Isaura Daniel
São Paulo – Expor Manequins, a Brazilian maker of mannequins for shop windows, based in the city of Avaré, in the countryside of the southeastern state of São Paulo, intends to improve trade relations with the Arab countries. Company products are in the windows of some stores in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, but the company plans to increase business with the region after finding a local representative.
Mannequins and busts produced by Expor were sent to both countries in the Middle East by international brands, North American Tommy Hilfiger and another large clothes brand whose identity the company keeps secret. Both chains have stores in the region and purchased around 50 Expor mannequins last year for use in their stores in the United Arab Emirates and in Kuwait.
The company intention, however, is to sell on the retail market to clothes manufacturers. "We are first going to study the market and then find a distributor who knows the countries well," stated Expor Manequins director Marcos Andrade.
Expor is a reference in the production of mannequins in Brazil. The company has been on the market for 35 years and produces masculine, feminine, and infant mannequins, whole body, headless, and even busts.
Jennifer Lopez
The company started exporting regularly in 2000, and has been selling more and more to large international brands. In the first half of this year, Expor sold around 30 mannequins to J.Lo, the brand belonging to actress Jennifer Lopez, in Russia.
Last year between 25% and 30% of company revenues, around US$ 3 million were due to export. This year, the target is to reach revenues of around US$ 5 million with 35% coming from foreign trade. "We have been consolidating markets. We started selling to regional offices of some chains, and are now selling to the whole chain, worldwide," stated Andrade.
The United States and Europe are still the largest Expor clients on the foreign market, with 60% of purchases, but the company has been trying to diversify destinations. Sales to South Africa should begin this year.
Expor exports to over 20 countries, among them Canada and India. After the United States and Europe, though, Latin America is the most significant region in terms of importers.
All production is in the hands of 70 workers in the Avaré factory. Expor also has a showroom in the city of São Paulo.
Service
Expor Manequins
www.expor.com
(+5511) 3887-3205
