“As a fair, the EuroShop came at exactly the right time,” was how Dipl.-Vw Helmut Neher, Executive Director of Umdasch, summarised the world’s leading trade fair for the shopfitting sector, which took place from 26 February − 2 March 2011 in Düsseldorf. “Driven by consumers’ purchasing mood, the retail sector is once again investing more strongly in maintaining its competitiveness. In contrast to the last EuroShop the retailers’ plans and projects have become much more concrete,” continued Neher. It was even possible to reach concrete sales agreements during the fair, an unusual development at the EuroShop.

Altogether the EuroShop has become even more international. Over 60 % of the 106,000-odd visitors – in 2008 they totalled 104,800 – came from outside Germany. They travelled from over 90 countries all over the world. There was a noticeable increase in visitors from Italy, the United States and Brazil. On the other hand, considerably fewer visitors than in the past came to the metropolis on the Rhine from the Asian region. One of the main trends at the fair was the topic of sustainability, which was presented, for example, in the form of energy-saving concepts and the use of natural materials.

The stand of Umdasch Shop-Concept and Assmann Ladenbau, which was visited by more than 50,000 guests, was one of the bustling hubs of activity at the fair. In line with the motto “À la carte” it presented the many aspects which excellent cuisine and first-class shopfitting have in common. Selected ingredients and tried and tested and innovative recipes as well as professional preparation lead in both cases to unique results. Star chef Sarah Wiener demonstrated this at the stand with cookery shows which were enthusiastically received, while the professional advisors of Umdasch and Assmann presented specialities in the form of new shopfitting systems and solutions. On show was a shelving system with the smallest carbon footprint, with shelves of bamboo, cardboard, reeds and banana stalks, as well as the “HangingFrame” programme which can be suspended individually from the ceiling. Hot off the press for the EuroShop was the “Ladenbau- und Laden-Marketing-Lexikon” (Encyclopaedia of Shopfitting and Shop Marketing) presented by the Umdasch Shop Academy. The book has the potential to become the standard work within the shopfitting sector.