S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol90 No1 January 2024
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Profile
- Groundcover: The rise of the second generation, by Daniel McCarthy.
05 Headlines with Tinashe Mandirahwe
- Footwear entering USA declines sharply.
- Adidas achieves equilibrium with a 50/50 balance between in-store and e-commerce sales.
- UGG accused by PETA of misleading marketing.
- India and South Africa’s footwear markets today – a tale of contrasting fortunes.
12 Sustainability
- From the BBC: How to choose the right sneakers, shoes and boots – and make them last. .
17 Business
- How can African businesses ensure they benefit from evolving online payments?
19 Counterfeit Protection
- Origify from Bosch gives sneakers and other products a digital fingerprint as protection against counterfeits.
20 Notice Board
- Retired: Trevor Espey – ‘The Top Agent’ goes surfing fulltime.
- Obituary: Allan ‘Shaky’ Norman, NR Footwear – Cobbles is his legacy.
- Obituary: Cecil Fenwick, Saddler Belts – He cared.
- Obituary: Lou Jonck, Royal Adhesives – A team player.
- Obituary: Roley Rogers, agent – The hardest working man you could hope to meet.
23 Trade Statistics
- South Africa: November imports and exports of footwear and accessories, provided by SARS.
Advertisers in this Issue
APLF Fashion Access (02), APLF Materials + (04), Arena Trims (07), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (OFC), Haesloop Agencies (09), Kaytex Belts (11), Leather Finishing Products (14), Partisan & Co/Palladium/Ben Sherman (01), Saddler Belts (05), SAFLEC (08), S&V Calendar (15), S&V Directory (23), Seadoone Shoes/Solite (18), Shotland Packing (16).
The Next Issue:
- Out on 16 February 2024.
- Groundcover: The rise of the second generation
The Midlands, KZN, SA – 2023 was a big year for Groundcover.The business was founded by my parents, Amanda and Justin McCarthy, in the KZN midlands in 1990.What started as a passion for leatherwork has since grown into a sensibly sized and sustainable business that employs 30 individuals.What has been key to our success is the commu ...moreAdidas achieves equilibrium with a 50/50 balance between in-store and e-commerce sales
Adidas, a dominating force in the sportswear and footwear sector, has successfully achieved a perfect equilibrium, with an equal split between traditional brick-and-mortar and cutting-edge e-commerce sales, as outlined in a recent report by Retail Brew. The intriguing question arises: what factors could have propelled this surge in o ...moreUGG accused of misleading marketing
Pressure group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has unleashed its fury by levelling accusations against Ugg.Through a cease-and-desist letter addressed to Ugg, PETA called out the company for what it claims to be “misleading” clients with “marketing claims” aimed at assuring consumers that its ani ...moreIndia and South Africa’s footwear markets today — a tale of contrasting fortunes
The state of a country’s footwear industry often mirrors its economic health, and the contrast between India and South Africa is stark. India proudly flaunts a thriving footwear sector, while South Africa grapples with an industry in distress, showcasing the profound impact economic conditions have on shaping destinies. ...moreHow to choose the right sneakers, shoes and boots – and make them last
How long does a pair of boots last? For the Princess of Wales, nearly two decades and counting. Her favourite tassled riding boots by Penelope Chilvers recently featured in Netflix's The Crown worn by the young student Kate (played by Meg Bellamy) at university. They were first worn in public by Kate Middleton in 2004, and ...moreHow can African businesses ensure they benefit from evolving online payments?
