Nat'l Leather Shoes and Goods Expo promotes local brands
REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, Feb 9: The second edition of National Leather Shoes and Goods Expo kicked off in the City Hall of Kathmandu from Friday.
Organized by the Nepal Leather Shoes Manufacturers Association (NLSMA), the main objective of the nine-day expo is to raise awareness on the quality of domestic products and to encourage more Nepalis to use local brands.
Customers can go through or purchase wide range of slippers, ladies sandals, leather shoes, sports shoes, allo and hemp shoes, leather jackets and wallets, among others, at the exhibition, where 75 stalls feature Nepali products. The expo also showcases different raw materials that are used while making leather goods.
According to the NLSMA, most of the exhibitors participating in the expo hail from families that are traditionally into the occupation of making shoes and leather items.
“These small-scale industries have now started manufacturing shoes using modern equipment and are producing quality products,” said Jeevan Nepali, one of the expo coordinators and NLSMA vice president.
Some of the companies that are showcasing latest models of footwear are SK Shoes, Paragon Footwear, Success Shoes, Hi-Life Slippers, Madhyapur Shoes, Real Shoes, Everest Shoes, Leather Designer and Star Leather Shoes.
These exhibitors are offering 15 percent discount on ladies shoes priced Rs 300 and above, while discounts of up to 25 percent are being extended on gents´ shoes that cost between Rs 600 and Rs 4,500. Slippers, on the other hand, are being sold for as little as Rs 125. Also available are orthopedic shoes for physically disabled people on which 25 percent discount are being offered.
“The expo is the best platform for leather goods manufacturing companies to introduce new products,” said Nepali, who is also the executive director of SK Shoes. “It also offers an opportunity to visitors to know more about the latest trend and products introduced by Nepali companies in the market.”
According to unofficial statistics, Nepal-made shoes and slippers now cater to 60 percent of the total domestic footwear demand, up from 50 percent a year ago.
“These kinds of exhibitions have helped us in branding and marketing locally-made products, which, in turn, have raised the share of Nepali products in domestic footwear market,” said Prakash Roka, the managing director of Real Shoes.
Organizers are expecting turnout of 80,000 to 90,000 visitors and transaction of over Rs 10 million at the event, which will continue till February 16.
Each visitor has to pay an entrance fee of Rs 10 to enter the fair. The NLSMA will hand over a Nokia mobile phone set every day to a winner selected through lucky draw.
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Nat'l Leather Shoes And Goods Expo Promotes Local Brands
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