Furla CEO Outlines Growth Strategy Fueled by Product Excellence and Digital Expansion
During Milan Fashion Week on Friday, September 26, Furla, Fondazione Furla, and GAM - Galleria d'Arte Moderna di Milano collaborated to inaugurate "Under the Sun, Beyond the Skin," a solo exhibition by artist Sara Enrico, curated by Bruna Roccasalva. This unique installation, set within the picturesque gardens of Villa Reale, was designed to foster new interactions between contemporary art, the natural environment, and public engagement. Enrico's work delves into the duality of nature and artifice, crafting "a landscape within the landscape" through a series of sculptures that subtly inhabit the garden, creating a compelling tension between the organic plant world and an imagined synthetic vitality—a dialogue between spontaneous growth and deliberate creation.
The event provided a valuable opportunity for FashionNetwork.com to engage with Furla's CEO, Eraldo Poletto, and discuss the brand's upcoming strategic initiatives. Poletto, who returned to lead Furla just over a year ago after a previous tenure from 2010 to 2016, has been instrumental in navigating the company through a challenging period. He emphasized that the initial priority was to extricate the company from its CNC procedure and establish a solid foundation of operational and financial stability, setting the stage for future growth.
With a stable base now established, Poletto outlined a clear strategy for relaunch centered on product excellence and targeted communications, particularly leveraging social media to connect with a younger demographic. Regarding product, Furla aims to concentrate on a select number of iconic pieces, with the ambition for these items to generate approximately 40 percent of total sales. The new Iride model is positioned to become a must-have item, echoing the past success of the Metropolis. Initial tests of the Iride in chosen stores during December yielded encouraging results. Furthermore, the brand is committed to evolving into a comprehensive lifestyle entity, expanding its current offerings in categories such as eyewear and jewellery.
In a related development at Milan Fashion Week, Furla also introduced a limited-edition version of the Iride, featuring distinctive materials and striking embellishments like studs and a plush teddy-effect fabric, showcasing the brand's commitment to innovative design and limited-edition releases. On the commercial front, Poletto identified EMEA, Japan, and South-East Asia as key markets where Furla plans to allocate significant energy and resources in the near future to drive growth and market penetration.
Digital expansion is also a critical component of Furla's strategy, with e-commerce already contributing a double-digit share of sales. The brand intends to further strengthen its online presence and capabilities. Conversely, no new physical store openings are planned in the immediate future for Furla, which already boasts an extensive network of over 150 mono-brand stores in addition to a robust wholesale presence. Poletto explained that the current focus is on optimizing the existing network, which includes defining a new store concept and strategically closing underperforming locations. Addressing pricing, Furla has slightly broadened the base of its product pyramid while concurrently emphasizing a premium tier, with an average price point of approximately €350. The ultimate goal is to ensure that Furla products consistently offer a perceived value that surpasses their actual price, leveraging the current market opportunities prevalent for premium brands.
