With some experience in franchising, Mar group is now launching its own women shoes brand called Zilian and setting up its first shop in Lisbon (400 m²). A € 1,5 million investment.

The shelves are organized by size and color, showing quite cheap shoes but with quality and originality (hand-made finishing, unusual fabrics like fish skin...)

The first collection (Spring-Summer 2008) has been made in Italy, Spain, Turkey, Brazil, China. The next one should involve more Portuguese producers, before the opening of the second Zilian shop in 2009.

Source: Sapo May 23rd 2008

Made up of various firms and centres, the textile and apparel sector has expanded abroad (+4,2% export growth in 2007). Moreover, the Portuguese B2B and innovation skills could benefit from the Spanish knowledge in fashion marketing through a big cross-boarder cluster with Galicia.

The survey by ATP stresses 5 areas to put effort in: qualification of human resources; internationalization; competitivity and productivity; innovation, differentiation and diversification; change in dimension.

In 2013, 55% of the turnover should come from high added value subcontracting (private label products and services) for famous brands, 20% from technical textiles and 25% from brands and retail.

Sources: Diario de Noticias March 28th 2008, ATP March 27th 2008, Portugal Textil March 26th 2008, Diario de Noticias 26th 2008, Lusa 25th 2008