LONDON — This city’s trade show organizers are looking to next season with a heavy dose of positivity, but more than a dash of caution.
Carole Hunter, director of LondonEdge Original & LondonEdge Fashion, said customers are buying, but are highly cautious with purchases, and brands are having to adjust to the new mind-set.
“The businesses that have been waiting for the recession to lift, which it has, are not necessarily seeing business flowing in the same direction,” Hunter said. “People don’t waste money on throwaway goods anymore, credit cards are used less, Internet shopping is growing rapidly, consumers look for the best prices, discounts, offers. Consumers have had to deal with increasing prices throughout the recessions, and neither people nor businesses are feeling the benefits of the improved economy quite yet. Mind-sets have changed.”
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With customers harder to win, exhibitors agree that brands have become a key factor.
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“Business is challenging, but buyers are always looking for interesting collections,” said Karen Radley, founder of Scoop, a boutique showcase that focuses on international contemporary labels.
“It’s still tough out there — everyone just has to cut their cloth accordingly, said Craig Ford, co-founder of Jacket Required, a contemporary men’s wear collective. “But if you have the right brands, things can move in the right direction.”
Linda Hoyes, event director at children’s wear trade show Bubble, said, “While trading conditions are still challenging, I feel cautiously optimistic about the season ahead. Our spring 2015 show enjoyed increased footfall, reflecting renewed optimism among retailers, and we are hoping to build on that success in [fall] 2015.”
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For their part, exhibitors are looking to boost numbers with new venues, brands, installations and branding plans.
“We’re looking forward to building on the huge success of the rebrand and will continue to recalibrate industry perception,” said Hunter of LondonEdge.
For the upcoming February show, Londonedge has relocated its showcase to West Hall at Olympia, and will return to the Business Design Centre for the September edition. There, LondonEdge plans to introduce new elements, including a fashion show, daily industry talks, another show party and pin-up makeovers.
Pure London, meanwhile, is focusing on new labels.
Julie Driscoll, portfolio director for the contemporary fashion trade show, said, “This season is all about newness — new brands that we have scoured the globe to source, a new theme for this season, complete with a Pure London manifesto, plus the launch of MyPure, an insight into what Pure London means to its brands and buyers and how the show has made a positive impact on their businesses.”
Nick Cook, portfolio director for Moda, believes that offering added value to attendees will prove useful.
“We recognize that any progress to date hangs in a delicate balance and everything from the weather to government policy will influence steps forward,” he said. “We are listening to the key topics that retailers are saying will make a difference to their business in practical terms, and offering as many free seminars as possible to help address any knowledge and skills gaps which may also be barriers to recovery. We launched a new e-commerce area of the show last season and following its success, we are looking to expand the area to include all business services such as branding and promotion, Epos systems and display solutions.”
Ford of Jacket Required said feedback from retailers and brands has been positive.
“We were oversubscribed last year again,” he said. “So we are looking to grow organically as we have done to date.”
Despite the upturn in the economy, exhibitors said a number of challenges remain.
“As exhibition organizers, we will have to contend with a range of issues this season, including the tough trading conditions that retailers are still facing in the U.K.,” said Hoyes of Bubble. “They have led to a decline in domestic independent retailers, while the number and diversity of brands available continues to grow.”
Driscoll of Pure London noted that high street brands remain a challenge for independent retailers.
“We’ll be working with the brands, as well as core industry and retail associations, to ensure that we offer the best sourcing and inspiration platform for our buyers, as well as the knowledge and business insights to give them the tools and support they need to stay strong and maintain their competitive edge,” she said.
Another major challenge involves government cuts to funding for small and medium-sized businesses to take part in all international trade shows. It will mean that the same businesses taking part in the London shows will now be less likely to grow and expand abroad.
The U.K. Fashion and Textile Association and other industry organizations have expressed their dismay that U.K. Trade & Investment, the government organization set up to encourage exports, is making an immediate cut to the Tradeshow Access Program, which supports those companies at key international trade fairs.
“This cut would seriously affect the U.K.’s exports and economic growth,” the UKFT said.
The cut would eradicate about 50 percent of the remainder of the TAP program in the period January to March. The UKFT said it would represent a “devastating body-blow for the autumn-winter fashion as well as the spring-summer textile selling seasons.”
In addition, there will be a 100 percent cut to key event funding that the UKFT said will prevent the fashion and textile industry from raising its profile at a number of international shows.
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