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Home > USA > Business events
CONSUMEXPO 2007: OUT FOR A WALK WITH ITALIAN EXCELLENCE
Rome (Ign) - A four-day showcase in Russia for the footwear and leather goods businesses. From 15 to 19 January, the Zao Expocentr in Moscow will host the 19th edition of Consumexpo 2007 (http://www.consumexpo.
ru/english), one of the largest shows in Eastern Europe. In the last edition there took part around a thousand companies from 20 countries, and 16,000 visitors, mostly company directors and entrepreneurs. Also this year, the event will be divided into 4 sectors: household products, jewellery, footwear and leather goods. Italy will also be present in the last of these sectors, with a collective delegation organised by the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade, to promote Italian excellence in the leather sector in Russia. There will be 142 participating companies in total, together with the trade associations Anci (for footwear) and Aimpes (for leather goods).
And the Italian sector of footwear and leather goods definitely has all the right credentials for moving onto the Russian market: its turnover in 2005 - including induced activity - was around €18bn, and in the first two months of 2006, according to ISTAT figures, it rose by 10.3%. This provides yet further confirmation that Italian footwear remains a strong presence, managing to impose itself with its high level of quality and service. The markets of reference for Italian exports are Germany and the United Kingdom, while exports to France are essentially supported by the major names in fashion. All this has been achieved despite aggressive competition from Asia: Italian companies have successfully adapted to the transformations of a market where the growing role of large-scale distribution makes it necessary to optimise costs and cut processing and delivery times. Italy remains strong thanks to the quality and high degree of specialisation of its businesses, despite the fact that raw material prices have risen by 20%.
The disaggregate and specific data for leather goods show an even more positive statistical picture: 2005 ended with exports up by 9.4%, for a total of €2.2bn. As far as regards international markets, Japan has gone very well and has started once more to grow (+20%) and is confirmed as the most important trading partner for Italian leather goods, exceeded only by Switzerland which is however a transit country towards third-party markets. Good results were also recorded for South Korea (+42.8%), Hong Kong (+25.3%) and Russia (+31.5%). In Europe growth was seen in Germany (+11%), France (+5.3%) and the United Kingdom (+1.9%). Women's bags, with €180m, represent 67% of the total exported.
In the footwear sector, one of the most renowned production areas is that of the Riviera del Brenta, that extends between the provinces of Venice and Padua. The district, which saw its period of full development in the late 19th century, is characterised by the production of luxury footwear - both for men and women - in addition to the design, production and commercialisation of almost all the "designer label" footwear found on the world market (from Emporio Armani and Fendi, to Gucci, Chanel, Christian Dior and Prada, to name but a few). In the area there are 806 businesses, representing 10.1% of the national total, with 13,000 jobs, for an overall turnover of €1.74bn, producing over 20.8m pairs of shoes per year. Almost 90% of the turnover is destined for export (up by 1.1% in 2005): the markets of reference are Germany, France, the USA and Switzerland. Also worthy of note is the Tuscany supply chain of leather goods, situated mainly in the area which around the council districts of Impruneta, and those south of Florence as far as Val di Sieve. Almost 50% of regional production is concentrated this area alone. The district accounts for around 1,500 companies, 7,000 jobs and a turnover of 1,200bn lire, 50% of which is destined for export.
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