December 2010 by FOCUS ON FASHION RETAIL

SALES LESSONS tapered toe oxford. The third example, the rectangle means that you have a little more flexibility with shoe silhouette and you could choose a shoe that isn’t too extreme either way. So what we’ve learned is that symmetry can make or break the look of an outfit and shoes are a very important part of the look.

Lesson 5 Following Up Building a Clientele

Price: Price is the most common objection and the most difficult to overcome. Again, here you’ve been working on overcoming this one since the very beginning by trying to show the customer the value in the purchase. You’ve talked about the construction or the materials in the shoe. You’ve also reassured the customer about the fit of

the shoe by confirming that the fit points match up. Finally, you reassured them by pointing out that the style of the shoe is the right match with the clothing they intend to wear it with. At this point, no matter what the price of the shoe is, the customer should see the value in the purchase.

Absolutely the most important part of building a successful business of any kind!

loyal to specific brands. You will also find that some of your most loyal customers are the ones that are hard to fit or wear a size that is not so common. Some are even loyal to classifications of merchandise.

We must build loyalty among a large group of customers that will visit our store on a regular basis. If I’m a commissioned based salesperson, I want to do my best so that everyone I wait on will remember me and ask for me when they return to the store. I don’t mean to brag, but I used to have many customers that if they happened to come into the store on a day that I was off, many of them would leave and return another day rather than have anyone else take care of them. That situation should be every salespersons goal. Every customer should be given A.B.C.D service everyday. Most stores create advertising and marketing campaigns that are primarily designed to attract higher levels of traffic into their stores and they work hard to attract new customers. Some still don’t understand that marketing toward their existing customer base is just as important. Your goal should be to collect as much information about every customer that you possibly can. What you will find is that customers become

Some of them always buy a handbag from your store every single time they buy a pair of shoes. This is what is so exciting about technology these days in this “age of information”. If you just make it a point to collect good information, it is such a valuable marketing tool. Try to get as much personal information as possible without being intrusive. Use this information for marketing initiatives such as “Birthday Clubs” or anniversary reminders etc. These personal touches go along way to show the customer that they are highly valued as a loyal customer. Almost every day new merchandise arrives in your store. Somewhere in your sales history there are customers that are addicted to the brand of the newly arriving merchandise. It may be that a few difficult to find sizes are sitting right on top of the just opened box. All it takes is well timed phone call, eMail, text message or old fashioned post card to motivate a customer into getting to your store as fast as possible. When you communicate like this to your customers, it shows that you really do your best to give A.B.C.D service and for that, you will be rewarded.

Michael Tidmore, President Successful Online Stores, LLC In the retail business for more than 30 years. Beginning in high school and all through college I worked in department stores selling Men’s clothing. After college (Texas Tech University-Marketing) I worked as a wholesale sales representative for Miller Shoe Co. Through that position, I was offered an opportunity through one of my clients to manage a group of independent shoe stores (S&J Shoe Company) in South and West Texas. I went on to become a Regional Manager over footwear for Dillard’s department stores for almost 15 years, where under my tenure my area went from 23M in sales to more than 120M. Please feel free to send me an e-mail with any questions or comments at mike@successfulstore.com

19 8

August 2010

Editor’s Letter

BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR SHOE, APPAREL & ACCESSORIES STORES

The year 2010 is almost over, and what a year it has been! No wonder ordinary folks look cautiously into the future. Since starting with FOCUS magazine in 2002, I have visited countless trade and fashion shows all over the world. Attending the show is usually a very exciting and entertaining occasion, and this year was not an exception for the rule, but I was sort of disappointed seeing fewer retailers and exhibitors at most of the shows. Let’s face it, the market is tough and more competitive than ever. We all know that all businesses have gone through incredible challenges as consumer spending slowed, manufacturing cost increased and unfortunately, many retail stores, suppliers and vendors went out of business due to economic downturn. Observing buyers behavior at the shows, I couldn’t help but to notice that people have become far more cautious than years before, buying smarter and less, searching for new and exciting products, mixing new and established labels. Because consumers, the driving force of economy, are doing exactly the same, buying not just what they want but what they need. As a magazine specifically designed to serve the needs of the retailers, it is our job to give you what you need, to provide you the tools helping you to be in tune with the needs of your customers. The featured editorial of this issue is our annual “The Top 10 Trade Shows of 2010”. Throughout the year we asked our audience to submit their opinion about all the trade shows they’ve been to. The purpose was to find out the people‘s satisfaction through rating of such important features of each show, as traffic, convenience, value for their business, etc- so, if you read this editorial carefully, you will learn a lot about the most popular events this year. Speaking of consumers (and retailers) being very selective and curious about new original merchandise and designs- I am proud to say, that in FOCUS you will always find a wide-ranging display of fashion products from the world’s most innovative brands and designers, as well as the fashion trends from the international runways. If you are a high-end fashion retailer and your interest is high-quality European footwear and accessories (as well as other products), our magazine is certainly for you, as FOCUS brings you a wealth of fashion news from Italy, Spain, Australia, Germany, etc.- if you saw it in FOCUS, it must be good! You will also find many helpful tips and educational materials in this issue to read, to learn and to use in everyday life. Thank you for your continuous support, appreciation, and input into making FOCUS valuable for your business. Please write me at letters@focusonshoes.com with any questions, comments, or suggestions on the topics you’d like to see covered in next issues. Don’t worry. Be patient. Keep working hard. Most importantly, keep working smart. Stay informed, updating yourself about the constantly changing environment. Strive for perfection in your work and personal life and be happy!

Happy Holidays and a Happy and prosperous New Year!

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 COVER PHOTO: Asta Masiulyte, Valencia Fashion Week

FEAUTURED ARTICLES: Success Story: Top 3 Business Lessons from Jenny Craig By Evan Carmichael www.evancarmichael.com

Who’s Who: The Top 10 Trade Shows of 2010 By Alex Geyman editor@focusonshoes.com

Luxury Retail: Luxury Consumers Hold on Tight to Cash This Quarter By Pamela N. Danziger www.unitymarketingonline.com

Mastering Sales Skills: You Make The Call (Part 2/3)

By Harry J. Friedman www.thefriedmangroup.com

Motivation: Practice the Seven Secrets of Sales Success By Brian Tracy www.colliers.com

Marketing: 8 Ways To Get Higher Quality Trade Show Leads By Mike Thimmesch www.skyline.com

Economic Commentary: Customer Satisfaction Weakens: Bad News for an Economy in Search of More Consumer Demand By By Claes Fornell, The ACSI www.theacsi.org

All editorial pages are intellectual property of FFR and/or featured authors. No portion of this issue may be reproduced without the express permission of FFR and/or featured authors.

Alex Geyman Editor

4 5

December 2010

FOCUS ON FASHION RETAIL 25924 Viana Avenue, Suite 19 Lomita, CA 90717 USA Tel. (310) 784-790 fax (310) 202-6027 General E-Mail: info@focusonshoes.com Web: www.focusonshoes.com © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

mm 20 er 11

FA S

HIO

Mi o La hi dy ic er m in F E n Gl ima emin stic Chi Sn , Ro or W xot g S n Ma ce c a u c am lism in a i tio Bik o L ke k’n el c C mm xi e er r W Ex Spr n M ace Min ’ro lne olo er ss l Et , Roc ell otic ing axi Gla imal l F So Se rs e n h m i B p S m sm k D Sp his a nic ’n’ ess Col umm ike or ini xy rin ti nd r E n r o S W S x o ex rs er , R na o e e l g ca y Co Su tion Chic ke l Fe y S Da Eth ock llne tic o n m M lo mm nic ’n’r ss rs er Max Lac inim inin phis dy S ol C e e t a i Da Et lism Sp ica hic nak l B G i h l k nd ri tio La e y nic er, amo Ch Sn Ro r Exo ng S n M ce ti ic a W c a u La ke k’n’ ell c C mme xi o ce Min ro ne r l Gl ima ll ss S ors F am li e e or sm min xy i E n We xo e ll t ne ic ss

SPRING

END

So Dan Eth Bik Gl lism Sp ica hic nak l t n a e p r e d Mi L nim Fem hist y C ic S r, R mor Ex ing ion ace Gl o hic na oc ic Su Ma ti W a al in Bik mo ism ine atio La ke k’n’ ell c C mme xi er r W Ex Spr n M ce Min ro ne olo r ss l r Et , Roc ell otic ing axi Gla imal l F So em Sex s n h m i B p S sm k D e n C o ik u Sp his a y ’ rin ti nd ic S n’ro ss S olo mme er, r W Ex inine ca y r e na o R e l r g xy s l o l t C t ex k y Col Summion hic e M Fem So Dan Ethn ck’n lnessic So p o dy Ma La ’ro i i ic ph rs er c nim nin hi ist Da Et xi B e G ali e S stic Chic Sna ll k ica nd hn ike la sm pr ati mo ing on Lac e r, tio y C ic E x R o M e n h Sn o r Ma ic L ake ck’ We tic Summ axi l n C a Fe xi ’ro ln ol er M mi B c nin ike e Gl inima ll ess ors S r F a e l Sp , Ro mor ism emin exy c rin in E k g ’n’r Wel xot e Su ol ln ic mm l ess er

After a dull, gray winter, what is more welcomed than a cheerful, colorful spring? This is the most appropriate time for you to refresh your wardrobe and enjoy life to the fullest. Get ready to face a real color boom. Vivid, strong, colors could be seen on fashion runways. Neon green, orange, and yellow and other powerful colors. These shades represent the perfect options for stylish women who are not afraid to wear vibrant colors. Romantic girls around the world, unite! Girly, romantic style is “in” for Spring/Summer 2011, expressed through Liberty prints and larger floral prints. Another trend that cannot be ignored is the Ethnic. Therefore, we are expecting a sweet, bohemian spring next year, with flowers on the fields and on our dresses too. However, despite this sweetness wave, there is also the animal print for those of you who have a wild side.

“Maxi” is a key element when describing spring/

summer 2011 dresses and jumpsuits. Spring 2011 is all about comfort, laid-back styles, and relaxation. This is why many designers came out with loose clothes, comfy shoes, and breezy fabrics. There are a myriad of styles and shapes and some of them were in the spotlight for so many seasons in a row. A military jacket is at duty again. Or, if you are more into the elegant style, try a ‘60s inspired coat in a citrus color. Other important trends for Spring 2011 are the dandy style, biker style, or the urban chic, sport chic.

