Published
Mar 27, 2018
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Wholesale center World Fashion Centre celebrates 50th anniversary, wholesale purpose changes

Published
Mar 27, 2018

The Netherlands’ World Fashion Centre (WFC) celebrates its 50th anniversary today. However, as a result of the changing retail landscape the purpose of the Amsterdam-based wholesale center is facing changes.

World Fashion Centre in Amsterdam - Photo: Facebook


Opened in 1968, the wholesale center grew from two to four towers and later added an exhibition hall. The center initially offered space for clothing manufacturers, buyers and designers. However, in recent years part of the center was renovated into apartments and it started to lease office spaces to other (non-fashion) business such as accounts and photographers, reports Dutch newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad (FD) today.

Marianne van der Linden, director at WFC told the newspaper: “For a long time, the principle has been retained that only fashion companies are welcome here. We are now open to other related companies. A children's fair can also take place at the exhibition space, or a large-scale fair such as a hardcore dance party.”

With the WFC opening its doors to related companies, it shows how in recent years the purpose of the wholesale center has changed. According to Harry Bijl of sector association Inretail this can be attributed to the fact that brands today have other options to reach the consumer than via wholesale alone, the internet being one of them, he told FD. Van der Linden, however, does not think that the Internet affects wholesale as much. She believes that buyers still want to touch the product and thus that the purpose of the WFC might have change, but not the importance of it.

Although the WFC has seen some changes in its 50 years of existence, it is still home to fashion companies including Dutch designer Bas Kosters and Schueller De Waal as well as German retailer Gerry Weber.
 

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