Alexandre Rocha
São Paulo – Diversification is the soul of business. The Brazilian Zebu Breeders Association (ABCZ) no longer depends only on bulls, oxen, and cows. Since 1997 the organization has been selling clothes, shoes, and accessories under their own brand: Grife ABCZ. "The association wanted to answer to breeder demand and in 1997 we set up a stand at ExpoZebu, with few items," explained brand manager Daniela Santos Miziara to ANBA.
ExpoZebu is the main event promoted by the organization and takes place every year in the city of Uberaba, in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais. In the beginning, according to Daniela, the items available were shirts, T-shirts, key rings, knives, belts, and baseball caps, all under the ABCZ brand with the association logo, a stylised ox face.
From then on, the brand has been growing. Apart from the original products, they now sell female jackets, trousers, and shoes; male trousers, and shoes; travel bags, and zip pouches. Sales have become more frequent. Apart from the stand at ExpoZebu, the brand also has a permanent store in the Uberaba exhibition park, and, at one time, even had a store in a shopping mall in the city, but it was closed.
ABCZ sells third party products under their brand. "We only demand quality and good prices. We cannot sell bad products," stated Daniela. The shoes and boots, for example, are produced by "five or six" companies in Franca, in the countryside of the southeastern state of São Paulo, a traditional shoe pole.
A large part of the brand sales, however, continues taking place during the ExpoZebu. In the fair last year, according to Daniela, the brand sold around US$ 48,000 in the twelve days of the fair. "Men buy most products, especially T-shirts and boots," stated Daniela.
For the time being, business is concentrated around the Uberaba region, and the brand has no representatives anywhere in the country. However, expansion is in their plans, but the organization directory must approval that. According to Daniela, the brand wants to go out of the city limits, through franchises and commercial representatives.
Contact
ABCZ
Tel.: (34) 3319-3900
www.abcz.com.br
