Wan Jingang, General Manager Of Camel Dress: From The Need To Find The Market

When it comes to outdoor brands, consumers will think of the first time of the international big names, such as the ancestors, the north and Columbia. In fact, in China's outdoor consumer market, more local manufacturing brands are at the top of the sales list.

Wan Jingang, general manager of Guangdong camel Garments Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Camel"), told reporters that the sale of international brands is not big because of the price performance ratio, while domestic brands are much higher than these international brands because of their high cost performance, small and flexible online sales methods. At the same time, the rapid expansion of the outdoor market has created market opportunities for the development of outdoor products enterprises.

　 Looking for market from need

In the 90s of last century Footwear industry Wan Jin Gang insists on the principle of "doing what is real, what to do and what to do step by step." It is difficult to build a brand. The key is to make products well and know what consumers care most about.

"Camel itself is made by hand sewing shoes. It has a history of 100 years. Our strengths are Hand-made suture shoes This kind of thread is relatively rough, and its shoes are loose and large, and it is comfortable and durable. "Shoes are done well," says Wan Jin Gang, who later extended from shoes to clothing and extended to the outdoors.

"This is a natural development following market demand. If we want to open a shop, if the product has only shoes, it will be monotonous, with a single variety, and follow the needs of consumers. Men's Shoes Increase to women's shoes, and then expand to clothing, outdoor supplies and so on. Wan Jingang said that such a product line is abundant, and the demand for production lines is also increasing. "We are specializing in the production of shoes. Some other accessories, such as hats, belts and some special shoes, are looking for professional factories for foundry production. If the whole department produces itself, it will not be cost-effective from cost."

In October 2014, when the camel's clothing sales exceeded 1 million, Wan Jingang said, "how to grasp the future is the key. The wind will change at any time, if it doesn't follow, it may fall." To this end, camels have made many attempts, such as the introduction of high-end series, the introduction of top German Sympa-Tex fabrics, independent research and development of CAMEL-Tex fabrics, product segmentation.

The biggest change should be the assurance of market demand. At the 2014 exhibition, I was touched by what an Alice shared. He said, now more and more people like outdoor, even beautiful women have joined the ranks, once saw a girl, a professional equipment, up to 5000 meters above sea level, in the face of snow mountain beauty must take pictures, but before taking pictures, she turned out a beautiful dress from her backpack, replaced her assault clothes, suppressed trembling, made some beautiful pictures, and hurried to replace professional equipment. Wan Jingang told reporters, "this incident has made me realize that the outdoor crowd has changed. Most of the outdoor enthusiasts are forty or fifty years old, and now more and more young people of more than 20 years old have joined this group. They have higher demands and requirements for outdoor equipment, and deeper demands and understanding of fashion."

In the past year, Wan Jingang has done two things. One is to design fashionable styles, one is to integrate outdoor technology. Fashion style requires bright coloring, and there must be more bold splicing and tailoring. For a product with waterproof, windproof and breathable functions, there are many difficulties and details to break through. How to grasp the fashion scale and how to reduce professionalism are also great challenges.

Online efforts to penetrate overseas markets

If the quality of products is not good, it will not become a successful product. Camels have built up offline channels through self opening stores and brand agents. The development of the Internet has brought more opportunities for camels. Since 2010, camels have increased investment in online sales channels. At first, Wan Jingang only used online sales as a channel to clear inventory, but after more than a year of operation, he found that online sales can significantly enlarge camel's brand radiation, and it can interact with consumers better and form targeted database resources.

As a result, Wan Jingang increased investment in online sales channels. For many traditional enterprises worried about the online offline price, which caused the loss of traditional channel's profits, camels had a long way to deal with: because online and offline correspond to two different consumer groups, camels have already developed a large number of new products for the users of electronic business, which will be more vivid and more personalized than the products of offline stores. The offline products will tend to be low-key and detail design, which is suitable for people over 40 years of age.

"Camels have developed new products for online consumers, which are much younger and richer. In fact, the electricity supplier is like a line entity, which is a sales channel, but the growth space of online sales is very huge. The ceiling of a shop under the line is the flow of people in the mall, which can only radiate to the surrounding population, while the electricity supplier ceilings are the total consumption group of the entire platform. The scale gap between the two is enormous. Wan Jingang told reporters.

Camel's electricity supplier Department has been operating independently. From scratch, from small to large, for camels, separate operation is the best way. Traditional entities and electric providers should strive to pursue their biggest growth. If a person is to be responsible for the entity and the electricity supplier as a whole, there may be an overall growth but a backward part of the situation. "

In addition, Wan Jin Gang also found that e-commerce can be achieved through channel sinking. Because camel brands are located in the middle and high end, the retail price of the camel is basically between 700 yuan and 1000 yuan, so it will be difficult to expand to the three tier cities. But Taobao store has increased camel's exposure rate, so that more consumers will get to the offline after they know the brand. This has increased the camel's outdoor occupancy industry.

It is understood that from 2010 to 2013, camels outdoors in Taobao's "double eleven" sales promotion, sales rose from 50 million to 380 million yuan, while online databases allow camels and consumers to "make friends from the design stage". Whenever new products are launched, camels will randomly select old customers to make comments on their usage requirements, fabrics and so on. At the same time, according to the background data of network sales, we can understand the different consumers' age, hobbies, consumption power and so on, which are difficult to collect in physical stores, so as to make targeted design and sales strategies. At present, there are more than 10 million samples of camel database.

In addition, it is worth mentioning that domestic brands are also an irreversible trend to cross the border. Wan Jin Gang has revealed that camels have chosen the two target markets of the United States and India, plans to set up branch offices locally, engage local staff in product design and operation, and choose local e-commerce platform as a sales channel. "This ensures the localization from the front end to the back end."

"Through China's cross-border e-commerce platform to sell products to the United States, facing slow logistics, after-sales service is not in place, slow update style, and achieve the operation of the United States can solve these problems. According to market demand and fashion design, the American team will produce products from Chinese factories and then deliver the goods to the US for sale. Wan Jingang said.

　　 Expert comment

The most important point of camel take-off is product innovation. Starting from hand-made suture shoes, from men's shoes to women's shoes, and increasing clothing and outdoor products, it is to rely on their own efforts and exploration to create breakthroughs in core technology, and on this basis, to complete the follow-up links of innovation, and to accurately grasp the needs of customers. The international vision and the support of international core technical teams are the important guarantee for camels to take the lead in achieving technological marketization and large-scale development.

Marketing innovation is an important way to improve the market competitiveness of enterprises. Drawing on the mode of electricity supplier, amplifying the radiant force of camel brand, building and perfecting the landing team, and the idea of "making friends from the design stage" with consumers, finally let camels go to the international road by domestic brands.