A lot has changed at Heimtextil
Carole Sloan -- Furniture Today, January 20, 2002
If one thought Showtime earlier this month was different from its predecessors, then Heimtextil in Frankfurt, Germany, was equally different.
The world's largest fabric and home textiles show differed in three significant ways: the makeup of its exhibitor base, the makeup of its customer base, and what appeared to be an increase in the epidemic of knockoffs.
Long-time exhibitors from a number of countries weren't there this time. We all know about the American fabric companies who have pulled out of Heimtex for a variety of reasons, including the continuing strength of the U.S. dollar, the regional furniture shows that don't mesh with Heimtex dates, and the new fear of traveling,
A handful of U.S. companies did show at hotels, with modest success, and a few indicated a willingness to go back to the main event when the dollar weakens.
Meanwhile, the conspicuous absence of some key Italian and Belgian players caused a major jobber to report that 15 of his important suppliers were AWOL.
Although they were not showing, there were significant numbers of American fabric suppliers shopping the stands of companies from emerging nations, primarily in Hall 6. Former exhibitors became customers and the number of exhibitors from emerging nations grew.
More troubling to U.S. and European exhibitors was the apparent increase in the number of obvious knockoffs at the stands of some of the new exhibitors.
Some exhibitors said they went to spaces where knockoffs were reportedly on display, along with Messe Frankfurt officials. The number of fabric sample confiscations pushed 1,000. And in a new twist, a guard told an American exhibitor about groups of Asians walking the halls in the evening with cameras, taking photographs until they were caught.
Nonetheless, it's an exhibition not to be missed by anyone in the fabric business.
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Quest for survival can lead to growth
Jan 26, 2009 -
Heimtextil to debut new fabric programs
Jan 6, 2008 -
Heimtexil featuring two new fabric programs
Dec 27, 2007
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