Indian Shoe Bazaar - Fairs: The Cooperation between GDS Düsseldorf and Expo Riva Schuh

Non-Plus Ultra: The Cooperation between GDS Düsseldorf and Expo Riva Schuh

Headed "Quo Vadis Footwear Information and Order Process?" the 60th Expo Riva Schuh in Italy hosted the 2nd Workshop GDS Düsseldorf/Expo Riva Schuh involving representatives from the German and Italian shoe trades and the trade press.

At the traditional meeting of the "GDS-Erfa-Gruppe" (comprising representatives from retailing, the footwear press and GDS) guests also exchanged views on the changes this market is currently undergoing. One thing again became clear: the cooperation that has existed between these partners since 1999 represents an unparalleled opportunity to cover the entire international order cycle at these two events alone.

The GDS and trade fairs as an integration tool in general, are faced with new challenges - as they serve as communication pools and clearing houses for the international shoe industry. To meet these challenges market requirements and developments must be identified early on and acted upon accordingly. The cooperation with Expo Riva Schuh offers an ideal platform to do just this.

Crucial Market Trends
Based on a summary provided by HFU Consulting GmbH the following central developments in the market were discussed:

One-off (advance) orders - and re-orders based on these - do still exist in concrete terms. All parties involved agreed that the year is still split up into two major seasonal periods: Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter. However, now more than ever, these are spread across the entire year and are segmented in tune with demand so as to accelerate stock turnaround and increase profitability.

Beyond this, topical updates must be ordered to compensate for declining advance orders if consumers are to be properly catered for. Here retailers certainly do not want to consider a range split up into 12 segments - as is already sometimes the case in the apparel industry - but would prefer individual lines with staggered deliveries. This would allow them to present specific themes for consumers in an "appetising, stimulating" manner - as the specialist retailers present put it.

Despite all difficulties the Erfa-Gruppe expressed the view that money is available for fashion and footwear. Economic instability has caused consumers to abstain from buying new men's shoes primarily. Here there must be a clearer focus: with sporty, innovative looks that feature different materials, styles and a corresponding quality finish. Due to the information overload facing consumers retailers need more assurance in their purchase decisions and therefore a more targeted range for consumers.

The focus at Expo Riva Schuh for Spring/Summer 2004 - alongside gathering first impressions and placing initial orders - was, to an increasingly extent, on new, current styles for Autumn/Winter 2003/2004. The message also confirmed by German retailers was that order volumes have not dropped as yet. This does carry a certain amount of risk for the industry as more and more manufacturers are producing globally and therefore depend on scheduling and planning phases.

Which makes a kind of "clearing house" or international fair all the more important to harmonise these different aims. Buyer associations pointed out that even for summer 2003 there was still an urgent need for sandals, sneakers, etc. with attractive accessories in the women's segment - but a delivery time of 2 to 6 weeks was often unacceptable.

The differing targets prompted by these market changes therefore became as evident as ever when the Spring/Summer season kicked off in Riva.

Complementary Ranges at GDS Düsseldorf and Expo Riva Schuh
The fact is information flow and order cycles have changed and will continue to do so. In response to this development GDS and Expo Riva Schuh are held four times a year (January - March - June - September). Hence, customers are provided with all the latest information required at an almost permanent marketplace. This improves their chances in the face of the competition.

Holding these fairs every 3 months also particularly meets the demands of exhibitors and visitors alike - as trends shows (advance)orders are declining in favour of ex-stock orders. The cooperation between the two fairs also creates complementary ranges, thereby smoothly combining ex-stock order options with an on-going exchange of information.

Expo Riva Schuh kicks off every January as an early order venue for the season's basic lines. It showcases the first fashion trends - predominantly in the low to medium-priced segments. GDS then follows on from the business developments the industry has premiered at Expo Riva Schuh.

GDS then provides an international information forum where orders climax in the medium to high-priced segments as well as in exclusive merchandise segments. At the same time, suppliers and buyers chart a decisive course for the future making GDS the platform for the entire off-season footwear business.

Providing Assurance - the Worldwide Leading Fair
Therefore, the GDS will - more so than ever before - support customers in finding new ideas for their individual shoe businesses and assist them in their planning decisions by conveying thorough knowledge on fashion trends, consumer demands and social developments. This will allow the GDS to consolidate and further enhance its leadership role as a fair.

Another essential finding of this workshop was how important it is for retailers to properly interpret the signs of the time, i.e. to not only visit shoe ordering centres but also to go to the places where the actual fashion trends and innovations in the sector are displayed. Hence, no tool can replace trade fairs and they remain indispensable for a comprehensive marketing approach.

Three conceptual features ensure and secure the fair's position as a worldwide leader:

Establishment and development of intense cooperations, among others, with Expo Riva Schuh or with KABO (Czech Republic) for instance.

This implies that GDS has understood the challenges ahead and is looking for, and hoping to forge further alliances with, partners in the market
GDS will in future place even more emphasis on innovation and design. This includes not only shoes but also other product segments plus additional design elements like the experience zone at the Top Style Lounge - which is already prompting a positive response.

This implies that the GDS will come up with plenty of surprising new ideas for exhibitors and visitors alike.
GDS will optimise its exhibition concept by increasing the focus on business administration and goods management. Very much in the manner of the Sales Assistant Day there will be workshops, lectures and seminars held for executives in the shoe trade. There is a vast need for up-to-date concepts in business management and staff guidance as well as in financial planning.

This implies the GDS will provide even more pointers for the sector than before.

New GDS Project Management
Since June Danila Avdiu has been the new Project Manager in charge of the strategic and conceptual re-organisation of GDS; she is a very experienced exhibition professional who successfully managed ProWein, the International Trade Fair for Wines and Liquors, to name but one.

Finally the GDS/MICAM Scheduling Issue
The overlapping dates of GDS and MICAM were of utmost interest to the dealers and the press attending the workshop. The partial overlap of exhibition dates, which is anything but satisfactory for all parties involved, only occurs in autumn and in 2004 will only apply to one day.

In the foreseeable future this issue will consistently be addressed - both in the interest of the industry and its customers. However, regardless of whether we look to Düsseldorf or Milan the basic problem here still is and has always been the scarcity of time due to other events - a fact that limits room of manoeuvre for acting and reacting. Due to the high capacity utilisation at both premises the parties have not yet succeeded in finding a solution to this scheduling problem despite intense efforts on both sides.

For 2005 and after attempts are being made to develop a new approach and to discuss this jointly.

Exhibition dates for the coming year:
11 to 14 March 2004
16 to 19 September 2004