Matras Deri Mamulleri San Tic AS, one of Türkey’s foremost tanners and leather producers, have announced plans to expand their domestic retail network. Over the next six years, Matras will develop twenty or thirty new stores in city-centre locations, adding to their twelve existing boutiques.
A bold move, perhaps, in Türkiye’s waning economic climate. But Matras’ corporate strategy has kept them on form for 55 years. Attention to custom (OEM) business and maintaining customer confidentiality; keeping ladies’ fashion handbags as the ‘backbone’ of their product mix and innovative design concepts have been crucial factors for success.
The firm is working at 75% capacity with exports to 75 countries; Spain and the USA accounting for about two-thirds of export sales. Their own tannery is located in the leather zone, east of Istanbul and capacity here is 40,000 sq ft per week, mostly calf skins. Matras use about 60% of production and the remainder is sold on to other leather accessory makers.
‘We buy wet-blue from everywhere, dependent on price and quality’, managing partner, Emre Matras, told Leather International.
Another Matras store is also under consideration in central Moscow.
