Nov 4, 2013

Christmasworld, Paperworld and Creativeworld 2014: The Perfect Platform for New Ideas Destined to Catch On

Today, retailers wanting to sell their goods must surprise, inspire and persuade their customers and thus create sustainable links to them. For the traditional specialist retailers with products from the fields of festive decorations, paper, stationery and office supplies and arts & crafts, handicrafts and artists’ materials, this means taking full advantage of the latest business trends. For multi-channel sales, m- commerce and new convenience stores are bringing about ever greater changes in purchasing behaviour. Greater interaction between services in the bricks-and-mortar trade and online services is becoming ever more important for the technically-oriented generation. No less important is to take account of the increasing number of older people who – given expert advice – prefer to do their shopping downtown. A unique produce assortment is essential to fend off the growing competition. Moreover, consumers can be inspired to make purchases via appealing in-shop and window presentations. Emotionally-charged displays are the key to making customers feel at home and ensuring they spend time in the shop. In a nutshell: fresh ideas sell! And the three consumer-goods fairs – Christmasworld, Paperworld and Creativeworld – in Frankfurt am Main at the end of January 2014 are not only the perfect source of inspiration to meet these challenges but also represent the ideal order, trend and contact platform.



Together with international suppliers, Christmasworld, Paperworld and Creativeworld present the latest innovations and trends for their individual sectors. And do so at the ideal time, just as the new and exciting business year is beginning.

Current challenges facing the trade: cost cutting and consolidation

Not only did the situation of the trade not improve last year, competition has also become fiercer. “The European market was characterised by an on-going process of consolidation and the brunt of this development has been borne by smaller retailers”, says Michael Reichhold, Director, Paperworld and Creativeworld. Additionally, as a result of the drop in the number of office jobs, sales of office consumables have declined because demand is either already covered or no longer exists on a large scale. A number of companies keep merging and growing, which makes life increasingly difficult for small retailers who cannot compete with competitors of the calibre of Amazon, Staples, etc. On the other hand, there has been a blurring of the borders between sectors – the result of increasing assortment expansion. For example, big supermarket chains have alternating promotional areas with paper, stationery and office supplies products, seasonal decorations, school articles or arts & crafts requisites.

Opportunities for the trade: stand out from the competition through unique and emotional presentations

Retailers must stay in tune with the times and go with the trends. At the same time, they must offer customers something special, which helps create bonds of loyalty. In other words, new ideas and shop concepts are called for. In particular, specialist retailers must develop new areas of expertise, score with professional knowledge and authoritative advice and offer an extraordinary selection of products. Today, the internet is an integral part of a successful retail-trade concept and should match an appealing shop design in all respects. Emotional aspects are vital. “It’s all about story telling: extraordinary concepts attract customers. Stories told at the point of sale create a new and emotional atmosphere that increases people’s feeling of well-being and inspires them to make purchases”, adds Christmasworld Director Eva Olbrich.

Advantage Frankfurt: trio of fairs for added value

In view of all this, a visit to Frankfurt is particularly helpful. Right at the beginning of the business year, trade visitors profit from the biggest trend and order platform of its kind: Christmasworld – International Trade Fair for Festive and Decorative Articles – transforms five exhibition halls into the ‘The World of Seasonal Decoration’ from 24 to 28 January 2014. In nine exhibition halls, Paperworld – Leading International Trade Fair for Paper, Office Supplies and Stationery – presents the sector’s latest innovations from 25 to 28 January 2014. Held concurrently, Creativeworld – The World of Art and Craft Supplies – is an unrivalled source of ideas for hobby craftspeople.

Each of these leading trade fairs is distinguished by an unparalleled horizontal and vertical range of products, including a trend show for the coming season. Together, they form a perfect trio of events: “Holding the fairs concurrently generates additional synergistic effects for visitors because the products to be seen at one of the neighbouring fairs can represent the icing on the cake of an assortment and help set a retailer apart from the competition”, says Michael Reichhold. At all three fairs, trade buyers and retailers can compile their individual sets of competitive advantages, e.g., make new business connections, discover product variants, gain an overall impression of the market, cultivate existing contacts and see the latest trends at first hand. Additionally, they can acquire up-to-the- minute knowledge at lectures and, on the basis of the complete picture obtained, put together individual concepts for their businesses.

