Strong showing of German shoe manufacturers – Italian brands up 45%

20/02/2008

German producers are focusing more heavily on fashion statement in their current collections and are all represented at GDS/GLS almost without exception. For exhibitors like Ara, Gabor, Lloyd, K+S, Marc, Peter Kaiser, Rieker and the Wortmann-Group GDS/GLS has traditionally been an important business platform. Now also more and more Italian labels have recognised the potential GDS/GLS holds for Central and Northern European markets. Accordingly, labels such as Duca del Nord, Fausto Santini, Nebuloni, Ruggeri and woman designer Kailia have ‘blessed’ the trade fair with a 45% increase in Italian exhibitors. For UK firms GDS/GLS posts a 33% rise, the Netherlands are represented by 16% more exhibitors. Furthermore, the trade fair is also posting higher attendance from Spain, Scandinavia and the USA.

“The conceptual changes initiated over the past few seasons are now starting to pay off. Düsseldorf has become a firm fixture for the shoe industry again,” explained Frank Hartmann, Excecutive Director for GDS/GLS at Messe Düsseldorf, in his statement delivered at the opening press conference. “Both industry and retail have understood that GDS/GLS is gaining increasing importance, especially for the North and Central European market. Here they can entirely attend to their business in a professional atmosphere.”