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The company Scalina, Brazilian manufacturer of the brands TriFil and Scala, is investing in the Arab market. The company, leader in national sales of socks and stockings, already sold to Lebanon, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates and is now trying to open the Syrian, Qatari and Jordanian markets.
According to the export manager, Gilberto de Lemos Ribeiro, Brazilian trading companies are working for the company in the three countries with the aim of finding clients.
Sales to the Arabs still don't represent 5% of the company's exports. Shipments to Lebanon started about one year ago. Kuwait has received the company's products sporadically for about two years and the Emirates used to make regular purchases for the period of one year, two years ago, but aren't buying at the moment.
According to Ribeiro, practically all product lines made by Scalina go to the Arab market. This goes from panties and bras, modelling shorts to socks for baby and adults and stockings.
The socks made by Scalina are sold under the brand name TriFil and the underwear products under the brand Scala. The country that buys the greatest variation of products is Lebanon. Kuwait purchases feminine T-shirts and the Emirates lingerie.
The export manager believes the products with greatest sales potential in the region are underwear. "The Arabs like Brazilian lingerie a lot," he states.
The colours with greatest demand are the basic ones, like black, white and chocolate. Among all products, lingerie is what Scalina sells the most in the Middle East.
Scalina produces 80 million articles per year. About 20% is exported. The company's greatest markets abroad are the United States and Europe.
And the brand with greatest acceptance, according to Ribeiro, is Scala. The TriFil socks are also sold outside Brazil, but mainly in South and Central America.
In spite of exporting since the beginning of their activities, Scalina started really investing in exports in 1992. Today, great international retail chains such as Vanity Fair, Limited, Bebe and Caro&Cuore sell the brand's products.
Scalina was founded in 1963 and started their activities producing stockings. In ten years they already were market leaders and produced also socks for men, sporting socks, sporting jumpers and lingerie.
The brand Scala was launched in 1998 with a new sewing system for seamless articles. The lingerie is entirely cut by the machine and doesn't need seams on the sides, which makes it more comfortable.
Currently Scalina owns three industrial units, two in the city of Guarulhos, just outside the city of São Paulo, and one in Itabuna, in the northeastern state of Bahia.
The third factory, in Bahia, was opened due to the demand generated by the Scala products. Some 4,000 people work for the company.
Scalina - www.scala-semcostura.com.br
ANBA - Brazil-Arab News Agency - www.anba.com.br
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