Clothing network, so that apparel wholesale to join the internet era

In Guangzhou, White Horse, 13 line, Shahe clothing wholesale market, every day there are countless vehicles from all over the country waiting for loading. Three or four o'clock in the morning, the clothing wholesale market has been brightly lit, from the train station, bus station, private goods from the people filed, soon, a car dragged a black parcel of luggage to leave. The market in the sound of bargaining, too late to eat the stall owner holding a lunch box to eat two meal to collect money, sit a night of the car came to the outsiders are eating bread while watching the goods bargain. This tension and busyness lasted until five or six o'clock in the afternoon.

Wholesale market stalls Everywhere bosses are struggling in the ocean of clothing. But can this business be easier?

April 2010, clothing networking founder Hua White Horse, 13 lines, Shahe, humen and finished garment factory a bone brain moved to the Internet, this name is "Clothing networking" professional clothing wholesale network in the platform less than two years time accumulated 5,474 upstream physical clothing wholesalers, 486,032 Buyers Clothing Store (data as of March 27, 2012), daily average traffic more than 100,000. By contrast, the country's well-known white horse trading house Only 2000 households, the entire 13 merchants circle but 6,000 merchants, daily traffic tens of thousands of people.

A not-hyped E-commerce platform in a short period of time to achieve such a user scale to the industry scraping. But Hua know, this performance can not be separated from the platform before the seven years of user accumulation.

The traditional clothing wholesale market E, practice is difficult. The bigger risk is that the site has limited profitability and high operating costs, making it difficult for him to get a good night's sleep.

Win Weekly reporter Zhu Weiwei

First gather downstream, then recruit upstream

2003, a "Shop spring and Autumn" of the clothing shopkeepers forum in the country's clothing retail shop owner Circle to spread, wildfire speed, quickly gathered more than 370,000 registered users, the number of the industry's first, became the earliest, most professional, most influential clothing shopkeepers forum. At that time, the forum circulated a post "shop spring and Autumn to help me earn 200,000", is the largest embodiment of the network value of clothing, nurturing and the emergence of many well-known figures in the circle. Most of these 370,000 users later became users of the clothing network.

Clothing network through the operation of the spring and autumn clothing shop owners forum gathered a large number of clothing shopkeepers, upstream to obtain online clothing wholesale business needs of buyers (that is, clothing retailers). But in fact, at that time in Huawei Shop, the definition of the development direction has not been identified as an e-commerce platform. Exuberant popularity can do a lot of things, such as becoming a subdivision of the industry's portal, focusing on the provision of clothing wholesale industry information, and later Hua only slowly have to do the idea of E-commerce platform.

2007, clothing networking into the wholesale stage, to similar to the business model, to ascertain the wholesale trade apparel trade rules, including the trap, and gradually develop in line with market development rules, in order to carry out large-scale online wholesale popularization.

In order to explore the details of the apparel E-commerce, accurate diagnosis of Chinese clothing (000902, stock bar) circulation links, clothing networking to "body skin contact" way to complete the apparel business E-commerce experience accumulation and market research, put more than 5 million yuan to create a real market environment, the user experience, trade barriers, Both demand and development trends have been meticulous and thoughtful exploration and analysis.

They have established more than 40 offices in the country's one or two-line cities; specifically for the apparel industry developed ERP management system, covering from the apparel procurement, quality inspection, photography, description, shelves, sales, out of the library, statistics and return of goods such as after-sale links, but also to the industry shocked 100% returns policy.

Over the past few years accumulated market experience and user resources (including clothing factories and clothing stores), for the clothing network to promote the overall promotion of clothing factory and clothing Shop Direct dialogue has accumulated a solid foundation.

Everything is in the wind. April 2010, the Open clothing business-to-business e-commerce Platform Apparel networking officially online. This platform is not a simple business-to-business, but a b2b2c, which is a bridge between the clothing network, the two sides directly connected to the supplier and retail stores close integration platform. This seemingly simple business model, involving the details of E-commerce apparel, such as resource integration, copyright protection, and even industry personnel on the level of E-commerce awareness and traditional concepts breakthrough.

