Stay tuned for the micro-documentary “Evolutionary Change · Capturing the Development of Dongguan Furniture Industry.”
From 2023, QingHouse has collaborated with progressive brands, followed courageous individuals, and documented authentic moments. By wielding the camera, we embrace the irrepressible media trend of the era, while also challenging the era with questions: Can such a more realistic and stimulating creative approach bring about more non-traditional content? Can it convey truths of greater realism value?
Although we are still in an era where “non-rebellious” business thrives, I still aspire to create work that is “offensive and risky” yet can also make the audience chuckle and give a wave of approval.
Documentaries and thoroughly digested written reports differ. Regardless of how the footage is edited, there is always a portion of truth in visuals, and viewers can always transcend our subjects and positions, finding the threads of curiosity that belong to you.
Not only that, the details we have overlooked in the filming process and the feelings of being in the thick of it while shooting will also be conveyed to everyone through articles afterwards. Between the film and the article, perhaps a vivid corporate image will really come to mind. This is the direction that the “Qing She · Behind the Lens” series is heading towards.
In this issue, the object recorded in “Qingshe·Behind the Lens” is the continuous evolution of Dongguan furniture companies.
REC ●Please look forward to it
In early November 2023, the International Famous Furniture Fair (Dongguan) sent an invitation, hoping to convey the thoughts about the Dongguan furniture industry, “No progress, no future,” hidden behind the theme “Evolution” of the 2024 exhibition more realistically and objectively. In the eyes of Qing She, as a party that has always accompanied the advancement and retreat of Dongguan’s home enterprises, the concerns of the Furniture Fair are probably also the current situation that Dongguan enterprises are facing or about to face.
Indeed, today, “evolution” is no longer a fork in the road that can be chosen, but a cruel one-way street. In the face of turbulent times, how will Dongguan’s family-owned enterprises, suffering from internal and external troubles, break out of the siege and create new things? This is also our curiosity as an industry media, so we created “Advance and Sludge”, a micro-documentary recording the evolution of Dongguan’s furniture industry.
At the end of December, the Qingshe photography team visited 7 Dongguan local home furnishing brands that are very different in terms of size, customer groups and business models. They went deep into the hinterland of the industry within a limited time and tried to understand their way of survival. Today, when the entire home furnishing industry is facing tremendous changes and reshuffles, where do those Dongguan home-based companies that are heading against the light stand? Before the documentary is released, we will first bring you some third-party observations from behind the camera
Saosen Furniture Chen Shaosheng
Low-key, far-sighted, joyful
REC ●Stay tuned·Saosen’s way of evolution
Before the official shooting of Saosen’s founder and chairman, Chen Shaosheng, we obtained three keywords about him – low-key, visionary, and joyful.
Firstly, according to the furniture exhibition officials, Chen Shaosheng rarely accepts public interviews, keeps a low profile, and seldom appears in public; secondly, Michael, the vice president of Saosen Furniture, bluntly stated at the press conference that if it weren’t for Chen Shaosheng’s visionary completion of the “environmentally friendly powder coating technology” with incomprehensible pricing 20 years ago, they would not have had such a strong brand moat.
Once again, the shooting team found that every employee they met in the Saosen exhibition hall smiled from the bottom of their hearts and took the initiative to say hello to us strangers. This joy and goodwill have something to do with a company’s corporate culture and boss’s style.
REC ●Stay tuned·Saosen’s way of evolution
And when we officially met Chen Shaosheng face to face on the shooting day, the three key words about him, “low-key, visionary, and joyful”, were completely confirmed.
This rugged and carpenter-originating old home improvement patriarch, even though now the chairman of the group, still retains the deep-embedded rustic flavor in his skin. “First drink tea, then eat, and finally discuss business” is his sincere style full of the atmosphere of the rivers and lakes. He serves tea to every guest, presents a whole pack of cigarettes to the driver, and pours 40-year-old brandy for the photographer… Whether at the tea table or the wine table, even if it’s a chance encounter, the hospitable Chen Shaosheng treats everyone the same.
