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News Archive   JUNE 2009 Garant aiming for renewed growth The Garant Group returned to growth in the financial year 2008. The number of specialist dealers rose by 26. Besides the one in Germany, the dealer organizations with the most members are those in Holland and France, followed by their counterparts in Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and Poland. At the end of the last financial year 3 406 footwear, sports and leather goods dealers with a total of 5 100 outlets belonged to the Garant Group. Earnings reached 91.8 million Euro. More than 1100 exhibitors at Expo Riva More than 1100 exhibitors, including 740 from abroad, will be showcasing their new spring/summer 2010 and re-order collections from 6 to 9 June at the 72nd Expo Riva Fair on lake Garda. The fair premises in Riva del Garda provide a total exhibition area of over 32 000 square metres. Leder & Schuh: sales up, profits down In 2008 Leder & Schuh International AG (headquartered in Graz) earned 476 million Euro, an increase of 4.5 percent, with its brands Corti, Dominici, Humanic, Jello and Shoe4you. Operating results (Ebit), however, were down by five million Euro from 19.8 to 14.8 million Euro. In that year L&S entered the Rumanian and Swiss markets. At the date of the balance-sheet the Group was operating in nine countries (Austria, Germany, Poland, Rumania, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Hungary) via a network of 335 stores. For the first time more than half (52 percent) of the operating locations are outside Austria. Iris acquires Jil Sander footwear licence The footwear collection of fashion brand Jil Sander will in future be produced by Italian shoe manufacturer Iris. Both companies belong to the Gibò Group, the European branch of the Japanese fashion conglomerate Onward. The licence covers the worldwide rights to manufacture and market Jil Sander brand footwear for men and women, starting with the spring/summer 2010 collection. John Baker starting in Germany British footwear brand John Baker & Son is starting up in Germany, with a first shop in Cologne. With its roughly 100 square metres of floorspace the shop will sell welted shoes for women and men, besides accessories such as bags, belts and neckties. In the next four years 40 shops will be opened with franchise partners, mainly in big German cities. Ferrari shoes for kids Italian producer Mafrat will in future make and market Ferrari Junior brand shoes for kids. The company already produces Ferrari garments for kids. Navyboot concentrates on footwear Swiss fashion label Navyboot is concentrating once more on footwear and accessories. The sale of apparel will be discontinued. By focusing on essentials the new owner of Navyboot, Philippe Gaydoul, is preparing for expansion abroad. He bought the company with its 50 shops and sales worth more than 100 million Swiss francs last August and intends to make it a leading brand in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Austria and France. As a first step the number of shops is to be doubled. The first branches abroad are to be opened this year. Marked sales boost for Nero Giardini Italian footwear producer Nero Giardini increased sales last year by 20 percent to 185 million Euro. Currently the company has about 500 customers, runs 9 own-stores and 35 franchise shops. In the next six years it is hoped to increase the number of franchise shops to 300. Square Four Investments takes over Sioux Holding company Square Four Investments in Frankfurt, which a year ago became a co-investor in Rohde, is acquiring Sioux. Sioux was owned by the bankrupt company EganaGoldpfeil Accessories GmbH in Offenbach, which has 100 employees at its headquarters in Walheim and some 260 in its Portuguese subsidiary. The company turns out some 1.1 million pairs of shoes for men and women per year. Sales in 2008 totalled about 50 million Euro. Under the terms of the transaction Sioux will be retained as a complete entity. Square Four plans to keep Sioux and Rohde under separate management. Geox boosts sales again Footwear producer Geox, which is quoted on the Milan stock exchange, increased its sales in the first quarter 2009 by five percent to 384.2 million Euro. The operating results (Ebidta) were 124.9 million Euro, net profit at 72.4 million Euro was 9.6 percent down on last year. The group´s main market, accounting for 36 percent of sales, is still Italy. The biggest export market is Germany. Altogether the German-speaking area absorbs roughly one-fifth of total sales. At the end of March the number of Geox stores and shops worldwide was 953, 13 more than a year ago. Wrangler starting with footwear Jeans brand Wrangler will be introducing the first footwear collection of its own in readiness for the autumn/winter 2009/2010 season. All shoes will feature studs with an impressed "W". The typical Wrangler leather patch is affixed to the back of all shoes and boots. There are 26 styles for men and 5 for women. Each model will be available in different colours and materials. MAY 2009 Shoes from Brunello Cucinelli Italian fashion label Brunello Cucinelli is to enter the footwear market in autumn 2009, initially offering 13 styles for women and 10 for men. The core of the collection are boots and bootees. Deichmann buys 13 Turbo Schuh branches Austrian bank Bawag has sold 13 Turbo Schuh discount branches to Deichmann, nine of them in Austria and four in Slovenia. All will be run under the name Deichmann. The remaining 32 Turbo Schuh branches, most of them in Austria, are to be sold off by 2010. Following the sale of the discount branches the company will concentrate on the core business with Stiefelkönig stores and boutiques and its cooperative venture with Geox. Stiefelkönig is the master franchisee in Austria, Central Europe and southern Germany. Deichmann expands in Great Britain Deichmann is aiming for strong expansion in Great Britain with 10 openings planned for this year. To date the firm has 31 outlets, mainly in the country´s central and northern areas. In the long term Deichmann sees a potential of 400 stores. Fashion Net Düsseldorf founded The Düsseldorf fashion branch has set up "Fashion Net Düsseldorf e. V.", an association intended to strengthen the international competitiveness of Düsseldorf as a fashion center. GDS announces dates for 2010 The Düsseldorf footwear fairs GDS and Global Shoes will be held from 12 to 14 March and from 10 to 12 September. Leiser receives Micam Award The Italian footwear manufacturers´ association Anci conferred the Micam Award on the Leiser Handelsgesellschaft mbH at the Footwear Fair in Milan. The award honours companies which attach importance to "Made in Italy" shoe fashion. Exports up in 2008 German footwear exports to Russia totalled 5.1 million pairs in 2008, 11.1 percent higher than in the previous year. I.L.M. Winter Styles 2009 in Offenbach On 22 March the 130th International Leather Goods Fair I.L.M. Winter closed its doors. The 3-day event was gratifyingly positive and over-all exceeded the exhibitors´ expectations. 215 firms from 14 countries showcased their fashionable leather accessories for the coming autumn/winter season. For all segments on offer interest in the latest innovations was strong. The 2010 I.L.M. fairs will be held in spring from 19 to 21 March, and in autumn from 23 to 26 September. APRIL 2009 Geox launches golf shoe collection Italian footwear producer Geox has brought out its first collection for golfers. The shoes are made of full-grain leather which has been rendered water-repellent by a pretreatment in the course of tanning. The new Geox Net System patented sports footwear technology means that the wearer´s feet will stay clean and dry even under difficult playing conditions. The sole area consists largely of a mesh backed by the breathable, water-impermeable Geox membrane to prevent moisture or dirt particles from penetrating into the shoe interior. Course on leather technology Once again, from 20 to 24 April, the Lederinstitut Gerberschule (Leather Institute Tanning School) in Reutlingen is to run a course on leather technology aimed at processors, dealers and retail traders. The purpose is primarily to give new entrants a comprehensive overview of the basics of leather production and to familiarize them in detail with the properties and uses of the various types of leather. Since the institute has its own tannery equipped to modern standards, all phases of leather making can be demonstrated in actual production. Moving on from the fundamentals the assessment of all types of leather can be examined fully with reference to an extensive collection of samples. The course will close with a presentation of all modern methods of leather testing. Euro Brand Management takes over Startas? marketing Marketing agency Euro Brand Management is assuming sales responsibility in the German-speaking area for Croatian cult brand Startas. The brand?s sneakers were originally developed in 1976 for table-tennis players and manufactured by Borovo in Vukovar, Croatia. Following the outbreak of war in 1991 the shoe factory was severely damaged. Seventeen years later the brand celebrated its comeback with a new, contemporary redesign. The autumn/winter 2009/2010 collection launches three lines of footwear. Rohde investor poised to buy up Sioux Footwear producer Sioux will shortly be acquired by holding company Square Four Investments. Sioux is an independent firm and is not affected by the bankruptcy of the parent company EganaGoldpfeil. Chiemsee planning Germany-wide chain of stores By 2010 there are to be eight Chiemsee stores in Germany. The brand will also carry on selling its sports garments via specialized dealers as hitherto. The first Chiemsee store opened in March in Frankfurt, the second will be inaugurated in the autumn in Essen, and the third is already planned for Berlin. New permanent exhibition: shoes of the world The 15 000 items making up the footwear collection in the Shoe Section of the German Leather Museum (DLM) in Offenbach are currently being re-arranged. The department for overseas footwear will be the first to open, on March 29. New exhibits include a number of shoes, boots, slippers and sandals previously kept in storage. The concept includes the presentation of traditional shoemaking and selected items for daily or representational use such as garments and saddlery. Gabor acquires Snipe brand rights Gabor Shoes AG has acquired the worldwide rights to Spanish shoe brand Snipe. The Spanish market is excluded from the deal. The designer brand range comprises women?s and men?s shoes. The brand´s relaunch is planned for spring/autumn 2010, but sales to specialized dealers will start in August 2009. With Snipe, Gabor is looking to satisfy the growing consumer demand for authentic, environmentally natural products with a puristic collection statement. Snipe is a Spanish designer label characterized not least by a clear model statement. The brand philosophy will adhere to the label´s Spanish roots. McLaren shoes now also in Germany The Euro Brand Management marketing agency is adding the McLaren and McLaren Sport formula 1 footwear brands to its portfolio. Its market entry in the German-speaking countries will involve more than 100 models from the two lines. The luxury models are made of high quality leather and feature innovative shock-absorbing soles. Running Order Show, round 2 The Running Order Show on 28 and 29 June in Munich will be two days shorter than in the debut year 2008. Stand space has been doubled from 12 to 24 square