Isaura Daniel*
São Paulo – A Brazilian shoe factory that produces shoes out of recycled car tyre rubber may open a store in the Arab world. Goóc, the factory from the southeastern Brazilian state of São Paulo, which makes the product, accessories and also clothes out of lorry tarpaulins, has plans to open a factory in the region next year. The project is in the study and negotiation phase, according to the director at the Goóc foreign trade department, Alécio Faria.
The company produces 12,000 pairs of shoes per day, as well as accessories, like handbags, and garments. The recycled tyre rubber is used in shoe soles. The accessories and clothes are in vintage style. Around 2% of the company shoe production is exported. The clothes are not yet sold on the foreign market. "The garment export project is for 2007", explained Alécio Faria.
The shoes, handbags and accessories are already on the Arab market: in Lebanon. The Lebanese, according to the executive, buy products with bright colours, like blue, red and orange, and also in neutral colours. The Arabs represent 5% of exports of the Brazilian company. The Goóc forecast is to increase sales to the region by 50% this year. "There is good acceptance of the brand concept and the market is still little explored," stated Faria.
The company is already noticing growth of the brand in the region, which also sustains the forecasts. Sales to Lebanon began during the last edition of the International Shoes, Sportsgoods and Leathergoods Fair (Couromoda), a shoe sector fair that takes place in São Paulo every year. They were by a trading company. Now Goóc want to enter new Arab countries. Participation in fairs, the opening of franchises and agreements with new distributors are actions that should contribute to this.
Franchises
In Lebanon, brand shoes and accessories are sold in retail network Bata. Apart from opening a new franchise in the Arab world, Goóc also intends to inaugurate showrooms in Japan and Europe. The company does not yet own any stores abroad. In Brazil, the products are sold at multi-brand points-of-sale, and at exclusive stores. The company has seven franchises and eight of its own stores. The company stores are in the states of São Paulo and Espírito Santo, both in the southeast, and Bahia, in the northeast. There are 5,000 multi-brand points-of-sale throughout the country.
Goóc has three industrial units, two in the state of São Paulo and one in Bahia. The company was established in 2003 by Vietnamese entrepreneur Thai Quang Nhia and has its production turned to ecology and re-use of material. Last year, the industry used 400 kilometres of recycled tyres to produce shoes. The packages of their products were also designed with the objective of making better use of paper, generating economy of the product and recycling. The company has approximately 400 direct employees and 500 indirect workers.
*Translated by Mark Ament
