Hedao International Luggage Trading Center. Photos provided by the organizer
Baoding, China News Network, November 16 (Lv Zihao, Hao Ye) A sewing machine and a chopping board started from a family workshop. Baigou, which did not produce leather, is now known as the "City of Luggage in China" and has become a large comprehensive business cluster with 14 professional markets. In 2017, the market turnover reached 120 billion yuan (RMB, the same below).
Baigou is located in Baoding City, Hebei Province. Since the reform and opening up 40 years ago, the luggage industry has climbed the slope and crossed the barrier, which is a microcosm of the development and change of Baigou. On the 16th, the enterprise trip commemorating the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up was held here, and Baigou showed the vitality and vitality of this ancient commercial town.
From "stall style" to specialization
At the end of the 1970s, Baigou people began to go north and south to "dump" various kinds of toys, clay figurines, sewing and other small commodities, and set up roadside stalls to sell them. At that time, several local farmers turned from sewing bicycle seat covers to making handbags, which is the origin of Baigou bags. After the reform and opening up, the Baigou market further prospered. The Baigou Town Government invested in the construction of the Baifurong market, which became the first milestone of the development of the Baigou market. By the early 1990s, Baigou had developed into a well-known small commodity distribution center in China.
Baigou International Trade City. Photographed by Han Xinxin
The huge development potential of the Baigou market has also attracted many large commercial enterprises, including Longji Taihe Group. Such enterprises further adapt to the constantly upgrading market environment and consumer demand, and through breakthroughs in new types, new materials, and new technologies, enhance the added value of products and move towards the middle and high-end development of the industry.
Today, Baigou has gradually changed the original "greenhouse" and "stall" business model, developed and built a professional mall, which gathers clothing, hardware, leather, knitting, small commodities, home building materials and other industries. The multi industry prosperity focusing on luggage has promoted the upgrading of Baigou market and the development of Baigou city.
Today, Baigou has 14 professional markets, with a business area of 4.5 million square meters and an annual turnover of more than 110 billion yuan. There are more than 34000 main bodies in the luggage production and sales market, with an annual output of 800 million bags, accounting for 28% of the national output, radiating a total of 1.5 million employees around, forming a characteristic industrial cluster.
From "fake" to self owned brand
"Xinghe Workshop" is set up in Baigou "Hedao International Luggage Trading Center", which is an industrial design innovation platform jointly built by Baigou New Town Management Committee and Hedao International Trade Co., Ltd. Connect designers at one end and connect merchants at the other. Start from the original, connect the sales end, manufacturing end and design end of the industrial chain, so as to attract more original designers, and accelerate the building of high-end talent incubation, innovation achievements transformation and brand product exhibition and exchange base.
Zhang Guo, Deputy General Manager of Hedao International Commerce and Trade Co., Ltd., said that at present, "Xinghe Workshop" has cooperated with the Academy of Fine Arts of Tsinghua University and established a designer alliance. Four professional design institutions have entered. With strong industrial foundation and excellent brand design, a huge chemical reaction is taking place in Baigou luggage industry.
From no brand to "fake" and "OEM", then to cultivate independent brands, from low quality, low price to medium and high-end original leadership, Baigou luggage has cultivated more than 1500 independent brands, and created 37 famous trademarks and 11 famous brands in Hebei Province. People's impression of "low price strategy" is fading away in Baigou. Baigou is evolving into a design center, research and development center, and release center.
Hedao International Luggage Trading Center. Photographed by Han Xinxin
From the City of Luggage to the Global Trade Center
With the coordinated development of Beijing Tianjin Hebei and the implementation of the construction of Xiong'an New Area, the functional orientation of Baigou has become clearer. Baigou is only separated from Xiong'an New Area by a river. The special geographical advantages bring new opportunities to the traditional Baigou. Previously, more than 2000 merchants from Beijing's "Dahongmen" and "Zoo" business districts have moved to Baigou in groups, which is the first step for Baigou to undertake Beijing's spillover industries.
Chen Yao, director of the Regional Economic Research Office of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that the urban orientation of Baigou is not only "Baigou in Hebei", but also "Baigou in China" and "Baigou in the world". Baigou needs to innovate its business model in the process of industrial transformation, make use of global resources, and achieve "buy the world, sell the world".
It is reported that many enterprises represented by Longji Taihe Group, on the basis of industrial advantages, also actively innovate and use new technologies such as big data and blockchain to serve the luggage industry, integrate global value chain and financial innovation services, build a global innovative and commercial Baigou industrial base, and help Baigou achieve new leapfrog development. (End)