Price Competition For Clothing

October 21st China fashion conference Closing After that, is the clothing industry selling cheaper or more expensive domestic clothing? debate 。 Cheap and expensive seems to be a paradox, but the biggest feature of fashion is to see both sides of paradox both at the same time. The key is to give a reason for existence.

I agree that clothing must be cheaper in China. On the one hand, from a consumer perspective, why does a CK JEANS sell for us $39 in the MACY 'S department store in the US and 1000 yuan in China? RMB As a result, it is said that the average consumption of Chinese tourists to the United States during the National Day holiday is 7000 dollars, which naturally includes the cost of buying clothes. If we want to spend a lot of clothing in China, there is only a cheaper way. This is also the social responsibility of China's clothing industry.

On the other hand, as for the clothing industry, the price of clothing is very high. Some people say that it is because the stock is too high, not high price can not be profitable, but the high rate pricing to deal with inventory is undoubtedly drinking poison to quench thirst. Inventory is another bubble in the clothing industry. Only by reducing inventory is the "King". How to reduce inventory, we need to analyze consumer demand and achieve rapid response to the industrial chain including design. In fact, no matter the analysis of clothing consumption behavior or the rapid reaction mode of industry, it is no secret in the foreign garment industry. Donghua University, where I have already introduced the relevant concepts to China, and China has made more successful businesses in this respect, such as Fujian's "odd" because of low price and low inventory success, seemingly a low price fast fashion, in fact, behind the customer database marketing and rapid response of the supply chain together.

There is also a misconception that high value-added and high prices are equated. High added value should be relative to the ratio of cost, sales volume increased and total added value can be realized. More importantly, only by making more people enjoy fashion and fashion at low prices can we really improve the cultural attainments of the public and establish a fashion culture with Chinese characteristics, rather than follow the western countries. In the wave of building a strong cultural power, the Chinese garment industry is at the top end of the fashion value chain and industrial chain, and ultimately benefits from the garment industry.

However, I also agree that China's clothing products can be sold more expensive, but there are reasons to convince consumers that they are expensive. How can it be sold more expensive?

First of all, through the combination of art, technology and business, the healthy fashion and creativity can truly become products that can stimulate consumers' desire to buy.

Secondly, we need to fully tap the cultural heritage of China to give clothing products more cultural connotation of the spirit of the times. Since a story that makes a travel box for the French royal family can create a mirror image of luxury, China's 5000 years of civilization and the Imperial Palace's rich and splendid cultural relics can naturally produce countless wonderful things. Of course, this needs to be understood and reinterpreted, otherwise it will not be called innovation, but instead of fashion and imitation.

Finally, it is necessary to have obvious expertise and characteristics in one aspect, for example, the rapidly developing technology in the world has provided many high performance fabrics for the clothing industry, and only if they are used properly can they become the reasons for high prices. For example, a few days ago, I saw a fabric covered with functional membrane on the back of the company in Shanghai, China. It not only felt soft, but also windproof and breathable, and the price was about 350 yuan per metre. This high performance fabric, coupled with the idea of selling sporty sports, is also worth selling.

Cheap and expensive is not a problem in itself. It should be cheaper for the public. The problem is that China needs a reasonable brand distribution, and every brand must find the right place in it.

The writer is a famous fashion critic, director of the Department of art and design, School of costume and art design, Donghua University, and a special doctoral tutor at the Bermingham School of art and design, UK.