EuroShop 2014: brands in new light (Part 2)

Düsseldorf hosted the EuroShop trade fair between 16 and 20 February: more than 100,000 visitors came to see 2,226 exhibitors (9 were from Hungary) from 57 countries showcasing their products and services. The Designer Village is always one of the trade fair’s focal points and in this section a separate area called Lighting Designers’ Zone was dedicated to lighting technology for the first time. Visiting the EuroConcept and the EuroSales pavilions has already made it clear that not only materials, colours, shapes, sounds and scents are important in store furnishing any more, but lighting solutions as well. Manufacturers brought energy saving, sustainable and cost-efficient lighting solutions to EuroShop, but they didn’t forget about the important role lighting plays in influencing shoppers’ emotions and calling attention to products. For instance it was stunning to see how different meat and bakery products look in different lights. Innovations in LED lighting make spectacular lighting solutions available to shops at lower prices than before. Altogether 241 exhibitors came to EuroShop in the lighting category. In addition to more energy-efficient and creative lighting systems, EuroShop visitors also had the chance to see the latest refrigeration cabinet solutions in grocery retail. EHI Retail Institute managing director and chairman of EuroShop’s advisory board Michael Gerling told that last year retail companies invested EUR 1.75 billion in furnishing new stores only, 25 percent more than in 2010. A record EUR 6.8 billion was spent on building, refurbishing and expanding stores. There were Hungarian exhibitors as well: Tekno Group Kft. presented its Casasola Refrigeration customised refrigerators. At Megaholz Kft. and Mobilia-Artica’s collective stand the patented VisualM system, designed for pop-up stores, generated great interest. Zengővári Kft. brought its special lighting solutions, Mode Art – New Design Kft. presented its store furnishing and design portfolio. Shopguard is present in more than 40 countries with their product protection systems, from which the bottle-mount Drinkspector is the most famous one, but this time their POS media solution Screen Wizzard was in the limelight. Another Hungarian firm, Idea Zone showcased pallet storage solutions and new creative display ideas. Scan Sign Kft. brought energy saving and solar energy utilising solutions. The next EuroShop will be held between 5 and 9 March 2017 in Düsseldorf, but for the next EuroCIS we will only have to wait until 24-26 February 2015.