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«In terms of sales, 2023 is going well: we are recording growth and aim to close the year with revenues of around 30 million euros, up from the almost 26 million last year. But let’s be cautious: in spring we went from a rainy May to a heat boom, with the extreme events of the past few weeks. And who knows what will happen in the autumn: last year, until the beginning of November, it was hot and winter footwear had suffered from it». Elvio Silvagni, an entrepreneur from Romagna who owns the Silver1 group in Lugo (Ra) does not want to be too optimistic. degree for fraudulent bankruptcy and other tax crimes, ed.).
Post-flood recovery
The company was affected, albeit partially, by the flood last May: «Our shop in Lugo flooded and the water damaged both the furnishings and the products». Fortunately, the warehouses «were not reached by the flood, which stopped a few kilometers earlier. Unfortunately, however, some of our employees have even lost their homes: the institutional economic aid has not yet reached its destination completely, but we have all rolled up our sleeves to get out of this situation as soon as possible”.
The positive data of Valleverde – which was born as a brand of comfortable footwear, but is evolving in line with the needs of the market – are also linked to the change of course undertaken by the brand more than seven years ago. «We have focused on more fashionable and younger models so as to conquer an audience that today ranges from 30 years of age on. Ours is a mid-range shoe, which focuses on the right balance between quality (the shoes are made between Italy and Romania) and price. But right now, with rates rising, who knows if people will still want to spend money on footwear», explains the entrepreneur.
Transversal collections and multi-brand stores
The brand continues to focus on a transversal collection: «It is not clear whether this return of the formal is really underway – continues Silvagni – so for SS 2024 we have focused on a mix of formal and casual. The sales campaign started two weeks ago and therefore we will have the pulse of how it went in mid-September». On the distribution level, however, the current strategy remains unchanged: focus on the approximately 1,200 multi-brand stores in Italy and Europe (and not on direct e-commerce). “For now, this strategy is working. Foreign markets? We don’t have particular objectives, but in September we will be at Micam, in Milan, also to make international contacts»