LATVIA – Stendera fabrica
The Stenders Bathroom Products Factory is deliberately strengthening its existing export markets and developing new markets in Europe, the USA and Canada. In 2022 Stenders opened its first shop in Australia. In Europe, the company is currently in the early stages of development, working with a franchise partner in the Netherlands and developing operations in Germany.
Stenders, on the other hand, ceased cooperation with Russian partners due to the war Russia started in Ukraine. To reduce the impact of geopolitical risks, the focus was on developing other markets.
In the Middle East, for example, successful cooperation with a Jordanian franchise partner led to the opening of new shops and wholesale channels. In order to develop exports, Stenders also participates in international exhibitions.
This year the company has decided to participate in one of the world’s largest cosmetic exhibitions, Cosmoprof 2023, which takes place in Bologna, Italy.
Exports account for 70% of Stender's turnover
«Our biggest export market is still China, but due to strict precautions and restrictions related to the Covid-19 virus, the size of this market has shrunk this year. Since the beginning of the virus, China has had a zero-case policy – no cases are accepted, cities are still periodically closed and there are strict restrictions on both trade and imports. These factors significantly increase the unpredictability of the market situation», – explains Christine Grapmane, Managing Director of Stender.
As far as support from the state is concerned, she also points to a bureaucratic process, e.g. in the processing of LIAA (Latvian Investment and Development Agency) research documents. A wide range of support tools is available for small and medium-sized businesses. In contrast, support options are very limited for large manufacturers, including Stander, which has more than 250 employees.
«New markets always involve a lot of investment, research, patience and risk. If there were tools available from the government to promote exports, it could be developed with much more power. At the moment, export development is left to the company’s discretion and happens as much as possible. Therefore, we actively advocate that even large companies should have more support and a broader set of tools available to promote exports», – says K. Grapmane.
This is why the work initiated by the Latvian Exporters Association on the Green Regulatory Corridor, which ensures faster progress in processes on issues important to exporters, is so important.
Data source: www.liaa.gov.lv
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