Why Do You Want To Strengthen This Textile Industry? Shaanxi Yulin Gives Three Reasons

On February 25, 2018, during the "Beijing 8 Minutes" cultural performance at the host country handover ceremony of the closing ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, 22 sets of performance costumes "thin and warm, windproof and breathable, sporty and luminous" attracted attention.

In nylon soft shell materials, it is not duck down and goose down commonly seen in the market that challenge the outdoor low temperature of minus 20 degrees Celsius, but wool flakes from Yulin, Shaanxi. This "secret" is the collective pride of Yulin wool cold clothing industry, but it also maintains a mild low-key like their character.

As a sub industry of wool textile industry and winter clothing, Yulin's wool winter clothing industry has been quietly cultivated for more than 30 years, and now it has become mature. Yulin now has more than 300 wool clothing enterprises, including more than 20 large-scale enterprises.

The biggest feature of Yulin wool cold proof clothing is that it relies on high-quality wool raw material resources and uses wool flocs as filler to achieve excellent warmth and wind resistance. Therefore, it has always been a hot winter market in cold regions, but is unknown to consumers across the country. In a sense, "Beijing 8 Minutes" ushered in a highlight moment for Yulin wool winter clothing.

With the gradual arrival of more highlights, Yulin's confidence and determination to strengthen wool winter clothing are also growing.

Reason 1: A city's wool textile complex

For a long time, in the eyes of many people, Yulin's city card is "mine at home". Yulin has up to 8 categories and 48 kinds of minerals, especially coal, oil, natural gas, rock salt and other energy mineral resources. However, wool textile, a livelihood industry, has always been another famous city card of Yulin, which can be called the group memory of generations of Yulin people. Today, Yulin has achieved the sustainable development of a resource city, and the wool textile industry is also a powerful hand held by the local government.

Yulin is the largest sheep raising city in non pastoral areas and the largest cashmere production city in China. In 2018, Yulin's wool output reached 4492 tons, and the annual output of cashmere was 1403 tons, accounting for about 10% of the country's total. Yulin cashmere has a natural length of more than 5 cm and a fineness of less than 15 microns. Its cashmere fiber fineness, length and cashmere yield are leading in China. Superior raw materials attract high-end users who are "discerning". In 2018, the largest export enterprise of cashmere yarn in China, Ningbo Kangsaini Group's high-quality cashmere production base was listed in Yulin. "Yulin white" cashmere yarn is also famous around the world with the export of Concernet.

Relying on such a strong raw material advantage, Yulin's cashmere industry has a long history and has written a glorious page of Yulin's industry. In the 1980s, a group of state-owned wool textile enterprises represented by wool mills became the backbone of Yulin's industrial economy, and the output value of wool textile industry accounted for more than 60% of the city's total industrial output value. After entering the 1990s, the state-owned wool textile enterprises withdrew from the historical stage, and a number of private enterprises such as Sheep Boss, Seven Sheep and Munsell stood out. Yulin wool textile industry, represented by the wadding wool cold proof clothing, started its second venture, positioned its market segments, and walked out of a road of characteristic products.

For Yulin people, revitalizing wool spinning is their "national dream". Hou Zhihong, president of Yulin Wool Cold proof Garment Industry Association and general manager of Yulin Sheep Boss Group Clothing Co., Ltd., told reporters that many entrepreneurs of Yulin Wool Cold proof Garment Enterprises were farmers. It was this industry that provided them with opportunities to change their destiny, and they also made their own contributions to improving the lives of local people. According to statistics, there are more than 30000 industrial employees and more than 5000 distributors in Yulin's cashmere industry, which has driven 270000 sheep farmers and benefited nearly one million farmers. The income from sheep breeding in key villages accounts for more than 70% of the per capita net income of farmers.

Insight | Why do you want to strengthen this textile industry? Shaanxi Yulin gives three reasons

　　 Hou Zhihong (third from the right), president of Yulin Wool Anti cold Clothing Industry Association and general manager of Yulin Yanglaoda Group Clothing Co., Ltd., introduced the technical advantages and functional characteristics of the product.

