Sapph outperforming against the tide

Dutch lingerie brand Sapph off to a great start to the year.

The economy is shrinking according to the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, but the Sapph team isn’t taking any notice. At the international lingerie trade fair in Paris and the Bodyfashion Trade Fair in Amersfoort, the orders kept flooding in for the young Dutch lingerie brand. ‘We’re the only ones doing real marketing, and that’s paying off.’

Dark clouds built up above the Body Fashion Center in Amersfoort, where the annual bodyfashion trade fair took place in the weekend of February 7. There were fewer visitors than in previous years, and the ones who did brave the snow were cautious with their purchasing. Some shopowners were even talking about a ‘quiet’ fair and pointed the finger at the credit crunch, or blamed it on the weather. Not so Sapph. At Sapph things were buzzing and orders were streaming in. Salesman Frank Verhoeven: ‘We’re even in the comfortable position of being able to choose who we want to do business with. In Paris the various countries were standing in line for us. And they say there’s a crisis!’

Outperformer
The Dutch lingerie brand already has distribution channels throughout Scandinavia, as well as the Baltic states, not to mention the other countries in Europe – and outside. Even Iran! After these two fairs, the count has reached 500 distribution points in the Netherlands. Sapph owners Rob Heilbron and Cor van Schoonhoven know exactly why their brand is performing so well in a difficult market. Heilbron: ‘We’re the only ones who are doing real marketing. In the past twelve months, you could see Sapph countless times on the Dutch motorways, on gigantic billboards. You couldn’t avoid seeing us in newspapers and other media. And you still can’t! There’s just no getting away from us. Sapph is everywhere and that’s paying off.’ Van Schoonhoven: ‘On top of that, we’ve got a really strong product: trendy and afordable lingerie. Value for money in outspoken colours, red and blue. The primary colours make us stand out in the shops too. Sapph screams at you from the shelves next to all those dull grey and pink colours that everyone else is pushing this year.’

More info: www.sapphlingerie.com