Unlike other B2B2C modes, first, due to the network of clothing on both ends of the users are commercial users, downstream users are pursuing a lower cost, and individual users to pursue a different experience, this way, the users of the network will not be like Taobao on the individual users care about sellers attitude, delivery speed and other details, This in itself solves the problem of the cost of clothing networking in improving the user experience.

Second, the clothing network in accordance with the development of the garment industry's unique online version of the system and regional protection system, to solve the garment enterprises on the clothing style of plagiarism imitation of the worries, in order to stabilize the competitive advantage.

The third is value innovation. They will be traditional business-to-business only solve the information flow of backward mode, expand to capital flow + information flow + logistics integration. In addition, to abandon the traditional business-to-business extensive service practices, "one-stop solution" to build, including user training, valet decoration, order collection, such as "nanny-style" service system, to solve the clothing market "Most users do not know the electric dealer" problem.

Many of the clothing wholesale market stall owners have become the clothing network loyal customers. With the rapid growth of online transactions, some have even canceled the high rents of the stalls, directly from the factory to the customer shipments. Always need to go to Guangzhou to purchase the level two wholesalers, but also do not need to Canton, but in the clothing network after the direct order at home waiting for receiving goods.

Adhere to the "two-entity" mode

Clothing networking itself is an e-commerce platform, but will be shut out of the Army shop. Clothing network claims to take the road of dual entities, that is, upstream must be a factory or stall manufacturer or entity wholesalers, downstream must be a shop owner of the entity.

According to Li Shunxian, chairman of the network of clothing networking, is "upstream, to clean up the net agent without physical sources; ”

This is another thing that makes E-commerce people surprised, incomprehensible, and even think it's almost stupid. Because of the current E-commerce market, network agents and online shop can be said to be the absolute mainstay of the market, White Horse, humen and other wholesale markets have also established the online mall, and many small retail stores also opened Taobao shop, the entity shop "neat" is obviously in the alley in the dead. Because the "two entities" in the extreme purification of the identity of the buyers and sellers, but also make their own market less than a half.

In reality, how to differentiate between entity and non entity customers is also a problem. Rongchangwei, deputy general manager of the network, clothing networking upstream sellers are in the wholesale market long-term standing point of the company's investment team inspected one after the verification, you can ensure that there are physical stalls or factory sourcing. Not only that, the network also requires these sellers on the internet on the clothing wholesale price must be equal to or lower than the wholesale price of the entity shop, in order to protect the interests of the clothing union buyer. Although the downstream buyers can not do hundred-door visits, but also through a number of technical means to evaluate the screening. In addition, Hua also believe that the price of regulation makes no factory sourcing wholesalers without the advantage of price, it is difficult to survive on the network of clothing, which is tantamount to self-regulation of the market.

However, the "two-entity" model of the network is also a loyal supporter. Guangzhou Top ten designers, Rice brand founder Dream also believes that in today's mixed network supply system, the dual-entity clothing networking restrictions can be focused on bulk sales of entity wholesalers easier to find the counterpart of the clothing shopkeepers, but also make clothing owners more easily meet the physical clothing store needs of the primary source, Therefore, it has a certain positive significance.

But, compared to the "all-in-all" business-to-business, clothing networking "dual entity" is undoubtedly the initiative to reduce their own living space, in the operation is tantamount to making trouble for themselves, this "can make clothing channels alive" E-commerce "new play" can go far, but also depends on the network can solve this hidden " Many many questions. "

The family-style service that had to be

Clothing Networking Entity Shop customers have the common ground is particularly busy, even a lot of people are too busy to know how to surf the Internet. Rongchangwei told a case, one day they received a customer call, said that the Web site is not open clothing network. The technician immediately checked all the test data and was normal. Other customers can also open the site. What exactly is the problem? Later, the technical staff through Remote Assistance into the other operating system only to find that the original customer in the address bar to enter the network Web site does not know to click the ENTER key, the system can run. This example reminds the clothing network, to the customer's clothing to be more in-depth, to those who have no access to the Internet customers need to carry out hands-on services.

