Textile companies accept innovation concept

30 May '09

4 min read

It really seems like the word innovation left the theory and came to practice. At least it was what was noticed in many of the products displayed at the 10th edition of Texfair – International Fair of the Textile Industry, which was held from May 12 to 15, in Blumenau, Santa Catarina.

Repositioning of brands, new products and new technologies are among the innovation strategies used by the companies in the attempt to dribble hard times and were presented during the fair to a public estimated at 25 thousand people. Among them, international journalists and buyers brought by ABIT, through Texbrasil, Program developed in partnership with Apex-Brasil.

Hering gives continuity to the brand-repositioning project begun in 2007. “The idea of the Hering Store, with a new layout, is to present products with greater added value and more fashion. Out of the 230 stores in Brazil, more than half already have the new concept”, informs Marcos Ribeiro Gomes, marketing director. The investment in jeans is another bet of the company that was created 128 years ago.

“We increased the variety of items through partnership with weaving factories, like Vicunha e Santista, for example”, he says. According to him, the investments are already bringing good results.

“Our turnover in the first quarter of 2009 is 35% higher than that obtained in the same period last year”, he states. Marcos Ribeiro Gomes also said that jeans was recovered and is now the main product of dzarm., brand from Hering directed toward the Class A and B publics, with ages ranging from 18 to 28 years. While PUC, the company's kids brand, wagers on the layout's innovation and interactivity with the public. “Crisis is a word that does not enter the company”, stresses the director from Hering.

Focusing on social classes A and B, Teka wagers on products with a greater number of wefts. “Before the company used only 180 threads. We now present items with 250 and 300 threads”, remarks the director of exports, Marcelo Stewers. With 83 years of existence and 25 thousand customers nationwide, the world economic crisis also caused Teka to invest in new markets. “Africa, the Middle East and the United States are among some of our export destinations”, says the director.

The label Enfim innovates by introducing jeans in the collection. “We brought to Texfair our first jeans and serge items to complete the range of products. We believe that, besides solidifying the brand, this action can also reflect on the obtainment of new customers”, announces the designer Karina de Paula. Directed toward the young public (15 to 25 years), Enfim also wagers on interactivity. “We created a blog (www.enfimblog.com.br) to interact with them, through news and even contests. After all, 'connected' is our slogan”, he adds.

While Malwee believes that the difference is to invest in equipments. “To us, innovate means to wager on state-of-the-art technology, on machinery”, points out the marketing manager, Wilmar Raboch. Working strictly in the domestic market for classes C and D, Malwee produces three million items per month, which are distributed to its 20 thousand points of sale throughout Brazil. “We are proud to guarantee that our production process is always and the less aggressive possible to the environment and we have reached levels higher than those required by law”, he celebrates.

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