After three rounds of drinking, he poured out all the secrets of the industry to us. It is not difficult to see from his figure that he enjoys the moment and chases dreams in happiness. Saosen team members, it seems that these decades of furniture career have been achieved with a smile.
De Rucci Yao Jiqing
Battle over standards
REC ●Stay tuned·The evolution of De Rucci
During the filming, Yao Jiqing, Vice Chairman of De Rucci, emphasized that the highest level of the battle between enterprises is the “battle for standards.”
In fact, the Qing She photography team only spent one day at the De Rucci Health Sleep Industry Base, and experienced its relentless standardized management system, which is like a meticulous grid, endowing everything with a tangible presentation.’
Entry to the park requires prior reservation on the mini-program, and on-site access requires exchanging your ID for an access card. Smoking outside the designated areas will result in direct fines. Even the trash cans at the elevator entrances are adorned with the De Rucci logo using fine sand. By observing these minute details, you may realize that the perception of a brand positioning is not only through the products themselves, but also through countless details collectively shaping it.
REC ●Stay tuned·The evolution of De Rucci
De Rucci standards’ are also reflected in products and production. Walking into its Industry 4.0 intelligent manufacturing factory, a vertical patio running through x floors comes into view. Countless mattresses are deployed vertically in different work scenarios in a closed unmanned management system. Here, relying on highly digital automation equipment, dozens of people can achieve the scale of 400 to 500 people in a traditional factory, and the yield rate is extremely high.
For the home furnishing industry, which has an overall low quality of practitioners, setting “standards” is bound to be very difficult, strict adherence to “standards” is even harder, but as Yao Jiqing often emphasizes on and off camera, in the increasingly diverse and intense future competition, “standards” represent the outcome.
In our view, a large number of Dongguan home enterprises that have relied heavily on the demographic dividend for development can no longer remain in a relatively extensive management state. If Dongguan wants to create a city business card for high-end home furnishing brands, De Rucci may be a valuable learning example.
A Home Furnishing Wu Weichen
a flexible helmsman
REC ●Stay tuned·A Home Furnishings’ way of evolution
While shooting, we noticed some details. Mr. Wu Weichen, the chairman of A Home Furnishings believe that “becoming a world-class home furnishing brand,” which should be very important. It is prominently displayed on the walls in various corners of the company and on the mottled curtain walls of the factories. It also resides in Wu Weichen’s belief at all times.
Although he has been in the home furnishing industry for over 20 years, he truly started from scratch. As a private entrepreneur who started his business in Guangdong at the age of 18 with only 400 RMB, he has never extinguished my vigorous business ambitions.
In the eyes of the QingShe production team, this person who dresses plainly, loves wellness, and regards work as the most important axis of life, is diligently chasing the clues of industrial changes, and then attempting to bring A Home Furnishings closer and closer to “world-class” with investment decisions that closely follow the trends of the times.
REC ●Stay tuned·A Home Furnishings’s way of evolution
When it comes to expressing the largest impression of A Home Furnishings, it’s probably practicality. Since the establishment of the brand, Wu Weichen has greatly amplified the needs of its target customers, prioritizing substance over appearance. Developing products that align with current market trends with acute business acumen is the key to success.
In order to cope with the fierce competition in the current custom-designed track, Wu Weichen also made advance layout and invested heavily in building an Industry 4.0 smart manufacturing plant dedicated to custom-designed products. In the highly intelligent manufacturing process, not only has the yield rate been improved, but the production capacity also meets the growing demand. Although the overall investment payback period is not short, the continuously rising sales revenue has given Wu Weichen great confidence in his business judgment.
“Adapting to the circumstances” is not a derogatory term at the enterprise level, but rather a magic weapon for A Home Furnishings to sustain continuous growth. With a market-oriented approach and a strong pragmatism under Wu Weichen’s leadership, A Home Furnishings always seems to be able to unearth the dividends of the times in each trend, and then move towards its ambitious goals.
Cheery Lim Guorong
The only thing that remains unchanged is change
REC ●Stay tuned·The way to evolve Cheery
Lin Guorong is a graceful and handsome entrepreneur, and I believe that anyone who meets him would find it hard not to like him. Despite his simple and unadorned lifestyle, what’s striking is his strong interest in the short video trend. He firmly believes that current home brands should participate in trying out the marketing methods of the internet era and be brave to raise their own voices.
