Big market in Japan for sheepskins

Press, 6 June 1981, Page 19

Big market in Japan for sheepskins

by

NEVIN TOPP

New Zealand has a great opportunity to export sheepskin clothing and other specialist garments into the big Japanese market, according to a visiting Japanese business man. Mr Keiji Urushibara. the president of Pro-Line Inc., said that there was a big market in Japan for sheepskin garments provided they were of good quality, design, and fitting. In order to meet this criteria on the Japanese market. Mr Urushibara was in New Zealand earlier this week to talk with the management of Canterbury Sheepskin Associates. Ltd, of Christchurch, on Sheepskin shearling designs. Canterbury Sheepskin Associates have been dealing with Pro-Line for three years now. After initial sales of $19,000 c.i.f.. in the first year, the trade between the' two companies has grown to the latest order of $120,000 c.i.f. Mr Urushibara was under no doubt that business could be expanded further as Japan had to import all its sheepskin and woollen products.

However, for him the proviso was that the garments had to be of the highest quality from good sheepskin and materials in order to meet competition from other parts of the world. It had been difficult to expand business, because the original New Zealand garments were not fit for the Japanese market in styles, colourings, and sizes, he said. Mr Urushibara brought examples of colourings, sizes, and designs of garments with him to New Zealand, and to take a first-hand look at manufacturing technique. His view of the Japanese market is long term. Initially he is aiming at garments in sheepskin shearling for those in the 18-years to 30-year-old age group, and he believed that as these buyers became older that they would move into more classical styles of sheepskin garments. This long-term view is not as silly as it sounds. Pro-Line began' about eight years ago, and during that time the private company has grown to a turnover of 1.3 billion yen (SNZ6.6 million). Besides importing New Zealand sheepskin garments, Pro-Line has been importing

other specialist ski-ing, mountaineering, and leisure wear into Japan, including the ■ North Face ski-wear range from the United States for eight years. During that time the North Face business had grown from $L T 560,000 to SI.SM. There were similar deals with the Donner Mountain Corporation of the U.S., and a French firm, Mr Urushibara said. The managing director of Canterbury Sheepskin Accessories, Mr Doug Price, said that his firm saw the Japanese market as a most, exciting prospect. Japan was the best country to deal with in the experience of the company far. The Japanese were alert, meticulous. and prompt in payment, he said. In addition, he had praise for the New Zealand Consulate in Tokyo, which had put Mr Urushibara into contact with Canterbury Sheepskin Associates. "The consulate offices give the opportunity for New Zealand businesses to perform, and if you don’t do anything alter that then you deserve the end fate,” he said.