Akardo SA – sales increase in Q1 2021 by 35% y / y

Akardo – e-commerce with craft footwear – has published its sales results for the first quarter of 2021. From January to March this year. the company achieved sales of PLN 1,080,500, compared to PLN 797,650 a year before, which means an increase of 35%. The number of orders in this reporting period increased to 3,407 from 2,541 the year before, ie by 34% more than the year before. The average order value clearly exceeded PLN 300.

The company is in the course of the second crowdfunding campaign, in which it plans to raise PLN 1.68 million for further business development, including foreign expansion into the Czech and Slovak markets. At the beginning of May this year. Akardo has launched a new male premium brand – Haka Shoes, which is available in Poland and the entire EU. The company thus achieved all the goals of last year’s crowdfunding issue, in which it raised PLN 1 million.

We consistently maintain high dynamics of growth in the value of our sales. Comparing its level with Q1 2021 and Q1 2018, we have an increase of approx. 130% – this shows how by leaps and bounds we have grown over the last three years. However, it is worth noting that we are always faithful to our business model and focus on maintaining satisfactory margins. We build the value of our brand, we care about profitability – we do not organize frequent sales or promotional campaigns up to 50%, we are sure of the quality of our shoes. From the beginning of our activity, i.e. for over 8 years, we have been producing decent shoes in domestic shoemaking factories at an affordable price – says Adam Kubarski, president of Akardo SA.

Akardo SA’s second crowdfunding campaign is underway – emission targets

Foreign expansion with the change of the e-commerce platform for the online store along with the adaptation of the business model to export sales – additional employees, translations, payment methods, logistics, implementation of the store version for akardo.cz and akardo.sk domains. In addition, marketing activities – building from scratch an internal marketing department that will work on increasing awareness and sales of both brands. Extending the assortment – increasing the number of models and establishing cooperation with other shoemakers. Increasing working capital and further stocking up the warehouse.

Men’s premium footwear collection – Haka Shoes

The company has designed 8 models of classic shoes, sewn using the blake method, which is rare in Poland. Full visual identification of the brand has been prepared. The online store was launched in the second quarter of this year. Haka Shoes produces shoes in the current quarter only after placing an order. From the turn of the third and fourth quarter of this year. will change the sales model to standard shipment of finished footwear from the warehouse. The brand is currently available throughout the EU and will ultimately operate globally.

The Haka Shoes: https://hakashoes.com/pl/

Sales development

Akardo SA – is an e-commerce platform that has been selling shoes made by hand by local craftsmen from the vicinity of Wadowice continuously since 2013. It offers 650 models of shoes with a high quality / price ratio. Last year, the company handled 13,000 orders for a total amount of over PLN 4,400,000, and since the creation of the Akardo brand, the shoemakers cooperating with it have produced 55,000 pairs of shoes by hand.

The first issue of Akardo SA shares

In the spring of last year, the company carried out the first crowdfunding campaign, which was successful in the form of collecting 100% of the capital, amounting to PLN 999,999. At that time, over 500 Investors acquired all of the 111,111 shares offered. The company has already achieved all the issue goals from the first round of crowdfunding.

Co-financing from EU funds

Akardo SA obtained EU funding for the project “Creation of an innovative online store with an international reach along with a new brand of high-quality men’s footwear produced by small shoemakers near Wadowice.” It is implemented under the sub-measure 19.2 “Support for the implementation of operations under the community-led local development strategy” of the RDP for 2014-2020. The action is to create a new online store with a new brand of men’s footwear. The total eligible costs are over PLN 200,000. PLN. Co-financing from EU funds is 70%.

Market

E-commerce is one of the sectors of the economy that benefited greatly from the epidemic. Within five years, it is to reach the value of PLN 162 billion, which means an average annual increase of 12%. – PwC experts reported. The analyzes also show that over 74 percent. Poles after the end of the pandemic will maintain the level of online shopping, and 10 percent. it even intends to increase them. Gemius research shows that 72% of Internet users buy in Polish e-stores, and 30% in foreign ones. Poles prefer to shop in their home stores because it increases the level of their safety.

According to the forecasts of the Statista portal, by 2023 the share of revenues generated in Europe in e-commerce channels from the footwear sector is to increase to 19.5%. In Poland, in 2019, 22.0% of footwear sales were generated by online stores. This value is forecast to increase to 24.4% in 2023.

Craft footwear

Akardo’s offer includes shoes made exclusively by hand in small shoemakers’ shops. Thanks to this form of production, the company is able to control quality at every stage. In the production of footwear, mainly Polish semi-finished products are used – soles and leather. Akardo works exclusively with the best and trusted tanneries. Shoes from cooperating with shoemakers are years of practice and carefully selected, soft leather, in which the foot does not deform and does not burn off. During the production of Akardo footwear, no substances that could harm health are produced, and high-quality raw materials ensure the stability of the shoe.

See how Akardo’s handmade shoes are made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIs1pMCh99o

Last Updated on June 29, 2021 by Karolina Ampulska