Spring exhibition “Shoes. World of Leather "was a record number of visitors - more than 7000 people. The success of the autumn session, which took place on October 21-24 at the Expocentre (Moscow), was not so unambiguous.
On the one hand, 400 exhibitors from 10 countries took part in the exhibition. And there are still many companies for which there was not enough space. That is, the offer is expanding. On the other hand, some buyers, having placed orders for MICAM in September, came to Obuv. World of leather ”to cut them down. That is, the demand is decreasing.
However, the organizers of the exhibition are optimistic about the future and plan to expand the exhibition in the spring of 2009. The sixth time accessory and leather goods salon will become an independent exhibition in the spring and will be held in Pavilion No. 3. This means that in the main pavilion there will be enough space for all shoe makers. By tradition, shoe collections will be presented in Pavilion No. 7.
Italian export
Traditionally, the main participants in the exhibition were and remain Italian companies. According to Vittorio Virgili, director of Vittorio Virgili (who also heads the Russian ANCI committee - the Association of Italian Footwear Manufacturers), Italy is one of the main exporters of footwear to Russia. Only China is ahead of it. But at the same time, Italy is the only country that imports footwear only in the high price segment to Russia. According to ANCI, in 2007 more than 7 million pairs of shoes were exported to Russia for a total of 500 million euros. Now Russia is in fourth place in terms of procurement costs and tenth in terms of volume. On the first - according to the growth dynamics of these indicators.
Crisis
Naturally, at a press conference dedicated to the opening of the exhibition, journalists could not help but ask about the attitude of the Italians to the general downturn in the economy. Vittorio Virgili said: “We are still only afraid of the crisis, but we do not feel it. But we have not yet felt it in the quantity and quality of purchases. There are first signs, but, in our opinion, it is too early to worry. " Director of the exhibition “Obuv. World of Leather ”Svetlana Zainutdinova added that the number of those wishing to participate in the exhibition is greater than the number of seats. This is a sign that the situation is stable. During a crisis, an exhibition becomes a means of survival for companies, the best way to find new suppliers and understand the market situation. “Good quality fashionable footwear is timeless and out of crisis,” Svetlana Zainutdinova clarified. - With the exhibition “Shoes. World of leather "Russians will not remain barefoot."
The share of Italian shoes that are sewn in China
When asked by reporters about the proportion of shoes made in China, Vittorio Virgili noted that shoes that come from China “are not the desire of Italian manufacturers. This is the desire of Russian buyers who could not get a good price in Italy and placed orders for the same models in China. Native Italian footwear is the quality, quality and, again, the quality achieved in Italian factories. " This statement is somewhat contrary to the September speech of ANCI President Vito Artioli, who said that one should not encourage the transfer of production to third countries, but also should not prevent it. However, Virgili declined to comment.
Deadlines
Next year the exhibition “Shoes. World of Leather ”, taking into account the wishes of exhibitors and buyers, will be held at the end of March. Its dates are close to the Milan MICAM exhibition. There will be no exhibition in April. The possibility of holding an additional exhibition in May is currently being discussed. Whether it will take place or not will become known in the first quarter of 2009.
The next exhibition “Shoes. Mir Kozhi ”will be held on March 23-26, 2009, the year of the 50th anniversary of the Expocentre.
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