FOCUS ON FASHION RETAIL AUGUST 2012 by FOCUS ON FASHION RETAIL

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NYC showroom: 1370 Avenue of the Americas 3rd floor New York NY 10019 212.977.8355 Corporate offices: 5252 Bolsa Avenue Huntington Beach CA 92646 Tel.714.934.8800 Fax.714.934.8005 Visit us at upcoming FFANY August 1-3 at NYC showroom LAZR Tradeshow August 13-15 FN Platform August 21-23 South Hall Level 1 Booth 60402 GDS Hall 4 Booth A403 M-I-C-A-M Pavilion 1P06-10

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Making it BIG! Why her, why Kim Kardashian on the cover?- This question, usually asked in a rather intolerant, disgusted way I hear quite often, and I smile back- this means, the issue has been noticed and personalized, and thus- my mission is accomplished! Well, if you must know, the reasons for choosing Kim for the cover are these: A- She is really a pretty girl, no questions about that; B- I do respect her amazing achievements as a fashion entrepreneur; C- She is a controversial, recognized all over the world celebrity, and thus- she SELLS the product, and, as in this case- this issue, which will be on shelves of so many August shows, among at least a dozen or more of other magazines. This is my job to create and distribute a product that most people will feel personal connection with. The competition is so tough, that being un-noticed, un-recognized, un-personalized, means only one thing... un-sold. Now, how is that important to YOU, fashion retailers? Because this is 100% applicable to you! Nowadays even a child (ok, even a young adult) knows, that in order to SELL, you have to separate yourself from competition and SHOUT about it! Throughout my career as the editor, I’ve met countless companies and individuals claiming they make the best product in the world and thus, they don’t need publicity, all this crap. It’s true, some of the product I’ve seen were truly amazing, but so what? Nobody knew, nobody cared and the companies went out of business. Don’t follow those self-narcissistic narrow-minded morons, learn from those, who have made it BIG and you too will be successful! There’s a reason why we rarely publish our own articles. Instead, we’ve chosen to collaborate with credited authors, recognized experts in their fields of business- to supply you serious, noteworthy information vitally important for your success. Fashion trends for the upcoming seasons- only from best-selling designers, best brands and best fashion shows. If you are a high-fashion professional, you will find reasons to consider in the study on Italian (and world) fashion sector: how it’s been developing lately and where it is going- because your business will be going along. Speaking of making your business known and noticed, read the article on choosing the right web developer, to make your investment working for you. And, things to consider choosing the right PR agency. Take the 5 business lessons from Ferruccio Lamborghini, the mastermind of the finest automobiles in the world. Why do we regularly feature Celebrities & Fashion? Because you love it! People love celebrities, feel sensitive about them and thus- anything a celebrity does, anything a celebrity is wearing becomes known, being followed, SOLD! So, my advise to you- learn from Kim Kardashian’s rise to success. You may call her a bitch, a slut, a bimbo, or anything you want; but undoubtedly, she’s a brilliant entrepreneur who has created an amazing fashion Empire, sleeping on a pile of money (with whoever she chooses to)isn’t this what you want too? I know I do, and this is why Kim is the Cover Girl of the August issue, she’s made it BIG! Any questions? Then, as always, I would love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to contact me at editor@focusonshoes.com with any questions, comments, suggestions or topics you’d like to see covered in future issues. Serving you better is our goal and privilege. Sincerely,

Alex Geyman Editor 4

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August 2012

BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR SHOE, APPAREL & ACCESSORIES STORES

FASHION RETAIL EDITOR: Alex Geyman GENERAL MANAGER: Dmitry Nelipovich ART DIRECTOR: Allison Moryl GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Pay Fan GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Laurie McAdams FASHION EDITOR: Francesca Trippoli SUBSCRIPTION: Sandra DaSilva RESEARCH: Shawn Lancaster SALES: Claudia Perez

table of contents: 4 Editor’s Letter - Make it BIG! 5 On the Cover - Kim Kardashian, Fashion Entrepreneur 6 Retail Trends - Fall/Winter 201213 Fashion Trends 12 Fashion Economic Trends 14 Retail Trends - Spring/Summer 2013 Fashion Trends 18 Entrepreneur Of The Month - 5 Business Lessons from F. Lamborghini 22 Management - 4 Rules That Will Change Rulers 22 Consumer Behavior - Top 15 Fashion Brand Favorites in the 2012 “Brand Keys Fashion Brand Index” 26 Trade Shows Calendar 28 Retail Selling - School Is Never Out for The Professional 32 From The Red Carpet - Celebrities & Fashion 36 Growing Your Business - Hiring A Web Developer 38 Business Class - Business Telephone Etiquette 42 Customer Service - The Power Of Please & Thank You 43 Know The Law - Proposition 65 For California Retailers 44 Retail 101 - Couture Comfort Footwear: Sachetto Construction 47 P.O.V - Accountability, Frugality Driving Pay For Performance PR Trend 47 Subscription 48 Your Opinion Counts All images and editorials in this issue are subject to copyright law and are the property of FFR and/or the owners/contributors. No images, designs or texts may be reproduced, copied, used whole or in part without written permission. FFR magazine disclaims responsibility for the statements, claims made by either advertisers or contributing authors. FFR magazine is not responsible in whole or any part of advertisement or typographical errors.

FOCUS ON FASHION RETAIL 25924 Viana Avenue, Suite 19 Lomita, CA 90717 USA Tel. (310) 784-0790 fax (310) 202-6027 General E-Mail: info@focusonshoes.com Web: www.focusonshoes.com © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

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F R

a j k j i

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a c “ I w

i B w d L e

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KIM

ON THE COVER By Rita Lang for Focus On Fashion Retail

KARDASHIAN

Fashion Entrepreneur: Rise to Success Television made her famous. Hard work made her successful. Some might say that Kim Kardashian came about her fame and success without having to lift a ﬁnger. Perhaps she was just born to the right people in the right place. Perhaps she just knew the right people and had the perfect body that she was just automatically given a place among the best of them. This is not so. It is true that Kim Kardashian was born to already successful parents, her father, Robert Kardashian was an attorney, her mother, Kris Kardashian, owned a children’s boutique shop. It is not true that her success came to her effortlessly. In her early years, Kim, along with the rest of her siblings were raised in church. Their family had a rule that once someone reached the age of 18, living off the family dime was no longer an option. However while it was an option, the family had many opportunities to travel the world. Kim Kardashian began working at her father’s company while attending a Catholic girl’s high school. When her father died of cancer in 2003, the corporation was left to her and her siblings. “If we wanted to keep it, we had to work hard for it.” Kim told E Insiders. Kim also stated that the hardest thing she ever had to do was speak at her father’s funeral. Kim’s real rise to success as a fashion entrepreneur began in 2004 when she was hired as personal stylist to R&B singer Brandy, who had just been voted “worst dressed celebrity”. It was Kim’s task to make a new image for Brandy, one which she did well. Also at this time, Kim worked as personal shopper to Lindsay Lohan, earning her the label “compulsive shopper” by ex-husband Damon Thomas. On July 28th 2006, Kim Kardashian, along with her sisters Kloe and Kourtney, opened their ﬁrst clothing store DASH in California. The store sells bras, clothing and accessories from a variety of labels. They have since opened 2 more branches, one in New York and the second in Miami. Kim reported to celebuzz. com on June 26th 2012, that DASH is now looking to open a branch in LA. In 2008 Kim Kardashian appeared in Cycle 13 of America’s next top model. In March 2009, Kardashian launched her endorsement with Shoedazzle shopping, where she is the co-founder and chief fashion stylist. In September 2009, Kardashian was the face of a campaign called “Kiss Away Poverty”, launched by Fusion Beauty and the Seven Bar Foundation. With this campaign Kim helped to fund women entrepreneurs in the US. Women very much like her. © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

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In 2010 Kardashian released her own fragrance. Something she informed celebuzz.com was inspired by her mother. To add another notch to her success belt, Kim Kardashian has been featured in numerous editions of FHM, which includes Australia’s April 2010 cover, and the cover of Uk’s March 2011 edition. 2010 also held the production of a jewelry collection called Virgens, Saints, and Angels; a collection made my Kim and her sisters Kloe and Kourtney. Then again with her sisters, the Kardashian’s released various clothing lines, K-Dash to be sold on QVC. In the same year they produced a line for Bebe. Then in 2011 Kim Kardashian helped create another line for Sears called the Kardashian Kollection. On top of that, in 2010 the Kardashian sisters created a sunless tanner which they called Kardashian Glamour Tan. From all this we can see how successful Kim Kardashian has become. There is no doubt in our minds that she has worked hard to earn her $6 million dollar lifestyle. However we are still left to wonder if perhaps her fame had anything to do with her success. Looking back to Kim Kardashian’s younger days, it is discovered that she was very close to Paris Hilton, in fact, they were pre-school classmates. Their friendship lasted long enough to draw Kim into the Hollywood socialite circles. Now Paris Hilton herself claims that she is the reason for Kardashian’s fame and success. What about the sex tape that was leaked into the public and then released by Vivid. Kim Kardashian put a lawsuit on them for using the tape without her permission, then later she lifted the lawsuit and pocketed $5 million in the process. In December 2007 Kardashian takes it all off and exposes herself to the world, willingly, as she poses in Playboy. She then went on to play a role as a bouncer in the 2009 porn ﬁlm spoof Deep in the Valley. Was she selling her body for fame? When it came to Kim Kardashian’s short marriage to Humphries, several news outlets had surmised that the wedding had all been a show. A stunt put on by Kim Kardashian to make more money, receive more fame for her family brand. In fact Kim’s own publicist claimed that it was a ploy to make money. Of course Kim ﬁled a suit against him claiming his claims were untrue. Clearly Kim Kardashian isn’t as perfect as we’d like to think. However, she is still a very successful fashion entrepreneur. She does work hard; whether it’s by promoting herself or her product she will continue to be successful. August 2012

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FASHION TRENDS Nicole Miller

Vera Wang

Marc By Marc Jacobs

Styles Wrap-around coats tuxedo styles, fur collars, drainpipe slacks, and narrow long skirts. Tunic tops that wrap around in layers. Baggy woolen double-breasted coats with stand-up collars; wide sleeves and padded shoulders. Oversized blazers, flared short jackets, plain tunics and mini-dresses with belts and button facings, mini and balloon skirts. Pants are stretchable with slim silhouette.

Mac Dugan

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Fossil

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Fossil

2012

Styles Print shirts, boot-cut trousers, and denim combinations. Bright-colored parkas, zipped lumbers, duffle coats, coats with stand-up collars, leather coats in blazer styles, blousons with materialsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mixtures, slim wool vests, tuxedo types with contrasting lapels, double-breasted designs; checkered jackets worn with slim short trousers, wide trousers, checkered leather pants; shirts with color blocks, bright spots, T-shirts with baroque prints. Knits in bright single colors with structured color blocks, checkers; cardigans with contrasting colors, round and V-necks.

obs

2013

Fossil

Speroni

Joseph Abboud

Marc By Marc Jacobs

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J. Crew

August 2012

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Shoes • Lace-up boots and shoes • Shoes with details in gold and multicolored gemstones • Belts with colorful gemstones and fur details • Oxfords and sporty wedges with high heel • Boxy Bags • Bags made out of embossed leather and snakeskin designs, exotic leathers • Bags with gold and decorative gemstones, multi-colored • Fur bags and bags with fur trimmings • Elegant pearl and diamond jewelry BCBG Max Azria

Tommy Hilfiger

Nepali by TDM Design

Calvin Klein

Marino Fabiani

Twice Farbod Barsum

Fabrics Silk and wool, satin, lace, jacquards with reliefs, velvet, hairy and furry materials, oxidized coatings, lacquer, leather, embroideries with foil and mirror effects, sequins. Double sided hairy wool, colorful combinations of various materials at once, crêpe de chine, dense jersey and double knits, piques, geometric embroideries, crochet and optical patchwork. 8

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August 2012

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Clara Kasavina Ralph Lauren

Royale Safari Collection by Thale Blanc

Michael Kors

Parlanti

Designs Stardust designs with mirror, light and foils effects; feather, paisleys and tapestries patterns. Coarse stripes, tweed checkers, dots, geometric patterns, color blocks, colorful stains.

Moda Di Fausto

Casadei

Giovanni Fabiani

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Designs The theme thrives on single-colors and material mixes, complemented by masculine wool and needle stripes, checks, micro and tie designs, digitalized masculine wool fabrics, grainy leather, structures, fur, micro patterns. Needle and regiment stripes, shadow and blanket checks, dark tartans, graphic prints and color blocks.

