Joburg Easter Festival achieves bumper finish

“We are definitely seeing a trend towards the family unit coming through to Nasrec for the great entertainment line-up, which was heavily geared towards the children,” says the communications manager for the Joburg Easter Festival, Roger Houghton.

“We made a strategic decision to realign our new offering to give families an opportunity to spend quality time together over this Easter holiday period with entertainment that is unique, diverse and of the best there is in the country. Visitors had a great day out and were not being charged to come and shop, but rather to enjoy the excellent entertainment line-up on offer. The ‘shopping experience' was an added benefit that visitors could enjoy at their leisure, often while the children were being entertained at one of the free shows.

“Big ticket items still seem to be selling despite the economic downturn, although people are generally making more informed decisions and comparing products and costs where exhibitors have similar offering.

“Big tickets such as boats did well, along with furniture and home improvement/DIY products. The buying trend was definitely towards home and leisure products that support a growing trend towards so-called ‘cocooning',” says Houghton.

He says ‘cocooning” is a growing trend today and one that is still gathering momentum, with the economic downturn a driving force. “South African families are spending a lot more time at home and many social and cultural interactions such as working, entertaining and relaxing are taking place at home rather than by going out. This trend is evident in the buying patterns at the Joburg Easter Festival, where products that moved well were those that add value to the home environments and one's lifestyle. Even in an economic downturn, people seem to be more discerning as to the products and services they buy. They want to add real value to their home and family lifestyle,” he adds.

“Consumer shows, such as the Joburg Easter Festival, are a good indicator of what South African consumers are experiencing. Frivolous or impulsive shopping is definitely on a downward trend. At the end of the day consumers will spend their money on products that fulfil a specific need at any given space and time,” he says.