Minimalist Tank

Winter’s dalliance with modern minimalism evolves into 6 7

December 2010

4 a summer embrace as designers explore the potential of clean lines and fluid silhouettes. For the coming season form-skimming tanks are rendered in supersoft leathers dominated by elegant neutrals and warm buttery shades. Absence of unnecessary adornment concealed stitching and simple necklines communicate an easy-wear, contemporary dialogue.

Sophisticated Stripes Ringing with an unbridled optimism, wide stripes are cheerfully emblazoned across oversized accessories and coordinating clutches, culminating in standout, statement pieces. Clash or match stripes, or for a more grown-up conceit render in luxe leathers in muted seaside shades.

Wooden Heels Traditional clog continues to inspire, as the Seventies come under the spotlight for the coming season. Chunky wooden heels and solid platforms are offset with neutral leather uppers or quirky ostrich leather placements. Pair with contrasting woven or natural canvas uppers for an easy update on breezy summer style.

Extreme Wedge The staple Winter boot inspires Summer sandals with extreme wedge heels. Wooden clog-derived soles are offset with nude leather fastenings, Exotic skins -- from snake to ostrich -- reconcile convention with flamboyance, which pairs Baroque curlicues with athletic go-faster stripes and classic espadrille detailing. © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

1 Jonnys 2 by Imelda 3 Thierry Rabotin 4 Thierry Rabotin 5 Sazo & Brull 6 Jose Castro 7 Esther Noriega 8 Casadei 9 Twice 10 Fabi 11 Alex Vidal

7 6

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Marino Fabiani Mary-Kyri Fabi Siglo Cero Emilio Pucci Hammitt Jeannot CHammitt Donna Karan Alex Vidal Calleen Cordero

8 9

14 15

17 18

21 22 19

ÂŠ FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

December 2010

2 1 4

6 7

8 9

13 11 12

15 14

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

December 2010

Stuart Weitzman Trend Fornarina Angel Iglesias Marzetti Vic Matie Carlo Ventura Berkeman

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Luciana Cavalli Concha Ceballos Aurelia Gil Calleen Cordero Fornarina Calleen Cordero Giovanni Fabiani Higinio Mateu

ÂŠ FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Missing Johnny Dinamica Antonio Barbato Juana Martin Encarnis Tomero Luciana Cavalli Barracuda Berkeman

Marino Fabiani Fabi Kenzo Riverside Ory Gardenia Chez by Cheryl Nic Dean

2 3 4

7 5 6 8

13 14

ÂŠ FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

December 2010

mm 20 er 11

FA S

HIO

SPRING

TR Ch E N D ild S re n

December 2010

ÂŠ FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Andrea Morelli Rosalita Señoritas Starry Trasluz Trixy Eco Rosalita Señoritas W6YZ Trasluz Ciao Bimbi Gallucci Gallucci

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Naturino Ciao Bimbi Primigi Trixy Eco Starry Naturino Walk Safari Trasluz Rosalita Señoritas Rosalita Señoritas Rosalita Señoritas

15 9

16 17

December 2010

mm 20 er 11

FA S

HIO

SPRING

END

December 2010

6 7

5 8 4

Casual garments are rendered with a surprisingly smart twist, whilst the smart are reinvigorated in technical fabrications; aiding in the creation of a thoroughly contemporary wardrobe that is suitable for more than one purpose. Loose and slouchy silhouettes dominate, culminating in low-cut tanks and long-line tunic shirts that promote a dressed-down aesthetic, perfect for summertime dressing.

Bomber and Military Jackets The Nineties staple comes with pared down detailing, a clean and functional minimalism ideal for the Spring to Summer transition. Explore the potential of technical performance fabrics, or add contrast zips and asymmetric fastenings. The influence of the military inspires a reworking of the office jacket. Nylon finishes promote a casual stance, or opt for a formal conceit with gold buttons and braiding, or a cutaway front. White and natural color palettes introduce a safari aesthetic.

Slash Neck Knits Layer over formal shirting to the archetypal office wear, or wear under a blazer and waistcoat. Contrasting or coordinating color palettes place emphasis on the new knitwear shape.

Tunic Shirts

Menswear is imbued with a subtle womenswear twist, as designers borrow from ethnic inspired attire. Longline shirts and tunics are belted with simple ties and belts that reiterate an alternative summer cool.

Low Cut Tanks Promote an easy-wear, effortless summer style with slouchy vest tops. Scooped necks and low cut armholes create the required insouciance, manipulated and crumpled finishes strengthen the overall conceit.

Bermuda Shorts The casual Bermuda is updated for the season in smart cotton fabrications. A loose and roomy shape extends to just above the knee, and can we adapted for printed and plain finishes. Best worn with sandals.

Basket Weave Shoes Reinvigorating the pastoral clichĂŠ, basket-weave details inspire a new take on the masculine lace-up shoe. Polished leathers create an air of distinct refinement; whilst straw like and cotton weaves update shabby chic for a new season. 14 11

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Reebok Paco Roca Paco Roca Fabi Tremp Dino Bigioni Tremp

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Nero Giardini Mario Fagni Artioli Mauri Mauri Aldo Brue Nicola Benson

12 ÂŠ FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

December 2010

ÂŠ FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

mm 20 er 11 20

FA S

HIO

SPRING

END

ÂŠ FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Lavandera Yiyi Gutz Georgina Vendrell Encarnis Tomero Finn Comfort Georgina Vendrell Adba Jomos Sioux Poti Poti

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Adolfo Carli Carlos Curiel Kebo Tonino Lamborghini Fiat Nicola Benson Kebo Q Bit RG Carlos Curiel

December 2010

MOTIVATION

By Brian Tracy

Practice the Seven Secrets of Sales Success There are seven secrets, or principles, of sales success. They are practiced by all the highest paid salespeople every day. The regular application of these principles is virtually guaranteed to move you to the top of your field.

Success secret #1: Get serious! Make a decision to go all the way to the top of your field. Make a today decision to join the top 10%. There is no one and nothing that can hold you back from being the best except yourself. Remember, it takes just as long to be great as to be mediocre. The time is going to pass anyway. Your job is to commit to excellence, to get better and better each day, and to never, never stop until you reach the summit. Success secret #2: Identify your

limiting skill to sales success. Identify your weakest single skill and make a plan to become absolutely excellent in that area. Ask yourself, and your boss, “What one skill, if I developed and did it consistently in an excellent fashion, would have the greatest positive impact on my sales?” Whatever your answer to this question, write it down, set a deadline, make a plan, and then work on it every day. This decision alone can change your life.

Success secret #3:

Get around the right people. Get around positive, successful people. Associate with men and women who are going somewhere with their lives. And get away from negative, critical, complaining people. They drag you down, tire you out, distract and discourage you, and lead you inevitably to underachievement and failure. Remember, you cannot fly with the eagles if you continue to scratch with the turkeys.

Success secret #4: Take excellent care of your physical health. You need

high levels of energy to sell effectively, and to bounce back from continual rejection and discouragement. Be sure to eat the right foods, get the right amount of exercise and get plenty of rest and recreation. Make a decision that you are going to live to be 80 years old, or more, and begin today to do whatever you have to do to achieve that goal.

Success secret #5: Visualize yourself as one of the top people in your field. Imagine yourself performing at your best all day long. Feed your subconscious mind with vivid, exciting, emotionalized pictures of yourself as positive, confident, competent and completely in control of every part of your life. These clear mental pictures preprogram you and motivate you to sell at your best in any situation. Success secret #6: Practice positive self-talk continually. Control your inner dialogue. Talk to yourself the way you want to be rather than the way you might be today. For example, repeat to yourself these powerful words, over and over again. “I like myself! I’m the best! I can do it! I love my work!” Say to yourself, “I feel happy! I feel healthy! I feel terrific!” Remember, fully 95% of your emotions are determined by the way you talk to yourself, most of the time. The way you feel determines how you behave. And how you behave determines how much you sell. Your job is to get yourself on an upward spiral where you think and talk to yourself positively, all day long. You think, walk, talk and act like the very best people in your field. When you do, your success

becomes inevitable.

Success secret #7: Take positive action toward your goals, every single day. Be proactive rather than reactive. Grab the bull by the horns. If you are not happy with your income, get out there and get face to face with more customers. If you are not happy with any part of your life, accept responsibility and take charge. All successful salespeople are intensely action oriented. They have a sense of urgency. They develop a bias for action. They do it now! They have a compulsion to closure. They maintain a fast tempo and move quickly in everything they do. And the good news is this. The faster you move, the more energy you have. The faster you move, the more ground you cover. The faster you move, the more people you see. The more people you see, the more experience you get. The more experience you get, the more sales you make. The more people you see and the more sales you make, the more your self-esteem and self respect goes up, and the more you will feel like great about yourself. You will have more energy. You will be happier and more positive. The faster you move, the more you take complete control of your entire life and virtually guarantee that you will be one of the top performers and the highest paid people in your field. Salespeople are among the most important people in America. Every single company depends for its survival on the success of its salespeople. High sales is the number one reason for company success. Low sales is the number one reason for company failure. And you can be in the driver’s seat.

