Abstract
History of the brand:
Beginning of a shoe making career:
Sergio Rossi acquired the art of shoe making by working along with his father. He established his own brand in the 50's at San Mauro Pascoli. Sergio's shoes mostly catered to the needs of the urban and sophisticated customers. As the demand increased during the 60's and the 70's, Italy encountered a quality shoe market explosion.
International recognition:
In the 80's, Sergio Rossi's success permitted him to stretch beyond his own borders. He expanded his distribution network across Europe by opening his DOS in Milan, Florence, Rome, Düsseldorf and Paris. The 90's gave Sergio yet another chance of accomplishment as he was able to open independent stores in Osaka and Hong Kong and his first sales outlet in the US in New York.
Shoe collections for some of the most visible creators: Fashion legends such as Gianni Versace, Azzedine Alaïa and Dolce&Gabbana have used Sergio's shoes to grace their fashion industry and many models have walked the ramps with these breathtaking shoes Diversify into the market of mainland China:
As much as Sergio intended to promote his products in Mainland China, the Competition between shoemakers in Mainland China did not seem as intensive as in HK. This is mainly because the market is not highly diversified and is saturated, especially for high-end footwear. Even though prestigious shoemakers like Ferragamo, Jimmy Choo and others entered this market several years ago, they still haven't been able to construct a framework to experience tough competition and its advantages. For other luxury multi-product brands as LV, Gucci, Prada, the focus is still on their core businesses challenges which is tackling the immature and complicated markets (sales and logistics, culture and training, location), long-term on return on investment, low brand image and the unimpressive quality of sales staff. In conclusion, this market is promising but has not proved this characteristic feature as it takes more time to enter.
