Chicco (1959)
Chicco is a Brand belonging to Gruppo Artsana, established in the early 1950s in Grandate (Como) as a small family business of pharmaceutical products.
CHICCO
Given that children’s educational products didn’t exist in Italy in those years, the founder of the firm, Pietro Catelli, decided to create the Chicco brand inspired by the nickname of his first son. The brand, today a leader in its field, specialized in the study and production of non-food items for infants, including five lines which are part of the “Chicco Growth Project,” suitable for the different phases of a child’s development, and also for expectant mothers.
For the mothers, in particular, the company offered a shoe and clothing line, the Expectant Mother (Mamma Donna Attesa) Collection, designed to be in line with fashion trends. The Chicco Baby Fashion line, with two theme Collections each year, offers clothes for children from newborn to 10 years old.
Launched in 2001 in the American market as well, it is divided into three lines according to the different ages, and it is characterized by practical and joyful clothes and accessories appropriate to the trends of the time (such as the Formula One line of shoes) which have been the cause of Chicco’s great commercial success. Sold through a distribution network in 120 countries, Chicco has since 1991 been joined by Neobaby, a widely-distributed brand of children’s products.
According to recent data, Artsana has a turnover of about €1.250 million and more than 6,000 employees. In addition to its classic shops, Chicco has recently opened the Chiccolands amusement parks (there are now 5 in Italy) within which are the various specialized stores. On the initiative of Pietro Catelli, the Museum of the Toy Horse was opened in Grandate in April 2000, with space to display a Collection of 520 pieces from the 1700s up to today. In the 1950s this was the location of the stables of the mythical trotter Tornese.
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