As Good As It Gets

—— Interview of Yang Donghui, the president of China home textile association

By Shang Lin'aiyi

China  Internat ional Trade Fai r  for Home  Text i les  and Accessor ies  is  around  the corner  and  topics  about  it are on  the  rise. Though  this year  is a  tough  time  for Chinese home textile,  but  the  entire  industry strives  to  explore  new ways to  survive  and  develop.  I t 's predicated  that  this  Intertextile may  cover  an  area  of more than  110  square  ki lometers, which can be considered as the evidence  that  all  exhibitors  still have  confidence  on Chinese home  text i le market ,  and  al l domestic enterprises' efforts are fnally paid off…
 
Q: what 's  the  status  quo  of Chinese  home  textile  industry  and what methods should we resort to?

A :   In  2007 ,under the circumstance  of  "Two  Highs"-high  cost  and  high  risk,  the  home text i le  indust ry  has  overcome the  hardship  through  fighting  in different  conditions  and  gained stable development.  In 2008, some problems which  home  texti le  is facing  are  simi lar  to  the whole textile industry, but it still has some special  and  urgent  ones. Many new  challenges  spring  up,  esp.  in the  aftermath  of Beijing Olympic Games, so our primary concern this year  is  to  increase  the  soft  power of  core  competitiveness  of  home textile industry:Firstly,  the home  textile  industry
needs  creativity  and  innovation.  To the  home  textile  industry,  you  can explore  a  large  potential market  if  you  know how to create a new life style or living philosophy.

Second, characteristics are important. We can see from  these  years'  development  of  home  textile, imitation  and  homogeneity  is  very  severe,  so  how to demonstrate  characteristics  should  be  put  in  the first  place. Out  enterprises  don't  have  to  cover more projects, but should  learn  to cut down something,  just like gardeners who always lop branches off. To developin the direction of producing the best with highest value added,  you  have  to  show  your  specialty. Only  in  this way can you improve your core competitiveness.

Thirdly, "green" competition. Home  textile  industry develops in a very fast track. Enterprises hunt for talents from each other and compete to recruit qualifed talents in  a  hostile way. So we  should  propose  the  concept of  "Green Competition" which  suggests  enterprises pay more  attention  on  the  training  and  cultivating  of their  own  employees, and  combine  competition with cooperation so as to make the industry successfully get through the tough situation in 2008.

Q: Has scientifc innovation and brand building been extensively recognized or applied?

A: Chinese  home  textile  industry  should  continue to develop in accordance with the theme of innovation, brand, cooperation, culture and crisis so as to improve comprehensive competitiveness in right direction.

Home  texti le  enterprises  should  abide  by  the demand  of  "making China  an  innovative  country  in which  enterprises play  the  leading  role",  and  actively enhance  enterprises'  self-innovation  ability  in  terms of  technology, marketing  and  design  to  upgrade  the whole  industry. Brand  competition  is  an  embodiment of  enterprises'  transition of  strategy  from  visible to  invisible. Enterprises  should  reinforce  the  brand consciousness. To build our own brands, we  shall put quality  in  the  first  place with  good  faith  as  the  core.

Enterprises  in  home  textile  industry  should  put  their spearheads  toward  the  outside. Every  enterprise, esp.  the  leading  ones  shall  promote  cooperation  in competition  to  fght  and  improve  together,  and  fnally realize mutual  development.  Furthermore,  enterprises should  also  set  up  correct  value  orientation,  perfect enterprise  culture  and constantly  advocate  home textile  culture. And  they  should  have  strong  crisis consciousness  and  establish  crisis management system. Prepare for danger in times of safety so as to achieve improvement in crisis.