FranchiseExpo: Tell us a little about Camicissima.
Fabio Candido: The concept Camicissima was founded in 2004 with the opening of the first store, which marks the beginning of a very successful franchising story, providing a great product and a sales formula that distinguishes the brand from all other competitors. A very simple concept that makes it quick purchase of the product divided by size, in 3 different fit and 6 packages of your choice. Camicissima offers a wide range of current models and modern stile ready to meet the needs of each client. Camicissima products are distinguished by their attention to the quality of tailoring fabrics and finishes, Italian style and sales formula extremely convenient.
The collections are made up SHIRTS, SWEATERS, ACCESSORIES (ties and cufflinks). The shirt has a range consisting of more than 5,000 shirts in all sizes (from 37 to 50) in continuous sets weekly. The primary target for Camicissima is, of course, male, with a good percentage of women who buy for man. Camicissima products are therefore designed for a class clientele, demanding and quality conscious as well as price sensitive and Italian style. Evergreen classics and high quality tailoring for practical use and everyday life.
FE: How and when did you become involved with Camicissima?
FC: Fenicia was established in 1931 as a manufacturer of high-quality tailored shirts and I represent the third generation of the company founded by my grandfather and I started working in 1985.
FE: What are some of the advantages of being a Camicissima franchisee?
FC: The benefits of being a franchisee Camicissima are different. The non-seasonal product can be restocked quickly in 12 mini collections draw daily at our logistics. The brand, niche, has a good relationship in terms of quality / price, assortment of sizes and range of models / variants. Our concept is a quick and easy, with just 5 products fail to satisfy all the demands of our customers. Prior to the opening of a store is then provided training in a "school store" with a period of coaching in order to get to know the full range of products, sales management and techniques of visual merchandising. Once opened, however, a field service run by area managers and information systems will allow the sales staff to best develop their sales techniques.
FE: Who is your ideal franchisee?
FC: Camicissima has decided to focus on the strength of the entrepreneur offering the possibility to live a success story. The affiliate Camicissima is therefore a true entrepreneur and creator of all responsible for the activity that manages the company establishes, from an economic standpoint, a structured commercial collaboration. For almost 10 years the brand Camicissima is no guarantee of success and reliability and reputation internationally.
FE: Tell us a little about your industry.
FC: The shirt is a timeless product that has existed for over 100 years. We are oriented to all people who daily need to dress in a classic and elegant with a western taste. The company is positioned in the market with a product of high quality clothing at a very competitive price and distributes its products exclusively through direct flagship stores and franchises.
FE: What are some of the greatest lessons you've learning in growing this franchise?
FC: With the development of franchisees we realized that each market has its own needs and requirements. Attentive to the needs of its franchisees and their customers, the company is geared to meet all the demands by introducing variations and models always in fashion. It is also important to consider that the franchisee must be followed daily in order to compare the problems of the market and to solve various problems.
FE: Do you have a mentor?
FC: My mentor has definitely been my grandfather, Giovanni Candido, who created a company from nothing in 1931, Fenicia, production of men's shirts.
FE: What advice do you have for someone looking to acquire a franchise?
FC: The advice you can give to the Franchisee is to be ready to follow their own shops. Personnel management is also crucial because it represents 50% of the success and sales of our products. We will provide all the tools for the management of the store to start from the control system (SCS) patented by us and allows us to follow in real time, and at a distance, the performance of individual stores as it needs only a PC and a connection to the Internet. Through our Shop Control System, the franchisee will be able to manage, assort, make statistics and monitor the store at any time of the day since it is a real-time connection.
FE: In your opinion, why do you think Camicissima is a great opportunity for someone?
FC: Camicissima is a great opportunity for the franchisee because the initial investment is not high and with a fair range of products for point of sale, if it is followed by constant effort, can be recovered as early as the second year. The company works alongside the franchisee offering numerous support activities such as the ability to replenish their daily retail space according to your needs, see sales statistics updated in real time and check the availability of stock, thanks to an excellent system . We provide help and support in the selection of outlets. We give maximum assistance to the opening of the store by assigning to a corporate team that will follow the affiliate for the first specification as well as a help desk telephone continuously during opening hours to the public.
