>> Business News September

TFL publishes every month business news with focus on the leather industry, on a worldwide basis.

Berlin fairs to start on Tuesday in future

From next January onwards Berlin’s Bread & Butter, Premium and Panorama fairs will open one day earlier than in the past to run from Tuesday to Thursday rather than Wednesday to Friday. The Berlin Fashion Week will thus last one day longer. In the upcoming season Bread & Butter, Premium and Panorama will be open from 15 to 17 January.

PoS into the second round

On 26 and 27 September Point of Shoes – the International Fair for Fashion, Materials and Production – will open its doors for the sixth time. PoS has something to offer all leather and footwear professionals, irrespective of whether focussed on fashion or on technology and production. As at the previous PoS fashion consultant Marga Indra-Heide will present the new trends and reveal which colour constellationswill motivate fashion buffs in the autumn/winter season 2013/2014.

Zalando triples sales

Zalando has presented its hitherto unpublished sales numbersfor the year 2011.With net sales worth 510 million Euro Germany’s biggest internet provider of footwear and fashion more than tripled its results for 2010. At its Berlin and Brandenburg locationsit has already created more than 1000 new jobs. In July a new technology facility was opened where in future as many as 60 developers will work.In addition Zalando is currently erecting an ultramodern logistics centre in Erfurt to reinforce its European marketing activities there. It already trades online in twelve European markets, latterly launching shops in Denmark and Finland.

More & More with new footwear collection

After a 2-season pause, Lifestyle brand More & More is set to launch an extensive footwear collection for the spring/summer season 2013. A new licensee for ladies’ and men’s footwear is the Hong Kong domiciled Sino Pro Trading company. The first footwear collection from Sino Pro Trading comprises roughly 80 styles for women. Men’s footwear will follow later. Shoe-last development, design and finish are being managed by Filip Rasschaert in Italy. Production will be located at internationally proven centres, the company states.

The closed styles in the collection are Pumps, Peeptoes, Ankle Boots, Dandies and Ballerinas, some in Sachetto design, some with new, shortened toe-caps. Open styles are sandalettes and sandals. All models are made entirely of leather. Marketing management is in the hands of Dirk Kanzok, Sino Pro Trading, Hilden.

Eastpak starting with footwear

Bag specialist Eastpak is to launch a footwear collection in spring/summer 2013. Licensee is Sugi International Limited in Hongkong. Co Concept NV in Antwerp, Belgium is responsible for marketing in Germany. Comprising two lines, the collection is intended to supplement the firm’s range of bags and luggage. Selling prices lie between 79 and 99 Euro.

I.L.M Summer Styles shows bag trends

The new bag fashion for spring/summer 2013 is the focus of the International Leather Goods Fair I.L.M Summer Styles to run from 22 to 24 September at the Offenbach exhibition centre. A good 230 exhibitors have made firm bookings for this seasonal event, and further interested firms are currently still on the waiting list.

Visitors can see the top trends in bag fashion and pick up the accompanying theme and sales information. With fashion shows, a lookbook, lectures and fashion points illustrating the summer 2013 trend themes I.L.M. Summer Styles guides the visitors straight to the new fashion season highlights. In addition the fair again provides the forum for the fashion preview staged by the HDS (Federal Association of the Footwear and Leather Goods Industry), the Fashion Forecast Autumn/Winter 2013/2014, which is addressed to manufacturers, designers and importers, as well as to all dealers with an early interest in the next season’s trends.