Brands travel to Alicante in search of outsource shoe partners, not cheap prices
23/10/2014
There is an element of history repeating itself in this because the footwear industry in and around Elche, Elda and Petrer, all of which are in the province of Alicante, grew up in the 1960s when German and US firms began to invest in the low-cost economy that Spain represented at that time.
General secretary of a local footwear industry association, Avecal, Marián Cano, said at the start of Co-Shoes International that the industry is growing again in Alicante, but she said no footwear brand is coming in search of low cost. She said production was moving from China, but not to Spain. Rather, large-volume shoe manufacturers are taking production from China and placing it in Vietnam instead.
According to Ms Cano, the numbers of footwear companies and footwear exports are all on the up because brands are looking for a quick response and lower-volume, short-run or repeat orders fulfilled in less time. However, if companies are not coming in search of large volumes now, she said they are not looking for the most competitive price in the market either.
The authorities in Alicante have calculated that 2,669 local firms are involved in the footwear industry in one capacity or another, an increase of 2.6% compared to 2010. Between January and August 2014, shoe exports from the province jumped in value by 23.3% year on year to reach €864.4 million.
Share this story:
