A genuine passion for life and… for children: in 2018, Chicco celebrated a history that has seen it stand side-by-side with Italian mothers, offering them products capable of fully replying to the needs of their little ones: from childcare items to apparel and footwear. Regarding footwear in particular, we spoke with Luca Pirovano, Chicco Shoes & Accessories Product Director, who has spent the last 36-plus years of his professional career working for the company.
In 2018, Chicco celebrated 60 years of activity: could you tell us what have been the essential milestones in the brand’s history?
Chicco was founded in 1958 as the idea of the Artsana Group’s founder, Hon. Pietro Catelli [Recipient of the Order of Merit for Labour], who felt the need to fill a gap present in the market of that time, by creating a line of products for early childhood that could capably reply to the needs of Italian mothers and above all their children. He chose the name Chicco in tribute to his firstborn son. The brand then grew and evolved in sync with Italian society, diversifying its products in the Sixties of the economic and demographic boom, until it arrived at items for hygiene and childcare, while also offering an increasingly extensive range of clothing and footwear. Approval for its products steadily grew, keeping pace with the growth of the brand itself, to the extent that today Chicco is considered a brand leader in Italy for the range 0 – 36 months. Now as then, children are at the heart of it all.
Chicco works as a leading ‘cross category’ brand in the field of childhood products, fully satisfying the needs of children aged 0 to 36 months: what are the advantages of this interconnection between different sectors, especially when it comes to footwear?
The starting point is always the company’s values – with the aim of closely following the needs of children, while listening to their demands and those of their parents – in all the different areas we work in. This allows us to offer clientele products capable of replying in a consistent and specific way to their needs. In this sense, not only is research on the market and various sector studies important, but so is a constant and continuing presence on the field and in stores. For this reason, we periodically visit, especially during peak times like the beginning of school, our flagship and multibrand stores, in order to see how our customers react, while listening to their requirements and needs.
Taking a closer look at footwear, Chicco has always carefully studied how children’s feet form. How has this concept evolved over time?
Innovation has always been one of the key-concepts behind our history and success. A concrete example is the patented “Chicco Natural Footprint’, the insole that mimics the natural stimulation required for foot arch formation. Studied in collaboration with Mr. Mauro Testa, Ergonomist and Biomechanical Engineer, and tested by the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Pavia, the insole is fitted with soft ridges that delicately stimulate the sole of the foot, strengthening its musculature, and naturally developing the arch of the foot. The “Chicco Natural Footprint” insole is present in all models destined for children aged 9 months and up.
How has the world of children’s footwear changed and how does it present itself today?
I’ve worked in Chicco for over 36 years and I can say that today the approach to footwear is completely different from the past. Today, the consumer is in search of ‘easy’ footwear, understood as practical, functional and with a sporty look. This means, for example, that if up until the Nineties, most of our footwear had laces and was made of leather, today, we have introduced a growing number of items in faux leather or fabric with practical Velcro fastenings to offer the customer a more sports-oriented product, while also keeping the final price down, as can be seen by around 80% of Chicco’s products that do not exceed 60 euros. However, the most important factor is the lightness of the shoe and flexibility of the sole. The first thing that mothers, who are in search of a pair of shoes for their children, do is weigh the shoe and test its flexibility. Over the last few years, this factor has led us to focus on materials and constructions that are increasingly lightweight and flexible. Our Research and Development team takes a 360-degree approach to the shoe in order to find innovative materials that can satisfy the needs of the market. Our mission is to guarantee a high quality product and the well-being of the foot, so our linings are made of goatskin or calfskin that favour a high level of breathability and comfort for the foot. One last consideration regards the creative phase: for us, giving importance to the contents of the product is just as important as developing collections that are likable in terms of aesthetics.
Chicco is characterised by high brand visibility and a high rate of customer loyalty: how do you maintain this loyalty and desirability among customers (including both mother and children)?
Through a contemporary and innovative proposal. A concrete present-day example of this is the innovative ‘Chicco Run’ shoe launched at the last edition of Pitti Bimbo and designed to guide the steps of children aged 2 and up in a dynamic way. The special feature of this sports shoe, which is fruit of a podiatric and biomechanical study, is that its sole is comprised of an outsole with slanted layers and cuts in the heel area, allowing the movement of the foot to be guided during the development of motor skills. Additionally, the presence two different kinds of materials in the sole allows for greater comfort and stronger adherence to the ground. This attention to quality and research is joined by passion and the expertise of our team, as ingredients that are essential to maintaining the success of a brand over time.
When it comes to promotions and online sales, what is Chicco’s approach? How do online and offline moments interact with one another?
When a mother chooses a shoe for her child, it must be possible to try it on, physically touch it, and understand if it is suitable for her child or not. All of this, of course, occurs in the store: for this reason, just a small part of our shoes is purchased online. Nevertheless, the Internet represents an extremely important tool for communicating the advantages of our footwear, while arousing the interest of customers and eventually bringing them to the store to ask for one model or another. For this reason, we created the “Chicco Shoes Academy”, which is a series of lectures held in our monobrand stores and in some especially important multibrand stores, where an export demonstrates to sales personnel the characteristics and advantages that Chicco footwear is capable of offering, information that can then be communicated to customers who come to the store. The training of sales clerks, which has sometimes been underestimated in the past, is instead an extremely important tool for meeting the needs of customers, while highlighting our products and creating loyalty over time.
What are your current and future markets of reference?
Currently, Italy, Spain, and Portugal are our markets of reference, equal to 80% of our sales revenue, but we are looking with increasing interest to Asia and Eastern Europe. The latter is an extremely interesting market, which is more interested in a completely leather product rather than a synthetic one, and is willing to pay a higher price for this very reason. However, it is also a market with some distinctive features, like those connected to its climate, which has resulted in the need for a more extensive range of warmer models in the collection.
