As the countdown to the second edition of the Global Footwear Retail Conference(GFRC) to be held at the end of March starts, recent releases about the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) suggest cause for optimism in the footwear retail market.
The trade deal looks to facilitate investment between 12 countries across the Pacific Rim, which together account for about 40% of the global economy. For footwear, the deal begins to chip away at high tariff rates. One estimate by the Footwear Retailers and Distributors of America puts tariff savings as high as $450 million in the first year of the deal.
Apart from discussing global trade and the impact of the TPP, the GFRC will examine the current consumer trends with a particular attention to the Millennial Fashion Consumers and will study the newest development of Footwear E-Commerce.
Now in its second year, GFRC is a leading global event that brings together executives and senior stakeholders from the footwear supply chain.
Last year, it attracted over 100 key footwear retailers to Hong Kong to discuss critical issues facing the retail industry. The focus of 2015 was the two largest footwear markets– USA and China– with a combination of keynote lectures and panels discussions.
This year, with the introduction of the TPP deal and the advent of cross-border platforms in China, the GFRC promises to be even more eventful and informative.
So far, the organisers are delighted to announce the participation of the representatives of two major trade associations: Mr. Tommaso Cancellara, General Manager of the Italian Footwear Manufacturers’ Association and Mr Claude Paquin, Vice President of the French Footwear Federation.
Keynote speaker Ms. Jayne Esteve Cure, Founder, Jayne Fashion Agency will share her perspective on the millennial fashion consumer and the trends such as mass customisation and one-to-one retailing that are expected to kick off in 2016. Also on the panel about consumer trends, luxury product sourcing company and trend spotter Lambert + Associates have confirmed their participation too.
Represented by its Marketing Director Ms. Carson Liu, Belle International (China), the No. 1 woman's shoe retailer in China will be one of a number of brand names in the footwear business to participate in the GFRC.
The 2016 edition of GRFC will be held alongside Fashion Access and APLF - Materials, Manufacturing and Technology 2016 on 31 March 2016 from 10:00 to 13:00 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. We are happy to announce that online registration for GFRC is now open. Sign-up for this half-day Conference today.
For more information, please visit fashionaccess.aplf.com.
Hong Kong
Fashion Access
15 February 2016