The footwear industry fights back
22/01/2009
The president of the Italian National Footwear Manufacturers Association (ANCI), Vito Artioli, has said that the footwear industry in Italy has begun to "feel the crunch", but also that the sector is fighting back.
In a start-of-the-year message, he said: “The generalised crisis has not arrived yet, but for now the top-end and medium-high footwear segment is suffering less on the world market.”
The customary economic survey conducted by the ANCI research office of ANCI for the end of 2008 has shown a deterioration in the overall economic scenario, but the study shows that footwear sector is not yet facing a crisis.
“Our situation is worrying, just like that of all other manufacturing sectors,” Mr Artioli said, "especially as this global economic downturn comes on the heels of an extended period of economic hardship, which companies have had to manage by making great sacrifices. However, today we are facing something else: not only a crisis in the competitiveness of our products, generated by the artificial advantages of cost and conditions enjoyed by Asian countries, but a generalised economic crisis that will be felt by all. I am convinced that our companies will fare better than others, conditions being equal, because they have already had to face difficult moments.”
The study showed that footwear production fell in the first nine months of 2008 by 6.1%. Nevertheless, the prices Italian shoes are able to command have gone up by 1.6% on the domestic market and 2.7% on the international market.
Mr Artioli acknowledged that the economic times are hard for his member companies to interpret at the moment. To help them, ANCI will hold a special meeting in Rome in mid-February to explain to footwear manufacturers how markets are moving and what it means for them.
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