PROCESS OF INTERNATIONALIZATION: CASE TOPITOP

1960

Aquilino Flores, who didn't have anything, arrived in Lima with a wish: Provide money for
his family. That year, he started to work as a car cleaner.

1961

A man who met Aquilino, told him if he wanted to sell T- shirts. Immediately, he accepted
and sold 20 T- shirts in only one day. After, he made a subcontract with a dry cleaner for
improve the T- shirts that he was selling. Obviously, this action increased the number of
orders. These years, he bought his first sewing machine and started to make his own
clothing. When he acquired the 6th machine, Aquilino brought his brothers from
Huancavelica, that situation was the first stage of the future expansion.

1966

1971
1982

198
3

One day, the biggest order (at that time) came to Aquilino. A client from Desaguadero
placed an order for $10,000 in T-shirts. Immediately, he subcontracted the different
confection workshops around to him and fulfilled the agreement. Since that time, he
established his own large knitting workshop with his brothers and began doing bigger
orders.
They expanded their business and implemented new sweatshops. Starting the supply of
others shops.
They decided to invest in the first part of which is the bookkeeping process. Be it further
resolved no longer to work through dealers and inaugurate its first stores in the center of
Lima and three in the city of Trujillo.
The name Topy Top SA was created, and their expansions of business activities were
both in Lima and in the main capitals of the provinces of Peru.

1986

They opened the first store in Lima Topy Top. Then, they opened others in Trujillo,
Arequipa, Piura, among others, replacing sales via dealers.

1995

They implemented a model plant in Zarate to export to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, Brazil,
Ecuador and Colombia. Cleaning yarn and fabric are initiated in their processes.

1996

They started the first exports using the Full Package System.

1997

In October, the company was merged by absorption with Flowers Creations SRL., the
latter acted as the absorbing company, but they kept Topy Top name.

2000

It was agreed the merger by absorption of the company Star Color Peru SA, a company
linked to the group dedicated to providing dry cleaning services. Also, Inka Knit SA
Company was created to manufacture for the local market, and Express Jeans C & O SA
was founded for the export market.

2001

2003
2006
2007

201
3

The Fashion Line Trading Company was created for domestic market and for Venezuela.
Retail division advanced with stores opening at Local and abroad.
They obtained the Quality Certification ISO 9001 - 2000 for plants and industrial
processes.
They extended their Retail activity in Venezuela and Colombia.
They changed their international corporate identity and brand name: From "Topy Top" to
"Topitop".

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Today, the company Topitop, is one of the largest companies in the textile and clothing
sector in Peru, but only uses only commercial internationalization strategy. In other
words, the company takes care not only of the export process, but also to distribute the
product with its own stores, to final consumers in the country.

STRATEGIES FOR INTERNATIONALIZATION

Topitops strategies of internationalization are basically the following three ones:
STRATEGIES
Backward
Vertical Integration
Forwards

By business

Diversification

By countries

By customers
Organization

Apparel business

Retail Business

DEVELOPMENT
Integration process from
spinning, dyeing, etc. Since
the cutting process on, the
exporter is Topitop.
In
January
2008,
the
commercialization is done
by the company Sur Color
Star SA. In addition, they
develop retail stores.
Besides apparel company,
they have their own retail
company Trading Fashion
Line.
They decentralize its sales
in the countries, thereby
reducing
the
risks
associated with fluctuations
in the business cycles of
each country.
They
decentralize
their
sales by customers to have
a
diversified
portfolio
(sectors A, B, C, D, E, F).
Reorganization
of
the
company in an industrial
division consists of six
companies, according to
their sphere of activity and
the market it serves.
Part of the production
process
is
outsourced
because of the ability to
adapt to fluctuations in
demand.
Creating an organization
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exclusively
business.

for

the

retail

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