THE LONDON SHOE SHOW
THE LONDON SHOE SHOW
S
unday morning started slowly with the agents in all three suites chatting about the season and trade, but by 10am there was a constant stream of buyers. The additional Sky Room suite afforded the opportunity for 7 large new stands showcasing 14 brands, and the space could easily have accommodated more exhibitors.
The ground floor Shannon Suite had its regular exhibitors with 15 brands on display. The first floor Liffey Suite showcased some new names with some of the regular exhibitors moving across to the Sky Room- The Liffey had an additional 11 brands.
In total 40 brands presented their SS 23 collections in the mid to upper sector of the market- offering bespoke patterns alongside regular production runs, but all with the opportunity for meaningful margins. “The additional space the Sky Room offers was an unknown quantity to us, and given the relaxed nature of the event we did not want to cramp the exhibitors or visitors” said event organiser Justin Morgan of HB Shoes. “We had
24 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022
September 11-12 2022
LSS attracted large visitor numbers to Kensington in September this year, and whilst slightly less than had attended in March it was a strong exhibition. The news of Our Majesty’s death was still fresh in the minds of the population, but the preparations for the funeral were only just being released.
turned away some brands, not appreciating how adaptable the Sky Room was, however we have now had our events team produce a CAD layout which will allow us to welcome additional companies whom we have had to disappoint in the past.”
“The February event- which is our Silver Jubilee 25 years- will be on Feb 12- 13. This is currently fully allocated with several brands on our waiting list in the event that some exhibitors’ plans change. However, this will all be confirmed by Dec 1 and we will be offering any reserve space at that time. We do want our 25th year to be special”.
The event attracted retailers from Scotland, Ireland, Wales the Channel Isles and of course England, and the mood among both exhibitors and visitors was upbeat and positive. The excellent summer weather had allowed retailers to clear stock and there was a real appetite to buy.
Colour was very evident with orange, green and cobalt strongly represented. Whilst casual is still very strong, and lots of trainers, there
was a real interest in occasion wear. Both sandals and shoes for weddings and occasions were selling strongly especially those offering good foot coverage.
Retailers were positive about winter trading although the weather had not yet become autumnal. The consensus was that this sector of the market is proving much more resilient than the cheaper end with retailers saying how important the “right” product was compared to simply “price”.
Next year’s 25th London Shoe Show will be the largest ever, and remembering back to the near frenzy of March 22 our expectation is that Feb 12-13 2023 will be a must attend in the buying calendar. The event coincides with PURE which will be just along the road at Olympia; with more shoe brands in one place than at any other trade show in the UK, LSS appears to be the place to go for buying better shoes in 2023. This event has always appealed to the professional buyer on account of accessibility, location, timing, atmosphere and commercial professionalism. With the challenges many of the larger exhibitions face for both the exhibitor and buyer, LSS appears to have struck the balance for the UK and Irish markets.
Enquiries for exhibiting can be sent to:
info@hbshoes.co.uk
Accommodation enquiries at the hotel during the event should be sent to:
Reservations.tara@millenniumhotels.co.uk Quoting “London Shoe Show Feb 23”
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