Purchasers from all retail sectors will find affordable products for the coming season at Europe‘s leading trade show for ordering promotional goods and import articles
The 35th IAW trade show welcomes visitors to Cologne with the Best Deals in Retail. From 5 – 7 September 2023, around 300 exhibitors from more than 20 countries will bring fresh ideas to Exhibition Halls 6 and 9, where purchasers will find goods for the coming season and their upcoming Christmas business on an area of around 30,000 m². The vast spectrum ranges from household goods and drugstore articles via DIY supplies, clothing and furnishing accessories to garden, leisure and electrical products.
Inflation leads to bargain-driven consumption
With its extensive range of products, Europe‘s leading sourcing and ordering fair for promotional goods offers exactly what the retail trade needs at the moment: articles with which merchants can inspire
their customers. According to a survey by the Cologne-based Institute for Retail Research (IFH), persistently high prices are leading to shopping behaviour with a clear focus on bargain hunting. Around two-thirds of those surveyed are increasingly looking for special offers, and more than half are avoiding expensive brand-name products. Nearly 50 percent are ready to switch shops if they find better offers
elsewhere.
Top sellers and impulse-buy articles on show
Its diversity makes the IAW a hub for top-selling and impulse-buy products: here more than 6,000 purchasers representing all retail sectors from almost 80 countries take advantage of the opportunity to stock up at favourable prices for their autumn and winter business, and to gather fresh inspiration. With its 15 product categories the IAW covers almost the entire spectrum of retailing.
Looking for new horizons
The IAW not only serves the major segments of the retail trade, but also provides a platform for interesting niche products. This opens up new horizons for retailers – and the chance to expand their product range with new and profit-generating product ideas. Whether it‘s on-trend articles, low-priced turnover generators and fast-moving goods or even surprise products from almost all areas of retailing – nearly everything is available for immediate delivery.
An attractive supporting programme
An attractive supporting programme at the congress level also offers lots of opportunities for effective networking and provides an outlook on the future of retailing, whether in bricks-and-mortar form or
online. On the first two days of the fair both visitors and exhibitors will learn a wealth of interesting facts about online retailing in the E-Commerce Arena, which is organised in cooperation with Restposten.de. Top speaker like Joubin Rahimi and Annemarie Raluca Schuster will share their latest insights on AI and sales strategies for Amazon. Right next door is the „e-commerce quarter“, where providers of systems and services for digital retailing present their offers in a compact form. On the second day of the event, Martina Schimmel amongst other trade experts will provide ideas how to run successful business operations facing inflation, margin pressure and recession at the zentrada Forum.
The signs are pointing to an upswing
At the spring edition of the IAW trade show the signs were already looking favourable. With an increase in exhibitors of 12 percent compared to the last autumn fair, the designated exhibition space was completely booked out. More than 50 suppliers were participating for the first time and added new impetus to the event. In addition, there was a strong international presence among the visitors, with around 48 percent coming from abroad. With 80 nations represented, the IAW fair‘s coverage was increased significantly. Trade visitors will find the latest information on the 35th International Trade Fair for Retail Promotions and Imports (IAW) at www.iaw-messe.de and can order their complimentary tickets. Trends in the sector and retail topics are the focus of the IAW blog on a regular basis at www.iaw-messe.de/blog.
