Shoppers shop more often and buy more

More than 24 thousand buyers came to order footwear from the Fall-Winter 2011/2012 collections at the international exhibition of footwear and accessories GDS. The exhibition was held 16-18 March in Dusseldorf. The exhibition hospitably welcomed the purchasing directors of the largest department stores in the world and the owners of small companies. Representatives of stores came to Germany for trends, orders and communication Jones Bootmaker и Shoon (United Kingdom), Humanic и Stiefelkonig (Austria), Apollo & Afrodite (Norway), Betsy Palmer (Netherlands), Torfs (Belgium), El Cutting English (Spain). German retail was represented by companies such as Alsterhaus, Breuninger, Gortz, Karstadt, Kdw, Prange, Tretter, Uli servant, Zumnorde и Zalando.

According to Brigitta Vishnevskaya, president of the Federal Association of German Retailers, the good mood of customers, excellent shoe design and favorable weather ensured 8% increase in shoe sales in Germany. Retail shoe sales reached 7,9 billion euros in the 2010 year. However, if we also include shoe sales in catalogs and in department stores, the total figure will increase to 12,1 billion euros.

Both the frequency of purchases and the average check in stores have increased. Average retail prices also increased - in the last autumn-winter season, women's shoes were sold at 82 euros per pair, men's shoes at 91 euros, and childrens shoes at 61 euros.

Shoe factories are also doing well. In 2010, about 30 million pairs were produced, which is 3,2 million pairs more than in 2009. Employment in the footwear sector increased slightly - by 1,8%, from 10 to 621 people. The number of shoe companies in comparison with 10 has not changed - there are 814 of them as before (the statistics include only factories with more than 2009 workers).

In total, the sales of German manufacturers amounted to 2,13 billion euros (in 2009, 1,9 billion euros). The share of sales in the domestic market increased by 6,8%, to 1,533 billion euros, exports grew to 600 million euros (+ 19,1% to 2009 year). In terms of pairs, sales increased by 24 million pairs, from 148 million pairs in 2009 to 172 million pairs. At the same time, the average price for a pair decreased from 15,65 euros to 15,09. 86% of all exports go to European countries. The greatest volume of orders was made by the Poles - 28,3 million pairs (+ 29% in relation to the 2009 year). Slovakia is in second place (growth from 12,8 million pairs to 17,6 million pairs). Austria closes the top three - with the import volume of 16,3 million pairs. 

Experts noted a significant drop in supplies to Russia - by almost a million pairs. Thus, out of 172 million pairs, only 3 million were imported into Russia. For comparison, in 2008 Germany imported 5 million pairs into Russia.

Imports in 2010 increased by 12,9%, from 472 million pairs to 533 million pairs. For the first time in history, imports exceeded the half-million mark. Only 17% of shoes were imported from EU countries, the rest from Southeast Asian countries. The average price for a pair increased by 4,6%, to 9,66 euros. The average price for a pair of leather shoes was 19,11 euros (+ 3%).