São Paulo – Made from colourful fabric and leather, the espadrille is a widespread piece of footwear in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state, as well as in Argentina and Uruguay. Two years ago, Rio Grande do Sul’s Perky Shoes company set out to dress Saudi feet with these shoes.
Established in 2011 by an Argentinean man and a Brazilian woman, Perky started selling to Saudi Arabia via a buyer in Italy. “He saw our products at a mall [in Brazil] and took a few models with him to an exhibition in Florence. Some folks from Saudi Arabia saw the items and liked them,” says Rodrigo Casas, the brand’s partner and commercial director.
After seeing the product, representatives of Saudi Arabia’s Al Garawi Group also travelled to an industry fair in São Paulo. Thus, in late 2012, Perky sold its first batch to the Arab conglomerate. One batch of women’s and children’s shoes is sold each year.
“For the Saudis, we have switched from pig leather insoles to cow leather. And since their buyer profile is more sophisticated, we have also made some cow leather shoes,” Casas explains regarding adaptations for the Middle Eastern market.
He remarks, however, that 95% of all shoes sold to Arabs are from the company’s regular line, made of fabric. “The models are colourful. Perky means happy. [Conveying joy] is the brand’s goal, as well as providing comfort,” he says.
The executive explains that the company makes approximately 30,000 pairs of shoes each month, and exports 5% to 10% of its output. Presently, Perky also sells to Italy, Norway, Portugal, Australia and Japan.
According to him, foreign sales usually take place by initiative of interested buyers who contact the company. “We do not have an export-oriented structure yet. We are only focusing on it now,” he says.
Casas reveals that the company is in talks with the Saudi group to distribute the brand in other countries. “We are discussing a partnership for them to represent our brand in the Middle East and elsewhere. They have lots of contacts in Europe and the United States,” he claims. According to Casas, the Al Garawi Group also distributes major international shoe brands.
In addition to espadrilles, Perky also makes boots, tennis shoes and backpacks. In Brazil, the company’s products are sold at multi brand stores and online. Based in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Perky has ten office staff and manufacturing is outsourced.
Contact
Perky Shoes
Tel.: +55 51 3268-9796
Website: www.lojaperky.com.br
Email: contato@perkyshoes.com
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