Brian Tracy is the most listened to audio author on personal and business success in the world today. His fast-moving talks and seminars on leadership, sales, managerial effectiveness and business strategy are loaded with powerful, proven ideas and strategies that people can immediately apply to get better results in every area. Check his web site www.briantracy.com

December 2010

eMAIL MARKETING

Tips for successful e-mail marketing Collect e-mail addresses. Make it easy for customers to opt-in to your e-mails. A brick-and-mortar business can have sign-up forms at checkout or mail them with invoices. Put a form on your website that makes signup easy. Offer a discount, free information or other incentive to encourage signups. Tell customers what to expect. Post your privacy policy on your website. When customers subscribe, e-mail a welcome telling them how often they will hear from you (monthly? weekly?) and how to unsubscribe. Craft compelling subject lines. The subject line gets customers to open the e-mail...or not. The best subject lines are short, to the point and clearly convey the benefit to the recipient. Avoid exclamation points and allcapital letters-these amateur moves will get your message marked as junk mail. Make it attractive. The design of your e-mails should be consistent with your company’s website and your other marketing materials. Use your logo, color, photos and graphics to enhance visual appeal. Proofread. E-mail marketing messages riddled with spelling and grammar errors reflect poorly on your business. Carefully proofread e-mails, paying special attention to figures, discounts and prices. If proofreading isn’t your strong suit, enlist someone else. Be responsive. Your e-mail marketing campaign may prompt queries or questions from customers. People expect prompt responses to e-mails, so answer right away or your e-mails could do more harm than good. Create an e-newsletter. A monthly e-newsletter including useful tips, news about your business, stories about customers, and special offers from your business is a great way to connect with customers. Get help. Many Web hosting companies offer e-mail marketing packages. If you use the same company that hosts your website, it’s easy to have your e-mails share the look and feel of your site. Or, try Constant Contact (www.constantcontact.com), a popular service that provides templates and other tools to simplify e-mail marketing. Analyze results. Look for an e-mail marketing service that provides analytics tools. Use analytics to assess the effectiveness of your e-mail marketing campaigns and adjust them for better results Keep it legal. Many legal regulations govern e-mail marketing. For example, you must include an opt-out link and a physical business address in each e-mail; process unsubscribe requests within 10 days; and avoid deceptive subject lines. A good e-mail marketing service will help you follow the rules of the CAN-SPAM Act, but the final responsibility is yours.

December 2010

SUCCESS STORY SUCCESS STORY

Top

Business Lessons from Jenny Craig “[My husband] always tells me that I’m the most unrelenting person he’s ever met, and it’s true. If I make a commitment to something I will stick to it no matter what.” - Jenny Craig

Jenny Craig (born Genevieve Guidroz on August 7, 1932 in Berwick, Louisiana) is an American weight loss guru and founder of Jenny Craig, Inc. Craig was raised in New Orleans and married Sidney Harvey Craig in 1979. In 1983, she and her husband created a nutrition, fitness, and weight loss program in Australia. They founded the company and began offering the program in the United States in 1985. The company became a part of Nestlé Nutrition in 2006. The story begins after Jenny had her second daughter. She discovered that she could not lose the weight she had gained as easily as she had before. She was 45 pounds overweight and knew she had to change something. She mortgaged her house and used the money to open up her own gym and called it Healthetic. The gym became extremely popular and she soon sold and went on a hunt for a new venture. That’s when she met Sid Craig, a partner with Body Contour Inc., a chain of women’s fitness salons. Sid Craig went to New Orleans to open up a Body Contour salon and hired Jenny as his first employee. The rest is history. They got married in 1979 and became frustrated with their business because they wanted to offer more nutritional guidance. Sid’s partners refused and the 20

December 2010

Craigs sold the business to them as a result. The deal carried a two-year non-compete clause in the U.S.so the Craigs, both in their 50’s, moved to Australia to start their nutritional company, Jenny Craig, Inc. They created 69 centers in Australia and then moved to the U.S. once the non-compete expired. In 1991, the company went public and generated $73.5 million in capital. Five years later, after having expanded into the

U.S., New Zealand, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Guam, the Craig’s decided to sell their company to Nestle for $600 million.

Action Item 1: Promote, Promote, Promote! Building a better mousetrap is not enough anymore to get a company off the ground. You need to aggressively promote your business to make sure your customers know that you exist. From advertising and public relations to search engine optimization and social media marketing, you have many opportunities to spread the word about your company and you should never take your foot off the gas! In the company’s early years, Craig made sure that exactly 10 % of sales was directed back into commercial advertising each and every year. Individual franchises were also expected to spend 10 % of sales, or at least $1,000 a week, on local advertising for their own centers. They used traditional advertising on television programs, leveraged celebrity endorsements, and created direct mail campaigns. But they also tried many offbeat approaches. As one example, Sid got the company a lot of publicity during © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

one televised international cricket match, where cameras picked up on a sign in the crowd directed at the captain of the English team that read: “See Jenny Craig. Quick.”

Action Item 2: Offer Products and Services I believe the best way to build a business is to start a service - it’s low cost and gets you close to your customers. Your chances of survival are much higher and you learn what future services and products your clients need. Once you’ve established a base of customers and know exactly what’s missing in the marketplace, you can create your products. You’ve got cash flow from your service business to keep the company running and you’ve got a loyal group of clients who are ready to buy! Jenny Craig had the same philosophy. Her business started with Jenny Craig centers where they would help clients establish a workout program, offer nutritional guidance, and also give motivational services. Her business grew every year as she added © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

more centers and people to her team. It was a very successful service based business. Jenny Craig’s big break came when she started offering prepared food products as a part of her offering. She brought on board a highly qualified staff of dieticians, psychologists, and physicians to help her create a menu that was healthy and nutritional. In doing so, Jenny’s Cuisine became a central component to her program. All of her clients were required to purchase these portion and calorie controlled foods, which included over sixty different breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and snack options. Jenny’s Cuisine proved so popular that the company’s gross revenues from food sales increased to 91 % by 1993.

Action Item 3: Never Give Up! It’s important as an entrepreneur to never give up on your idea. Every business owner will face a moment of crisis which forces you to think whether it’s all worth it - the long hours, the mounting debt, the

personal sacrifices. These moments will help define you as an entrepreneur. It’s the founders who stare those moments square in the face and keep on building who go on to be the ultra-successful entrepreneurs. From losing weight, to starting her own business, to not being able to run her business in America, Craig has proven that with perseverance anything is possible. When the Craigs first sold their chain of Body Contour gyms, they did so in agreement to a non-compete clause. They were not allowed to set up shop again anywhere in the U.S. for two years. And so, refusing to wait two years before they made their next move, the couple went on a search for their next destination. Where could they begin their new line of fitness centers? What country was similar to the U.S. in terms of diet and fitness levels but presented no language barrier? The Craigs decided on Australia. Their friends thought they were “nuts” but the couple never gave up and turned their new business into a company that sold for $600 million. December 2010

SUCCESS STORY SUCCESS STORY

Top

December 2010

U.S., New Zealand, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Guam, the Craig’s decided to sell their company to Nestle for $600 million.

one televised international cricket match, where cameras picked up on a sign in the crowd directed at the captain of the English team that read: “See Jenny Craig. Quick.”

THE TOP 10 TRADE SHOWS

n Bread and Butter

WHO’S WHO: The Top 10

trade shows of 2010

n MAGIC TRADE SHOWS RATING BY FOCUS READERS

December 2010

Services offered at the show

Cost of attending/ participating

Value, Importance for your business

SATISFACTION, %

voted, %

known places, now gets many more choices of where and when to go shopping. This change in retail behavior explains lower attendance at ANY particular trading event today, and this trend will likely continue in the future. Unfortunately, very few people recognize this trend and are either unprepared or unwilling to change. On average 8 out of 10 wholesalers that I know blame the trade show for their poor business. I disagree because this is not fair. I personally have attended most of the fairs that made it to this issue and can verify that each show tries very hard to give good business to both buyers and sellers. But the state of the world’s economy has definitely affected all the shows without exception, it was seen in lower attendance, slower traffic and shrinkage of the events (except FN Platform, which almost doubled in size comparing with its first edition earlier this year). Despite the economy, such shows as MAGIC and Project once again demonstrated solid, steady performance throughout the year 2010, earning high points by our readers. Same

Convenience

The most important criterion for the survey was overall satisfaction, and all Top 10 shows have earned satisfaction ratings of or above 50%. I hope this information will prove helpful whether you plan to buy or sell at these shows in the future. Trade shows have become irreplaceable for professionals to buy, sell, and make contacts as well as to get informed and entertained. They evolve in concert with the markets, instantly responding to market needs and constantly changing world economic conditions. Retailers are looking for more choices, better options, convenience, and, of course, cheaper alternatives. The open global markets have opened the doors to almost any array of goods/ services at multiple-choice locations on flexible dates. Now retailers can get what they want, when they want, and how they want. In the same way the new marketplace benefits buyers, the wholesale business clearly has become more challenging. The same retail audience that previously crowded at one or two

Traffic/ Attendance

s always, the last issue of the year features the results of our annual survey determining our readers’ favorites among international fashion industry trade shows. Throughout the year, we’ve offered to rate the performance of various marketplaces, and based on returned responses, we’ve selected the Top 10 Trade Shows of 2010. In making our selections, we considered events fully rated by at least twenty different people. Ratings were based on a scale of 1 to 10. The shows with the highest scores made our list. We asked for fair and objective opinions from reviewers who were neither employed by nor affiliated with a trade show. Next, we contacted the featured shows’ organizers for official facts and figures, which we’ve published here exactly as furnished. Unfortunately, many of these organizations for some reason have decided not to disclose the data of how many exhibitors, buyers attended the show, size of the venue, cost of participation, etc and therefore we had to exclude this section from the article…

Organization/ Planning/ Promotion

THE TOP 10 TRADE SHOWS OF 2010

READERS SATISFACTION WITH ... (on the scale of 1 to 10)

MAGIC Marketplace

66%

90%

MICAM

66%

35%

PROJECT

62%

50%

Bread & Butter Berlin

60%

25%

ATLANTA SHOE SHOW

60%

50%

AccessoriesTheShow

58%

90%

ENK Coterie

58%

50%

GDS

58%

25%

WSA

50%

90%

FFANY

50%

FN Platform

50%

goes to MICAM, which I attended during its Spring edition to witness firsthand never ending demand for high quality Italian shoes, really great show! Although, I have never had a chance to personally visit the TASM show in Atlanta and, therefore, cannot give my personal opinion about this event, the survey responses we’ve received indicate that this show is on the rise, © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

definitely a good place for business. The WSA, the largest American shoe show did ok this year, but despite receiving lower ratings than a year before, it still remains among the Top 10, delivering above-average satisfaction to both buyers and sellers. Because the FN Platform and the FFANY shows both have received the same points of readers’ satisfaction, they are sharing the same position on our chart.

over all score, 60 max

In the end, all the shows of 2010 have successfully made their way through an uneasy year. We’d like to congratulate their organizers and extend our good wishes for their continued success. And to all trade show buyers and sellers, we wish you Happy Trading! Alex Geyman