metres. The plan is to integrate all three halls of the Munich Order Center (MOC) to create a maximum of 56 stands. Over and above that many brands have a permanent showroom in the MOC, and can hence be incorporated into the event. The fair caters for all forms of running as a sport. Hugo Boss: fashion and footwear for children Fashion group Hugo Boss intends to bring its first children´s collection to market this year. The relevant license is to be awarded to French company C.W.F. Children´s Worldwide Fashion, which specializes in children´s wear. The range will also include shoes and accessories. The first Boss Kidswear collection will be unveiled in Florence in the summer. Footwear technical college comes to ISC The day before the GDS, the process of integrating the German Footwear Technical Institute (DSF) into the International Shoe Competence Center (ISC) started. The first day of tuition was 12 March. Students can now be well trained for entering the labor market in line with present-day industrial needs. At present there are 24 students at the college, divided into two classes, and they will complete their training as state-qualified footwear technicians specialized in either design technology or production engineering. An important point will be that the courses will in future also be available in English. MARCH 2009 Runners Point seeks franchise partners Sports footwear specialist Runners Point Warenhandelsgesellschaft mbH (Trading Company Ltd.) is set to embark on a franchising system. With 100 outlets of its own, the company is looking to acquire from 5 to 15 partners to begin with, but this number could rise to 200 – 300 in the long term. A shop-in-shop scheme will also be on offer to the specialist retail trade. Only Runners Point footwear will be available. In addition the company has scheduled a gradual expansion of its business abroad. For 2009 it plans to enlarge its leisure footwear sector in collaboration with its subsidiary Sidestep. Tom Tailor awards new licence for kids´ shoes Lifestyle company Tom Tailor has awarded a new licence for kids´ footwear. The licence was signed with Supremo Shoes & Boots Trading Company and will run initially for 5 years. The new kids´ collection will be launched in readiness for the autumn/winter 2009 season and was introduced to the trade for the first time at the Expo Riva footwear fair. An experienced kids´ footwear specialist, Supremo is one of the leading suppliers in the national and international specialist footwear trade, and will enable Tom Tailor to offer better quality kids´ footwear and an optimum price-performance ratio in future. Bread & Butter back in Berlin The Bread & Butter fashion fair is returning to Berlin, where it will occupy the closed-down Tempelhof Airport as new premises. Specialized in streetwear and younger fashion, the fair will be staged for the first time in the hangars from 1 to 3 July. A spokesman announced that the fair will be organized half-yearly, occupying an exhibition area of not less than 60 000 square meters. The show in Barcelona attracted 80 000 specialist visitors. For the Berlin event the spokesman expected even more and reckoned on hosting 800 to 900 exhibitors. Visitor numbers slightly down for Expo Riva For the Italian footwear fair in Riva del Garda, held from 17 to 20 January, visitor numbers were down by about two percent to 11 014, 58.7% of these coming from abroad. Despite that, buyers are optimistic as regards the new ordering round. A total of 1100 exhibitors showcased their collections for the upcoming autumn/winter season as well as their repeat order collections for spring/summer. Intersport buys an interest in Sabu Intersport Deutschland eG, the world´s largest association of independent sports goods dealers, and footwear group Sabu Schuh-Verbund eG have finalized a wide-ranging cooperation agreement. The agreement will strengthen the competitivity of both bodies´ members, who will continue to operate fully independently in their respective markets. Good atmosphere at Ispo Ispo, the world´s largest sports goods fair, was held for the 69th time from 1 to 4 February in Munich´s new exhibition premises. Despite a strike by the Munich Public Transport Company (MVG) in excess of 60 000 specialist visitors from more than 100 countries (2008 : 64 000 visitors) turned up to view the latest trends for the winter season 2009/2010, presented by 1950 exhibitors (2008: 2026) from 50 countries on the total 185 000 square meters of exhibition space available. Exhibitors and visitors were favorably impressed and fully satisfied by the fair. Slight increase for Aeffe The footwear and leather goods arm of Italian luxury goods group Aeffe increased its sales in 2008 by 1.2 percent to 75.4 million Euro. Group members are the brands Alberta Ferretti, Moschino, Pollini and Jean Paul Gaultier. Baldessarini starting with footwear Baldessarini GmbH is to round off its line of fashion goods with a footwear collection to be produced and marketed in cooperation with the Inca/Mallorca-based Zimmermann Shoe Group. The collection will be officially unveiled at the GDS in Dusseldorf from 13 to 15 March. Deichmann aims for growth despite the crisis The Essen-based Deichmann Group continued to grow in 2008 and has announced it intends to adopt a proactive strategy in the current economic crisis. In the current year the group as a whole will be investing 165 million Euro, first and foremost in opening 284 new branches, the biggest expansion in the Group´s history to date. In 2008, for the first time, the group earned more than half (50.7%) of its turnover abroad. In Germany the group increased sales by 2.2 percent to 1.54 billion Euro. The number of branches rose from 52 to 1159 (including 83 Roland Schuhe, plus elf). Deichmann intends to achieve further expansion, primarily abroad. In 2008 the first stores were opened in Italy and Lithuania. For 2009 Bulgaria is on the expansion list, then the group as a whole will be operating in 19 countries. The next candidate is Spain in 2010. In the current year Deichmann will be opening a new logistics center in Slovakia. In 2009 Deichmann intends to carry on expanding, and in Germany is set to modernize 103 stores, open 55 new ones and relocate 20. Fossil unveils first women´s footwear collection At the GDS in Dusseldorf, accessories producer Fossil is for the first time presenting a footwear collection for women. Following the launch of a collection for men last autumn, the women´s line comes as a logical adjunct to the Fossil brand as a comprehensive lifestyle brand. Wolverine earnings up American footwear manufacturer Wolverine World Wide increased its sales in 2008 by 1.8 percent to 1.2 billion dollars. Members of the group include the brands Merrell, Cat Footwear, Sebago, Hush Puppies and Patagonia. Further sales rise for Tod´s Italian luxury footwear producer Tod´s increased its sales in 2008 by 7.7 percent to 707.5 million Euro in currency-adjusted terms. Strongest growth was posted by the Hogan brand, recording an increase of almost 40 million to 238.7 million Euro. Timberland: sales down, profit up In 2008 sales by The Timberland Company dropped 5 percent to 1.36 billion dollars. This was paralleled by a 7.5 percent profit hike to 43 million dollars. Mican exhibitor numbers equal last year´s A total of 1611 exhibitors, 572 of them from abroad (roughly 50 fewer than last year) will be presenting their collections at Micam from 4 to 7 March on 72 000 square meters of floorspace at the Rho exhibition center in Milan. Absentees this year are mainly a few smaller producers. The quality of the exhibitors has improved. Internationality has been accentuated and stricter criteria applied to exhibitor selection. Anatomic & Co. launches women´s footwear Brazilian men´s footwear producer Anatomic & Co. is also offering women´s footwear for the first time for the autumn/winter season 2009/2010. The collection is of the same high standard as the men´s and features the Anatomic Gel Technology. The collection will be presented at Micam in Milan and at GDS in Dusseldorf. Founded more than 2 decades ago, the brand made its European debut four years ago. Now it is present in over 60 countries. FEBRUARY 2009 Emu to launch women´s wear Australian footwear brand Emu intends to start with women´s wear made from Australian merino wool and sheepskin for the autumn/winter season. The product range will comprise coarse-count knitgoods, outerwear and accessories. Groupe Royer takes over Charles Jourdan French footwear firm Groupe Royer has bought up the bankrupt French shoe manufacturer Charles Jourdan for 2.4 million Euro. Groupe Royer acquires the marketing rights in France, seven stores and one factory, plus share options for Charles Jourdan Holding AG in Switzerland, owner of the international marketing rights. The first Charles Jourdan collection is to be available in time for the spring/summer 2010 season. EganaGoldpfeil: Comtesse bag brand sold Bankruptcy proceedings have been initiated regarding the assets of EganaGoldpfeil Accessories GmbH. The Comtesse business has been sold. The employees in Germany and Japan have been taken over by the new owner, thereby ensuring the long-term continuity of the Comtesse luxury brand in both countries. Wortmann ups advertising budget Against the general trend within the European markets, i.e. anticyclically, Detmold-based Wortmann Group is increasing this year´s advertising budget for its Tamaris brand by more than five million Euro. As a result, the Tamaris advertising budget is the biggest of all Germany´s footwear producers. Wortmann sees this increase as a further step towards a liftstyle brand. Besides further reinforcement of the German market, Wortmann intends investing especially in the international markets. Skechers venturing into kiddies´ wear American footwear manufacturer Skechers USA intends in future to clothe kiddies from head to foot. A contract to that effect has been finalized with the New York-based clothing consortium Adjmi Apparel Group. Under its terms the licensee will design and market Skechers brand fashion collections for boys and girls aged twelve months and upwards. These collections will hit the market for the first time in autumn 2009. According to Skechers the collections will be available from department stores, specialized dealers and on-line suppliers who also sell footwear from the Skecher Kids line. Modacalzado brings dates forward Spanish footwear and leather goods fair Modacalzado + Iberpiel has changed its dates and will now run three days earlier from 17 until 19 March. Because the fair takes place only two days after the GDS in Düsseldorf, the organizers are hoping for additional buyers from Asia and South America. A further innovation at the next fair will be the gathering together of all exhibition sections in four halls. A total of 500 firms from Spain and abroad are expected to display their products to 14 000 specialist visitors. Ispo rescheduled for 2010 Following discussions with the exhibitors, Ispo Winter 2010 is to be staged from 7 till 10 February and thus one week later in the fair calendar. The Snow Sports Tradeshow sponsored by Snow Sports Industries America (SIA) will take place for the first time from 28 to 31 January 2010 in Denver. I.L.M.: same participant numbers as last year The new fashion in bags for autumn/winter 2009/2010 is the focus of the International Leather Goods Fair (I.L.M.) featuring Winter Styles to be staged in Offenbach from 20 until 22 March. Around 210 exhibitors from Germany and abroad will be represented at this season-opener for