We have landed!

As the saying goes, no plane has ever stayed up in the air… well, the planes of Trade Airlines have landed too. We flew on all kinds of planes to countless destinations, but the most important thing is that we were together. Together with roughly 1,100 passengers, the captain and the airline’s supporters. Everyone had the opportunity to vent about the events of the past year and the current difficulties on the stage, but sometimes we felt that communication was only one-way… even then there were confirmations, shared thoughts, perspectives and questions about the future. It is needless to say there were joyful, fantastic moments too, with well-deserved awards and countless congratulations, smiles and laughter every day. For the first time this year, there wasn’t only a five-day conference, but also an optional weekend programme, which – just like the five professional days – ended with satisfied participants and we are happy about that even now, a couple of days after the conference.

I have never thought that an airline would one day be the symbol that helps to describe the current situation on the FMCG market. When we announced the title “Blind Flight?” at the beginning of the year, knowing the circumstances and being in constant contact with hundreds of FMCG decision-makers, we knew that – unfortunately – we had hit the nail on the head with this expression, even if the situation might have changed during the year, we felt that this was even more true in our everyday lives.

What can be done? Fly with good aircraft, reliable crew, familiar and easy-to-use instruments, change course and altitude if necessary and “don’t panic, but be afraid in a structured way”, as one of our speakers said at the conference. It was openly stated and acknowledged that there had been another change in the relationship between suppliers and retailers: many factors had influenced this in recent times, but the coordination seems to be falling apart (as one of our speakers said, “a sure sign of the crisis is that we are once again picking each other’s pockets”), while government support and understanding are increasingly lacking in the system. In return, there are many highly questionable decisions and unnecessary interventions, which further exacerbate everyday problems. Considering that it is only the end of September, further tax changes and regulatory modifications are to be expected. So it doesn’t look like the captains of Trade Airlines will be able to sit back, switch on the autopilot and peacefully doze off on their flights in the coming months…

Well, that was the 19th Business Days mini summary. The longer versions will be available in our November and December-January issues, so there will be plenty to read, ideas and strength to draw on, and lots of data that may help you get on track.

Next year we will be welcoming guests to our 20th conference and as Trade magazin will also be celebrating its 20th birthday, a year before that we hope that there will be something to raise a glass to, whatever the airspace and weather conditions may be for Trade Airlines at that time. Because we will definitely be toasting the fact that there are so many of us together and that we are taking off again and again.

Best regards,

Zsuzsanna Hermann, Editor in Chief