December 2010

THE TOP 10 TRADE SHOWS

FASHION COTERIE

AccessoriesTheShow

AccessoriesTheShow is one of the largest and longest running juried all accessory trade events. Catering to both the East and West Coast, the show is produced in New York and Las Vegas during the accessory market weeks. AccessoriesTheShow has earned the reputation as the upscale trade event of the industry by attracting the most coveted buyers, offering an impressive array of amenities and by providing personalized customer service that is second to none. Sponsored by Accessories Magazine, AccessoriesTheShow is the marketplace for hot, new directions in edited accessories. FEATURED CATEGORIES: Baby & Children’s Accessories, Belts, Bridal Accessories, Collectibles/Home Accessories, Cosmetic and Personal Accessories, Evening Bags, Eyewear, Jewelry, Footwear, Gloves and Small Leathergoods, Hair Ornaments, Handbags, Briefcases and Luggage, Hats/Caps/Millinery, Legwear, Men’s Accessories, Private Label, Scarves/ Shawls/Stoles, Sterling Silver, Umbrellas ,Watches. PRICE POINTS: N/A FREQUENCY: AccessoriesTheShow New York- 3 times/year AccessoriesTheShow Las Vegas- 2 times/year DURATION: 3 Days LOCATION: AccessoriesTheShow - New York Market: The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NY AccessoriesTheShow – Las Vegas Market: The Venetian Resort & Hotel, Las Vegas, NV PRODUCER(S)/ ORGANIZERS: Business Journals, Inc. ANTICIPATED ADDITIONS/ CHANGES/ ADDITIONS TO THE SHOW IN 2011: AccessoriesTheShow will be launching a new and innovative website as we move into 2011 that will highlight all the shows information in a dynamic new platform of communication. Soon, www. accessoriestheshow.com will deliver information such as new exhibitor debuts, trends and show developments in real time. The new website for AccessoriesTheShow is going to revolutionize the way we communicate with our industries by using ground breaking technology to streamline show information, partner our social media networks, and bring together all the components of AccessoriesTheShow into a design-centric website. SHOW DATES IN 2011: AccessoriesTheShow - New York Market: - January 9-11 - February 20-22 - May – Dates TBD 24

December 2010

THE TOP 10 TRADE SHOWS

n Fashion Coterie

n Accessories The Show - August – Dates TBD - September – Dates TBD AccessoriesTheShow – Las Vegas Market: - February 14-16 - August - Dates TBD WEB SITE AND CONTACT PHONE: www.accessoriestheshow.com (866) 696-6020

Bread & Butter

AccessoriesTheShow Rated # 6

n Bread and Butter

BREAD & BUTTER provides the concept of an innovative trade fair event for the progressive, contemporary clothing culture. As an international trade fair for Street- and Urbanwear, BREAD & BUTTER represents a marketing and communication platform for its exhibiting brands and reflects their culture and brand philosophy with their complete versatility. With a unique brand portfolio, BREAD & BUTTER confirms its position as the leading international trade fair and trademark - it is the meeting point for buyers, traders and representatives from the textile trade press. FEATURED MERCHANDISE, CATEGORIES: Men’s und Women’s Wear and Accessories Denim, Street- and Urbanwear, Young Fashion, Sport Lifestyle, Casual Wear, Shoes, Boots & Sneakers, Accessories. PRICE POINTS: N/A FREQUENCY: 2 times/year DURATION: 3 Days LOCATION: Airport Berlin-Tempelhof, Berlin, Germany PRODUCER(S)/ ORGANIZERS: BREAD & BUTTER GmbH ANTICIPATED ADDITIONS/ CHANGES/ ADDITIONS TO THE SHOW IN 2011: BREAD & BUTTER is constantly strong; we will maintain the successful area division into Sport & Street, Street Fashion, Fashion Now, Style Society, Denim Base, Urban Superior Men, Urban Superior Women and L.O.C.K. – Labels of Common Kin, which is the basis for the best order decision for the retail and the industry. The overall concept and strong focus on brand communication and brand marketing © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

will be kept. For the winter edition of the upcoming BBB the temporary façade will once again keep exhibitors and visitors warm from cold outside temperatures in the Denim Base Area – a unique architectural concept which has been successfully introduced in winter 2010. The overall concept “B&B Sin Saloon” will be extended to Berlin’s roaring 20ies where guests can enjoy music and performances from that time, play poker and other games on gambling tables – and spectacular boxing fights in the boxing ring will be the main act of the evening. SHOW DATES IN 2011: January 19–21 July 06–08 WEB SITE AND CONTACT PHONE: www.breadandbutter.com +49 (0)30 400 44 0

Bread & Butter Rated # 4

FASHION COTERIE brings more than 18,000 buyers and 1400 sellers together at this International event featuring Designer, Contemporary, Bridge and Modern ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories and eveningwear. The event also features TMRW where ENK introduces new and emerging talent to the marketplace. FEATURED MERCHANDISE, CATEGORIES: Casual, Dress, Athletic, Special Occasions, Rugged/ Outdoors, Denim, Beachwear, Nightwear, Fashion Forward, Contemporary, Bridge/Designer, Couture, Jewelry, Hats, Bags, etc. PRICE POINTS: Moderate/High-End/ Luxury FREQUENCY: 2 times/year DURATION: 3 Days LOCATION: The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NY PRODUCER(S)/ ORGANIZERS: ENK International ANTICIPATED ADDITIONS/ CHANGES/ ADDITIONS TO THE SHOW IN 2011: N/A SHOW DATES IN 2011: February 20-22 September 18-20 WEB SITE AND CONTACT PHONE: www.enkshows.com (212) 759-8055

Fashion Coterie Rated # 7

n FFaNY

FFANY NEW YORK SHOE EXPO

FFANY NEW YORK SHOE EXPO (Fashion Footwear Association Of New York) The FFANY New York Shoe Expo, conveniently held at the Hilton New York Hotel in midtown, features approximately 600 fashion footwear brands exhibiting in booths, hotel show rooms and FFANY Member showrooms. The FFANY New York Shoe Expo, only one city, one show, in the fashion capital of the world. FEATURED MERCHANDISE, CATEGORIES: Footwear, Handbags and Accessories for men, women, children PRICE POINTS: Off-Price/Budget/Moderate/High-End/ Luxury FREQUENCY: 4 times/year DURATION: 3 days LOCATION: Hilton New York, Flatotel And FFANY New York Footwear Showrooms, New York, NY PRODUCER(S)/ ORGANIZERS: FFANY – Fashion Footwear Association Of New York ANTICIPATED ADDITIONS/ CHANGES/ ADDITIONS TO THE SHOW IN 2011: N/A SHOW DATES IN 2011: February 1-3 June 7-9 August 2-4 November 30-December 2 WEB SITE AND CONTACT PHONE: www.ffany.org (212) 751-6422 FFANY New York Shoe Expo

Rated # 10

n Fashion Coterie

December 2010

THE TOP 10 TRADE SHOWS

FASHION COTERIE

AccessoriesTheShow

December 2010

THE TOP 10 TRADE SHOWS

n Fashion Coterie

Bread & Butter

AccessoriesTheShow Rated # 6

n Bread and Butter

Bread & Butter Rated # 4

Fashion Coterie Rated # 7

n FFaNY

FFANY NEW YORK SHOE EXPO

Rated # 10

n Fashion Coterie

December 2010

THE TOP 10 TRADE SHOWS

n FN Platform

FN PLATFORM

FN PLATFORM, presented by MAGIC and in collaboration with Footwear News, showcases over 1,000 new and emerging footwear brands encompassing the full range of branded footwear for Men, Women, Juniors and Children. FN PLATFORM features: · Efficiently and uniquely merchandised lifestyle environments, each setting featuring a distinctive market category. · Specialized retail relations networking opportunities that connect retailers to the right brands. · Complimentary industry seminars by the most respected names in the industry.

· Domestic and international media industry leaders, trend setters and brand builders under one roof for three days. · Concierge assistance including hotel bookings, restaurant reservations and transportation arrangements available to buyers and exhibitors. As part of MAGIC, FN PLATFORM is the only footwear event that allows retailers to meet all of their buying needs head to toe, while viewing all the trends of the season. FEATURED MERCHANDISE, CATEGORIES: All branded footwear including athleisure, casual, designer, advanced contemporary and comfort. PRICE POINTS: Budget/Moderate/High-End/ Luxury FREQUENCY: 2 times/year DURATION: 3 Days LOCATION: Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, NV PRODUCER(S)/ ORGANIZERS: MAGIC

ANTICIPATED ADDITIONS/ CHANGES/ ADDITIONS TO THE SHOW IN 2011: N/A SHOW DATES IN 2011: February 14-16 August TBD

FN Platform Rated # 10

GDS

GDS and GLOBAL SHOES are leading international trade fairs for footwear where about 1,190 exhibitors

n GDS

from 41 countries present their collections to visitors from around the world. 780 exhibitors with about 1,800 collections – ranging from exclusive and elegant to young, trendy and experimental – were accounted for by GDS. GLOBAL SHOES is a sourcing trade fair for manufacturers interested in volume business. About 410 exhibitors showcase their latest shoe collections for women, men and children, including lifestyle, sports and wellness. Attendees use these strategic international order platforms to gathered information and place orders for the coming season. The GDS exhibits are supported by fashion shows and forums offering important information on markets and trends for the next season. The different segments and the programme of accompanying events will be continuously fine-tuned to respond to visitors’ and exhibitors’ needs and wishes. FEATURED MERCHANDISE, CATEGORIES: GDS offers different segments and individual lifestyle worlds in which exhibitors present their latest collections of women’s, men’s and children’s shoes, bags and accessories. · urban authentic: cult-status heritage brands · urban fresh: popular, mainstream fashion, lifestyle and urban fashion brands · urban active: brands blending utility with design · design attack: design newcomers with lifestyle products and collections · white cubes: progressive high-fashion labels · upper style: established high-quality brands · prime² (spoken: prime squared): established highquality brands for men’s shoes · superior: medium-priced international fashion collections · essential: mainstream-fashion quality brands · kidwalk: children’s shoe brands · shop & deco: shop fitting and furnishing products In addition: kid’s and wellness collections are integrated into all lifestyle worlds in the other exhibition halls at the stands of prestigious brands. PRICE POINTS: Off-Price/Budget/Moderate/High-End FREQUENCY: 2 times/year DURATION: 3 Days LOCATION: Düsseldorf, Germany PRODUCER(S)/ ORGANIZERS: Messe Düsseldorf ANTICIPATED ADDITIONS/ CHANGES/ ADDITIONS TO THE SHOW IN 2011: From 2011 both trade fairs will be held from Wednesday to Friday. SHOW DATES IN 2011: March 16–18 September 7–9 WEB SITE AND CONTACT PHONE: www.gds-online.com (001312) 781-5180

