S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 The organizers of footwear fair BF Show brought 153 buyers from 31 countries in a bid to foster exports during the exhibition, which ends on Thursday (23) in S\u00e3o Paulo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brought to Brazil with funds from trade promotion program Brazilian Footwear spearheaded by trade promotion agency ApexBrasil and the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abical\u00e7ados), the group includes nine footwear and fast-fashion importers and retailers from the Gulf and Levant states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The companies are Al Safeer, Al Jaroodi, New Bellbird, Andy Entrepricess, Kamal Osman Jamjoom, and Mostafawi Group (from the United Arab Emirates), as well as Florina (Saudi Arabia), Armando Co. (Kuwait), and M\/S Nina Jones S.A.R.L. (Lebanon). There are also buyers from the region who came on their own, outside the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Paola Pontin, coordinator of business of Abical\u00e7ados, the association that organizes BF Show<\/a> alongside event promoter N\u00fcrnbergMesse, the profile of buyers is varied. Most have attended Brazilian trade shows for years, but some are first timers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read more:<\/em> \u201cThey are buyers of women\u2019s, men\u2019s, children\u2019s and sport shoes, offering business opportunities to exhibitors. Some buyers already know Brazil and work with Brazilian brands, and they are here to continue purchases. Others are new, haven\u2019t bought anything from Brazil yet, and they came to present opportunities to the industry,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the case of Arab buyers, the low prevalence of footwear exhibitions in the Middle East and the still shy presence of Brazilian exporters in major European trade shows have led many to decide to face a 15-hour flight to Brazil to establish direct relations with Brazilian brands and visit their plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such is the case for Feras Mansour, manager of operations at Mostafawi Group<\/a>, a leading fast-fashion retailer in Dubai. His first visit to Brazil was ten years ago. Since then, he has incorporated Brazilian brands to his portfolio, including Democrata, of men\u2019s dress shoes, sold by him in the UAE for at least eight years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His presence in the fair, though, aims to connect with new brands. \u201cPart of my job is traveling to seek out new concepts and brands to take to Dubai and launch them there. Dubai is a showcase for the entire Middle East and North Africa. Those who cement their brand in Dubai find it easy to expand across the rest of the region,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBrazilian brands have used state-of-the-art technology to make comfortable shoes\u201d<\/p>\nFeras Mansour, manager of operations at Mostafawi Group<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Mansour told ANBA he is in Brazil selecting brands to be sold at a department store slanted to open in Dubai by March 2025. Besides Democrata, which he already works with, the executive said he is in talks with Dakota, of women\u2019s shoes, and Bibi, of children\u2019s shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mansour makes a point of having Brazilian footwear in the project for three reasons: it is resistant, its design is appealing, and it\u2019s competitive pricewise. \u201cIn addition to quality and reasonable prices, the Brazilian product has sustainable attributes, too, that are important as a message due to the concern about climate change,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s highly technological, too. Brazilian brands have used state-of-the-art technology to make comfortable shoes that meets the needs of people, particularly children and babies,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Narendar Soni, manager of retail at Quality Group<\/a>, which operates 25 footwear stores in the UAE, highlights that, in addition to quality, the Brazilian product allows him to work with good margins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soni, who works with brands like Democrata, Via Marte, and Usaflex, says the Brazilian footwear usually arrives in Dubai at half the cost of the German product and even cheaper than its Italian counterpart, thus allowing him margins of up three times the acquisition cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn China, I can buy shoes that in Brazil would cost USD 10, for USD 5-6. The problem is quality. Some clients come back complaining, which doesn\u2019t happen with the Brazilian product,\u201d says the executive, who has attended trade shows in Brazil for 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He adds the Brazilian footwear is able to compete in lower-income markets like Pakistan and India, even if they are sold at a higher price than local production for being imported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMany consumers there still prefer the Brazilian product because of its quality,\u201d says Soni.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read more:<\/em> Report by Daniel Medeiros, especially for ANBA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Translated by Guilherme Miranda<\/strong><\/p>\n
Abu Dhabi to have 2 Piccadilly stores this year<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nDubai’s footwear importer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Quality Group: An eye on cost<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kidy choose to make Arabs its next export target<\/a>
Bibi: Potential for franchising in Arab countries<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n