Mar 29, 2024

By Mar 29, 2024 On Thursday March 28, Comexposium , a leading group in the event organisation and trade show sector, and WSN, its subsidiary specialised in the fashion, accessories and lingerie industries, have announced they have signed an agreement for a “closer partnership” with Ankorstore, a European marketplace through which independent brands sell their products to independent retailers. Ankorstore will present its retail solutions at the next Who's Next show - FNW “This agreement between Ankorstore, Europe’s leading platform for direct sales between brands and independent retailers, and us, the leader in physical trade events, is an extraordinary signal for our communities,” said Renaud Hamaide, CEO of Comexposium, in a press release. “More than ever, it demonstrates the complementary nature of physical and online commerce and the business benefits of professional events. It also underlines the relevance of the multi-channel strategy deployed by Comexposium, which has been successfully developing digital visibility and networking solutions for its customers for several years,” he added. The partners’ goal is to promote their respective services with their joint audiences. French unicorn Ankorstore is active as a B2B marketplace across seven sectors, most of which are featured in the industry events organised by Comexposium and WSN. The new partners said that their collaboration is designed to “create a hybrid model that addresses the day-to-day issues faced by retailers, especially in the fashion, lifestyle, and food sectors.” The partners are keen to develop an omni-channel environment by staging joint marketing operations in conjunction with the Who’s Next, Bijorhca , Gourmet Sélection and SIAL (international agri-food fair) trade shows. “I’ve never considered the physical and digital worlds as being in competition with each other, and always felt it was necessary to create an omni-channel dynamic,” said Frédéric Maus , managing director of WSN, who told FashionNetwork.com he has been working on this project for months. “We have been holding talks with Nicolas d’Audiffrey and his staff at Ankorstore ever since the pandemic. We are able to offer the best solutions for physical retail, and support with the wholesale trade. We are totally complementary, each with our own expertise. Ankorstore will present its services at our events, in which we will be able to host certain selected brands, and retailers and exhibitors will have access to services enabling them to have additional means of defending themselves against retail chains and e-tailers. This complements the solutions we are already offering,” said Maus. Many trade shows have been faced with the problem of how to add energy to their events and keep in touch with their communities throughout the year, at a time when the web and social media are so powerful. Various organisers have launched digital versions of their shows, without really finding the right formula to generate additional business and satisfy the visitors and exhibitors attending their in-person events. The ShowP, a B2B marketplace launched less than two years ago by Comexposium, will act as promotional platform for Comexposium's events, while transactions between trade show exhibitors and visitors will be redirected to the Ankorstore site. The partnership is a long-term commitment for the parties involved and, as a result of the agreement, Comexposium will become a minority shareholder in Ankorstore. Fashion a focus The partnership is also an opportunity for Ankorstore to reach new types of retailers and brands. “We have been talking with Frédéric Maus of WSN for a long time,” said Nicolas d'Audiffret, co-founder of Ankorstore. “We have the same vision of the importance of physical retail, and of the need to provide services to make the job of retailers easier. Ankorstore’s main tools are financial solutions for payments, which simplify stores’ cash-flow management and reassure brands, plus logistics and inventory management services, and technology services. I come from the B2C sector, and I’ve noticed that digitalisation is still in its infancy in the B2B sector, which is lagging a decade behind. But the situation is changing rapidly. Establishing a closer connection between two complementary French entities is a major step forward,” added d'Audiffret. FNW Ankorstore was founded in France five years ago. It is active throughout Europe, with France, Germany, the UK, Spain and Italy its main markets. Since it was set up, it has reportedly attracted 300,000 retailers in Europe, and no fewer than 30,000 brands across various sectors. Ankorstore will boost the visibility of WSN and Comexposium events in its markets, and will also potentially open business opportunities for the events’ exhibitors in the countries where it operates, giving them online exposure all year round. Comexposium organises 150 trade events in 20 countries, featuring 48,000 exhibitors and 3.5 million visitors, and the partnership is expected to create new opportunities for Ankorstore. The latter has always staged regular get-togethers for its community, and will now be able to rely on Comexposium’s events too. The next Who’s Next show will give Ankorstore the chance to establish itself in the fashion world, which currently ranks only fifth among its business sectors. “In our early years, retailers used to turn to us for restocking. But we are working on a new pre-ordering solution that will enable us to help brands manage these issues by the summer. The partnership with WSN is the most appropriate to strengthen [our position in] this category,” said d'Audiffret. Ankorstore and Comexposium are expected to start working on their first joint initiatives in the coming weeks. They are both highly confident about their ability to give new operational tools to retailers, and to strengthen their respective positions across Europe. The solutions and initiatives that will emerge from their partnership will be closely observed by a sector that is looking for ways of relaunching itself. Copyright © 2024 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved. Tags :