GDS Rated # 8

n MAGIC

MAGIC Marketplace

MICAM

MAGIC is the preeminent trade event in the international fashion industry, hosting global buyers and sellers of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, footwear, accessories and sourcing resources. As an incubator of fashion, MAGIC is where new trends surface and develop into what will be seen on the consumer. The show’s goal is to connect and inspire the fashion community, fuse diverse trends, while offering unbeatable service to its customers. Several neighborhoods within MAGIC include: WWDMAGIC (women’s), MAGIC Menswear, Sourcing at MAGIC, FN FLATFORM (footwear), S.L.A.T.E, Street FEATURED MERCHANDISE Casual, Dress, Athletic, Urban/Streetwear, Special Occasions, Rugged/Outdoors, Denim, Beachwear, Nightwear, Fashion Forward, Contemporary, Bridge/ Designer, Couture, Watches, Jewelry, Hats, Bags, Cosmetics, etc PRICE POINTS: Off-Price/Budget/Moderate/High-End/ Luxury FREQUENCY/YEAR: 2 times/ year DURATION/DAYS: 3 days LOCATION: Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV PRODUCER(S)/ ORGANIZERS: Advanstar ANTICIPATED ADDITIONS/ CHANGES/ ADDITIONS TO THE SHOW IN 2011: N/A DATES FOR 2011: February 14 – 16, August- TBD WEB SITE AND PHONE: www.magiconline.com, MAGIC 818/593-5000

MICAM Shoevent, the leading international footwear fair, is organised by A.N.C.I., the National Association of Italian Footwear Manufacturers, through its service company ANCI SERVIZI Srl. The event is held twice a year in Milan, the fashion capital, in the modern and functional fair grounds of Rho Fiera. In March and September, a sneak-preview of the autumn/winter collections and those for spring/ summer of the following year are presented. The result is a complete and wide range of goods featuring quality, design and innovation, a unique platform that successfully combines business, glamour and communication. The fair occupies an exhibition area of over 70,000 square metres and plays host to around 1,600 companies, of which 1,000 are Italian and 600 foreign. Together they represent over 30 different countries. Given the attendance figures of over 42,000 visitors, of which 21,000 come from abroad, the MICAM Shoevent confirms its role as a privileged showcase for promoting new collections. At the same time, it is also a decisive opportunity to do business and establish tangible commercial contacts. An appointment buyers cannot miss, and one where they will be able to witness all the latest developments in Italian and international footwear fashions. FEATURED MERCHANDISE, CATEGORIES: All Footwear categories, Accessories for shops, Specialized press

Rated # 1

December 2010

THE TOP 10 TRADE SHOWS

n FN Platform

FN PLATFORM

ANTICIPATED ADDITIONS/ CHANGES/ ADDITIONS TO THE SHOW IN 2011: N/A SHOW DATES IN 2011: February 14-16 August TBD

FN Platform Rated # 10

GDS

GDS and GLOBAL SHOES are leading international trade fairs for footwear where about 1,190 exhibitors

n GDS

GDS Rated # 8

n MAGIC

MAGIC Marketplace

MICAM

Rated # 1

December 2010

THE TOP 10 TRADE SHOWS PRICE POINTS: Budget/Moderate/High-End/ Luxury FREQUENCY: 2 times/year DURATION: 4 Days LOCATION: Rho Fiera, Milan, Italy PRODUCER(S)/ ORGANIZERS: ANCI Servizi Srl ANTICIPATED ADDITIONS/ CHANGES/ ADDITIONS TO THE SHOW IN 2011: N/A SHOW DATES IN 2011: March 6-9 September 18-21 WEB SITE AND CONTACT PHONE: www.micamonline.com +39 02 438291

MICAM Shoe Event Rated # 2

THE TOP 10 TRADE SHOWS

PROJECT Global Trade Show

The Atlanta Shoe Market (TASM)

PROJECT Global Trade Show PROJECT is the “fashion epicenter” bringing together the world’s most innovative advanced contemporary brands and the most prestigious and forward-thinking global retailers. PROJECT is the “place-maker,” an influential destination that unites an industry and provides a compelling experience that inspires growth both creatively and commercially. PROJECT is the “industry steward.” A trend seeker, a developer of emerging talent, an educator, an advocate for more conscious and sustainable practices, a pillar of inspiration and creativity. PROJECT is the “dream curator,” an adaptable and always evolving entity capable of nurturing the big idea. PROJECT is the “global hyperlocalist.” A global event, capable of creating community that transcends labels and fosters connectivity and collaboration.” FEATURED MERCHANDISE, CATEGORIES: Denim, Advanced Collections, Footwear, Accessories PRICE POINTS: Moderate/High-End FREQUENCY: 4 times/year: 2 times in New York, NY and 2 times in Las Vegas, NV DURATION: 3 Days LOCATION: New York, NY, Las Vegas, NV PRODUCER(S)/ ORGANIZERS: Advanstar Communications ANTICIPATED ADDITIONS/ CHANGES/ ADDITIONS TO THE SHOW IN 2011: N/A SHOW DATES IN 2011: Project New York: January 16-18 July TBD Project Las Vegas February 14-16 August TBD WEB SITE AND CONTACT PHONE: www.projectshow.com (877) 554-4834

The Atlanta Shoe Market (TASM) The Atlanta Shoe Market is held in Atlanta, Georgia twice a year at the Cobb Galleria Centre and The Renaissance Waverly Hotel. This show is held “Under One Roof” and is managed by Southeastern Shoe Travelers Association which is a non profit association for manufacturer’s representatives. Their purpose is to foster cordial relationships between manufacturers, retailers and salesmen in the shoe industry and related fields as well as providing trade shows and educational seminars to their members and retailers. FEATURED MERCHANDISE, CATEGORIES: Footwear & Accessories for Men, Women, Children: Athletics, Comfort, Better and Designer PRICE POINTS: Off-Price/Budget/Moderate/High-End/ Luxury FREQUENCY: 2 times/year DURATION: 3 Days LOCATION: Cobb Galleria Centre and The Renaissance Waverly Hotel in Atlanta, GA PRODUCER(S)/ ORGANIZERS: Southeastern Shoe Travelers Association, Inc ANTICIPATED ADDITIONS/ CHANGES/ ADDITIONS TO THE SHOW IN 2011: The Atlanta Shoe Market will have extended hours of the show to accommodate the growing number of retailers that are attending the show. In addition additional space is being used to accommodate the growing number of exhibiting companies. We have added “The Kids Shoe Box” in the Grand Ballroom featuring over 110 children’s brands. We have also added “The Fashion Collection” in the main ballroom in the Convention Centre featuring over 200 brands. SHOW DATES IN 2011: February 19-21 August 13-15 WEB SITE AND CONTACT PHONE: www.atlantashoemarket.com (706) 923-0580

PROJECT Rated # 3

The Atlanta Shoe Market Rated # 5

n PROJECT

n The Atlanta Shoe Market

WSA

WSA (World Shoes + Accessories) ENK International provides the forum for the fashion world to conduct business ENK’s portfolio of 29+ events includes WSA,

an event featuring women’s, men’s and children’s footwear and accessories. FEATURED MERCHANDISE, CATEGORIES: Footwear and Accessories for Men, Women, Children, Casual, Dress, Athletic, Urban/Streetwear, Special Occasion, Rugged/Outdoor, Fashion Forward, Contemporary, Bridge/Designer PRICE POINTS: Affordable Fashion to Moderate to Luxury FREQUENCY: 2 times/year DURATION: 3 Days LOCATION: The Venetian & Sands Expo Center Las Vegas, NV

Did you know that ...?

• They are useful for obtaining information on the hottest new items. Fairs enable you to attend live demonstrations and view new product and/or service presentations.

• Trade fairs are ranked second in terms of their impact on the sales process, surpassed only by direct sales. • The average cost per visitor is 45% less at a trade fair than in a direct sale operation. • In 91% of the cases, participation at trade fairs is a key factor in the purchasing decision process and ranks first in relation to other sources of information (publications, associations, directories, salespersons, etc.). • For 85% of companies, participation at fairs represents significant cost savings thanks to the concentration of product and/or service purchasers and suppliers at a single venue. • According to these analyses, 80% of companies believe that trade fairs provide the only opportunity for discussing problems and current trends with other industry players. • Around 52% of the prospective customers contacted at fairs do not require subsequent visits in order to wrap up a sale. On the contrary, first contacts on prospects¹ premises require an average of 4.3 visits before operations may be closed. • 71% of visitors share the information obtained at fairs with 1 to 6 other persons upon returning to their companies. • 83% of leading businesspersons express their confidence in trade fairs as tools for keeping in tune with industry trends. • In general terms, around 50% of visitors are first-timers at any given trade fair. Considering that new players enter every business scenario on a daily basis, fairs are ideal places for establishing contact with them. • Close to 80% of fair visitors wield purchasing-decision power in their companies or bear influence on such decisions in relation to the products and services on show.

• They allow you to pre-select the sellers that interest you the most and to arrange face-to-face purchasing encounters with them. • Trade fairs are ideal for making direct check-ups on product characteristics, prior to purchase. • They enable you to compare prices and terms of sale across the range of specialized offerings. • They give you the opportunity to solve problems and discuss your needs with qualified technical personnel. • They are the ideal forums for maximizing exposure to market trends. • They allow you to contact current and potential suppliers and to draw up comparisons. • They provide an opportunity of attending congresses, seminars and parallel events ¬ unquestionable sources of information on industry evolution and trends. • They are one of company¹s key tools for projecting a given purchasingpower image. • They enable you to change the way sellers perceive your company.

