Reshoring is useful. But bringing production closer, at least for northern Italian sport footwear, has its obstacles. First, finding plants capable of meeting the production capacity needed. Simply put, the top European companies are already full of orders and have no room to produce more. Diadore brought a small portion of its production back, while Scarpa provides its own view regarding the challenges met while trying to reshore to Europe.
Reshoring is useful
The increase in costs and difficulty in importing materials from Asia push companies producing sport shoes to rethink their supply chains. As testified by go Bolzonello, CEO of Scarpa, to Corriere della Sera, “the excess in stock and delayed deliveries of materials” are the two main challenges as of today. Bolzonello confirms the trend: manufacturers are leaving China to move to other nearby countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia. While “the with to reshore production to Europe is met with lower production capacity and spaces for expansions already filled”. Scarpa’s CEO explained that the problem is also present in Albania and Macedonia. In these contexts, the variation of exchange rates has also had its effect.
Diadora’s experiment
Enrico Moretti Polegato, CEO of Diadora, told NordEstEconomia that he is proud to have reshored to Italy. “A line from which the first sport shoe produced in Italy in the last 30 years” (the Equipe atomo model). The production line is located in the Caerano San Marco (Treviso) site and generates 8% of the company’s revenue. With regards to total turnover, the company will reach 180 million euro this year, “with double-digit growth” compared to the previous year. Revenue reaches 260 million euro if we consider countries inside which Diadora operates with a license. “There are markets that are fairing very well, such as the United States, where growth could even be three-digit, and revenue could set at 20 million”, pointed out Polegato.
Read also:
