The identity of the ceramic tile in the building materials market

Domestic goods put on "foreign coat" increased value "imitation" to replace imported bricks difficult to distinguish true and false - -

A circle of home stores will find that the price of ordinary domestic tiles will be able to win about tens of yuan per square meter, while the import tiles cost hundreds of yuan per square meter. This huge middle price difference makes consumers accustomed to treating domestic and imported tiles differently.

However, Cheng **, who is currently choosing a ceramic tile, stated to the author that buying tiles does not necessarily have to be imported. However, if you want to buy imported goods, the actual price is not true, but the truth is that the goods are really not the key. If you spend a lot of money and buy "pseudo-imported" products, it will be the most odious. Are pseudo-import tiles common? For this reason, while continuing to conduct market visits, the author also consulted with professionals. The answer to the question is: Imported tiles do indeed have an identity mystery.

Hand-held foreign "ID card" domestic tiles put on "Yang jacket"

The author found during the visit that there are not a few domestic brands that sound like foreign names, but if you ask them carefully, the clerk will tell you that the “Yanhua” brand name does not mean that the product is imported, and their tiles are produced in China. processing. Industry insiders also reminded consumers that names that look similar to foreign brands are likely to sell "domestic goods."

However, even if it is a "foreign brand," it is still possible to buy domestically produced goods. According to industry insiders, some domestic businesses either register themselves abroad or seek foreign friends to help with registration. When they get a foreign "ID card," they start looking for OEMs from the south, and they have a lot of stock and do "imports." Tiles" business. This is because, if the tiles are put on "foreign coats", their worth immediately doubles. According to analysis by industry insiders, some countries are not strict in the management of company registration issues. Apart from looser identity verification, the registered capital is not high, which is one of the reasons why many domestic businesses tend to go this route.

Has a foreign brand agency rights but peddling "imitation products"

Are the real proprietors selling tiles imported solidly? An in-store salesperson of a well-known tile brand stated that they already had the domestic agency of an Italian brand, but 90% of the products sold on the domestic market were produced and processed in the south with foreign designs. If customers want pure imported products, they can also order from the original brand, but the price will be higher. When the salesperson explained this to the author, he did not deliberately avoid other customers who are looking at the goods. Obviously, this phenomenon has become a hidden rule.

In this regard, the industry said that even if they have real domestic agency rights, some businesses will appear unwilling to be lonely, eating a bowl, watching the pot. After all, the additional cost of pure imported products is quite high and the selling price is not cheap. If only imported tiles are used, the upfront cost and sales volume is a big burden. While selling imported goods while relying on domestic products, it can also significantly increase profits while reducing costs.

The purchase of foreign brand agency products is out of thin air. “Foreign agent rights can be bought and sold. Buying a foreign brand agent does not necessarily sell this ceramic tile. Many people are buying agents. Right, to the South, ordering, and then returned to the north as an imported tile to sell." Mr. Liu, a brand in charge of the store, the face of the import into the store to ask the author of the tiles, gave the above statement. Even though Mr. Liu's words may seem plausible, I have not found examples in the market because the purchase of agency rights is closely related to brand operations.

In this regard, relevant industry sources said that ceramic tile "proxy trading" does exist, but most foreign companies value the reputation of the brand, but also worried that the sale of the agency will cause trouble for themselves. Therefore, this phenomenon is rare in the country, even if there are some small ceramic tile brands abroad.

Deep in foreign markets, "buyers" tile shop products are uneven If you see a tile from multiple production areas, multiple brands in a store, you need to play a 12 point spirit. During the visit, the author stated that he wanted to import bricks in an unknown tile brand store. The sales staff stated that both the Italian and Australian bricks in the store had guarantees of a large number of brands and a wide variety of options. When the author continued to inquire about a specific brand, the salesperson casually said a few foreign names that he had never heard before.

In this regard, the industry told the author, if there is more than one place of origin in a store, a number of brands of products, the majority because the seller is often a buyer deep in the foreign tile market. The tile industry in Italy and Australia has developed rapidly, and the performance of technology, colors, and culture is even more advanced. Therefore, many domestic buyers will purchase goods in local small markets. Usually, these bricks have weaknesses such as irregular colors, fewer products, and no guarantee of after-sales services. Consumers need to be cautious.

Foreign brands built domestically and imported bricks and bricks were mixed and sold. In addition to handing over the agency to the Chinese, some foreign brands also chose to enter the domestic market themselves. The author learned from an industry insider who has been engaged in the import ceramic tile business for nearly 12 years that the product production systems of foreign brands after entering the domestic market are also varied. In addition to the special imported tiles that are shipped from the country of origin, some will also build factories in China and do some high-quality ordinary domestic tiles. This is done to reduce costs and shorten the shipping cycle so that more people can afford it. However, the industry also said that according to its understanding, if consumers ask about the origin of products, the above-mentioned brands usually tell which are pure imports and which are domestic goods.

Whether the foreign tile brand in the domestic direct sales stores is 100% on the imported products, in this issue, many industry insiders have reservations. They pointed out that the ceramic tile market in China is still in a relatively chaotic stage, and the phenomenon of importing and selling domestic tiles has existed. In addition, ceramic tile is a relatively professional product in the building materials industry. Even experienced people can hardly distinguish whether a certain product belongs to pure import. Therefore, consumers should be more cautious when shopping.