Companies

50 years of Portuguese Felmini

Dec 12, 2023 Portugal

Founded in 1973 by Joaquim Moreira, the women's shoes brand is present in more than 35 countries worldwide and has 1 500 points of sale in countries such as Italy, France, Germany and Spain

“It all started in October 1973, with around 20 employees making children’s footwear. FEL from Felgueiras [a town in northern Portugal] and MINI for child were the inspiration for the name of the Felmini brand that we all know today”, explains Joaquim Moreira. "We began producing footwear for the national market and two years later we entered the women’s segment, mainly high-top boots, an item that was scarce in Felgueiras at the time”.

The brand stands out in the market for producing women’s footwear with high-quality standards. “Felmini shoes are a product of the European fashion trend, with modern and original design lines. With high-levels of quality, thanks to a rigorous selection of leathers, we present unique, comfortable and casual models for those who like a young and modern look”, says the founder of Felmini.

This half-century has seen many challenges, but also many opportunities. “A major turning point in the company’s history came exactly 20 years ago when we decided to invest in the retail market, creating, producing and selling only Felmini private label products. It’s fulfilling to look back and see the success of the brand”, recalls Joaquim Moreira.

More recently, the changes in the market, namely the decline of traditional retail and the growth of online sales, have been some of the challenges that the company has had to face. "Although we’ve managed to keep a large part of our retail customers, albeit with a decrease in orders, we are strengthening the presence of our product on several online sales platforms and are currently present on 12 platforms”.

The brand is currently present in 35 countries and Italy is its main export market.

For more information, please refer to the brand’s website.

Source and Image Credits: portugueseshoes.pt

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