Brazilian brands have a chance in France
28/03/2018
Abicalçados carried out an investigative trip to France at the end of 2017. It then worked with market research firm Altios International to prepare a formal report and presented its findings at a series of presentations in Brazil’s main centres of footwear production at the end of March. Altios director, Didier Koch, took part in these presentations.
Mr Koch told those present that the French market is “busy” and that Brazilian brands will have to find a way to differentiate themselves from competitors. He said that one suggestion to come out of the study is that a focus on smaller cities in France could reap benefits. Consumers there are more open to new offerings, he said, compared to “more classic and more conservative” consumers in Paris.
The Altios International director explained that the study includes the results of a survey of more than 300 French consumers and “opinion-formers”. He summed up the main conclusions of the survey by saying: “The principal factor in the buying decision for French people is design, followed by comfort, quality and price, with 70% of respondents saying they prefer leather shoes and accepting that this means extra cost.
He said French respondents had little knowledge of Brazilian footwear, associating Brazil with beach sandals, opening up what he called interesting avenues to explore.
The report’s main findings, then, are that Brazilian shoe manufacturers should have a chance to sell footwear in France because they are good at making shoes with leather uppers at relatively low cost. However, it warned that design input would need to change to meet the requirements of French taste and pointed out that high transportation costs, currency exchange issues and a lack of communication with the French footwear market.
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