World's factory turns to domestic market amid global coronavirus recession
Walking back and forth between shelves of neatly stacked shoes, some 20 livestreamers dashed at the instructions of their followers on the phone, grabbing a shoe now and then from the shelves for a close-up in front of the camera.
About 8 o’clock every night, the supply chain platform 0594 in the city of Putian, in southeast China’s Fujian Province, springs to life as live streamers flock to the exhibition area to sell shoes produced by local manufacturers, many of which are troubled by the cancelations or delays of overseas orders amid the global coronavirus pandemic.
Huang Huafang, 39, signed up for a two-day crash course in March and soon after started her first livestreaming session. She works from around 2pm to 10pm, attracting over 500 followers and selling more than 20 pairs of shoes every day.
Although she is not a well-known livestreamer, she is optimistic about the future. “There is a long way to go, but I believe live streaming is a trend. It is an essential skill for anyone who wants to market online,” said Huang.
Like manufacturers in Putian, a city with a large number of export-oriented enterprises, many Chinese exporters are turning to the domestic market for a lifeline.
With decades of experience in manufacturing and developing products for overseas clients, some exporters are rolling out products catering to the domestic market.
After months of gloom, Wu Songlin, general manager of Putian-based Hsieh Shun Footwear Co Ltd heaved a sigh of relief as trucks loaded with therapeutic shoes to the home market left his factory.
It was the first shipment for the domestic market since Wu and his partners started the company in 2010. In the past, his company only had two clients, one in Europe and the other in Japan. Business used to run smoothly and life was good.
But his factory was on the brink of a shutdown in March. No new orders came in and shipments of existing orders were delayed.
“Orders were canceled after completion of production, and our capital flow is stuck in our inventory. The pressure was mounting,” Wu said.
After losing almost all their export orders, the desperate shoemaker turned to the domestic market. He called one of his old business partners and secured an order for massage footwear, which is selling like hot cakes as health tops the agenda.
A livestreamer advertises shoes produced by manufacturers in Putian City, southeastern China’s Fujian Province. Many firms have been hit by cancelations of orders due to the virus.
