São Paulo – The children’s shoes manufacturer Kidy out of São Paulo, Brazil expects to increase its exports, and relies on the Middle East to achieve its purpose. It currently sells 7% of output internationally, and plans on increasing that rate to 15% come next year. Kidy has three plants and makes 23,000 pairs of shoes per day.
The goal is to increase sales in the Arab countries it has secured a foothold in – the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Libya –as well as break into other nearby countries. Foreign trade manager Rodrigo Nunes will take a trip to Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait in October to canvas for new partners in trade.
Items by Kidy are available in 40-plus countries. Most are in South America, but the Middle East is the company’s second-biggest market according to Nunes. The region takes in 15% of total exports.
Kidy plans on increasing sales to the Middle East based on its purchase history and the region’s economic potential. “We expect to strike good partnerships in those other countries,” the Foreign Trade manager said regarding Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait. In the UAE, shoes by Kidy are carried in Dubai and Abu Dhabi by the two leading shoe retailers, with over 300 outlets each.
“We get positive feedback from our clients,” Nunes told ANBA. According to the manager, products “Made in Brazil” are going strong in the region, and consumers are looking for Kidy-branded products. He said Kidy shoes provide what Arab buyers look for, health and comfort. These words are part of the brand’s slogan.
Kidy makes leather and synthetic shoes. Although the latter sell well in Arab countries for their softness, leather makes up the bulk of sales. In addition to leather shoes, outlets in the region go mostly for casual-styled models and for baby’s and children’s sandals.
The company has headquarters plus a plant in Birigui and two other plants – one in Mirandópolis, São Paulo and one in Três Lagoas, Mato Grosso. It was established 27 years ago and has always been export-oriented business, but placed added emphasis on foreign sales over the last 15 years.
Nunes explains that he started dealing with the Middle East through meeting Arab importers at industry shows in Brazil. After that, the company invited Arabs to visit its plants and sent delegates to the region. This work yielded good partnerships in the Arab world for Kidy.
The company is a regular exhibitor at trade shows Francal and Couromoda, in São Paulo, and Zero Grau and International Leather and Footwear Exhibition (SICC), in Rio Grande do Sul. It also shows its product in expos in the United States, Italy, Colombia and China.
Kidy is a member of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and will rely on the latter to provide market information, data and referrals for its Middle East trip in October.
The company makes children’s shoes for boys and girls sized 16 through 36 (Brazilian numbering system). It puts out two collections a year – a summer collection in May and a winter collection in October. The occasional new product is made available in-between collections as well. In Brazil, Kidy shoes are sold out of over 10,400 points of sale, all of them in multi-brand stores.
Quick facts:
Kidy
Website: www.kidy.com.br
Phone: +55 (18) 9 9113-4712
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
