Positive first half for Italy’s shoes but 80 manufacturers close
20/09/2017
With shoe fair Micam (September 17 to 20) under way in Milan, Annarita Pilotti, president of footwear association Assocalzaturifici, said: “The footwear industry comes to this autumn event in an economic scenario characterised by stability. We are moderately optimistic, though at the same time very cautious.”
In the first five months of the year, exports grew 3.5% in value and 1.5% in volume.
Among the EU markets, France returned to growth (+2.5% in volume), but Germany had a setback (-2.8%). Russia (+33.5% in volume) and the CIS area continued to recover; demand improved in the US (up 5%) and the decline in the Middle East came to a halt, sales up 4.4% in value.
It was a mixed picture in Asia with sales to South Korea growing 19% in value, while volumes rose 8% for China, but Japan and Hong Kong lost ground.
Ms Pilotti said: “After eight years of uninterrupted decreases and a less penalising but not yet positive 2016, in the first six months of 2017, household purchases recorded a timid +0.4% in volume and +0.9% in spending. The hope is that the improvement of the Italian economic scenario will soon lead to a significant recovery in consumption and thus a new impetus in orders, in what is the second market in terms of importance for our companies.”
Official figures show that the industry employed nearly 300 more people by the end of June, however, 80 footwear manufacturers had closed. This is a substantial number in six months, and is on top of the 97 that closed in 2016.
Ms Pilotti reiterated her call for policies that support the industry. “Italy accounts for a third of European footwear production in volume and is the manufacturing platform for all the world's biggest names. But this great made-in-Italy success story risks severe repercussions at current competitive conditions,” she said.
“We much appreciated the attention the Government demonstrated vis-a-vis the industry in intervening for an unequivocal interpretation on the part of the social security institute of application of the rules concerning the granting of ordinary wage support. Now we need an overall plan to revitalise the fashion manufacturing industry.”
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