Indian Shoe Bazaar - Fairs:96th GDS, Stability in Unset-tled Times

96th GDS - International Shoe Fair - Stability in Unsettled Times

"Fashion Trend for 2004: The More Colourful the Better"

40,000 attended the World's Largest Shoe Fair - Half of these Placed Orders

"A stable market in unsettled times," is how Wilhelm Nieder-göker, Managing Director at Messe Düsseldorf, so aptly summed up the results at this last GDS. "1,520 exhibitors on 80,000 m2 and 40,000 trade visitors - of whom about 27,000 came from abroad - show us that the GDS is a must at these difficult times for our sector. This means the stabilization trend already recorded in spring has continued to prevail. This is an excellent result although the number of German shoe retailers, for instance, has fallen by 6.2 % since the year 2000."

The market has changed and this was very apparent at the GDS, the barometer event for this sector. Both exhibitor and visitor structure is changing. Traditional strongholds of European shoe production like Italy, Spain and Germany are under great pressure - shoe production in 2002 fell by 8.9 % across Europe and in Italy alone 10.7 % fewer shoes were manufactured.* Correspondingly, fewer exhibitors and visitors came to GDS from Italy while a greater number of companies were posted on the supply side from new markets like Brazil and Turkey. Prominent amongst first-time visitors to GDS - who ac-counted for over 20 % - were large delegations from Russia and Asia, especially Japan, as well as from the USA (including one from the NSRA - National Shoe Retailers Association).

The GDS is the No. 1 information, communication and ordering platform for the international shoe sector. This was also con-firmed by visitor polls: 67 % of visitors rated the fair's "trend information" with top grades of 1 and 2 and for over half the visitors GDS is also a major event for the placing of orders. In-deed, one in two visitors placed orders at the fair directly.

What trends will mark the next season? The collections and the excellently received fashion shows of the Shoe Institute DSI (Das Schuhinstitut) leave no doubt: "The more colourful the better" is the motto for next summer and bold colours are making their comeback. Furthermore, shoes will be extremely revealing with feet being highly exposed. Alongside delicate wrap-over straps around the ankles and calves in leather, taffeta, cord and raffia, the sport fashion contrast is very much at the forefront here even for everyday wear. Sneakers, sporty sandals and boxing boots are worn by those who like it comfy but who still want to be trendy.

Receiving great praise from trade visitors were the Plazas new at this GDS. These new information forums in Halls 4, 6 and 12 bring fashion close-up, convey fashion trends in an entertaining and creative manner and offer retailers additional assistance in staging shoe fashions in an even more interesting way.

One of the numerous highlights at GDS was the presentation of the European Footwear Marketing Award, EFMA. Before an audience of several hundred guests the Roman firm Hassan was presented the coveted award for its excellent marketing concept by CEDDEC* president Dr Massimo Donda.

Dates for the two forthcoming GDS fairs in Düsseldorf:
11 to 14 March 2004 and 16 to 19 September 2004.

SOURCES:
CEDDEC - European Federation of the Shoe Retail Trade Associations (CEDDEC), Brussels;
ANCI - Associazione Nazionale Calzaturifici Italiani