Product Sourcing and Own Brand at IFA Global Markets
IFA Berlin, the world’s largest event for consumer electronics, home appliances and future tech, closed on 8 September after five days at the Messe Berlin exhibition grounds. The organisers reported 240,000 visitors from 155 countries and more than 2,000 exhibitors, ahead of last year on both counts. Within the show, IFA Next hosted around 300 exhibitors from 24 countries, and IFA Global Markets, the trade only sourcing part of IFA, ran from 5 to 7 September, bringing suppliers from more than 20 countries together with buyers and product managers.
This year Exertis Supply Chain Services (SCS) exhibited in IFA Global Markets, in Hall 26.
Global Markets is the sourcing side of IFA, built around OEM and ODM manufacturing, components, production and supply chain management, and it is closed to consumers, so the people in the aisles are buyers, category managers and sourcing professionals.
It runs for three days rather than the full five, which packs a lot into a short window. Our team spent all three of them in meetings with retailers, brands and manufacturers.
What we showcased was our product sourcing, white label and own brand capability. For a retailer building a private label range, that covers:
- market research and category selection,
- sourcing strategy and supplier selection across Asia and Europe,
- factory audits and quality inspections,
- product certification and regulatory compliance,
- packaging and labeling that holds brand consistency across a range.
Most conversations started with one category and one question, usually about price, certification or lead time.
Behind the product sits the rest of the service, which is where a lot of own brand projects come unstuck: importer of record cover, warehousing and inventory management from our Polish facility, kitting services, B2B, retail and D2C fulfillment, and returns management.
Own brand was the theme that kept coming back. Retailers arrived with a clear brief: add margin, offer something the shop next door does not carry, and do it without building a sourcing team in house.
Brands and manufacturers came at it from the other side, with global market expansion in mind and questions about marketplace management, e-commerce platforms and speed to market. Some meetings were first conversations, others went straight to samples and costings.
What the team took away from Berlin:
Erik Demeulemeester, Business Development
IFA was a fantastic opportunity to re-engage with key contacts from my Consumer Electronics network across Benelux, while also hosting inspiring meetings at the Exertis booth with new prospects that show strong revenue potential. Exploring the floor gave great insight into emerging product trends, allowing us to even better advise our partners moving forward. Overall, it was a thoroughly worthwhile investment of time and resources for Exertis.
Katherine Baker, Development Director
IFA is one of the biggest tech shows on the planet and it can feel overwhelming for visitors who come looking for new ideas or specific products. More than 40 halls, dazzling displays and constant clamour for attention start to make many products blur into one experience. I’m very happy that we were able to help our clients (and new customers that stopped by our booth!), cut through some of the noise and start to form concrete plans to achieve what they came for.
Alessandro Venturi, Account Manager
IFA was a great opportunity to showcase to both our existing customers and potential new partners the breadth of what Exertis can offer. We can help retailers research, source and develop products across a wide range of categories, supporting them in expanding or developing their Private Label offering. The show was a great opportunity to demonstrate that we can be a flexible product partner, turning customer needs and ideas into market-ready Private Label products.
Anastasia Kvasyuk, Business Development
IFA is always a great networking opportunity, and this year we had the chance to catch up with current partners and meet new ones. With IFA taking place ahead of CES and many brands attending both, it is also the ideal moment to line up touchpoints for Las Vegas. One practical tip: Saturday and Sunday are usually the busiest days, so it pays to schedule meetings accordingly.
What comes next?
First comes the follow up from Berlin. After that, preparation for CES 2027 in Las Vegas in January, where a good number of the same brands will be, and then IFA 2027, which runs from 3 to 7 September 2027. If you are planning an own brand range, or looking for a partner to take a product into European retail and the marketplaces, we are happy to pick up the conversation long before either show.
