Kathmandu leather exhibition begins
The Leather Goods and Footwear Expo 2010 began on 20 December, with 54 stalls from leading shoe manufacturers in Nepal. The Leather Footwear Goods and Manufacturers Association of Nepal (LFGMAN) is holding the seventh edition of the exhibition at Kathmandu's Rastriya Sabha Griha (City Hall) from 20-26 December.
The theme for the 2010 exhibition is “Use of Nepali Brand, Respect to Domestic Industries”. The fair will feature a wide variety of domestic footwear and leather products such as jackets, hand bags, wallets and belts.
According to the LFGMAN, the country’s annual requirement of shoes and slippers stands at 30 million pairs. However, domestic producers have not been able to fulfil demand. The event’s coordinator, Hom Nath Upadhyay, said that domestic products had a 40% share of the leather shoes market, 70% of the leather party shoes market and 15% of the sports shoes market. “Due to stiff competition from Chinese products, we have not been able to have significant market share in the sports shoes segment,” he added.
LFGMAN treasurer Bishwo Jyoti Prasai said that the products at the expo would be sold at discounted rates. There will be reductions of 5-20% on almost all the products, he claimed. The association hopes the exhibition will attract more than 100,000 visitors.
