São Paulo – The Couromoda shoe sector fair, which ends tomorrow (15), in São Paulo, is generating new orders for Brazilian companies in the Arab market. Company Biondini, of female shoes, closed an order of five thousand pairs with a distributor in Algeria. With regard to Magia Teen, from São Paulo, 2,000 pairs should be sent to Saudi Arabia.
The Algerian order for 5,000 pairs was considered very good by Biondini director Anderson Spier. "This is the first time that we close an order with a customer in Algeria," he said, adding that he hopes to complete the deal by the end of the event. The closed sandals and shoes ordered by the Algerian distributor were diversified. According to the sales director at Biondini, Paulo Junior, Arab women like more daring shoes.
Last year, Junior participated in Expo Riva Middle East, in Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. "We sought a distributor in the Arab market, but we have not yet found one," stated the manager. "It is a market we want to enter," he added. According to him, Biondini has already exported to the Emirates, Lebanon, Oman and Saudi Arabia. "The Arab market is now returning (to seeking Brazil) due to exchange rates," he said.
With the appreciation of the Brazilian real against the dollar, Brazilian shoes were becoming less competitive on the foreign market due to their higher price. "The price is a fundamental question for the Arabs," said Junior, who hopes to return to sales on the Arab market this year.
Biondini, which is headquartered in Três Coroas, in Rio Grande do Sul, was established in 2003 and employs 110 people. With daily production of 900 pairs, the company exports around 15% to over 15 countries. To increase sales on the foreign market, the company usually participates in fairs in Milan, Italy and Hong Kong. Last year, at Fashion Access, in Hong Kong, the Brazilian company won an award for best shoe design at the fair.
The other Brazilian company that closed a deal with an Arab buyer was Magia Teen, which has been in the market for a year and a half and belongs to the Kidy Group, of children’s shoes. According to the company export manager, Cristiano André Vieira Rosa, the deal closed with a Saudi buyer should be the first Magia Teen sale to an Arab country. The Kidy brand, however, is already exported to Arab countries.
The Saudi order for 2,000 pairs was basically in the lines of female shoes. Pink with black, purple, red, white and black are the colours of the shoes selected by the buyer. "The Arab market is extremely important," said the manager, who also spoke to an Egyptian client during the fair.
Kidy, which is headquartered in Birigui, in the interior of the state of São Paulo, has been in the market for over 18 years and produces 20,000 pairs of shoes a day. The group exports around 10% of production to 40 countries. Magia Teen, which was established for the teen female public, now represents 25% of group produce, which also counts on brand Athletic Sports, of sports shoes.
*Translated by Mark Ament
