The upswing of the Düsseldorf trio of shoe trade fairs drawing to a close on Sunday – GDS/GLS and global shoes & accessories 14 from 16 March – has continued. The three days of the trade fair were characterised by a busy, satisfied mood, good turnover, avid interest in the presented trends and, above all, packed stands. Compared to the previous year’s event the number of visitors was up by approximately three percent – with 34,000 visitors...

... just under half of whom came from abroad from 76 countries plus the 1,382 exhibitors once again the trade fair destination Düsseldorf became the centre of the international footwear industry last weekend. 

In a representative survey nine out of ten trade visitors rated the three trade fairs as good to very good and were obviously in the mood for buying. By their own accounts buyers sizeably increased their ordering activities once again over last year’s event. Furthermore, they voiced particular satisfaction with the fashion on display, the topicality of the presented trends and the brands featured at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre. 85% of buyers acknowledged the extensive line-up of accompanying and information events including numerous fashion shows, expert roundtables and stand presentations. The areas “Lifestyle & Sports”, “International Selection”, “Exclusivity”, “Young Fashion” including “Design Attack” and the noticeably enlarged “white cubes” generated the most interest from visitors.

Summing up results on the last day, Werner Matthias Dornscheidt, President and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, said: “With GDS growing by 13% in terms of exhibitors and by 3% in terms of visitors we now know for sure: we are on the right and safe track. All major traders but also small and medium-sized retailers visited the fair grounds and have done good business.”

Representatives from international firms such as Aldo (Canada), Breuninger (Germany), El Corte Inglés (Spain), Hankyu Department Store (Japan), Humanic (Austria), New Paris Londres (Belgium), Notabene (Denmark), Peter Sheppard (Australia), Podium (Russia), Stiefelkönig (Austria), Tervolina (Russia) and The Mosso Group (USA), to name but a few, were spotted on the grounds. The most important of the 76 countries of origin apart from Germany were the Benelux, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Austria, Russia, Spain and the USA. GDS was worth a trip even for buyers from Australia, Japan, Colombia, Panama and South Africa.

“For our demanding clientele we are always in search of new brands and were really surprised by GDS this time. The trade fair has become even more attractive for us because numerous new international exhibitors were presented,” said Paul Prange, General Manager of the shoe store of the same name in Germany.

Julia Yatesenkova, Head of Purchasing for shoe multiple Russita from Novosibirsk, Russia, added: “We visited the trade for the first time. The wide range on offer justifies every minute of the long journey. For our 42 stores I have discovered many new things at GDS placing orders with several exhibitors. We will definitely be back in September.“

“We come to GDS not to have fun but to do business. This trade fair combines the fashion flair so important to us with an extensive choice of exhibitors,” explained Danny Wasserman of Tip Top Shoes from New York, USA. “Here I order the shoes that make my range stand out from my New York competitors.”

Exhibitors leaving Düsseldorf on Sunday were equally satisfied. Three quarters of them either achieved or exceeded previously set targets, 91% of them rated visitor quality as good to very good and 90% have already decided to return in September. “The atmosphere in the halls was noticeably positive. The conceptual changes initiated in the past are producing more and more effects. The prevailing mood whetted the appetite for more. I rate GDS as a success across the board,” said Ralph Rieker, Chairman of the Federation of the German Shoe Industry (HDS), summing up the outcome of the fair for the German manufacturers, who were present in Düsseldorf almost without exception.

The next GDS/GLS will be held from 12 to 14 September 2008 at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre. The global shoes & accessories will run from 11 to 13 September 2008 – not entirely in parallel with GDS/GLS for the first time.

(07/04/2008)