The growth of an industrial belt is a complex and challenging journey, and Chengdu's women’s shoe sector, known as the "Capital of Women's Shoes in China," exemplifies this process.
Starting in the 1980s, Chengdu's women’s shoe manufacturing industry began its journey in Jiangxi Street, Wuhou District, eventually expanding to Shuangliu in the suburbs. The industry transitioned from small family-run workshops to modern production lines, covering every aspect of the supply chain, from leather processing to shoe retail.
Chengdu's shoe industry ranks third in China, alongside Wenzhou, Quanzhou, and Guangzhou, producing distinctive women's shoe brands that are exported to over 120 countries, generating significant revenue. It has become the premier shoe wholesale, retail, and production hub in Western China.
However, the influx of foreign brands disrupted the stability of Chengdu's shoe industry. The local women's shoe manufacturers struggled to establish their own brands and instead became OEM factories for international companies. This homogenized production model gradually eroded the industry’s competitive edge. Online e-commerce further intensified the crisis, forcing many brands to shut down their physical stores. The resultant decline in orders and factory closures pushed the Chengdu shoe industry towards a difficult transformation.
Tina, the CEO of XINZIRAIN Shoes Co., Ltd., has navigated this turbulent industry for 13 years, leading her company through multiple transformations. In 2007, Tina identified a business opportunity in women’s shoes while working in Chengdu’s wholesale market. By 2010, she established her own shoe factory. “We started our factory in Jinhuan and sold shoes at Hehuachi, reinvesting the cash flow into production. That period was a golden age for Chengdu's women's shoes, driving the local economy,” Tina recalled. However, as major brands like Red Dragonfly and Yearcon commissioned OEM orders, the pressure of these large orders squeezed out the space for their own brand development. “We lost sight of our own brand due to the overwhelming pressure to fulfill OEM orders,” Tina explained, describing this period as “walking with a tight grip on our throats.”
In 2017, driven by environmental concerns, Tina relocated her factory to a new industrial park, initiating the first transformation by focusing on online customers like Taobao and Tmall. These clients offered better cash flow and less inventory pressure, providing valuable consumer feedback to improve production and R&D capabilities. This shift laid a strong foundation for Tina’s future in foreign trade. Despite her initial lack of English proficiency and understanding of terms like ToB and ToC, Tina recognized the opportunity presented by the internet wave. Encouraged by friends, she explored foreign trade, recognizing the potential of the burgeoning overseas online market. Embarking on her second transformation, Tina simplified her business, shifted towards cross-border trade, and rebuilt her team. Despite the challenges, including skepticism from peers and misunderstanding from family, she persevered, describing this period as “biting the bullet.”
During this time, Tina faced severe depression, frequent anxiety, and insomnia but remained committed to learning about foreign trade. Through study and determination, she gradually expanded her women’s shoe business internationally. By 2021, Tina's online platform began to flourish. She opened the overseas market through quality, focusing on small designer brands, influencers, and boutique design stores. Unlike other factories' large-scale OEM production, Tina prioritized quality, creating a niche market. She participated deeply in the design process, completing a comprehensive production cycle from logo design to sales, accumulating thousands of overseas customers with high repurchase rates. Tina’s journey is marked by courage and resilience, leading to successful business transformations time and again.
Today, Tina is in her third transformation phase. She is a proud mother of three, a fitness enthusiast, and an inspiring short video blogger. Regaining control of her life, Tina is now exploring agency sales of overseas independent designer brands and developing her own brand, writing her own brand story. As depicted in "The Devil Wears Prada," life is about continuously discovering oneself. Tina’s journey reflects this ongoing exploration, and the Chengdu women’s shoe industry awaits more pioneers like her to write new global stories.
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Post time: Jul-09-2024
