A plan to buy Pierre Cardin, which began in March, is just a step forward for Wenzhou businessmen to acquire international brands. "Daily Economic News" learned from authoritative sources yesterday that Wenzhou's private capital will form a group to acquire more internationally renowned brands.

From the original joint fund-raising to buy a house and speculation to the current group to "attack" internationally renowned brands, Wenzhou businessmen's "business" has hit overseas.

Docking 50 Italian brands

“I am currently in Italy, and I am inspecting the famous Italian brands with the heads of 12 Wenzhou shoes and apparel companies.” Recently, Xie Yufang, vice chairman and secretary general of Wenzhou Shoe Industry Association, said in an interview with “Daily Economic News”. . According to reports, 12 Wenzhou enterprises formed a study tour at the end of June, went to the Marche region of Italy, and 50 Italian shoes and apparel brands on the acquisition, cooperation and other matters.

"In July, these Italian brands will also be invited to China to study, and will reach a cooperative relationship at that time." According to Xie Yufang, in addition to Italy, Wenzhou enterprises will again organize a group tour to Europe in September.

According to various information, Italy has launched 50 internationally high-profile Italian shoes and apparel brands such as GEOX, ANCONA and FILOTTRANO, and said that it will conduct business with Chinese companies in terms of brand sales, OEM production and design. Docking at all levels. The companies that went to Italy to explore the camp included eight shoe-making companies including Juyi Group, Gilda Footwear Company and Tianya Shoes Company, as well as clothing companies of Ao Benni Clothing Company.

Change the "buy" brand from the agent

The connection between Wenzhou people and international brands can be traced back to the end of the last century. According to statistics, only 8,000 people in Qiaotou Town, Yongjia, Wenzhou, are engaged in international brand agency in Guangzhou, and there are more than 200 agents. The main products are clothing and shoes. Leather goods, such as goldlion, crocodile shirt, Playboy, Montagut, Valentino, Pierre Cardin, Cardan Road, Woodpecker and so on.

While the number of agency brands has increased, Wenzhou people have also tasted the sweetness in the agency. Take the leather goods industry as an example: From 2001 to 2003, the crocodile T-shirts represented by Wenzhou people were the sales champions in the market for three consecutive years, and the market share was high. In 2004, the brand changed its trademark, sales began to decline, and Jinli, also represented by Wenzhou, replaced its position. After 2004, due to the liberalization of the retail industry, international first-line brands entered the Chinese market through direct sales. Wenzhou’s agents, Montagut and Valentino, were forced to turn to second- and third-tier cities.

“Retailers are constantly asking for agents, manufacturers are constantly putting pressure on agents, and agents are caught in the middle of the two sides.” Mr. Zhu, the brand agent, told the “Daily Economic News” that he has been acting since 2006. An international brand has been losing money. "At the end of this year, the agency contract expires and I am prepared to not renew my contract."

It is reported that in the search for cooperation with international brands, Wenzhou people introduced them through friends in Hong Kong in the early days. After the fame of international brands, more and more brands took the initiative to find the door to be represented. "At that time, we were almost The visitor does not refuse." Recalling the brand agency market five years ago, Mr. Zhu said, "The agency fee is getting higher and higher, but the sales are getting less and less."

After the agency business became "Tomorrow's Yellow Flower", Wenzhou's agency companies began to set up a dedicated team to find potential brands around the world.