A few days ago, "Ceramic Information" learned from interviews with many antique brick manufacturers in Zibo that although the ceramic industry has entered the "traditional sales off-season" in June, the overall sales situation of Zibo's antique bricks is still strong. As of now, it is still There are many ceramic companies whose production and sales ratios remain at 80% to 90%.
Looking at the sales situation in the first five months, the sales momentum of Zibo antique brick companies is better than the same period last year. It is understood that since late April, the sales situation of Zibo Ceramics has generally declined significantly, but antique bricks still maintain good sales popularity. In addition to the decline in sales during the May 1 holiday, Zibo antique bricks still delivered a good "report card" in May.
According to statistics, the Zibo production area currently has Uni-President Ceramics, Jinka Ceramics, Golden Lion Ceramics, Geng Ceramics Group, Liangjian Ceramics, Botao Ceramics, Guorun & Zerun, Jiuyu Ceramics, Lion King Ceramics, etc. 11 ceramic companies and 16 production lines are producing antique bricks, with product specifications covering 600×600mm, 800×800mm, 600×1200mm, etc.
Competitive advantage is back!
The number of customers who “take the initiative to come to you” has increased
In recent years, the production and sales of antique bricks in Zibo production areas have been relatively stable. This year, Zibo's antique bricks have continued their market trend last year. Not only that, as the production costs in surrounding production areas continue to rise, the competitive advantage of Zibo's antique bricks has become even more prominent.
In the opinion of many people in the Zibo industry, on the one hand, as the competitive advantages of Zibo products continue to return, dealers who had previously left the country have returned one after another, and at the same time attracted more foreign dealers to come to purchase; on the other hand, The number of construction site orders that come to Zibo and its surrounding areas continues to increase, further boosting the continued improvement in the sales situation of ceramics in Zibo.
Shi Fei, general manager of sales of Guorun & Zerun Ceramics, told Ceramic Information that March and April this year were a peak sales period for his company, and the order schedule was very tight at that time. Although sales have gradually become flat since May, compared with the same period last year, sales are also quite good. At present, the production and sales rate can still remain at 80% to 90%.
In addition, the relevant person in charge of Liangjian Ceramics also made it clear that the sales situation this year is significantly better than last year. Even now, its company's production-to-sales ratio remains at least above 80%.
“Currently, the production schedule for the 800×800mm specification is relatively tight. Although it has entered the traditional off-season, the customer orders we have are pretty good., judging from the overall sales in the first five months, our production and sales rate has basically remained at around 90%. "Gao Gao, general manager of sales of Zibo Botao Ceramics Co., Ltd., revealed to "Ceramic Information".
It is worth mentioning that as the prices of various raw materials continue to rise after the holidays, the cost advantage of many production areas has become smaller. However, Zibo's product prices are relatively stable, thus attracting many surrounding customers to place orders in Zibo.
“This year, we have clearly felt that peripheral customers are increasing. In less than half a year, the company has added many new foreign customers from Beijing, Nanjing, Qingdao, Jinan, Lanzhou, Shanghai, Zhengzhou, Urumqi and other places.” Shi Fei, general manager of sales of Guorun & Zerun, said frankly.
Engineering orders surge
Stimulate sales of Zibo ceramic enterprises
In fact, another reason why the sales situation of antique bricks in Zibo this year is better than last year is that construction site customers are increasing. During the visit, the sales managers of Zibo antique brick manufacturers said that since last year, the construction site sales of Zibo Ceramics have been increasing, and this year it is even more obvious.
With the continuous increase of construction site customers, sales orders have become a strong support for ceramic companies to cope with the current off-season sales. Gao Tong, general manager of sales of Botao Ceramics, said that not only his company, but also the current good sales of ceramic companies in Zibo are a major factor in the surge in demand at construction sites.
Chen Shiwei, general manager of Uni-President Ceramics, told "Ceramic Information" that in the past two years, more and more construction sites have gone directly to Zibo manufacturers to find products. His company has received several engineering orders from both inside and outside the province this year.
However, it is worth mentioning that although construction site orders are a good starting point for ceramic companies to deal with off-season sales, they also have certain drawbacks, that is, the return of funds is slow, and ceramic companies need to face the practical problem of advance financing. .
"In previous years, many project orders were mostly completed by dealers, who also advanced funds. Now many construction sites directly find manufacturers, and the parties who advance funds naturally become factories. Nowadays, advance funds have become very common. , and it also increases the financial pressure on ceramic supply companies," said Chen Shiwei.
It is understood that due to fierce market competition, it is difficult for ceramic companies to increase the sales price of their products. For most construction site orders, there is also the practical problem of low profits. "Engineering is a double-edged sword. For the powerful Zibo ceramic enterprises, it is best to change paths and move forward." Chen Shiwei said.
At the same time, with the further improvement of Zibo's product advantages, the customer quality of many ceramic companies in Zibo is also quietly changing. The original business philosophy of focusing on wholesale is gradually transforming to value-added marketing.
“This year, I feelWe feel that there has been a qualitative change in the customer base, and we want to work with agents to add value to our products. Without profits, neither enterprises nor dealers can achieve long-term development, and this is a major factor why Zibo products are increasingly favored by customers. "Shi Fei said.
(The article is reproduced from Ceramic Information)