Colors Dark colors: black, sepia and brown shades with red and honey accents, various light effects. Other popular colors: red, pumpkin, maize, pea, oil, purple, cobalt blue, sand, brown, gray, black, cement and white. Nero Giardini

Fabrics Colorful wool with double-sided prints, stretchable fabrics, coated denims, smooth leather (nappa). Montblanc

Gucci

La Maison franco PIANEGONA

Rossi

Rock & Republic For Kohl’s

Madaf

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Colors Dark nocturnal tones of blue, green, gray, burgundy. Bright colors of orange, green, cobalt blue, gold, copper, red or neutral shades, like ecru.

Invitto

Cerutti

Farbod Barsum

Vicini Lacoste Betsey Johnson

Diane Von Furstenberg

Leviâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Manas

Jeannot

Taccetti

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Jesssica Grant

August 2012

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TRENDS FORECAST

FASHION ECONOMIC TRENDS Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana; Data processing and analysis by Marco Ricchetti based on information avaliable on 06.10.2012

The victory of pro-European parties in the Greek The Italian Fashion Industry: elections has temporarily removed the fear for a spread Key Figures 2009 2010 2011 2008 (textiles, clothing, leather, 2012 of financial panic in the already weak and recessionary leathergoods, footwear) Forcast European markets. Turnover (mln €) 60.491 56.524 60.198 63.809 66.498 The year 2011 closed slightly better than expected for % change -5,2% the italian fashion industry, leading to a +6% y/y growth -15,0% 6,5% 6,0% -4,0% Export (mln €) 41.283 in turnover, underpinned by good results in November and 33.093 37.339 42.604 40.544 December, when the 2010-2011 increase in raw material % change -3,1% -18,4% 11,1% 14,1% -3,7% prices were eventually passed on industrial prices. Import (mln €) 29.441 21.842 25.060 28.655 24.609 2012 however, began in a clearly negative mood. In the % change 2,7% -11,2% 14,7% 14,3% -2,4% first quarter of the year the turnover decreased by -3.2% Net Export (mln €) 11.842 11.175 11.790 13.949 15.935 compared to first quarter 2011, with both upstream (-5.3%) Production (var. %) -12,5% 6,5% -6,6% -1,9% and downstream sectors (clothing, leather goods, footwear Employment (.000) 698 685 654 775 -2.3%) declining. No. of Enterprises around 70,000 The negative figures in the first quarter average two trends. On one hand the export performance (+5%) was still good, despite the extreme weakness of European markets (+0%) offset by a Compared to our January 2012 forecast the economic fundamentals brilliant record in extra-euro markets - mainly in the BRIC (Russia and China have not experienced any significant change. Thus,we maintain the forecast in particular). On the other hand the domestic, Italian and European, markets of a turnover decline by -5.2% y/y. The fashion industry will get to were stagnating or recessionary. the bottom of the short term cycle in the third quarter with amplified The weakening of the euro exchange rate will support export to markets movement in the upstream sectors. Signs of the recovery will show up in outside the EU in the coming months, but will not prevent further decline in the fourth quarter, that nontheless will remain negative in comparison to the 2012 turnover. the same quarter of 2011 .

A Snapshot Of The Current Situation In The Fashion Industry TURNOVER FIGURES TURNED NEGATIVE The economic trend of Italian fashion industry. (*) % change on the same period IN 1Q2012 IN BOTH UPSTREAM AND of the previous year. (Production figures are adjusted to the number of working days) DOWNSTREAM SECTORS. PRODUCTION TURNOVER PRODUCTION VOLUMES STILL DOWN Downstream Upstream Upstream Downstream Fashion In the last two months of 2011 the expected Fashion average average freezing in sales did not occur, leading to annual figures slightly better than expected. In November -3,9% 16,3% 7,7% 2010 Q4 12,0% 14,6% -0.7% and December, sales in downstream sectors have 3,0% 4,1% 12,2% y/y 10/09 10,7% 6,1% 5,4% in fact grown by 3.5%, underpinned by the increase -8,3% 4,1% 3,4% 2011 Q1 15,4% 7,1% -5,0% in industrial prices lifted up by the eventual transfer -2,3% 13,9% -4,5% 2011 Q2 7,3% 11,3% -2,9% on industrial prices of the 2010-2011 growth in raw -17,5% 6,4% -5,2% 2011 Q3 3,3% 5,6% -14,2% material costs. -1,7% 3,5% -14,9% 2011 Q4 -5,0% 0,2% In the upstream sectors, on the other hand the end -5,6% if 2011 was in line with the negative expectations, the -7,1% 6,5% -5,3% y/y 11/10 4,9% 6,0% -6,6% turnover went down by 5% in the last quarter. -9,3% -2,3% -11,5% 2012 Q1 -5,3% -3,2% -10,0% In general, production volumes kept on decreasing (*) Upstream = Textiles; Downstream = Apparel, Leather accessories, Shoes - Source: calc. on ISTAT data throughout 2011 . In the first quarter production volumes decline got larger with a very The slowdown in downstream sectors sales was just delayed, by just one quarter, as first quarter 2012 figures were negative (-2.3%). Upstream’s negative impact in downstream sectors (-9.3%). April 2012, is the eighteenth were negative (-5,3%) as well, resulting in a fashion industry overall turnover consecutive month of declining production for the fashion industry as a whole. decrease of -3.2%, compared to the same quarter of 2011.

Domestic consumption and external trade CONSUMPTION STILL WEAK IN ITALY AND ACROSS EUROPE BUT GROWING IN THE US AND CHINA The general consumption of Italian households declined in the first quarter of 2012 (-0.2% y/y at current prices and -1.1% net from prices growth), the decline has intensified in April (-2,5% y/y at current prices and -4% deflated). The trend in clothing and footwear is in line with the general consumption performances, as in the first quarter retil sales of fashion went down by -0,1 at current prices and by -1,1% net from prices growth. Figures for april were even worse: -1.8% and -4.1% respectively. The performance in the other European countries looks very similar. 12

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Retail sales of clothing and footwear were stagnant in Germany (+0.1 at current prices) and in the United Kingdom (+0.9) in the first four months of 2012, but declined in April in both countries. Spain scored a sharp decrease (-10%). Among the Key European markets only France showed growing sales of clothing and footwear (+6%) in the first quarter. In the U.S. retail sales of clothing and accessories kept the pace, +7% at current prices in the first 4 months of the year. The chinese market remains buoyant, even though slowing down slightly. According to the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics, sales in stores specializing in clothing and footwear across country went up by +16.2% in the first 4 months of 2012. © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

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FOREIGN TRADE: EXPORTS STILL POSITIVE BUTSLOWING DOWN DUE TO THE WEAKNESS OF THE EUROPEAN MARKET. THE TRADE BALANCE IMPROVES In the first quarter of 2012 exports grew by 5%, slowing down in comparison to the growth rate of thesecond half of 2011. The differences by sector and geographical markets were substantial. The textile industry has

suffered from a decline of 1,8% due to the bad performance of European markets (-4.5%) that still account for more than half of the exports. Clothing has suffered a setback in EU markets (+0.7%), but scored very well outside the EU (+9.7%). Exports of leathergoods and footwear were close to +10%, with extra-UE markets up to +17%. The weakness of the internal market led on the other hand to a fall in imports (-12.9). The overall trade balance improved.

Top export markets for the Italian fashion industry - Jan-Mar 2011, mln Euro and % change Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Country

TEXTILES

Germany France Romania Spain Hong Kong Tunisia UK USA Turkey China EU 27 extra EU 27 WORLD

mln €

% change Country

117,8 81,1 71,7 48,9 44,9 40,4 35,1 34,9 33,1 32,4 540,1 373,5 913,6

-7,1% -9,9% 4,0% -0,9% 0,3% -6,7% -1,3% 12,1% -0,8% 9,0% -4,5% 2,5% -1,8%

CLOTHING

Germany France Switzerland Russia Spain USA UK Hong Kong Japan Netherlands EU 27 extra EU 27 WORLD

LEATHER GOODS-FOOTWEAR

TOTAL FASHION

mln €

% change Country

mln €

% change Country

mln €

% change

1.776,0 1.361,0 1.051,2 988,5 803,7 871,6 823,3 677,4 575,7 436,9 778,0 723,6 1.501,6

8,5% 13,3% 20,9% 17,2% 3,4% 12,6% 8,5% 37,9% 14,0% 11,0% 0,7% 9,7% 4,9%

208,1 132,5 118,6 101,1 97,6 86,5 71,8 65,4 55,2 49,5 770,7 792,2 1.562,9

17,7% 9,2% -7,0% 17,2% 21,5% 19,5% -4,5% 6,1% 26,9% -3,3% 2,8% 17,0% 9,5%

470,9 355,4 244,1 228,8 226,1 221,6 218,4 178,7 140,8 125,5 2.088,8 1.889,3 3.978,1

6,4% -5,9% 3,7% 14,7% 3-0,4% 19,5% 11,9% 7,4% -0,8% 1,0% 0,0% 11,1% 5,0%

France Switzerland Germany USA Hong Kong Russia Spain UK Japan Romania EU 27 extra EU 27 WORLD

France Germany Switzerland Russia Spain USA Hong Kong UK Romania Japan EU 27 extra EU 27 WORLD

Source: ISTAT

External Trade of the Italian fashion industry (2011-2012) mln €

Import

Textiles clothing 1.735 Leathergoods & footwear 828 Fashion industry 2.563

2011 Jan-Mar Export

Net Export

Import

2.362 1.427 3.789

627 599 1.226

1.517 716 2.234

2012 Jan-Mar

Var %

Export

Net Export

Import

Net Export

2.415 1.563 3.978

898 847 1.745

-12,6% 2,2% -13,5% 9,5% -12,9% 5,0%

Source: calc on ISTAT

BRIC watch BRIC economies will slow down in 201 2 and 2103 compared to previous years. It would be however a mistake to infer that their driving force for the world economy will ebb away. Chinese slowdown is in line with the predictions of the Government fiveyear plan. The lower growth rates applies however to volumes of activity much greater than in the past. To put it in context, a growth rate of around 8% increase in the Chinese GDP produces an increase in GDP equal to the total yearly GDP of Greece. Moreover considering that the lower Chinese growth rate is the result of weaker exports offset by a stronger growth in domestic consumption we get good news for the Italian fashion industry. The switch in favour to domestic consumption is an epoch making change very favorable and not unfavorable to the Italian fashion.

India and Brazil are facing some structural modernization related problems in the short term, that are fueling inflation and the risk of a fiscal crisis. National economic policy tools, however have the power to bring the two countries back to significant growth rates in the coming years. As for Russia, the continuing high prices of energy commodities exported by the Country will remain a strong engine and will keep the growth potential high.

GDP growth forecast 2012-2013 for BRIC countries and world economy Source: Ernst & Young (April 2012)

CHINA INDIA BRAZIL RUSSIA EUROPE EUROZONE WORLD

2012

2013

8,4 6,1 3,1 4,0 1,2 -0,3 3,3

8,8 8,5 5,0 3,3 1,8 1,0 3,7

Forecast KEY FACTORS IN THE SCENARIO The macroeconomic framework points to a 2012 recession in Europe. Forecasts for the 5 major EU countries are bleak: declining GDP for Italy and Spain, and stagnation with growth of less than 1% for the other three (Germany, France and UK), domestic demand and consumption will be negatively affected troughout Europe. 2012 forecast for extra-EU G10 economies remain on the other hand more favourable: +2% both in Japan and the U.S., +5.5% on average in the emerging Countries. On the domestic market, the “Decreto Sviluppo” submitted by the Italian is unlikely to have any appreciable effect in2012 and concerted actions at European level or within the G20 that can be adopted in the next weeks will not generate measurable effects before the end of the year, even though, they can prove crucial to improve the climate among financial operators and thus to escape further shocks in the next months. © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

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The year 2012 will thus be dominated by a recessive trend. The downturn, however, will not be as dramatic as in 2008-09 when it was synchronized at global level, while the recession will primarily hit Europe in 2012, with USA, Japan and BRIC Countries playing a balancing role. THE 2012 OUTLOOK FOR THE ITALIAN FASHION INDUSTRY The Italian fashion industry turnover will decline by 5.2% in 2012. The cycle profile will touch the lowest point in the third quarter. Assuming no further shocks, a more growth oriented attitude at European level and an Euro exchange rate relatively weak, signs of the recovery will show up in the fourth quarter, that nonetheless will remain negative in comparision to the same quarter of 2011 . Downstream sectors performance will be better in comparison to the upstreams’ whose turnover fall will be in the range of double digits in 2012 compared to 2011 . August 2012

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FASHION TRENDS

Sebastian Ellrich

2013

For SS13 the runways teemed with luxurious satin, technical fabrics or and of course cotton bomber jackets. The silhouettes differed too, from puffy to minimalist.