Payment solution offerings are advancing at a rate of knots, especially with the integration of technologies like AI, biometrics, and voice payments. No longer is it an option for small-scale businesses to offer their wares online without the ability for consumers to pay for their goods via a web-based portal.In fact, Pricewaterhouse ...moreOrigify from Bosch gives sneakers and other products a digital fingerprint as protection against counterfeiter
We have published releases about Origify previously – in S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Vol. 89 No. 09, September 2023, and in S&V Protect Vol. 17 No. 3, illustrating its use in protecting designer handbags and medical/pharmaceutical products respectively. This release from Bosch illustrates its use protecting manufacturers of high-priced sneakers. ...moreRetired: Trevor Espey ‘The Top Agent’ goes surfing fulltime
Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Former Western Cape agent for Brite Reef Swimwear, Spike Apparel and Sterling Clothing, Trevor Espey, has retired after 43 years as an agent.“In the early years, I represented Hang Ten in the Cape and later controlled the brand within SA Franchising,” he wrote. “What a long, lovely story. M ...moreObituary: Allan ‘Shaky’ Norman – Sandals Ltd, Jardine Footwear, NR Footwear (15/06/1945-13/12/2023) Cobbles is his legacy
Allan (Shaky) Norman died, aged 78, in Bournemouth, UK, on 13 December. He was born in 1945 at 26 Townsend St, Waterfoot, Rossendale, where he lived until emigrating to South Africa in 1973 to work for Shoe Corporation, Durban. When Shoe Corp. closed, he moved to Pietermaritzburg to start Sandals Ltd. with Jeff Adley for Eddels and ...moreHe cared : Obituary: Cecil John Fenwick – Saddler Belt & Leathercraft (09/07/1942-17/12/2023)
My father, Cecil John Fenwick, was born in Eshowe, Zululand, in 1942. He was the son of a magistrate and the family moved around to various towns during his early school career. These towns were mainly in the countryside where people become close friends and family was important. He spent many happy years fishing and hunting with his dogs ...moreA team player : Obituary: Lodewyk Marthinus ‘Lou’ Jonck – Royal Adhesives (26/09/1951-26/12/2023)
It is with regret that we inform the footwear industry of the passing of Lou Jonck in the late hours of the 25th December 2023 at the age of 72. Lou spent the majority of his life in Port Elizabeth where he established himself as a knowledgeable and well-liked man.Lou joined Royal Adhesive Industries in 2019 representing the organisation ...moreThe hardest working man you could hope to meet
Obituary: Roland ‘Roley’ Rogers – Bata SA, commission agent (11/09/1938-23/01/2024) Roley was born in Kuruman in the Northern Cape and was educated at CBC in Kimberly.He was an outstanding sportsman and represented OFS and Eastern Cape schools at rugby, cricket, and swimming.He joined Bata in Johannesburg and worked ...moreFootwear entering USA declines sharplyThe buying capacity of consumers in the USA, the second-biggest consumers of footwear in the world after China, has been significantly impacted by the Russia-Ukraine war, resulting in a general economic slowdown and inflation. Recent data, as reported by Observer BD on Monday, 13 November 2023, sheds light on the state of footwe ...moreSA footwear & accessories trade statistics for November 2023Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (29 December 2023) – Source: SARS.Including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN)Cumulative tradeTrade balance R'm (12 834 783 773)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.23Monthly tradeTrade balance R'm (945 993 044)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.35ExportsMonth % of total 0.27Cumulative 2022 (R'm) 3 ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- Skechers-Shein partnership: Dilution or strategic expansion?
Since 2023, Skechers’ decision to sell on Shein has raised eyebrows. Known for its comfortable, casual, and sometimes athletic shoes, Skechers occupies a market space perceived to offer higher quality compared to Shein’s fast-fashion, low-price model. This move has some analysts worried about a potential dilution of Skech ...moreRip Curl, Kathmandu owner KMD Brands preliminary result: Second half improvementChristchurch, New Zealand (20 August 2024) – KMD Brands Limited provides the following unaudited preliminary results for the year ending 31 July 2024 (“FY24”): Rip Curl and Kathmandu sales have shown continued improvement on first half sales trends during both the third and fourth quarters of FY24, as outlined below. ...moreExpanding horizons: Leveraging African trade opportunities with SAFLEC's outward selling missionsThe South African Footwear and Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) is paving the way for its members to tap into African markets to grow their businesses through strategic outward selling and inward buying missions. These missions, tailored to maximize market presence and drive sales, are a game-changer for South African footwear and leather ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Sam Setter's 'Pills'"Bangladesh unravellingThe leather industry in Bangladesh is slowly, slowly disintegrating. Their tanneries in the Hemayelpur area, which is part of the Savar Industrial Complex, are suffering from a non-functional common effluent treatment plant, hence European importers and brands are avoiding buying from them. The only chance to e ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': For readers who need some wry medicinal humour" You can’t help those who don’t help themselvesThe International Trade Centre in Geneva spent a large amount of money in order to analyse the leather value chain in Mongolia. An extensive value chain study was made from the raising of the animals up to the finished product. The ITC presented a strategy proposal to the Go ...moreANAEROBIC LEATHER
Anaerobic leather - most people have heard of the leather find that was a shoe or a bag from antiquity, stored in a preservation condition that has allowed the relic to last several hundred years without being broken down. Is this the model of how, as a material, leather can be stored in a fossilised form taking carbon out of the atmosphe ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Pathogen identification — next-generation sequencing optimises diagnostics
Stuttgart, Germany (12 June 2024) – Invasive infections such as sepsis require immediate and targeted treatment. Experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB and group partners have succeeded in establishing a reconceptualized detection principle that can make a crucial contribution to savi ...moreUnderstanding the issues using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in OHS
Artificial intelligence is an innovative and transformative technology that has been making waves across various industries & today is the big buzzword in business. But very few of us understand what AI is and means, including OHS practitioners who are starting to use AI in the OHS field.Firstly, the Occupation Health & Safety fie ...moreGeorge disaster highlights the importance of compliance and the right people partnerCape Town, W. Cape, SA (19 June 2024) – The catastrophic collapse of a near-completed building under construction in George in May 2024, which resulted in at least 34 fatalities and many more injured, has shone a spotlight on the need for compliance. This includes health and safety compliance as well as industrial relations (IR) and ...more
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