"Yulin's wool textile industry is closely related to poverty alleviation and people's prosperity. The government cares about and supports the development of the cashmere industry, which is listed in the work report of the municipal government every year. At present, Yulin has held four consecutive cashmere industry expositions, and plans to introduce eight measures to support the development of the cashmere industry in the near future." He Ye, Deputy Director of Yulin Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, said in an interview with China Textile News that the current development strategy of Yulin industry is "one body, two wings, coordinated development". "One body" refers to the energy and chemical industry, while "two wings" refer to the equipment manufacturing industry, agricultural products and other characteristic resources deep processing and wool textile processing industry.

At present, there are more than 350 wool cold clothing processing and related enterprises in Yulin, with an annual output of 16 million pieces of wool cold clothing and an annual output value of nearly 3 billion yuan. The market covers more than 20 provinces, cities and autonomous regions in China, and the sales volume accounts for 75% of similar products in China. Yulin has become the largest production base of wool winter clothing in China, and has been awarded the title of "Famous City of Wool Winter Clothing in China" by China Textile Industry Federation and China Garment Association.

A city needs more than a business card. Under the new idea of sustainable development, an industry that is related to poverty alleviation and people's livelihood and has a broad mass base is undoubtedly a "new" business card of Yulin.

Reason 2: Iterative update of a product

With the industrial foundation, what are the product advantages?

Yulin wool winter clothing is not surprising, but it is a hero in public praise. Many consumers become repeat customers and free salesmen after passing through. Middle aged and old age consumers have high requirements for warmth preservation, and they have certainly become loyal customers; The rise of the new generation of "fans" is due to its reputation as "the best gift for parents".

The most distinctive feature of traditional Yulin wool cold proof clothing is wool flake filler. Wool fiber is naturally hollow, with strong moisture absorption and sweat discharge functions, good resilience, and is not easy to be flattened. It has incomparable advantages in cold resistance such as cotton and down. Wool has good biocompatibility with human skin tissue, generally does not cause skin allergy, and is suitable for many consumer groups. However, taking "warmth" as the core of the product also limits the geographical breadth of product consumption. If there is a warm winter again, the impact on sales will be more direct and intense.

In recent years, the leading enterprises of Yulin wool winter clothing have made great efforts in product research and development, not only improving the serviceability and functionality of products, but also making innovations in fashion and multi category development. First, it is accurate positioning, focusing on making cold clothing filled with flocs by grasping the characteristics, without going to the red sea of cashmere sweaters and other markets to "struggle"; The second is to follow the trend of fashion, and make efforts on thinness, youth, fashion and comfort, and develop many cold proof clothes, pants, vests, etc. that can be worn out and bottomed out. While consolidating cold regions and middle-aged and elderly consumer groups, they are also beginning to be recognized by young consumers; The third is to be a dedicated person in the market segment when developing products in accordance with the special needs of specific groups of consumers, such as pregnant women, arthritis patients, special bodies and specific occupations; Fourth, increase the scientific and technological content of product development, such as adding functional materials such as heating fiber and graphene on fillers and fabrics, expanding product functions and improving product added value.

In terms of developing new markets and channels, Yulin wool winter clothing enterprises have also begun to make efforts. In addition to consolidating the traditional markets in northeast, north and northwest China, local enterprises have also opened up the southern market in recent years, covering more than 20 provinces, cities and autonomous regions in China, with sales accounting for 75% of the total sales of similar products in China. Many enterprises began to sell through e-commerce platforms to achieve word of mouth communication in a wider region. Some powerful enterprises plan to try to enter the international market, broaden their horizons, accumulate experience, and consciously reserve talent teams through exhibition, cooperation and other forms.

"Sheep Boss" is a leading brand enterprise in Yulin cold clothing industry. According to Hou Zhihong, the enterprise attaches great importance to product technology and quality, and has established an enterprise technology center. A wool product will go through 9 levels of inspection in the whole production process. In order to improve the design level, the enterprise has set up R&D centers in talent intensive cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, etc. to develop into high-end fashion clothing, covering clothing for the elderly, young and middle-aged, and infants. Boss Yang also opened brand flagship stores in Tmall and Jingdong Mall, with online sales accounting for 12% of the total sales.

Since 2011, Munsell Garments Group has cooperated with Xi'an University of Engineering to establish a functional wool cold clothing research and development center. It has developed more than 200 varieties of high-grade wool cold clothing, and has obtained 6 national appearance patents and new applicable technology patents with exclusive technology. In order to find a new way in brand promotion and product promotion, the marketing department of the company has set up a full-time promotion team, developed a "shopping mall passenger flow introduction plan", created a "six step customer development method", and effectively improved the social awareness of products. They also started to march into children's clothing early, and initially created the mascots around the brand.