As a result, on the day of the shoot, there were unprecedented interesting scenes: in addition to the Qing She production team, there were also two other filming teams working together. One team came from the “Carefree Media” video team, responsible for assisting in the initial stage of creating short video IP for Cheery, and the other team was Cheery’s own video team, responsible for documenting the interview process of Lin Guorong by Qing She. These materials will become a part of Lin Guorong’s personal IP account content in the future.
REC ●Stay tuned·The way to evolve Cheery
During the shooting, Lin Guorong calmly admitted that he did indeed belong to the second generation of the home industry, but not the kind that took over at a high position.
When he took over the Han-style furniture brand Oak at that time, the enterprise was in a dilemma. As he turned it around, the Dongguan Houjie-born and bred home furnishing group “Cheery” also gradually showed signs of rejuvenation.
In a typical young entrepreneur like Lin Guorong from Dongguan Houjie, one can always reflect the new generation of Houjie home industry people. These second-generation successors who choose to inherit the business often inherit the simple, hardworking, and approachable style of the older generation of Dongguan home industry people. The weighty two words “practical industry” in Dongguan carry an indescribable meaning.
Styledwood Home Deng Xin
Evolution, from the most neglected
place to start
REC ●Stay tuned·Styledwood Home’s way of evolution
Deng Xin, from Styledwood Home, is considered a “Dongguan Drifter” and is also a “newcomer” in Houjie Town.
However, according to him, after many years of entrepreneurship in Houjie, he has felt the selfless support of local entrepreneurs and famous furniture platforms. Thanks to the broad and rich market environment, Deng Xin, a young entrepreneur with a background in learning English and foreign trade, has established his own brand “Styledwood Home” here, and its sub-brand “Carbine” is currently in a strong upward trend.
During the shooting, “Carbine” was undergoing renovation at a spacious street shop located in Hall 8 of the Famous Furniture World Expo Park. Deng Xin was trying to create a brand image store where a group of designers can work, relax, and make purchases. As we stood in front of the still chaotic construction site, he introduced his imagined business blueprint while expressing countless emotions. This heavy-investment, short-term project embodies Deng Xin’s understanding of the future trend of comprehensive business formats in the home furnishing market, and of course, it is also a bold gamble.
REC ●Stay tuned·Styledwood Home’s way of evolution
Upon my first encounter with Deng Xin, he was impeccably dressed in a sharp suit paired with a black turtleneck sweater, with a neatly folded pocket square adorning his chest. His meticulously combed hair and overall image perfectly embodied the “light luxury” lifestyle advocated by his brand, exuding great persuasiveness.
However, to my surprise, this non-professionally trained head of a household brand is passionate about “research and development.” Recently, he has been leading his design team and hiring highly-paid structural engineers from Italy to work in the R&D workshop, meticulously refining designs and making samples, striving to ensure that their original products can meet international standards.
Although the half-day photo shoot was not lengthy, it was enough for us to recognize Deng Xin as a daring and outspoken young entrepreneur who is open to accepting criticism. Despite being in the branding business for nearly a decade, he exudes a sense of freshness and vitality. Our Qing She photography team believes that perhaps it is this overflowing passion and innovative thinking that will lead Styledwood Home towards a distant future.
Haotian Home Li Gaoxiang
Face the changing bravely
REC ●Stay tuned·Haotian’s way of evolution
When we arrived at the headquarters of HT CASA, Haotian Home Furnishing in Houjie, Dongguan, the weather was perfect. The sunlight shone through the terrace and reflected on the transparent teapot emitting heat. Li Gaoxiang was already waiting for us at the tea table.
As a straightforward and pragmatic founder, there was no need for excessive pleasantries or prying questions. Li Gaoxiang began a gripping “self-disclosure.” With a pot of tea and a story, in no time, the entrepreneurial journey of Haotian Home Furnishing in recent years vividly unfolded in our minds.
