This major Italian shoe manufactruring group, which specializes in the medium segment of the market, is launching a new line of medium to top-end men’s footwear from the next Fall-Winter season. Entirely made in Italy with the highest craftsmanship, the new line will be called Filograna 1948 after the name of Antonio Filograna, the famous shoemaker who founded the group in 1948.
The group already produces its own Filanto brand, and has held the Ralph Schumacher license since 2002. It sells almost 9.5 million pairs per year. After completely rationalizing its production facilities in Italy and abroad, the group is currently evaluating possible new offshore locations. It already gets contract work done in Albania, Egypt, India and Bulgaria. The Far East is apparently a possibility, but no confirmation has been given so far.
On the sales side, the expansion of the Filanto Store network will continue, with a total of 5 new company-owned outlets planned in Southern Italy for this year, in addition to the 9 directly-owned stores located in Apulia, the region where its headquarters are located. These franchised stores represent only 2 percent of the group’s total sales. The USA is one of the group’s main export markets, but no decision has been taken so far to increase prices in US dollars, or any other measures to counteract the problem of the strong euro.