Clothing network users are mainly "two missing" users, a lack of time, the second lack of technology, to teach the fish as a fishing. The network specifically provides training for this purpose. "From the registration, open shop, to store operation settings, clothing photo upload, shop operation, order presses, training customers and so called services we have." At present there is no E-commerce platform can do this, this is our nanny-style service system. ”

Rongchangwei introduction, as long as the user's team has more than 5 people, clothing networking to provide door-to-door service, hands-on teach each other how to use the clothing networking site. If less than 5 people, you can at any time through the QQ or telephone to provide remote assistance.

Last year, clothing networking in the country opened a total of 15 apparel wholesale business-to-business Exchanges, the purpose is to teach clothing wholesale staff how to use the Internet correctly. Although this has greatly increased the cost of human resources, but at the same time greatly increased user viscosity.

In addition, the bigger challenge comes from users who don't want to go online. Despite the high rents of wholesale outlets, the traditional channels for wholesale clothing are still lucrative, and bosses who do well in business don't bother to do small businesses online. At present, clothing networking has not found an effective way to change such traditional thinking.

No advertising, no financing.

The reporter registers the Clothing Network discovery, its on-line wholesale function and the service launches many bright spots, in addition to mixed batches, according to the amount of pricing, pay payment (such as third-party payments) and other functions, but also launched a look at the version of the OEM, recruitment franchisee and agents of the characteristics of the service, in addition to the reality only the fashion to buy hands to be eligible for the group goods function. Buyers can be based on price, network, wholesale market, sourcing and certification, such as a variety of standard goods, the sellers according to the return of single rate, praise rate, sales and collection, such as ranking, buyers concern information in the home page at a glance.

From the settled entity clothing wholesalers and clothing store buyers look, clothing networking is just the forefront of the online clothing wholesale market. Because the two connected are commercial users, clothing networking average customer price of more than 2000 yuan, upstream sellers 80% concentrated in Guangdong province, and downstream users 80% for the province outside the buyer, all over the country, to Fujian, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Liaoning and other places for many.

Although already in the industry first, but to outsiders, the clothing network is still a strange name. Because the internet is not like the Dream Bazaar, such as Mai-Lin, such as e-commerce sites in the flow of large shopping malls and subway stations advertising, Rongchangwei said, this is still attributed to the "two-entity" model of the network.

"Everyone in the subway is likely to be a consumer of Taobao and Dream Bazaar, but we are dealing with customers who are wholesalers or retail shopkeepers, and the proportion of people who open clothing stores in the subway is probably less than 1 per thousand." "The clothing network now relies on a more primitive push, send a team to the city's wholesale market for accurate industry promotion," our current focus is on the two or three-line city of the tertiary wholesale market, because the owners there may become the upstream seller of the clothing union, and may become the clothing of the downstream buyers. " ”

It is reported that there have been VC active contact with the clothing network, but there is no financing will be the network. To accept financing means that at the same time to accept the funding side of the strict assessment and evaluation, the road of independent development may be interfered with, in the case of own funds still sufficient, clothing networking want to continue their own business.

Clothing network now only to the seller charged 3900 yuan per year entry fee, the successful transaction will be charged 3% Commission. Rongchangwei admits: "We are still in the stage of investment, mainly to enlarge the scale of the market and do a good service." 3% Commission, if the customer rating rate reached 100% we will return. "Rongchangwei did not give a specific profit timetable, but he said this year will be the year of a massive expansion of the Internet." The network will recruit aggressively, with a 130-member team now expanding to five hundred or six hundred. This year there may be advertising on the internet in the two or three-line city.

Eric data shows that from 2007 to date, clothing and apparel products become the first major commodity online shopping category. Clothing manufacturers because of the chain with the business cooperation, has been a low-key operation of its own business-to-business or corporate platform, the sales data is more secretive. The industry's new people want to eat cake, must first business model innovation barriers.

