After Obuv’ Mir Koži in Moscow, Assocalzaturifici once again accompanied Italian companies to the two central CIS markets of Ukraine and Kazakhstan, with a new edition of Shoes from Italy. The first stopover was at the Almaty Rixos Hotel from 31 October to 2 November, followed by Shoes From Italy Kiev the week after, from 7 to 8 November, at the Ukraine capital’s Hyatt Regency Hotel.
Shoes From Italy Almaty once again represented a fundamental business opportunity for operators coming from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kirghizstan, bringing the very best in Italian manufacturing under the spotlight with brands like Accademia, Aldo Bruè, Anpel, Baldinini, Braccialini, C Project, Code Prive’, Camerlengo Laboratorio Artigianale, Cherie Love, Cherie, Fabiani, Fabio Di Luna, Florens, Francesco V., Francesco Sacco, Gallotti, Giampiero Nicola, Gianfranco Butteri, Gianmarco Lorenzi, Gianni Renzi Couture, Giorgio Fabiani, Giovanni Fabiani, Good Man, Greencoast, Ilasio Renzoni, Inblu, Kelton, Lancaster, Le Babe, Lucaguerrini, Luigi Traini, Marino Fabiani, Mario Bruni, Miss Blumarine Shoes, Nila & Nila, Pakerson, Phil Gatier, Pollini, Repo, Ripani, Sandra Valeri, Sara Kent, Tine’s, and William Massimi. The event has always played a very important role as a promotional hub for the entire Central Asian market, thanks to meticulous research and the selection of buyers coordinated in accordance with ICE Almaty. At this edition, 60 select buyers coming from the CIS area and all the provinces of Kazakhstan were also invited to participate.
Kazakhstan represents the area with the second highest GDP, right after Russia. In 2017, Italy exported 338 thousand pairs of shoes for a value of 24.8 million euros to this area, registering a +6.9% increase in value. During the first six months of 2018, Italian footwear exports to Kazakhstan were worth 11.4 million euros, which is the equivalent of 192 thousand pairs of shoes sold.
Instead, as far as Shoes From Italy Kiev is concerned, the B2B workshop dedicated to footwear and leather goods companies once again played its key role in acting as a main gateway onto the Ukrainian market for small and medium-sized businesses. Also here sector brands of reference participated, including Accademia, Alessandro Collection Italy, Angi & Angi, Bagatto, Camerlengo, Gianfranco Butteri, Gianni Renzi – Gianmarco Lorenzi, Giorgio Fabiani, GNV Giampiero Nicola, Kelton, Lab-Milano, Marino Fabiani, Mario Bruni, Nila & Nila, Pakerson, Repo/La Repo, Quarzovivo, Pianeta – Tine’s, and Vittorio Virgili. During the workshop, incoming services also attracted around thirty buyers from the surrounding regions, inviting them to participate.
In 2017, Italy exported 652 thousand pairs of shoes to Ukraine, recording an increase in quantity equal to +0.6% over 2016. During the first six months of 2018, exports to Kiev were worth 22 million euros, for 338 thousand pairs of shoes exported.
The two events in Almaty and Kiev were held during what is an uneasy moment in the area, with the complexity of the situation underlined by Marino Fabiani, the councillor in charge of Assocalzaturifici’s activities in the CIS area:
“Unstable currencies have weakened the purchasing power of consumers. In Ukraine, political uncertainties surrounding the upcoming elections in March have had negative repercussions, and over the next few months, we do not expect there to be particularly positive trends in purchases. In Kazakhstan, the weak exchange rate is inevitably reflected in the credit crunch conditioning clientele; statistics, in fact, show a slight drop in exports equal to -1.1% in value during the first six months of 2018. In any case, we are dealing with two extremely important markets, which are respectively the second and third most important for volume and value in the area. Our Association will continue to invest for the promotion of Made in Italy footwear, which continues to represent an extremely attractive element for sector buyers”.
