Ipanema to open a bigger outlet at Anse Royale |23 February 2018

Following growing interest in their Brazilian-made sandal and flip-flop collection, owners of the exclusive distributor of Ipanema footwear in Seychelles have announced their intention of opening a new outlet at Anse Royale that will cater for this emerging market.

The Ipanema collection is named after a coastal neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where inspiration is drawn to create a blend of relaxed and sophisticated footwear that reflects Brazilian roots, while at the same time, keeping up with fashion trends and also offering better comfort/fit.

Co-owner of the locally-based franchise, Marc Belle, said that their existing souvenir shop Trésor des Iles at Anse Royale, where they first started selling  Ipanema foot wear since 2009, will soon be closing down and be relocated across the road in the ‘Anse Royale Complex’. The new location will have a larger, more suitable space to set up a second Ipanema outlet and is expected to open in approximately 2 to 3 months’ time.

The initiative came following increasing demand from customers in the area for greater varieties of footwear that can be similarly found in their Ipanema outlet in Victoria which has been opened since July 2016. Due to space constraints, it has not been possible so far to offer as many selections as they would have wished to in the existing shop at Anse Royale.

The new outlet will offer the same Ipanema products for all age categories: women, men, teenagers, kids and babies and the same services as the one in Victoria. Customers will also be able to view the collection in the comfort of their home on the new online catalogue and follow updates on their Facebook and Instagram pages.

According to Marc, the increase in demand can be attributed to a growing client base in the region who either cannot go to Victoria often or are avoiding traffic/parking issues in town, as well as the many tourists who are already familiar with the brand.

Additionally, many customers are already making use of the online catalogue which aims to enhance customers’ shopping experience by providing them with a platform to view all footwear collection that is in stock and send their queries on availability of a model/size through the website and social media pages.

In turn, this allows the owners to better understand their customers’ preferences. It appears that the local market is fond of the tropical, colourful designs and models which Marc feels Seychellois can relate to very well being a tropical and vibrant island nation.

Emphasis on customer satisfaction and loyalty is also a contributing factor to the longevity of the business. Staff are encouraged to always greet customers, advise and assist them with their queries, interact to learn more about their preferences, make recommendations and thank them for their visit.

Marc points out that they are also quite flexible with their customers by offering them a 2 days return policy during which time customers can return their products (in its original state) with the receipt and exchange for a different size or model.

This year, Ipanema Seychelles is planning to renew its sponsorship for the participants of Miss Regatta 2018, as it has been the case since 2016. Due to high demand, Marc is hopeful that they will be able to offer customers the option of purchasing online and also look into opening a new outlet on Praslin.

For those interested, Ipanema outlets are open from 9am to 5pm on weekdays and from 9am to 2pm on Saturdays. For more information, follow ‘Ipanema Seychelles’ on Facebook and to view the online catalogue, go to: www.sambafootwear.com.

Reference: Ipanema

Photo credits: Ipanema Seychelles