Some 10 years ago, Guanyun county in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, was mostly wheat fields. Today, it is the “lingerie capital” of China, as there are more than 400 manufacturers, employing more than 20,000 people.
And everything started from a simple idea. The factory owner of a children’s clothing store, suggested to his mother to try online retail after her store shut down. A decade ago, few people in the town have heard of lingerie or e-commerce.
But in 2006, Lei suggested to try online retail. He and his mother sold everything from clothes and cosmetics to condoms. But because he was afraid that suppliers were selling him fakes, they decided to make their own product.
And the rest, is history as they say. Employees in the city earn as much as 3,000 to 4,000 yuan per month, which is quite nice when compared to nationwide wages. And it is more lucrative than the county residents’ traditional livelihood of growing wheat or rice.
