Italian shoe makers go into standby

From 17 to 20 March, the 42nd international exhibition “Obuv. Mir Kozhi ”, organized by Expocentre CJSC together with the Italian company BolognaFiere, with the traditional support of the Association of Italian Footwear Manufacturers (Assocalzaturifici) and the Italian Ministry of Economic Development. Most of the participants, as usual, were Italian brands, and collections of shoes and accessories from Belarus, Great Britain, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Russia, San Marino, Turkey, and France were presented.

The number of exhibitors at the exhibition decreased markedly: about 200 companies presented their collections, which is 20% less than the autumn of 2014 and less by 28% than in the previous fall-winter season, and this, of course, was due to a decrease in the participation of small companies. At the same time, according to preliminary estimates, the number of buyers who visited the exhibition and the volume of their orders remained approximately at the level of winter-2014, that is, after a sharp decline, the situation stabilized to a certain extent.

According to the export manager of Fabi, Roberta Menatta, the company's business in Russia, as well as on average among its main competitors, fell by 10-20%. Stefano Cioccoloni, CEO of the Aldo Bruè brand, noted that this season is characterized by a “waiting atmosphere”. “The fall in the ruble exchange rate together with the general political and international situation leads to a slowdown. But sometimes it can even be useful: you have to wait, let the stores and warehouses empty, then make a new leap, ”he said. “You shouldn't panic and put too much pressure on the client at such moments, you must have the strength to wait.”

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Uncertainty about the future remains characteristic of all market players, but the relative stability of the last two seasons gives life to the first positive forecasts. “We expect and will continue to rely on the Russian market,” said Eugenio Scheggia, head of the Mario Bruni brand, despite the fact that sales in Russia for the company have decreased by 40-50% in recent seasons. “We believe that the crisis should subside from 2016, and our largest clients say the same.”