Minx by Eva Lutz

Summer begs for prints, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re bright and fun. For the season, stripes have been re-polished: forget gondolier or French Riviera sailor styles, stripes take on a whole new, modern feel. The floral print trend continues, as does the foulard print, but with a twist of patchwork, paper or postcard prints work too. Sector Diane Von Furstenberg Hugo by Hugo Boss

s t m s

Irina Schrotter

Guido Maria Kretschmer

August 2012

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Laurel Cristiano Burani

Jennifer Fisher

Shorts! The seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trousers have one definite silhouette, carrot shaped leg and high waist. Perhaps not as commercial as other seasons, this new trouser is a welcome breath of fresh air from those low-slung pants men everywhere continue to wear. No less comfortable, as the slouchy fit is still a must, the new, casual look is a valid alternative. Michalsky

Kilian Kerner

Irene Luft

Swatch

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Knitted Polo shirts. T-shirts are clean, basic and thoroughly natural items of clothing. Slouchy, oversize and rigorously made of linen or cotton, the new t-shirt is a welcome return to basics.

Diane Von Furstenberg

Twinkle toes! Sandals are back with a vengeance. From modern gladiators to fishermenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strappy sandals are the must have accessory for SS13. In available in a variety of finishes and colors, they look great with the new carrot trousers and shorts Note: SS 13 runway images from the Mecedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin, July 2012. SWIMS Miranda Konstantinidou Sector Swatch Andy Wolf Eyewear Superate

Rocket Dog

Leitmotiv

SWIMS

August 2012

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erg

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E N T R E P R E N E U R O F TH E MO NTH

5 Business Lessons from Ferruccio Lamborghini Look at what others are not doing with their products and perfecting it.

e was a man from the country, a lover of fast cars, a sober businessman and a visionary at one and the same time. Ferruccio Lamborghini (1916 – 1993), the founder of the sports car brand, is regarded as being one of the great Italian entrepreneurial personalities of the 20th century and as a person with many facets: a man as fascinating as his cars. Everyone seems to have a different story about why he started his car company, but Lamborghini summed up what a businessperson should be in one famous quote about himself, “A normal chap, a man who likes creating things. A good worker in the morning, and a man who likes enjoying himself in the afternoon.”

Lesson 1: Do What You Love Lamborghini knew that he could make equipment that the farmers needed because he grew up in that environment, worked on his family farm and loved taking things apart to learn how they worked. He noticed that the army had a lot of surplus equipment and he knew how to tear this equipment apart to make them into something that the farmers could use in the fields, a tractor. The great thing about it was that he loved to do things like this. While on his honeymoon, he spotted a lot of military equipment that was just being destroyed and scrapped. The idea came to him when he was supposed to be enjoying the first days of his marriage, but he was

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so excited, he cut his honeymoon short, bought all the equipment he could afford and brought them both back home. There he set up a tractor business out of a garage and built a tractor for his parents out of one of the old pieces of military hardware. Many of the local farmers came to him asking him if he could build a tractor for them out of the same surplus machinery and in 1948 he started his tractor business. He found that he could design and built a tractor out of different parts within 30 days. This is when he began Lamborghini Tractori. After a few years, Lamborghini could afford to buy all the raw materials to build a tractor with his own name and from the ground up. “After selling several rebuilt tractors, I was able to start buying materials to build and design my own tractors,” Lamborghini said.

By the mid-1950s, Lamborghini was the largest agricultural equipment builder in Italy. His black and white tractors were on almost every farm in Italy. By 1959, he was looking at expanding his business into other industries. He noticed that heating and air conditioning was also a need. Since it was machinery, he knew he could come up with something himself. He was fascinated by how this equipment worked, so he went out and learned everything he could about heating and airconditioning systems. That same year, Lamborghini added a production line to his factory so they could start manufacturing burners and airconditioning units. “Look at what others are not doing with their products and perfect it,” he would later say about expanding into this industry. No matter what Lamborghini decided to build, he would first learn how it worked, just like he did with the equipment on the farm growing up. He wanted to take it all apart, learn what made it do what it did and then make it better. The love of machinery was what started him out in business, but it also made him one of Italy’s richest entrepreneurs.

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Lesson 2: Produce What People Need

perform better, so he started his automobile manufacturing facility.

Lamborghini had the ability to take parts from different pieces of equipment and make something useful. “I started by building a tractor for my parents farm out of old war surplus vehicles I brought home,” he said. He saw that his parents needed a piece of equipment that could help them on the farm and he knew how to build one. After the local farmers saw the tractor he built for his parents, they came to him. After the tractor business became successful, he turned his interest toward other industries.

He listened to all the people who had owned other luxury cars and slowly started implementing those concerns into his first automobile design. He used the ideas that his engineers had about the twin cylinder heads and used that to design the first Lamborghini, which was the 350GT.

“Lamborghini Trattori was completely self-sufficient, so I turned my interests to other industries,” Lamborghini would say about expanding his business. This is when he started looking for other things to build. He started with burners for heating the home and air-conditioning systems, then tried to get into building helicopters, but the Italian government prevented him from doing that. As his wealth grew, he started buying luxury sports cars. He always loved racing and luxury cars, even going as far as retrofitting Fiats after the war as a hobby. However, none of the luxury cars were up to his standards. Something was always wrong with them. Since he could not build helicopters, which was his biggest passion, he turned to his next passion, sports cars. According to Lamborghini, he would have never gotten into building highperformance automobiles if Enzo Ferrari would have just listened to him. Lamborghini kept taking his Ferrari back in to get fixed, but they never fixed the problem. “I went to Maranello regularly to have a clutch rebuilt or renewed, and every time, the car was taken away for several hours and I was not allowed to watch them repairing it. The problem with the clutch was never cured,” he said. Lamborghini knew most of the Italian businessmen, he was already a multimillionaire, so he went directly to Enzo about his concerns, but, according to legend, Enzo threw him out. Now Lamborghini knew that people buying these automobiles wanted better performing cars, so he saw a need and fulfilled it. He began by tearing his Ferrari apart and fixing the car at his tractor plant. He put in a new clutch, one he used for his tractors and rebuilt other parts of the automobile. Again, people took notice and started asking him questions. They went as far as asking whether he could do the same © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

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to their cars and in 1962, he founded Automobili Lamborghini. The first Lamborghini rolled off the assembly line in 1964. Lamborghini had a sixth sense when it came to what people wanted, it happened to be the same things he wanted: quality, power and luxury.

Lesson 3: Remain Approachable After his meeting with Ferrari about the problems he was having with the clutch, Lamborghini was so frustrated that he decided to build his own luxury sports car out of spite. According to Lamborghini that encounter made him want to prove a point. “This was the point when I finally decided to make a perfect car,” he said. This is when he took his Ferrari automobile back to his tractor plant and started correcting all the problems he thought it had.

As his first automobile design started to take shape, he was looking for an emblem and name for the cars he would be building. Lamborghini would visit a local ranch that raised bulls for bullfighting owned by Don Eduardo Miura. He was so fascinated and impressed by the Miura bulls that he decided to use a raging bull for the emblem of his automobile company. He even went as far as naming the third car he produced the Lamborghini Miura. By the time the fourth Lamborghini Miura automobile was built, Lamborghini asked Don Eduardo if he could unveil the new car at his bull ranch in Seville. Miura was so proud that Lamborghini named his cars after his family that he jumped at the chance. It started a relationship that would cause Lamborghini to continue to name most of his production cars after bulls and even today, you can find many of the models named after bulls or associated with bullfighting. Throughout Lamborghini’s life he always welcomed people into his office or home with grace and courtesy. He would listen to their ideas, concerns and then use them to create something. He believed that there were a lot of good ideas out there, but no one chose to find them and then perfect them. One reporter that interviewed him toward the end of his life stated, “Lamborghini is the nicest person I have ever met, I was surprised by that from a man of his stature and legend.”

As time went by that year, many engineers approached him and he listened to them, but he was a mechanic himself, so he knew what to do. As he started retrofitting his own car, he discovered that he could use a lot of the same parts he used for his tractors. He started by putting a bigger clutch in and then switched the cylinder heads to twin cylinder heads he had designed for his tractors.

Set Yourself Apart From the Competition

He would later find out that using his tractor parts to build high-performance sports cars would be extremely profitable. He could make three to four times as much money if he used parts that he had already designed. His engineers had already done most of the work and people were already asking him what he had done to his car to make it

Lamborghini was a perfectionist in most ways. He wanted his customers to be pleased with their decision to buy his products. After he decided to start making luxury sports cars to compete with Ferrari, Mercedes and others, he spent a lot of time making his new cars look different, perform better and be more luxurious on the inside. “Luxury

Lesson 4:

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E N T R E P R E N E U R O F TH E MO NTH

If you have attended any of the shows listedbelow and would like to submit your opinion, please do so according to these rules: As a service to our worldwide audience, Focus on Fashion Retail regularly conducts surveys to • Rate the shows you have attended on the scale of 1 sports cars did not offer with whatthe people werefootwear, wanting apparel pointand to Enzo Ferrari trade or not, but many them through and bigger, he was it came to determine satisfaction various accessories shows and toofrank 10, where 1 is still awfulhands-on and 10 is when awesome; or for,favorites. so I concentrated what people so. affiliated with any trade show, we • You choosing engineers. times workers would must identify yourselfMany (see opposite side); ourpaying readers’ Being an on independent mediathought outlet not really wanted from a high-performance sports car,” find him walking the factory floor or even jumping believe that peoples’ opinion must be heard, it adds up to Being the value of our was services as well different a good thingastoserves Lambo-• Your opinion must be fair and objective; he in must to help assembleobserver, the products that carried You be them an independent not employed thesaid. needs of the industry. rghini. Throughout his business career, he thought• by notname. affiliated withworker any trade show; his One even commented that he The innovations and differences between that separating himself from his competition was• Please rate only those events that you have attended would find out who the new employees were and As always, in the closing were issue of the year (November) we will be announcing and reviewing the TOP 10 Lamborghini’s products within last 6 months. spend time with them showing TRADE SHOWSjust of 2011. not restricted to hisFor newthat purpose, we will be conducting this survey throughout the year, offering Upon completion, please send this form to FFR. Your personal them how he wanted things to rate performance of various venture in luxury sports cars. shows. Events collected the maximum score will make it to the final list. information will not be disclosed, nor shared with anybody. done.

YOUR OPINION COUNTS !

Lamborghini tractors were also set apart from their competition. He had some of the Atlanta first tractors that Market offered Apparel four-wheel drive by 1962 and BIFF & BIL Bangkok International Fashion Fair in 1966, Lamborghini Tractori Bread came out with a synchro& Butter nized transmission that was Dallas Apparel & Accessories Market considered high-tech back Apparel & Accessory Market then.Denver He was the only one making major technological ENKNYC changes to his products.

Show

Organization, Planning, Promotion

Attendance, Traffic

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At Automobili LamFAME borghini, he was doing the Accessories Show sameFocusthing. Apparel Refining &the interior, as well as upgrading Francal the engine, clutch and other Kong Fashion Week partsHong of his automobiles to separate his vehicles from the Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem competition. He centered the LA and KIDS MARKET engine instead of placing it inLe theCube vehicle the way Ferrari,Mercedes-Benz Maserati and others were Fashion Week installing the engine, he set it Mercedes-Benz in sideways. This madeFashion more Week Swim room in the cab of the autoMess Around mobile. At the 1966 EuroModahisUomo peanMilano auto show, Lamborghini automobile raves Mode à Paris- got Haute Couture from the critics, even though Mr. Brown he still had not put an engine MRket in the car. New York

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the way to move forward and be successful. Well, that philosophy proved true. Many farmers covet a Lamborghini tractor and the Lamborghini automobile is something that everyone thinks they should own to show they are successful.

