We have now entered the Post-Covid era: how have you organised yourselves with regards to this new reality?
We have reinforced our online platform, on which we had already begun to work even before the Covid emergency, and despite everything, it allowed us to register excellent sales even during the lockdown.
How did the market of children’s footwear change after the arrival of the pandemic?
Without a doubt this market, like many others, suffered significant losses, since it was impossible to celebrate events and formal occasions, but despite all this, it is still a fairly dynamic and lively reality.
What are the main challenges you are facing in this moment, and what opportunities do you believe this situation has created?
Change always brings a number of important challenges with it, but also numerous opportunities: we are trying to grow organically, with a special focus on B2B and B2C channels and marketing campaigns, with the aim of increasing brand awareness.
Do you believe the period we are currently experiencing has changed the purchasing habits of consumers, for example, with online sales growing at the expense of physical stores?
Consumer habits are of course different since there are now different and new kinds of needs: we spend more time at home, with fewer important occasions for wearing something more elegant and sophisticated, and unavoidably the tendency is to purchase comfortable shoes that are easy to move around in.
What do you believe the store of the near future will be like (shop 4.0, experiential shops, etc.)?
The store of the future? I believe it will revolve around the digital reality: I’m thinking for example of a showroom or customer care, where the customer can try on the product and touch it with their own hands, to then buy it in a second moment from the comfort of their own home.
What about the kind of products customers are interested in purchasing? There’s talk of greater awareness for example towards green themes and sustainable products. What do you think?
I believe this pandemic has raised the awareness of all of us. In fact, there are an increasing number of consumers attentive to the environment and the health of the planet and mankind, who are choosing to purchase products made with eco-sustainable or recycled materials.
What are the features of the up-and-coming winter collection? How are you presenting it to buyers (physical meetings, virtual showrooms, etc.)?
The new collection has definitely been created in line with the new reality and different needs. We focused a lot on comfort and above all we are working to offer a product that is more affordable and inexpensive, without penalising the quality. As far as meetings with buyers are concerned, we will increasingly use the B2B platform that has been integrated with our database.
What role do sector fairs play in the new context we are experiencing?
Believing that we can continue to organise fairs like we did before the outbreak of the pandemic is simply idealistic! In fact, I believe that trade fair events must evolve from a digital standpoint, if they want to continue to be attractive for both producers and buyers.
