The sales assistant's face was rather sour. Just as she was about to speak, she saw something, her expression changed, and she said respectfully, "Manager."
Chen Lishu turned around. A man stood behind her, about thirty years old, his white shirt tucked into a high-end custom black leather belt, his stomach slightly protruding.
"The young lady speaks good Japanese."
Chen Lishu's smile froze.
"Manager, it's this woman causing trouble and ruining a deal for us," the sales assistant pointed at Chen Lishu and complained.
Sun Chang was displeased. "Why don't you say it's your bad attitude? You were indifferent to us but bowed and scraped to others. Your face changed faster than flipping a book."
Chen Lishu looked at the man. "Are you the manager of this store? To be frank, we actually came here to seek cooperation."
The man said indifferently upon hearing her words, "What cooperation?"
Nan Haitao smiled and said, "Is it convenient to find a place for us to explain in detail?"
The man nodded and led the three of them to the office upstairs.
"We are from Shu Se Garment Factory in J Province, operating our own brand, Shu Se Apparel. Our brand currently..." Before Chen Lishu could say a few words, she was interrupted by the other party.
"I have many things to handle. I hope you can make it brief."
Chen Lishu paused and said, "We hope to cooperate with the mall and bring our brand in."
"Impossible," the man rejected outright.
"Our mall is full of international big brands. You are just a small domestic factory, a name I've never even heard of. Our mall will absolutely not consider it."
"However, every brand grows from small to large. I have great confidence in our products." Chen Lishu looked at Sun Chang, who quickly opened the bag in her hand and took out the sample clothes she had brought.
"Our factory has both master craftsmen for traditional handmade items and professional fashion designers. These are suits produced by our factory."
Chen Lishu said, unfolding a suit jacket.
"Currently, most high-end suits are custom-made. Fabrics that are particular about quality include pure wool, worsted twill, chalk stripe, gabardine, etc. Good fabrics can even cost tens or hundreds of yuan per foot. Our product uses a blended fabric, which holds its shape well. I've roughly looked at the mall, and many international brands are priced at even over a thousand yuan, with a couple of domestic brands costing seven to eight hundred. Yet, the one we made, of similar quality and even more novel style, is only five hundred."
"Let me say something unpleasant," the man looked at Chen Lishu. "Even if you sold them for fifty, our mall would not allow you in. Don't you see what kind of place this is? If I let just anyone in, there are countless garment factories across the country with good quality and low prices. Should I agree to them all?"
"But..." Chen Lishu wanted to say more, but the man waved her to stop.
"I've already wasted too much time because of you. Please close the door behind you when you leave."
After speaking, the man lowered his head and busied himself with his work.
Chen Lishu and Nan Haitao exchanged glances. It seemed they needed to discuss this matter carefully back at the hotel.
After the three left, they went to another place mentioned by Manager Zhang. The location was less convenient than the first one, and the scale was relatively smaller, with many individual shops.
The answers they received were largely the same, and the attitude was even worse than the first place.
"I think the focus should still be on the first one." In the hotel room, the three discussed their next course of action.
Originally, it was difficult for their nascent and unknown brand to enter a place crowded with major brands. Chen Lishu had already prepared herself for a tough fight.
Nan Haitao said, "Judging by Manager Tan's attitude today, it will be very difficult to persuade him even if we offer an entry fee."
Before coming, he and Chen Lishu had discussed that as long as they could get their brand in, they wouldn't mind paying more.
But now it seemed it wasn't something that could be solved with money.
Sun Chang didn't understand, "Why don't we open our own store?"
Nan Haitao replied, "In big cities like Kyoto and Shanghai, the investment in store space and management alone is quite large, and the returns are slow. The factory is just starting, and our funds are limited. In the first two years, developing franchises and entering large shopping malls is the best approach. Once the brand gains recognition in a couple of years and the time is right, we can open directly managed stores."
Sun Chang nodded. She was not in management and didn't really understand these things.
"The mall we went to yesterday has stable brands and no available space. Unless it's a relatively well-known brand, they won't easily change brands. If they have available space, they will select the best brands to recruit, which is where we are at a disadvantage."
Nan Haitao continued, "However, the timing is quite good. Malls usually adjust their brands in July and August each year, which is the off-season. Malls will eliminate brands that do not meet sales targets or have poor brand image. This is our opportunity."
"It's a pity that I was only in the county before and have no connections here. If I had acquaintances, it would be much simpler to smooth things over."
Nan Haitao said, taking off his glasses and pinching his temples.
"Everyone starts from not knowing each other to becoming familiar. If we have no one, we find ways to get familiar with them. We can treat them to meals or give gifts. After all, we are the ones asking for favors," Chen Lishu, who had been silent, suddenly said.
She had already come this far, and she wouldn't shy away from the final step.
The current situation was beyond her control. No matter what, she had to promote her brand.
"Whether the product entry aligns with the mall's positioning is also an important factor in whether our brand can enter the mall. Tomorrow, Sun Chang and I will go again. As the saying goes, know yourself and your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles. Manager Nan, please investigate the man surnamed Tan to find the right direction so we can target him effectively."
The matter was thus settled.
The next day, Chen Lishu and Sun Chang went to the mall together, while Nan Haitao was responsible for inquiring about the man surnamed Tan.
It wasn't until past six in the evening that everyone gathered again to share the day's findings.
"This Manager Tan's name is Tan Yongcheng. He immigrated abroad with his family when he was young and returned to China to develop after the reform and opening up."
Nan Haitao said with a wry smile, "He manages this store. We probably don't need to consider giving gifts."
Chen Lishu sighed, "We didn't make much progress today, but we can confirm that our product's style is quite compatible with the mall."
Moreover, with her foresight from a future era, she was very confident in her grasp of contemporary fashion elements.
"It's too hot. Sun Chang should stay at the hotel. I'll go again tomorrow."
Since she had come this far, giving up without trying was not her style.
Sun Chang looked worried, "President Chen, you were exposed to the sun for too long today. Your face looks sunburned. Why don't you rest for two days before going?"