São Paulo – Via Uno, a Brazilian shoe brand that has exclusive shops in Brazil and abroad, should receive next month an international award for its franchises. It won the Business Award Franchise 2009, promoted by Franchise Expo Paris, the French Franchise Federation and Reed Exhibition France, a global leader in fair organisation. The award is one of the largest in the sector in the world. Via Uno has 151 shops in Brazil and 84 abroad, including in the Arab world.
Via Uno franchises are present in countries like Germany, Chile, Venezuela, Spain, the Netherlands, Cuba, Italy, France, Canada, South Africa and Argentina. The Arab nations which have exclusive shops are the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Last year, the company also announced plans to enter other markets, as published by ANBA.
The award that Via Uno won should be delivered on March 13th, during the Franchise Expo Paris, the largest fair in the sector in the world. It is granted during the exhibition to a company in the honoured country, which should be Brazil in this edition. Competing with Via Uno were other Brazilian brands like O Boticário, of perfume, Arezzo, also in the shoe sector, Bob’s, in the food industry, and Morana, of accessories.
According to information disclosed by Via Uno, the criteria for choice was brand expansion in its country of origin, growth on the international market, brand development in Europe as well as the originality of the franchise concept. Franchise Expo Paris, where the award should be granted, should bring together 400 franchisers and 30,000 businessmen from 92 countries.
Via Uno started opening exclusive brand shops in 2004 and in 2005 started new expansion through franchise. The company produces eight million pairs of shoes a year and exports half of them. It was originally established in the city of Novo Hamburgo, which is part of a shoe production hub in Rio Grande do Sul, but now has four factories in the southern Brazilian state and another four in Bahia (NE). Production is in the hands of 5,000 employees.
*Translated by Mark Ament
