During the Paris Olympics, products made in Yiwu, a county-level city of Jinhua, Zhejiang province drew widespread attention.
From January to June, Yiwu's exports to France surged to 1.73 billion yuan ($241.67 million), marking a 23.7 percent year-on-year increase, with exports of sporting goods skyrocketing by 150.7 percent. A significant portion of the Paris Olympics' mascot dolls were produced in Yiwu as well.
The success of Yiwu manufacturing lies in its robust industrial and supply chains. Businessman Lin Daolai delivered a million Olympic wristbands within four months, owing to a production-sales collaboration network he has honed over the years.
A solar-powered outdoor umbrella made by Yiwu Xuanwen Outdoor Products Co also secured orders from the Paris Olympics. The improvement of its design and production process was achieved through the efficient collaboration across departments to meet the needs of overseas customers, said Zhu Yuelai, head of the company.
Additionally, a flexible supply chain, blending digital trade with physical industries, has propelled Yiwu's swift entry into the Olympic economy.
After Huang Yuting's victory at the Paris Olympics, her hair clip became a national sensation. Yiwu entrepreneurs swiftly capitalized on the trend, producing hair clips in the same style and achieving sales of 600,000 in just two days.
The Rockbros, a well-known brand in the cycling equipment industry headquartered in Yiwu, also shared in the benefits of the Olympic economy. "Cross-border e-commerce has become an important channel for the export of Yiwu's products, and many enterprises have built independent and controllable sales and logistics networks, which improves the efficiency and stability of their supply chains," said Zhang Xingang, the brand's founder.
