Waiting for recovery - Madrid Leather Week, September 27-29
As a major centre of production for medium to high-end leather footwear, with a particular renown for ladies styles, Spain has not been immune from the current downturn in spending on luxury goods.
The absence of the 'feelgood factor' in the key markets of the USA, Germany and Japan coupled with the weakening of the dollar against the euro meant that during the first six months of 2002, the country's footwear exports declined by 2% on the previous year, to just under Eur1.1 billion, Spanish footwear producers also took a smaller slice of their home market as imports increased their share by nearly 11% to Eur420.6 million. (Source: Federation of Spanish Footwear Industries (FICE)).
Nevertheless, the country would appear to have weathered the downturn better than its two main rivals of Portugal and Italy and it was this sense of perspective - if not outright optimism - that infused the country's September 2002 footwear and leather goods show. Held September 27-29 at Madrid's Juan Carlos I Exhibition Centre, International Leather Week is in fact two separate exhibitions in one, the footwear show Modacalzado and the smaller leather fashion and goods fair
Iberpiel Marroquineria.
Previewing styles for spring-summer 2003, this autumn's show was a bigger affair than in previous years, occupying five of the exhibition ground's ten halls (one more than the previous year) with Modacalzado providing space for 569 exhibitors against Iberpiel Marroquineria's 107. Though billed as an international fair - and officially accredited as being such last spring - inevitably the majority of visitors and exhibitors were Spanish. However, the figures confirm the proportion businesses from other markets is rising with every show.
As in previous editions, both exhibitions had their 'areas of exclusivity' where the largest stands boasting the most prestigious brands could befound. At Modacalzado, this area was known as 'Star Mark' and populated by such well known brands as Pons Quintana, Looky, Pacca Herrero and Lottusse. Away from the predominant leather shoe producers, separate areas were provided for children's fashions, sports footwear, country boots and commercial equipment, making the phrase 'something for everyone' entirely appropriate. Iberpiel's equivalent was the appropriately named 'Bond Street', where Albero Piel, Olimpo, Vaparetto and Puntotres, among others were all very much in evidence.
As far as the mood of the show was concerned, virtually no one waspredicting a swift recovery from the current situation, the consensus being that full year sales of footwear would be down by around 5% in value. The economic fall out from the looming war Iraq was also never far from people's minds. By and large, however, there was the sense that the product quality value for money that had helped the industry to its current position as Europe's second largest producer of mid and high end leather footwear- would see it through.
At the time of writing, the final visitor figures had not been issued by the exhibition centre, but the 20% increase on the first day's figures suggested that interest levels, both from home delegates and those from abroad, were well up to expectations.
