H&M, IKEA, Inditex , Lego, Mars,  SC Johnson, Tarkett, Unilever and Walgreens Boots Alliance.

Is non-mechanical recycling the answer?
Only about ten percent of all discarded plastics is recycled today, which is of course not nearly enough to achieve a circular plastics economy. Despite ambitions and initiatives to reduce plastics use – replacing the materials with other, more sustainable ones – the “plastic tap” is not expected to be turned off anytime soon. Quite the opposite, which makes raising the recycling rates more important than ever.

Although commercially viable, traditional (mechanical) recycling is afflicted with severe flaws, such as legacy chemicals, quality and functionality issues, as well as the lack of clean and sorted waste streams. The brands cited quality and functionality issues as the main obstacles for using more recycled material in their products.

This opens up for non-mechanical recycling, sometimes referred to as chemical recycling, where the plastic is either dissolved or broken down into smaller building blocks. Harmful additives and other hazardous chemicals can be removed in the process, and a material comparable to virgin plastic can be achieved – at least in theory.

So far, however, non-mechanical recycling technologies are costly, energy-intensive, and often require the addition of a great deal of virgin plastic to work – the very material that needs to be phased out.

The chain of custody models needs to be detangled
Apart from these production issues, there is a wide range of chain of custody models surrounding non-mechanical recycling, including mass balance and book & claim, which enable trade of credits or certificates for recycled material.

This cuts the physical connection between input and output, making it possible for a supplier to sell a material as “100% recycled”, when the actual recycled content could be zero.

This is a major issue for the brands ChemSec has spoken to, who value honest and correct communication towards customers. It turns out, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, that being able to slap a “made from 100% recycled plastic” label on a product is not all that important to brands.

To the brands, a physical connection between input (the discarded plastic waste headed for recycling) and output (the product at least partially made from recycled plastics) is far more important.

A physical connection, along with correct and adequate information from suppliers, as well as clearer standards and guidelines than what is available today, is what brands require to increase the use of recycled material and move us closer to a circular economy for plastics.

• 150 der kommenden 250 Messen finden zwischen Mai und September statt
• Verbands-Chef Harting: Wir erwarten Konzepte der Politik fürs Winterhalbjahr

Die deutsche Messewirtschaft macht den Mai zum Messemonat, um auf die angespannte Lage der Branche durch die Corona-Pandemie hinzuweisen. 31 Aktionstage sollen auf den beginnenden heißen Messesommer aufmerksam machen, den es so noch nicht gegeben hat. Erstmalig findet mehr als die Hälfte der noch gut 250 Messen 2022 im Sommer statt. Grund dafür ist der Nachholbedarf nach Verboten, Absagen und Verschiebungen von Messen in den vergangenen beiden Jahren. Üblicherweise findet der Großteil der Messen im Winterhalbjahr statt. Allein der Mai wird nun mit rund 50 Messen ein sehr starker Monat werden. Mehr als die Hälfte sind international geprägt, etliche davon Leitmessen der Weltwirtschaft – typisch für das Messeland Deutschland.

Von gut 150 geplanten Messen konnten im ersten Quartal 2022 nur knapp 20 durchgeführt werden - dies fast ausschließlich im März. Im April finden immer noch nur die Hälfte der rund 50 geplanten Messen statt.

Im MesseMonatMai sind deutschlandweit Aktionen an den Messeplätzen geplant, die über den Standort und die eigene Veranstaltung hinausreichen. Damit soll gezeigt werden, welch weitreichende Bedeutung die deutsche Messewirtschaft für die gesamte Volkswirtschaft hat. Während der kommenden 31 Tage wird ein Staffelstab von Messeakteuren an Messeakteure weitergereicht, um die Branche in ihrer Vielfalt sichtbar zu machen. Am Ende des Messemonats Mai steht der weltweite Messetag Global Exhibition Day am 1. Juni. Während an den meisten Messeplätzen der Welt der Betrieb schon länger laufen kann, wird die deutsche Messewirtschaft sich dann erst kraftvoll zurückmelden können.