Exclusive Interview With Eaton Ji De: "Joy And Sorrow" Beyond The Astronomical School Uniform

Recently, a university in Guangdong, Dongguan, "astronomical price". School uniform "The incident triggered a large-scale discussion of school uniforms and education industry. For this reason, many media conducted in-depth interviews and research from the perspective of school purchase and parent committee establishment. Today, the author tries to uncover the "joy and worry" of the school uniform from the perspective of school uniform manufacturers. Today's interview is Eaton Ji De, known as the "first brand of Chinese school uniform" by the industry.

Eaton Ji De backed by Jiangsu Su Mei Group, the group once the United States school uniform brand U.S.POLO, French Toast and other OEM, the production of school uniforms in 40 countries and regions of the world sales; after the establishment of Eaton Ji De, its unique design and education concept firmly adhere to let it quickly embarked on the road of rapid development, has now served the country's 29 provinces and more than 1200 schools, by the American BusinessWeek known as the "China uniforms first brand", and ascended the New York Times Square on the big screen.

Nowadays, with the transparency of network information, the industry of school uniform has been subjected to unprecedented challenges and challenges. What is Eaton's view of it?

Reporter: Recently, the "sky high school uniform" incident, Eaton Ji De as "China's first school uniform brand", whether the market supply has also been affected?

Eaton: This is the refraction of the whole industry. It is impossible to say that it is totally unaffected. However, the impact of sales and turnover alone is not big, but it brings new opportunities to other markets which are hard to open. For example, from the sales level, our sales volume in recent months has increased year by year, and word of mouth has also remained stable. From the market development level, many schools began to attach importance to the school uniform procurement after this incident. Eaton also had more opportunities to discuss the value and connotation of school uniforms with school principals and teachers. In fact, this is a good thing. For the market, it is a driving force and a "little darkness" before dawn.

Reporter: when the whole industry is questioned, Eaton's sales and reputation can still be strong. Is this because Eaton's strength is strong behind him?

[Eaton Kidd]: the power behind us is our product. quality And brand philosophy? I agree with that. But if some of the grey arguments questioned, I can confidently say "absolutely no". In 2013, the "poison school uniform" incident in Shanghai; the debate on the "ugly to explode" school uniform triggered by the first lady in 2014; and 2015's "astronomical school uniform" incident. Since entering the industry, Eaton has been paying close attention to the influence and transformation force of these events. It can be said that Eaton Ji De really welcomes this kind of incident to push the reform of the school uniform industry. At the same time, Eaton also takes stricter demands on himself and accepts the test of the whole industry and the market more directly.

Reporter: what do you mean by Eaton's product quality and brand concept?

Eaton: the market is the sole criterion for testing products. When Eaton entered the school uniform market, he encountered obstacles. The school uniform market has its particularity, and the purchase of school uniform is the result of the participation of many subjects. To win an order, school uniform is not always as straightforward as traditional clothing industry. For example, the retail clothing on the market is mostly based on "fixed sale" (according to the production sales plan), but the school uniform ordered by the school group is "selling products". Eaton Ji De initially hoped that according to the characteristics of each school, "one school, one suit" was soon found to be impossible. A school adds hundreds of students every year, and a student will make more than ten sets of clothes for a long time, with students' span ranging from 130cm to 190cm (excluding special figure). This makes many school uniform small and medium-sized enterprises really "transparent" market structure when the basic "can not play", which is the main reason for the exposure of school uniforms after sale.

In addition, sales of school uniforms are extremely complex, involving multiple factors such as educational system, parents, students and regional differentiation. In addition to the double pressure from the Education Bureau and the parents, some cities also involve the government level and even the characteristics of the city's protectionism. These relatively sensitive and obscure chains have left the school uniform behind many years in the world. It can be said that when Japan and Europe and the United States changed their school uniforms for more than 10 years, China's "face pocket" school uniform has been popular. Of course, now is gradually improving.

When it comes to Eaton's product quality and brand concept, it can only be said that sticking to the trend of the times will inevitably win the market. In terms of product quality, Eaton Ji De cherishes quality, adopts a unique and strict three quality testing standard, strict internal QC quality supervision system is the first hurdle, official access and three level quality inspection agency report and supervision spot checks are second barriers; international SGS independent "flight" testing is the highest level of product inspection standards.

In terms of service operation, Eaton Ji De has 5 sets of program systems, from school cultural communication to exclusive customized design, as well as strong logistics, transparent subscription system, perfect replacement, service and continuity of school etiquette system. This enables Eaton's customer retention rate to reach 100%, and customer satisfaction is also ranked first in the industry.

In terms of brand concept, because of the design concept and value learning of the development of international school uniform, Eaton Ji De Yi was rooted in the excellent campus culture, and guided by the design style of "introverted, elegant and refined" to "lead the transformation of Chinese campus dress and promote the reconstruction of common educational value". Eaton Ji De tried to blend the school uniform into the geographical features, architectural design, cultural and artistic style, and environmental quality of the campus. It played an explicit or implicit role in etiquette education and humanistic edification for students, thus showing the beauty of campus and the beauty of education.

