GEOX: “Today’s fashion retail, like air, needs business diversification and new technologies”

The Italian shoe brand Geox has been known in the Russian market for a long time, more than 20 years. The company produces men's, women's and children's shoes, as well as a line of clothing and accessories. All lines are presented in Russia, moreover: the Russian market is one of the priority markets for GEOX. About the business development strategy of SR, said GEOX sales manager in Russia Pavel Savin.

Pavel Savin - GEOX Sales Manager in Russia

Russian consumers know and love your shoes, you can say that you have already formed your skeleton of loyal customers, fans of the brand who are willing to overpay for Italian style, quality and design. How do you manage to maintain the Italian brand identity and at the same time precisely fall into the tastes and expectations of the Russians?

We are an international company, but we do not forget our Italian DNA. The collection is being developed at our headquarters in Italy, near Venice, in the city of Montebelluna, and then is presented in the markets of different countries for sale through retail chains and through the wholesale channel. GEOX President Mario Moretti Polegato explains the name GEOX from the derivatives of GEO ("geo") - Earth, and X - the letter of the Latin alphabet, symbolizing modern technology.

The basis of GEOX products is unique modern technologies that are used in the production of both shoes and outerwear. For 2019, GEOX holds 35 patents. In the modern footwear and apparel industry, GEOX is at the forefront of presenting the latest developments and achievements to consumers. Our design team monitors all modern fashion trends, immediately responding to the latest fashion trends and trends. Unlike many Italian shoe manufacturers, we have a uniform shoe, that is, shoes are suitable not only for narrowed Italian feet, but also for a wide Russian foot with a high rise. According to our research, 90% of consumers of GEOX shoes fall into their size, and in terms of completeness-lift ratio they feel very comfortable.

Diaphragm shoes - a business card of GEOX, how long have you been producing it? Do you use only your own membrane technology?

We have been using membrane technologies in shoe manufacturing since the beginning of the GEOX trademark, that is, for more than 25 years. The membrane allows shoes to breathe and, at the same time, eliminates wet shoes. More than one generation of membranes has changed over two decades; modern membranes are innovative, unique products. We also developed insoles made of a special material with antibacterial impregnation that do not heat up and remove the heat of the foot. GEOX shoes are very light, the sole does not freeze and does not heat up, which is ideal for a changing Russian climate. We are proud of our technology and stylish Italian design.

What models are being bet on today, what style dominates your shoe collections?

Of course, we work in all categories of shoes - shoes, boots, ballet shoes, boots, but the most popular models today are sneakers in the style of sports casual direction, which make up a fairly large part of the collections.

We see that the consumer trend has been directed more than one season to comfortable, casual shoes that can be worn every day and which is suitable for all occasions. Therefore, we are actively developing the direction of shoes in the style of smart casual.

As for the men's collection, for several seasons in a row her unconditional hits - Nebula (translated as “cloud”, the line was named so because of the incredible lightness of shoes), capsule collections Nexside, Aerantis and, of course, modern bright sneakers with massive soles located on the peak of fashion.

We create shoes for the whole family. Therefore, coming to GEOX stores, any family will be able to choose shoes for themselves. We present an assortment for all ages, created taking into account all the latest trends.

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And what color scheme will be in the spring-summer collection of 2020?

The spring-summer 2020 collection has a lot of pastel, soft tones, tone-to-tone combinations, as well as interesting sandy shades will be presented in several variations.

How will your company retail develop in Russia?

We are aimed primarily at the opening of single-brand stores. Today in Russia there are already 65 GEOX stores, and we regularly open new ones. In each such store we try to offer Russian consumers our entire range of shoes and outerwear for different ages. For the spring-summer, we planned to open new GEOX stores in the central and southern regions of Russia, this is our first priority.

What is the design of your stores?

A new concept of GEOX X-store stores involves the location of shoes and clothes by segments, product groups and capsule, with well-chosen, directional light. Thanks to this, the buyer sees all the models presented on the shelves, but the light does not press on him, a person can sit on a comfortable sofa, relax and calmly try on the shoes he likes. In our stores it is comfortable and cozy for everyone. For example, such pleasant things for customers as charging for a mobile phone are in every store. In the new concept of GEOX X-STORE stores, we present 50-inch monitors with touch panels where the client can examine in detail any shoe model: rotate it 360 degrees, understand the features of the technology and get acquainted with key models.

Does your Russian retail work according to the same standards of visual merchandising?

Yes, GEOX adopted uniform standards for the presentation of products inside the store and in display cases, all the images are changed according to the calendar for changing showcases during the season, developed by the company's specialists. Thus, controlling the presentation of our collections, we can be sure that customers correctly perceive brand positioning and GEOX products.

At the Euro Shoes Premiere Collection exhibition in August of this year, you presented your clothing line, which you've been producing for several seasons, to shoe buyers for the first time. Why did you decide to offer your partners a broader selection?

Many footwear companies are now diversifying their businesses. We recognized this trend early on and began presenting not only footwear but also our outerwear lines at the Euro Shoes exhibition. At the Euro Shoes exhibition in August, we unveiled jackets with our patented GEOX membrane technology, which, like our footwear, allows the product to breathe. Our booth was visited by customers who only deal in footwear, but our beautiful outerwear designs left them impressed – they ordered trial runs of the jackets to test their sales in their stores. We hope they will return to place orders next season.

Interviewed by Ekaterina Sergeeva