fashion leather accessories and bags. The fair program covers the latest fashion bag collections in addition to new trend collections of small leather goods, travel and leisure bags, items for business and school use, umbrellas, gloves, belts and miscellaneous fashion accessories. Footwear from Kris van Assche Belgian designer Kris van Assche, head designer for the Dior Homme brand, is bringing out his own footwear collection for the autumn/winter 2009/2010 season. The collection, to be produced by Italian manufacturer Manifattura Ferrarese, will total 30 men?s footwear styles to begin with. Tom Tailor founds own footwear division Hamburg fashion company Tom Tailor is expanding its product divisions by one for footwear, which will be run initially as an independent label within the firm. The launch is planned for the autumn/winter 2009/2010 season. To begin with there will be two collections per year for women and men. Later on further collections for young adults will be added to complement the young-fashion line Tom Tailor Denim Male and Female. New name and dates for Polish footwear fair This year BTS, the footwear, leather and leather goods fair organized in Poznan, has been renamed, rescheduled and reorganized. The new BTS will be divided into the segments Trend – displaying footwear, leather apparel and accessories - and Tech – focussed on leather, machinery and components. It will run this spring from 9 to 11 March (Monday to Wednesday). JANUARY 2009 Holy Group takes over Joop! The Holy Fashion Group has taken over the Joop! shares of Egana Goldpfeil Europe (Holdings). Egana Goldpfeil remains a partner for the realms of watches, jewellery, leather, accessories and shoes. The Holy Fashion Group who already owns the brands Strellson and Windsor will invest longterm. The German label was founded 1987. New Sales-Manager for K-Swiss John Nielsen is the new Country Sales Manager for K-Swiss. He is responsible for "Footwear" and "Apparel" in Germany and Austria. The 42year old Dane replaces Uwe Schäfer who joined MBT last summer. Nielsen´s last post was General Manager of the EMU Ridge Europe GmbH. Art launches Online-Shop The young spanish shoe brand "Art" has launched his own Online-Shop at the beginning of December. Customers now can order all models of the latest collection directly online (www.the-art-company.com). Brooksfield with Shoes The italian sportswear-label Brookfields has granted shoe producer Unique a licence which is valid for 5 years. The licence includes the production and distribution of men´s and children´s shoes. They will also launch leather accessories in the near future. DECEMBER 2008 Exhibition: Cold feet and hot socks The Museum for Archaeology in Herne will be showcasing the cultural history of footwear in an exhibition starting on 6 December. Billed as "Whimsical footwear – Cold feet and hot socks", the exhibition has more than 400 items on display. These range from fur boots worn by Ice Age hunters to postwar-era makeshift shoes, from actress Marlene Dietrich´s elegant court shoes and Jürgen Klinsmann´s football boots to special footwear for spies. PLW again with a technical forum The spring edition on 24 and 25 March of the information fair for the footwear producing industry is to be supplemented by a sector covering machinery. It thus follows the trend towards a spring date for displaying the latest footwear machinery developments. Visitors can see the footwear fashion materials for the spring/summer 2010 season. The fair´s focus is therefore on technology in spring and on fashion in autumn. The slogan of the 8th PLW Design Competition, open to young designers from all over Europe, is "Fashion meets Function" – functional added-value packaged in a fashionable wrapping. New senior executive at Puma Schweiz Andreas Schmocker, senior executive at Salewa Sport AG Schweiz since 2005, became new senior executive at Puma Schweiz AG on 1 November. Shoemaking trade: new central association president At the membership assembly of the central association of the German shoemaking trade (ZDS) on 15 and 16 November in Kassel, Helmut Farnschläder from Bonn was confirmed as president for three more years. A resolution to establish a Federal professional school, designed to counter the looming skilled worker shortage in the branch, was approved by a big majority. Stiefelkönig backs Geox Graz-based Austrian footwear chainstore operator Stiefelkönig is expanding in Germany with Geox shops. In Mainz it has opened its tenth such shop to date. In Austria, where it runs 20 Geox shops so far, as well as in Central and Eastern Europe, and Southern Germany, the company is the master franchisee. Geox shops apart, Stiefelkönig is also planning to enlarge its core business. Its Delka and Turboschuh lines on the other hand will be sold separately until 2010. Prospective buyers galore for Salamander Tradition-steeped footwear manufacturer and dealer Salamander is set to change ownership for the third time in five years. With 1800 employees and sales reaching some 190 million Euro, Salamander is the biggest EganaGoldpfeil company and, unlike the holding, not insolvent. The company announced that bankruptcy proceedings were initiated at the end of October. Bankruptcy administrator Ottmar Hermann is now seeking to restrict EganaGoldpfeil to dealing in jewelry and watches. Change at the top of MBT New CEO of Masai Marketing & Trading AG, provider of MBT brand footwear operating from Romanshorn in Switzerland, is former Timberland COO Ken Pucker. Deichmann still prefers Essen location The Deichmann Group has added a fourth block to its main administration centre in Essens Aktienstrasse. The three existing buildings with room for some 450 employees have been joined by a fourth with capacity for 120 employees. The new building has a usable area of about 4400 square metres on five floors. Deichmann has leased the new building from an investor with right of pre-emption and contributed roughly 2.4 million Euro towards the construction costs. This addition demonstrates that the family enterprise, now present in 18 countries with a total workforce of 27000, remains loyal to its home town. Garant increases turnover Düsseldorf-based Garant Schuh- und Mode AG increased its sales value in the first nine months of the year 2008 by 3.7 percent to 638.8 million Euro. The international share of this figure now amounts to about 70 percent. The growth achieved by the company, which operates in 14 European countries, in the first 3 quarters of 2008 stemmed essentially from the specialist dealers abroad. In the neighbouring European countries the turnover grew altogether by 6.6 percent to 443.2 million Euro. For Germany the turnover was down by 2.3 percent to 195.6 million Euro. Sales by the Swiss affiliate Pasito-Fricker AG also shrank. The number of footwear, sportswear and leather goods dealers for which Garant provides centralized settlement and other services was 3426 at the end of September. They run more than 5100 stores. New Ispo project manager As of 1 November Markus Hefter has taken over as product manager for Ispo Winter. In that capacity he is responsible for all sectors of the international sports fair. New member joins the MK group Swiss footwear trading company Schuhe Jenny AG based in Glarus is to join the MK purchasing group in time for the autumn/winter 2009/10 purchasing round, becoming the first company domiciled outside Germany to do so. A family business, Jenny has nine branches in eastern Switzerland, e.g. in Chur and St. Gallen, under the names Botty (7), Goldener Stiefel and Schuhhaus Grob. Including the new member, the group represents a total of 177 branches. The group hopes the accession of Schuhe Jenny AG will strengthen its own-brand activities. Adidas to sell on line Sports goods producer Adidas is to launch an on-line shop in Germany. To date it had them only in The Netherlands, Great Britain and France. Selected footwear, apparel and accessories from the Performance and Originals Collections are available from www.shop.adidas.de at prices on a par with those in the specialized trade. NOVEMBER 2008 Kangaroos to launch textiles In spring 2009 Kangaroos is set to introduce a medium-price women´s, men´s and children´s textile collection which will be retailed via specialized sportswear and fashion outlets. New majority shareholder at Lorenzo Banfi Hli has bought up 70 percent of the shares in footwear manufacturing firm Lorenzo Banfi for five million Euro. The Italian luxury footwear brand posts sales worth six million Euro and runs eight stores. Further outlets are planned for Munich and New York. In addition, a showroom is to be opened in Milan. New from Mephisto: fitness shoes For the spring/summer 2009 season French footwear manufacturer Mephisto has introduced the Sano, a universal novelty in the "fitness footwear" sector. A "multi-vibration system" integrated in the front section creates a pinpointed slight instability which during both walking and standing triggers tiny muscular contractions with a permanent but, to the wearer, imperceptible training action. The perceivable outcome is a firming up of the abdomen, legs and buttocks. Sano shoes look like neither orthopaedic nor sports footwear but, given their modern design, can be worn to every occasion. Nine models are available, four women´s shoes, a women´s sandal and four men´s shoes. The shoes will be sold via footwear outlets, orthopaedic stores, medical goods and sportswear shops. Focal point Poznan Some 220 companies from 15 countries presented their new collections for spring/summer 2009 at Poland´s footwear and leather goods fair in Poznan from 2 until 4 September. The next fair is scheduled for next March, but the exact dates have still to be fixed. Sioux: investors wanted From October sales negotiations are to he held with potential takeover candidates. Also for sale are the two bag brands Goldpfeil and Comtesse. Wortmann group boosts sales to above 740 million Euro Last year the Wortmann group increased its consolidated aggregate sales by 8.3 percent to 741.3 million Euro (last year 684.8 million). Exports accounted for 52.8 percent (last year 54.5). The group´s collections are sold in more than 70 countries worldwide, and in Europe alone through 14´500 footwear stores. The group has own companies at eight locations in Europe and at a further ten in the Far East. A new marketing company was recently founded in Moscow. With new licences for bags and accessories from Tamaris, Wortmann has now taken a further decisive step in developing Tamaris into a lifestyle brand. Mono-brand stores and shop-in-shop areas are currently one of the most important topics in the footwear branch. In the meantime the 105th mono-label store has been contracted. As of now almost 200 areas have been signed up all told. Demand is still unbroken and expansion throughout Europe is proceeding according to plan. Other firms in the Wortmann group such as Wendel with Marco Tozzi, and shoe.com with s.Oliver have also recently introduced new area concepts on the market. New opening hours for GDS and Global Shoes The next Global Shoes will run in parallel with GDS from 13 to 15 March 2009. The fairs will be open on the Friday for one hour longer than hitherto and close on the Sunday one hour earlier. Sympatex fully in financial investors? hands Morgan Stanley and Annex Capital have acquired 100% of Sympatex and Ploucquet textiles. In doing so the investors aim to push forward the successful expansion of the Sympatex brand, which was repositioned in summer 2008. The Ploucquet group, with more than 200 years