Before the Smithsonian mudslide entrepreneurship: wayward leave, no customer service, but full of praise?

Seven years ago, several young people witnessed the demolition of old textile mills in the 1970s. They were born in the late 1970s and early 1980s, where they used to work for their parents, and they also had a good time wearing open trousers.

As a result, Zhan Hui, Zhang Zhiguo, and Zhao Dongfang bought several old knitting cylinder machines with savings accumulated over many years of work. After repairs, they used the first woven fabrics to make clothes and create brands. To commemorate the passing of factories and youth, it was named the National Cotton Plant (English name: vintage & republic).

Seven years later, several old boys sat in the store of Shanghai Jiuguang Department Store's National Cotton Factory. They still drank beer and chatted about products, fabrics, and feelings. They were out of tune with fast-renewing fast fashion brands around them.

However, it is gratifying that this brand of Chinese goods, dressed in a coat of arms, has become a three-crown Taobao shop with almost no promotion, and has attracted more than 200,000 fans. Including Faye Wong's daughter, mainland female pop singer Dou Jingtong.

Many buyers mourn over their purses while complaining about why a summer T-shirt sells for more than 300 yuan and one side pays for it. What's more, they can't find some comfort from the customer service. Because of the limited manpower, the Chinese cotton factory directly cut off the Taobao customer service, leaving only the words “God is in heaven, here only friends, please buy services bypass.” .

A buyer commented that "Buy 3 T, 2 sweaters, 2 shirts, quality workmanship is better than the big ones at the same price, no comments on the design style, the boss's head is relatively iron, and the craftsmen are generally on this temperament. There is no customer service, delivery only SF, courier packaging plus a carton, Taobao sector debris flow."

When some people feel that they will pay for their own pride, they say, "Nothing, we have always been a niche business."

Since 2004, Zhan Hui has entered Smith Barn's work related to the supply chain. Following the listing of Smith Barney in 2008, he has witnessed the most glorious years of this casual fashion brand. In this company with mature design planning and supply chain management system, he quickly and comprehensively mastered a wealth of design experience and production resources. But at the same time, he also has to follow the established brand line like a screw, and it is difficult to realize his personal ideal.

And his colleague Zhang Zhiguo founded the country's cotton plant, which is a change in their personal career. It is also a word for feelings.

Zhan Hui completely survived the 1980s. This is what he called "the innocent era in which the material is poor and the spirit is rich." In his memory, the coolest clothes at that time were the military coats that daddy always wore in the closet. Wearing a Shanghai soul shirt and pull back shoes is a very happy thing.

In order to reduce trial and error costs, they decided to start with the most basic T-shirts. Many designers will not be exposed to the R&D, production and supply chain links. Zhan Hui could have easily achieved production with the help of factory resources. However, he feels that the attitude toward clothing must start with R&D fabrics, so instead of the world running to purchase raw materials, it is a heavy purchase of loom to study.

As for what the clothes should look like, Zhan Hui abandoned the order in which she first analyzed the market and then shaped the brand. Instead, she let the designer's unique perceptual thinking take the lead, expressing her personal emotions and not considering rational business games. He firmly believes: "The Chinese market is too big. Just make good products and naturally attract those people."

Several people surrounded the old knitted cylinder machines day and night. Although the production speed was reduced, the original texture of the cotton was retained to the greatest extent. In Zhan Hui's view, the brand's first products are the first impressions to consumers, so no mistake is allowed.

Now, they are constantly turning some "old antiques" into the fashionable tide of the day. For example, a military coat sold for nearly 2,000 yuan, and once the most popular liberation shoes, has also been re-engraved into the current most in the small white shoes, priced at 299 yuan, has become a store explosion. Taobao shop more than 200 sku products, only from the hands of three designers.

In addition, the State Cotton Plant also often uses a more diversified product form to deliver life attitudes through joint cooperation.

Since May 1, 2014, they have maintained close cross-border cooperation with the famous rock band "Sadness", and the joint products have been sold out for replenishment on several occasions, which has aroused great influence in the industry. From September 24th to October 1st, 2016, the National Cotton Plant cooperated with the permanent bicycles of the old Chinese brand and launched a single product for riding scenes. The hottest in the near future came from the leap of cooperation with the Big Bowen, which has sold more than 200 pieces of the classic white shoes.

Despite clearly defining what he wanted, during the first year or two of the brand's time, Zhan Hui repeatedly researched all types of data in the industry and continued to position himself. Nowadays, the mainstream population of the National Cotton Plant is delineated in the post-80s period. It uses the logic of men's clothing to make products. At the same time, the concept of gender is vague, covering everything from clothing to accessories and beer to daily life.

Taobao Debris Flow

As a Taobao store, the National Cotton Plant also has its own personality in terms of its operational strategy. It is also known as the "Taobao Debris Flow."

In early August of last year, a notice was posted in the shop of the National Cotton Plant. This may be the seller’s most irrational reason for dismissal: “I heard that the mushroom in Yunnan has grown. We decided to use our time to inspire wisdom and come back to better develop new products to feed the old buyers. August 9 to August 16 Day shop holiday."

The National Cotton Plant is not a newcomer to Taobao. On the contrary, since the brand was born, it has placed its products on a Taobao shop called goodbuy. By the end of 2014, the team had enough sales capabilities to begin operating its own brand.

What has caused buyers to collapse is that the National Cotton Plant is not only not discounted, but has no customer service. Including the offline store clerk, the National Cotton and Cotton Factory team is only 9 people, how can the manpower stare at the Taobao store always answer questions?

However, in the highly competitive e-commerce environment, this is almost a "suicide" behavior. However, Zhan Hui believes that products and content are enough to attract consumers, not through other disguised value overflows.

Zhan Hui recently wandered on the seashore of Qingdao - as a photographer herself - and found a foreign old man took a new photo in the spring of the theme "The Old Man and the Sea." Retro sea soul shirts, khaki bib pants, and hippie cowboy caps with film-like textures blend with the greyish-yellow beaches of Qingdao's early spring. He said that he has only recently found a balance between photography and business, and he simply started his own business.

According to Zhan Hui, more than half of the buyers at the National Cotton Plant do not like discounts, and like jazz, rock and coffee, they are quite accurate. Old buyers will also be able to make purchases without customer service and place orders on their own. Surprisingly, Taobao Store's "seller service" rating even went as high as 4.8 points.

"Through Taobao's system, sellers and buyers have established a trust mechanism, there is no need for customer service." In this regard, Zhan Hui has his own view, "customer robots, unmanned shops, etc. are trends, will force businesses to put more time On the product."

From October 2015 to October 2016 when he participated in Shanghai Fashion Week, Zhang Zhiguo and Zhan Hui organized a retro-themed beacon showroom and received multiple invitations from Milan Fashion Week WHITE and Paris WHO NEXT.

Before this, many people did not understand why the National Cotton Plant insisted on inviting foreign models to interpret the "national tide." Nowadays, as the brand moves from Shanghai to overseas, it has long been recognized and placed by foreign buyers, and once again asked Zhan Hui with this question, he still said with a hint of mystery: “Be confidential first.”