There is more movement in leather goods than in footwear. The large luxury groups enjoy more tailwind than the independents and, above all, of the players in the lower segments. In the leather market, a chess game is being played: the economic figures are negative and for the tanneries, moving the right pawns, in terms of customers and uses, is of paramount importance. The repercussions can be seen among the booths of Lineapelle, the leading show for fashion and design materials, at its 102nd edition, being held at Fieramilano Rho.
The moment is complex
“The moment is complex, but I am optimistic”, says Marco Blasio of Tannery Tris. “Why? I want to believe that we have already overcome the darkest moment of the crisis. And, also, fashion houses are looking with interest at polished and crackle leathers, which are our strong points”. Tannery Tris has its production gravity centre on leather goods. DMD Solofra, on the other hand, is on footwear: “We are confronted with an economic situation that pushes the public to reformulate their shopping basket”, observes Dino De Maio.
“Between a dinner at a restaurant and a pair of new shoes, put another way, the priority is dinner”. Also at DMD, they notice increased visitor curiosity for casual and sporty leathers. As in Rigato Romano: “Customers are looking for novelties. They don’t come to see you if you only have black nappa, for example. They look for something unseen to stand out. Something, however, has changed: customers now demand a lot of quality and certification”.
A chess game
Cyclical numbers identify statistical averages. Each company, then, experiences different performances in its own experience. “The opening of the fair was very dynamic for us”, says Simone Bertini of Conceria Bertini Franco, which produces leather for footwear and leather goods, for example, “and this is a nice boost of confidence. Until last May, the overall trend of our market was positive, followed by a quieter summer, better for footwear than for leather goods”.
“The footwear market tends to be almost at a standstill”, Luca Stefanelli of Mario Stefanelli & Figli observes instead. “The leather goods market is showing a significant reduction. There is not, yet, the recovery that we usually have at this stage of the year”. Equally important for tanneries is the type of reference customer: “What makes the difference in the market are the few large international groups”, conclude Alberto and Rolando Pagni of Conceria Pagni. “Working even with just a few of these is the prerequisite for growth and doing well”.