Source: Spanish Trade Fairs Association (AFE) December 2010

n MICAM

WSA Rated # 9

There are several reasons why should you visit a trade fair:

• They allow you to assess your possibilities of participating in the future as an exhibitor.

PRODUCER(S)/ ORGANIZERS: ENK International ANTICIPATED ADDITIONS/ CHANGES/ ADDITIONS TO THE SHOW IN 2011: Sole Commerce at WSA will debut in February 2011 SHOW DATES IN 2011: February 7-9 July 27-29 WEB SITE AND CONTACT PHONE: www.wsashow.com (818) 379-9400

December 2010

MICAM Shoe Event Rated # 2

THE TOP 10 TRADE SHOWS

PROJECT Global Trade Show

The Atlanta Shoe Market (TASM)

PROJECT Rated # 3

The Atlanta Shoe Market Rated # 5

n PROJECT

n The Atlanta Shoe Market

WSA

WSA (World Shoes + Accessories) ENK International provides the forum for the fashion world to conduct business ENK’s portfolio of 29+ events includes WSA,

Did you know that ...?

• They are useful for obtaining information on the hottest new items. Fairs enable you to attend live demonstrations and view new product and/or service presentations.

Source: Spanish Trade Fairs Association (AFE) December 2010

n MICAM

WSA Rated # 9

There are several reasons why should you visit a trade fair:

• They allow you to assess your possibilities of participating in the future as an exhibitor.

December 2010

LUXURY RETAIL

Luxury Consumers

Hold on Tight to Cash

This Quarter

In continuing signs of struggles among the affluent consumer market -- the ‘heavy lifters’ in the overall retail economy -- Unity Marketing’s exclusive Luxury Consumption Index (LCI) retreated in October 2010, dropping 6.2 points to 72.1 points. According to the latest survey of luxury consumer confidence among 1,364 affluent luxury consumers (avg. income $298.3k; net wealth $7.3 million; 46.3 yrs; male 47 %; female 53 %). These results have important implications for marketers and retailers preparing for the 2010 holiday season. “Luxury consumers started 2010 with a feeling of optimism that the worst of the economic turmoil was over. But through the course of the year, reality hasn’t lived up to those expectations, so we have seen a retreat of the LCI throughout the year,” says Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing and author of the upcoming book, Putting the Luxe Back in Luxury. “Lower levels of affluent consumer confidence are playing out in terms of reduced of spending on luxuries. In the third quarter, affluent consumers spent 1.4 % less on luxuries than they did in the second quarter, with declines seen in expenditures in most of the 22 categories of luxury goods and services included in the survey.” Danziger takes issue with the robust luxury forecast by Bain and Company reported in the October 18 Wall Street Journal). “The word from Bain is that the luxury goods sector’s ‘recovery has been faster than expected.’ I disagree. The affluent consumers surveyed show a very reserved 30 1

December 2010

and cautious attitude about future luxury spending. Nearly half (49 %) expect to spend the same on luxury in the next twelve months and about one-fourth (24 %) say they will spend less. While luxury consumer confidence is much higher now than it was at the close of 2008, Unity Marketing’s measure

of the pulse of the affluent consumer market still signals caution for marketers. Now is not the time to sit back and breathe a sigh of relief. We still have a long way to go before the affluent consumers feel confident enough to spend as freely as they did in 2006 and 2007.” © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

What the latest luxury consumer survey finds Among the findings in the third quarter Luxury Tracking Study:

n Spending on luxury declined 1.4 % overall while ultra-affluents cut their luxury spending by 11 % quarter-toquarter. Luxury consumer spending dropped a modest 1.4 % in the third quarter from second, from $31,665 on average to $31,225. However, the ultraaffluents (top 2 % of U.S. households with incomes over $250,000) cut back even more, reducing their third quarter spending by 11 % from second to the third quarter. “This pull back among the ultra-affluent, the top 2 % of U.S. households, will have the strongest impact on the heritage luxury brands at the high end of the luxury market,” Danziger explains. The good news for luxury marketers is that luxury consumers spent 33 % more this year as compared with last year. But marketers should prepare for another tough fourth quarter as the affluent look once again for more bargains and discounts. n Luxury personal electronics will be top pick for Christmas giving. The only luxury goods category posting quarter-to-quarter growth was personal electronics. More affluents will turn

to gift selections from among these practical, yet essential high-tech tools, including laptop computers, GPS, cell phones, MP3 players and eBook readers. This is sure to be good news for marketers like Apple, Amazon, Best Buy and Radio Shack. n More luxury consumers purchased luxury in the third quarter, even while they spent less overall. Pent-up demand for something new drove a higher %age of luxury consumers to the store this quarter, even while they spent less money making their purchases. Luxury goods and services categories that captured a greater share of affluent shoppers this quarter as compared to last included luxury clothing and apparel, wine and spirits, fine dining, entertainment and travel. Danziger explains, “The two key metrics that the luxury tracking survey measures -- spending and purchase incidence -- are totally independent variables. Purchase incidence is the share of affluent consumers who made a purchase in one of the 22 product and service categories tracked. Spending is the average amount buyers actually spent making purchases. Luxury goods and service marketers need to focus on both metrics to increase sales and profits; that is, they need to both attract more affluent shoppers and get those affluent shoppers to spend more. What the data says about the third quarter is that in these five categories marketers attracted a greater share of customers, but they were not able to convert them into higher-spending customers.” n Luxury consumers traded down to more mass brands in search of value. Luxury consumers continued to pay careful attention to keeping within their spending budgets this quarter. They selectively indulged in luxuries by searching out discounts and choosing value brands. For example,

more ultra-affluent shoppers frequented Costco (35.5 %) and Target (36.1 %) this quarter than Neiman Marcus (21.3 %). In the fashion boutique sector, Ann Taylor (17.6 %), Banana Republic (16.6 %) and Ann Taylor Loft (16.1 %), were patronized more by ultra-affluent shoppers this quarter than traditional ‘luxe’ brands such as Chanel (10.8 %), Louis Vuitton (11 %) or Coach (11.8 %).

On the latest 3Q2010 survey results, Tom Bodenberg, Unity Marketing’s chief consumer economist, said, “After two quarters of stagnation, the index now shows a decline. This portends a holiday period where retailers need to be even more nimble, need to control the supply chain, and in the case of experiences, limit supply more than originally planned. Fifteen months ago I mentioned the downward spiral dating from early 2008 had bottomed out. The subsequent period did show an increase, but it has reached a plateau and is now declining again.”

Pamela N. Danziger is a nationally recognized expert in undertanding the mind of the consumer. She founded Unity Marketing in 1992 as a marketing consulting firm for marketers and retailers that sell luxury goods and experiences. A highly sought after keynote speaker, Danziger has addressed large conference audiences, including Global Luxury Forum, Global Shop, National Retail Federation, etc. She has appeared on NBC, CBS, Fox News and CNN and is frequently called upon by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Businessweek, Forbes, USA Today, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Women’s Wear Daily and other business and consumer publications for commentary and analysis. She holds a B.A. Degree in English Literature and a Master of Library Science degree. In recognition of her ground- breaking work in the luxury consumer market, Pam received the Global Luxury Award presented by Harper’s Bazaar for top luxury industry achievers in 2007. She is also the author of three books on consumer psychology and behavior. For more information, go to www.unitymarketingonline.com or email her at pam@unitymarketingonline.com © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

December 2010

MARKETING

By Mike Thimmesch

8 Ways To Get Higher Quality Trade Show Leads Used by permission of Skyline Exhibits www.skyline.com

n Accessories The Show

2B marketers want more than just a big pile of leads. They also want higher quality leads. Leads that are more likely to convert into sales. Leads that their sales force will crow about, not complain about. Leads that will create far more revenue than it cost to generate them. If that’s what you want, too, you are not alone. In a new MarketingSherpa study, a whopping 78% of B2B marketers agreed that “generating high quality leads” was a top challenge, much higher than the 44% who said “generating a high volume of leads.” Trade show marketers share this need urgently. “I recently hosted a Lunch and Learn 32

December 2010

get. How many of each show’s attendees would make great prospects for you? And what percent of the show’s attendance do they represent? Compare show by show, and consider only the shows that bring more of your target audience, or a higher percentage. That way you can have more time interacting with qualified attendees in your booth, rather than weeding through visitors who will never buy from you.

for my veteran exhibiting customers,” said Victoria R. Conti, CTSM, from Skyline Genesis Event Marketing, “and the main topic everyone wanted to discuss was how to increase the amount of qualified leads from a show.” Sounds like Job #1. So without further ado, here are 8 ways to increase the quality of the leads you get from visitors to your trade show booth:

Select Shows with Attendees Who Better Match Your Prospects. Ask shows vying for a spot on your trade show schedule to supply detailed attendee demographics. Look at their attendees’ job titles, industries, company size, location, and if they have it, average annual bud-

More Focused Pre-Show and At-Show Promotions. First, to attract only the part of the show’s attendees that match your target audience, offer giveaways and gifts that appeal only to them (such as a free cost-savings calculation) rather than continued on page 34 © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

MARKETING

continued from page 32

something that appeals to everyone (such as a free iPad). Shift your giveaway budget from a lot of lower quality items for the masses, to fewer, but better gifts you only offer to big-time buyers, and only if they visit your booth. You and your sales team can also put more effort into reaching out to top prospects before the show to invite them to your booth or to a meal with top company execs during the show.

n PROJECT

n Fashion Coterie

December 2010

Better Qualify Your Leads During Or After The Show. Find out from your sales people before the show what information they need about each lead – and then get it! Put those key 3 to 5 questions on the lead card, and train your booth staffers to ask those questions directly, or to listen for (and write down) those answers during their conversations. Based on those questions, agree ahead of time what makes a hot lead, a good lead, or an unqualified lead, and then ensure that booth staffers rank leads accordingly (such as A, B, or C). After the show, your sales people will know which leads are hot, and be more likely to follow-up. You can also call after the show to qualify your leads before passing them on. Invest In Your Booth Staff. The higher quality your booth staff, the higher quality your leads. So no more trade-showsas-on-the-job-training. Victoria Conti agreed, saying, “In our Lunch and Learn, we agreed that the most effective way to get more qualified leads is to make sure your staff is trained and armed with great open-ended questions, knowledgeable in recording their answers, and comfortable with the sales process on the trade show floor. Being able to gather information quickly and efficiently is the key skill.” Be More Persuasive. Create interactions that help attendees imagine how you can solve their problems. Invent a demonstration that gets attendees engaged and involved rather than passive and bored. Tell stories about your happy clients who faced similar problems. Create an experience that engages multiple senses. Whatever you, take advantage of the face-to-face nature of trade shows to move prospects further along the buying cycle.