Lesson 5: Hire the Best

This slowed down production, but he thought SELECT- The Contemporary Trade Show it was essential to setting his cars apart from the He had a sense of what was wrong with the Shoe Market of the Americas competition and this is exactly what(SMOTA) it did. Out cars he owned and was certain that he could make of everything he taught his young engineers, the them better, but he also knew he needed help. SwimShow one thing most of them commented about was When it came to hiring people, he wanted only AtlantatoFashion ShoeHis & Accessory Market thatThe he wanted be different. cars, tractors, the very best. He would interview them personally burners air-conditioners were Shoe, better than his & and The and Metropolitan New York Apparel Accessories only he would make a decision on whom to Market (B&STA) competitions. When it came to the automobiles he hire. This was true for his tractor company as well. produced, this York seemed to run truer. No one is sure The New Shoe Expo (FFANY) Even as the Lamborghini Tractori got bigger whether it was because he was trying to prove a Transit- The Los Angeles Shoe Show

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Cost of

Value for

This was truer with the enattending/ your exhibiting business gineers and quality control staff, but it was not limited to those departments. When he built his first automobile manufacturing plant, he built the management offices close by so his management team could walk over to the production floor and see what was going on everyday. “I knew what I needed to do to the automobile I wanted to build, but needed the best workers to help me, like I had for my tractors,” he said. This was true for his heating and air-conditioning company, as well as all the businesses he would eventually start. Later in life, he went back to his roots and began raising grapes and producing wine. Even there he had the best farmers and wine makers working for him. When it came to golf courses, which he got into after he retired, he spent a lot of time looking at golf courses around the world. He knew what he wanted, but always hired the best to help him carry out his ideas.

Pitti Uomo TheImagine interior was superi-

or toPitti anyImmagine other luxury sports Bimbo cars and the design was breathtaking, one automoPitti W Woman bile magazine would later say. Lamborghini prided Premiere himself on notClasse only being different, but also being Premium better. HisDusseldorf products were the best. He also believed the Automobili Lamborghini had to have morePremium choices. Men “Personally I thought it important to launch a new car every year to show that we Private were still here and very active,” he would say.

Services offered at the show

Out of all the things he accomplished in his life, he always pointed out that there were people around him that were good workers, as well as smart. “I had the luxury of working with some very good engineers. They listened to my ideas, then built what I wanted to my specifications every time,” he would later say. The mark of a successful businessperson is having the knowledge that they need good people around them to help them succeed. Having confidence in the people who work for you and trust that they will do things right is extremely important to operating a business. Lamborghini knew this and worked hard to find these people. Since his products have reached legendary status, you would have to say he accomplished his goal. Reprinted with permission from www.evancarmichael.com © Focus FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail © FFROn Fashion RetailUNEU

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M A N A GE M E N T

4 Rules That Will Change Rulers by Jay Deragon

hile many managers know the organization can’t survive without understanding the “rules” many more don’t understand you can no longer manage by your rules. The rules and rulers have changed. It is one thing when the rules change but it is entirely different when the rulers change.

The business environment is less forgiving. The pace of change is accelerating, ultra low-cost competitors are beating old high cost legacy systems, knowledge has become a commodity and is rapidly increasing customer power, and an ever-lengthening menu of social demands. Traditional management models that emphasize optimization over innovation, and continuity over change, simply can’t cope with a less forgiving and impatient marketplace of buyers. New web-based collaboration tools are replacing formal hierarchy. For the first time since the pyramids were built, human beings have a new way of managing themselves, via online, distributed networks. New workforce expectations will reshape work environments in the years ahead. If you’re part of the first generation to grow up on the Web, you don’t think of the Internet as something “out there”—as a tool you use to reserve a hotel room, buy a book, or rekindle an old flame. Rather, the Web is something you’re perpetually in; it’s as ubiquitous and transparent as water to fish. As a digital native, the Web is the operating system for your life, the indispensable and unremarkable means by which you learn, play, share, flirt, and connect. The experience of growing up online will profoundly shape the workplace expectations of the workforce of the future, which is today.

Luxury and Leisure A in the 2012 “Brand K F

ive years ago, when retailers were sent spiraling from the economic downturn, only 8% of US apparel buyers felt fashion brands and logos were of increasing importance when it came to differentiating their wardrobes. However, in the following years Brand Keys consumer research tells a very different story, especially as to how consumers are making their fashion buying decisions.

ar a bu im

Since 2008, the importance of brand names has consistently increased, standing in 2012 at 29%, more than tripling in importance over four years. And consumer expectations continue to rise as shoppers increasingly seek uniqueness in their choice of fashion brands. Taking the top spot is Ralph Lauren / Polo, followed by: one’s favorite sports team, Armani, Nike, and Versace, Chanel, tied for fifth place.

an – im of lo ex

“No matter the category, we see one trend growing – the increasing importance of fashion brands. While it’s true that consumers are not spending recklessly, that very reality is what drives them into the arms of true brands,” said Amy Shea, executive vice president of global brand development for Brand Keys, Inc., the New York-based brand and customer loyalty research consultancy. The more considered a purchase, the greater the role a strong brand plays in the decision making process, especially true in the very personal category of fashion. These research findings are an incredibly accurate measure of this shift, particularly in regard to the brands people see as being more important when it comes time to buy.

Luxury and Leisure, Sharing Space Brand Keys 2012 Fashion Brand Index findings also demonstrate more of a shared space between luxury and leisure apparel. Luxury brands like Versace and Chanel moved up to 5th place from an already respectable showing in the top 10, along with leisure brands like Nike (#4), J. Crew (#7) and Hilfiger (#11). Uniqlo made the list for the first time, in 12th place among male fashion buyers. Another indicator of the importance of couture and casual is Ralph Lauren/Polo, — a brand that does a brilliant job of negotiating both sides of that consumer lifestyle, taking the number one spot among the total audience. This is further indication of the importance brand plays at every level, not just in the luxury space. Clearly differentiated casual apparel brands

The rulers are the many, not the few. The few used to manage the many but because of the change in rules fueled by the web the few are now managed by the many. The many expect the social environment of their work life to reflect the social context of the Web, rather than a mid-twentieth-century management bureaucracy.

If you are a manager or a leader (or think you are) then the sooner you awaken to the not so silent revolution happening before your eyes then the sooner you’d understand the new rule and rulers. Today the thoughts of the marketplace are nothing like your thoughts, and the ways of the marketplace are far beyond anything you could imagine. 22

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re Are Fashion Brand Favorites d Keys Fashion Brand Index”

are in the fashion palate of both men and women today, a trend we expect to continue as the youngest fashion buyers (21-34 year olds) showed the strongest lift in brand importance. “The rising importance of fashion brands generally, and these fashion brands specifically, indicates that value – or the perception of value-via-brand – is of much greater importance to consumers, and ultimately, to the success of fashion brands. It’s not surprising that consumers are looking to brands to make a difference, to meet their expectations, and to delight. In the context of fashion brands, value isn’t just what consumers’ dollars buy, it’s how fashion fits consumers’ lifestyle, self-perception, and expectations. This is especially true in a retail marketplace overflowing in excess of similar products, congruous distribution, and bargain basement pricing,” said Shea. This year’s bottom line? Real brand value and meaning will have more leverage than ever. There are a lot of clothing labels competing out there, but – just like the automotive and consumer electronics categories – retailers are going to be seeing more culling of fashion brands by consumers.

Methodology Since 1996, Brand Keys has annually conducted a national Customer Loyalty Engagement Index survey of leading brands, currently assessing 79 product and service categories. (continued on next page)

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Ralph Lauren/Polo 39% (38%)

Favorite Sports Team 36% (39%)

Armani 34% (32%)

Nike 30% (NA)

Versace 27% (15%) Chanel 27% (16%)

Calvin Klein 26% (25%)

J. Crew 24% (21%) Levis 24% (17%)

Banana Republic 22% (18%)

Burberry 20% (18%)

Dior 19% (15%) YSL 19% (6%)

Hilfiger 18% (13%) Marc Jacobs 18% (8%)

A&F 17% (NA)

Brooks Brothers 16% (10%)

Tom Ford 15% (NA) Donna Karan 15% (13%)

Guess 12% (NA) Juicy 12% (8%) Victoria’s Secret 12% (8%)

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C ON S U M E R BE H AV I O R

The Brand Keys Fashion Top 15 For the total audience of 7,500 men and women, 21 to 65 years of age, who participated in the annual Brand Keys Fashion Brand Index survey, the Fashion 15 – the top-15 fashion brands ranked on an unaided basis (percentages indicate unaided mentions. Percentages in parentheses represent 2011 numbers) were: Men’s Fashion Top 15

Women’s Fashion Top 15

Favorite Sports Team 43% (42%)

Ralph Lauren 41% (41%)

Nike 38% (36%)

Favorite Sports Team 38% (36%)

Ralph Lauren/Polo 36% (35%)

Chanel 36% (32%)

Armani 32% (30%)

Armani 35% (34%)

Tommy Hilfiger 30% (27%)

Versace 33% (30%)

Calvin Klein 29% (28%)

Dior 31% (30%)

A&F 28% (11%)

J. Crew 29% (24%)

Lacoste 21% (23%)

Donna Karan 25% (26%) YSL 25% (11%)

Brooks Bros. 23% (21%) Banana Republic 23% (16%)

Burberry 23% (21%) Calvin Klein 23% (21%)

Levi’s 22% (18%)

J. Crew 19% (18%) Levi’s 19% (16%)

Banana Republic 21% (20%)

Burberry/ Tom Ford

Uniqlo 13% (first time on list)

Guess 19% (16%) Juicy 19% (16%) Victoria’s Secret 19% (16%)

Hugo Boss 12% (10%)

Tory Burch 18% (10%) Kate Spade 18% (10%)

Gucci 10% (14%)

Tom Ford 16% (15%) Marc Jacobs 16% (15%)

Guess 9% (12%)

La Perla 10% (10%)

The survey is conducted among 45,000 men and women, 18 to 65 years of age, with respondents drawn from the nine U.S. Census regions. The majority of interviews are conducted via telephone; 20% of the interviews are conducted via central location intercept so as not to exclude “cell phoneonly” consumers. Nearly 20% of respondents, 7,500 respondents (50:50 Men/Women, aged 21 to 65 years of age) also respond to questions about the value or importance they place on the fashion brands and of the clothing brands and logos they feel are important to them.

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First, the respondents are asked to indicate the importance to them personally of fashion brands, compared to how important they were to them over recent years. The respondent choices are: Much more important; More important; About the same; Less important; or Much less important. Then, on an unaided basis, respondents are asked which brands were more important to them. Source: Brand Keys, Inc., the New York-based brand and customer loyalty research consultancy (www.brandkeys.com).

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A U G U S T

DATE

Los Angeles, CA Las Vegas, NV

Dallas, TX Atlanta, GA

Outdoor Retailer MAX Children’s Shoe Show Fame AccessoriesTheShow Moda Manhattan Accessorie Circuit Intermezzo Collections Children's Club Children's Club LAZR Tradeshow ENKWSA Atlanta Apparel Market STYLEMAX Kidz at STYLEMAX Chicago Collective Premium Order Transit- The Los Angeles Shoe Show Dallas Apparel & Accessories Market The Atlanta Shoe Market- TASM

2-5

4-5

5-7

7-9

13-15

7-9

9-13

11-13

11-14

13-15

16-19

17-19

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid The Ledge/ London Central/ London Axe China International Footwear Fair (CIFF)

2-4

4-6

Sapica

29-1

SIMM- Madrid Fashion Week

Australian Shoe Fair

26-28

1-3

Denver Apparel & Accessory Market

24-27

31-4

MRket LV

Pool Trade Show

21-23

MAGIC

21-23

Moda Las Vegas

Project

21-23

AccessoriesTheShow

FN Platform

21-23

Las Vegas, NV

WomensWear In Nevada- WWIN

20-23

21-23

Las Vegas, NV

KIDShow

20-22

Las Vegas, NV

Shanghai, China

London, UK

Madrid, Spain

Leon, Mexico

Melbourne, Australia

Denver, CO

Las Vegas, NV

OFFPRICE show ENKVegas

19-22

20-22

Los Angeles, CA

Munich, Germany

Chicago, IL

Atlanta, GA

New York, NY

Chicago, IL

Salt Lake City, UT

New York, NY

The New York Shoe Expo (FFANY)

