Pitti Uomo remains positive despite a drop in footfall
Pitti Uomo witnessed a 2.8% decline in buyer numbers this edition, after steady attendance growth in the two preceding winter editions.
At the recently-ended 91st edition, some 24,300 visitors from 100 countries participated in the autumn/winter 2017-18 collections showcase, compared to 25,000 a year earlier.
In their closing figures, organisers of the menswear tradeshow -- which took place in Florence January 10 to 13, did highlight, however, a positive turn out from foreign visitors. Some 8,800 people attended Pitti Uomo from abroad, in line with the 8,850 visitors in January 2016.
"This last edition has been excellent on a general consensus: the quality buyers, beautiful collections and a vast program of special events. We have been affected, unfortunately, by weather conditions and snow storms in Europe, namely in Turkey and the south of Italy, stopping a good number of buyers from coming to Florence," tradeshow head, Raffaello Napoleone, told FashionNetwork.com.
The 91st edition, which over four days offered a particularly engaging program of events and new products, welcomed on site 1,220 brands, of which 540 came from overseas (some 44% in total). On display where more than 200 new brands and a new space dedicated to beauty, dubbed 'Hi Beauty', showcasing the capacity of the tradeshow parent company, Pitti Immagine, and its directors, to reinvent this latest edition.
In total, Pitti Uomo attracted 36 000 visitors through its doors, in line with last year. Some 15,500 Italian buyers were in attendance, the domestic market recording the biggest drop, however, in visitor numbers by region (-3.5 % compared to January 2016).
A good result, nevertheless, according to Raffaello Napoleone, "taking in to account the up and down consumer sentiment in the region, and the economic uncertainty for the future Italy has been subjected to for some time," he said.
Among the foreign buyers, Germany, Japan, the UK, France, Spain, The Netherlands, China and the US came in on top again in terms of numbers, said Pitti Immagine, adding "an encouraging return from Russia made up for a the drop in Turkish numbers."
Attendance drops were also recorded from other countries such as Ireland, India, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates.
"The main European markets in the east and the north (in particular Sweden and Denmark) confirmed a steady growth. More so, buyers from newer fashion destinations such as Canada, Israel and South Africa came in number, while the presence of Southeast Asia, namely South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore, remained stable," concluded event organisers.
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