Design More Specific Trade Show Display Graphics. Say very directly how you benefit clients and what niche you fill. For example, instead of “Enterprise Software,” you say “Human Resources Software for Professional Services Companies.” You might even further define your sweet spot and say, “Human Resources Software for Engineering Companies.” That way the leads you do get are more likely to be leads you can close. Choose more specific images, too.

Bring Up Objections Yourself In Your Booth. Don’t wait for after the show to reveal your shortcomings; raise the most common objections yourself. If you are more expensive, farther away, less experienced, or less than perfect in some way, be up front about it. (But be sure to give reasons you can overcome those objections, too!) The attendees that are still with you after that will be worth giving to your field sales reps.

8.. Don’t Give Every Trade Show Lead to

Sales. If you have ranked your leads by how qualified they are, consider only giving those leads that are sales-ready. You may have leads ranked A, B, and C, but only give the A and B leads to your sales force, and put the C leads into your database for ongoing marketing until they are also ready for sales. If you do start taking this approach, be sure your sales force knows you’ve made the change.

Trade shows deliver higher quality leads than other marketing mediums. Visitors to your booth pay their own way there, demonstrating both interest and buying power. You can demo your product and competitive advantages face-to-face, moving prospects quicker along the buying cycle. Now, by using one or more of these 8 methods, you can get even higher quality leads from the trade shows you exhibit at.

MASTERING SALES SKILLS

By Harry J. Friedman

You Make the Call

PART 2/3

Take the quiz below to test your sales ability

If you read my article last month, you had the opportunity to come up with some solutions to situations you run into all of the time. I had some wonderful responses from readers who really enjoyed this problem-solving game. If you found yourself pleased with the way your judgment matched mine last time, here is your chance to do it again. Or, if you were surprised with the information I brought to your attention on how to handle the various situations, read on and learn more ways to sharpen your professional selling skills. Good luck!

You are alone in the store and currently working with a customer who is buying a bedroom set (Customer A). Another customer comes in (B) and shows obvious signs of needing help, but you don’t want to louse up the current sale by helping both at once. How do you handle it?

A customer who has never shopped for a complete bedroom set before comes into the store, randomly walks up to one and asks immediately, “How much is this?” They have inquired about a fairly expensive one. How would you handle this situation without scaring them out the door?

Scenario #1 Even though you may be working on a potentially large sale, any new customer deserves, at a minimum, to be acknowledged. Let ALL of your customers know that they are important to you. The key to successfully handling this situation is asking permission to excuse yourself from the original customer and waiting for the customer to respond. Then let the second customer know that you will be helping them as soon as you can and ask them if that will be all right.

December 2010

You are making a presentation on a fabulous bedroom set to your customer, and although you are sure this is the perfect set for his daughter, the situation is going from bad to worse. How might you turn the sale over to another salesperson before blowing any chance of making the sale at all?

Getting permission from each customer is, in essence, making a verbal contract. They can’t leave now because they said they would wait. Your large sale can continue, and Customer B respects your acknowledgment and knows that they will be taken care of shortly. Take a look at how the verbal contract is laid out for you in the following dialogue:

C: “Sure, go ahead.” S: “Thanks.” (Approaches Customer B) “Hi! Could you do me a favor? I’m just finishing up with that gentleman over there, and I’ll be with you in just a few moments. Is that all right with you?” C: “That’s fine.”

C: “It sure looks like it, but I bet it’s expensive.” S: “That depends. Tell me, when was the last time you shopped for a bedroom set?” C: “Well, I never really have. I’ve just been thinking about one for awhile and decided to find out more.”

Scenario #2 Before scaring him away with the price (which has no meaning to him if he hasn’t shopped for one before), do some probing to find out what his needs are. The first probing question to use that would be a logical follow-up to the customer’s inquiry into the price would be, “How long has it been since you have shopped for a bedroom set?” This gives you the opportunity to find out if he has been shopping recently and is aware of the price ranges available.

S: “Well, the pricing has become complicated today. There are so many different options available that the price really depends on which special options you want to suit your individual needs. What made you decide you’d like to buy a new bedroom set?”

Next, saying “it has become complicated based on the different options available” helps you to avoid giving a price without explaining the benefits. If, indeed, the bedroom set he first inquired about suits his needs, then explaining all of the features and benefits as they relate to his needs will help establish value in the price. If his needs would be better met by a different set, switch to the most appropriate one and demonstrate its benefits. If you decided to quote the price of the expensive bedroom set, and demonstrate its features and benefits to justify the price, chances are you would lose the opportunity to show another bedroom set if this one didn’t suit his needs.

S: “Yeah, it is really nice having a bedroom set that is completely coordinated. What style do you think you may be interested in?”

Take a look at the following dialogue:

C: “Well, I decided it’s time to get a coordinated set. I’ve always had mix and match pieces and would really like a matching set.”

Scenario #3 If you are going nowhere fast during a sales presentation, and yet you know you have the merchandise the customer is looking for, chances are that the customer is not connecting with you. That doesn’t mean you are any less of a salesperson. Look at it this way, have you ever met someone you didn’t like right away? If you think about it, it really wasn’t that person’s fault you didn’t like them. After all, you didn’t even really know them! They

probably reminded you of someone you didn’t like or of a bad experience you had. Our customers are only human. They may not feel comfortable with you. When you can sense this is happening, it is your responsibility to turn over the sale to another salesperson. The key in a successful turnover is building credibility in the person you will turn the sale over to. Introducing him/her as the expert in that particular area will give the customer confidence in the other salesperson. You certainly would not refer to the other person as the expert if he/she were not able to handle that sale, (the customer will know if he/she is bluffing). Sometimes a personality difference or personal prejudice that the customer may have (i.e., doesn’t like young people, beards, blue eyes, striped shirts), may be just enough to lose the sale unless you turn it over to someone else. C: “I just don’t know if this is really the right bedroom set for our daughter’s needs. I think I’ll just keep looking.” S: “You know, I’ve been here for quite awhile, but I really am not the expert on this line of bedroom sets. I’d like to bring Jim over to speak with you. Jim is our in-house expert on this line. I’m sure he will be better able to find the perfect solution for your daughter’s needs. May I bring him over?” I hope that these examples have given you even more practice for judging all those tough plays that develop in your stores. Similar to a professional athlete, the more you practice, the better you’ll be and the better chance you’ll have at winning the game. continued in next issue

Harry J. Friedman is an internationally acclaimed retail consultant and CEO of The Friedman Group. Since 1980, his retail sales and management techniques have been used by over 500,000 retailers worldwide. He is retail’s most heavily attended speaker and widely read author, with articles published over 500 times in national trade magazines and his best selling book No Thanks, I’m Just Looking! now in it’s 9th printing. He has also developed scores of retail training programs, retail’s most popular management seminars, and has contributed to the success of many of retail’s best-in-class organizations. For a FREE subscription to his monthly On The Floor Journal enewsletter, information on upcoming retail seminars, training programs, or on-site consulting, call 800-351-8040 or visit www.thefriedmangroup.com.

S: (To Customer A) “Could you excuse me for just a minute? I want to let this customer know that I will be with them shortly. Is that all right?” © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

S: “It really is a beautiful bedroom set, isn’t it?”

December 2010

MASTERING SALES SKILLS

By Harry J. Friedman

You Make the Call

PART 2/3

Take the quiz below to test your sales ability

December 2010

S: “Yeah, it is really nice having a bedroom set that is completely coordinated. What style do you think you may be interested in?”

Take a look at the following dialogue:

C: “Well, I decided it’s time to get a coordinated set. I’ve always had mix and match pieces and would really like a matching set.”

S: (To Customer A) “Could you excuse me for just a minute? I want to let this customer know that I will be with them shortly. Is that all right?” © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

S: “It really is a beautiful bedroom set, isn’t it?”

December 2010

CLASSIFIED ADS

ECONOMIC COMMENTARY

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WEAKENS: Bad News for an Economy in Search of More Consumer Demand (Excerpts from the quarterly update on U.S. Overall Customer Satisfaction and Annual Report on Apparel, and Athletic Shoes.) By Claes Fornell, The Donald C. Cook Professor of Business Administration, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, founder of the American Customer Satisfaction Index. share has increased (particularly among women) with U.S. revenue growing at a doubledigit pace, while stock price is up 40% over the past year.

Few Companies Improve Their Customer Relationships; Adidas, and VF among the Gainers After almost two years of stalling scores, the overall American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) dropped 0.3% to 75.7. As a result, the sluggish U.S. economy cannot look to consumer demand for a boost. Periods of stalling ACSI growth have often been followed by weak, and sometimes negative, GDP growth. Consumer spending, which still represents about 70% of GDP, is unlikely to exhibit much of an increase unless bond buying by the Federal Reserve leads to more employment, inflation, consumer confidence, and higher stock prices. Based on second-quarter results, ACSI data predicted consumer spending growth for the third quarter to be in the range of 2.4% to 2.9%. According to the Commerce Department, the actual number turned out to be at the center of that range: 2.6%, an increase from the previous quarter and also from the first quarter of 2010. Yet, with the drop in ACSI, consumer spending for the final quarter of 2010 does not look like it will improve much more than 2.3%. This would probably not be enough to spur substantial economic growth. The reason for the slow economic recovery is, at least in part, low consumer demand. But as evident from the trade deficit, it is not so much a question of total demand as it is of weak demand for domestic goods relative to imported goods. In order for consumer spending to boost the economy, a shift in demand away from imports and toward domestics would be helpful. The Federal Reserve’s “quantitative easing” plan might help prompt

Apparel: VF Zips Up the Top Spot While Liz Claiborne Languishes

such a shift because it tends to weaken the dollar, but deteriorating customer satisfaction for domestic products will have the opposite effect. Price obviously has an impact on demand, but quality and customer satisfaction matter as well.

