Asia Pacific Leather Fair (APLF) will open at the end of this month, and concurrently the footwear forum for the global retail footwear industry will also take place during APLF, at 10 am to 1 pm, March 31, 2015 in Concourse 1, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. At present, footwear retail industry is undergoing profound changes which make it a crucial time to get together and explore on the uncertainties about mature consumer markets, potential of China market and discover opportunities and the growing importance of multichannel retailing.

Well-known brand companies & institutions which are Belle International, wolverine Worldwide, ZALORA, FDRA, GROUPE EARM, Payless, SHANGPIN, Export Now, Jayne, CLIA and Hong Kong Footwear Association, will give their wonderful speeches during the annual meeting for the global retail footwear industry. Three main topics will be talked as following:

Topic 1: Global footwear retail situation and outlook in main markets

Join Matt Priest, President of the Footwear Distributors of America (FDRA), and a panel of experts as they explore the ever-changing footwear retail landscape and discuss ways to successfully grow your business. Walk away with a clearer picture and actionable strategies that will help you understand footwear consumers in established and emerging markets the world over.

Topic 2: Focus on China: How to operate a retail business in China? What are the specificities of the China market?

China’s retail scene is much different from that of western economies. Brands tend to be vertically integrated from factory to retail outlet with some of the biggest brands such as Belle having 16,000 outlets in China.

To penetrate this market place and successfully reach the final consumer is a completely different ball game from selling shoes in New York City or London.

Topic 3: Multichannel retailing: Growing importance of online footwear retail in Asia

Multichannel retailing cannot be ignored or put off as on-line retailing, just in China, is forecast to reach US$1 trillion by 2020 which is three times the current turnover for all product sectors.

This growth will have a huge impact on the way in which Chinese - and Asian - consumers buy their shoes and involve different logistics to satisfy customer needs. Learn about interesting statistics available about the current performance of on-line shoe purchasing and how this trend is set to develop.

We are expected for the splendid moment！More information about registration and the list of keynote speakers, please clickhere.