Once, during the filming of the film “Beyond the Clouds,” an attentive but very curious journalist ventured to ask the Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni why he had been acquiring the same shoe model for so many years. To which the wise Antonioni replied that that pair of shoes, to which everyone is so accustomed, exists only in a single copy, and he wears them because it is convenient to move around the set in them. Surprised by the unexpected answer, the journalist could not understand how the shoes could retain their original appearance for so many years. And the secret of the great Michelangelo was in the right choice of shoe care products.
In our conditions, shoe care products are a must, and selling them is also a profitable business. In a crisis, moreover, it pleases with stability. That is why during the crisis year, the price policy of distributors of shoe care products has hardly changed. Although the overall situation in the economy still influenced the market. For example, the ASD company, which once successfully promoted domestic-made shoe cosmetics of the Escort brand, has abandoned it for a year now. It can be assumed that ASD is not the only company to leave the segment. Does this mean that due to the decrease in competition, many companies received an opportunity to increase their sales in 2009?
New stage of business
Those distribution companies that managed to establish themselves in the market were able to navigate on time in the new economic conditions. According to the brand manager of Upeco company Irina Vorontsova, the Salamander trademark, whose exclusive distributor they have been for more than 10 years, has dropped out of the portfolio of brands. The decision was made by mutual agreement of the parties and allowed the company to focus on promoting its own brands of shoe cosmetics - Salton and Patisson. The efforts aimed at developing our own brand names immediately affected the dynamics of sales. Salton brand turnover in the 2009 year increased by almost 1,5 times compared to the 2008 year. The advertising campaign conducted in October-November 2009 also contributed to the success.
The working conditions at Alfa-ARS have also changed. The growth of the euro against the ruble entailed an increase in the ruble price of products (prices in foreign currency equivalent remained the same). This led to the differentiation of market niches of brands of trademarks. “Collonil has entered a higher market segment, and the Duke of Dubbin brand has firmly established itself in the middle price segment. Thus, a more complete coverage of the shoe cosmetics market was achieved, ”explained Victoria Semenova, Alfa-ARS Advertising Manager.
In order to maintain its position among the leading companies, Alfa-ARS is implementing new sales development programs, including paying great attention to the regions, retaining advertising activity, and participating in major industry exhibitions. There is also a system of cooperation with large segments of the shoe business and hypermarkets in the city of Moscow and other regions - these are on-site training seminars for sellers at which company experts talk about products and proper shoe care.
A new player has appeared on the Russian shoe cosmetics market - the Arnest company, which has been producing cosmetic products and household chemical products for more than 30 years. Now, in addition to its own business, the company is engaged in the distribution of Salamander brand products.
“Today, this German brand has several new official distributors in the Russian market instead of one exclusive previously. The prospects for Salamander and the new company in this situation are still too early to assess. The situation will become clear only in the 2010 year, when the new distribution system will be fully formed, ”said Irina Vorontsova.
According to Sergei Kalutsky, Commercial Director of Salrus, “shoe cosmetics business completely dependent on the state of the shoe market. All the financial problems of the networks, a decrease in shoe sales, are directly reflected in the sales of shoe cosmetics. We were forced to partially suspend or cut volumes of supplies to shoe chains due to serious delays in payments. But we managed to stay within the framework of the general market decline of 25-30%, although in general the demand for shoe cosmetics from end-users did not decrease. Moreover, the main recession occurred in the fall of the 2008 year and the spring of the 2009 year. Now the situation is slowly starting to improve. ” In 2010, the company plans to improve the quality of service, logistics, and achieve high sales. "
Now Salrus is still the only Russian distributor of the French brand Saphir, and also deals with mid-priced brands Salamander, Salton, Silver.
“The pricing policy of the company has remained virtually unchanged. For example, the Saphir brand used to be on par with Collonil in value. After the growth of the euro exchange rate, the prices for Collonil went up, but we didn’t pick up prices, taking part of the costs ourselves, ”Sergey Kalutsky shared.
By the way, Saphir released another new product this year - Cordovan cream. This position is not intended for the mass buyer. Its main purpose is shoes from horse leather Cordovan, which is engaged in a large American company Alden Shoe Company. The price for one such pair is from $ 500. Also, the new cream is suitable for products from smooth leather. Its composition includes bone beef fat, mineral and synthetic waxes.
Three years ago, RALF RINGER planned to produce shoe cosmetics under the same name. According to corporate calculations, in 2010, the new product was to occupy at least 12% of the Russian shoe cosmetics market. But the project was closed almost at the start. The launch idea appeared at the end of the 2006 year, when the company was at the peak of sales and wanted to convert the achieved level of knowledge and customer loyalty into sales of an additional assortment of goods, in this case cosmetics. And the first test sales in the Spring-Summer 2007 season in the RALF RINGER retail chain made it possible to count on the success of the project. “But in 2007, the process began on the shoe market, which we at the company call the“ margin crisis. ” The market began to fever. And the company decided to concentrate on the main business - the production and sale of shoes. Together with the Shoe Cosmetics project, several other areas of activity were also closed, ”explained Alexander Greb, PR Director of the company. Ralf Ringer cosmetics was developed as an additional assortment for the dealer and its own networks of the company, and despite the difficulties encountered, the Shoe Cosmetics project was not buried. The company plans to resume production of shoe care products.
It was not possible to find out the fate of the BHL company, which is involved in Turkish mass-market brands such as Silver and Sitil, and the Russian brand "Chic" - managers declined to comment.
Road shoes - expensive care
90% calm for shoes - proper care and quality cosmetics.
Shoe care consists of three stages:
All brands in the assortment have products for all categories of shoes, various according to the method of application: cleansing foams and balsams, creams, creams, paints and sprays, moisture protection products, as well as all kinds of accessories - sponges, brushes and polishing fabrics .
Each brand has its own advantages. So, Collonil confirms the quality with unique ingredients (cedar oil, Jojoba and Aloe Vera), the convenience of dispensers, environmental friendliness and a wide selection of products for High Tech materials. And the French cosmetic brand Saphir, among its advantages, includes the use of seal and beef fat and peanut butter in its products. Experts say that these products stop the aging process of natural leather, carnauba wax and mink oil add softness to the leather.
For your information:
Shoe cosmetics. Facts
The volume of the shoe cosmetics market in Russia in the 2008 year ranged from $ 170 to $ 200 million.
Before the beginning of the 90's, the only manufacturer of shoe cosmetics known in our country was Salamander. In the 90's, a stream of Turkish, Chinese, Syrian shoe cosmetics poured into Russia.
Due to the spontaneity of the market, shoe cosmetics has never become the sole or main focus for suppliers. The appearance of television advertising of shoe cosmetics in the 2001 year can be considered a unique indicator of the “recognition” of this market as an independent segment.
According to surveys, 78,6% of Russians regularly clean shoes and leather clothes. Often, consumer knowledge about the diversity of shoe cosmetics is inferior to manufacturers' suggestions.
The world's first shoe care product was shoe polish, or wax, an ointment for cleaning shoes, invented in France under Charles II. They cooked her eggs, beaten with stove soot and diluted in vinegar or beer. In our country, wax appeared at the end of the 1878th century. In just two years, from 1880 to 40, 1 thousand poods (16,38 pood = 2 kg.) Were imported into the country, more than five hundred thousand rubles. When the state imposed a duty of 40 rubles on the import of waxes. XNUMX kopecks. gold per pood, it began to decrease, and in Russia the production of wax began to actively develop
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