According to a survey by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA-ICE) on 13 July at the annual Brenta Footwear Assembly (ACRIB), in 2016, shoe produced in Great Britain generated a turnover of 4.3 billion Of Sterling. “Between 2012 and 2017, the industry grew at an annual rate of 2.9%,” says the study. The document also speculates that for the next five years “the annual growth rate will decrease and will be 1.5%, reaching 4.5 billion pounds of sales in 2022.” High-quality leather footwear remains one of the top products, and it represents 54.7% of the shoes sold by British brands with 28.2% women’s footwear; 14.6% sports footwear; and the rest of sale is 2, 5% of the total. Within the London area, there is 33.3% of the total UK production. East Midlands is a prime area of high-quality production, particularly Northwestshire where 23.1% of production. “The fierce competition from foreign companies has eroded the strength of the UK footwear industry” to the point that “in the period 2016-2017, imported products met almost the entire domestic demand”. The British shoe, therefore, sees its exports increased “at an annual rate of 3.7% over the five-year period 2012-2017” in particular to Germany, France, Ireland and the Netherlands.
UK: Slowing growth, increasing exports. The British shoe according to an ITA-ICE study
