David's AW News: Meet our new Friends
Wed Mar 27 2024 23:28:00 GMT+0800 (Malaysia Time)
Greetings from Yiwu, China
Happy Easter Weekend. Wishing you lots of brisk friendly business, chocolates and hopefully some quality time with your friends and family.
Here in China Easter hardly registers as an event, and we are working every day, weekends included, to find the next best big thing for your store.
Last week I was telling you about the "A" team in action.. and the issue we have with moving warehouse.. if you missed it you can catch up here.
This week has just flown by, each morning Coco and I collect Tomas from his hotel and head off to see suppliers in one area or another of the vast Yiwu market. We do a bit of walking around to see what we might happen upon, but to walk all the Yiwu permanent market would take weeks, there are 90,000 showrooms! But we head to see old friends and along the way find some new ideas.
Coco with our agent and the new landlord, doing the deal.
I was telling you we needed to find a new warehouse and home for our candle factory as our old landlord had gone bust. That's normally a time consuming job right? But not here in China, Coco decided on a new warehouse on the fifth floor of a warehouse block not far from our old warehouse on Monday. On Tuesday the agent took us back for a second look, and with some access issues ironed out we decided to go ahead. No messing, straight to the boss man's office, he had a standard contract already stamped with red marks and just filled in the blanks. The agent oversaw the deal, and Coco and the Boss signed the paper, money sent via WeChat, agent fees paid on the spot. We have official access from 1st April, but can send in the workmen the next day to build an office, move the factory and fit toilets. Breathtakingly quickly, not a lawyer or notary in sight. Over 1000 square meters, access to two big lifts down to a loading bay big enough for 40ft containers. It's enough room for the factory, and space for three containers worth of stock at any one time plus a nice corner office with a view for Coco. We have a three year lease with options to extend.
Things just get done in China so much quicker and with no fuss. And because of this we have so many projects in development my brain is getting overloaded and we seem to be working ridiculas hours. Tomas, Coco and myself.often until the early hours, and breakfast then into meetings. But don't feel sorry for us, working with the mainly small family business is a delight and great fun. And seeing unique and interesting product ranges form so quickly is exciting and fun. And because we don't deal with mega factory corporations we develop real relationships with artisans, young folk, lady bosses and small family businesses much more than your average China importer..
Here are a few from this week..
So that's the update from China for this week.
Hope your long weekend is restful enough.. and more updates next week.
Happy Holi, to all our Indian Friends. India is bursting with colours and goodwill, as they celebrate the festival these few days.
I have been there a few times at this time, it's wild, good natured, totally colourful and crazy. Mr Chatterjee (our man in India) sends Holi best wishes (and few pics from his hometown) to all AW customers and the AW team.
Take care, enjoy the chocolates!
David
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