1-3

Long Beach, CA

Agenda Trade Show

LOCATION

1-2

EVENT

Fashion Show

852-2827-6211

44-0-116 289-8249

44-20-7886-3000

N/A

(477) 152-9000

613-9654-7773

(303) 292-6278

(212) 686-4412

(877) 554-4834

(818) 593-5000

(212) 951-6654

(818) 593-5000

(702) 436-4081

(305) 598-7019

(212) 759-8055

(262) 782-1600

(706) 923-0580

(214) 675-2176

(213) 630-3616

49 (0) 30-629-0850

(312) 527-7904

(312) 527-7759

(312) 527-7750

(404) 220-3000

(818) 379-9400

(310) 402-0046

(212) 759-8055

(212) 686-4412

(954) 254-6114

(312) 527-7759

(212) 751-6422

(213) 223-5111

PHONE

www.ciffchina.com

www.londonedge.com

www.semanamoda.ifema.es

www.mercedesbenzfashionweekmadrid.com

www.sapica.com

www.aec.net.au

www.denvermart.com

www.mrketshow.com

www.modamanhattan.com

www.accessoriestheshow.com

www.pooltradeshow.com

www.magiconline.com

www.projectshow.com

www.fnplatform.com

www.lingerieshow.cc

www.enkshows.com

www.offpriceshow.com

www.atlantashoemarket.com

www.dallasmarketcenter.com

www.californiamarketcenter.com

www.premiumexhibitions.com

www.chicagocollectiveonline.com

www.kidzatstylemax.com

www.stylemaxonline.com

www.americasmart.com

www.wsashow.com

www.lazrtradeshow.com

www.enkshows.com

www.modamanhattan.com

www.accessoriestheshow.com

www.fameshows.com

www.kidshoeshows.com

www.outdoorretailer.com

www.ffany.org

www.agendashow.com

WEB SITE

N/A

★★★

N/A

★★

★★★

★★★★

★★★

★★

★★★

★★

★

N/A

★★

★★★

N/A

★★

★★★

★★

★★★

★★

N/A

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★★

FOCUS' RATING

TRADE SHOWS CALENDAR AUGUST - NOVEMBER 2012

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N O V

O C T O B E R

S E P T E M B E R

Chicago, IL Düsseldorf, Germany

Madrid, Spain Hong Kong, China

The Ledge/ London Central/ London Axe China International Footwear Fair (CIFF) Chicago Shoe Expo GDS Intl. Event for Shoes & Accessories SMOTA- The Shoe Market of the Americas Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York Shenzhen International Jewellery Fair MICAM Shoevent MIPEL Milano Moda Donna Fashion Coterie Sole Commerce Fame AccessoriesTheShow Moda Manhattan London Fashion Week Modacalzado + Iberpiel Fashion Access Atlanta Apparel Market Transit- The Los Angeles Shoe Show Focus STYLEMAX Kidz at STYLEMAX Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week AFRICA Children's Club Top Shoes & Fashion Accessories (Top SFA) Dallas Apparel & Accessories Market Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week China

2-4

4-6

5-6

5-7

9-11

13-20

14-18

16-19

19-20

19-21

21-26

22-24

27-29

11-15

15-17

20-23

20-24

21-23

24-26

25-28

25-31

Madrid, Spain

Florence, Italy New York, NY

GTS Jewelry & Apparel Modaprima The New York Shoe Expo (FFANY)

9-11

23-25

28-30

Denver, CO

1-3 Orlando, FL

Dongguan, China

Denver Apparel & Accessory Market Dongguan China Shoes

26-29

Beijing, China

Dallas, TX

Beijing, China

New York, NY

Johannesburg, SA

Chicago, IL

Los Angeles, CA

Atlanta, GA

London, UK

New York, NY

Milan, Italy

Shenzhen, China

New York, NY

Miami, FL

Shanghai, China

London, UK

Madrid, Spain

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid SIMM- Madrid Fashion Week

1-3

Leon, Mexico

31-4

Sapica

29-1

Fashion Show

(212) 751-6422

39-055-36931

(866) 807-0808

N/A

(303) 292-6278

86-10-84562288

(214) 675-2176

86-20-26298203

(212) 759-8055

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R E T A IL S E LLI N G

School Is Never out for the Professional By Harry J. Friedman, Founder/CEO, The Friedman Group

www www cust cus

don’t know about you, but I am increasingly upset about how we, as salespeople are depicted on television, in movies, and even in commercials. Not too long ago there was a movie that you may have seen called Tin Men starring Richard Dreyfuss as a siding salesman. This was not the first movie to pick on salespeople and it certainly won’t be the last. In Cadillac Man, Robin Williams’ character went as far as to try and sell a woman a car at her own husband’s funeral! Why do salespeople have such a bad rap? Well, there is really only one answer to this question. Somewhere along the way we earned it. I don’t know about you, but I am very proud to be a salesperson. Some of the most successful people in the world are wonderful salespeople! That is what I’ve devoted my career to for the last twenty years: changing who we are as salespeople by throwing away the old, tired salesperson’s pitch and replacing it with knowledge, skill and empathy for our customers. There is only one way to break out of the stereotype that salespeople as a group have formed over the last hundred years. We have to become more professional as a group. If you think about it, retail is one of the few industries in the world where you get the job, and learn how to do it later, if you’re lucky. If your organization doesn’t have any formal training, then chances are you learned everything you know from trial and error. Well, it’s about time we started learning from others’ mistakes and successes. I’ve put together some questions for you to ask yourself to help you determine your level of professionalism. All of these may not apply to you, however, try to step away from your situation for just a moment as you read these questions. One or two of these may change the way you look at your job forever! 28

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Question #1: You know what you know, but are you aware of all that you don’t know? Are you interested in finding out?

find yourself approaching things from a negative, rather than positive, point of view?

I learned a long time ago that I’m the only one who I can hold responsible for my success or failure. If you work for an organization that has a formal training program, that’s wonderful. You should be that much more ahead of the game. However, if you work for an organization that has a “sink or swim” philosophy, you should be fully aware that you are capable of succeeding if you take responsibility for your own education and your own success. Go to the library, and read about what you do for a living. Ask questions of your managers or salespeople around you with more experience. Order subscriptions to trade publications to keep informed so you can better serve your customers. If you’re going to be great, you need to know all there is to know and more. If you want to know, no one can keep you from finding out.

I used to be a complainer. I worked in a store that I thought could really use some improvement. I thought the advertising was less than effective. I thought the selection was poor. I thought the store location was wrong for our target customers. I thought the paperwork was disorganized. I thought the store layout was hindering my sales. You name it; I had an opinion on it—usually negative. Then one day, I realized that my boss wasn’t as inexperienced as I thought. I mean, he owned the store, and that says something in itself. Sure, there was room for improvement, but what store exists that’s perfect? If I wasn’t able to contribute an idea of how the advertising should be different, or free up the money to carry a more extensive inventory, or clean up the paperwork situation, then what business did I have complaining about it? The point is that after many years of business the store had been doing, and still was doing, just fine. The moment I came to this realization, my own personal sales increased. I finally understood that the owner didn’t hire me to critique his business strengths and weaknesses. He hired me to sell what he had bought, in the location that he had chosen, with the advertising backup that he provided and to follow the procedures that had been set up after years of experience. I finally decided to do what I was hired to do. The owner was still very open to hearing my suggestions, but I never complained again.

Question #2: Do you have contempt for your customers? I used to work for a company that had contempt for its customers, and that’s why I don’t work there any longer. It’s very dangerous to feel superior to the customer. I’ve seen salespeople so intent on being right, and so positive that they know more than any customer possibly could, that they drive away business, and are actually proud of it, which is just plain foolish. Your goal as a salesperson is to sell as much as is humanly possible. It’s also to make sure that in the process, every customer is happy and will either return or tell others about you and the store. Feeling disdain for customers only prevents you from fulfilling that goal. After all, if you think about it, you need your customers more than they need you.

Question #3: Do you find yourself complaining a lot of the time? Do you

In actuality, there are some things that are within your control, and some things that are not. You will be a much happier salesperson when you learn to work with what you have rather than dwelling on that which you do not have. If you do have a suggestion to a problem you see, that’s great. Presenting in a positive light may really help the ownership or management. If you don’t have a © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

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solution, it’s better to continue to do the best you can in the current situation.

Question #4: Are you too pushy and aggressive, or too shy and reserved? The story of salesmanship is an interesting one. The first time a general store experienced competition and the owner started pressuring his or her salespeople to sell more to stay in business, we saw the birth of the pushy and aggressive salesperson. On the other hand, the person who experienced this aggressive salesperson as a customer and then went to work in another general store became the first shy salesperson. After all, he or she didn’t want to treat the customer as he/she had been treated! Unfortunately, most salespeople fall into one of these two categories: they chase customers away because they are too aggressive or they never sell anything because they are too shy. You will be relieved to know that there is a happy medium. Customers actually love to receive wonderful customer service, and if they save time immediately by finding what they are looking for, they are extremely satisfied with their experience in your store. Along with some sales techniques, all the shy salesperson needs is an understanding of who customers are, and what they want. © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

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On the other hand, the aggressive salesperson at least has the understanding that customers need to leave with merchandise for both the salesperson and the store to be successful. This salesperson does, however, need to practice some sales technique to be sensitive not only to what the customer wants and needs, but also to how they feel. In both cases, it really is a matter of understanding salesmanship and of learning.

are continually changing. Think about it, I can remember when my first calculator was about as big as three heavy textbooks and cost me $200! Now I can buy a credit-card sized calculator in the drug store for $5.95. Forget about desktop computers, there are now notebook computers and

Whenever I’m in a store as a customer, I pay attention to what the salesperson does that causes me to leave or to make me feel as if they were pushy. Then I figure out a less offensive way of handling the same situation in case it occurs to me when I’m with a customer.

Question #5: Do you feel like because you have been a salesperson for a long time that there is nothing you can learn to be more successful? One of the most dangerous situations to be in is that of being stagnant. If you have ever heard me speak, you may have heard this but I know it to be true: if you are not getting better, you are getting worse. In our world, things August 2012

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R E T A IL S E LLI N G

even smaller, more powerful computers on the way.

over the world, and one thing I know is that salespeople love to talk about the sales they’ve made. How they found out exactly what the customer was looking for, how they handled that monstrous objection and what extraordinary close they pulled out for the finale. I think that’s great, and I don’t begrudge people talking about the wins they’ve had. There is one thing I know, however, that made me one of the most successful salespeople on the retail floor in my day, and it’s because I spent more time analyzing why I didn’t make a sale than I ever did bragging about a sale I did make.

The world of sales is changing constantly, too. That old, tired close you may have been using for the last 15 years isn’t working anymore. It’s time to open your mind to what’s happening today and what will be happening in the future. Explore new ideas, concepts and beliefs. Even if I read a thousand books or watched a hundred tapes on salesmanship, and I only learned one new technique, then great. That’s one more technique than I had before. If I don’t have the capacity to learn and get better, what’s the point of even playing the game?

Question #6: Do you go the extra mile for your customers each and every time, or only when you feel like it?

don’t necessarily need to make a sale with every customer. After all, there will be more customers to sell to tomorrow when you feel more like working. What you must realize is that business is built one customer at a time. Every customer who walks out without buying because you don’t feel like giving your best on that particular day or with that particular customer, might end up telling his or her friends, who in turn tell their friends. Pretty soon as many as 200 potential customers might know that the store you work in is not the place to go to buy. How long do you suppose your store will be in business with a reputation like that? Every customer matters, and if you can’t be enthusiastic for every single opportunity, then you shouldn’t be a salesperson, because that’s retail.

I used to let my own personal mood or feelings get in the way of satisfying my customers. It is hard to leave your personal life behind when you get to work, especially if you are having a lot of problems in your life. Sometimes, it’s all you think about when something is really wrong. Then I learned a very important lesson that I’d like to share with you. The more you produce, the happier you will be, despite any personal problems you may be having. It sounds strange at first, but when you think about it, it makes sense. You are at work and getting paid to do your job. It only makes you unhappier when you don’t live up to those responsibilities.

Question #7: Do you think about how you are selling as much as you think about how much you are selling?

On the other hand, if you are having problems outside of work, and you still manage to come into work and give it your all, it gives you a different perspective on things. If you can produce well at work, chances are you can solve your personal problems, too.

Posting big numbers is very exciting. You don’t want to go home at the end of the day without that sense of accomplishment, and that’s understandable. I am not suggesting that you not care how much you sell, but I do want to challenge your thinking a little.

In retail, we have the tendency to feel that we

I have been in thousands of retail stores all

What would happen if you took a moment to wonder about how you could have made the sale with that last customer who walked out the door? I always had the belief that someone could have made a sale that I didn’t, so why didn’t I? I have a lot of faith that you will join me in the cause to make retail salesmanship more professional. We’ve had the time to work out all of the bugs, and there are people out there who are selling a lot and satisfying customers. I vote we learn from them and change this industry. If none of these questions hit a chord with you, that’s all right. Maybe you are one of the salespeople who takes pride in their job. If some of the points I raised hit a sore spot with you, it’s time to get on with the business of being professional. Good luck! FREE RETAIL WEBINAR: “Retail Salespeople Are Getting WORSE” Find out why and what retail guru and Focus columnist Harry J. Friedman says you can and should be doing about it. August 1 – 11AM PDT. For more info and to register your team call 800-351-8040 or click here: http://www. thefriedmangroup.com/email/retail-salespeople

About the Author:

Harry J. Friedman is an internationally acclaimed retail consultant and Founder/CEO of The Friedman Group. Since 1980, his retail sales and management techniques have been used by over 500,000 retailers worldwide. For information on upcoming free retail webinars, seminars, training programs, on-site training or eLearning, call 800-351-8040, email info@TheFriedmanGroup.com or visit www.TheFriedmanGroup.com.

