The recent figures published by the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises with regard to a survey carried out among exhibitors at the International Trade Fair are, taken on their own, a cause for concern. But if one were to see the overall picture, one would realise that there are several reasons as to why sales at the Trade Fair have declined over the past years.

In this year’s survey, 70 per cent of the exhibitors said that they had sold less than they had in previous years. More than half of the exhibitors that take part regularly said they did not sell 75 per cent of what they usually did. As a result, 40 per cent of all exhibitors are not sure whether they will take part again, with five giving a definite no to future participation.

These results might be interpreted as another sign that the country’s economy is not doing well, that people have less purchasing power or are saving their income. In fact, 37 per cent of the exhibitors mentioned disposable income as a major factor that contributed to the decline.

No doubt, the country’s economy is far from being at its best. But there may be other explanations as to why the Trade Fair is not so successful in terms of sales as it used to be in the past.

For one thing, people today no longer wait for the Trade Fair to buy a new fridge or new furniture. Special offers and sales all the year round perhaps make it more convenient for them to buy new goods or services they want directly from shops, rather than wait for these two weeks at the start of summer.

Exhibitors themselves have said that they prefer offering their customers competitive rates all the year round, instead of waiting for the Trade Fair to slash prices. If reduced prices that were usually available only during the Trade Fair are now offered during other periods, then it is evident that people do not wait for the Trade Fair to buy what they need.

One other important point that must be mentioned is the fact that the Trade Fair is no longer “on its own”. Over the past years, the number of specialised fairs that are organised by the Malta Trade Fairs Corporation has increased. This means that the overall sales from Naxxar are spread out across the entire year, rather than being concentrated in the first two weeks of July.

Some exhibitors take part both in specialised fairs and in the Trade Fair, and it would be interesting to know what their overall sales were, and whether, when counted together, they also result in a negative trend.

This year, according to the exhibitors, the absence of importers of new cars also had a negative effect on the whole fair. In the past, car importing firms were a major attraction and were certainly among the most popular stands. Their absence might have kept people away from visiting the fair this time round.

One other problem could also have been the confusion on the roads leading to and from Naxxar. Although the park and ride scheme planned by the corporation worked well, the problem was arriving there. People have reported to this newspaper that there were days when the traffic jam started as far back as San Gwann, and some chose to turn back rather than take an hour or more to travel a couple of kilometres.

The Trade Fair has remained an attractive place for sales, but it must be acknowledged that its role has changed. It is no longer the be-all-and-end-all, but is now one of the many occasions – and these include specialised fairs organised by the same corporation – where customers can get good deals.