In recent years, Yulin City has carried out industry university research cooperation with Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. Beifu has designed more than 100 new wool cold clothing fashion products for Yulin in two batches and provided them to Yulin cashmere enterprises. Yulin cooperates with international and domestic design companies to jointly create the "International Woolen Product Design Innovation Research and Development Center", design and develop new products, promote and apply new technologies, and analyze and research new trends. At present, Yulin wool cold proof clothing enterprises have successively built 3 provincial enterprise technology centers in Shaanxi and obtained 14 national patents. Sheep Boss, Seven Sheep and Munsell have become the textile and clothing independent brand enterprises that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and China Textile Union have focused on tracking and cultivating.

Reason 3: Self upgrading of an industry

In 2019, Yulin wool cold clothing enterprises have just experienced a warm winter. After three consecutive years of strong sales, in 2018, the warm winter reduced the overall sales of Yulin wool winter clothing, and some enterprises' product inventory reached 40%. In addition, some raw material distribution centers and commodity distribution centers have also begun to produce wool cold clothing, which has brought competitive pressure to Yulin wool cold clothing industry.

A blessing in disguise is a blessing in disguise. Under the pressure, Yulin wool cold clothing enterprises are more willing to upgrade themselves, and the leading enterprises are more positive.

"Warm winter just lets us calm down." Hou Zhihong believes that wool cold clothing has strong functionality, rigid demand and great market potential. Enterprises should show confidence and determination to do two things well, one is to practice internal skills in products, and the other is to innovate ideas in market development. "There is no fixed mode for enterprises to do well, and each has its own way. They cannot all aim at the same market and follow the same path. Yulin enterprises should look far ahead. There is no way out for each other to squeeze the market at low prices."

Indeed, the Yulin wool winter clothing industry, which has gone from low, small and scattered, has now shown a trend of stronger players, and the leading role of the strong players has also set a benchmark for peers. Yang Baoqing, the former president of Yulin Wool and Winter Wear Association, said that there are a number of private entrepreneurs working in the market in Yulin, many of whom have witnessed the change of the industry from decentralization to teamwork. In 2012, Yulin Woolen Cold Clothing Association worked hard to serve enterprises, promote common progress and achieve high-quality development after its establishment. As the chairman unit, Boss Yang actively plays an exemplary role in strengthening enterprises, actively communicates with government departments, and drives the industry to make progress together.

He said that with the gradual expansion of the market scope of enterprises, the problem of only landmarks but no trade marks in the wool cold clothing segment industry has become increasingly prominent, limiting the development pace of Yulin enterprises. At present, the Association is actively promoting the establishment of industry standard projects to provide better development conditions for enterprises and industries.

For Yulin wool winter clothing industry, enterprises urgently need to establish industry standards, which is a need to face market space and make independent upgrading breakthroughs. The products, brands, industrial strength and influence are also a necessary but insufficient condition for the emergence of industrial standards.

Jia Junxiang, the chairman of Yulin Seven Goats Clothing Co., Ltd., told reporters that in 2019, the enterprise has a lot to do, including the overall improvement of R&D design, variety quality, management system, and talent training. At present, it has spent 10 or 2 million yuan on talent training and introduction.

Yulin Hongliu Garment Co., Ltd., the earliest wool winter clothing enterprise in Yulin, was in trouble after 20 years of development. In 2013, the sales staff of the enterprise reorganized the company into a joint-stock company, reshaped the organizational structure, opened up sales channels, and achieved six years of sustained sales growth.

Yulin Xintianyou Industry and Trade Co., Ltd. "subtracts" in the market. Compared with the previous practice of "sprinkling pepper noodles" in market development, the company is now focusing on North China, obtaining a better market share, and achieving a unique position in Shandong market.

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On the way to industrial upgrading, there are enterprises struggling, but also inseparable from the guidance and support of the government. In recent years, the relevant competent departments of Yulin City have issued a series of preferential policies, such as construction support, land acquisition preference, technical transformation subsidy, loan discount, brand building incentives, product promotion incentives, high-end talent introduction subsidies, to promote the transformation and development of the cashmere industry. The wool winter clothing industry has also been listed as the development focus of relevant provincial and municipal plans, and efforts have been made to build China's first-class wool winter clothing industry base.