Saitt: the experience of a commercial director Luigi Locci

SAITT-commercial-director

SAITT

Interview with Luigi Locci , Commercial Director Saitt

Enhancing the Italian shirt industry with great attention to the domestic market’s needs, expanding the distribution to foreign markets too. This is how, Luigi Locci, Saitt’s commercial director promotes the shirt company in Italy and abroad. His experiences in knitwear and shirt industries, first as a sales manager and later as a commercial director, have given him advanced capabilities to develop one of the most renowed Italian shirt companies, widening their distribution to all the major markets. Let’s find out how important it’s to optimize a sales network and how the innovative retailing channel, e-commerce, has influenced the activities of a manufacturing company and of the diffusion of Italian style.

Pleasure to meet you Luigi, can you tell our readers something about you and about your job?

I was hired as Saitt’s commercial director in September 2012 and I come from two experiences that were fundamental for my professional training:

– Sales Manager at Bramante spa of CO.fin.Co group until 2002 (Men’s knitwear)

– Commercial director for Gherardi srl until 2012 (men’s shirts)

My job at Saitt is to come up with new business strategies and to spread our distribution network in foreign countries.

The main goals are to improve the definition of the major brands’ products, have a better coverage in all markets for every lines, optimize the sale networks and customer services, improve profitability and production planning.

When was Saitt established and what are the strengths of this company?

Saitt was founded by dr. Gilberto Rossi in 1982, but the year 1991 was crucial for the beginning of this company that has definitely left its mark in the Italian shirt industry. In 1995 the brand Mastai Ferretti was established and in the 1997 the company acquired the renowned TRUZZI Milano.

1995 instead was a year of records: 900 employees and 1.400.000 manufactured garments.

With these number Saitt represents Italian excellence, able to combine quality with high production capacity. (up to 4500 garments a day)

The clothing industry is increasingly globalized, how does your company face these challenges?

Italian style has always been appreciated worldwide and this is a key element for exporting our products anywhere in the world. In the recent years Saitt has mainly paid attention to the domestic market, developing relatively the foreign distribution.

However, Saitt has a strong presence in Germany, USA, France and Belgium.

Today, our main goal is to expand the boundaries of our distribution, thanks also to the appeal that our main brands TRUZZI – MASTAI FERRETTI and AGHO have.

New initiatives are been developed to support this evolution, such as the arrangement of an important event for the presentation of Truzzi Archivio, an special edition dedicated to the classics of Truzzi and to its journey through the Italian fashion.

In your opinion, is e-commerce a valid retail channel for your brands?

E-commerce is debated on a daily basis and, in addition is a topic in everyone’s pockets, with the arrival of smartphones and tablets.

My opinion is that the time is ripe to seriously consider this channel as our next main “partner in the world”!

There’s certainly a need to “refine” these new technologies (and I’m sure that while we’re talking things are already changing), but in my opinion our company should continue to manage this channel in collaboration with the traditional retail channel (boutique), organizing events and corners dedicated to “personalized” shopping, taking advantage of the online sale techniques. Certain products still need a direct “contact”!

In your point of view what are the future developments of this innovative retailing channel?

The evolution in the field of e-commerce will be increasingly important, but I repeat in my opinion there are certain products, including clothing but not only, that will always need to be showcased in shop windows along the main shopping streets. There will always be the “romantics” and if we take advantage of the progress, there could be a growth of a new romanticism!

Does Saitt have an online presence? If so, can you tell us about your activities online?

Today, Saitt doesn’t have its products directly online but it uses a new tool to bring services to its clients all around the world, such as the Classic Italian stock service for Mastai Ferretti and Truzzi, made with a special selection of models and fabrics.