August 2012

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From the Red Carpets

CELEBRITIES

Fashion

Musician Fergie wearing shoes from her own Fergie Footwear collection in New York.

Why do people all over the world wear the clothes that they do? Is it because they saw them on a famous person walking the red carpet? Or, they saw it in a magazine that said it is the latest trend and this is a must have item for the season? According numerous studies, it is likely that all these strategies are influencing women and men today. The fashion industry has almost unlimited resources at its disposal. Information and photographs that appear on the Internet instantaneously reach millions of women. Immediately, they know which fashions are in and which are out. They find out very quickly what they should be wearing and what they shouldn’t. A long-established tradition used by the fashion industry to set trends and market their designs has been to work with famous people to model their clothes. With the arrival of various reality and music shows, the multiplicity of award shows, the public is bombarded with a flood of designs to choose from. However, the ultimate message from the fashion industry is; “if a famous person wears this – it must be cool and therefore you must have it too!” TV and movies have taken center stage when it comes to both entertainment and fashion. This strategy proves to be a winwin situation for both the fashion industry and celebrities as they cash in on the free items that various designers throw their way.

A constant theme in fashion marketing is to create ideas or themes for what it means to look good or look attractive. That is, part of marketing strategy is to generate ideas in people’s heads about what kinds of clothes they need to wear in specific situations – the work environment, social situations, special occasions, etc. The fashion industry continues to use a number of strategies to set trends. These include using celebrities to model their clothes/ accessories at popular events, featuring that in magazines, websites and broadening the demographics they design for and market to. A.G.

Model/Actress Olivia Palermo wearing leopard pendant in yellow gold and diamonds by Carrera y Carrera. 32 4

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Actor Ray Liotta wearing the IWC Schaffhausen Big Pilot’s watch at the Cannes Film Festival 2012.

Left: Actress Penelope Cruz selected a Giorgio Armani Prevé dress for the2012 British Academy Film Awards. The dress is a garnet colour made from silk cady. Right: Actress Angelina Jolie and actor Brad Pitt attend the Cinema for Peace Gala at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival on February 13, 2012 in Berlin, Germany Model Petra Nemcova and actor Gerard Butler during the Cannes International Film Festival on May 21, 2012 in Cap d’Antibes, France.

Model Heidi Klum is wearing de Grisogono jewelry at the Glam Extravaganza party in Cap D’Antibes, France. © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

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Actor Dolph Lundgren attends the 2012 Jameson Empire Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, England.

Actors Adrien Brody, Ewan McGregor and Robert De Niro during the Cannes International Film Festival on May 21, 2012 in Cap d’Antibes, France. AAuugguusstt 22001 122

35 33

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Left: A Royal at the

The iconic Russian Supermodel Natasha Poly wearing emeralds and white diamonds briolet-cut earrings from de GRISOGONO in Cannes.

TV Personality Kelly Osbourne wearing Montblanc Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco Petales de Rose motif earrings at the 20th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Ac ademy Awards party on February 26, 2012 in West Hollywood, California. 34

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Actor Clive Owen wearing a classic Armani suit at the opening of the Armani boutique in Berlin.

Actress Penelope Ann Miller wearing a platinum bonded sterling silver bracelet with simulated diamonds by Lafonn at the GBK’s 2012 Academy Awards Lounge

Actor Ewan McGregor wearing IWC Schaffhausen Big Pilot’s watch with wife Eve Mavrakis during the Cannes International Film Festival on May 21, 2012 in Cap d’Antibes, France.

Singer Taylor Swift wearing a Maria Lucia Hohan dress to the 2012 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

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Right Montb Montb Montb

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Left: Actor Adrien Brody attends a gala dinner for the Royal Oak 40 Years From Avant-Garde to Icon exhibition at the Old Fashion Cafe on April 19, 2012 in Milan, Italy. Right: Actress Andie MacDowell wearing Montblanc Haute Joaillerie En Vague rising PavĂŠ bangles and ring; Montblanc fine Jewellery La Dame Blanche earstuds; Montblanc Profile watch with diamonds.

Actor Jean Dujardin wearing Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox Tribute to Deep Sea watch at the 84th Academy Awards in Los Angeles.

e ards. ÂŠ FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

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Musician Katie Perry is wearing Paco Rabanne dress and Jennifer Fisher personalized gothic cigar band at the Echo Awards in Berlin.

Actress Cate Blanchett attends the IWC Schaffhausen Top Gun Gala Event in Geneva, Switzerland August 2012

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G R O W I N G Y O U R BU S I NE SS

Hiring a Web Developer By Joe Thomas of Left Brain Digital

H M

f you can afford to have your brand new warehouse built from the ground up, who are you going to hire to build it?

The intelligent answer is simple: a reputable building contractor with happy clients and lots of experience, right? I mean, why on earth would you invest your hard-earned dollars to hire anyone less than a pro? What about your office building or store? As a business owner, you know that it needs to have the right look and feel to be successful. Go ahead, go shopping or to the insurance guy or the doctor. Are the stores and offices run down with bad paint jobs and worn-out carpeting? Does the store you’re buying from have empty crates and clothes blocking the aisles? Of course not. They’re all clean and neat and professional – and most are decorated to impress the customer. So why, then, would anyone take the opposite approach with their online business?

V p F after all. Now think about that when you decide that you know better or more than your web developer. If you made the right choice in hiring the developer, then listen to what he or she tells you. If you’re not willing to trust their judgment or advice, then save your money and build the site yourself. But don’t complain about THAT decision later.

Believe it or not, at least half the people reading this right now have done exactly that. You’ve spent months, in some cases years, developing your product, becoming an expert in your field or writing your book, and then paid absolutely no attention to where or how it’s presented and sold. That’s just like buying beautiful new furniture and not having a house to put it in.

a pLan. You need to know what your goals are and how 4. tohave convey them to your developer BEFORE you hire anyone. If you

Do yourself a favor, when you’ve made the decision to open your business or sell your product online, make sure you have ALL the tools to make it successful. And for Pete’s sake, make sure you hire the right developer. Here are a few tips to help you find that person:

avoid any coMpany or FreeLancer ThaT 5. has a “package.” You’ve seen it before. You’re searching

Look For experience, repuTaTion and Track record. These are the three attributes to consider

aren’t sure of your goals – WAIT. Do not hire anyone unless you are completely sure that they have a solid understanding of your needs and objectives.

for a web designer and you find 25 sites that have the Gold/Silver/ Bronze package (or some cute little package names). They offer hourly rates and “additional page” costs. Here’s a tip: stay away. There’s no way a designer can give you exactly what you need based on his/her “package rate.” Ask me 10 times and I will tell you 10 times – I can’t give you a price if I don’t know what your project is all about. Any pro developer will tell you the same thing. We need to know what we’re developing before we know how much it’s going to cost.

when engaging any professional. Find out about who you’re entrusting your brand to. Ask for references – don’t just look at the testimonials they’ve posted. Take a good look at their website. If it looks like a fifth-grader put it together, imagine how yours will look. Look at their portfolio or ask for a list of sites they have developed. If they can’t show you immediately, or if they don’t have at least four or five sites to review, what are they afraid of?

hoW To requesT a quoTe. Please don’t ever 6. knoW email a developer and say, “Can you look at my site and tell me how

iT’s noT aLWays abouT The price. Do NOT cut cor2. ners. Don’t go with the cheapest deal you can find just because it’s cheap.

much you would charge to redesign it or make it better?” Now, that’s just asking for trouble, and here’s why:

Think about what you’re buying: It’s the vehicle that’s going to generate your revenue. Your website is the last thing you want to cut corners on. WARNING: Not going cheap does not mean you should go with the most expensive deal either; expensive doesn’t always equal better.

a) You are already telling the developer you have no idea what you need.

You’re buying talent and experience. You listen to your 3. LisTen. doctor, your lawyer and your accountant – they’re the professionals,

b) If the developer sends back an email that says, “I looked at your site and it would cost $xx.xx to redesign it or fix it” – RUN. Never hire a developer who doesn’t want to talk to you first. A developer worth hiring is the one who wants to know about your project.

Joe Thomas is the founder and owner of Left Brain Digital (www.leftbraindigital.com), a web development company. He’s an award-winning web designer/developer with more than 18 years of experience in print and web design and development. Thomas’ work became a major influence in graphic and web design in the “Y2K” era of the Internet’s dot-com explosion.

August 2012

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G R O W I N G Y O U R BU S I NE SS

Business Telephone Etiquette elephone, as well as walk-in reception, is one of the most critical areas of any office. It forms the basis of initial and long lasting impressions of the office by students and parents. It is also an integral part of maintaining and improving our intra-office communication. These suggestions are offered as a way to maintain and improve your telephone skills.

By Susan Ward

n Do not speed or rush over points familiar to you, but unfamiliar to the caller. n Avoid soft, low pitch speech.

4. What are some ways to keep from sounding mechanical? n

Telephone Impressions

n n

How do you “look” (sound) to the customer? Are you able to convey your thoughts accurately in order to achieve our objective?

How to project a sincere quality over the phone: n n n n

Use natural vocabulary and tone of voice. Keep voice clear, inflection up and tone bright. Avoid extravagant claims, obvious exaggerations, etc. Relate what you are saying to the caller’s needs and point of view.

5. Mechanical skills of a professional: n n n n

2. How to project a friendly quality: n n n n n

How to show that you are responsive in a phone situation: n n n n

Use tone and manner that are warm and cordial. Smile, identify yourself, as well as the caller, with warmth and interest. Do not be formal or inflexible. Do not rush. Pace yourself to what the caller says. Be attentive. Respond to what the caller says. Be courteous.

Answer the caller’s questions. Get your facts straight by checking with the caller. Ask questions. Do not sound as if you are reading something or saying it from notes. Always listen to what you are saying and what it means, especially to the caller.

August 2012

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Guard against a tired tone of voice, giving the impression of someone bored with doing the same job again and again. Vary your phrasing from call to call. Practice saying the same thing in different ways. Let your delivery develop, as much as possible, out of the response from the caller.

Answer the phone before or during the second ring. Hold the mouthpiece about an inch from your lips. Never slam the receiver down. Let the caller hang up first.

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How to Handle an Angry Caller: Sooner or later, everyone who regularly uses a business telephone has to deal with an angry caller. The way you handle this situation is important both to you and the office.

Remember that your instinctive reaction to someone who starts to “chew you out” is to get pretty huffy yourself. That is the worst thing you can do.

2. Listen carefully and do not interrupt. Do not argue or contradict.

Agree if you can without misleading. Let them know you understand the cause of anger and perhaps even feel the anger is justified.

Foo Ind B2B

If you or the office is at fault, admit it but do not dwell on it. Nothing will lower an angry caller’s temperature faster than honest acknowledgment of an error.

7/23/12 2:41 AM

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undivided attention. Treat the telephone as a task in itself; don’t be distracted by work on your desk.

4. Do everything you can to correct the trouble that produced the storm. If immediate action is impossible, indicate that the matter will be looked into promptly and followed with a reply. Thank the caller for bringing it to your attention.

2. Answer the phone with a smile; it actually does help convey a cheerful

attitude. There is no need for you to transfer any of your bad feelings to the caller. Answer every phone call promptly on the first or second ring if possible.

A calm, reasonable approach to an angry caller can do the following: a.

Prevent the situation from worsening.

Solve the problem with a minimum of delay.

Help to avoid undue stress and resentment from both parties.

Create a positive image for you and our office as capable, helpful, pleasant and resourceful.

3. Do not chew gum. 4. Make sure you know which line is ringing before you pick up the phone.

5. Keep your telephone message pad and a pen handy so they can be easily reached.

6. Personalize your conversation by using the caller’s name; “Yes, Tom, I’ll

Tips:

be happy to send you an application,” or “Thank you for calling, Mrs. Smith.”

All incoming calls should be answered: n

Promptly

Personally, whenever possible (use voice mail only when necessary)

Professionally

Courteously

Appropriate Greetings: n

“Good morning, this is Mary, may I help you?”

“Good afternoon, ABC Company, Mary speaking.”

