Chapter 126: Hit It Off
Fake goods are abhorrent, but in this era there is a special kind of "fake" goods that are extremely popular, this thing is the "fake collar" unique to Shanghai.
A fake collar is actually a real collar, also called a "saving collar", but it is not a real underwear garment, it is just a collar.
A fake collar is not just a collar. It also has a front , back, buttons, and buttonholes, but only a small part of the upper part of the underwear is retained. When worn inside an outer garment, it is indistinguishable from the real thing, and the exposed collar part is exactly the same as a shirt.
People in later generations may have long forgotten this once-popular fake collar, but in this era it is a coveted item for countless people.
A shirt is expensive and requires cloth coupons, which is not affordable for ordinary people. However, in many occasions, you have to wear a shirt, so the smart Shanghai people made fake collars with scraps of cloth, which do not require coupons.
When you put on a fake collar, the exposed collar part is exactly the same as a shirt, giving people the feeling that you are wearing a crisp shirt. Wear a white, clean and crisp fake collar inside, wear a green military uniform or Zhongshan suit outside, and then button up the discipline button, and no one can tell.
Not only men, but women are also like this. In autumn and winter, fake collars with small round collars or small flower collars are worn inside sweaters or coats to add a bit of gorgeousness. People will envy you when you go out, but they don't know that it is actually a fake collar.
The clever approach of the people in Shanghai really impressed people from other places. With the emergence of Shanghai fake collars, similar products have appeared in other places. However, compared with Shanghai's fake collars, fake collars in other places can't be as straight and exquisite as the same products in Shanghai. Therefore, many people are still proud to own a pair of fake collars produced in Shanghai.
"Yes, yes, yes, why didn't I think of this? Fake collars, the key is that they don't need tickets. If there is a stable supply channel, it will definitely sell well. Yes! It will definitely sell well!" Luo Yang became excited as he spoke. Why didn't he think of this before? If he had known this, he shouldn't have asked Song Yuanchao for the sake of face. Otherwise, how could he have this trouble now?
"Aid Korea, a word awakened me from my dream. I won't say thank you, everything is in this wine!" Excited Luo Yang filled the wine glass, raised it up to the sky and drank it all in one gulp, wiped his mouth, put down the glass, and laughed happily.
Now that we have a direction, the next step will be much simpler. Let Dabing and Junzi go to Shanghai as soon as possible to find a manufacturer of fake collars and purchase a batch of goods. This way, our store will be able to survive.
"What? Are you satisfied already?" Looking at Luo Yang, Song Yuanchao asked with a faint smile.
“What do you mean…?”
"Let me ask you, how much does it cost to purchase a fake collar? How much does it sell for in the store?" Song Yuanchao asked.
Luo Yang is familiar with the sales price. The current price level is still relatively low. The price of a cotton military coat is about 18 yuan, and ordinary coats (excluding Zhongshan suits) are generally around 12 to 15 yuan. The price of a pure cotton shirt is 8 to 10 yuan. The price of Dacron is about the same. The price of a fake collar is basically one-third of the shirt or even lower, and it is divided according to the material and workmanship.
High-end fake collars are around 4 to 5 yuan, mid-range fake collars are 2 to 3 yuan, the lowest-end ones are around 1 yuan, and there are even ones that cost less than 1 yuan.
The best-selling fake collars are the mid-range ones, which are priced at 2 to 3 yuan, followed by the high-end ones. The lowest-priced low-end fake collars are not selling well. After all, those who need fake collars are basically urban residents or cadres, and farmers don’t wear them. It’s good enough to have enough food to eat.
In addition, fake collars are divided into men's and women's styles. Compared with men's, women's styles are more and the prices are slightly higher.
As for the purchase price, Luo Yang was not sure. Song Yuanchao seemed to have expected this and told him about it in general.
"So low?" When Luo Yang heard that the ex-factory prices of three grades of fake collars in the Shanghai factory were 3 yuan, 1.5 yuan and 0.5 yuan respectively, he became alert.
After some calculation in my mind, the profit of this fake collar is not low, at least around 50%. If some of the styles are popular, the profit may even go up.
For a moment, Luo Yang made up his mind that he must do this, otherwise he would be letting himself down.
"Don't be happy too soon. Do you have a supply channel? You may be able to handle it in Yanjing, but what about in Shanghai?" Just when Luo Yang was happy, Song Yuanchao suddenly poured a bucket of cold water on him.
Luo Yang was stunned, then he looked at Song Yuanchao and laughed: "Come on, just say what you want to say, don't always say half and hide the other half."
Song Yuanchao also laughed immediately: " Let me ask you first, how much money do you have?"
"What do you mean?" Luo Yang looked at Song Yuanchao warily.
"A round trip from Yanjing to Shanghai takes at least five days, plus accommodation and meals. If you don't do anything, the cost for one person is at least nearly 100 yuan. If two people go, it will cost at least 180 yuan..."
Song Yuanchao counted on his fingers for Luo Yang. Expenses such as travel expenses were fixed and could be easily calculated, but some expenses were uncertain, so at least 300 yuan was about right for the two of them.
