Havaianas takes bigger steps in RP

MANILA, Philippines - Havaianas in the Philippines remains unfazed. Terry S. A. Inc., the brand’s local exclusive distributor, is taking its sales target a step further this year. Despite an economic slump, the influx of rival brands, and a product recall due to possible lead contamination, the company expects to grow by 25 percent in 2009. To what does the company owe this optimism? Simple. Havaianas has become more of a symbol than a commodity, Anne Gonzalez, Terry’s managing director, told GMANews.TV during the launch of its new product designs. Demand for Havaianas slippers, which cost more than twice the country’s daily wage levels, has increased both inside and outside Metro Manila, Gonzalez said. “There has been an emotional connection with the brand. That’s why even in these hard times, our customers get Havaianas when they want to have something nice and something that makes them feel good," she said. And feeling good has a price tag. A pair of plain rubber Havaianas slippers cost P800 while intricately-designed variants may carry price tags of anywhere from P1,200 to P1,500. Gonzalez added that Filipinos have a “close affinity" to any product that they like. “When they want something, they want so much of it," she said. Ever since Havaianas reached Philippine shores six years ago, the brand has elevated the humble tsinelas, spawning a cult following when it reached Philippine shores in 2003. Aficionados of the popular slippers have even banded together, calling themselves “Havaianaticos." Thanks to Havaianas’ popularity in the Philippines, Terry S. A. bested 60 other global distributors last year. Sao Paulo Alpargatas, the Brazilian company that started it all, recognized its exclusive Philippine seller as its Best International Distributor last year. And since the Philippines is one of Havaianas’ biggest markets worldwide, Terry S. A. is “preparing for its 20th store in country," Gonzales said. “There are provinces that really demand the product, but we’re not present there yet," Gonzales said. “For our distribution, we are expecting growth in other territories." Currently, the company is busy “developing specific products that will cater to the Filipino market," Gonzalez said. On May 26, the footwear brand introduced its new palette and its new line of embellishments with Filipino flavor. Pins – which would be attached to slippers – bear designs showcasing Filipino pride. These include jeepneys, sorbetes (native ice cream) carts, vintas, and even tarsiers. “We coined the phrase ‘Put some Pinoy soul into your step’ so that the brand would be closer to the hearts of Filipinos," Gonzalez said. She said that this new move could catapult sales of Havaianas, which Gonzalez said is poised to take a bigger leap during the year. Her prediction is not far off. In March this year, local Havaianas sales remained robust even as some slippers – which were reported to have lead content in the United States – were pulled out. This only shows that Havaianas, despite its Brazilian lineage, remains in step with the Filipino market. - GMANews.TV