Change in the crafter profile opens up foreign market opportunities for Círculo

Círculo S/A, a company producing yarns and threads for crafting since 1938, is riding the wave of change among its target customers to diversify its products and achieve success. Over the last four years the member company of Texbrasil (Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program) – held through a partnership between Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency) and Abit (Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association) – has seen exponential sales growth on the foreign market. In the first half of 2018, for example, exports were up by 22% year-over- year.

According to Eduard Hoffmann, an Export Coordinator at Círculo, the company owes its international success to a shift in consumer behavior: around the world, younger and younger people are showing interest in crafting.

In response to this trend, Círculo is increasingly investing in products aimed at this public, such as special yarn for making Amigurumis, a Japanese crochet and knitting technique used to make round dolls. These include the Amigurumi yarn – found in 10 countries, chiefly in Latin America, Portugal and Germany – and a series of instructional booklets and accessories for making these yarn creatures.

The launch of the Amigurumi yarn is what allowed the company to make a comeback in one traditional market for handcrafted goods: Germany. This country hosts the world’s largest crafts show, H+H Cologne, which Círculo is attending with the support of the Texbrasil Program on the 29^th of this month.

Eduard also says that diversification of the crafter profile goes beyond age. “Today, in addition to traditional consumers, we have many customers that use crafting for anti-stress therapy.”

He also explains that growth in the migration of techniques has also bolstered sales. “The growth in the range of products we are exporting is as important as the numbers. For years, sales were concentrated in some predominant yarns, since people did not try out new techniques; but today, we are increasingly selling more threads, yarns and different accessories,” says Eduardo.

About Texbrasil
The Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program (Texbrasil) works with textile and apparel industry companies to develop strategies for success in the global market. Over nearly 20 years, it has helped around 1500 brands to enter the export market, bringing in USD 3.6 billion in business. The Program is conducted by Abit in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil).