36 European Footwear Brands conquer Kazakhstan Market
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- Wednesday, 13 April 2016 15:32
36 European Footwear Brands conquer Kazakhstan Market
A delegation of 36 European footwear companies just returned from a trade mission in Almaty, Kazakhstan as part of a European Commission funded campaign called “European Footwear: More than Fashion”. This unique event was the first ever European footwear mission outside Europe for Small and Medium Enterprises and aimed to support the internationalisation of footwear companies manufacturing in Europe. The mission included a European footwear exhibition at the Ritz Carlton hotel and a visit to three of the main shopping centres in Almaty, which gave the brands an opportunity to make direct business contacts with local retailers and distributors.
From 4th to 5th April 2016, 36 European footwear brands from Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands set out to reach new consumers in Kazakhstan, an emerging market which has seen a rising demand in footwear products in the last 7 years and only produces 2% of the total market turnover. With Kazakh consumers becoming increasingly interested in accessing fashionable and high quality shoes outside Kazakhstan, the trade mission sought to increase the availability of European products in Kazakh shops.
Organised by the European Confederation of the Footwear Industry (CEC) in collaboration with the consultancy European Profiles, the trade mission began on 4th April with a visit to three of Almaty’s main shopping centres and multi-brands shops to allow the European representatives to learn about the Kazakh retail culture and footwear market. On the following day, the brands displayed their shoe collections at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Almaty. The exhibition was attended by major Kazakh fashion retailers and distributors, who were enthusiastic about the classic and trendy selection of shoes on display. Many of the brands made new business contacts and initiated business deals with Kazakh companies, which was a testament to the global popularity of European fashion and design.
European footwear exports to Kazakhstan almost quadrupled from 2010 to 2014, but they still only represented 11,5% of the total imports into Kazakhstan in 2014, which confirms that European companies can still do more to increase their share of the Kazakh market. The European trade mission was conceived to reinforce the presence of European products in Kazakhstan and motivate further European footwear companies to take advantage of the potential offered by the Kazakh market, given Europe’s reputation for creative excellence and innovative fashion.
Overall, the participating companies expressed satisfaction with the results of the trade mission as many have begun negotiating business deals with Kazakh partners, and showed great interest in replicating this experience in another country. Cleto Sagripanti, president of the CEC, concluded: “We are grateful to the European Commission for their direct support to European footwear SMEs, and the positive results achieved in Almaty this week make a strong case for a second trade mission in another non-European country in order to continue promoting European excellence and creativity in footwear fashion and encourage European footwear companies to conquer new markets”.
European Trade Mission to Almaty Kazakhstan 4-5 April 2016
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- Friday, 01 April 2016 15:30
European Trade Mission to Almaty Kazakhstan 4-5 April 2016
European Footwear: More than Fashion is the slogan of the internationalization campaign recently launched by the European Confederation of the Footwear Industry (CEC) to promote European footwear in countries outside Europe. The first destination chosen has been Kazakhstan, and the CEC together with European Profiles, a consultancy company with expertise in Eurasian markets, have organized a Trade Mission with 36 European brands to Almaty on the 4-5 April 2016. The CEC is the umbrella organization representing the interests of European footwear companies.
Through their Members, the national footwear associations and federations of the European Union, the Confederation promotes the growth and competitiveness of European businesses by engaging in different initiatives on various topics, including on access to new markets like this trade mission concluding today in Almaty. The initiative, co-funded by the European Commission, has brought 36 European brands from Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands together to display their latest shoe collections today at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Almaty. Major fashion retailers and distributors in Kazakhstan attended the exhibition and showed enthusiasm for the great variety of high quality luxury, high-end and premium footwear displayed by the 36 European exhibitors at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. The journey resulted in various b2b meetings for preliminary contacts, but also on the establishment of various business partnerships, which will soon bring more European shoes at our stores.
