A pioneer in the production of children’s shoes in Brazil, Calçados Bibi has added one more Arab country to the list of export destinations.
The company already sold to six Arab countries and in the first half of this year started exporting to the United Arab Emirates.
The other countries in the region that purchased shoes from the Brazilian industry are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Egypt, Qatar and Oman.
Nowadays the Arabs represent 11% of the company export volume and are in third place among the main importers. “Sales to the Arab countries are very positive.
Up to the end of last year the region represented 5% of our exports,” stated Calçados Bibi export manager Andréa Kohlrausch. The company has 25% of its production turned to the foreign market.
The company forecast for this year is export of 950,000 pairs of shoes to over 50 countries.
Of this total, 104,500 will go to the Arab countries. According to Andréa, sandals are the products most exported to the region, which has a very warm climate.
“They import from lines for babies to the kids line (up to 12 years of age) both for boys and for girls,” stated the manager.
The Calçados Bibi contacts with representatives from the Arab countries started at international fairs, and at visits the company market manager made to Arab customers that, according to Andréa, are going to grow more and more.
The first load of shoes was shipped to Dubai during the first half of this year, after a visit the company manager took to the Arab country.
Company exports started in 1994, but up to 2000 they were 100% turned to Latin America.
“In the last few years, we started going after new countries,” explained Andréa.
Currently, Latin America is in the main destination for company export, with 54% of imports, the European market represents 35% and the Arab countries 11%.
“The Arab market is very promising,” stated the manager.
According to Andréa, company export to the Arab countries should generate revenues of around US$ 1 million this year. The company forecasts total revenues of around US$ 35 million.
55 Years on the Market
The head office of the factory from the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, which was established in 1949, is in the city of Parobé.
The company also has a factory in the city of Cruz das Almas, in the northeastern state of Bahia.
They employ 1,467 people and have another 400 third party service providers.
Forecasted production for this year is 3.8 million pairs of children’s shoes.
The numbers go from birth to the first months of life, and then to shoes for children up to 12 years of age.
Contact
http://www.bibi.com.br
(+55 51) 523 3344
ANBA ”“ Brazil-Arab News Agency