Athletic Shoes: Adidas Sprints into the Lead At an ACSI score of 80, athletic footwear remained steady from one year ago. With a 5% surge to 82, Adidas jumped into the lead, while Nike made a modest gain of 1% to 80. Both companies are at or near all-time highs. For the industry, these gains were offset by a big drop for the group of smaller manufacturers such as New Balance and Skechers. The category fell 4%, equaling the industry average at 80. After Adidas added Reebok to its brand portfolio in 2006, customer satisfaction went from 75 to 78, but remained stuck until now. Investments in new products with a special emphasis on toning shoes seem to have paid off. Market

Apparel is the only industry category in November’s update to show an improvement in customer satisfaction, up 1% to a record high of 83. V.F. Corporation bolted into the lead with a 5% leap to a score of 85. According to its customers, the jeans maker improved the quality as well as the variety of its offerings even as the company also raised prices to offset the growing cost of raw materials. VF is beating revenue and earnings expectations and its stock price is up 20% from a year ago. In 2009, all apparel makers were tightly grouped around the industry average in the 81-83 range. VF has now pulled away from the field, with Jones Group (-2%), Levi Strauss (-2%), and Hanesbrands (-1%) all tied at 81. Liz Claiborne moved in a direction opposite to VF, falling 4% to an industry-low ACSI score of 79. The company revamped its lineup in early 2009 with new clothing created by fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, but then pulled his New York line out of stores and limited its availability to the television shopping network QVC. Online purchasing also was curtailed as the Liz Claiborne website stopped offering clothing for purchase. Finally, the elimination of Liz Claiborne lines from department stores other than J.C. Penney also may have contributed to the company’s customer satisfaction decline.

About ACSI The American Customer Satisfaction Index is a national economic indicator of customer evaluations of the quality of products and services available to household consumers in the United States. ACSI releases results for various sectors of the economy on a monthly basis to provide up-to-themoment coverage over the entire calendar year. The national index is updated each quarter and factors in scores from more than 225 companies in 45 industries and from government agencies over the previous four quarters. The Index was founded at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and is produced by ACSI LLC. ACSI can be found on the Web at www.theacsi.org. 38

December 2010

Help wanted to develop sales teams and infrastructure of a growing skincare company. Looking for savvy business-minded people who have leadership potential to help expand this new multi-million dollar company throughout the United States. Global expansion to follow. Position Type: Full and Part Time Location: U.S. & Puerto Rico Only Salary Range: Commission plus bonuses - unlimited earning potential REQUIREMENTS FOR CONSIDERATION: Requirements: Must be self-motivated, team players and doers, dependable, have excellent communication, leadership and organizational skills. Must be willing to learn company’s sales, management and compensation strategies. Contact: Debi at http://www.skincarepartners.info

Sales Manager Faconnable is an international leader in the world of high end men’s and woman’s fashion. We are a 60 year old Brand with an impressive history that began in the South of France. With the introduction of our new brand Faconnable Jeans, we are seeking an experienced Sales Manager who will focus on the sales and development of our new business. The ideal candidate will have an extensive knowledge of sportswear/jeanswear, will have a roll your sleeves up attitude as well as being a team player. You will also assist with the planning, merchandising and development of the jeans business within the US market. The best candidate will have an entrepreneurial approach to managing their business. You will be a self starter with at least 5 years experience and must be able to hit the ground running…

Please submit your resume and salary requirement to resumes@faconnable.com

Line Offered Experienced Independent Sales Representative wanted for established highly successful and motivated women’s fashion forward shoe company. Must have proven growth track with independent and regional retailers. Territories: Southwest, and Southeast. Compensation based on highly motivated footwear experiences. Send Resume to: info@josephgriffinshoes.com

The Footwear Industry Insiders Network is FREE to footwear & related products professionals worldwide. Already more than 1,800 have joined, making it one of the fastest-growing, industry specific groups to cover all areas of expertise from design, manufacturing, wholesale, retail and more. www.footwearpros.ning.com

BUYING! Let us help you clear out your closeouts, overstocks, returns and cancellations. Please email me at: info@richlan.net

Chair of Fashion Marketing and Management/Luxury Fashion Management SCAD Savannah seeks candidates for chair of the fashion marketing and management department. This leadership opportunity is for the undergraduate fashion marketing and management program, and the graduate luxury fashion management program. Qualified candidates should have a terminal degree or its equivalent in fashion or a related field, or an M.B.A. in addition to broad, documented experience in the fashion business. Excellent skills in wholesale, retailing and fashion marketing and management are required. Professional recognition is essential. The successful candidate will be joining a highly creative, motivated and exciting team that is creating the next generation of fashion buyers, product developers, retail and wholesale merchandisers, and marketers. Strong skills in the areas of retailing, fashion marketing and management, design, concept, innovation, illustration, sketching and CAD are highly desirable. Collegelevel teaching experience is preferred.

Joanna Ellis

T: 912.525.5534 - Fax: 912.525.5222 jlellis@scad.edu - www.scad.edu

RICHLAN INTERNATIONAL SALES

WANTED:

VP - Inventory Management (RETAIL) The VP - Inventory Management will direct merchandise planning, store planning & allocation functions for a women’s vertical specialty retailer. MUST HAVE: • 8+ years progressive experience in RETAIL planning, allocation and inventory control; • Prior management experience; • Exp with Specialty Retailer; • Bachelors Degree; MBA a plus; Position is based in Boston, MA EMail resume to kathy@ekjobs.com or kathleen@kreisler-associates.com

New Fashion Designers Bloomingdale’s has instituted its first ever designer open-see for women’s ready-to-wear and accessories. Burgeoning designers are encouraged to visit the flagship’s Fashion Office on the first Friday of each month, on a first-come, first-served basis. Please bring a maximum of ten apparel pieces. We applaud the store’s effort to seek out new talent and promoting young designers, a smart move especially in this difficult economic climate.

Bloomingdale’s Fashion Office, 155 E 60th Street, 11th floor,

212-705-3437 December 2010

CLASSIFIED ADS

ECONOMIC COMMENTARY

Apparel: VF Zips Up the Top Spot While Liz Claiborne Languishes

December 2010

Please submit your resume and salary requirement to resumes@faconnable.com

BUYING! Let us help you clear out your closeouts, overstocks, returns and cancellations. Please email me at: info@richlan.net

Joanna Ellis

T: 912.525.5534 - Fax: 912.525.5222 jlellis@scad.edu - www.scad.edu

RICHLAN INTERNATIONAL SALES

WANTED:

Bloomingdale’s Fashion Office, 155 E 60th Street, 11th floor,

212-705-3437 December 2010

✄

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 chance to receive FFR occasionally, regularly (or never again) - depending on marketing preferences of our advertisers (US retailers only).

CLASSIFIED ADS

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. 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.

oMen oWomen oChildren

Age Group:

oInfants And Kids oTeens o20-30 o30-45 o45+

KISSED@kissedpr.com

WANTED:

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+)

1) CSO, Chief Sourcing Officer Footwear for a Retail conglomerate;

Store Type:

oIndependent oBoutique oDept. Store oChain Store 1-5 Locations oChain Store 5+ Locations

Merchandise:

oShoes Only oApparel Only oAccessories Only oAll

Type:

oDress oCasual oAthletic oComfort/Slippers oSpecial Occasions oWestern oDance oMedical oShoecare/Footcare oUrban oEthic oBeach oGothic/Alternative/Other ________________________________________________

Best Selling Brands _________________________________________________________________________________________ Notes About Your Store ______________________________________________________________________________________

•

• •

• • • • • •

KissedPR will be accepting applications for designers to participate in an exclusive 2010 Fashion Week event. The event will be held in a chic Manhattan location in New York City during September 2010 Fashion Week. This fashionable affair is guranteed to be covered by a national magazine, attended by celebraties, and offer designer exposure during fashion week. Designers will have an opportunity to sell and meet with all posh patrons including editors, celebraties, stylist, photographers, etc... If interested and want more information, please email your company name, information, lookbook photos to

I certify that I am: oA Retailer__________________(signature) / oNot a Retailer If a retailer, please tell about your store: Specialty:

Looking for Emerging Designers for 2010 Fashion Week

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. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ What do you would like to see in trade magazine? ________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2) CSO, Chief Sourcing Officer Hard Lines for a Retail conglomerate; 3) LINE BUILDER/PRIVATE LABEL SALES, women’s & juniors footwear to work with chains like Shoe Show & Bakers. SEND RESUME TO:

susanproffitt@gmail.com,

Tel. 847-858-8829

Sn. Account Executive 75k Sn. Account executive position at a luxury fashion company paying 75k plus commission.

BUYING! Let us help you clear out your closeouts, overstocks, returns and cancellations. Please email me at: info@richlan.net RICHLAN INTERNATIONAL SALES

JOB OFFER DESIGN DIRECTOR JUNIOR GIRLS & WOMEN’S APPAREL Southern CA Must have experience managing a team. Relocation within US only.

Must have a luxury background.

Send resume to:

bledsoeagency@gmail.com

mila@responseco.com

WANTED:

Bloomingdale’s Fashion Office, 155 E 60th Street, 11th floor,

212-705-3437 OFFER: FASHION APPAREL PRODUCTION FACILITIES WITH EUROPEAN QUALITY STANDARD FOR SMALL ORDERS AND FLASH COLLECTIONS I am representing a group of certificated ISO 9001 Portuguese Manufactures of Circular Knits High-End Quality Fashion Apparell (Poloshirts, Rugbyshirts, Sewatshirts, Cardigans, etc). Now, we are offering for small orders or flash collections the same type of production facilities that until now were reserved exclusively for brands with significant production volumes. If you are working in a niche market with a high quality design style, developing a new brand or a flash collection and are sick of seeing all doors closed, please do not hesitate to contact me. I’m sure you will find the best production partner for your needs

E-mail to António at

small.is.beautiful@clix.pt

Any Suggestions/ Comments to help FFR to become more helpful to your business? ___________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 38

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 0

August 2010