Zegna to Open New Shoe and Leather Goods Factory in Italy

FILE PHOTO: A man walks by an Ermenegildo Zegna store, in Rome, Italy, December 20, 2021. REUTERS/Yara Nardi/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A man walks by an Ermenegildo Zegna store, in Rome, Italy, December 20, 2021. REUTERS/Yara Nardi/File Photo
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Zegna to Open New Shoe and Leather Goods Factory in Italy

FILE PHOTO: A man walks by an Ermenegildo Zegna store, in Rome, Italy, December 20, 2021. REUTERS/Yara Nardi/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A man walks by an Ermenegildo Zegna store, in Rome, Italy, December 20, 2021. REUTERS/Yara Nardi/File Photo

Italian fashion group Ermenegildo Zegna said on Thursday it would open a new luxury footwear and leather goods factory in northern Italy to meet the growing needs of its brands.
The 12,500 sq m facility will be located near Parma and is expected to be completed by December 2026. It should employ more than 300 people once at full capacity in 2027, the company said.
The move by the Zegna group, based in the northern Italian region of Piedmont but listed in New York, aims to promote Italian craftsmanship at a time when the luxury industry is short of artisans.
"The center will be more than just a production facility. It will play an important role as a training ground for a new generation of artisans, ensuring the ongoing viability of these important skills and working to preserve the uniqueness of 'Made in Italy'", Reuters quoted chairman and chief executive Gildo Zegna as saying.
The Italian group owns the Zegna and Thom Browne brands and operates Tom Ford Fashion through a long-term licence agreement with the Estée Lauder Companies.



Shein to Open Pop-up Store in South Africa to Woo More Shoppers

A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. (Reuters)
A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. (Reuters)
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Shein to Open Pop-up Store in South Africa to Woo More Shoppers

A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. (Reuters)
A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. (Reuters)

Fast-fashion giant Shein, known for its $5 tops and $10 dresses, will open a pop-up store in Johannesburg, South Africa in August as the online retailer aims to expand its brand recognition in the country.

Shein, founded in China, and its rival Temu have aggressively expanded worldwide as online shopping has surged after the COVID pandemic. They have been accused of exploiting tax loopholes by exporting China-made products in small quantities to avoid higher duties.

Shein will open its pop-up store from Aug. 2-11 as an "exhibition space" for customers to try on trendy fashion and lifestyle products and order them online at a discount, the company said in its South African Instagram post on Tuesday.

Local influencers were tapped for a pre-opening marketing campaign.

Brick-and-mortar and online fashion retailers have urged South African regulators to impose a 45% import duty on all clothing item imports, no matter the price, to level the playing field. Shein, which is planning to go public in Britain, taps a network of largely China-based suppliers which take small initial orders and scale up based on demand.

A Shein spokesperson told Reuters the retailer is engaging with South African regulators to ensure its continued compliance with local laws.

"That said, such tax measures are not critical to the success of our business or the competitive prices we offer our consumers. We keep our prices affordable through our technology-based on-demand business model and flexible supply chain," the spokesperson added.