Camera Buyer Italia held the first international conference of the association, entitled "RE-Retail: technology, market, and consumers in the world of fashion retail", in collaboration with the Lombardy Region and in the presence of important institutional representatives: Attilio Fontana, president of Lombardy Region, the Hon. Alberto Luigi Gusmeroli, president of the Productive Activities Commission of the Chamber of Deputies and Barbara Mazzali, councilor for Fashion of the Lombardy Region. The conference was moderated by Cristiano Seganfreddo, publisher of Flashart.
“This conference marks an important stage for Camera Buyer Italia after almost 25 years since its establishment, a turning point in the planning vision relating to multi-brand fashion retail," said president Maura Basili. "We want to underline the desire to be protagonists of the recovery by collaborating with the institutions because our companies represent the living fabric of the cities, the brightest lights of our historic centers, and the showcases of our Made in Italy. The challenges we face are many: the situation with China, which has been a fundamental economic partner until recently and has closed some market outlets; e-commerce, with foreign online platforms, forces us into fierce competition on discounts. We cannot ignore the tendency of some luxury brands to focus exclusively on their network's direct sales. Camera Buyer is not just an association of shops, but a network that dialogues with institutions, brands, young people, and entrepreneurs," continued Basili. "We represent over 500 shops and more than 3000 shop windows, a strategic asset to promote Made in Italy, our manufacturing quality, and the creative talent that characterizes Italy, we play a fundamental role in supporting this excellence. We are committed to encouraging innovation and the adoption of new technologies available to the market and consumers, to promoting young emerging brands with targeted strategies, and to protecting the tradition of our experience and quality of offer which has contributed to making the brands famous. Most important luxury fashion brands.”
Among the guests are the French sociologist and philosopher Gilles Lipovetsky, Knight of the Legion of Honour, with his precious vision on the metamorphoses of lifestyles, consumption, fashions, and values in contemporary society, and Richard Romagnoli, international speaker and creator of the Happygenetica method. The evolution of luxury was one of the key themes of the program, thanks to the testimonies of Carlo Capasa, president of CNMI, Roberta Benaglia, ceo and founding partner of Style Capital, and Antonio De Matteis, ceo Kiton and president of Pitti Immagine.
The event presented for the first time, CAmera Fashion Retailers, the internationalization initiative of the Association thanks to a dedicated panel, with the participation of important Italian and international retailers such as Giuseppe Angiolini, ceo Sugar, Selvane Mohandas, ceo IADS (International Association of Department stores), Luis Sans, ceo Santa Eulalia, Bob Mitchell co-ceo Mitchells and Claudio Antonioli, ceo Antonioli. “Camera Buyer is acquiring an international dimension: the work we are doing is recognized beyond national borders and we look to Italy as a point of reference and to Camera Buyer as an association that represents not only Italy but also an international network. Camera Fashion Retailers has the ambition to expand our association beyond the Italian borders, with partnerships in Europe and around the world, to face global challenges together and further promote the value of Made in Italy.”
“The New Wave of Luxury: Digital revolution and new consumption scenarios” is the title of the research presented in preview during the event and curated by Compass and Deloitte, from which emerge, among the enabling factors for the growth of multi-brand boutiques, the omnichannel approach and the use of innovative payment solutions. The study was presented by Nicola de Cesare, Senior Director E-Commerce & International Markets of HeyLight, international aggregator of payment and credit solutions of Compass Banca, who developed an all-round analysis of the luxury fashion market distributed through the wholesale channel, in which the boutiques associated with Camera Buyer Italia operate. In particular, according to the report, 75% of the main multi-brand stores by annual turnover dedicate over 10% of their total turnover to investments in digital, offering integrated shopping experiences between the physical and online worlds. The contribution to sales of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), a payment deferral formula, which in one case out of three increases the value of the receipt, is significant.
“Italian multi-brand stores represent undisputed excellence in the international fashion scene, thanks to their ability to innovate and respond to the needs of a constantly evolving market," concluded Barbara Mazzali, councilor for Tourism, Territorial Marketing, and Fashion of the Lombardy Region. The Camera Buyer Italia association is a virtuous example of how the balance between tradition and innovation can be the engine of success.
Photo: Nicola De Cesare, Cristiano Seganfredo, Selvane Mohandas, Giuseppe Angiolini, Luis Sans
