Both manufacturers and retailers have made a successful start to the new business season at the Christmasworld, Paperworld and Creativeworld consumer-goods fairs, as well as at Floradecora, the floral market place.
A total of 3,023 exhibitors from 69 countries (2017: 2,920 exhibitors from 63 countries1) presented their latest festive and seasonal decorations, fresh flowers and plants, paper, office supplies and stationery, and hobby, art and craft supplies to the national and international trade.
Giftwrap brand, Zowie, made a lovely display of papers with a natural matt and textured finish in sweet pastel shades with a deliciously pared-down feel.
Super stylish contemporary notebooks were in evidence on the Nuuna stand, with spectacular neon colours, high-gloss metallics and restrained but on trend clashing-colourways and water-patterns for chic stationery lovers.
Altogether, around 87,000 visitors from 162 countries (2017: 85,448), an increase of two percent, made their way to Frankfurt to discover trends and top themes to boost their business in the future. Both manufacturers and retailers have made a successful start to the new business season at the Christmasworld, Paperworld and Creativeworld consumer-goods fairs, as well as at Floradecora, the floral market place.
A total of 3,023 exhibitors from 69 countries (2017: 2,920 exhibitors from 63 countries1) presented their latest festive and seasonal decorations, fresh flowers and plants, paper, office supplies and stationery, and hobby, art and craft supplies to the national and international trade. Altogether, around 87,000 visitors from 162 countries (2017: 85,448), an increase of two percent, made their way to Frankfurt to discover trends and top themes to boost their business in the future.
The classic colour for Christmas and Valentine’s Day, this trend feature took red to another level with a show-stopping display which blended kitsch with carefully crafted centerpieces. Fairytale mushrooms and toadstools were also in evidence throughout Christmasworld as a key decorative accessory for the next festive season, which also translates well for Easter. This will be a year of fantasy themes for special occasions.
All sales channels – from the classic retail trade, the wholesale trade and the import/export trades to the mail-order and online trades – were represented. Numerous exhibitors emphasised the high visitor standard with many purchasing decision makers, three quarters of whom are executives or come from the top managerial echelon.
“The sector’s best come to Frankfurt. Here, we encounter a very trend and design-oriented group of buyers who are looking for something special and attractive for their high-grade assortments”, said Floradecora exhibitor Jan de Boer, Barendsen. Confirming this, Klaus Müller-Blech, Inge´s Christmas Décor, said, “We had lots of international visitors, especially from South and East Europe. The standard of visitors at Christmasworld is outstanding and business could hardly be better.”
Classic British stationery and greeting card brand, Museums & Galleries, exhibited in Hall 5.1, where their latest Matthew Williamson and other licensed collections were impossible to pass by. This new set of notelets with leopards and peacock feathers in fantasy colours is right on trend for a luxurious, opulent feel.
Kirsten Rohde, Marabu, seconded this saying, “Both the standard and the number of visitors are top – at Creativeworld, we encounter a super audience of trade visitors from all over the world.” Beth Wright, Chief Commercial Officer, Bi-Silque, also pointed out that:
“Paperw
orld is the European trade fair we use to find Fresh impulses for the trade In the poll of visitors, over 90 percent of trade visitors said they were very pleased with the spectrum of products and manufacturers, as well as with the fairs themselves. The extensive range of products, the overview of the latest trends, the future-oriented special presentations and the workshops make buyers from all over the world fit for the coming season.
This year’s consumer-goods fairs were dominated by botany – plants, leaves, cacti and beetles are trending – as reflected by a host of high grade designs and materials, especially in dark blue and green with gold accents.
The new House of Turnowsky licensed collection of luxury notebooks, journals and photo albums by Goldbuch made a spectacular display in Hall 6.1. Tropical birds, insects animals and vegetation in gorgeous, eye-popping colours continue to be an important stationery trend.
At Paperworld, this trend was to be seen decorating notebooks, files and accessories for the private workplace. The top theme in the field of commercial office supplies is health for body and soul, and was vividly explained via products and lectures at the ‘Future Office’ special show.
At Creativeworld, the focus was on well-being and stylish ‘hygge’ cosiness. With XXL yarn and mini-gardening, dwellings can be turned into individually designed sanctuaries. Creative personalities from all over the world find inspiration in natural and maritime themes.
Additionally, the trend themes of street art and hand lettering were to be seen in an unrivaled abundance. The combination of different techniques and materials shows that graffiti and calligraphy on both porcelain and fabrics, as well as on walls and other surfaces, are ideal
for creating special highlights.
It isn’t just tropical plants and cacti that are growing more and more into a classic stationery trend, any kind of leaves will do and some companies – like Braun and Company Papierwaren GmbH – are going a step further by branching out in vegetables. The rule is no longer golden, it’s green!
Christmas and seasonal decorations also draw great inspiration from flora and fauna. Peacocks, marine animals and jungle motifs were omnipresent at Christmasworld. Driving forces for sales in the conventional trade are emotional settings with lighting and decorations, as well as convenience offers that make shopping as easy and entertaining as possible for consumers. Much in demand are culinary specialities, which were also given a very good welcome in the new Christmas Delights product segment.
Supplementing the three consumer-goods fairs with genuine green and brilliant flowers was Floradecora in the heart of Christmasworld. The highlight was a display of 40,000 red roses, which attracted no less attention than the lisianthus, orchids, cacti and grasses, which also offer
a fresh potential for sales in the retail trade.
As in recent years, next year’s consumer-goods fairs will be held around the last Saturda
y in January:
Christmasworld / Floradecora: 25 to 29 January 2019
Paperworld and Creativeworld: 26 to 29 January 2019
Haferkorn & Sauerbrey featured in the Paperworld trend display with their beautiful matt papers in muted clashing shades and stylishly irregular graphic block designs that were reminiscent of Kandinsky. Christmas and other seasonal decorations, meanwhile, had a distinctly pink, kitsch, wild and wacky theme, as birds and marvelous beasties flew off paper products into glorious three dimensions. Things are only going to get stranger on the one hand or more classic and restrained on the other. Do your customers want a fun or a luxury feel – are they Phileas Fogg-like globetrotters who value classic style or house party people who like to be in fashion?
