GDS A
International Event for Shoes & Accessories GLOBAL SHOES – leading trade show for sourcing 14 to 16 March 2012
t the Düsseldorf shoe fairs GDS – International Event for Shoes & Accessories and GLOBAL SHOES – leading trade show for sourcing 1,206 exhibitors from 44 countries presented the
trends for the 2012/13 Autumn/Winter season over the three days of the events.
GLOBAL SHOES boasts a 60% foreign contingent making it particularly international in focus and this time childrens shoes were the seasons big winners. One in three visitors showed interest in kids styles. However, womens (73%) and mens shoes (44%) were also in high demand.
Buyers confirm GDS Trends + 2/3 of all buyers placed advanced orders at GDS + Chelsea and Cognac are the most important trends + Sara Nuru and Jeanette Hain cause a flurry of flashbulbs + Bernhard Bettermann is “Shoe Man of the Year 2012”
Whether from Germany or one of the other 85
visitor countries –GDS and GLOBAL SHOES are where the sector’s decision-makers meet: three quarters of the 23,150 visitors come from top management. And these were very keen on placing orders. In a survey 2/3 of all buyers reported placing advanced orders at GDS. Striking to note here was that for 29% of all German buyers advanced order volumes were in fact even higher than in the previous season. The figure here amongst foreign buyers stood at just 19%. 37% of all buyers used GDS to place repeat orders.
62% of all German buyers reported an unchanged repeat order volume for the 2012 Spring/Summer season compared with the previous season while 22% said volume had increased.
Leather and Suede – preferably in Cognac or Red Tones According to buyers, by far the most important
materials for the Autumn/Winter season were leather and suede. Colour-wise an average of nearly one in two buyers looked to cognac or red/orange tones. In terms of trends German retail is particularly
focusing on the “Smart Chelsea” and “Urban Outdoor” themes. Also important here is the “Chukka” theme with its characteristic chunky seam and purist but high-quality styles in the “Radical Clean” theme. Here, too, there are clear distinctions between the German and foreign markets – explains GDS Director Kirstin Deutelmoser: “Our surveys clearly show that German retail focuses heavily on these five themes. Foreign retailers, on the other hand, prefer variety and also look to “High Loafers, “Contrast Heels and “Rubber Soles. Though they do all agree on one point: “Chelsea Boots are the must-haves for next winter.”
22 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • APRIL 2012
“Portugal exports 95% of its shoe production and
GDS is one of the most important trade fairs worldwide, so this platform is naturally important for us. Here you meet retailers from throughout the world, which means participation makes strategic sense for Portuguese companies. This time, 76 exhibitors from Portugal took part – a further rise on last year. And we are also optimistic about increasing these figures in future because the manufacturers really like the GDS concept and its organisation.” Werner Matthias Dornscheidt also wishes to
attract other exhibitors from different countries: “Our approach is international and so is our concept. Our strength lies in creating a win-win situation for both sides. Our cooperation with the British Footwear Association is a good example of this: young, up-and- coming firms can open up new sales markets through GDS and our visitors see brands they may never have discovered otherwise.” As Sales & Marketing Director of the British
Footwear Association Nicholas Parry-Billings is responsible for precisely this cooperation – which, he says, has already proven successful: “18 months ago none of our exhibitors had entered the German market yet. Just three seasons later half of all the exhibitors on our area have been able to establish their businesses in Germany. This is a great figure and good advertising for GDS. Moreover, our exhibitors were very pleased to see that a large proportion of GDS visitors are decision-makers in the sector.” The decision-makers this time included visitors like
Prange, Breuninger, Tretter, Zumnorde, Görtz and Leiser. Amongst international visitors they included Jones Bootmaker, Charles Clinkard, Office and Shoon from Great Britain as well as Stiefelkönig from Austria. El Corte Inglés came from Spain and Portugal, Calzados Bravo from Spain, Paris Londres from Belgium and Gum and Axa Shoes from Russia. GDS – International Event for Shoes & Accessories
and GLOBAL SHOES – leading trade show for sourcing were held at Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre from 14 to 16 March 2012. A total of 1,206 exhibitors (GDS: 848, GLOBAL SHOES: 358) from 44 countries presented the latest shoe and bag styles here.
Top International Decision-Makers at GDS and Global Shoes Another striking feature this time was also the
high proportion of exhibitors and visitors from throughout the world who use GDS and Global Shoes as a platform. This international focus makes the trade fair unique, explains Paulo Goncalves, Spokesman of the Portuguese Shoe Industry Association APICCAPS:
www.gds-online.com www.globalshoes-online.com Düsseldorf, 16 March 2012
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