Footwear Industry And Market In Italy

Italy is a big country in the world's traditional shoes making and export, ranking sixth in the world's major production countries and fourth in export.

Its finished shoes, especially leather shoes, are characterized by high quality scientific and design concepts, representing the world trend, fine workmanship and continuous innovation. They have always occupied the high-end market with high quality and high price brand effect in the international market.

At the same time, Italy shoe making enterprises characterized by small and medium-sized enterprises have been bringing forth new ideas in recent years. On the one hand, they highlight the main body of innovation in product development, and gradually expand overseas emerging markets on the other hand, making the industry an important part of Italy's outward oriented fashion industry.

　　一、意大利制鞋行業及市場消費基本情況

Shoemaking industry has always been a traditional export industry in Italy and occupies an important position in Italy's national economy.

The main shoemaking industrial areas are concentrated in 23 provinces, including Markey, Tuscany, Venetian, Lombardy, Emilia, Rome, and so on.

Since 2000, influenced by the adjustment of domestic industrial structure and the fierce competition in the international market, the footwear industry in Italy has been lingering in the low valley, with the number of enterprises shrinking and sales declining.

However, in 2006 and 2007, driven by the rapid growth of external demand, some of the operational indicators of the footwear industry had undergone positive changes, showing signs of recovery in the industry.

The main features are as follows:

(1) industrial restructuring has intensified, and the number of enterprises and employment has been decreasing.

In recent years, domestic consumers in Italy have been increasing demand for low-grade shoes from China, Vietnam and other places, so that some small and medium-sized family businesses which have no brand superiority, technological superiority, scale advantage and capital advantage have been closed down or bought and sold. The number of enterprises in the whole shoe making industry has been declining and employment numbers are decreasing.

According to the data of Italy Footwear Manufacturers Association (ANCI, hereinafter referred to as the Italy Footwear Association), as of the end of 9 2007, there were 6501 shoe making enterprises in the industry, a decrease of 156 from the end of 2006, a decrease of 2.3%, a decrease of 330 over the end of 2005, a decrease of 4.8%, and an employment of 90 thousand and 800 persons, a decrease of 3289 from the end of last year, a decrease of 3.5%, and a decrease in the number of people than the end of the year.

(two) although the output of shoemaking has declined, the unit price of shoes has increased.

Judging from the output, the output of footwear industry in Italy has been decreasing since 2003, and its output value has dropped to the bottom since 2005, and has rebounded since 2006 (see below).

According to the data of Italy Footwear Manufacturers Association, in 2007, the footwear industry in Italy produced 243 million pairs of shoes, 0.6% lower than the previous year, but because of the increase in the added value and unit price of shoes, the output value increased by 2.9%, reaching 7 billion 408 million euros, which has taken the trend of rising since 2006.

According to the sample survey results of the 1-9 month output of member enterprises in 2007, 36% of the enterprises' output decreased compared with the same period last year, while 30% of the enterprises basically maintained their level in the previous year, and 34% of the enterprises increased in varying degrees.

　　(三)意大利制鞋行業是典型的外向型產業，貿易順差增長

According to the data of Italy Footwear Association, in 2006, the proportion of the export volume of Italy's real estate shoes accounted for 82.7% of the total production, 0.4 percentage points higher than the previous year, and the proportion of the export value in the production output value was 79.4%, an increase of 1.3 percentage points.

In 2007, the footwear industry is expected to achieve a trade surplus of 3 billion 700 million euros for the whole year, an increase of 12.5% over the same period last year.

(four) domestic consumption has rebounded.

According to the data of Italy Footwear Association, the consumption of shoes in Italy's domestic market rebounded in 2007, and 166 million pairs of shoes were consumed throughout the year, an increase of 3.9% over the previous year, and consumption amounted to 6 billion 714 million euros, an increase of 6.2%.

The classification of major consumer varieties is shown in the table below.

(five) the top five enterprises in the footwear industry of Italy

According to the Italy Footwear Association, due to the challenges of economic globalization, the footwear industry in Italy has been hit by cheap products from Asian countries. Especially, many brands of small and medium-sized shoemaking enterprises have gradually weakened their international competitiveness and are struggling.

However, a large number of enterprises face severe challenges, adjust their international business strategies in a timely manner, attach importance to the research and introduction of new technologies, constantly strive for excellence in fabric, style and design, and actively explore new markets. By constantly expanding and expanding product lines, enterprises have gained rapid growth in the high-end market, forming a number of representative enterprises.

According to the data of PAMBIANCO Research Center, a famous information consultancy company in Italy fashion industry, according to its operating income and net profit in 2005, the center selected the top five enterprises in Italy footwear industry.

The top five businesses were TOD S (503 million euros), GEOX (455 million euros), FORNARI (156 million euros), ADELCHI (122 million euros), ZEIS EXCELSA (95 million euros), and the top five profit margins were GEOX (16.5%), TOD 'S (10.6%), ROSSIMODA (10.4%), 8.5% (8.5%) and S (8.5%).

Two. The basic situation of foreign trade of footwear industry in Italy

　　(一)對外出口情況

1, the number of export shoes

According to the data of Italy Footwear Association, in 2007, the total number of shoes exported to Italy was 246 million pairs of shoes, an increase of 1.1% over the same period last year, reversing the decline in export volume in 2006. The export volume continued to grow, reaching 6 billion 934 million euros, an increase of 7%; the average export price of shoes was 28.16 euros, an increase of 5.9%.

2, the type of export shoes

From the type of its export shoes, the export shoes are mainly leather shoes, both in terms of quantity and amount.

In 2007 1-10, the number of leather shoes exported to Italy was 144 million pairs, and the export amount was 5 billion 71 million euros, which accounted for 66.5% and 83.7% of Italy's footwear exports respectively.