of textile know-how, specializes in membranes, coating and lamination, besides producing textile fabrics for finishing. OCTOBER 2008 Camel active achieves growth In the financial year 2007/08 Camel active brand sales grew 12 percent. In its home market, Germany, growth was 8.5 percent, of which apparel contributed 56 percent, footwear 37 percent, and accessories 7 percent. Besides Asia - especially Malaysia, China and Thailand - particularly important markets were Russia, Benelux and France. The strongest market is still Germany, accounting for 49 percent of sales. Eric Sperber, managing director of CMLC GmbH, commented as follows: "This increase of 12 percent is a repeat of the double-digit sales growth we have had in the preceding years, and we are very satisfied with it. For the current financial year 2008/09 too we are projecting a double-digit increase, despite the difficult situation in the clothing business. We are on the right track and the encouraging number of advance orders in both the apparel and other product groups confirms this. Furthermore we see big growth potential in the Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and Asia markets". Congress during the PLW On the occasion of this year´s PLW Leather & More trade fair for the leather, footwear and components industry, the PLW-ISC Congress will be staged on 15 October for the first time. A one-day event, the congress will offer attendees a range of topics from research, styling and trading. The International Shoe Competence Center (ISC) in Pirmasens, Chemnitz Technical University and Weyergans Consulting (Düren) are organizing the program. Harald Weyergans (Weyergans Consulting, Düren), for example, will give a lecture on "Forward strategies for the footwear trade", dealing with the transformation of the footwear trade, market polarization and strategies for taking advantage of the changes. Belmondo pushes accessories Footwear and accessories brand Belmondo had a successful first half-year. Managing director Claus Gese emphasizes that "in difficult times we succeeded in doubling our customer numbers. Last season we managed to secure many new trade customers". As a particular breakthrough he regards the Belmondo accessories collection shown for the first time in March at the GDS. Following the successful launch in Germany, Gese sees acquiring the many customers abroad for the accessories as the next step. "With our collections we aim to create lifestyle worlds", explains Oliver Bremer, Head of Design at Belmondo. The design activities for footwear and accessories are therefore being closely coordinated. The fashion themes recur in both the footwear and the accessories collections. Adidas threatens brand pirates In the fight against brand piracy Adidas intends taking other firms to task. "The brand with the three stripes is as strong as ever and we will continue to take action against other firms selling footwear with a stripe design that infringes our trademark rights", the company has announced. Customer card : still potential in the footwear trade Customer cards are very popular in Austria: 75 percent of all Austrians have at least one. On average, however, the owners have 5.2 plastic cards each, most of them issued in the grocery and drugstore sectors. Austrians see the opportunity to save money as the main advantage. These are the findings of a recent survey by the market research institute AC Nielsen involving 1000 respondents. According to AC Nielsen there is still dormant potential in the footwear trade, where only a quarter of customers hold a plastic card. For the trade the cards are primarily an instrument to foster customer loyalty. On top of that, the trade also benefits because card holders buy more frequently, according to the survey. Puma and Sergio Rossi cooperate For the spring/summer 2009 season sports goods manufacturer Puma and Italian footwear brand Sergio Rossi – owned by luxury goods producer Gucci – are to launch a joint shoe collection comprising two styles. The two brands belong to French luxury goods group PPR. Initially the cooperation is for just one season. Lloyd enters the golf shoe market Sulingen-based footwear producer Lloyd is embarking on a new business venture in readiness for next year´s spring/summer season. After lengthy development the company´s golf shoe collection will be introduced to the specialist public at the Golf Europe fair in Munich from 5 to 7 October. The new sub-collection is aimed at golf-playing customers who have previously encountered the brand´s business footwear. Overall marketing throughout the Federal Republic of Germany is being organized by Golfagentur Baltes in Hamburg. The general launch will be accompanied by the country-wide golf tournament series "Lloyd Golf Challenge", being held in 2008 for the third time. Ecco opens biggest mono-label store worldwide Danish footwear manufacturer Ecco opened its biggest mono-label footwear store at the end of August in Cologne´s Schildergasse. "That is an important milestone in our firm?s history", declared Uwe Janzen, managing director for Germany at the grand opening with 200 invited guests from trade, industry and media. In the store with more than 400 square meters of sales area on two floors Ecco retails its entire collection of women´s, men´s and children´s shoes plus a broad selection in the performance, golf and accessories segments. After Munich, Würzburg and Cologne, Ecco opened a further own-store covering 145 square meters in Nuremberg´s Breite Gasse. Together with franchise partner Peter Schöler a new 85 square meter store was opened in Bremen´s Waterfront shopping center. Geox plans 200 shops in China Italian footwear manufacturer Geox has entered into a strategic partnership with Belle International, the leading footwear chainstore operator in the People´s Republic of China, which will be the exclusive distributor for Geox footwear in China. With this new partnership Geox intends to become established as the leading maker of leisure footwear on the Chinese market. By the year 2010 the company plans to open some 200 Geox sales points, including shop-in-shops. SEPTEMBER 2008 Ecco starts opening stores on its own account A men´s collection with exclusive designs and casual footwear, a women´s collection for this autumn and winter with features including patent leather in crinkle and croco look, an exclusively glamorous, seasonal bag collection, glittering, cool shoes for kids, and a performance collection produced with in compliance with environmental protection requirements – Danish footwear producer Ecco is a success-bound global player. With more than 15 000 employees worldwide and annual sales of 16.9 million pairs of shoes, Ecco is one of the leading quality brands active in all sectors of the footwear market, providing not only men´s, women´s and children´s shoes but also high performance sports footwear, including for golf, outdoors, walking and running. In the context of a comprehensive retail offensive Ecco is now seeking to further expand its premium positioning. In Sendlinger Strasse in Munich at the end of July Ecco opened its first own store in Germany. Further stores will follow in Würzburg, Nuremberg and Augsburg, as well as in Cologne and Oberhausen. Openings with franchisees are planned for this autumn in Berlin, Bremen, Dusseldorf and Cologne-Weiden. Micam in Milan The Micam footwear fair will take place in Milan from 17 until 20 September. 1672 exhibitors, including 574 from abroad, will be showing their new collections for spring/summer 2009 on 74 000 square metres of floorspace. Fossil from head to foot Jointly with its American parent Fossil Inc., Fossil (Europe) GmbH in Grabenstätt, Upper Bavaria, is markedly expanding its product range and market presence. For spring 2009 the accessories producer is to launch a sports footwear collection for men, to be followed by a women?s collection in the autumn (as we have reported). The launch will be simultaneous in Germany and USA. The first designs will be shown to the public at the GDS in Dusseldorf in mid-September. The shoes are designed in USA – in common with all Fossil products in line with the "Modern Vintage" design concept. The range extends from classical sneakers via thongs to sporty oxfords. Initially there will be three lines : Vintage Sport, Authentic Casual and Modern Classics. They will retail at between 54.95 and 195 Euro. Germany´s footwear trade and industry in figures Volume 21 of the publication "Die Schuhwirtschaft in Zahlen", covering the period 2007/2008, has now appeared. On more than 100 pages of tables and diagrams it provides data on the German footwear industry for the relevant period, its development over the last decade, and a wealth of detail about imports (sources and prices, classified by shoe type) and exports (customer countries and prices), the market situation as a whole and for individual types of footwear, plus prices and price indices for shoes. On top of these it presents data on the footwear retail trade. The publication costs 116.62 Euro, inclusive of value-added tax, and can be ordered in writing from SchuMo GmbH, Waldstrasse 44. 63065 Offenbach, Germany (fax: 069/812810, e-mail : info@hds-schuh.de. There is a charge for delivery. Geox sustains double-digit growth Italian footwear producer Geox achieved double-digit growth again in the first half of 2008. Aggregate sales rose by 21 percent to 464.1 million Euro. Operating profit (Ebitda) increased 5 percent to 118.3 million Euro. At the same time net profit at 78.0 million Euro was 13 percent higher than last year. The group´s main market, accounting for 36.6 percent of sales, is still Italy. Biggest export market is Germany, taking 13 percent of total sales. Adidas : fewer shoes from China Adidas boss Herbert Hainer finds it too costly to produce sports footwear in China. "At the moment 50 percent of our shoes are made in China. That percentage will shrink", he told the economic weekly "Wirtschaftswoche". The government-set wages are gradually becoming too high. Adidas´ commissioned producers are now in turn outsourcing to Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and India. "Production will also return to the emerging countries in Europe, the CIS states and Eastern Europe", Hainer announced. A sports shoe made in Germany would cost 500 Euro in the shop. The group intends to sell one billion shoes in China in 2010 and expand its outlet network to 6 300 stores by then. Adidas is one of the major sponsors of the Beijing Olympic games. JULY 2008 Shoes of Proenza Schouler The Italian shoe manufacturer Calzaturificio Vicini will fabricate shoes for the US-designer label Proenza Schouler from season Spring/Summer 2009 onwards. The first collection will contain around a 100 models. OutDoor with new record The "Who is Who" of the branch will meet from 17th to 20th July 2008 at the international OutDoor exhibition in Friedrichshafen and sets a new record: more than 750 exhibitors from 38 countries will present their goods. In its 15th edition there will be a special platform about the topic "Sustainability and Ecology" from the Outdoor perspective. Tamaris awards licence for accessories and handbags For the Spring/Summer season 2009 Tamaris starts with a bag collection. The launch of the Tamaris bag collection doesn´t follow only because of the demand of the consumers but also to establish Tamaris as a lifestyle label. Long term more accessories such as belts, cloths and leather goods are planned. The first collection contains 25 models und will be distributed to Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxemburg, Switzerland