Malerba
Malerba is an italian hosiery company, founded in 1926 by the Malerba family originally from Castiglione delle Stiviere. It produces articles for men, women, and children. It has two factories (in Varese and Castelnuovo Valsugana) and a warehouse in Galliate Lombardo. The company has a strong presence in Germany and Spain. At the end of the 1990s, it formed an agreement with Walt Disney to produce socks with designs inspired by the characters Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.
The Malerba group
The Malerba group acquired Brigatti, the historic Milanese brand of clothing and accessories, relaunching it in the summer of 2003. Guido Scalfi, the president and main shareholder (at 51%, the rest being owned by the Malerba family) explains that the aim is to revive the Brigatti tradition. One of the fundamental aspects of the relaunch is improved distribution, based on a select number of outlet spaces as well as own-brand boutiques. The aim is to increase the Brigatti turnover to over 7.5 million euros over a three year period from 2002-2005, with a third of this in Italy and the rest abroad, mainly in the Far East and the United States.
The current situation
Turnover in 2001 totaled 50 million euros (50% made in Italy and the rest abroad). As well as Brigatti, the group includes Malerba hosiery and underwear and the license for Verri Sport men. However, the partnership with Missoni Sport was terminated.After beginning a new development cycle in 2001 and reaching a profit (1 million euros on a turnover of 40 millions) in 2002, Malerba intended to increase its own-brand shops. To the existing 5 in Italy, and the 1 in Barcelona, it added another in Galliate Lombardo (Varese). It currently has 2,000 retail sales outlets, 1,500 corner spaces in department stores in Italy, and a further 6,000 in the rest of Europe.
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