THE NEW MARKET FOCUSES REPRESENT ONE OF THE MANY NEW INITIATIVES THAT EXPO RIVA SCHUH & GARDABAGS HAS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE POSITIVE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE DURING THE DAYS OF THE SHOW. THESE ARE INVITATION-ONLY MEETINGS THAT ALLOW LEADING BUYERS FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES TO PRESENT THEIR MARKETS TO SOURCING REPRESENTATIVES AND, ABOVE ALL, TO MEET MANUFACTURERS AND PARTNERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
We live in an age where multitasking is almost a must: technology enables it, society demands it. Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags has long understood this and has turned the trade show into the perfect hub for the footwear and leather goods sector, as well as a unique opportunity to forge lasting business relationships and obtain important information on markets and industry trends.
The Market Focuses, organised for the first time in this way during the 98th edition of the show, have precisely this purpose: to bring together buyers and exhibitors in a private setting that can foster a fruitful exchange of information and contacts to kickstart possible successful cooperation.
The Buyers Lounge at Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags has played host to various sessions dedicated to each individual country: a number of important European buyers from German-speaking countries, buyers from Latin America, India, the USA and South East Asia have thus met various exhibitors at the show.
This is an exceptional opportunity for buyers to make direct contact with important suppliers and brands, and for manufacturers to hold in-person meetings with possible customers from countries where they wish to expand.
LATIN AMERICA MARKET FOCUS
Buyers from the Latin American countries of Guatemala, Uruguay, Peru and El Salvador were invited to take part in one of the Market Focuses organised for the first time during the 98th edition of Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags.
All reported a stabilising market situation, enabling a resumption of business and usual trade relations. Problems linked to the shutdown of Chinese production during the pandemic, delays and the increase in logistics prices have prompted Latin American distributors to diversify their suppliers by targeting other countries. In Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags, they found an important platform to be able to meet, evaluate and conclude new business relations.
Aldo Annese from Importadora y Exportadora Santa Rita in Guatemala highlighted the difficulty of having to absorb the substantial drop in sales due to Covid, while Junior Yupanqui Contreras of Consorcio Juned De Arequipa in Peru noted how exorbitant logistics costs were now returning to normal. Also for Daniel Cynowicz of Cybe SA - Stadium in Uruguay, logistics costs have risen so unsustainably that they have had to block containers in China and forge closer relations with neighbouring Brazil. Bryan Quan Motta of Livenza SA in Guatemala points out that the ongoing shutdown in China has led to greater interest in European manufacturers, who are now proving to be more flexible when it comes to minimum orders.
“Both the market and prices are effectively finding a balance”, says Mariana Correa from Oechsle in Peru. “Our customers are very price-sensitive, so we are looking for producers who can offer a good balance between quality and value, and who are open to establishing a long-term partnership”.
All the buyers who attended highlighted that Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags is proving to be the perfect event for sourcing that varies by product type, origin and price: the perfect place to diversify your suppliers and make your business more secure and efficient. Livenza is looking for new contacts in the trainer world, in particular Italian footwear manufacturers who can provide its stores with a quality product. Peruvian Elena Pancca Borda from Trade Sandder Group SAC is in Riva del Garda to find new manufacturers for men, women and children's footwear that can expand the sales offer of their network of representatives. Hector Ramos, president of the Salvadoran footwear manufacturers’ association, is attending the show to establish new contacts with Italian, Turkish and Indonesian companies, and thus expand the range of countries with which to collaborate.
Without question, Latin American distributors have chosen Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags as the main platform from which to extend the boundaries of their business.
VOICES AND FACES FROM THE MARKET FOCUS
Fiorella Maggioli - STADIUM Product Manager (Uruguay)
Bryan Quan Motta - LIVENZA Director (Guatemala)
Gagandeep Singh - WOODLAND Director & Marketing (India)