WHAT'S THE STORY 119
In his capacity as Sales Director, Federico Rosi is in charge of 25 million Euros in annual sales, 40 percent of which are generated abroad.
Autumn (left) or spring (right): modern masculinity defines the Manuel Ritz look.
Manuel Ritz. “WE PLAY WITH ITALIAN STYLE” Manuel Ritz is a self-confident Italian collection with a completely un-Italian name - the menswear range from the Paolini stable presents a fashionable, modern, and playful take on the entry-price level. The brand clearly has big plans. style in progress spoke to Sales Director Federico Rosi. Text: Martina Müllner-Seybold. Photos: Manuel Ritz
You’re really giving it a go in the German-speaking countries, aren’t you?
Definitely! In Hinterhofagentur we have chosen a partner of whom we expect to enhance our position in Germany and Austria both quantitatively and - above all - qualitatively. The main focus is on multi-brand retailers. The decision paid off in the first season. We generated more revenue and - most importantly - improved our positioning. The Swiss market is covered from Milan. In Switzerland, we strengthen our cooperation
with an important retailer from season to season, thus generating continual growth. Italian taste at a sensational price-performance ratio - how can Manuel Ritz increase brand awareness among consumers?
In order to increase brand awareness, we invest in communication measures and showcase our collections at the Premium. We try to address consumers primarily via social media and POS marketing. The backing of Paolini Group must be a big help in this respect…
It helps to be Italian when taking your first steps into the market, because it attracts the attention of important players in our industry. Brand image, product quality, and service excellence are crucial. Enjoying the backing of a company with solid roots in terms of production and a strong organisational structure is a fundamental success factor for Manuel Ritz. What makes Manuel Ritz so special?
We play with Italian style and use colours boldly. This makes our items unique and is consistent with the individualistic spirit of our customers. Manuel Ritz allows you to express your personal style in a modern and unconventional way. How do you spoil your retail partners?
We launched a stock programme a few seasons ago. Our customers can re-order and exchange goods via a B2B portal. This allows us to ensure high sales ratios together. The suit is predicted to make a huge comeback. How does one persuade a generation used to t-shirts and jeans to wear suits again?
It’s certainly not easy to persuade young customers to consider suits, but we accept the challenge gladly. Seeing that we re-interpret ready-to-wear fashion ironically and individually, we stand a good chance. A few seasons ago, we added a line that is far less “dressy” to our business and evening suits. This new line is casual, cool, and above all - comfortable. It’s much
easier to wear! Our jersey suits, for example, are very popular in Italy and in our export markets. In the case of our model named “Nuvola” - which means “cloud” - we eliminated all stiffness. The suit is incredibly light, comfortable, soft, and modern.
Are there plans to follow up the mono-brand store in Milan with others - even virtual stores?
Yes, because we received very positive feedback and are eager to multiply it, both in Italy and abroad. We are currently focusing on Munich, where we will open our first store in Germany. Our own online shop will be re-launched early 2019. We take our business relationship with the most important e-retailers very seriously.
What are your plans in terms of export?
Continental Europe is our strength; we’re traditionally well-positioned here. We enjoyed a good start in Russia and Japan. Now we are working on the Chinese market, where we are investing in retail operations with a local partner. style in progress 318
