(Yicai) June 15 -- The FIFA World Cup may have kicked off last week, but merchandise suppliers in China's Yiwu, the world's largest small commodities hub, are still working around the clock to meet demand and expect to remain in full production mode until a week before the tournament ends in mid-July. Suppliers say order volumes are a direct reflection of the popularity of national teams and players, with Spain-related merchandise currently leading sales.

The sales cycle for World Cup merchandise lasts more than a year, a football jersey supplier in Yiwu told Yicai. Orders started coming in as early as May last year, with the first peak occurring in October. They are now in the midst of a second wave of orders. Since the new orders are all urgent, factories have to work overtime and he himself often has to stay on duty until the early hours of the next day before finishing, he added.

Based on experience from previous World Cups, the supplier said he expects factories to continue working overtime to meet last-minute demand until roughly one week before the final. Once the knockout stage begins, factories will dynamically adjust production volumes for merchandise tied to specific teams based on the match results. "Orders continue to come in for merchandise related to teams still in the competition," he added.

The supplier expects his factory to receive more than 150,000 jersey orders during this World Cup, which far exceeds the 60,000 orders during the Qatar World Cup and also surpasses the company’s original forecast of a 30 percent jump in demand.

Orders from online channels usually come directly from consumers, making them a good barometer of the popularity of particular teams and players, the supplier said. Currently, merchandise related to the Spanish team is the most sought-after, with one particular jersey selling about 400 to 500 pieces per day, and total sales are likely to exceed 10,000 pieces.

Merchandise related to the US and Mexican national teams is also performing well, he said. Even products associated with Italy, which was eliminated during the qualifiers, are continuing to have decent sales.

"Demand for our products in the Middle East remained strong after the Qatar World Cup. We hope this tournament will also help drive sales growth in the North American and Latin American markets in the years to come," the supplier said.

Competitive Edge

Chinese small commodity manufacturers have advantages in product packaging, functionality and design, said Chen Xianchun, head of Yiwu Jinzun Stationery and Sporting Goods. They have also established mature production and sales processes, enabling them to provide high-quality, cost-effective products on schedule while also delivering a wide range of supporting services.

One of the key competitive advantages of Chinese suppliers is their flexible and highly responsive supply chains, said Zhang Zhouping, executive director of Bense Think Tank. They can deliver products quickly and respond rapidly to new demand generated by developments during the tournament.

In addition, Chinese small commodity suppliers have strengthened their competitiveness through digital operations, allowing them to make effective use of emerging sales channels such as livestreaming, short-form video and social media for cross-border marketing, and to quickly create and promote best-selling products, Zhang said.

Nearly 70 percent of the merchandise sold during the Qatar World Cup came from Yiwu, according to estimates from the Yiwu Sports and Fitness Products Industry Association. The city is expected to maintain a similar market share during this World Cup.

Local exports of sporting goods surged 38.5 percent in the first two months from a year earlier to CNY2.3 billion (USD350 million), according to statistics from Yiwu Customs. Of this, exports to the three host countries of this year's World Cup soared 21.3 percent to CNY550 million (USD81.3 million).

Editors: Tang Shihua, Kim Taylor