Fashion Magazine:
Simona Luraghi (Miniconf)
Editorial
Edition 92
22.02.2021
In the post Covid era the buzzword is relationships
There was no escape from the tsunami of the pandemic: companies, with trade flows in fits and starts, the collapse of tourism and changes in buying habits, have been forced to test the performance of their business system and experiment with new models.  For many entrepreneurial entities resilience and staying anchored to their own DNA on one side, and opening up to innovation on the other, have been the two strategic poles for tackling the drama of 2020, as also confirmed by Simona Luraghi, managing director of Miniconf.  The latter, in fact, recognizes that «flexibility, speed and adapting to the market» are essential characteristics for the survival of brands, albeit with the imperative of «always keeping firmly to the fundamentals which, for us, are the values of loyalty, respect, sense of belonging and transparency».  The company, which is specialized in kidswear, was established in 1973 in Ortignano Reggiolo (Arezzo) by Giovanni Basagni and is active with the brands Sarabanda, iDO and Dodipetto (present on the Pitti Connect platform), has continued to remain in the running, despite the pandemic: it has just signed a license agreement for the first youngwear collection of Superga, which will be available to the public from spring/summer 2022, and boosted its managerial structure with the arrival at the company of Daniela Cosso, the new head of global customer marketing and online, and Alex Iannuzzi, as export director.  But the new features do not end here.
 
After Covid what are childrenswear consumers looking for in collections?
We are witnessing evident changes in buying habits, such as those relating to the importance of functional use, with a greater demand for products for everyday wear, compared to special occasions, in addition to the growing importance of products with the right “value for money”.  We have, however, also intercepted a desire to buy something special for our kids that satisfies the need to dress them well, albeit at an accessible price: products almost have to have a “consolatory” function now, considering the period we are living through.  There is a very strong desire for normalcy and this can also be read in the purchasing behavior of consumers who are rediscovering the value of relationships and trust and are turning more towards stores that are located in the vicinity. 
 
2020 was very hard for multi-brand stores: how did you support them and what will you continue to do to help them in 2021?
What we need at this time is projected reasoning, making sure to keep in mind what the end customer expects to find in stores in future months.  Multi-brands have to review their commercial proposals not just in terms of supply, but also, and above all, in terms of service: assistance is the differentiating element especially at a time of particular uncertainty and reassessment of human relationships, but it also has to evolve towards additional services such as, for example, the booking of appointments, home deliveries, digital sales.  Social networks, which have evolved as sales platforms today as well, should be exploited more as vehicles for promoting your store in the territory. So, digitalization is imperative for the evolution of distribution, in line with the digitalization of the consumer.  Data analysis and the control of sell out are similarly important elements for more cautious choices in the planning of purchases, but also for corrective interventions in the season in line with the variability of the context.  And finally, loyalty services, like the organized management of your own client database, in terms of the CRM function as well as selective promotion.  In 2020 we activated the “Miniconf è al tuo fianco-Miniconf is by your side” project, with the aim of becoming even more of a partner to our wholesale clients and franchising partners in this complex period.  Then, for SS 21, we will be restructuring sell out support projects that are “hand-sewn” to meet the demands of our top clients.  We will work together to transform the service in which the on and offline experience will be increasingly integrated and excitement will be the most important aspect, in a unique opportunity to earn customer loyalty.  
In 2020 you invested in retail, in particular for iDO: a brave move …
Following the inaugurations of the flagship stores on Corso Buenos Aires in Milan, and the one in Rome, as well as the expansion of the space of the sales outlet in Thiene (VI), with iDO we opened the first mono-brand store in the historic center of Turin, the stores in Piazza Cairoli, Messina, and in the Tremestieri shopping mall.  In the recovery periods of commercial activities such as, for example, the third quarter of 2020, we recorded positive results for the trend of all the new and existing sales outlets, managing to register a rise of +18% of the LFL (like for like) channel, up +8% compared to the same period in 2019.
 
What will be your distribution strategies in 2021?
In 2021 iDO will continue its global retail development and strengthen its presence in the qualified wholesale sector.  In parallel, we will continue to work on consolidating the results of the existing network.  Sarabanda which, in 2019, entered Rinascente and Coin on many Italian markets, embraces the path of development inside department stores, shop in shops and quality multi-brands, sustainable and strategic showcases for the brand which can strengthen the relationship with the consumer.  In 2021 we are aiming to bolster the partnership in order to continue this development, but also envisaging sell out support programs for our collections.  We will be backing ad hoc projects for our capsule collection in organic cotton, Sarabanda interprets Ducati, Sarabanda interprets 500e, Minibanda and lots of other new features.  These same programs, together with targeted training plans, will also be applied to our best wholesale partners.Throughout the network we will be pushing for the on and offline integration of services for the consumer, as levers of customer loyalty and intensification of the relationship.
 
What about the online channel?
We will continue to manage online sales while respecting the rules of multi-channeling which, for us, represents a strategic asset.  We do not want to push online to the detriment of physical distribution: what we are aiming for is to obtain an all-round integration between the physical and the digital, in a “win win” logic that places expectations and new consumer habits at the center.
 
Is Covid changing the geography of your investments on international markets?
85% of our revenue is realized in Italy, for this reason we know that foreign development is a great opportunity that should be seized.  The current situation has not halted our planning.  In 2021 the focus of foreign development will still be Europe and the strategies will be diversified according to the country of reference.  With regard to the Iberian Peninsula, UK and Nordic countries, we are accelerating our presence through department stores, wholesalers and our e-commerce site which is now multilingual, in addition to the promotion of retail using the affiliation formula.  In 2021 we will be opening a local e-commerce site with all our brands in Russia.  We are also planning to open a new branch in a country with great potential for development, but we cannot say any more for the moment.
 
Then there is the important license agreement with Superga that you have just announced …
110 years after its establishment in Turin, in 1911, Superga is entering the youngwear sector at the side of a specialized partner like Miniconf, for the quality of its products and the ability to cover all user functions and age ranges.  The three-year agreement, with the possibility of an extension for another three years, will give rise to the first collection of Superga male and female youngwear clothing for consumers aged from 3 to 14 years which will be available to the public from spring/summer 2022.  We are really enthusiastic about establishing an alliance with an historic and iconic Italian brand that is recognized all over the world and with which Miniconf shares not only Italian know-how and a style of beauty that never fades, but also an on-going quest for excellence.  We are proud to be at the side of Superga with our whole structure, experience and expertise for its successful debut in youngwear, given the growth of the potential of the children and teenager’s market in which we have had a presence and a high level of proficiency for years.

a.t.