Teddy, the success of Italian fast fashion: revenues +7.5% in 2024

No self-celebratory campaigns with the 50 most famous (and paid) models of the last decades, immortalised by 'photostar' Steven Meisel, the choice made by Zara (Inditex) to celebrate 50 years. No bombastic collaborations with great designers of the present or the past, as H&M, the Swedish giant that has always rivaled the Spaniards at Inditex, often does.

The Teddy Group, which we could define as the Italian way to fast fashion, together with Ovs (Benetton has unfortunately been out of the picture for some time), has for many years had a different strategy and vision from those of the two large European groups. The only similarity is that the Italian company is also present on the market with more brands - Terranova, Calliope, Rinascimento and QB24 - and shops dedicated to each brand (now 859).

In 2024, the path chosen by the Teddy group proved to be successful: revenues grew by 7.5% to 735 million and the increase on the Italian market alone was almost double that (+13%). Of course, the context caused margins to decrease, also because investments increased (first and foremost in training, environmental and social sustainability, and shops, which rose to EUR 27.4 million, 2.1 million more than in 2023) and the number of employees grew by 6.8% to 3,720, 71% of which in Italy with an average age of 32 years. Profitability was affected by strong increases in transport costs (+70% over 2023, or 27.3 million), investments in digital channels and, of course, geopolitical uncertainty, which does not help any type of consumption, including clothing.

"The strength of our brands and the effectiveness of our business model, combined with our financial solidity, have enabled us to resume a decisive growth trajectory in a challenging context," comments Alessandro Bracci, president and CEO of the Teddy Group. There is also a component that is difficult to measure, linked to Vittorio Tadei, who founded the group in Rimini in 1961. 'A visionary entrepreneur, who wanted to give the company a mission that went beyond the simple production of clothes,' adds Bracci. 'When no one else was doing it, more than 60 years ago, he spoke of the dream of creating a company that also had a greater purpose, aiming at sustainable growth and the development of people. For 2025, despite the context, the Teddy Group expects to continue to grow, confirming the founder's long-term vision.