Calm market in appearance and rough back-flow

2017-7-8

Louis was invited by a leader from Shanghai motorcycle sales company in July 8 and 9, 2017, to visit their branch in Hangzhou. The purpose of this journey is to discuss the issue of facing the strategy, temptation and challenge of Internet. Our marketing consultant, Anita was also on the list.

Louis was afraid of disturbing their day to day operation, so he investigated the famous Haining Leather City with Anita before arrived. It took an hour to get there by bus. You can see it on figure 1.

(Figure 1 was the façade of the Leather City facing the main road.)

 

You can see the map of Haining Leather City on figure 2.

(Figure 2 was the map of Haning Leather City.)

 

One of the Haining Leather City view inside, you can see figure 3 for more details.

(Figure 3 was the empty corridor inside.)

 

As Louis’s expected, the business was stagnant here. Except an elderly tourist led by the guide from a tour bus, there’re several individual tourists including us, hung about in each large building. Asked some shops for price, (Louis wanted to buy some leather clothing indeed, because the products in anti-season are always have a reasonable price.) the answers are ridiculous. Louis regretted that he didn’t buy some leather clothing at ECIMA in November last year after he knew the price of leather clothing here. (The style, leather and brand of the leather clothing in Haining Leather City are worse than those in ECIMA, but the price was triply inflated!!!)

 

The only thing made us feel gratifying was the landscape of artificial lakes in the middle of Haining Leather City. From the long distance, it looks very beautiful. But this is not a park or a shopping mall, this is a wholesale market. The impact of Internet to the retail stores covers everywhere, including this well-known wholesale market. Although, according to the local people, it is in the slack season, but put all their hopes in 2 months to make big money, it’s an abnormal phenomenon. The flow ice cream stalls abroad are opening three months in a year. You can see it on figure 4.

(Figure 4 was took on the bridge in a lake.)

 

Towards the end of investigation, Louis and Anita scorched heat went back to the branch. After inspected the store display, they discuss the development of large displacement with the leader of the branch. Figure 5 was the Hangzhou motorcycle store view inside.

(Figure 5, high angle shot in the store.)

 

Figure 6 was a close-up of Kawasaki H2.

(Figure 6 was the triangle platform.)

Figure 7 was the posed photo of Anita.

(Figure 7 was Anita with Kawasaki 1000.)

 

Figure 8 was the close-up of H2.

(Figure 8, H2)

 

After the warm reception of general manager and tasted the local seafood that night. The general manager lent Louis and Anita his car, and advised them to appreciate the famous scenery: Back-flow of Qiantang River in Haining. Until 12 in the night (There were about 50 tourists.), we’ve seen the mighty Qian Tang River surged forward with great momentum. Huge waves beat the shore and the waves be rebounded by the shore again. The process formed the amazing and incredible back-flow.

Because of the low cell phone shooting light in the night (This is an unexpected activity in this business trip, so Louis didn’t bring his SLR camera.), this magnificent scene only can be described through figure 9 and some words. What a pity! The only way to make up for it, was before the tide rose, Louis ran into the middle of the river courageously and picked up a stone that he was very satisfied. (You can see it in the figure 10. The stone was very light. It’s a rock probably, washed down to the mainland by the tide.) Louis wanted to put this stone into his fish tank as a memento.

 

(Figure 9 was the back-flow.)

(Figure 10 was the stone in the middle of river.)

 

Through the window in hotel, Louis can take a glance of the view in the small town of Haining on the next day. You can see the view on figure 11. There weren’t any tall buildings to cut off the sight and any couriers ran though the red lights. Although there’re many noisy drivers shouted to solicit customers, it’s a harmless pleasure. In today’s China, the town with original local customs and practices will change by which impacts is an unknown in the current era of economic transformation and universal Internet. Louis still like the peaceful town, maybe in the future it won’t be simple anymore.

(Figure 11 was the view of Haining.)

Journalist: Rurouni Kenshin

Translator: Sara