To conquer the Arab market the Brazilian fashion sector companies's best option is to establish partnerships with large local companies. This is the conclusion of the international consultancy company Euromonitor.
"Opening franchises is also a good option in the Middle East, but having a partner is a must," said consultant Stephanie Jacklin, who presented a survey of opportunities in the Middle Eastern fashion sector to Brazilian businessmen.
The survey, which was commissioned by the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex), has more than 4,000 pages and covers eight cities in Arab countries that have potential for importing Brazilian fashion. Over the course of nine months, more than 1,000 interviews were conducted among consumers, retailers, distributors and storeowners.
According to the information presented June 24 by Euromonitor consultants in the city of São Paulo, international brands are well regarded and widely accepted in the cities of Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Muscat (Oman), Amman (Jordan), Doha (Qatar), Manama (Bahrain), Kuwait City (Kuwait) and Beirut (Lebanon). "This represents an opportunity for Brazilian brands," said Stephanie.
In the segments of clothing, footwear and costume jewelry, partnerships with department stores are an option for companies to start establishing a presence in the market. In the case of cosmetics, the study suggests that finding distributors is the best path, because they are able to place Brazilian products in stores, drugstores and perfumeries.
One of the companies that attended the presentation of the survey was Raro Efeito, a maker of costume jewelry based in the city of Porto Alegre, capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Representatives of the company want to start selling in the foreign market and are starting to study the Arab market. According to the company's designer, Laura Mostardeiro, the items feature lots of Brazilian stones, which may appeal to Arab women.
According to consultant Anna Atsalaki, of all fashion industry sectors researched by Euromonitor, jewelry was the one for which sales grew the least, the main reason being the crisis. However, the study indicates that the women have been seeking cheaper jewelry, made of silver, and semi-jewelry.
For the Brazilian jewelry and gems sector to gain prominence abroad, the president of the Brazilian Institute of Gems and Precious Metals, João Ferreira Gomes, believes that companies need to bet on national stones.
"There are so many stones, of so many different colors, that they may please all tastes," he said. According to him, the behavioral change of Arab women, who are seeking more semi-jewels, also generates more opportunities for Brazilian companies.
In the clothing sector, the presentation was attended by the company Puromania, from the city of Londrina, state of Paraná, which is Latin America's third largest jeans washing company.
According the national and international logistics coordinator of the company, Elisângela Pereira, the brand is already exported to Spain, Japan and the United States, where the company has a store. "Now we want to enter the Arab market," she said.
According to the survey, jeans trousers are among the clothing items most sought by young Arabs. Elisângela was enthused upon learning so, because the washing of jeans is the flagship of Puromania.
Companies interested in the survey should contact Apex by e-mail: ic@apexbrasil.com.br
Anba