"Clothing networking in China, the first" two-entity "apparel business model, that is, the site to undertake suppliers and clothing stores must have physical stores, do not do" network distribution ", abandoning the" Sales price difference "of the profit model, by charging Commission profits. "The Future of China's e-commerce will be to deepen the service function and diversify the profit model," Hua said. Xing Chuang Electronic Commerce Co., Ltd. founder, online wholesale model Research Center, Oriental, after careful study of the clothing network also said that the development potential of clothing networking, according to the turnover of about 3% of the Commission profit model, income fluctuations, but more room for growth.

In China, E-commerce is very easy to replicate, Rongchangwei is not worried about this, "replication of this model may be easy, but we have been operating for many years the user is not replicated." Now we have competitors, but not enough to pose a threat to us. And, the duplication of competition is not terrible, as Hua said, this cake if people eat, appropriate to some benign competition, in fact, the development of the network is very beneficial. ”

Mode reviews

Election to the runway does not represent a certain profit

Win Weekly reporter Chen Chunli

White Horse, 13 lines and other national clothing wholesale market rents remain high, a few square meters of large stalls, the rising, more than tens of thousands of yuan monthly rental, has made more and more clothing stall owners. And with the increasingly fierce competition, clothing wholesale market stall owners in recent years has been not as good as before, but also to face the frequent occurrence of the series of goods, copy samples and so on.

and carrying a large bag of small bags to the physical wholesale market to take the goods buyers are not hurt, the province of buyers to Guangzhou to take the goods, not only spend time, tolls, accommodation and other costs are not small, more difficult is the return.

Clothing Networking founder Hua Keenly aware that the professional wholesale clothing market will be moved to the network, not only to solve the traditional wholesale mode of high cost problems, but also through technical means to protect the "copyright", reduce inventory and intermediate links, improve the frequency of clothing updates. Online selling goods, online pick up the goods, will also be forced by the reality and the electric business atmosphere of the increasingly mature become a trend.

Insiders pointed out that clothing is the most suitable for the wholesale network. 3 C, cosmetics and other products of the production attributes determine its relatively transparent price, while the same style of clothing, different garment factory work, materials, plate type is not the same, the price is naturally different, which reduces the vicious competition. And the network wholesale is not for someone to wear, return rate is relatively low.

and clothing Shop Forum from the start of the network in several years of development has accumulated a large number of user resources, and relying on Guangzhou 13 lines, White Horse and other clothing wholesale market resources, the first "dual entity" clothing B2B2C mode, that is, the site to undertake the supplier and clothing stores must have physical stores, do not do "network distribution", abandoned " Sales price difference "profit model, by charging Commission profits. This makes the prospect of such an e-business platform available.

The blueprint is good, but to be true, there are still a few obstacles to be overcome.

Clothing networking does not have in the television, the network and so on media carrier carries on the overwhelming advertisement propaganda, its promotion method is in the countrywide wholesale market establishment Office, one by one carries on the shop marketing. This method can ensure the accuracy of the user, but it will cost a lot of manpower and resources. It is understood that the current team of clothing networking is 130 people, this year will expand to five hundred or six hundred people. Its human cost and operating costs are quite large, not to mention the investment in technology research and development. High operating costs are also the reason why clothing networking has not yet been profitable.

At present, the operating income of the network is mainly from the 3900 yuan per year of entry fees and 3% Commission, 3% of the Commission also with the customer's rate of return to 100%. It was pointed out that after the first transaction between the buyer and seller through the network, in order to avoid 3% Commission, the second start may be privately traded. This will obviously affect the income of the clothing network. However, the network said that this approach has a certain risk, because the network has a guarantee function, private transactions in case of any problems, the final bill for the problem or the buyers and sellers.

And when the clothing network can reach break-even point, its business size, and innovative profit model related. In expanding the number of businesses at the same time, we also need to pass a series of perfect service to the buyers and sellers in the clothing network, improve the repeat purchase rate, rather than become a taste of the platform for Business. With the popularity of the gathering, clothing networking also needs to innovate the profit model, so that the popularity into real gold and silver.