Cooling temperatures drive consumption of warmth, and the winter socks market is booming.
Affected by the energy crisis and the cold wave, European consumers have begun to snap up “bare leg artifacts” such as leggings and pantyhose made in China. Data from cross-border platform AliExpress show that since October this year, sales in this category have increased by 131% year-on-year.
The beginning of winter is approaching, and many places in the country are also feeling chilly. However, the sock industry market is full of spring, with strong demand for winter socks and explosive growth in orders.
From loose and comfortable sleeping socks, calf socks with just the right length, velvet and thickened leggings, terry cotton socks, rabbit fur socks to wool socks, etc., these winter warm products are sold both domestically and domestically. Market sales are continuing to grow.
In a recent interview, a reporter from “China Textile News” learned that many hosiery companies have successively ushered in a “tide of replenishing orders” and at the same time, they have entered a new round of “Double 11” non-stop. “, New Year’s Day and Spring Festival are busy rush seasons for stock preparation and supply.
Behind the counterattack of the “Bare Leg Artifact”
The “Bare Leg Artifact” that everyone once despised is now selling well overseas. How did the “bare leg artifact” manufacturing company succeed in counterattack?
In the production workshop of Jilin Liaoyuan Socks Industry Park Socks Company, multiple production lines have been started, and workers are busy rushing to make orders. “Since this period, the company’s order volume has continued to rise, and the workers have been working overtime.” He Qingfang, the company’s deputy general manager, said that the company’s current average daily output of foreign trade orders has reached 400,000 pairs, and these socks are exported to five continents around the world, including Europe, the United States, and Japan. Major markets such as South Korea and Australia.
“These foreign trade orders have strict production standards, large models and small quantities, and complex processes, but the sales volume is stable and the profits are good.” He Qingfang said that in recent years, the company has been guided by market demand and has continued to improve New product research and development capabilities, the company’s foreign trade business has grown year by year, and now accounts for 80% of the company’s total sales. In 2021, the company’s foreign trade sales increased from 150 million yuan in 2020 to 270 million yuan.
Liaoyuan Socks Industrial Park Socks Co., Ltd. is not the only one that is experiencing rapid growth in foreign trade business. In the first half of this year, the exports of nearly 100 sock companies in Zhuji have grown rapidly and their proportion has increased. More than half of the sock companies have placed their foreign trade orders until the end of this year. According to statistics from the Zhuji Socks Industry Association, in the first seven months of this year, the export volume of the socks industry in Datang Town, Zhuji City reached 6.68 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 65.86%. The export of hosiery industry shows the characteristics of stable market and active orders.
Zhejiang Shanite Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Shanet”), whose products focus on overseas markets, has established strategic cooperative relationships with a number of well-known foreign brands in recent years. Zhou Yurun, the person in charge of the company, said that currently, 95% of the company’s products are exported to overseas markets such as the United States, Canada, South Korea, Japan and Spain. In the first seven months of this year, the company’s foreign trade export volume reached 250 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 84.4%.
As a major exporter of socks, Jiang Zhichao, chairman of Zhejiang Yiheng Knitting Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Yiheng Knitting”), said that the situation of foreign trade orders this year is gratifying. In recent days, the company has About 10 containers of goods are sent overseas
In recent years, Zhejiang, which ranks first in the number of socks companies in the country, in order to enhance its competitiveness in overseas markets, in addition to improving internal skills to improve product quality, make good use of digitalization Tools are also one of the current focuses of sock companies.
Yiheng Knitting is one of the first companies in Datang Town, Zhuji City to respond to the transformation of digital workshops. Jiang Zhichao introduced that since the company implemented digital transformation, it has introduced 120 smart sock machines that integrate knitting, seaming and turning. The production efficiency has been improved, the market competitiveness has been enhanced, and product quality has also reached a new level.
Shanet also invested more than 15 million yuan to update 300 old sock machines and introduced new ERP systems and 3D simulation design systems, which not only greatly shortened the production cycle, but also improved production quality and efficiency. .
“After digital intelligence is involved in all stages of production and inventory, the error rate is significantly reduced and production is more accurate. At the same time, the response speed of order delivery is also accelerated.” Hong Dongying, President of Zhuji Socks Industry Association, Zhejiang Province He told a reporter from China Textile News that in recent years, Zhuji City has continuously accelerated the overall industrial chain layout of “sock industry brain + digital smart factory + digital infrastructure” and achieved the goal of strengthening and replenishing the chain. At present, the Datang Socks Industry Big Data Center is completed and operational, coupled with the construction of an “industrial brain”, which has improved the industrial competitiveness of the Zhuji Socks Industry.
Zhuji Socks Industry has now cultivated 1 provincial-level industrial Internet platform, established 2 provincial-level demonstration enterprises for the integration of informatization and informatization, built 87 municipal-level digital workshops, and has more than 600 industrial robots in service. With more than 5,200 sets of industrial equipment, it has achieved digital transformation of the entire process and is at the forefront of the national hosiery industry cluster.
The local sock industry plays with new brand trends
At present, the winter socks market is highly competitive. Socks are no longer just necessities for life, but also a new fashion item. . The sock industry is also constantly looking for innovative ideas suitable for its own development.
In recent years, with the rise of overseas trendy socks brands, a number of new local trendy socks brands have also grown rapidly. At the beginning of 2021, Yourun Socks Co., Ltd. targeted the diversified needs of young people and independently developed the trendy sock brand “Sock Matrix”. It has launched more than 100 original series of products such as “Explore the Unknown”, “Legend” and “Star Fight” . These fashionable socks are deeply loved by young consumers because of their unique design, bright colors, antibacterial and anti-odor properties.
When niche activities such as skiing, Frisbee, and camping are taking off…Cross-border e-commerce platforms have opened up new export channels for enterprises.
80% of the socks produced in Haining, Zhejiang, are exported to European, American, Japanese and other markets.
In August this year, Haining, the export base of mid-to-high-end boutique socks, released a special action plan for Haining’s cross-border e-commerce to “grab orders on the cloud and worry-free cross-border”. By “holding a cross-border e-commerce event, Development Conference”, “Building a number of cross-border e-commerce overseas warehouses”, “Building a number of cross-border e-commerce independent stations”, “Creating a number of cross-border e-commerce brands”, “Promoting a number of industrial cluster cross-border e-commerce pilots” and other “eight The “One for One” initiative will fully help enterprises achieve the long-term goal of high-quality development, and plans to add 100 new export online stores, cultivate 20 cross-border e-commerce brands and build 50 independent websites within the year.
“This is undoubtedly a major benefit for sock companies.” Cai Fuqiao, manager of the cross-border department of Haining Wells Knitting Co., Ltd., said that “snatching orders on the cloud” has a great impact on companies expanding their markets. help.
The establishment of a charter flight overseas to grab orders is also an important measure in the Haining special operation. In September of this year, Haining City’s first chartered flight overseas ordering group, composed of 20 textile companies and nearly 40 foreign trade professionals, went to Japan to participate in the 3-day Osaka International Living Products Exhibition and the 15th Zhejiang Export Commodities (Osaka) trade fair.
“The company’s annual sales in the Japanese market are around US$4.5 million. This time we ‘went overseas’, we brought more than 300 new products, all developed using new materials, new processes, and new formats. .” said Lu Zhongjie, Chairman of Haining Disai Knitting Co., Ltd.
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