Calzedonia was established in 1987 in the suburbs of Verona with the aim of revolutionizing the way stockings and swimwear are sold for women, men, and children through a franchise network. Twenty years later, the Calzedonia store network includes 1750 stores worldwide in Italy, Austria, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, France, Macedonia, Montenegro, England, Slovenia, Romania, Germany, and Belgium.
The success of Calzedonia is the result of several factors: a wide range of products, attention to trends, and the perfect combination of price and quality. These criteria allow Calzedonia to cater to the most discerning customers. Today, the Calzedonia Group employs about 26,000 people worldwide, with 3,000 in Italy. Calzedonia operates on a vertical structure: the creative process, production, and distribution of each product (directly or through subsidiaries). All sales through monobrand stores are coordinated directly, while franchise stores are managed by distributors. The lingerie sector was initially targeted towards a small audience until a unique company successfully started selling its products to a wide audience of all ages.
The results speak of the company’s dynamic growth and internationalization. The key to success in Italy and worldwide is the competitive combination of price and quality. The company places great emphasis on style and design, fabrics, and colors, creating collections that align with consumer trends and tastes. The concept of distributing three trends is another key to success. The mobile and modern franchise network takes care of the store’s appearance and strategically positions itself in the most important cities. Sandro Veronesi, the President of Calzedonia Group, developed this concept in 1987 when he founded Calzedonia, even before the lingerie brands Intimissimi and Tezenis emerged. Calzedonia Group also actively invests in advertising and selects the best photographers and top models. Gisele Bündchen (for Calzedonia) and Irina Shayk (for Intimissimi) are models who have helped establish the brands in the fashion world. Today, the number of stores is approaching 3500 in 30 different countries.
