This Year, Textile Editors are Displaying their New Collections Digitally

We chatted about the changes they are facing when promoting their products abroad during these pandemic times

The main Spanish fabric and wallpaper editors are starting this year, still marked by the uncertainty of the pandemic, by launching their new collections "digitally" on the international market.
We also talked to them to find out how the Covid 19 pandemic is affecting them and the new marketing ways and channels they are using to sell their products at the beginning of the year without trade fairs or trips.

Modern ways of marketing and commercialization: Video calls, online presentations, live webinars, social media and digital trade fairs

The Alhambra company says that at this stage of the pandemic "we have focused a lot on video calls, online presentations, live remote webinars, etc. We have relied heavily on social media, maintaining constant multichannel information, recorded presentation videos and posted a lot of material to remind customers of our product range. We have applied this in all markets without exception".
 
Coordonné and Ybarra Serret confirm the importance of these virtual meetings to present their novelties "we are presenting the collections by videoconference" And among digital supports Gastón y Daniela mentions "Teams" or "Zoom", as the ones they have used the most to present their collections to their distributors in the rest of Europe, America and Asia.

As Gancedo comments, "the digital channel through online meetings and digital fairs, as well as videoconference meetings, has become more important since April 2020".

The digitalization of the collections is another aspect highlighted by the company Tuvatextil.-Agora “we have decided to digitalize all our communicative marketing material".

Online sales abroad

Most companies tell us they do not have an online sales channel for their fabrics and wallpapers. Only their customers with an online store sell through this channel. Some brands such as Gastón y Daniela, for example, have "online sales only available nationwide".

But we find companies like Gancedo that also use it at an international level "the bid for online commerce in Gancedo is significant and a large part of the budget allocated to fairs of the industry that have not been held has been invested". "We have our own national and international B2B online platform where our customers and professionals of the industry can access for product inquiries, stock and online orders.

And in the same line of own online marketing platforms, KA International comments that "we have our own B2B sales platform, KAdecó, custom-developed taking into account the needs of the type of product we sell. This platform works for everyone. At B2C level, we are currently working on expanding internationally."

Impact of the new sanitary regulations related to Covid19 on international sales

Overall, all the companies emphasize that health restrictions on mobility and travel between countries have hindered their relationship with customers. As the company Gastón y Daniela remarks: "it is complicated to develop our work with a certain degree of normality in our sector; the restrictions and measures that have been applied throughout these months make our work very difficult. We sell textiles that require physical contact to appreciate certain sensations that the product brings: touch, appearance, drape of the fabrics... Aspects that can hardly be appreciated through a screen".

But aside from this, the companies generally indicate that it is a sector that has not been affected too much despite not being of prime necessity, except in the specific area of transportation, which at some specific times the system has been saturated and it led to delays in shipments and deliveries.

And as business opportunities due to the application of the new sanitary standards, KA points out the development and implementation of new textile products and applications that the market is currently demanding. Specifically, its most outstanding products in this regard are: "our fabric approved for the manufacture of reusable hygienic masks and the collection of antibacterial fabrics with virus-inhibiting effect perfect for the manufacture of textiles (curtains, cushions, blinds, etc.) for home and Contract projects".

New collections 2021

If you want to see the new collection of fabrics and wallpapers, come see our photo gallery, where you will find the latest from firms such as Gancedo, Coordonné and Ybarra Serret, Alhambra, Gastón y Daniela, KA Internacional, Tres Tintas, Güell La Madrid and Les Creations de la Maison, Equipo DRT, Tuvatextil-Agora and Sette7.