The last edition of Obuv’, in Moscow, has not provided the hoped-for signs of recovery. Disappointment is catching, especially among exhibitors from the Marche region. “The Russian buyers are proving cautious and worried about a domestic situation that is not getting any better,” confirms Eugenio Scheggia (Mario Bruni-Montegranaro). “Retailers’ warehouses are still full of shoes, the tills are empty and there are no liquid assets to buy anything with. At psychological level especially, it is not the right kind of climate to be ordering in,” concludes Scheggia, referring to the climatic conditions. At the moment in Moscow, the temperature is still warm and is certainly not enticing some people to go into a shoe shop and buy a pair of boots. For Sauro Pieroni (Kelton-Monte Urano): “There is no scheduling any more. The Russians are buying in dribs and drabs and then they want fast delivery for replenishment. Some good signs from Obuv came from customers from the Ukraine.” For Marino Fabiani from Fermo: “Many retailers have disappeared, others have decreased turnover. In the group of survivors, there are the little ones who continue to buy Made in Italy but major buyers often have more problems from a financial, currency-related and even bureaucratic point of view. The larger ones, however, look at the cost of buying a shoe and are those that do not always prefer shoes made in Italy.” Leaving the Marche region more satisfied with the way the fair has gone is Alessandro Porta (Jeannot-Molfetta): “On Monday, as expected, there was a low turnout, while on Tuesday and Wednesday it was much higher. For our part, we are moderately satisfied.”
Full warehouses and empty tills, an edition of Obuv that does not give the hoped-for signs of recovery in Moscow. Good news from the Ukraine
