2016 S&V Newsletter No 11, March 22

S&V Footwear and Leather Goods / S&V African Leather

Exhibitors report promising leads from India Expo

Puneet R. Kundal, Consul General, Consulate General of India, and Dr Ivan Meyer, Minister of Finance, Western Cape Government.	Anthony Lopez, Lopez Leathers, with Sushil Jain, Fashion Shoes India.

Cape Town (SA) – Visitor numbers at the India Leather & Footwear Trade Expo on March 8 and 9 exceeded the organisers’ expectations, with 230 people visiting.
They represented a cross section of the industry, but the most promising leads were from importer wholesalers, the exhibitors reported.
Lesley Williams, Group Merchandise Executive, Edcon Zimbabwe, said she made a number of good contacts and that it was worth her while to visit.
Said Sushil Jain, Fashion Shoes India, “These type of shows are  very important for us as it gives us an opportunity to understand the market and meet with important decision makers. We made contact with good quality buyers from Truworths, Edcon, Woolworths, etc. This event was very professionally organised and we hope to be back in future.”
For further info, contact Leaders in Trade Exhibitions (LTE). – [+27 (0) 21 790 5849, deidreh@worldonline.co.za]

New face for Holster SA

Durban (SA) – Holster southern Africa distributor Fashion Brands has appointed Natalie Rasmussen to handle customer liaison. She takes over some of the duties of Fashion Brands member Stuart James, who is currently in the USA establishing a Holster distribution network. Ken Jarvis, the other member, remains here, handling admin and finance. Australian brand Holster appointed Fashion Brands to break into the American market based on their performance locally. They have appointed an agent, set up a warehouse and are “just starting to get an income stream”, Jarvis said. – [+27 (0)31 573 1460, info@fashionbrands.co.za, www.holsterfashion.co.za]

Natalie Rasmussen has joined Fashion Brands to handle customer liaison in the absence of Stuart James, who is establishing a Holster operation in the USA.

Reunion launches comfort sandals

Durban (SA) – PU unit manufacturer Reunion Footwear Components has launched a range of comfort sandals modeled on a popular line of imports, according to Hansen Agencies’ Matthew Hansen, who is overseeing sales.
“Last year we acquired an additional PU machine and four different ladies imported aluminum moulds specifically to produce direct injected PU (DIP) sandals very similar in construction to other fully imported PU comfort sandals, where there is no insole board used and the sock/upper fuses directly to the soft PU material in the production process, thereby offering a very strong but extremely comfortable sandal.”
Branded Angelsoft, Reunion plans a range which will include both styles similar to the imports and more original styling. He said Reunion would be “flexible with regard to quantities per size and per colour”. – [+27 (0)31 563 8249, mjhansen@iafrica.com]

Retail conference speakers

Hong Kong – At the conference alongside APLF MM&T and Fashion Access, retail strategists and brand leaders will discuss topical issues. Among the speakers are:

Claude Eric Paquin, French Federation of Footwear: Paradoxes and challenges of the footwear retail industry.

Karmen Yeung, KPMG : Observations and data about the impact of free trade agreements on the footwear industry.

Tommaso Cancellara, Italian Footwear Manufacturers’ Association: Effect of currency value fluctuation in Russia and China and how Italian shoe manufacturers adapt their production to consumer’s demand.

Lu Hua, China Leather International Association : Impact of the trans-pacific partnership (TPP) on the Chinese footwear industry and the establishment of future Free Trade Agreements.

Jayne Estève-Curé, Jayne Fashion Agency : How Millennial consumers are transforming the international retail scene and the implications on retail business models.

Carson Lui, Belle International : Retail strategy of Belle International, one of the leading shoes retailers in China.

Victoria De La Fuente, Lambert + Associates : Latest fashion trends and all things up-and-coming.

Anson Bailey, KPMG China : Latest findings about China’s connected consumers.

Michael Mang, Alibaba.com & 1688.com : Current trends and driving forces of the future of e-commerce. Date & Time:
31 March 2016 | 10:00 - 13:00 Venue:
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

ABSA Agri Trends 08/03: Hides & skins prices

The average hide price traded higher over the past week at R14.20/kg green. Hide prices are determined by the average of RMAA and independent companies.
The average price for Dorper skins traded lower at R67.50/skin and Merino lower at R93.29/skin.
The average price for ostrich skins dropped 0.53% to R1550.67.
Ostrich raw meat exports dropped 1.38% to R42.29/kg. Heat treated meat dropped 0.23% to R32.06, and domestic meat sales stayed the same at R11.61.

Birthdays this week

23/03/1965: Nilesh Naran, Curtolo Shoes, Laudium.
25/03/1974: Charl du Plessis, KKI, Oudtshoorn.
26/03/1961: Peter Meinzer, Thiel’s Shoe Shop, Windhoek.
27/03/1952: Mike Conradie, Foot Focus group, Durban.
27/03/1958: Tony Parkes, Futura Footwear, Pinetown.
28/03/1968: Ismail Gathoo, Esquire, Bethlehem.
28/03/1963: Brett Momberg, Little Slipper, Port Elizabeth.
28/03/1986: Mohomed Adam, Seadoone Shoes, Amanzimtoti.

In Memoriam this week

24/03/2011: John Lailvaux (b. 16/10/1946), Naked Feet, Johannesburg.
26/03/2002: Marie Joy Viljoen, Tuftex, Pinetown.
26/03/2011: Paolo Bresolin (b. 25/07/1944), Andreoli Shoes, Pinetown.
26/03/1994: Manfred Hanni, Hanni Leathers [now Seton AutoLeather], Nigel.
28/03/2011: Brian Berger (b. 25/12/1963), Armadillo Footwear, Johannesburg.

Contact us

News & Classifieds: Tony Dickson, +27 (0)31 209 7505, tony@svmag.co.za

Next newsletter: March 29, 2016

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