Tablecloth Producer Looking for Distribution in U.S.
January 5, 2001
Guy Peixoto's Range of Bedding Products Gaining Broader Base of Global Consumers
Caldas de Vizela (Portugal) — Twenty-five years ago, Guy Peixoto sold some floral-design tablecloths to Harrods in London, thus beginning the Portuguese company's export drive. The strategy to go into a market working with the top names still applies today as Guy Peixoto seeks to find the best distribution solution in the beckoning U.S. market.
Guilherme Caldas Peixoto & Ca. Lda was established in 1959 as a producer of tablecloths. After the Harrods order in 1975, "all the big European names came here and business exploded over the next five years," said managing director AnÃŒbal Rodrigues.
Aimed at the middle to high end of the market, the Guy Peixoto tablecloth range includes printed, embroidered, plain-dyed and jacquard qualities in cotton, polyester/cotton and cotton/linen, with poly/cotton blends accounting for the bulk of production.
A subsidiary company was set up some 20 years ago to make embroidered products and embellished towels, the first diversification for the group, which now has around 280 employees.
Guy Peixoto has diversified once more by establishing its own bedding program, selling a range of bedlinen products. Up until five years ago, this line was sold only in Portugal, but it has been gradually expanded to such countries as Spain, Greece, France, the U.K., Germany and lately to the U.S.
Today, tablecloths still account for 70% of sales, followed by towels (15%) and the growing sectors of bedding (12%) and the baby line (3%). Kitchen textiles is also a new and promising area, Anibal said.
As well as the "Guy Peixoto" brand, the company operates the "Annabel" line for boutiques and a baby line called "Ana." Rodrigues noted that many specialist shops are now selling bedding that is coordinated with towels, as well as other home textiles.
Europe represents about 80% of sales, followed by Japan, Rodrigues said. The company is just starting to make a strong push into the U.S. market. "Here, we are trying to establish a different distribution system, starting with department stores just as Bloomingdale's," he said.
"Our U.S. business in 2000 will be five times as big as in 1999. We have made several trials for tablecloths in the past. Now we are looking at working with the main buying corporations that have offices here in Portugal. We need to find one good channel to distribute our goods across the entire U.S. market.
"The most important thing is to find the right people. Our strategy is to go into a market working with the top names in retail and also with the big catalog companies.
"In all markets we look for new suppliers, different materials and new concepts. It is absolutely essential to be creative and to have permanent innovation. So, we continue to invest in both our design and commercial departments.
"Our philosophy is to give excellent service and to sell with no minimums. With our range and our designs we have a very good acceptance in the market."
Rodrigues said the company planned to grow in terms of value rather than volume. He conceded that some of the more basic fabrics would possibly be sourced in Asian countries such as India in the future.
"Our current size is more than enough. And with the EU market flooded with textiles from Asia and Turkey, there is not a big potential to increase quantities in Europe. Therefore, companies like ours need to add value by making more exclusive products, providing good service and ensuring quick delivery as well as serving the specialist stores."
• Guilherme Caldas Peixoto & Ca. Lda, PO Box 5, 4816 Caldas de Vizela, Portugal. Tel: +351 253 584848. Fax: +351 253 584899.
Caldas de Vizela (Portugal) — Twenty-five years ago, Guy Peixoto sold some floral-design tablecloths to Harrods in London, thus beginning the Portuguese company's export drive. The strategy to go into a market working with the top names still applies today as Guy Peixoto seeks to find the best distribution solution in the beckoning U.S. market.
Guilherme Caldas Peixoto & Ca. Lda was established in 1959 as a producer of tablecloths. After the Harrods order in 1975, "all the big European names came here and business exploded over the next five years," said managing director AnÃŒbal Rodrigues.
Aimed at the middle to high end of the market, the Guy Peixoto tablecloth range includes printed, embroidered, plain-dyed and jacquard qualities in cotton, polyester/cotton and cotton/linen, with poly/cotton blends accounting for the bulk of production.
A subsidiary company was set up some 20 years ago to make embroidered products and embellished towels, the first diversification for the group, which now has around 280 employees.
Guy Peixoto has diversified once more by establishing its own bedding program, selling a range of bedlinen products. Up until five years ago, this line was sold only in Portugal, but it has been gradually expanded to such countries as Spain, Greece, France, the U.K., Germany and lately to the U.S.
Today, tablecloths still account for 70% of sales, followed by towels (15%) and the growing sectors of bedding (12%) and the baby line (3%). Kitchen textiles is also a new and promising area, Anibal said.
As well as the "Guy Peixoto" brand, the company operates the "Annabel" line for boutiques and a baby line called "Ana." Rodrigues noted that many specialist shops are now selling bedding that is coordinated with towels, as well as other home textiles.
Europe represents about 80% of sales, followed by Japan, Rodrigues said. The company is just starting to make a strong push into the U.S. market. "Here, we are trying to establish a different distribution system, starting with department stores just as Bloomingdale's," he said.
"Our U.S. business in 2000 will be five times as big as in 1999. We have made several trials for tablecloths in the past. Now we are looking at working with the main buying corporations that have offices here in Portugal. We need to find one good channel to distribute our goods across the entire U.S. market.
"The most important thing is to find the right people. Our strategy is to go into a market working with the top names in retail and also with the big catalog companies.
"In all markets we look for new suppliers, different materials and new concepts. It is absolutely essential to be creative and to have permanent innovation. So, we continue to invest in both our design and commercial departments.
"Our philosophy is to give excellent service and to sell with no minimums. With our range and our designs we have a very good acceptance in the market."
Rodrigues said the company planned to grow in terms of value rather than volume. He conceded that some of the more basic fabrics would possibly be sourced in Asian countries such as India in the future.
"Our current size is more than enough. And with the EU market flooded with textiles from Asia and Turkey, there is not a big potential to increase quantities in Europe. Therefore, companies like ours need to add value by making more exclusive products, providing good service and ensuring quick delivery as well as serving the specialist stores."
• Guilherme Caldas Peixoto & Ca. Lda, PO Box 5, 4816 Caldas de Vizela, Portugal. Tel: +351 253 584848. Fax: +351 253 584899.
