Juan Camilo Díaz, expansion director of Naf Naf, was in Quito on a lightning visit to the Riocentro store, in the north of the capital, to tell about the expansion plans of this French fashion store, whose garments are made in Medellín , and are made based on tastes and sizes of the region. In 2022 Naf Naf opened three new stores in Ecuador and in 2023 it plans to repeat the dose, to be closer to its customers. In total, in 2022 and 2023 there would be about $500,000 invested in the Ecuadorian market, which is the fastest growing in the region. In recent months, several international brand stores have opened stores in the country, with great acceptance.
What are Naf Naf’s expansion plans in Ecuador and Latin America?
We are a French women’s fashion brand that appeared in Latin America more than 20 years ago. In the last year we have made an ambitious expansion plan and we opened a store in Ambato in 2022, one in Riocentro Quito in August and another that we reopened in Guayaquil on December 2, at Riocentro Los Ceibos. We have an aggressive expansion plan for next year. We want to be in the different provinces and we are looking for the most strategic and interesting locations for the brand in the different commercial groups.
How much has this expansion meant in terms of investment and how much could be generated in 2023?
This 2022 an investment of $500,000 was made as a result of the opening of the three stores, between $150,000 and $200,000 each. Possibly we would open three more in the following year, and depending on the agreements we could end up investing another $500,000. With each store we generate between three and four jobs. We currently have eight stores: five in Quito, one in Ambato, one in Guayaquil and one in Cuenca. At the regional level we have 70 points of sale in Colombia, in Guatemala we have three stores. In Peru we have a point in a well-known department store and in Panama another, in another department store. As you can see, the main export country has been Ecuador for 20 years.
Fashion comes from France, what is offered to Latin American women?
We want to be close to our clients, since our mission is to dress women in their various facets. Thus we have garments for the traditional, romantic woman with subtle details; to the woman trendy, which is the one that we define as more disheveled, more thrown, more of the rocker style. There are also garments for the more contemporary woman who dresses more formally to go to work and the bohemian either bohemian who is looking for more arabesques, uncomplicated wide shirts…
Yes, but being European clothes, how do you do with the sizes, considering that the bodies of Latinas are different from those of Europe? And how do they handle the supposed beauty stereotypes and bet on inclusion?
Basically the models come to us from the parent company, but at our plant in Medellín we tropicalize (adapt) the product to the region. We cannot assume that tastes are exact at all latitudes. We have the clothing license and we take into account the perfect silhouettes for the Ecuadorian woman and the region. We offer sizes from XS to L and in pants bottoms, in jean, from 4 to 12 or 14. We are an inclusive brand.
Does Naf Naf think about the circular economy?
The group to which we belong has a large social and environmental component. What we do in the entire laundry manufacturing process is how we economize the laundry process, less water use, dyes that are used organic and natural products so as not to affect the environment. We make interesting campaigns to recycle garments. For example, we just did one in prisons, donating the clothes to the inmates so they can wear them. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
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