Production and export are positive, consumption isn’t. This is the summary of the first semester of the German footwear industry. In the period going from January to June of 2018, the revenue of the German footwear industry went up 3.2%, compared to the same period in the previous year, reaching 1.55 billion euro. The data was presented by Carl-August Seibel, president of the German Federal Association of the Footwear and Leather Goods Industry (HDS/L), at Gallery Shoes Dusseldorf (ended on September 4th). Export grew in value by 8.9% (3.4 billion euro) and by 6.6% in quantity (157 million pairs). Import fell 0.4% in value, but went up 2.8% in quantity. While manufacturers are satisfied with the results, retailers are not. German footwear retailers have recorded 1.5% less sales in the first semester of 2018. The date comes from Siegfried Jacobs, president of the Federal Association that unites national footwear retailers (BDSE). Small retailers, specifically those with no online presence, are suffering, recording a 4% drop in sales numbers. Large retail chains saved themselves by increasing their online presence and physical retail space. Generally speaking, the season’s trend shows once more that the market is extremely dependents on meteorological conditions.
