Retail should not hide its head in the sand

27 Jun '08

6 min read

Fashion words are in. The current trade fair season could be “anti-cyclic”. With cautious consumers, sleepy sales numbers, full warehouses and lowered limits, retail is not exactly particularly order-happy at the time.

At the same time it is also clear that retail needs to set strong impulses in order to reanimate consumers from their end.

More than ever, trade fairs such as the Igedo Fashion Fairs Düsseldorf offer all forms of commerce a powerful platform for learning about current trends, discovering developments, gathering inspiration and finally for giving stimuli.

As the most important platform for women's and menswear, body, beach and legwear, as well as accessories, the Igedo Fashion Fairs Düsseldorf wish to set a positive example.

The organiser, the Igedo Company, expects approximately 1,750 exhibitors and collections, there to present the trends of the coming spring/summer season 2009 at the four fashion fairs CPD, HMD, Body Look and Global Fashion, from 27 through 29 July 2008 at the Düsseldorf fairgrounds.

With this the number of collections shown remains stable compared with last year's event.

The approximately 100 new exhibitors include Expresso, Art & Business, MDC Sportswear, Lanius, Peppercorn, Oxmo, Monique Leshman, Remei, Errorist, Kymare and Banana Moon.

RedGreen is returning. The Düsseldorf fairs have especially been able to sharpen their image in special segments.

Nowhere else in Germany is there a larger fashion offering than in the fashion metropolis Düsseldorf during the Igedo Fashion Fairs.

In addition, several hundred labels present themselves to buyers from around the globe in the 900 showrooms in the city.

“Once again we have invested a large amount of energy in international visitor marketing, because we know that the industry is currently sailing against the wind. Retail must not hide now.

Rather, it should see the current situation as an opportunity and optimise its assortment as well as its sales strategy,” explains Igedo Managing Director Frank Hartmann.

“It would not be right to hide your head in the sand because of the past months. Anyone relying on their regular suppliers now becomes more commensurable and with that less able to survive in a tough price and predatory competition.”

As hard as it may be, retail needs to look ahead and not play it safe, Hartmann continued. Bold new labels could be the key to success.

The shops need new fashion. “In Düsseldorf and at the Igedo Fashion Fairs, buyers find several labels to upgrade his assortment and turn it into something special, something different than his competitors offer.

With our clearly structured trade fair segments, we depict the market in its entire depth, bringing all important retail partners from the entire world together.

With special offers such as our new Trend Zone, we hope to inspire retail andshow it new developments.”

In spite of the constant number of exhibitors, the Igedo Company has designed a more compact hall layout in order to optimize paths for the buyers.

In July halls 4, 5, 7, 9-11, 14 and 17 will be occupied. The Fashion Theatre will again be located in hall 12, and the very successful design area, the Fashion Gallery, returns to hall 14 on request by the exhibitors.

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