Recently, a short video of "a monthly salary of 20,000 and can't afford to visit a mall clothing store" has aroused heated discussions. The video said that some customers who used to visit the mall encountered "clothing assassins" while shopping, and "a seemingly ordinary piece of clothing was found to cost more than 1,000 at the checkout". This experience resonated with netizens, many of whom said that "I have not dared to go to the mall to buy clothes for a long time." ”
Miscellaneous goods are easier to become "assassins", and the value from the factory to the mall has increased several times
"The more motley it is, the more assassins it actually is. The price of brand stores is quite transparent and stable, and there are psychological expectations to buy. But the kind of brand that I don't know, I feel that the quality is not so good, and the design model is also copied by others, and the result is more than a thousand when asked. College students complain that shopping is becoming more and more often "stabbed", and in the face of miscellaneous brands of unknown origin, customers need to digest more "price panic" caused by the unknown.
A small shopping mall near a university in Jinan is a gathering place for miscellaneous stores. "The shirt and vest are a total of 550 yuan, we are all Korean goods, don't worry about the quality." A clothing store owner in the mall replied to the reporter who inquired about the price. The owner of the neighboring store said: "We are all Shenzhen Nanshan goods here, and the quality must be the best." ”
The reporter saw that these stores are narrow and crowded, clothes are stacked on two rows of hangers, there is no unified brand logo, and there are no price tags, less "clear prices", customers need to take the initiative to ask for prices. In contrast to its slightly humble decoration, the price of autumn clothing in the store ranges from 500-2,000 yuan, which is comparable to the price of "brand" clothes in large shopping malls.
Inside the miscellaneous store
In the mouths of shopkeepers, whether it is "Korean goods" or "Shenzhen goods", the procurement channels of clothing are strongly linked to their quality, style and other selling points, forming a kind of "price endorsement" through specific origins.
However, another shop owner in the same mall disagreed, revealing to reporters that the so-called "Korean goods" have foundries in China. These clothes have probably never drifted at sea, but from domestic foundries in high-speed rail trucks into shopping malls, and under the calculation of the profit formula, the value immediately doubled.
According to industry insiders, from factories to shopping malls, between these two locations, clothing prices have experienced layers of "thrilling jumps". For example, clothing produced by factories is often referred to as "white label goods", where the factory only makes a basic profit and the clothing is originally priced low. After wholesale purchase, the brand will make the final price according to its own positioning, generally 5-10 times the "white list price", at least 3-4 times, and the price of these rebranded clothes will rise sharply.
In addition to supplying brands, another major buyer of the factory is the retail stores in various places, such as the miscellaneous stores in the shopping mall visited by the reporter. The pricing of miscellaneous stores that do the "boutique model" is also "not soft", and it is the norm that the price is equal to or even higher than that of well-known brands.
In order not to be "stabbed", a "warehouse-style" clothing wholesale store is also quietly emerging among young people. In such clothing stores, the price of summer clothing is within 100 yuan, and autumn and winter clothing is also maintained below 500 yuan, which is relatively in line with the purchase level of mass consumers.
Hide away in an affordable clothing store in the apartment
These small shops are also often hidden in apartments and residential buildings. The affordable clothing stores that disappeared in the commercial street, choosing to retreat to residential buildings, is not only a helpless choice to cope with environmental impacts, but also provides ordinary consumers with alternatives to being "stabbed", breaking the embarrassment of consumers "only looking at but not buying" in the mall.
"Clothing Assassin" Why is the price high? Profitability anxiety deforms the industryThe price far exceeds the psychological expectations of mass consumers, why are these "costume assassins" asking for such high prices?
First of all, the rising rent of the ship in the physical operation is a big cost. Ms. Ji, the owner of a mid-range women's clothing store in a large shopping mall in Jinan, told reporters that the mall's commission "accounts for 25% to 30% of turnover." In addition, the cost of manpower, water and electricity also rises with market changes; When the goods are at risk of being unsold, the cost of multiple pieces of clothing needs to be spread evenly among the one sold.
Zhang Qing, associate professor of the Department of Business Administration of Shandong University of Finance and Economics, believes that the functional positioning of shopping malls has undergone great changes, and the current role of shopping malls is closer to "exhibition hall + canteen". Clothing stores that once undertook important sales functions have gradually become a "foil" for the catering industry in the mall, becoming a "leisure" place for everyone to go after dinner.
Sparsely trafficked mall clothing district
Costs are rising, customer flow is declining, the "small profits but high sales" model is becoming less and less established, and the "profit anxiety" of physical clothing stores has become particularly strong. Therefore, "thick profits and less sales" and firmly grasping a small number of precise customer groups have become the "prescription" for merchants.
Miscellaneous stores or ordinary brand stores with poor online channels and no brand appeal are especially highly dependent on the profits of the physical stores themselves. Therefore, stores with high financial pressure usually return funds by raising the selling price, and sometimes set a "pig killing price" that exceeds the big name.
People who pay for price "assassins" value experience and service moreSince prices are constantly being raised, who is paying for these "costume assassins"?
Zhang Qing believes that regardless of brands or miscellaneous brands, high-priced stores tend to have high consumer stickiness. For consumers with deep pockets, time, experience and service often offset the higher premium of the clothing itself.
In other words, customers who have the financial means to buy high-priced clothes are not willing to buy "blind boxes" online, but prefer to reduce waiting time, try on and get the immersive service of the store owner, and are relatively tolerant of price.
Shop owners will also work extra hard to manage the "private domain" relationship with such customer groups, and WeChat moments and communities become online stores where store owners directly connect to "gold owners". "Acquaintances take goods" supports the bulk profits of such stores, relying on the model of "not opening for three days, opening for three days", expensive clothing stores can still make profits.
"High-priced miscellaneous" shopkeeper circle content
On the contrary, individual customers who wander around shopping are not included in the target. Ordinary consumers who "stray" into such stores are often surprised by their high prices, which is actually a mismatch between supply and demand, and the common college students and other groups in shopping malls are not the main payers of "clothing assassins".
Regarding the differentiation of customer groups, Zhang Qing commented: "I think that in the future, physical clothing stores will basically be divided into two types, one is to take the high-price route of business districts, mainly for high-value customers such as white-collar workers and corporate management. Another affordable clothing for ordinary consumers will slowly shift to non-commercial areas such as apartments and residential buildings. ”
News clue reporting channel: Download the "Qilu One Point" APP in the application market, or search for the WeChat mini program "Qilu One Point", and 800 reporters in the province are waiting for you to report online!