Geovana Pagel
São Paulo- Company Dupé, located in the city of Carpina, 50 kilometres away from Recife – the capital of the northeastern state of Pernambuco -, wants to win the South and Sotheastern markets in Brazil by opening franchises and distributing products better. Apart from that, the company wants to guarantee international sales growth with participation in fairs and international missions, and prospecting new markets.
Exporting to 20 countries, mainly Europe, Latin America, and the United States, Dupé has been showing interest in intensifying negotiations with Arab countries like Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco.
According to superintendent director Jarbas Martins Gomes, the company is doing very well in the Northeast, where it has around 40% of the market. In coming years, the company hopes to gain a significant share of the South and Southeastern markets in the country, and to begin disputing national leadership, currently occupied by Havaianas.
Dupé is currently responsible for 17% of the rubber sector. "The company is still young, only 15 years old, and its growth strategy was started just six years ago, based on innovative and diversified products," explained Gomes.
According to him, Brazil is currently very receptive to diversification and consumers want more personalized products. "We produce sandals for specific niches, such as the young. The tribal model is one example," he guaranteed.
Another company strategy was the inauguration of the first sandal franchise in Brazil, opened in December 2003, in the city of Juiz de Fora, in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais. According to the director, company expectation for the next three years is that franchises should be responsible for at least 10% of total company revenue, which was US$ 25 million in 2003.
The opening of around 300 stores is programmed up to 2006. Still this year, around 20 stores should be inaugurated in the state of São Paulo. Gomes added that, more than a plan to increase revenue, the Dupé franchise is a marketing strategy to consolidate the brand throughout the country.
Foreign market
Dupé wants to add Middle Eastern, Asian, and African countries to its list of importers. For this, the company is betting on participation in international fairs such as GDS, which takes place twice a year (March and September) in Düsseldorf, Germany.
The Dupé director explained that this year, for the first time, the company will set up its own stand at GDS. "We want to guarantee contact with new distributors. One of the great expectations is to begin contact with potential markets such as the Arab countries," he said.
Three million pairs per month
Dupé was established in 1988 in Carpina and was incorporated by the Tavares de Mello Group in 1993. The company employs 1,100 people who produce 3 million pairs of sandals per month in a 23,000 square-metre factory.
Of the 24 million pairs produced in 2003, 10% were for the foreign market. Revenues totalled around US$ 25 million. In 2004, according to Gomes, production should rise to 28.5 million pairs and revenues should rise to around US$ 29.5 million.
The factory currently produces around 70 different models in the Dupé, Dupezinho and Marota brands.
Contact
www.dupe.com.br
Telephone: (+5581) 9252-7888 – André Nóbrega (export manager)
E-mail: export@dupe.com.br