and Danmark. Pre-sale start is at the end of July 2008. Running Order Show fully booked The first order event for the Running-Segment from 29th June to 1st July 2008 is fully booked. The organiser Messe München GmbH already has enlarged the exhibition space due to the high number of applications but now not even a single square meter is available anymore. In Atrium 1 and Atrium 2 of the Munich Order Center M,O,C a total of 96 exhibitors with over a 1´000 brands from the Running-Segment share a total area of 2500 square meters. There will be brands from the sector shoes, accessories, triathlon, Nordic walking, garment and nutrition. Garant: Positive start into the business year The Garant Schuh + Mode AG have successfully startet into the business year 2008. Especially the conclusion of the insolvency proceedings by the end of 2007 and an optimized range of services offered have improved the business relations to retailers and suppliers. Burberry grows with shoes The british luxury label Burberry increased its turnover in 2007 with accessories and shoes by 39%. The returns with shoes have even been doubled in the last year. In total, accessories and shoes almost contributed a third (32%) of the overall turnover of 1,25 Billion Euros. APRIL 2008 Institutional investor takes over Charles Jourdan French footwear brand Charles Jourdan is assured of survival for the time being. Costa Rica-based investment fund Finzurich has been given the green light to take over the company by the commercial court in Romans conditional on a commitment to invest 15 million Euro in the company and to take on its 130 employees. Last year, for the third time within five years, Charles Jourdan had to file a petition in bankruptcy. Braccialini branches into footwear Italian leather goods brand Braccialini has licensed Italian shoe producer Andrea Pfister to manufacture and market footwear, the collections being timed to hit the market for the 2008/09 Autumn/Winter season. Last year, sales by the leather goods producer, which belongs to the Mariella Burani fashion company, totalled 53 million Euro. Besides footwear, Braccialini also has eyewear, umbrellas and jewellery produced under licence. Adidas profits soar After strong profit growth in 2007, the world´s second largest sports goods manufacturer Adidas intends achieving further growth in the current year. It is looking to the European Football Championships this summer in Austria and Switzerland for an additional boost to earnings. On Wednesday, CEO Herbert Hainer voiced his confidence that Adidas would surpass the 1.2 billion Euro sales figure targeted hitherto. At Reebok, hard hit by the difficult situation in the US market, a new person at the helm would inject fresh impetus. "The integration of Reebok has been completed as has also the reorganization of staff", said Hainer. On the whole, thanks to the Football Championships in Europe and the Olympic Games in China, group sales in the current year look set for single-digit growth in currency-adjusted terms. At the same time the expensive marketing campaigns linked to the sporting events and the expansion of the firm´s own retail business will put up costs. In addition, the group has announced a share repurchase programme that can swallow up as much as 420 million Euro. Even so Adidas is aiming to achieve a growth of "at least 15 percent" in the current year. Last year the group was able to increase profits by 14.2 percent to 551 million Euro thanks to cost synergies from the Reebok takeover and growth with the core brand Adidas. Group sales rose by two percent to 10 299 billion Euro. The group grew in all regions except North America. The weakness in North America affected Reebok in particular, its sales falling by six percent in Euro for the full year. Adidas bought up Reebok in 2006 for more than three billion Euro and has since been trying to revive the brand?s popularity with customers by introducing new products. It will also strive to give a more sporty focus to the brand, which was very lifestyle oriented. From April Uli Becker (44) will be the new CEO at Reebok. Hussein Chalayan becomes creative director at Puma Designer Hussein Chalayan is the new creative director at sports goods group Puma in Herzogenraurach. In a countermove Puma acquires a majority share in London-based fashion company Hussein Chalayan and the eponymous brand. With immediate effect the 37-year-old assumes responsibility for designing textiles, footwear and accessories in all Puma´s sports fashion collections. He will in future also be creatively active for his own label. Sales collapse at K-Swiss American sports footwear brand K-Swiss earned 410.4 million dollars in 2007, a 19 percent drop in sales. While sales abroad rose 14 percent, they fell over 36 percent on the home market. For this year K-Swiss expects a further slump of between 70 and 100 million dollars. Net profit in 2007 shrank by 49 percent to 39 million dollars. MARCH 2008 Harmont & Blaine Shoes The shoe-producer Giano has gained the licence to produce and sell shoes for the menswear brand Harmont & Blaine. Leather goods and baggage will in future be distributed by Rossi. PLW - Leather and More – Exhibition On 8th and 9th of April 2008 the traditional leather and shoe town Pirmasens will be the venue for the shoe branch. Two weeks before Lineapelle in Bologna takes place the fair in Pirmasens will host the PLW Leather & More exhibition. The exhibitors, including many commercial agents with an international-oriented range of products, show the latest developments in leather, upper- and lining material, sole and sole material, orthopaedic shoe techniques and shoe components e.g. covers, heels and shoe jewellery. For the first time besides fashion a technical forum will be integrated in the event. New Campaign for Italian Shoes The new campaign of the Italian shoe-industry-association Anci is called "Golden Italy". The aim is to promote Italian shoes on an international basis. The motives will be placed as posters at the Milan, Duesseldorf, Moscow and Tokyo airports. Furthermore they will be published as advertisements in different fashion-magazines. The sign "made in Italy" thereas will stand for as a guarantee for excellent manufacturing and creativity. Leather Training The Lederinstitute Gerberschule Reutlingen will be holding carrying out a training about leather from 14th to 18th of April. The aim of this training will be to give an overview about leather-production, properties and applications of the different kinds of leather to the employees in the divisions of leather-handling, leather-trade and retail. Further information concerning this event as well as registration-forms can obtained by the Lederinstitut Gerberschule Reutlingen, Edeltraut Keine, Erwin-Seiz-Straße 9, 72764 Reutlingen, Telephone 07121/162327, Fax: 07121/162311, E-Mail: lgr@lgr-reutlingen.de. The Season´s-Start for Bag Fashion The new bag-fashion autumn/winter 2008-09 is the focus of the I.L.M – International Leather-goods Fair - Winter Styles, which takes place from 7th till 9th of March at the Offenbach exhibition. 210 exhibitors from 15 countries will be represented with fashionable leather-accessories and bags. Number of Shoemakers is Decreasing The central association of the German Shoemaker Handcraft (ZDS) reports that the number of shoemaking companies in Germany is further decreasing. According to the report of the German Chamber of Crafts there were 3492 registered companies on 30th of June 2007. This was 71 fewer than 6 months earlier. The fact that during the period mentioned 93 companies were grounded in Germany is also important for the ZDS which shows that this handcraft is interesting for founders of new businesses. Scholl Footwear introduces Mens Shoes for the first time The shoe-producer Scholl Footwear expands its range of products by a complete collection of man´s shoes in the autumn/winter 2008/09 season. Besides models with a sportive design, half-high bootees and cord-shoes will be presented. Boss: Strong Growth With Shoes The division shoe and leather accessories of Hugo Boss grew 2007 above average by 16% to 176 million Euros. Barbara Bui Grows with Shoes The French fashion-brand Barbara Bui had a special strong growth of shoes and bags in 2007. The turnover grew by 29%. Tod´ Continues to Grow The Italian luxury-concern Tod´s has increased its turnover in 2007 by 14,7% to 657 million Euros. Leather goods and accessories contributed 139 million Euros. Stonefly Expands to Germany The Italian shoe-producer Stonefly is going to triple the number of retail outlets, in which the brand is distributed, in Germany within the next three years. The number of sold shoes shall be increased by 30% compared to 2006. Furthermore the degree of popularity shall be raised by a qualitative first-class distribution. Today Stonefly is represented in more than 40 countries worldwide. Export contributes 50% to the overall turnover. 30% are gained in Europe, 20% in the rest of the world. In Germany the rate of woman´s shoes is 60%. FEBRUARY 2008 Burberry expands footwear range British brand Burberry is planning a marked extension of its footwear range in the luxury sector following the prior successful launch of its handbags in the 2000 to 17 000 Euro price range. New dates for summer Ispo The summer Ispo has been rescheduled by one week to run from 6 to 8 July instead of from 29 June to 1 July in order to avoid a clash with the European Football Championship final on 29 June. The fair will also revert to its old name "ispo summer" after last year´s switch to "ispo sport & style". Midec and Salon de la Maroquinerie merge French footwear fair Midec and leather goods fair Salon de la Maroquinerie will in future be staged jointly under the name Salon des Accessoires de la Mode. From September 2008 onwards the new footwear and leather goods fair will be located at the Porte de Versailles site. Flash Orders: promising debut The first leather goods flash order event held on 18 and 19 January at the Offenbach Fair Center received roughly 420 specialist visitors daily. According to statements by the organizers, the new exhibition format, supplementing the international leather goods (ILM) fairs as a small forum for intermediate orders, thus had "an auspicious start" which far exceeded the expectations of the almost 60 participating leather goods suppliers. With updates such as previews of fashionable handbags and leather accessories for travel/outdoors, school/sports and business the event drew buyers from the whole of the Federal Republic and neighbouring countries (Austria, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and a number of East European states). Ordering covered all sectors on offer. In the case of fashionable bags interest focussed on midsummer novelties and initial autumn ideas. The event ran simultaneously with the Assima trade group´s January sample exhibition in the Offenbach Fair Center. I.L.M Winter Styles with around 220 exhibitors is scheduled to be held there from 7 until 9 March and is expected to attract some 5000 visitors. Micam shuns further growth The organizers of the Milan Footwear Fair Micam to run from 26 to 29 February are expecting a total of 1665 exhibitors, 526 of them from abroad. Because Easter falls early this year the dates have been brought forward a few weeks. In addition, Micam will for the first time be open only on workdays, namely from Tuesday to Friday, to comply with the wishes of a large proportion of the visitors, according to the organizers, the Italian Footwear Manufacturers