“In the next 2 or 3 years, I hope that hotel supplies industry can really head towards the international market and attract more high-quality products to Yiwu.” On April 16th, standing in front of the booths surrounded by insulation cups, Wu Liangzhong, President of Yiwu hotel supplies industry association, said it with shining in his eyes.
On this day, more than 180 hotel supplies booths operated in the No.5 District of Yiwu International Trade City. From then on, it not only provided a one-stop platform for purchasers, but also made hotel supplies industry in Yiwu more competitive in the market. In the eyes of the insiders, this move infuses a new force in Yiwu market and opens a new page for accelerating the development of the industry.
From single to multiple
The hotel supplies industry in Yiwu is a new industry subdivided from the miscellaneous sales category in the early 1990s with a history of 20 more years’ development.
But in terms of the professional market, scattered operation from the very begging, now many provinces and cities still carry on to this pattern. Guangzhou took the lead step and set up the first professional market --- Nantian international hotel supplies wholesale market. And then Shanghai, Chengdu and other cities followed to establish their regional sales markets of hotel supplies industry. In other word, China's hotel supplies market is still in the process of growing step by step, with a vast space for development.
Wu Liangzhong said: “The hotel supplies industry covers a number of different categories of industries, containing furniture, catering appliances, textiles, electrical appliances, and so on. It is a comprehensive product industry.” The hotel supplies business area in Yiwu International Trade City mainly focuses on glass ware, ceramic ware, heat preservation cup (bottle), hotel ornaments, kitchen supplies, room supplies, being the segment market in this industry. From Professional Street to Yiwu International Trade City, this move has a positive significance for building a professional market and further stand out in the domestic market competition.
Walking in the region, beautiful ceramic cups, bright glass tea sets, multi-functional insulation cups and other products will get you dazzled. “With the improvement of people's living standard and the higher demand for quality of life, more and more products emerge as required.” Liang Weizhang, general manager of Tong Wei handicraft firm, pointed to a rice jar on the counter and said, “This is a rice cylinder is capable to load with 10 kilograms of rice. Most of the rice jar we used to use was crocks, but now the products are various in shapes and rich in colors.”
Moreover, the style of hotel supplies is becoming more and more diverse, from traditional Chinese style to European style, and now returning to light Chinese style, becoming more and more closely integrated with soft decoration.
From domestic sales to foreign trade
Although the hotel supplies industry in Yiwu got a late start, this immaturity is just providing a vast potential space for development. According to “The Belt and Road” initiative, the Yiwu Association of hotel supplies industry early decides to develop from the cultural aspect.
Wu Liangzhong said “Throughout history, economic intercourse is always based on culture. Hotel supplies are not only products, but also beat rich history. We introduce our traditional porcelain and hotel supplies culture through the interrelated interaction of the Silk Road to promote the personalized change of hotel supplies industry in Yiwu and surrounding regions with their own cultural characteristics.”
Xu Zhengguo was the first in hotel supplies industry to interact with the “Belt and Road” Initiative. Walking into “Dajin Department Store", all kinds of "Czech made" crystal cup just get you dizzy.
Xu Zhengguo told reporters that he had previously monopolized glassware sales. With the shrinking of the wholesale space in domestic market, competition is becoming fiercer and profits are getting thinner. A chance, he came into contact with the Czech cup, known as "transparent gold". Then he went to Czech to find the source, to get more pricing power, and to take the Chinese agency of the "Lex" crystal cup in Bohemia, Czech. In this way, Xu Zhengguo, who had been truck with cups for more than 20 years, opened up a new world.
“Crystal cup moves from Czech to Yiwu, and then from Yiwu to the whole country. Under the “Belt and Road” Initiative, this way goes more and more smoothly,” said Xu Zhengguo with excitement, as a handle man.
From agency to branding
In fact, for any product, brand is always a topic that cannot be passed though. This is true of the hotel supplies industry.
“We used to be agent for others’ bands. It’s like bring up a kid for other family,” said Liang Weizhang. His words were rough but make sense. “Conscientiously agent their brands, help them grow bigger and stronger and then earn a low price difference. For the company, fate is actually in the hands of others. ”
Two years ago, Liang Weizhang started making his own brand. Walking into his shop, products, marked logo of his brand, are placed in a prominent position, and his business card, with the brand logo on the cover is also eye-catching. Liang Weizhang said, brand cultivation is a relatively long process, but through efforts, customers will sooner or later recognize it. And his products sale with its own brand increase by 20% every year.
And Wu Liangzhong's path of creation is much earlier. As early as 1996, he had a sense of branding and registered a trademark in 1998 and an English one in 2006. As a long time of brand cultivation, domestic and foreign recognition of its products is also increasing. “We have customers from Middle East, Europe and America. And many customers designate products with our brand,” said Wu Zhongliang with proud.
Wu Liangzhong said that entering the No. 5 District of Yiwu International Market creates a new name card for the hotel supplies industry--- international "endorsement" of the Yiwu market. At present, foreign trade in this area accounts for more than 60%, mainly exported to the Middle East, Europe and the United States and other countries and regions. Through the platform of No.5 District of Yiwu International Trade City, we can further explore the international market and promote the rapid and orderly development of the industry. And at the same time, relying on market advantages, we can strengthen our brand cultivation, promote transformation and upgrading of enterprises, and seek more room for development.
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://www.linkyiwu.com/blog/the-hotel-supplies-industry-is-sailing-into-the-market-sea/