China News Service, Shanghai, November 10 (Reporters Xu Jing and Zheng Yingying) Each booth at the China International Import Expo is a window for observing changes in global industrial cooperation. At the ninth China International Import Expo, which is currently being held in Shanghai, exhibitors are no longer limited to one-way import of goods, but rely on the Chinese market to connect with local demand, link up with global resources, and export the creativity, technology, and operational experience developed in China, forming a two-way interactive, mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation model.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Crocs entering China, and it is also the brand’s fourth time participating in the exhibition. With the theme of "Classics are Comfortable", the booth launched the world's first "Shanghai Past & Future Series", which incorporated elements such as Shikumen tiles, antique bronze locks, and urban neon lights to show Shanghai's past and present.
At the 9th China International Import Expo, visitors visited and experienced the Crocs booth. Photo provided by interviewee
"Innovation is not just about products, but also about understanding how consumers express themselves through shoes." Sai Runze, senior vice president and general manager of Asia of Crocs, said that China is not only a sales market, but also the brand's second largest core market in the world and a source of creative inspiration. The community operation experience accumulated in the country can be shared with other markets.
Talking about the first new product series, Sai Runze said that this is not a simple pile of city symbols, but a conveying of Shanghai's inclusive and continuous progress. He revealed that the brand has finalized new local artist collaboration projects. In the face of changes in the external environment, Sai Runze has made it clear that the brand will not reduce its investment in China and will insist on "in China, for China, and for the world."
Xi Xiaolei, Crocs vice president and general manager of China, told reporters that after 20 years of development, domestic consumer demand has changed significantly. When purchasing, they value not only functionality, but also emotional identity and cultural expression. The brand has more than 900,000 "Dongmen fans" in China, and related topics have been read more than 1.4 billion times online. The community has become an important channel for demand research and innovation. Xi Xiaolei said that relying on Zhibixing to achieve personalized matching is the core advantage of the brand to differentiate itself from affordable competing products, and it will not simply rely on price cuts to expand the market. The community and IP cooperation model explored in China has been promoted abroad. Sai Runze added that the output is not a ready-made solution, but the idea of "listening to local consumers and joining hands with local partners".
Huang Shanyan, President of China and Asia Pacific, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of Lululemon. Photo courtesy of Lululemon
Lululemon, which made its third appearance at the CIIE, used dynamic visuals to create a breathable booth to showcase the brand's practices in product innovation, happiness advocacy and community connection. Huang Shanyan, President of Lululemon China and Asia Pacific, said that the brand will continue to introduce more new products, rely on multiple channels to collect feedback from domestic consumers, enrich product supply, and adapt to various sports and daily wear needs. "We hope to continue to use the CIIE platform to connect with more Chinese consumers and partners, continue to gain insight into local needs, deepen local cooperation, and grow together with the Chinese market."
Unlike Crocs and Lululemon, which focus on creativity and community exploration, Swire Coca-Cola released the "Winning 2035" ten-year development plan at this CIIE to align with the country's mid- to long-term development direction. Jin Yi, CEO of Swire Coca-Cola Greater China, said bluntly, "The next China is still China." He said that choosing to release long-term plans at the CIIE sends a signal to take root in China and continue to increase investment. The company hopes to integrate into the modernization process, share local practical experience, and explore high-quality development paths with peers.
Jin Yi believes that new products and new channels are constantly emerging in the market. The key to a company's stability and long-term success is to maintain its business fundamentals. The ultimate competition is to continue to gain trust. Innovation does not mean creating a hit product, but a systematic upgrade of products, channels, supply chains, green and low-carbon dimensions.
Yuanzu Food, which participated in the exhibition for the first time, brought a number of first-time new products and completed a new round of signing contracts with Fonterra Anchor Dairy, which has been cooperating for 26 years. The cooperation between the two parties has expanded from raw material supply to joint research and development. They will explore the innovative application of high-quality dairy raw materials in the Chinese baking market and work together to bring consumers a richer and higher-quality food experience. Relying on the open platform of the CIIE, Yuanzu continues to carry out international cooperation, integrates global high-quality raw materials to empower Chinese baking, and delivers food nutrition concepts through product innovation.
Lifestyle brand WOOLRICH made its debut at the CIIE, showing another possibility of open cooperation. After the Angel Bird Group acquired the global intellectual property rights of the brand (excluding Europe), WOOLRICH participated in the exhibition as a new operating entity. The booth is equipped with an immersive exhibition area, displaying classic Arctic parkas and other products, paired with static exhibitions and interactive experiences. It is understood that the brand has opened China's first directly-operated concept store in Shanghai, which integrates products, cultural experience and outdoor lifestyle, and represents an attempt by Chinese capital to use local operating experience to revitalize established overseas IP.
The various exhibition stories jointly confirm that relying on China's large-scale market, complete industrial supporting facilities and multi-cultural environment, local demand and global resources are connected in two directions, and the innovative achievements cultivated domestically are reaching a broader market through open channels. (over)
