trade news BUYER’S
trade news BUYER’S VOICE “being 11,000 km away from europe, ifa is for us an unmissable event.” In this section, every day we will field the thoughts and opinions of buyers at IFA. Today, we are very happy to welcome Daniel BERARD, CEO – DBCOI. the Island of Reunion. IFA International: What are your main reasons for coming to IFA? IFA is a unique opportunity to meet the highest number of our current partners but also to look for new potential suppliers. How are your company's supply strategies changing at the moment? Why? Our company has been importing brands of the highest standard in terms of quality for 15 years. Nowadays, our customers, mainly local retailers, are satisfied by the quality of service we deliver among our permanent 2000 products and are asking for a wider range of products and solutions. That leads us to look for new partners. How have issues of sustainable development been affecting your purchasing decisions? At the end of the day, the end user decides the trend. We tend to favour “green products” as long as they match price standard and end user expectations. We are also part of the “Green Island” project as an ecologically responsible company. How important is IFA for you as a forum for learning more and "networking" and why? Manufacturers usually reveal lots of innovations at IFA. As we are 11,000 km away from Europe, it’s an unmissable event. It is also a unique opportunity to meet the decision makers. making a stand for brands korea regroups under "korea technology applied" banner By Joanna Stephens Like the slogan 'Intel Inside', Francis Kang wants 'Korea Technology Applied' to run through his industry's DNA, acting as both a brand message and a statement of intent. "I want to distinguish the Korean pavilion from all the other national stands at trade fairs such as IFA," said the Director of the Korea Electronics Association (KEA). "And I believe the slogan Korea Technology Applied will help to achieve that. I want it to be instantly recognised around the world and throughout our industry." Kang is in Berlin with an 18-strong delegation of Korean companies from across the consumerelectronics (CE) spectrum. Among the products to be found along the 'Korean corridor' are portable media players and car-navigation systems; 'smart' bidets and language-learning devices; video-phones and energysaving technology for PCs and peripherals. "We see IFA as a gateway to the world, especially Europe," Kang added. Our mission here is to push that gate open a little bit further and share our cutting-edge CE products with more people from more countries and cultures." It is a mission that appears to be working: Kang reported a steady steam of international buyers to the Korean pavilion in the opening days of IFA. This is particularly welcome in view of the challenging economic climate, which has taken its toll in Korea as in other Asian territories, amid fears that it could presage a repeat of the 1997-98 crisis. "From the fourth quarter of 2008 until the second quarter of 2009, the situation in Korea was very severe," Kang admitted. "However, our finance ministry announced in July that the Korean economy had bottomed out and is now rebounding. Even better news is that Korea appears to be recovering very fast from the downturn. In the CE goods market, that recovery is being led by the semi-conductor and mobile-phone sectors, both of which are once again performing strongly. So we are beginning to receive good signals from the industry." KEA, which was founded in 1976 and now has more than 400 members, not only acts as a bridge between Korea and the rest of the world, but also serves as a conduit between the country's CE industry and its government. "We represent the interests of our members both commercially and politically," Kang said. "And we also organise Korea's leading IT show, KES, which is held every October and has played a pivotal role in the growth of the Korean electronics industry." In 2009 KES 40th anniversary year and the 50th anniversary of the Korean electronics industry, the event expects to welcome over 1,000 companies from 30 countries to its 53,500 m 2 m exhibition venue in Seoul. "The Korean market has a strong 'prosumer' culture," Kang said. "As a result, a lot of foreign companies choose the Korea as a test-bed for their new technology." He added that KES 2009 themes include the green home, wearable computing and the 'digital hospital'. Switching the focus back to Korea Electronics Association's Francis Kang: "We see IFA as a gateway to the world" Berlin, Kang reported that Panix Electronics languagelearning devices had been generating particular interest among buyers and visitors. The Panix range includes the PX-V2, billed as the world's first dictionary combined with a portable audio component, which features a recorded word list, a 'word-repeatable' system and a personal 500-word 'reminder' function. Kang also cited Hyundai Ubis, which is rapidly making a name for itself in the car-navigation market. The company's range of blackbox-style products combine ease-of-use with stylish design, and conform to the stringent ISO9001/14001 standard. Hall 26 / Stand 711 34 www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Monday, 7 th September 2009
trade news eUrOnICs: CrOwded Calendar at Ifa eUrOnICs wIll extend Its exClUsIve mOdel prOgramme that has already been a great sUCCess In germany By Emmanuel Poidevin Euronics International has consolidated its position as the biggest buying group across Europe in the consumer electronics (CE) market, achieving over e14.4 billion sales in 2008. The company encompasses 29 countries, and its members have so far been affected by the recession to widely differing degrees. “The wide variations in turnover growth have a ripple effect,” said Euronics International's Managing Director, Klaus Lahrmann. “Not all European countries are affected equally and simultaneously by the consequences of the economic crisis. Of course, this also applies to our members. The reasons for this are the significant differences in local market structures and consumer preferences". Spain was particularly hard hit by the recession, while the United Kingdom was affected by the exchange rate fluctuations and some East European members suffered marked setbacks. But the global sales figures decrease (by almost 11% since January 2009) is in many cases mainly due to the massive collapse in prices, although not in demand. In order to compete in European retail, Euronics will extend its exclusive model programme, that has already been a great success in Germany. By doing this, says Lahrmann, the company can strengthen its industry partnerships. “Euronics gives the industry every incentive to agree a series of exclusive models in future years, which only this co-operative partnership will distribute,” he says. “Our contracts guarantee our industry partners top quality in Europe-wide marketing.” IFA Berlin offers an outstanding platform for the international CE sector. Well-known international brands of white goods were clearly strengthened at the Berlin event in 2008. And Lahrmann welcomes the opportunities that IFA 2009 will present. “This has made the calendar more crowded,” he says, “but we are looking forward to the fair." Hall 23 / Stand 104 (L-R) Chairman Werner Winkelmann and Managing Director Klaus Lahrmann IFA International • Monday, 7 th September 2009 www.ifa-international.org 35
