LILY Women: A Successful Transformation Road for Foreign Trade Brands

When many foreign trade companies were in trouble and began to passively try to attack domestic sales, they also encountered setbacks in transition. Xu Weimin appeared to be calm, patiently bred for 13 years, and the LILY brand had already “had grown into”.

Xu Weimin’s words are full of speculation: “If you do not make the LILY brand, today the entire silk group may not be able to maintain the scale of the existing foreign trade market; if you develop your own brand, your company will have a greater chance of entering the international market.

Who says that winter dress is always bloated and monotonous? The women's brand LILY was asked on its official website and launched a “matching monthbook” with turmeric, orange red, sapphire blue, green, and a stunning new product in the season of water.

Founded nearly 13 years ago, it has established a humble small counter in the cracks of foreign brands, and has become the main brand of major shopping malls. It has more than 500 stores covering 28 provinces and cities across the country, and its flagship store is among the top commercial districts of Huaihai Road and Nanjing Road. ...... Today's LILY, this brand is quite a part of the urban white-collar female eyes.

The Shanghai Silk Group, which is mainly based on OEM exports, can use LILY as a “brand flower” because it can turn to the domestic market.

Turning starts when the situation is good

As the owner of LILY, Xu Weimin, chairman of Shanghai Silk Group Co., Ltd., has a brief explanation. He said: "Since the silk company didn't point to LILY to make money, in the near future, the whole group will probably rely on it to eat."

Xu Weimin's remarks tell us that in recent years, China's apparel foreign trade companies are faced with drastic changes: International market demand has shrunk, multiple factors of labor and money have brought about a sudden change in the price relationship, and for a long time, OEMs and OEMs have become the main industries. The pattern is difficult to sustain.

When many foreign trade companies were in trouble and began to passively try to attack domestic sales, they also encountered setbacks in transition. Xu Weimin appeared to be calm, patiently bred for 13 years, and the LILY brand had already “had grown into”. Over the long adaptation period in which the brand's first decade of creation was barely profitable, the high growth rate after it was on track was explosive: LILY sales increased by 40% in 2011 and profits doubled; sales are expected to increase by 50% this year, and profits doubled .

“Transformation is not a matter of turning and it can be turned immediately, and cultivating a brand requires 'low heat and simmering' and can't come quickly,” said Xu Weimin. At that time, the foreign trade situation was still very good. The Silk Group, as one of China's largest garment export companies, has an annual export value of nearly one billion US dollars. This “big head” is willing to free one hand and nurture a brand for the terminal retail market. “Today, when the brand becomes the core of competition, our LILY has been polished for more than ten years.” Victory is ultimately attributed to those who are prepared.

Brand planning for a group of young people

"A big event can't be made. The key is to look at people." In Xu Weimin's tone, it is hard to hide his appreciation for Chen Chuan, one of the founders of the LILY brand and general manager of the Silk Group's brand development company. Chen Chuan frankly stated that when the LILY brand plan was launched, there were only a dozen people and only a registered capital of 6 million. "If there isn't a core team that is doing business but not making money, this brand probably cannot survive."

That year, Chen Chuan and another member of the founding team Li Lun were the winners of the domestic fashion design competition. Such outstanding talents will have good development in time if they follow the rules of foreign trade companies. However, they chose to build a single-plank bridge and realize the value of self-improvement.

Knowing the time is Junjie. At the end of 1999, at that time, the foreign trade situation was at its peak. Chen Chuan put a “brand plan” on the head of the group’s leadership: “The trade environment in which professional foreign trade companies are located is about to change dramatically; they have their own image and they operate independently. The mode, to a certain extent, determines the future viability of foreign trade companies..."

In this report, this group of young people called for relying on the technical support of many processing entities affiliated with the Group, plus an excellent team of designers supporting professionals from the time of version making to management and marketing to develop their own brands.

A brand road completely different from the foreign trade business was opened: strong design power and a huge marketing team have become LILY's development focus. In the past, these two sides were neglected in foreign trade business. Landed at Milan Fashion Week and other international fashion events to release new products, with brand image debuting at major exhibitions, researching different regional market characteristics and launching different product lines, Ruanmobubu took Shangwang Street Wangpu to compete with each fast fashion personally... The chain collection competition model helps a foreign trade company to cultivate a brand from scratch.

2015 sales exceed 2.5 billion yuan

During the peak period of the silk group, foundry goods were exported to major international markets, and today there is no small scale of sales. Today LILY has opened nearly 40 stores in many overseas markets including Russia, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.

Xu Weimin’s words are full of speculation: “If you don’t make the LILY brand, today the entire silk group may not be able to maintain the current size of the foreign trade market; if you develop your own brand, your company will have a greater chance of entering the international market.”

Fought for domestic sales is to keep the foreign trade market in the long run? Is this the real intention of the Silk Group to transform and build the LILY brand?

Chen Chuan interrupted the reporter’s question: “The division of foreign trade in domestic trade is originally a product of the planned economy.” In his opinion, the market has no difference between inside and outside.

He didn't even say 40 overseas stores that ask Shiluo, and he prefers to focus on the Chinese market in the short term. “The Chinese market is a part of the entire international market. A Chinese brand must first win the Chinese market before it can conquer the rest of the global market.” He said, “If Uniqlo cannot be sold in the Japanese market, GAP cannot be sold in the United States. Will these brands sell well in the international market?"

How to further improve the brand's design and quality, so that foreigners are willing to buy here a unique brand in China, so that local consumers are willing to spend local consumption of unique brands here, this is the beginning of a truly international brand. "LILY is still in short supply in many aspects and will be fully upgraded from product design to brand promotion next year."

At the helm of the brand, there are always so many "unsatisfactory", and it is precisely because of the dissatisfaction that it brings more "satisfaction" to consumers. Chen Chuan revealed that by 2015, the LILY brand's annual turnover target will reach 2.5 billion to 3 billion yuan.