Beijing market gets rid of its shadier vendors
Print Edition
Beijing’s landmark Silk Street Market, where traditional souvenirs and knock-offs sit side-by-side, is looking to reinvent itself as a breeding ground for local, quality brands.
In a bid to redeem its reputation, the market last year began removing vendors who were selling counterfeits and instead is inviting Chinese brands and designers to set up shop.
It hopes the move will shake off the market’s former infamy and allow it to become known as a hub of originality.
The market, located in the capital’s central business district, opened in the late 1970s to cater to expats working in nearby embassies looking for cheap clothing and accessories.
Tourist attraction
While the Silk Street Market secured itself a reputation worthy of being included alongside the Forbidden City and the Great Wall in “must-do” guides to the city, it has received negative coverage for tolerating merchants who sell shoddy knock-offs.
Several luxury brands have sued vendors and the market itself was asked for compensation for failing to effectively prevent such violations.
Over the past three decades, vendor numbers have been reduced from more than 2,000 to around 500, and the average retail space for each merchant has risen to 20 square meters.
“It is important that brands have the space and the environment to express their themes and values,” said Jason Ding, a partner at Bain & Company.
“It’s all about perception and lumping all your products on a crowded stall is a surefire way to comprise a brand’s value.”
China’s large shopping malls and department stores are suffering as a result of the slowing economy and the rise of e-commerce, forcing many retailers to close their brick-and-mortar stores.
Smaller markets, where tenants sell cheap clothing to price-sensitive consumers, are also falling out of favor as more people become brand-conscious and shop for quality.
“Chinese garment makers have mastered the manufacturing process after years of making clothes for foreign brands but what they need to work on the most in the future is to build brands and design,” Ding said.
Hu Wenli, the Silk Street Market’s general manager, said raising the bar for its merchants will help the market’s competitiveness.
“The market is in a prime location,” said Zhang Yongping, president of the Silk Street Market Group, “only quality merchants deserve to be here.”
However, regardless of how determined he is to root out low-end merchants, removing those who have been in the market for decades is an emotionally difficult choice for Zhang.
“I told these old tenants that the door is still open for them, as long as they can come back with quality products and original brands.”
Outside the market, huge posters outline the requirements for prospective merchants, emphasizing the market’s thirst for quality and originality.
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