In 2018, Li Gaoxiang officially entered the domestic market with Haotian Home Furnishing. Initially, he was “quite shocked” by how well the domestic market was performing. In the first year of entering the market, newly launched Haotian products received millions of yuan in deposits after just one day of exhibition. Within six months, he expanded from three customers to more than 80 high-quality client sources. At the busiest times, the factory was overwhelmed with orders and couldn’t keep up with deliveries.
REC ●Stay tuned·Haotian’s way of evolution
However, it was unexpected that the market turmoil came quickly. At the beginning of the epidemic, Haotian Home Furnishings maintained a high-speed growth. However, in the first half of 2021, business suddenly began to plummet. As the sales figures fell rapidly from 8%, 20%, 28%, 35%… Li Gaoxiang calmed himself down and began to review the existing customer demands. He finally discovered that it was because of the overly single and outdated product categories, and old customers were not willing to expand the showroom or stock up on new products in the same category. So, a bold plan emerged in Li Gaoxiang’s mind: he needed to develop two completely different new product categories, and they had to be original.
Therefore, Li Gaoxiang decided to allocate a budget of 20 million to expand the new products. For a whole year, in order to solve various unfamiliar technical challenges, he endured hard days with the design team and master craftsmen in the workshop. Labor costs, design fees, the cost of more than 1000 new product samples, new product matching hard and soft furnishings… These expenditures were like a bottomless pit.
But finally in March 2023, Haotian Home Furnishing finally brought in with pride its two original product categories, with even greater ambitions, once again plunging into the market.
TISSVICA Hu Zhenhai
atypical entrepreneur
REC ●Stay tuned·TISSVICA’s evolution
Hu Zhenhai is an atypical entrepreneur.
When it comes to brand value, we believe that there are many people in Dongguan who surpass TISSVICA; when it comes to sales, they are also unlikely to be among the top. But when it comes to the most interesting brand manager, Hu Zhenhai is sure to receive plenty of friendly votes from industry insiders.
Because at the rooftop of TISSVICA flagship store, the first thing you see isn’t the products, but the “patina” covered wine bottles, outdoor barbecue grills, and long-serving outdoor sofas that have faded over time. Hu Zhenhai jokingly remarks that the top floor of TISSVICA is a hidden outdoor party venue, something almost exclusive to Dongguan where many foreign clients like to host parties here.
Regarding a more diverse lifestyle, Hu Zhenhai believes that most of Dongguan’s brand managers come from the manufacturing industry, possessing simple and understated qualities. However, international brands need to present not only products but also accompanying lifestyles. Without personally experiencing it, it’s difficult to convey a persuasive message to clients.
REC ● Stay tuned · TISSVICA Evolution Path
During the filming, we asked Hu Zhenhai why he chose to enter this industry, and his answer was “gratitude.” In that year, to repay the kindness of relatives from the past, Hu Zhenhai, who graduated as a preschool teacher, traveled to Dongguan to help out in a small family factory. Years later, with one month’s worth of wages, he started his own business alone. Unexpectedly, during this endeavor, he fell in love with this industry.
In front of the store, TISSVICA has placed outdoor furniture worth thousands of dollars for nearby residents to use. Hu Zhenhai said that he didn’t want the brand to become an isolated island. Every time he sees the elderly and couples relaxing and enjoying themselves in front of the store, it makes him feel fulfilled.
When we talk about the “atypical entrepreneur” at the beginning, we are not referring to his understanding and practice of lifestyle, but more to his qualities that don’t seem to fit the typical image of an “entrepreneur.” It seems that, compared to profit and growth, he is more concerned about the inner feelings that TISSVICA’s experience has brought to him. Who is Hu Zhenhai? What is the path of Hu Zhenhai? These philosophical inquiries became the main topic of conversation with him at Qing She, providing us with a brief respite in the midst of a tense interview cycle.
.END.
Firstly, according to the furniture exhibition officials, Chen Shaosheng rarely accepts public interviews, keeps a low profile, and seldom appears in public; secondly, Michael, the vice president of Saosen Furniture, bluntly stated at the press conference that if it weren’t for Chen Shaosheng’s visionary completion of the “environmentally friendly powder coating technology” with incomprehensible pricing 20 years ago, they would not have had such a strong brand moat.
Post time: Feb-07-2024