Association Anci. This is particularly intended to make it easier for foreign buyers, whose numbers have shown above-average growth in the past, to visit the fair. For last year´s spring event 42 879 visitors turned up, 2.9 percent more than in the year before. Although there is a waiting list for exhibitors, Anci has no plans to enlarge Micam. Hope for Rohde There is now hope for footwear producer Eric Rohde KG in Schwalmstadt, Hessen, bankrupt since March. "Exclusive and advanced" negotiations for a takeover by Four Square Investments GmbH in Frankfurt are currently in progress. Insolvency administrator Carsten Koch confirmed to the newspaper Handelsblatt that the negotiations are at an advanced stage. The aim of the transaction is to save the company. Footwear firm Rohde was founded in 1947 by Eric Rohde. Annual production is just short of six million pairs, and sales including Daniel Hechter licensed brand footwear are valued at close to 100 million Euro. In 2007 Rohde closed down his Austrian factory with about 100 employees. The headcount in Germany dropped from 500 to 400. Müller & Meirer launch Porsche men´s shoes. Porsche Design Group (Porsche Lizenz- und Handelsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG) and Müller & Meirer Lederwarenfabrik GmbH headquartered in Kirn will in future extend their cooperation to the footwear sector. Together the two firms are to develop and produce high-quality men´s footwear under the Porsche Design brand. The first shoes will hit the market in 2010. In addition a contract extension for "soft luggage", which includes leather goods and travel luggage, has also been agreed. Müller & Meirer has been producing leather goods for Porsche Design for ten years. Footwear and bags from Joop Jeans In readiness for the Autumn/Winter season 2008/2009, denim line Joop Jeans is to launch an independent accessories collection comprising bags, 14 shoe styles for women and 5 for men. The collection will be rounded off by 8 belts for women and 15 for men. The focus will be on vegetable tanned leathers. Rendezvous Lake Garda in January The 69th Riva Footwear Exhibition from 12 to 15 January brought 11 238 specialist visitors to Lake Garda, 2 percent up on the previous year according to the organizers. 6480 or 58 percent of the visitors came from abroad. The focus at the stands of the 1125 exhibitors from 33 countries were the new collections for Autumn/Winter 2008/2009 and hence the respective importance of boots, bootees and oxford shoes in next winter´s ranges. The next event, to run from 17 until 19 February, will be the first Middle East Riva Footwear Exhibition in the exhibition center in Sharjah (United Arab Emirates). This will be followed by the 70th Riva Footwear Exhibition on Lake Garda from 14 until 17 June. OutDoor stays in Friedrichshafen The Trade Fair OutDoor will continue to be held in Friedrichshafen. In a secret ballot under notarial supervision the majority of the 47 eligible members of the European Outdoor Group (EOG) voted for the exhibition site on Lake Constance and against Munich. The fair has been held in Friedrichshafen for 14 years. The agreement would have expired next year. JANUARY 2008 Wave of bankruptcies of small Chinese shoe producers Many small Chinese shoe producers are suffering from the anti dumping duties and general scepticism towards Chinese exports. The national press quotes a report from the Chinese Association of Shoe Producers that states that approximately 1000 of these small producers have gone bankrupt lately. Especially the South-Chinese province Canton near Hong-Kong, which is the centre of the worldwide shoe production with about 8000 shoe factories has been effected. One of the main problems for the Chinese shoe industry is that there are protective anti-dumping duties for imports into the European Union that are meant to protect European producers. Furthermore the latest product recalls for Chinese products have also led to scepticism towards Chinese shoes. The businesses of these small shoe producers are often taken over by larger shoe factories which are now more and more dominating the branch in China. The actress Natalie Portman designs shoes without leather Natalie Portman (26), a dedicated vegetarian, has now also designed shoes without leather. The actress will launch a shoe-collection that uses absolutely no animal products with the company Té Casa from New York. The "Natalie Portman Collection" should be available from February on. The shoes will be produced without leather, feathers or fur. Furthermore Portman will donate 5% of the profit for animal protection. Each pair of shoes will cost approx. 200$. A few years ago the actress already confessed that she didn´t wear leather and is a vegetarian. Luciano Soprani Shoes The Italian fashion boutique Luciano Soprani gave away a shoe-licence. From autumn/winter 2008/09 on, shoes will be produced and sold by Alta Dimensione. High Number of Registrations for Modacalzado-Fair / Spanish shoe exports More than 350 companies have now registered for the Madrilenian fairs Modacalzado and Iberpiel which will take place from 7th till 9th March. This is an increase compared to last year´s figures. The fair will be situated between the Micam Fair in Milan and the GDS Fair in Düsseldorf whereof the hosts expect more foreign visitors especially from overseas. In addition there will be an artistic supporting-program in association with the shoe-fair Elda taking place at the same time. According to the Spanish Association of the Shoe Industry (FICE) the increasing number of registrations is also a sign that the Spanish shoe-export-business has stabilised. The Spanish shoe-exports for the first 7 months 2007 increased by 16,3% to 1211 Billion Euro. Altogether 66 Million pairs of shoes were sold abroad in this period which means an increase of 7,6% compared to 2006. One quarter of these exports go to France who is Spain´s most important partner, followed by Germany, Italy and Great Britain. The value of shoe-imports, however, decreased by 8,5% to 1022 Billion Euro. 218 Million pairs of shoes were imported between January and July, 160 Million of them from China. Expensive running shoes without advantages A report from the British Journal of Sports Medicine says that British scientists have done a study, to show if expensive running shoes offer better running-comfort. More than 40 men were willing to test cheap (40-50 £) middle-price (60-65 £) and expensive (70-75 £) shoes and have themselves measured during the testing. The researchers lead by Richard Clinghan diagnosed the pressure at different spots (under the ankle, under the forefoot and under the big toe) when the test persons were running. "Price is irrelevant" is the result: Cheap and middle-price shoes absorb shocks as well as expensive models. Concerning the subjective running-comfort there are individual preferences, which actually do neither have relations to the price nor with the pressure proportions. Declaration of Origin for shoe imports to the European Union There is still no majority between the EU member countries regarding the declaration of origin for shoe imports to the European Union. Most member countries consider a compulsory declaration of origin for products that are often composed of many separate parts as impracticable and cost intensive, due to global network productions and short-term changes of suppliers. Shoes are a good example of this. The Italian shoe industry, however, demands an initiation of the Declaration or Origin from the European Commission in Brussels. In return they would waiver the protective duties against cheap shoe-imports from China and Vietnam. More and more Italian shoe enterprisers are expressing themselves against these protective duties. Beside Italy, all Mediterranean countries and Poland are pleading for the declaration. The German shoe-industry is still for a voluntarily declaration and under no circumstances will agree to a binding one. Charles Jourdan is being liquidated The commercial court of Romans has decided that the French shoe-producer Charles Jourdan SAS, founded in 1921, will be liquidated, after the last takeover-interests of the American Omnicent-Group did not come to a result. 197 employees at Romans will lose their jobs. The reason for Omnicent backing out was that the rights for the brand for Northern America were held by BBC International since last year and were not for sale. Première Vision buys into Midec Paris fabric fair Première Vision has acquired a 49 percent share in fair organizer Sepic, which had only recently been bought by British company Tarsus. Sepic organizes the footwear fair Midec and the accessories fair Mod´Amont. New general manager at Nike Since December Michaela Stitz has been Vice President and General Manager responsible for the sports goods company Nike in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia. With the company since 1996, latterly as Commercial Director for Germany, she succeeds Hubertus Hoyt, who is moving to Nike headquarters in the USA. Micam and Mipel: overlapping rather than parallel dates Milan leather goods fair Mipel will not be fully in step with the changed dates for footwear fair Micam. Though next Spring Mipel (28 February to 2 March) will also be moved forward a few weeks it will continue to run from Thursday to Sunday, whereas Micam (26 to 29 February) will be a Tuesday to Friday event. In the autumn the two fairs will overlap for three days if Micam (17 to 20 September) runs from Wednesday to Saturday. Mipel will then be held from 18 to 21 September. The new staging slot arrangement is initially valid just for 2008. Legero shoe factory wins award The Legero shoe factory in Graz, Austria, was voted the "most dynamic company in Styria and hence the winning "Big Player" in "Austria´s Leading Companies" competition on 22 October. The competition, organized annually by financial newspaper Wirtschaftsblatt in collaboration with PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Austrian loan protection association KSV 1870, is not a popularity contest. The best in the three categories "Dynamic Small Enterprise", "Golden Middle Range" and "Big Player" are judged exclusively on the basis of economic criteria such as growth, earnings and liquidity. Kallisté starting with bags Italian footwear brand Kallisté is to launch handbags and has accordingly signed a three-year licensing agreement with French leather goods producer Lamarthe. The bags will be available through the label´s single-brand stores and shops which also stock Kallisté footwear. Ground-breaking ceremony for Puma company headquarters Sports goods manufacturer Puma is reinforcing its base in Germany: the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Puma Plaza headquarters early in November marked the start of the company´s third investment project in Herzogenaurach following the opening of its factory outlet in 2002 and the extension in 2005. In addition to a new administration centre for the Central European area, a new brand centre and a new concept and factory outlet store are to be erected. The new company headquarters on the airport road in Herzogenaurach will cover a total area of 50 000 square metres and, when completed, will house about 700 employees. Completion of all three buildings is scheduled for the end of 2009. Total costs to completion are around 50 million Euro. The new buildings are sited around a central court, the Plaza proper. Besides the seven-storey administration centre for the Central European area, a new concept and factory outlet store with its own