Alpaca Fiber Prices Rising Due to Increased Demand From China and Europe
Online Alpaca retailer sees higher prices ahead due to increased demand from China and Europe and limited supply from South America. Americans will need to get used to higher prices on alpaca apparel products since most are imported from Peru and there is strong demand abroad combined with a weak dollar.
Brentwood, CA (PRWEB) November 30, 2007 -- Alpaca Direct (www.alpacadirect.com), an on-line provider of Alpaca apparel, knitting yarns and pima cotton sleepwear, today announced strong demand for its Quality luxury knitting yarns and apparel during the holiday season. This is despite increasing prices due to increased demand from China and Europe and the devaluation of the dollar compared to south American currencies like the Peruvian Sol. "We're seeing strong upward price pressures in the 15-20% range due to the currency issues and strong demand outside the United States," say Kelley Hobart, the company founder and chief buyer. The recent economic boom in China has affected worldwide supplies for Alpaca yarn as the high-end apparel makers have begun targeting the elite shoppers in Asia who can appreciate warm, stylish premium apparel.
Quality alpaca apparel is lightweight, soft as cashmere and warmer than wool. American consumers are beginning to discover the many unique benefits of Alpaca Apparel. This natural hollow-core fiber is lightweight and thermal regulating, making it a perfect fit for creating versatile sweaters, ponchos and socks that can be worn throughout the year. "The response has been phenomenal! When our clients discover alpaca, they become lifelong customers!" says Kelley Hobart, one of the founders of the Silicon Valley dot com venture. Alpaca apparel and yarn has been somewhat of a secret among Alpaca owners since most retailers have not offered natural fiber alpaca products due to its exclusiveness and limited availability.
In addition, most of the Alpaca products available have not been designed for the North American fashion market. "We teamed up with American designers to introduce the public to fresh colors and style combined with the incredible natural benefits of alpaca. Combining incredibly high quality products with easy on-line shopping and fast shipping has been a winning combination. Our goal is to educate the consumer market about alpaca apparel and yarn. Most people do not realize this natural fiber is soft as cashmere but much warmer and 5 times stronger than wool." Alpaca Direct is addressing the market by making the entire line of Alpaca apparel available on-line, in popular American styles through a highly usable retail website. Most retail web sites are very difficult to use and have a high abandon rate. To solve this issue, the software design team at Alpacadirect has focused on usability of the core shopping experience. This focus, combined with old-fashioned customer service like free shipping and free gift wrap aims to set new service level expectations for on-line retailers.
"Our goal is to target a specific market niche, usability test the shopping experience and refine our approach based on user feedback." Specialty apparel retail sites like Victoria Secret and LL Bean have been leading the growth segments in the elusive e-commerce market by using a similar on-line strategy. "It is all about the basics ... Great products, competitive pricing, excellent customer service all delivered in an effective on-line shopping experience," says Mrs. Hobart.
About Alpacas
Alpaca are native to the high Andes Mountains of South America. Domesticated for centuries by the Inca of Peru, their precious fleece was worn only by royalty. Alpaca produce over twenty natural shades of a fiber that is soft as cashmere and stronger than wool. This unique hollow core fiber is extremely light yet retains the ability to warm its wearer against even the harshest winter chills. Alpaca are still very rare in the United States with the current US alpaca population at about 50,000. The average female alpaca sells for between $15,000 and $30,000 dollars in the US market.
About Alpaca Direct
Alpaca Direct is the latest e-commerce retail venture launched out of Silicon Valley. Located in Brentwood, California, USA the site was extensively tested in a state of the art usability lab and offers a wide range of high quality Alpaca apparel and gifts.
Contact:
Christine Helton
925-308-7655
Alpaca Direct
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