UK Buyers Scarce at Ispo Show

UK buyers stayed away from Munich sportswear trade show Ispo held earlier this month.

Exhibitors claimed the earlier dateline (moved forward from August) had discouraged UK buyers, saying Ispo was now too close to the Italian menswear show Pitti Uomo, new surfwear show ASR Europe and casual crossover German show Bread & Butter.

Multiple buyers are tied to a small number of big brands they see regularly in the UK and the smaller brands at Ispo can't match the supply-chain demand. Sports fashion footwear chain Offspring and several specialist shops were among the few stores to make the trip.

Most buyers and multiples visit Pitti Uomo in Florence for an overview, which is a week before Ispo. Californian-based surfwear show ASR held its first European event in Biarritz last weekend and much more of the UK's surf, skate and lifestyle buyers. Ispo's boardsports hall was by far its busiest.