In the framework of the project, the consortium, composed of CEC and European Profiles, had previously conducted a market study to assess the consumers’ preferences in Kazakhstan. The document underlines the increasing preference of Kazakh consumers for fashion and stylish looks, often leaning toward European style and appearance; the growing brand addiction despite the price; and the maturing habit of having a wide range and variety of choice in the market. As a result, the demand for footwear has substantially increased over the last 7 years while only 2% of the total turnover is produced by local manufacturers, and the rest corresponds to imports, which have grown by a factor of over 10 from 2011 to 2014.
According to Cleto Sagripanti, President of the CEC, “Kazakhstan offers a great investment opportunity for European companies, and with this trade mission we want to reinforce Europe’s position as a global supplier of added-value footwear. Consumers around the world admire and request European shoes, and statistics represent the best marketing tool for European brands: footwear exports outside Europe have increased from 2009 to 2014 by 46% in quantity, and 78% in value, reaching 7, 7 billion Euros.”
Statistics also show that European footwear exports to Kazakhstan almost quadrupled from 2010 to 2014, but they still only represented 11,5% of the total imports into Kazakhstan in 2014. Furthermore, Kazakh’s middle-high class has considerably increased in the last 10 years and it is expected to continue this trend. This is a target group, which is more fashion- conscious and appreciates wearing trendy and good quality apparel, including shoes. They see and buy shoes when travelling abroad, as well as on the internet, but they would prefer to have direct access to this offer in Kazakhstan.
Each of the 36 brands, which are exhibiting today, manufactures their footwear in one of the 28 countries in Europe. Sagripanti explained, “They are bringing their culture, the excellence in European footwear manufacturing, which is based on creative designs, innovative materials and quality finishing while respecting high safety, social and environmental standards. We definitely believe that Kazakh consumers will be delighted with the wide variety of European shoes that soon will be available in the main shopping stores and malls in Kazakhstan. The positive response from Kazakh retailers and distributors today at the trade exhibition represents a win-win situation for all parties involved: European footwear brands, Kazakh distributors and retailers, and Kazakh consumers.”
Countdown to the first European trade mission of Footwear companies to Kazakhstan
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- Wednesday, 23 March 2016 15:26
Countdown to the first European trade mission of Footwear companies to Kazakhstan
There are only a few days left before the arrival of 36 European footwear companies to Almaty. Under the campaign “European Footwear: More than Fashion” financed by the European Commission, representatives of manufacturing brands from different countries in Europe will exhibit their fashionable shoes at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Almaty on Tuesday 5 April 2016. Kazakh retailers and distributors are urged to grasp this unique opportunity to expand their offer of shoes to Kazakh consumers with the latest European trends and designs as well as timeless classic European shoes.
This initiative will be the first ever joint European footwear trade mission outside Europe, and responds to the increasing demand by Kazakh consumers of a trendier and larger variety of high quality footwear. Consequently, the exhibition will showcase recent and upcoming shoe models from 36 luxury, high-end, and premium brands, which manufacture their shoes in Europe. Visitors of the exhibition will have the chance to discover first-hand Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Greek, Polish, Austrian, and Dutch footwear brands and experience European design and fashion. The brand representatives will present their products and will be available to discuss business partnerships with visiting Kazakh businesses.
The exhibition is part of a two-day trade mission organised by the European Confederation of the Footwear Industry and the consultancy European profiles on 4-5 April. During the first day, European brands representatives will visit three of the main shopping malls and other major retailers in Almaty in order to learn more about the growing fashion distribution channels in Kazakhstan, a result of the fashionable conscious consumer.
With more European brands in Kazakh shops, our consumers will do not need to travel to Europe to get their shoes of desire. Instead they will be able to choose among a larger variety of models, from elegant and classic to trendy casual shoes, and try and buy on the spot those better adapted to their personality and needs.
If you are interested in high quality European footwear fashion, , and would like to explore business opportunities with their representatives, save the date in the agenda and register to attend the exhibition on Tuesday 5 April 2016 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Almay by sending a message to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by telephone at +77 019993137.
