sales more than doubled in San Marino
“Sales and stores more than doubled. Online shopping will start soon“. This is the balance sheet for the “San Marino Outlet Experience” which last June 24th has blown out its first candle. To describe “a great challenge” is the general manager Barbara De Magistris. “This is a project born six years ago and which made the ribbon cutting at a difficult time, considering the constraints of the pandemic on tourism.”
i results
“Thanks to perseverance we have managed to grow – continues De Magistris – and, if we consider the same period of 2021, we have now reached + 105%: our sales have more than doubled, as has the number of stores, now at 41, the last of which was opened this month ». The goal, he remarks, is to open “another ten stores by the end of the year, but the priority remains to maintain a level offer, so much so that in some cases we prefer to postpone the openings, to keep the bar straight on the initial strategy: only in this way it gives added value on the territory, diversifying the offer. The fact that we are the brands to inaugurate the points of sale guarantees quality ».
The absence of Russian customers
The arrivals from Russia, first due to the pandemic and now to hearing the conflict with Ukraine, still have their weight. A type of client that De Magistris knows well because he has also worked in Russia. “We focused a lot on that clientele that in the last 10 years has proved essential also for the Italian market and not only in the outlet sector”. A clientele that, according to the calculations «should have weighed for a good 20% since the opening with a medium-high level». But to sink the possible restart was the war «which broke out last February 24 when I had just returned from Moscow. Among other things, we have an investment strategy linked to that target, to bring in even more customers of a certain level ».
In addition to the injury then the insult. “San Marino by its nature has always welcomed a prestigious Russian clientele and we too are committed to this direction while the pandemic is loosening its ties”. But net of those who are still missing the appeal, it shows the solutions implemented. “Although our investors belong to very important groups, we are a lean company and this has allowed us to count on a good percentage of tax free with which to make up for the Russian lack”. Attention was then turned to “a high-profile clientele who no longer live in their country of origin but in Italy or Europe like Russians and Chinese”. San Marino Outlet Experience has finally focused on new markets “such as the Arab Emirates or India”. An audience smaller in number but which – explains De Magistris – spends a lot and loves shopping, arriving on the Titan for cultural events and more. «This is why we consider ourselves a local company and not a local company. For this reason, the role of vehicle for getting to know the surrounding places is essential, in synergy with Visit San Marino and Visit Rimini ».
New projects
Several news are planned. «For now we have no online sales and I emphasize ‘for now’» she says with a hint of a smile. Among the projects in the pipeline, “the possibility of shopping at night in shops plus the existing halls, now spread over an area of 400 meters, are dedicated to personalized purchases with consultants, it being understood that there are evening openings for everyone until 11pm. Wednesday and Thursday “.
Training course
In the employee stores, “over 200 people and more generally employees, including gardeners and maintenance workers, are about 300”, he clarifies, reiterating the importance of professionalism for everyone. So much so that in collaboration with the Secretariat of State for Labor and various bodies, a course is being prepared for about twenty San Marino citizens enrolled in the start-up lists to train specialized operators in retail sales. “We have decided to postpone the start with an ad hoc calendar”, explains De Magistris who will take care of part of the theoretical-practical lessons, ready to eliminate “the halo that weighs on the work in the stores wrongly considered” the last resort ” , while it also ensures important outlets. After all, San Marino has a very high employment rate and this is a course to support with know-how, new professionals who – concludes the general manager – will then be able to pour the skills acquired everywhere ».