A company that is genuinely ‘green and gold’ and specialised in offering high-end dedicated services to different business platforms, as part of an activity that is developed side-by-side with the design and production of footwear, bags, and accessories with its own brands Jorge Bischoff and Loucos & Santos, inspired by a mix of Brazilian exuberance and cheerfulness, in combination with international macrotrends. The company also offers services of sourcing, prototyping, sample development, and production for national and international private labels, in a skilled blending of tradition and modern manufacturing know-how. Today, Bischoff Group is present with its products in over 60 countries in 5 continents, for a total of over 5,000 stores between Brazil and the rest of the world, with 100 JORGE BISCHOFF franchises successfully developed in various regions of Brazil. During the January 2022 edition of Expo Riva Schuh we met up with Henrique Galhego – Export Manager of BISCHOFF GROUP, to learn more about this important reality and its future projects.
Can you offer us a ‘snapshot’ of the Bischoff Group today and of the product that you propose with your brands?
“We are a ‘lifestyle brand management’ company in the market of women’s footwear and accessories (and to a lesser degree also men’s). Our collections include both summer and winter proposals, which are continuously renewed every 15 days with the launching of new models and styles in line with the evolutions of international fashion, while always offering an authentic Brazilian mood that is highly appreciated around the world”.
Why is your participation in Expo Riva Schuh so important for you?
“For us, it has always been very important to be present twice yearly at Expo Riva Schuh because it represents an international showcase of primary importance and a privileged point of access to the European market. We participate in this event also thanks to the support of ApexBrasil and the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association, Abicalçados”.
How has your business evolved?
“By offering a complete range of services at 360°, including quality control, the development of samples and ‘ready-to-wear’ collections for large-scale store chains and international brands. We can rely on an extremely well-developed footwear manufacturing tradition in the country, with a highly specialised workforce and high-quality kilometre-zero raw materials, which are all elements that successfully contribute to our footwear and accessory collections”.
What are the current conditions of Brazilian production?
“We have witnessed significant growth in the number of pairs of footwear produced and exported from Brazil, above all towards the United States, and without a doubt the country is experiencing an extremely positive moment on the global panorama. Brazil is also an important country for sourcing raw materials, starting from leather, and it has shown itself to be extremely reactive to the demands of the global market, with fast and on-time productions and deliveries. The outbreak of Covid-19 certainly reshuffled the cards on a global level, but thanks to vaccinations, today we are at full capacity with production and deliveries. I believe Brazil still has great potential for growth, both in terms of Brazilian footwear manufacturing brands, and in terms of international sourcing for materials and finished products”.
What challenges did the pandemic create for Brazilian footwear manufacturers?
“One of the main challenges created by the pandemic regards the final price of products. If it’s true that we are very competitive in terms of prices, it is also true that the exchange rate with the dollar today is still very high today and this could undermine, in the long-term, the competitiveness of our companies, negatively influencing, for example, the costs of raw materials imported for the development of footwear, like synthetics or accessories”.