Complementary products groups the basis for well thought-out supplementary assortments

An overview of the latest products and trends is important. No less important, however, are supplementary product groups that retailers can use to round off their assortments perfectly and represent a vital additional benefit for the concept of the individual. “If you look, for example, at a stationer’s, you will see on a relatively small space a wide variety of supplementary products intended to generate purchasing impulses. The role model for the ideal supplementary assortment is the trio of fairs in Frankfurt am Main”, says Michael Reichhold. Thus, with a varied range of gift articles, wrapping materials, ribbons and office accessories, Paperworld links up with Christmasworld and its selection of seasonal decorations, ideas for giving and floral arrangements. Creativeworld rounds off the spectrum with everything from creative arts & crafts sets and paper to pearls. Thus, florists can find artificial flowers at Christmasworld, cards for floral greetings at Paperworld and ribbons and pearl accessories for bouquets and sprays at Creativeworld.

For stationers, the start of the new school year is a highlight and the first places they go are Paperworld for school articles and Creativeworld for handicrafts sets and small creative gifts for school beginners. The assortment is rounded off by ideas for children’s parties with colourful accessories to be found at Christmasworld.

Complementary programme revolving around tomorrow’s trends

“By attending the fairs in Frankfurt, trade visitors can save time and money because nowhere else will they find such a product spectrum, which ensures new business impulses and business

contacts on a broad international plane at the same time and place”, says Christmasworld Director Eva Olbrich. Thus, Christmasworld visitors will find not only decorative products but also complete concept ideas for large-scale and outdoor decorations for festive occasions and all seasons. For shopping-centre managers, there is the Premium Lecture and Business Programme and the ‘Concepts Decorations’ logo, which brings together all exhibitors for maximum impact. The new ‘Newstalgia’ special show by the Dutch designers of 2dezign – complete with a proper Christmas castle and factory for Christmas articles and gifts – tells a very special Christmas story and visualises the subject of ‘storytelling’ and new ways of attracting customer attention.

Paperworld scores with concepts for assortment expansion, e.g., with the ‘Mr Books & Mrs Paper’ special show for the book trade. Additionally, the trends for the coming season to be seen at the Paperworld Trend Show generate impulses and inspiration for appealing shop window and in-shop presentations. At the Paperworld Forum, forward-looking lecture subjects, e.g., Webchance and the online business, represent an important source of expertise. With the latest arts & crafts trends and techniques, which give the trend towards greater individuality a new look, the Creativeworld Trend Show is characterised by a blend of traditional craft techniques and new innovations and ideas – another source of inspiration for window dressing and in-shop presentations.

Very practical: one admission ticket is valid for all three concurrent trade fairs and also entitles the holder to use local public-transport services operated by the RMV public-transport authority.

From November, users will be able to use the online exhibitor and product search engines on the individual websites to research all three events.



Note for journalists:

You will find further information and high-resolution photographs on the internet at:

www.christmasworld.messefrankfurt.com, www.paperworld.messefrankfurt.com and www.creativeworld.messefrankfurt.com

Background information on Messe Frankfurt

Messe Frankfurt is one of the world’s leading trade fair organiser, with 536.9 million euros in sales and 1,833 employees. The Messe Frankfurt Group has a global network of 28 subsidiaries and approx. 50 international Sales Partners, giving it a presence for its customers in more than 150 countries. Events “made by Messe Frankfurt” take place at more than 30 locations around the globe. In 2012, Messe Frankfurt organised 109 trade fairs, of which more than half took place outside Germany.

Messe Frankfurt’s exhibition grounds, featuring 578,000 square metres, are currently home to ten exhibition halls and an adjacent Congress Centre. The company is publicly owned, with the City of Frankfurt holding 60 percent and the State of Hesse 40 percent. For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com