Buyer attendance was up by 3%, for a total of 6,900 buyers, and over 10,000 visitors

A wind of optimism blew for international junior fashion at the 82nd Pitti Immagine Bimbo held in the Fortezza da Basso, Florence (21-23 January 2016). The final attendance figures show that the number of buyers grew by 3%, for an overall number of around 6,900 buyers (compared to 6,700 last year), exceeding the threshold of 10,000 visitors in total. At an international level, there was a very slight fall in attendance compared to last year – with 2,350 buyers visiting from over 50 countries – while the number of stores present did not change. One very satisfying result to highlight is the return of buyers from Russia (+10% with regard to number of stores) and from Ukraine (almost 70% more buyers than a year ago).

There were many positive performances among the European markets – United Kingdom +31%, Holland +6%, Spain +5% with regard to the number of stores, Greece +14%, and Austria 30%. While, the figures for Germany and France remained stable. Buyers from Japan and the United States confirmed last year’s levels, while the number of Chinese buyers almost doubled. There was also a strong increase for Korea (+56%) and for the main markets in the Middle East. However, for various well-known reasons, there was a drop in the numbers for Turkey (-43%) and Hong Kong (-40%). There was good growth – more positive news for the children’s fashion market – in Italian buyers, which at the end of the event increased by +6.5%, making an overall total of 4,550 buyers.

«Pitti Bimbo has confirmed its role as a reference point for international children’s fashion. We were very pleased to see some significant markets like Russia and Ukraine buck the trend. In fact, following the consistent falls registered at previous events, they have finally started to grow again, as have many new markets for children’s fashion. Italy also performed well, which should be interpreted very positively in terms of the trend in domestic consumption»

says Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Immagine.