restaurant is to be built along with a brand centre. In the brand centre, currently still located in Nuremberg, the innovative sport lifestyle collections will then be displayed on a total 10 000 square metre area in the new ordering and presentation premises. A multimedia hall to accommodate 1 500 people is also being added. Clarks starting with handbags In Britain the world´s largest walking shoes manufacturer Clarks has been selling handbags for years. Now the firm is expanding its product portfolio in Germany too and launching a handbag collection. "The demand for handbags to match the season´s footwear models was so big that we decided to introduce handbags in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well", says Robert Bendl, Sales Manager of the German marketing subsidiary. Initially the handbags will be available in Clarks stores and shop-in-shops. The collection will be differentiated into Casual and Smart. Camel active expands via outlets Life-style brand Camel active is seeking to expand further in the national and international specialist textile and footwear trade. By the end of 2008 it intends creating a total of 89 new textile-selling outlets and 140 footwear shop-in-shop facilities. In addition to its core market Germany, the brand is focussing primarily on eastern and south-eastern Europe, plus Benelux and Scandinavia. "In the next two years we will pursue our well-structured expansion. We have done our homework and our now getting down to business", states Mark Schäfer, Head of Retail with premier licensee CMLC GmbH in Bielefeld. Birkenstock owners take over US distribution partner The owner troika of Birkenstock Orthopädie GmbH & Co. KG, Stephan, Alex and Christian Birkenstock, have bought up their long-standing distribution partner Birkenstock Distribution USA Inc. (BDUSA). As of now the company styles itself Birkenstock USA, LP, and will continue to be headquartered in Novato, California. "For us, as a world-leading producer of low-cork-footbed sandals, optimum positioning in the huge US market in particular is important. We are therefore very happy with our purchase of BDUSA", say the Birkenstock owners. "Our aim is to boost product availability and to further expand the brand with specialized dealers via the expansion of single-brand stores and shop-in-shop facilities". Amazon opens footwear shop Internet dealer Amazon recently extended its selling range to include footwear and handbags. Under www.amazon.de customers in Germany and Austria can target upwards of 5 000 branded products from more than 250 makers such as Aigle, Ara, Belmondo, Buffalo, CAT, Clarks, Der kleine Muck, Gant, Kickers, Malene Birger, Merrell, Romika, Scholl and Vans. All items can be searched by price, brand, style, colour, material and fastener. Hitherto the Amazon fashion range was confined to clothing and hardware in the Sport & Leisure category. Back in January Amazon opened a footwear shop in the USA. ?Our aim is to offer our customers the largest selection of footwear, enabling each individual to find exactly the right style in the right size?, commented senior manager Dirk Daniel. ?In addition to the popular big-name brands we also provide a wide choice for customers with exclusive tastes, as well as handbags which are hard to come by in the static trade" View detail Simac and Tanning Tech together again in 2008 Footwear machinery fair Simac and tanning technology fair Tanning Tech will next year again be staged jointly with leather fair Lineapelle in Bologna from 28 to 30 October. The favourable outcome experienced this Spring had encouraged a repeat of the dual event, announced the organizer, Assomac. The shift to an autumn timeslot was explained by a host of events in this period and the Easter deadline. View detail Bally footwear back in the running Swiss traditional brand Bally is on the expansion course again in Germany. Crisis-stricken in the nineties, the firm was taken over in 1999 by Texas Pacific Group, an American holding company. Since then it has been moving towards repositioning itself as a global luxury brand. In 2004 Bally moved out of the red and is now profitable, growing steadily and hiring anew. For this year the company is reckoning on 15 to 20 percent growth, according to group head Franchini. Growth is particularly strong in Asia and Eastern Europe. Half of Bally´s sales is footwear, 40 percent accessories such as bags and travel luggage, and 10 percent apparel. Against this background the company can now invest more strongly in the creative sector. From being outsourced in the past, product development is now back in-house, facilitating control and direct contact with the designers. Accordingly the post of Design Head was filled for the first time in February, the choice falling on the American Brian Atwood, who had made a name for himself with Gianni Versace in Milan. View detail More visitors at I.L.M. Leather goods fair I.L.M. Summer Styles in Offenbach closed its doors on 30 September. In its 4-day run it attracted 6 100 visitors, an increase of seven percent. The number from abroad rose by an above-average 12 percent. The majority of the 238 exhibitors from 18 countries presenting new collections for Spring/Summer 2008 featuring fashionable bags, leather goods, travel luggage and last-minute topical items for the Christmas buying spree, were very satisfied with how the fair had gone. For the fair company the results confirm that the trade is banking on an ongoing boom in leather goods and that 2008 will see a sustained buoyant demand for fashionable bags in particular. View detail Micam brings Spring event further forward Milan footwear fair Micam has opted for a markedly earlier than normal timeslot for its Spring 2008 event. The fair will run from 26 to 29 February and not as customary in mid-March or at the end of March to follow GDS in Dusseldorf. Initially the fair had been timed for 28 February to 2 March. The reason given for the date swap by the Italian footwear manufacturers association and Micam organizer Anci was the danger of overlapping with the Easter holidays. On top of that, as from next year, the duration of Micam will alter. In Spring it will no longer run from Thursday to Sunday but from Tuesday to Friday, and in Autumn from Wednesday 17 till Saturday 20 September. Sunday as a Fair day had latterly been criticized for poor attendance. Whether or not leather goods fair Mipel, which normally parallels Micam, will also switch to the new dates was not certain at the time of going to press. View detail Puma extends contract with Zeitz prematurely Sports goods manufacturer Puma AG, a member of French luxury goods group PPR, has extended the contract of CEO Jochen Zeitz (44) prematurely for a further five years until 2012 ?with an eye to the company´s long-term development?. Supervisory board chairman François-Henri Pinault stated that with this decision ?the supervisory board has initiated successful collaboration between Puma and PPR with the aim not only of consolidating but also of further enhancing the position of Puma as one of the most sought-after sport lifestyle companies?. Zeitz has been Puma CEO since 1993. View detail November 2007 Richter starts 2008 with "Fair Steps" Next year Austrian children´s footwear manufacturer Richter is to launch an ecological children´s footwear collection labelled ?Fair Steps? for which complete freedom from harmful substances is guaranteed, stated managing director Alf Netek. In this way the company is seeking to allay the worries of many parents disconcerted not least by recent findings of harmful substances in children´s footwear. As with the fair trade philosophy the initiative is also aimed at respecting the rights of the workforce and ensuring the absence of harmful substances in production. ?Our Fair Steps initiative is not simply a logo but a quality certificate?, assures Netek. After the crisis precipitated by a subsidiary´s bankruptcy, Richter is ?over the sticky patch?, according to Netek. The group is fully financed up to the end of 2009. Early orders for Spring/Summer are roughly at last year´s level, and subsequent sales for the winter are up by 20 percent. Here demand for loafers is strong, highest in Great Britain and Russia. Sales in Germany had stagnated. View detail Timberland announces store closures Next year American firm Timberland is to shut down some 40 proprietary stores in USA, Europe and Asia. The brand will in future concentrate on smaller outlets with the focus on footwear. The new ?Footwear First? model is to be further tested and expanded. The stores due for closure currently generate yearly earnings of 40 million Euro. Timberland is hoping this move will boost its present operating profit of 4.2 million Euro. For this year the company calculates that sales will be down five percent on a year ago. Timberland operates a total of 240 stores worldwide. Added to these are 550 franchisee-run Timberland stores. View detail OCTOBER 2007 Lineapelle shows leather trends The Lineapelle fair is being held in Bologna from 17 to 19 October. 1500 exhibitors from 50 different countries will be exhibiting leather, synthetic materials and components for the footwear, leather goods and clothing industries to an expected 30 000 visitors. This time the Tanning Tech machinery fair will not be run in parallel with Lineapelle. China´s leather sector again with two-digit growth Despite all the discussion about, and the imposition of, anti-dumping punitive tariffs on leather street shoes, China in the first six months of the current year exported 10.7 billion US dollars worth of leather products, an increase of 11.2 percent versus the previous year. The lion´s share was accounted for by footwear (leather, rubber, plastic and textile shoes and other footwear items) : 9.85 billion dollars, an increase of 16.3 percent. Even with the leather street shoes subject to punitive tariffs China´s producers were able to up sales by 11.7 percent to 3.6 billion dollars. In contrast, China´s 110 million US dollars worth of footwear imports are very modest, even if up again by 16.9 percent. From this perspective the Chinese leather industry´s imports of primary products, which in the first six months of the year rose by 15.3 percent to 2.68 billion dollars, are rather more significant. Statistics show that in 2005 China had more than 18000 large and medium-size shoe factories, of which 3880 with annual sales of 5 million yuan (600 000 US dollars). 