The so-called Blue Ocean is only relative to the Red Sea. Clothing companies blindly open up the children's wear market still faces competition risks. After all, there is a limit to the number of ships the Blue Sea can carry. The children's wear market will also be constrained by the supply and demand balance. Clothing brands must carefully analyze the current fiery market, calmly look at the hidden issues behind the hot.

The big acquisitions of several big garment companies prove from one aspect that children's wear has become the focus of the strategic layout of garment enterprises. This is not only a turning point for the market but also a competitive crisis for companies that have always managed children's clothing brands.

Seize the intensified competition in the children's wear market

Attentive consumers will find that more and more brands extend their tentacles into the field of children's wear. Whether it is fast fashion such as zara, h&m, and gap, or an uncommon clothing brand, children's wear occupies a considerable proportion in their stores. Even baby dior, d & gbaby, armani junior and other international big names have also launched children's wear series.

Involving in the children's clothing business has become a trend of popularity, but the difference between the brand's age positioning and product style positioning is not obvious. Most children's wear designs mainly extend the style of the original adult clothes.

Compared with adult clothing, children's clothing has a higher profit and the product line is longer. Clothing from 0 to 10 years old or even 10 years or older belongs to the category of children's wear. Some industry participants even believe that the average gross margin of the children's wear industry can reach 60%, and the gross profit margin of some international children's wear brands can reach 200% or even 300%. With strong market demand and huge profits, the children's wear market has become a key target for brand development.

In 2014, Semirwear purchased 70% equity of Yuhan (Shanghai) Information Technology Co., Ltd. held by Rui Zhi Group. The acquisition makes Senma a step closer to the comprehensive service of children's wear business. Meters Bonwe opened the children's wear business by promoting the omni-channel sales model of children's wear brands me&city kids (moxi) and moomoo. Ladies Fashion brand also acquired Akabang, South Korea’s largest infant and baby clothing brand, in 2014. The brand was established in 1979 and took first place in Korea’s infant clothing market.

Luo Jiefan, president of Peikelandi Children's Clothing & Accessories Co., Ltd. in Beijing, said that children's wear is considered a blue ocean. All brands do not want to miss the rare opportunity to seize the market, but the children's wear market still has a certain limit, which is a long-term concern for us. In terms of the brands of the children's wear market, it is actually necessary to face greater market competition.

Market analysts believe that more children's clothing market brands also make consumers more serious differentiation, high-end positioning of clothing brands, including Disney, Nike and Adidas's children's clothing sub-brand, domestic Senma and other high-end brand positioning. In the low-end brands, the prices are lower, the market competition is more intense, the brands are more confusing, and the company's competitive strategy is basically to control the cost and the main price war.

From this point of view, the so-called children's clothing Blue Ocean is only relatively speaking, clothing companies blindly open up the children's wear market still has a competitive risk. After all, there is a limit to the number of ships the Blue Sea can carry. The children's wear market will also be constrained by the supply and demand balance.

Channel confusion into key issues

As with other apparel categories, the domestic terminal sales channels for children's wear patterns are staggered and complicated. The most common department store counters and shopping centers are also shortcomings such as the emerging “one-stop” shops and brand integrated stores.

However, a variety of sales channels have brought about a certain impact on the development of the company. On the one hand, the brand's multi-channel development often overlooks the positioning of the brand and affects product sales. On the other hand, too many channels can easily lead to consumer confusion about the brand. The reform of the children's clothing market is imminent.

Xu Bo, a director of Zhejiang Sima Garment Co., Ltd. and general manager of the Bala-Bala Division, once stated that shopping malls are the mainstream of the future and that companies need to spend time doing research while e-commerce will be repositioned.

He believes that business development should regard e-commerce as a relationship platform between the brand and the consumer, and it cannot be absolutely superstitious about the role of e-commerce. Therefore, e-commerce is treated with caution.

Even in the current popular children's wear market, the adjustment of channels is still a key issue. Regardless of whether it is online or offline, it is difficult to open up channels without causing mutual interference. Chen Xiaoxia, a senior researcher at the Parkson Institute, said that the contradiction between traditional sales channels and e-commerce is not resolved, and it is difficult for brands to make greater breakthroughs.

Jin Jin, head of Jiangnan Clothing & Fashion Co., Ltd., Jiangnan Clothing & Accessories Co., Ltd., said that how to better mine children's clothing is a question that companies need to think about. Businesses blindly involved in children's clothing are vulnerable to problems with brand positioning and sales channels. Businesses have different attitudes toward e-commerce and entities, but they must satisfy brand positioning and sales status as a channel for terminal sales. If companies only look at the advantages of CEIBS channels to clean up inventory, and neglect the maintenance of the platform in the later period, the high cost of investment will also make it difficult for enterprises. The rational distribution and use of online and offline channel relationships have become issues that companies must consider.

Quality is the most important factor in rational development.

In the era of industrial transformation and upgrading, children's clothing business ideas can not be separated from the innovative thinking, the Internet tide, e-commerce, o2o and other innovative models have become the focus of discussion and business topics. At this time, brand owners often overlook the most critical product quality problems in children's clothing, after all, consumers' recognition of the brand is based on the trust of the product. Luo Jiefan said that strict quality control of children's wear is the first step in brand development. Focus on product development, strict control of product quality, according to the needs of children of different ages, the production of clothing suitable for children.

For example, he said that many children's clothing brands only pay attention to the appearance of the bright, unique design, but ignored the product fabrics, color for children's body growth. Due to the child's tender skin, some harder materials and accessories are not suitable for children's clothing. In addition, the design of clothing collars and cuffs is also a key point for the comfort of children. The use of materials and trimming of these parts are particularly important.

Jin Jin also expressed the same view that the safety and comfort of children's products is the most fancy place for children's clothing brands in the south of the Yangtze River. Designing children's clothes with natural and comfortable fabrics is also the idea that the brand has been implementing.

The process of visiting consumers has also found that the quality of children's wear is always an important criterion for consumers to choose children's clothing. A young mother said: "Today, children's clothing brands are all kinds of things. I still buy them with safe and comfortable selection criteria. It's not necessarily the best and the best. It's the best for children's safety needs," she added.

The essence of returning to the product is to start from the source, the quality of the fabric, the rationality of the design, and the comfort of the version. These are places where the company needs to focus on upgrading. Garment companies need to rationally face the popular children's wear market and grasp the path of brand development from the source.