Apart from these normal expenses, there are also procurement costs. If we calculate based on the purchase of mid-range fake collars priced at 1.5 yuan each and a 50% profit, then at least 400 fake collars must be purchased to recover the cost, of which the expenditure (including travel expenses) is a total of 900 yuan.
If the purchase amount is doubled, for example, 800 fake collars, the purchase cost is about 1,200 yuan, plus 300 yuan for travel expenses, a total of 1,500 yuan, and the final profit is about 300 yuan. If the purchase volume is 1,600 fake collars, the travel expenses will drop to a certain extent, and the profit will also increase accordingly, reaching 900 yuan.
By analogy, the more the single purchase volume, the higher the profit and the lower the cost. This is a very simple math problem. So the question is, if you want to make more profit, the key lies in the number of single purchases and the funds invested. Although Song Yuanchao is not sure how much money Luo Yang and his team have, from the information inadvertently revealed in Luo Yang's words, I'm afraid that Luo Yang and his team have limited funds.
After listening to Song Yuanchao's explanation, Luo Yang looked a little ugly. It was indeed as Song Yuanchao expected, Luo Yang and his friends did not have much money.
Although Luo Yang should have saved a lot of money after working in the black market for so many days, he was actually not well-off. A large part of his money was spent on other things every month, and there was not much left. As for Da Bing and Jun Zi, these guys were not the kind of people who could keep money. On the contrary, Xiao Qiao was much better than them.
The four of us pooled less than 3,100 yuan to open the store this time. The rent for the store was paid in one lump sum for half a year, which was a considerable expense. In addition, there were the current purchases of goods in the store. Although some were bought on credit through relationships, some were bought with personal money, which took up a lot of funds.
After all the effort, Luo Yang really couldn't come up with much money at the moment. He roughly calculated in his mind that he could only get around 1,500 at most. But compared with the travel expenses and costs of a trip to Shanghai, plus the purchasing expenses and profits, 1,500 is not enough!
Luo Yang didn't say anything for a long time. Song Yuanchao saw his problem at a glance. He picked up a piece of mutton, shuffled it twice and put it in Luo Yang's bowl. He smiled and said, "You came to me to discuss something today, and I just happened to discuss something with you. I will do it for you. I have the purchasing channels, and the quality and price of the goods can satisfy you. Moreover, I can guarantee that I can give you at least this amount in one delivery!"
Seeing Song Yuanchao stretched out a finger and waved it in front of Luo Yang, Luo Yang frowned and thought for a while: "You won't say one thousand?"
"Haha, what's a thousand? With the conditions in Dashilan , how long will it take to sell a thousand units? If you believe me, at least 10,000 units at a time, what do you think?"
"Ten thousand sets? You...you are not kidding?" Song Yuanchao's words startled Luo Yang. He stared at Song Yuanchao with unbelievable eyes. This guy yawned like a toad. How much would it cost for ten thousand sets? How could Song Yuanchao be so bold as to get them?
"Why don't you believe it?" Seeing Luo Yang's expression, Song Yuanchao asked with a smile: "Didn't you read my file? Have you forgotten what I did in Shanghai?"
Frowning slightly, Luo Yang suddenly remembered Song Yuanchao's file. Song Yuanchao was the workshop director of a factory in Shanghai. Although this factory was a school-run factory, it was also a state-owned unit after all, and it seemed that the products produced by this factory were related to clothing.
"Are you really sure?" Thinking of this, Luo Yang couldn't help but ask.
"Why not just give it a try if you are sure? Even if it fails, you won't suffer any loss."
Luo Yang nodded. Song Yuanchao was right. If this matter could succeed, it would be a good thing for Luo Yang.
"Tell me, what do you want?"
"It's very simple. I'll help you get the supply, and you can handle the sales yourself. After Shanghai ships the goods, you can send someone to pick them up. In addition, I'll arrange someone on your side..." Seeing Luo Yang looking up to say something, Song Yuanchao waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, he's not an outsider. You know Sun Yaoliang from our class. He used to be from the supply and marketing cooperative, and he's an expert . It will save you a lot of trouble with his help."
Luo Yang thought for a moment and asked, "What about the profits? Don't tell me you don't get a share after putting in so much effort."
"Haha, you don't have to worry about my side. You can talk to Sun Yaoliang about how to arrange it. I am only responsible for supplying goods and collecting payment. Let me be frank. I will give you a maximum of one month's payment period. If I cannot receive payment after the deadline, I have the right to notify Sun Yaoliang and directly deduct the goods."
Song Yuanchao said the last sentence in a decisive and firm manner without any hesitation, but Luo Yang felt relieved after hearing it and agreed immediately.
"Okay! I'll do as you say. By the way, when will the goods arrive? The store is waiting for the rice to be cooked."
"Hahaha, why are you in such a hurry? I'm not Sun Wukong who can make the goods appear by just blowing. Give me... ten days. Ten days is enough. If you want it in a hurry, I'm afraid it will be difficult to get 10,000 sets, but a few thousand will be no problem. I will definitely let you see the goods when the time comes!"
"Okay! It's a deal!"
"It's a deal!"
The two raised their glasses and drank together, then put down their glasses and laughed at the same time.
