I have been meaning to write about our great experience at Maison & Objet and Paris but life of an entrepreneur has me juggling too many balls to be able to sit and write. However, I felt it would be great to put down a few thoughts.
This being our first time at this amazing show, where some of the brightest stars in the design world get to display their talent, we went with very low expectations and an open mind to absorb all that we could learn. And, boy did we learn!
Rajboori had an amazing spot very close to the entrance in Hall 2 and surrounded by textile industry veterans such as Anke Drechsel, Margo Shelby, Decopur, Lisa Corti, Deschamps, and more. My special thanks goes to Anke and Margo for being so supportive and showering us with valuable insights and advice those 5 days!
Our Holi Quilt was a show stopper and we had people stop and pick up catalogs, brochures and ask more about the unique and quite unfamiliar Peace Silk. We also got placed in great stores like "nanimarquina" in Barcelona, Blanket Store in Frankfurt and Unternehmenform in Stuttgart. Buyers, interior designers, personal shoppers, textile designers were all intrigued with our vibrant collection. Thanks to all who stopped by and loved our collection!
Some key points to note:
- From our observation and the feedback we got from veterans, there was significantly low attendance from American and Japanese buyers
- People were buying but very conservatively. No impulse buying but they were willing to try something new, in small quantities
- Even the veterans experienced lower volume orders and mostly from repeat customers
- The display in Hall 5A (more design focused) was amazing but the attendance was thinner than previous years
- There were more people scouting than buying
Overall, it was a great learning experience for us and an opportunity to show our products to the European market. We hope to make the next show a bigger success.
In my next post I'll put up some Dos and Don'ts for any newcomer like us, how we looked for resources in Paris without knowing French and some great places to stay and enjoy.
I'll also explain what a "Bobo" is!
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Congratulations on getting into the NaniMarquina store! Did you get a chance to take photos of your booth? Would love to see those and any others from the show that you would like to share!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lise! Yes, nanimarquina is a great fit for us. She does such great work! I do have some photos that I will post soon.
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