Good Telephone Habits:

Treat every call and caller as IMPORTANT. Give the caller your

F77584.indd 39

SPECIALISTS

When taking messages for another person, make complete notes: a. The caller’s full name, spelled correctly (ask for correct spelling if in doubt). b. The caller’s department, institution, agency or firm. c. The caller’s complete phone number (include area code). d. The nature of the call. e. The date and time call was taken. f. Your name or initials.

8. If you need to put a caller on hold immediately upon answering the

phone, ask before you put them on hold. Some callers would rather try calling again. August 2012

7/23/12 2:41 AM

When you have several incoming calls simultaneously, don’t panic. Handle the situation in the following manner:

13.

Avoid technical expressions and acronyms which may confuse the caller.

a- Ask someone in the vicinity to help you by answering one of the calls, if someone is available. b- Calmly excuse yourself: “Good Morning. May I put you on hold for a moment while I answer the other phone? (or, Will you please excuse me for a moment while I answer the other phone?) Thank you.” Put them on hold. c- Answer the other call and ask them if you may put them on hold. d- Return promptly to the original call.

14.

Use businesslike phrases instead of slang. Say “Yes,” “Certainly” and “Of course,” instead of “OK,” “Yeah,” and “Uh-huh.”

15.

When placing calls, identify yourself and the office. “This is Jill in the Social Sciences Division Office.”

16.

If it is necessary to leave the line, explain the reason and excuse yourself. Always place the caller on hold, do not just cover the mouth piece with your hand. Thank the caller when you return. If it will be longer than one or two minutes, ask to return the call.

17.

If a customer is talking with you in person and the phone rings, excuse yourself to the customer and answer the phone. Ask the caller to wait a moment or offer to return the call.

18.

If a customer approaches while you are on the phone, excuse yourself briefly from the caller and acknowledge the visitor. Ask if the visitor can wait a moment while you finish the call.

19.

It is courteous to let the caller hang up first.

10.

When it’s necessary to direct a call to a co-worker request the caller’s name before transferring the call. Notify the co-worker so that he or she can be ready when he or she picks up the phone.

11.

Be tactful when co-workers are away from the office. Don’t say that someone is “out for coffee,” “on a break.” Say, “ is away from his desk (office) now. May I take a message?”

12.

Be a good listener; make notes while the caller is speaking. If you are going to put a caller on hold, make a note of which line you are on.

Person called is available

Person called is not available

This . . .

is better than this . . .

*May I tell her who's calling? or, *May I tell him what your call is in reference to?

*Yeah, hang on. *I'll get him.

*Mrs. Doe is taking another call right now. Would you care to hold? or, *Mr. Smith isn't available right now. May I or someone else help you? or, *Mrs. Williams is away from her desk. May I take a message? Or would you like her voice mail?

*She's busy talking now. *Could you call later? *He's not here.

The Th

*Would you mind waiting while I check, please? or, Leaving the Line

Returning to the Line

Completing the Conversation

*Hang on. *Just a minute. *It will take a minute or so. Do you care to wait or shall *Let me look around for it. I call you back? (wait for an answer) *Hold on, I’ll see what I can do. *Thank you for waiting, I have that information. or, *I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I can help you now.

*Okay, the date on that was June 18. *Are you still there? *I can’t locate that.

*Thank you for calling, Mrs. Rogers. I'm glad I was able to help you. Goodbye. or, *You're welcome, Mr. Jones, goodbye.

*Bye-bye *O.K. So long.

Susan Ward is a business writer and she and her partner run Cypress Technologies, an IT Consulting business, providing services such as software and database development. 40

August 2012

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The ofthe theFootwear FootwearSupply SupplyChain Chain TheIndustry IndustryShow Showfor forFast FastFashion Fashionand and all all Elements Elements of ENKWSA symposiumsby: by: ENKWSASeminar SeminarSeries Series returns with symposiums ForDetails Detailsand andSeminar Seminar Registration, Registration, visit www.enkwsa.com For www.enkwsa.com

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WHERE PEOPLE COME TO DO BUSINESS

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C U ST O M E R S E RV I C E

The Power of Please & Thank You: Seven Ways to Be a Better Customer— and Get Better Service in Return By Ron Kaufman for Focus On Fashion Retail

Customers wait on hold for an eternity. Complaints go unanswered. Smiles and a little extra help seem like too much to ask for these days. If you think customer service has taken a nosedive, you’re right—but there’s a lot you can do to change that. Read on for my tips for being a better customer. By Ron Kaufman ou start your morning running late and sprint into your local coffee shop for your morning cup of joy. As you breathlessly place your order, you notice the barista doesn’t smile at you. She utters a flat, “Here you go” as she hands you the steaming cup—Why didn’t she put the cardboard sleeve around it? you wonder irritably—and moves on robotically to the next customer. As you bolt for the door, hands burning, you think Well, she was unfriendly…when did customer service get so terrible? It’s true: As the way our society does business has changed, customer service in general has fallen into crisis mode. But in the case of the rude barista, ask yourself this: Did you look her in the eye? Did you say “good morning”? Did you say “please” or “thank you”? In short, how much of the bad service experience do you have to own? Often, we get poor service because we’re poor customers. It’s a two-way street. When we’re rude or impersonal to service providers, we get rude and impersonal treatment back. This creates low expectations on both sides, which affects our next service interactions. In other words, bad customer behavior breeds bad customer service, which breeds bad customer behavior…and so on. To break the cycle and do your part to create uplifting service, be what I call a “service champion”—someone who takes responsibility for uplifting other people’s experience, even when those other people are serving you. 42

August 2012

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The crisis we’re facing has a lot to do with the way companies think about service. They tend to silo it in one department rather than making great service a part of their overall culture, and that just doesn’t work in our global economy. Customers can’t do a lot about this, except take their business somewhere else. But what they can control is whether or not they contribute to the traffic of goodwill that flows equally between customers and service providers. In other words, when you are an appreciative and considerate customer, service providers will often go the extra mile to serve you better. But if

you rant and pound the table, people may serve you grudgingly, if at all. Read on for proven steps you can take to be a better customer and enjoy receiving better service: Be appreciative and polite. Remember, there is a fellow human being on the other end of your phone call, the receiving side of your email, or just across the counter. Begin each interaction with a quick, “Hi. Thank you for helping me. I really appreciate it.” This takes about two seconds and can dramatically improve the mood of a service provider. Get your service provider’s name and use it. You can make this short and friendly by first offering your name and then asking, “Who am I speaking with, please?” Or if you are face-to-face, simply ask, “May I know your name?” Once you know it, repeat it with a smile in your voice. This creates a personal connection and makes it much harder for a service provider to treat you like an anonymous account holder or policy number. Be upbeat. Many service providers face customer after customer all day long. The routine can become tiresome. When an energetic and smiling customer appears, that person often enjoys special care and treatment in return. What you send out does come back. Attitudes—positive and negative—really are contagious. Provide information just the way they want it. Many service providers need your data in a sequence that fits their forms, screens, and procedures. Have all your information ready to © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

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a y

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a n y

K NO W TH E LA W go, but give it in the order they prefer. Saying, “I have all my information ready. Which would you like first?” lets the provider know you are prepared and will be easy to work with. The time you take getting everything in order will save time in the service conversation, too. Confirm next actions. Repeat what your service provider promises to do. Confirm dates, times, amounts, responsibilities, and commitments. This helps you move together through the service process, catching any misunderstanding and correcting it along the way. Be sure you both understand what will happen next: what they will do, what you will do, and what both parties have agreed to going forward. When appropriate, commiserate. Sometimes service providers let their frustration show. A slow computer, a previous customer, high call volume, pressure from a manager, or some unwelcome personal event may have upset them. When you hear an upset tone, be the one to soothe it. You might say, “It sounds like things are tough right now. I really appreciate your help.” This brief moment of empathy can be an oasis in their world. Show your appreciation. A sincere “thank you” is always appropriate. If your service provider deserves more, give more. A nicely written compliment can make a huge difference in someone else’s day, or even career. And who knows? The person you praise today may serve you again tomorrow. Keep in mind that while this advice will help you get better service from service providers, much of it can also be used to experience more joy and satisfaction from your relationships with your colleagues, friends, and other loved ones. What goes around really does come around. When you treat someone well, whether it’s your spouse, a vendor at work, or the person you meet at the coffee shop in the morning, he or she is more likely to step up and treat you well, too. We all live and work in a whole world of relationships based on service. As you uplift and upgrade the service you provide, the world will uplift you. ••• Ron Kaufman is a popular keynote speaker and is the author of the New York Times bestseller Uplifting Service: The Proven Path to Delighting Your Customers, Colleagues, and Everyone Else You Meet. About the Book:

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n t

Uplifting Service: The Proven Path to Delighting Your Customers, Colleagues, and Everyone Else You Meet (Evolve Publishing, 2012, ISBN: 97809847625-5-2, $14.95, www.UpliftingService. com) is available at bookstores nationwide and all major online booksellers. © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

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Proposition 65 for California Retailers alifornia Proposition 65 otherwise known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 is applicable to all products sold or distributed in California. The act is to protect Californian citizens and the State’s drinking water sources from chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and to inform citizens about exposure to such chemicals. Proposition 65 can be considered a consumer “right-to-know-law” that informs consumers if certain hazardous chemicals are present in any product or its packaging or service sold in the State of California. Proposition 65 has more recently become a product safety directive under which any retailer of a product or service can be challenged legally regarding the chemical content of a product against a list in excess of 850 potential chemical candidates. Proposition 65 does not ban the sale of any product; it requires, however, that warnings are issued at point of sale advising citizens and consumers of potential risk. Prop 65 only applies in the State of California and covers all products distributed within the State. The list of chemicals is extensive (in excess of 859) and can be found at http://www.oehha.org/prop65/prop65_list/files/ P65single061110.pdf. Since its conception, Prop 65 has resulted in hundreds of lawsuits against retailers and manufacturers of products that contain the listed hazardous substances including leads, cadmium and phthalates. Whilst the initial lawsuits were related to food containers, cookware and food items such as chocolate and potato chips, the prosecutors have moved into the area of fashion and accessories which covers leather and synthetic (PVC) products, which have become the latest targets for Prop 65 litigation. Environmental groups have now filed lawsuits against many prominent retailers alleging high levels of lead and phthalates in leather containing products, which are considered under the law to pose a risk to the consumer. Such lawsuits have resulted in Consent judgements that advise on standards for safe level of lead and phthalates in products and agreed timescales by which products should meet these standards. The cost of participating in a settlement can be very high but does give some immunity from prosecution within the agreed timescale for the chemical in question. In view of this, leather and PVC products should be considered within any business trading in California to be at risk of litigation. The settlement values for lead are largely in line with CPSIA standards (for products sold to under 12 years). Since its conception, Proposition 65 concluded consent agreements on lead, phthalates and other listed chemicals that have been found in a variety of consumer products. Of particular importance to leather and leather products is the legal activity and settlements surrounding lead and phthalates. If you are selling or distributing product into California, it is vital that your products comply with Proposition 65. Failure to comply with Proposition 65 is considered a violation, potentially resulting in fines of up to $2500 per day.

BLC is a specialist chemical testing laboratory, we provide proposition 65 testing and can offer advice and support on compliance with Proposition 65. If you are not currently complying with Proposition 65, we can help. We offer a range of expert services which include technical consultations where we will look at your products, risk assess and produce a testing programme to help ensure compliance with Proposition 65. If need further advice and support, please email info@blcleathertech.com or visit our website www.blcleathertech.com

August 2012

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COUTURE COMFORT

RETAIL 101

FOOTWEAR: ANYI LU’S

Sachetto Construction ANYI LU’S

Every day women endure pain in their feet because the vast majority of popular shoe brands are not designed for comfort. The choice between footwear that is flattering to the leg and footwear that will not damage the foot has been a dilemma since the invention of the high heel. In a study by the American Podiatric Medical Association, 39% of women wear high heels daily, 42% of women would wear uncomfortable shoes as long as they were fashionable; and 73% of the women polled had shoe-related foot problems. This epidemic of pain is not a new issue, but now there is a real solution – designer footwear that is comfortable and beautiful.

