São Paulo – Shoes and sandals by Cecconello are not the casual type. Women’s footwear made by this Rio Grande do Sul-based company attract attention for their sophisticated, classy style, from the colour combinations to the buckles and details. It was thus that five years ago, the enterprise headquartered in the city of Três Coroas broke into the Arab market, conquering clients in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Now, in order to grow in the region, the company is betting on attending fairs abroad.
“We are investing quite a lot in international fairs. We began attending the Las Vegas fair (in the United States), which the Arabs usually go to. There are many Arab visitors at the fair in Milan (Italy) as well,” says Lélia Furlanetto, who is in charge of exports at Cecconello.
Currently, the company manufactures approximately 3,000 pairs of shoes per day. Of those, 20% to 25% are shipped to foreign countries. “Our exports have been increasing significantly over the last few years,” says Furlanetto. “By the end of the year, we are expecting our exports to rise by 2% to 3%,” she says. Although the sales volume to the Arabs is still low, at 1% to 2% of Cecconello’s exports, the company sells to the region all year round, says Lélia, because the hot weather of the Middle East favours the wearing of sandals all in all months of the year.
“The Arabs appreciate shoes with lots of shine, metals, and lacquer. The shoes are supposed to be very flamboyant, because the clothing is sober, so the shoe is what stands out in women,” says the businesswoman. Furlanetto also explains that in the Arab countries, the products are sold directly to the stores, with no distributors are involved. “Our products are highly elaborate, their added value is higher. So we sell them to retailers whose clientele is more adventurous.” Cecconello’s shoes are exported at prices ranging from US$ 30 to US$ 100.
The bulk of Cecconello exports goes to clients in Latin America and Europe. The company’s leading markets include Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Chile. In addition to its fixed clients in Kuwait and the Emirates, the company has already made sporadic sales Oman, Saudi Arabia and Mauritania. “The Arab market is great, because it boasts a very high purchasing capacity. We need to invest further in the region, so we can diversify a bit more,” says the executive.
Cecconello was established in 1985. Currently, the company has 250 employees and posts monthly revenues of roughly 2.5 million reals (US$ 1.4 million).
Contact
Cecconello
Gustavo Schweitzer (exports)
Tel.: +55 51 9981-0956
Email: gustavobs@tca.com.br
Site: www.cecconello.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
