Gianfranco Sestili, the "Italtes" owner – The originals cheaper than in Italy

Gianfranco Sestili, the owner of known Italian company "Italtes" which produces and sells fabrics at retail and by wholesale, opened the first outlet city “Italian mall” in Surcin a month ago.

It differs from the other outlet shops in Beograd because it sells the top of Italian brands under genuine outlet prices, the owner of known Italian company from Rome underlines in his interview for "Biznis". Sestili revels that in this shopping mall the outfit of Italian origin is cheaper than in Italy and claims that he will provoke the trade boom in Serbia. One should believe him because his company is present at Serbian marker for 10 years and is known for its fabrics shops in Beograd.

-Once upon time one was traveling to Italy to get a new outfit and now it is enough to come to Surcin and get dressed in a modern fashion and cheap. Within the shopping mall about 20 shops of known brand were opened and a coffee shop and a restaurant. The biggest shop is called "Piazza Roma" and has 2000 square meters. There we offer famous Italian brands as Rocco Barocco , Balestra Casa, Biblos, Laura Biagiotti, Pompea, under favorable prices – says Sestili.

Who is the ideological creator of Italian city in Surcin?

- Architectural solution for the centre "Italian mall" in Vojvodjanska St.no.386d was my idea. Inspired by Mediterranean cities I decided 2 years ago to build up a mall to be a mirror of Italy. The city spreads on the surface of one hectare. Within the next year and within the area of the mall there is going to be a motel for 20 guests opened. We expect this is going to be an interesting offer to the foreigners passing through Beograd because from the airport Nikola Tesla it is 2 km away. We plan to open a restaurant with the Italian cuisine and the playing facility wherein the children can have fun while the parents are shopping.

Why have you come to Serbia? Do you see the perspective here for the network of outlet shops?

-I have got to Serbia thanks to an accidental meeting. 10 years ago I sold a full tuck of goods, curtains and other textile in only 2 hours which was a record! Then I got to an idea to open a new market here. I made another two or three deals and then decided to open sops. The first shop was opened in old "Merkator" and after that at several other locations, Autokomanda, Banovo brdo, Zemun, at Ustanicka and Kicevska St.

How much money was invested in outlet?

-In shopping mall it was roughly invested 2, 5 millions of euro. The building up of premises, streets and squares lasted about 2 years. Some additional works or to be exact final works as building up the fountains, fences, flower pots are still on. Equipping of the motel and the restaurant is going to take place; this is what we are going to do along the passage of time.

Was there any pressure by the rivals?

-No, there were no rival what so ever while selling the textile per kilos. It was a very accessible offer. Ladies can now buy a meter of material in the amount of 100 up to 500 dinars and to make themselves a piece of outfit. The textile is still the primary sctivity while the outlet is an additional investment.

When did you start with this job?

-My company for selling the textile by wholesale and at retail exists in Rome since 1997. I started literally from zero. I went to wholesale stores in Rome buying materials at large. I was progressing step by step and gained a network of wholesale stores in Italy. H.O. is in Rome while the stores and the trucks are in Bergamo because I am in my activity mostly connected to the Northern Italy. From there my goods is delivered to the network of Italtes shops as to the other clients.

What do you find wrong with our businessman?

-Slowness. The very first word I have learnt here is "easy, easy! " When I get angry I am used to say:" For as long as you drink your coffee out of big cups there won’t be anything from you there!"

What are the qualities needed for a merchant to succeed in this business?

-To keep on under such pressure, volume of operations, and such rivals pressure a huge economy power is necessary. On the eve of opening of the outlet I bought 70 000 pieces of different outfits. I buy at the stores of the consigned goods and from the companies that are making sales due to the closing down. For example, at one purchasing I buy 40 000 shirts and after that they are being send to different parts of the World. To make a deal on buying for a viewer is little bit shocking! It is a skill to buy at the lowest and to sell at the highest price possible.

How can you recognize the goods that will have a success in the market? Do you choose certain brands?

-The prices make me choose the brand. There are the stores wherein the branded outfits are sold and I make my deals at the moments when there is enough big quantity of goods that I can purchase under acceptable prices. It is not hard to conclude how much a piece is by wholesale when at retail the price ranges from 6 up to 30 euros, taxes and custom fees included.

What one should attract the customers by and gain the regular ones?

-Serbia learnt many years ago how to improvise. The goal of an outlet is to offer the original outfit under acceptable prices, the outfit that will be accessible to everybody. For example, at shops in the city centre a belt is amounting to 60 euros, while some pieces of the same brand are sold at the price of 150 euros. At our facilities one can find the belt of the same brand at the price of 1 500 dinars as well as the T-shirts ranging from 990 to 1 500 and jackets up to 3 000 dinars.

How did you turn the tables on crises?

-The quality goods and low prices multiplied by the quantity give an excellent result. At the outlet stores at the first place is the goods and not the shop even though our mall is exceptional considering the architecture. We are aiming to open a network of shops throughout Serbia, i.e. in 5 or 6 major cities.

Give us a hint on skills for managing an outfit?

-Let the customer peacefully go through the gondolas but be always available.

What is the recipe for exceeding the crises?

- I am always telling to my associates: "Listen to me and you will have everything." The words I often speak out when they ask me about the job are "now" and "urgently". When we speak about the terms of making a deal or of delivering goods I never like to hear "this is for tomorrow" and I insist this to be done "yesterday".

In Italtes shops ranging from 20 to 30 tons of goods is sold daily. Offering goods per kilo we have silk, furniture textile, viscose, satin, knitted fabrics, linen and other fabrics. We have a lot of goods to offer and that is why we are attractive to mass of consumers. As customers we have equally teenagers and the pensioners but also first-class designers. One of our regulars is well known designer Ms. Suzana Peric who finds in our shops textile for her extraordinary items. We are impressed by the fact that a creator like her, for whom we Italians might say "The diamond peak", finds the inspiration and the quality fabrics in our shops – says Mr. Sestili with pleasure.

(Note: the text completely taken from the site www.biznisnovine.com)