Couture Comfort® footwear designers like Anyi Lu, Pas de Rouge, Pedro Garcia and Thierry Rabotin are here to change the mindset of women when it comes to their beloved heels. These designers are revolutionizing the footwear industry by offering an alternative to the painful styles of the past. A 2009 BBC News poll revealed that four in ten women buy shoes knowing they do not fit correctly. Ill-fitting, poorly made shoes have caused permanent damage to generations of women. “Women need to understand that higher is not always better,” advises designer, Anyi Lu, “the ideal shoe height is less than 3 inches. I suggest that when women try on shoes in a store they step off of the carpet and walk on a hard surface- concrete or marble. Life is not always conducted on a padded carpet. We live and wear our shoes in the real world.” Anyi Lu created Comfort Couture® using her backgrounds in engineering and ballroom dance to design shoes using a more intensive manufacturing process known as Sacchetto construction. Less than10% of factories in Italy use this handmade old world Italian craftsmanship, it is the best kept secret in shoe-making. While most of what is available

in the market place is assembled by gluing the upper and lining to a stiff lasting board, ANYI LU shoes have compression-resistant Poron cushioning which is sewn to the leather lining and leather foot bed. Thierry Rabotin also uses Sacchetto construction, producing shoes that adapt themselves to the foot. He works with Giovanna Ceolini and Karlheinz Schlecht, who are all committed to making shoes that are of the highest quality, absolutely comfortable and destined to last in time. So, what is Sacchetto? The name “sacchetto” is Italian and means “small bag”. In the Sacchetto construction process the soft leather lining is stitched to a leather insole and is sewn to the leather upper to create a small bag. In this way the leather of the lining gently encloses the foot like a glove. Unlike other types of construction, Sacchetto does not require a metal shank inside the shoe, and so allows for a lighter and more flexible shoe. A shoe made with Sacchetto construction molds to the foot for comfort and offers unmatched flexibility while maintaining shape. Sacchetto construction is not widely practiced, due to the numerous man hours it takes to create one shoe. Though there is a specific formula for making a shoe in Sacchetto fashion, each separate design is taken into consideration. Each pair of ANYI LU shoes are touched over 100 times by the Italian craftsmen who sew each shoe. Sourcing the finest materials is key to the elegant look as well as the comfort of any shoe. Nappa and patent leathers, hair calf, hand-dyed fabrics, belts and buckles are assembled by master Italian cobblers who hand make each shoe. This luxury item may come with a higher price tag, but it is the value per wear that should be measured. One pair of couture comfort®, Sacchetto constructed shoes will last for years carrying the wearer from season to season in style and comfort. Thierry Rabotin

Pas de Rouge Pas de Rouge

August 2012

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Thierry Rabotin

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REFRESHING

Affordable. Convenient. Productive. The shoe show ranked America’s best by industry show attendees.

THE ATLANTA SHOE MARKET | AUGUST 17-19, 2012

COBB GALLERIA CENTRE & RENAISSANCE WAVERLY HOTEL

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FOR SHOW INFORMATION CONTACT 706.923.0580

atlantashoemarket.com

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Accountability, Frugality Driving

Pay for Performance PR Trend T he recession has fueled a growing trend in the public relations industry – and not everyone’s happy about it. More and more PR firms are moving away from the traditional retainer-plus-billable-hours fee structure to “pay for performance.” Business leaders have been noting the increasing numbers of these nonretainer agencies for about 15 years, with a sharp uptick since the recession began in 2008. But no one seems to know exactly how many there are. “We don’t have any hard numbers. A lot of what’s out there is anecdotal,” says Arthur Yann, a vice president of the Public Relations Society of America. “The first of these I can recall started in the early ‘90s.” Pay for performance agencies promise certain actions or quantifiable results, such as media placements, for a fee. Some agencies offer refunds if they don’t perform; others guarantee quantifiable results. The approach appeals to companies with slimmeddown marketing budgets, individuals and smaller businesses that want pay-per-click-style accountability. The agencies say more clients leave satisfied – and come back for more. Retainer firms tend to be disparaging. These firms usually charge clients a monthly retainer fee and then bill for time actually spent working on a campaign. That simplifies billing for everyone, they say, because there’s no way to measure the value of every action they take and every result they get. Among the nation’s pay for performance pioneers is Marsha Friedman, who launched EMSI Public Relations in 1990. Back then, she says, hers was one of only four such agencies that she knew of in the nation. “Since it was such a new concept, I had to figure things out as I went along,” she says. “It’s still an evolving frontier; even the definition of ‘pay for performance’ differs from one agency to

Ae u cgeum s tb 2 D e r0 1220 1 1

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Businesses Aim to Save $$$ by Avoiding $$$$$$$$$$$$$ Monthly Retainer Fees $$$$$ By Penny Carnathan

the shoe show at

month. In print, we measure in terms of circulation, or visitors per month for online publications.” To address the issue of value, back in the ‘90s, Friedman developed a complicated grid system in which she set prices according to the placements EMSI obtained. For instance, when the agency got a client mentioned in a newspaper, he paid based on variables such as the paper’s size and the extent of the mention. “You can imagine, when we got great placements, some clients had serious sticker shock. They’d say. ‘Stop! I can’t afford this!’ ’’ Friedman says. “That was a problem. We wanted to get the best placements for our clients, but a great campaign could quickly blow their budget. You don’t want to be in a position where your goals are in conflict with your client’s goals.”

SHOP OVER 1600 bRandS Of fOOtwEaR at tHE induStRy’S PREmiER faSHiOn EVEnt.

So she abandoned the grid after just six months, but she notes many newer agencies – and those switching over to pay for performance – use similar price structures. She advises businesses exploring pay for performance options to make sure they understand up front exactly how they’ll be charged. “Our goal is to get the most we can and the best we can get so that you will re-sign with us, which is why we contract for quantity,” she says. “But we aim for quality because that’s what gives us repeat customers and referrals.”

another. Some define it as the action or service they provide, ‘We’ll write a marketing piece and you’ll pay X for that.’

That approach is especially appealing to startups and businesses that have been struggling to maintain profit margins during the recession, notes ActSeed, a resource for entrepreneurs and startups.

“At EMSI, our definition is getting actual media exposure. In radio, for instance, a client may pay a per interview fee to get booked on 15 talk shows within a given period of time. If we get them only 12 shows in that time, they can get a refund for three. With TV appearances, we book first and then bill. In social media, we guarantee a certain number of connections each

LAs VegAs & mAndALAy bAy ConVention CenteRs 6 42

SUBSCRIPTION SUBSCRIPTION SUBSCRIPTION SUBSCRIPTION SUBSCRIPTION SUBSCRIPTION

✄

P . O. V.

“How much budget can we afford without CEO Bill

some 21, certainty?” ActSeed AUgUst 22, wrote 23 2012 Attinger.

“At the very least, a PR professional that lives by this model signals their confidence in bringing you material value.’’

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SUBSCRIPTION SUBSCRIPTION SUBSCRIPTION SUBSCRIPTION SUBSCRIPTION SUBSCRIPTION

e s

✄

Focus on Fashion Retail is a direct mail business magazine, distributed ONLY to targeted audience. If you have received this copy of FFR with the mail, it’s because your business’ description matched the criteria set by our advertisers. Please fill out the marketing survey below to be included in our database for a consideration to receive FFR occasionally, regularly (or never again) - depending on marketing preferences of our advertisers (US retailers only).

If you wish to receive FFR regularly by subscription, filling out the Marketing Survey portion is optional

sUBsCrIpTIoN Send a check/money order ($30 for USA subscribers) along with your address and contact information to our office. International orders- please contact office for rates. To pay online using your credit card, please send your payment via www.paypal.com to subscription@focusonshoes.com Advice for a FREE SUBSCRIPTION: Ask our advertisers or your vendors to pay for your subscription! If your business is important to them, they may agree to by pay for your subscription from their marketing funds.

Business Name: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Mailing Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ City: ___________________________________________________

State:______ Zip: _____________________________________

Phone: _________________________________________________

Fax: _______________________________________________

Name: _________________________________________________

E-Mail: _____________________________________________

MARKETING SURVEY

Please fill out this form completely, answering ALL questions. Incomplete or inaccurate entries will not be considered. I certify that I am: oA Retailer__________________(signature) / oNot a Retailer

If a retailer, please tell about your store: Specialty: oMen oWomen oChildren

Age Group: oInfants And Kids oTeens o20-30 o30-45 o45+ Retail Price Point: oDiscount oBudget ($20-40) oModerate ($40-70) oUpper Moderate ($70-120) oLower High End ($120-$200) oHigh-End ($200-$400) oLuxury ($400+) Store Type: oIndependent oBoutique oDept. Store oChain Store 1-5 Locations oChain Store 5+ Locations Merchandise:

oShoes Only oApparel Only oAccessories Only oAll

Lifestyle:

oDress oCasual oAthletic oComfort oSpecial Occasions oWestern oDance oUrban oEthic oBeach oGothic/Alternative/Other __________________________________________________________________

Best Selling Brands _____________________________________________________________________________________ Notes About Your Store __________________________________________________________________________________

•

• •

• • • • •

Your Primary Business Sources (describe): o Trade Magazines __________________________________________________________________________________ o Consumer Magazines _______________________________________________________________________________ o Trade Shows ______________________________________________________________________________________ o Internet oCatalogs How Do You Find New Merchandise?: oAt Trade Shows oResponding To Ads oSellers Contact You At Trade Shows You: o Know Exactly What You Need And Who Sells It o Know Exactly What You Need But Don’t Know Who Sells It o Just Looking How Frequently Do You Purchase Merchandise For Your Store?: o Every Month oEvery 3 Months oEvery 6 Months Your Average Purchase Is: oLess Than $1,000 o$1-5k o$5-10k o$10k+ Your Priorities Are (Please RATE, 1 is most important): oPrice oFashion oBrand o‪Quality oOther _____________ RETAILER: Please name your 3 biggest headaches to which you want to find a solution: 1. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Any Suggestions/ Comments to help FFR to become more helpful to your business? __________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Agenda Trade Show

Mercedes-Benz China

Accessorie Circuit

Mercedes-Benz Madrid

AccessoriesTheShow

Mercedes-Benz New York

ASD Las Vegas

MICAM Shoevent

Atlanta Apparel Market

Milano Moda Donna

Australian Shoe Fair

MIPEL

Chicago Collective

Moda Las Vegas

Chicago Shoe Expo

Moda Manhattan

Children's Club

Modacalzado + Iberpiel

China International Footwear Fair (CIFF)

Modaprima

Dallas Apparel & Accessories Market

OFFPRICE show

Denver Apparel & Accessory Market

Outdoor Retailer

Dongguan China Shoes

Pool Trade Show

ENKVegas

Premium Order

ENKWSA

Project

Fame

Sapica

Fashion Access

Shenzhen International Jewellery Fair

Fashion Coterie

SIMM- Semana Internacional De La Moda

FN Platform Focus GDS International Event for Shoes & Accessories

Sole Commerce

Intermezzo Collections

Surf Expo

KIDShow

The Atlanta Shoe Market- TASM

Kidz at STYLEMAX LAZR Tradeshow

The Ledge/London Central/ London Axe

London Fashion Week

The New York Shoe Expo (FFANY)

MAGIC MAX Children’s Shoe Show

Top Shoes & Fashion Accessories (Top SFA)

Memphis Gift & Jewelry Show

Transit- The Los Angeles Shoe Show

Mercedes-Benz AFRICA

WomensWear In Nevada- WWIN

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Value for your business

SMOTA- The Shoe Market of the Americas STYLEMAX

August 2012

Cost of attending/ exhibiting

MRket LV

GTS Jewelry & Apparel

Services offered at the show

Show

Convenience

Value for your business

Cost of attending/ exhibiting

Services offered at the show

Convenience

Attendance, Traffic

Show

Organization, Planning, Promotion

As always, in the closing issue of the year (November) we will be announcing and reviewing the TOP 10 TRADE SHOWS of 2011. For that purpose, we will be conducting this survey throughout the year, offering to rate performance of various shows. Events collected the maximum score will make it to the final list.

Attendance, Traffic

As a service to our worldwide audience, Focus on Fashion Retail regularly conducts surveys to determine satisfaction with the various footwear, apparel and accessories trade shows and to rank our readers’ favorites. Being an independent media outlet not affiliated with any trade show, we believe that peoples’ opinion must be heard, it adds up to the value of our services as well as serves the needs of the industry.

If you have attended any of the shows listedbelow and would like to submit your opinion, please do so according to these rules: • Rate the shows you have attended on the scale of 1 through 10, where 1 is awful and 10 is awesome; • You must identify yourself (see opposite side); • Your opinion must be fair and objective; • You must be an independent observer, not employed by not affiliated with any trade show; • Please rate only those events that you have attended within last 6 months. Upon completion, please send this form to FFR. Your personal information will not be disclosed, nor shared with anybody. Organization, Planning, Promotion

YOUR OPINION COUNTS !

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