All these are the powerful guarantee that Eaton can develop rapidly and win the market quickly.

Reporter: Although Eaton does have good quality product quality The strong service system and firm brand concept, but in the above mentioned complex market environment, Eaton's persistence in opening the market has not encountered any difficulties?

Eaton: fast development does not mean that there is no difficulty. The essence is to adapt to the general trend of the market, have a vision, have a vision, have a pattern, can naturally tear off the industry corner, find a truly like-minded school, and slowly recognized by the market.

In fact, Eaton's early entry into school uniform is extremely difficult. It changes the traditional and universal "face pocket" products, and directly combines the British style of generosity, self-cultivation and practice with the ingenious penetration of Chinese traditional culture. But it soon found "Bo Le".

The first thing Eaton talked about was Beijing East Road primary school in Nanjing. There are many officials' children in the primary school less than 1000 kilometers away from the southeastern side of the Nanjing municipal government. The headmaster Sun Shuangjin is the first ten star principals to establish "intelligence education" in China. But the school has not had school uniform for many years. The principal thought that since he could not choose a good school uniform, he would rather not have a uniform. Until I met Eaton Kidd. Eaton's school uniform as a carrier to create a "guiding the transformation of China's campus dress and promote the reconstruction of common education value", and soon won the recognition of Sun Shuangjin.

This first order, the first to make everyone refreshing school uniform products, quickly to other schools around the demonstration and word of mouth transfer effect. Then, the principal of other schools came to consult. Later, it became a strategy for Eaton to open up other parts of the country, that is, "to build a school as a model campus, and its school uniform is completely different from the next school. Other schools will come to ask who did it." The effect of this kind of Monument fermentation is becoming more and more effective in modern society.

But today, it seems that this is a natural breakthrough point. Beautiful design, quality products and clear ideas have strong motivation for every school and parents.

Reporter: so what is the biggest difficulty Eaton faced in the years of development?

[Eaton Kidd]: the complexity of the decision-making level. As the news said, the length of the chain behind school uniforms is unimaginable, and the balance of uniforms demands is very special.

From the chain of school uniform, the aesthetic upgrading conflict and price conflict that Eaton first entered the market still exist, and there are still many. Many parents still want to buy loose, large size school uniforms for children to wear for three years or even longer, while schools simply limit their prices under multiple pressures. Eaton also met with the price limit of ten years ago to demand the price of the school uniform now. In ten years, labor costs and fabric costs have increased by several times, and ten years ago, the price standard is required. How can we get a comfortable and elegant school uniform? It can be said that the "sky school uniform" is an extreme. The "price limit school uniform" is another extreme. The two extremes make schools, parents and strong school uniform enterprises quite helpless.

Of course, it is also a headache for many parties to appeal to games. Traditional parents want their uniforms to be practical, and wear them for several years. Students want their uniforms to be beautiful. Schools want teachers and students to be satisfied. In this way, schools do have difficulties. However, Eaton is more willing to contact principals and parents and student groups in market development. After all, "users" are the real examiners and word-of-mouth transmitters. In the school uniform procurement, Eaton also emphasizes procedural nature, and closely surrounds the parent committee and student groups to make them the voting subjects of school uniforms.

Now, one of the most important links in Eaton's "5 scheme system" is to vote for the schools, parents and students through a very perfect and transparent subscription system to promote the improvement of school uniform and the establishment of word of mouth.

From another perspective, "the vision of the masses is still bright." Therefore, Eaton Ji De will appear blowout development in the following years, quickly leapt to the position of "the first brand of Chinese school uniform".

[reporter] then what is Eaton Ji De saying about the recent "school price", "limit price" and "carcinogenic" events in these school uniform industries?

[Eaton Ji De]: Astronomical school uniform, price fixing school uniform, carcinogenic school uniform, ugly to burst school uniform... It can be said that these are the offense and punishment in the school uniform industry. Eaton, as a leader, can be said to be "happy and worried". The exposure of these events has reduced public confidence in the whole industry. After a longer period of time, the resistance of the uniforms industry is likely to be greater, and the cost of the school industry to turn public awareness and keep pace with internationalization will be higher. It may also create more space for some international brands, so that the pressure of domestic uniforms enterprises will be greater and more challenges.

But on the other hand, these events also forced the progress of the school uniform industry. The "sky price" incident forced the supervision and transparency of the school uniform industry chain; the "price limit" incident allowed the public to evaluate the cost and value of school uniform more objectively and objectively; the carcinogenic event made the public start paying attention to the quality and health of the school uniform products besides the cost performance; and the debate of "ugly to explode" really promoted the awakening and upgrading of the aesthetic consciousness of the school uniform, so that the public could think and accept the spiritual connotation and cultural edification of the important aesthetic carrier of school uniform. These are good things!

Eaton Ji De will continue to develop, strengthen himself, closely follow the development of school uniform industry, grow and flourish with the school uniform industry, and truly lead the inheritance of common education value.