The 55th edition of the event that brings Made in Italy footwear to Russia, after two years of postponement and a digital presence that has allowed the reference community to continue to communicate remotely, is back physically, confirming the desire for companies and buyers to meet live and do business. Organised by BolognaFiere at the Moscow expocentre with the support of Assocalzaturifici and the synergy of ITA- Italian Trade Agency, despite the still difficult moment due to the pandemic evolution in Russia on the eve of a new lockdown, contrary to premises, it has shown a dynamic trend and a significant participation in the fair. After all, signs could already been seen at the edition of Micam Milano in September greeted by the return of Russian buyers, and Moscow confirmed now the renewed desire for made in Italy by the operators of the country and the CIS countries.
“Obuv recorded an excellent turnout, the highest in recent editions, with a fair attendance growth of + 25-30% – says Matteo Scarparo, Assocalzaturifici’s Head of Global Trade Unit – the order quantity was good, albeit on lower volumes. However, the fact that there were more buyers at the fair suggests a growth that is in line with the growth trend of our exports in the country and in the CIS countries”. According to Istat data, in fact, in the first seven months of 2021 the made in Italy footwear industry exported 2 million pairs to Russia (reaching 2.7 million pairs including the CIS countries) for a value of 112 million euro, +35% compared to the same period of 2020, data that show a rapid trend of approaching pre-Covid levels and make Russia the 9th destination of Italian exports.
As for Russia, Russian customs data confirm the trend: in the first seven months of 2021, imports from Italy showed a significant growth of 46.6% compared to the same period of 2020 for a value of 167.7 million euro and a market share of 10.5% which positions the Bel Paese as Russia’s third supplier.
Positive comments came from the more than eighty Italian companies at the fair, which also appreciated ICE’s invitation of a delegation of Russian and Belarusian operators from various cities of the Russian Federation and Belarus. “It did not go that badly: despite the risk associated with the lockdoown prospect at the fair, we worked well. – declares Marino Fabiani, owner of the shoe factory by the same name – After a long stationary time, Russian operators are preparing for the new summer season by looking for high-end and luxury products, with a strong fashion content, which have always been an expression of beauty and made in Italy. Before leaving for the fair, we had set ourselves a commercial goal which we then exceeded by 50%: we are satisfied to have gone beyond our expectations”.
After the reorganisation phase of the Russian footwear retail that started in 2013, the Russian market is currently complicated by some protectionist and control measures adopted by the Russian government, such as mandatory marking, measures which, however, during the previous lockdown phases (and it is also expected in the future in case of another lockdown) “were partially offset by the exponential growth of digital channels. – comments Siro Badon, President of Assocalzaturifici – Platforms such as Ozon.ru, lamoda.ru and wildberriers.ru have gained market share, but also contributed to the evolution of traditional retail. Now almost all customers use social media to sell and promote their products. This opens up new opportunities that our event intercepts because it is the most important B2B event recognised throughout the country as an undisputed reference point for those who want to introduce the Italian footwear product to the market”.
