And Finally

“So, I planned a day at the London show, and ended up staying for three - there was much to see, and touch! And so many many people to catch up with. It is only when you see them again that you realise however good and efficient communications via Zoom are, and however delightful chats on Facetime can be, there is nothing, but nothing like the real thing. And all those hugs, each day – I think that’s what I have missed most. in all those long, lonely months, now behind us.”

“At Excel, I was so aware of the lack of international buyers, those from Europe in particular, but I do understand from friends and colleagues in Italy and Portugal that that deliveries from the UK, since Brexit have been a real nightmare, not only in terms of timings, but also with customs charges that must put brands in a whole different price bracket. Will things ever change so that our domestic businesses can thrive with orders from overseas?”

“I have been more than delighted in recent months and leading up to the buying season, to find just how helpful suppliers can be – and are. And I am starting to judge the value of new brands by the way their reps work. You good guys know who you are.”

“Love views please on best ways to sell shoes. Am I better off to have a selection of heel heights and sizes for customers to try on with the dresses, and to give them websites where they can buy direct? It strikes me that to sell, one needs real space and a great selection of styles and could be left overs later.”

REEM ACRA

And Finally Up and downs, ins and outs, but so much to look forward to Want to ask a question, or voice a view, and do it anonymously? Get in direct touch: email me – susi@rogol-goodkind.com – and we’ll print it name-free.

“I recently went to European Bridal Week in Essen for the first time. What a joy! So many labels that I was not familiar with, and so many very different trends, not only in bridalwear, but in occasionwear, too, which is something I was particularly interested in. What I found especially exciting was the whole buying experience; visitors at that show were seriously ordering and from what I could gather from some exhibitors, ordering big. With the way the market is changing generally, I wonder now if the time is right to be buying stock, as they do in Europe ,rather than samples. Surely brides would prefer to buy there and then rather than wait – sometimes for many months?”