Monday, September 22, 2008 Popularity of imported flipflops grows amid rising fuel, food prices
ALTHOUGH consumers are more prudent in their spending, the exclusive sub-distributor of Brazil-made flipflops Havaianas in Central and Eastern Visayas see its sales growing.
A.L. Amizade Marketing Inc. managing director Leanne Tonette Florendo said the popularity of the rubber flipflops continues to grow despite rising food and fuel prices.
“In times of crisis, you would want to buy things that make you feel good,” she said. “And the price (of a pair of Havaianas) is not high that would put you off.”
She described the Brazil-made flipflops as “affordable luxury.”
“You can wear them outside the house, to the mall. So they are still cheaper than shoes, and are more comfortable. People also find value in durability and comfort,” she said.
A pair of Havaianas is priced between P600 and P1,300.
Aimil Sarmiento, Florendo’s business partner at A.L. Amizade, said Havaianas is also attractive to a wider market, as it has product lines for men and children, not just women.
Without giving figures, Sarmiento said the company’s revenues grew by about 50 percent in the first half of the year against
the same period in 2007.
To further boost sales, the company held the 3rd Make Your Own Havaianas event during the weekend, this time at the SM City Northwing.
Sarmiento said, though, that the event is not just about increasing sales. “It’s our way of saying ‘thank you’ to our customers,” she added.
The event, she said, allowed people to show their creativity in coming up with their own unique pair of flipflops.
At the event, people can choose various styles of Havaianas, as well as color and accessories like crystals and decorative pins. Havaianas introduced letter pins, an addition to this year’s Make Your Own Havaianas that was not offered in the previous events.
Florendo said the popularity of the brand is shown by the number of people who went to the event that started last Friday and ended yesterday. On Friday alone, about one thousand people came to create their own pair; some went home with more than one.
But the popularity of the brand also gave way to counterfeits.
To protect the market, Sarmiento said the company urges buyers to buy only from authorized outlets. The company also tries to educate buyers how to spot a fake.
A.L. Amizade supplies Havaianas flipflops to eight dealers in Cebu, two in Dumaguete in Oriental Negros, one in Bohol, one in Ormoc and another in Tacloban. (LAP)