1. PLW – PFI Congress in Pirmasens Messe Pirmasens and the PFI (Testing & Research Institute) are staging a day-and-a-half congress at the 73rd PLW – Leather & More on 5 and 6 October in Pirmasens. The congress will focus on current themes from the shoe and leather branch and is aimed at persons engaged in development, design, production and planning The themes: - Leather – an innovative material for the end-user? (Dr. Wolf, BASF) - Fit: The foot as specification for the shoe (Dr. Becker, Orthopaedic specialist) - European test standards for leather and footwear (Dr. Markus Scherer, PFI) - Mass customization (Christoph Berger, Adidas) - Polyurethane systems for the footwear industry (Udo Wendel, Elastogran) - Social and quality management systems for the footwear industry (Gerhard Schäuble, PFI) - Novel tanning methods – novel leathers (Dr. Heinz-Peter Germann (Leather Institute, Tanning School Reutlingen - Improving the fit of women´s boots (Dr. Monika Richter, PFI) - Smart clothes – computers in clothing (Dr. Rupp, Institute for clothing physiology Hohenstein) - Reach – Specifications and consequences for the leather and footwear industry (Dr. Alex Föller (Verband Tagewa) - Current aspects of functional and development-compatible footwear for children (Peter Erren, Erren company) -Chromium VI and formaldehyde in leather. Phantoms? (Dr. Gerhard Nickolaus, PFI) Wortmann repeats double-digit growth The Wortmann Group in Detmold, one of Europe´s leading footwear manufacturing and marketing firms, achieved a consolidated aggregate turnover of 625.3 million Euro in the business year 2005/2006 (31.05.) (previous year: 531.6 million Euro). This represents an increase of 17.6 percent and thus beats last year´s record result (up 14.6 percent). The export share of the European companies is up again to 46.1 percent (previous year: 43.1 percent). The Wortmann Group´s products are sold in more than 70 countries worldwide. All markets and all companies within the Group contributed to this result. In Germany too Wortmann managed to achieve double-digit growth despite ongoing stagnation in the retail footwear trade. Sales by the Group´s European subsidiaries rose to exceed 20 million pairs in the fashion segment. With further offtake of more than 40 million pairs in the standard footwear sector the group continues to be one of Europe´s absolute top performers. The figures here reported include the sales by the European subsidiaries Wortmann (Tamaris), Wendel, Caprice and Shoe.com (s.Oliver, Comma) and those in Asia by Novi Footwear (Far East) Ltd., Hong Kong/Singapore. At 13.4 million Euro total investments were slightly above last year´s figure. The Group is represented by companies of its own in ten locations in Europe and a further twelve in the Far East. Globally the Group has more than 680 employees (previous year: 650). Besides these, more than 27 000 people worldwide produce footwear for the Wortmann Group. ACLE and CIFF in Shanghai continue to forge ahead "It would be nice if there was as much going on at our trade fairs in Europe." Comments such as these were frequently to be heard at the All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE), which ran from 5 to 7 September in Shanghai – again jointly with the events for finished products China International Footwear Fair (CIFF) and Moda Shanghai. The leading Chinese fair for the leather sector is still on the growth curve and made a further leap forward: more exhibitors, more visitors. 1260 exhibitors from 37 countries – from the exhibitor standpoint the triple fair is by far the most international trade fair for leather. This time round, with an exhibition area of 57 500 square metres, it occupied five halls of the Shanghai New International Expo Centre – one hall more yet again. Massive blow against product pirates The German customs in Hamburg delivered a massive blow against brand pirates with a record find of 16 0000 pairs of smuggled sports shoes. The goods confiscated in the port city were counterfeit Nike products, which were hidden behind low-price footwear in a total of 19 containers. "This is the largest number ever to be confiscated in Germany", announced the Customs Investigation Office in Hamburg on Friday. The find prevented a financial loss of 20 million Euro to the economy. The US authorities too have thwarted an attempt to smuggle in fake Nike sports shoes manufactured in China. Six suspects have been indicted and goods valued at more than 16 million dollars (12.49 million Euro) confiscated, reported the authorities in Tucson in the US state of Arizona. According to the information they released 135 000 shoes of the Nike Air Jordan type were to be smuggled in inside 15 freight containers. The smugglers are also claimed to have introduced 82 ship container loads of shoes and sportswear into the USA. "We estimate that the value of all the confiscated goods could total 86 million dollars", stated a special agent of the customs police in Arizona. Moda made in Italy: high-style footwear fashion at the M,O,C, From 6 to 8 October numerous European footwear brands are presenting their collections and highlights for Spring and Summer 2007 at the Moda made in Italy footwear fair at the M,O,C, event centre in Munich-Freimann. In halls 2 and 3 as well as in Atrium 3 more than 340 exhibitors from Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and France are looking to welcome the specialist public. One of the exhibitors is Gruppo SOC, of which the roughly 70 lessees of the M,O,C,Order Center are members. China calls EU footwear tariffs China refuses to accept the threatened extension of the EU punitive tariffs on footwear imports from the People´s Republic and Vietnam. The European Union (EU) should abandon its "disproportionate" assessment of footwear imports from China, demanded the Ministry of Trade in Peking. Europe ought to recognize that in China footwear is manufactured under market-economy conditions. EU competition commissioner Peter Mandelson had proposed that the punitive tariffs provisionally imposed since April be extended for five years with effect from October. At present leather shoes from China are subject to a tariff of 16.5 percent, those from Vietnam to one of 10 percent. Brussels justifies the tariffs by reference to inadmissible subsidies that China and Vietnam granted their footwear producers. Almost every second shoe comes from China Shoes from China and Vietnam account for more than half of all imported footwear. As reported by the Federal Statistics Office in Wiesbaden, China was a clear leader with 101.9 million pairs of shoes delivered in the first 6 months of the year. This represented a 44.6 percent share of the total volume imported and a purchase value of 523.4 million Euro. Second place was held by Vietnam. Over the same period 36.5 million pairs of shoes came from that country, a share of 16 percent valued at 295.5 million Euro. In the Spring the EU Commission had imposed punitive tariffs on leather footwear produced in both China and Vietnam, accusing the two countries of price dumping. Altogether, according to the information presented, 228.5 million pairs of shoes to a total value of 2.1 billion Euro were imported into Germany. Statistically speaking that is the equivalent of almost three pairs of imported shoes for each inhabitant. Besides footwear from China and Vietnam, Italian shoes were also in great demand. From this country came 21 million pairs. The 9.2 percent Italian share of the volume imported, while markedly lower than China´s, rated distinctly higher in value terms, namely 307.3 million Euro. September 2007 More international buyers at Francal in Brazil Brazilian footwear fair Francal in São Paulo, which ran from 7 to 13 July, hosted 53 000 visitors, five percent up on last time. In particular there were more buyers from abroad. The visitors came from a total of over 100 different countries. Roughly 1 100 exhibitors displayed their latest collections for the Spring/Summer 2008 season. Brazil claims to be the world´s third biggest footwear exporter, with Latin American countries its main customers. In Europe Italy is the most important exporting country, but France, Germany, Portugal, Spain and The Netherlands feature among the top 15. Lise Lindvig enters the German market Successfully established in Scandinavia, Copenhagen-based young designer footwear brand Lise Lindvig is expanding its marketing activities internationally. Partner for the German-speaking countries is marketing company Bugs S. A., Luxemburg. Bugs started activities for the Spring/Summer 2008 season at the Bread & Butter fair in Barcelona, and will also be represented at the GDS in Dusseldorf. With its individual design Lise Lindvig has so far been taken up in Germany by some 40 dealers in the top quality fashion sector. "By the end of 2008 we intend to increase this number to about 150 customers", explains Bugs spokesman Markus Struzyna. "We are aiming at individual fashion stores with a trendy footwear range and fashion-oriented footwear dealers with a hip brand environment". Lise Lindvig collections are available in 193 countries around the world. Nike stays in Indonesia following labour protest In the aftermath of workforce protests, American sports goods producer Nike has extended its footwear production contracts with two Indonesian footwear factories. The two factories will now supply Nike until July 2008 and July 2009 respectively. In July Nike had announced that cooperation with the firms PT Hardaya Aneka Shoes Industry and Nagasakti Paramashoes Industry would terminate at the year-end. The two companies together employ 14 000 workers. The Americans relented after intervention by the government and two protests by the workforce in front of the company HQ in Indonesia. Nike sues Geox Sports goods manufacturer Nike has sued footwear producer Geox for damages. The Americans accuse Geox of partially copying Nike´s successful Shox Turbo III creation in the design of its Calamity model. Nike demands that the model be withdrawn from the market immediately and the shoes destroyed. Geox chairman Mario Moretti Polegato believes they will achieve an out-of-court settlement: "We shall resolve this whole issue with a gentlemen´s agreement". Own footwear collection for Paris Hilton Paris Hilton intends launching her own footwear collection and has signed a licence agreement to that effect with the Anebi Footwear Group. The hotel heiress´ new collection includes stilettos, flat shoes and shoes with wedge heels. Paris Hilton Footwear will make their market debut early next year in the USA. Pikolinos takes over Martinelli Spanish footwear producer Pikolinos has acquired the Martinelli brand. The new management intends to gain shares on the international markets while retaining the product philosophy dating from Martinelli´s foundation in 1973. Martinelli produces women´s and men´s formal and sports footwear with strong emphasis on comfort. A key area in the collection are moccasins in different styles and materials. A highlight in Spain is the "Routier", a moccasin for women, men and children. I.L.M. presents latest bag fashion At the I.L.M Summer Styles international leather goods fair from 27 to 30 September in Offenbach new bags and leather accessories for Spring/Summer 2008 will be displayed. With Christmas business approaching the fair is also of interest for last-minute gift ideas in the travel, outdoor, school and business sectors or in small leather items. Some 230 exhibitors from 15 countries will be at the fair and provide a buying and information platform for all trading sectors dealing in leather goods. Over 1000 collections will be on view. The exhibition program includes the latest fashion bag lines, including a host of international lifestyle and designer labels and strongly positioned young fashion ranges besides new trend collections in small leather goods, travel and leisure bags, business and school items, umbrellas, gloves, belts and miscellaneous fashion accessories. Hugo Boss expands footwear business In the first half-year Hugo Boss AG boosted its sales of footwear and leather accessories by 20 percent to 89 million Euro. Altogether group sales in the first six months rose 11 percent to 794 million Euro. Camel active marks its 30th anniversary Thirty years after the launch of CAMEL BOOTS, life style brand Camel active is paying special homage to its own history: with a limited edition jacket in the legendary original 1977 design the firm journeys back to the time of its inception, when the introduction of Camel Boots and a matching textile collection laid the foundation stone for the sportswear brand´s success. True to the firm´s concept of offering trendy and functional leisu