Core conclusions:In this case, an eyeglass lens company in Danyang, Jiangsu Province took 13 months to open up two markets in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, accumulating 9 channel merchants (4 in the Middle East and 5 in Southeast Asia), with an export value of 3.9 million yuan. The inquiry to order completion cycle was reduced from an average of 35 days to 12 days.
1. Customer background
An eyeglass lens company in Danyang, Jiangsu Province specializes in resin lenses and finished solar lenses, with a full range of refractive indices of 1.56 to 1.74. The factory has complete coating lines, focus and impact resistance testing equipment. It has long supplied domestic chain optical stores and e-commerce platforms. Supply, and also sporadically received overseas price comparisons on some platforms.
When the factory decided to go to sea, it chose the Middle East and Southeast Asia markets in parallel. The judgment basis is based on three points: firstly, the refractive error population base in both places is large, the replacement frequency of glasses is high, and the lenses belong to the category of continuous consumption; Second, these two markets have high acceptance of China lenses, and there is no long compliance cycle like that in European and American markets; Third, local chain glasses retail is expanding rapidly, which is the time when stable supply chain is lacking. The difficulty lies in that in the past, one FOB price would be quoted only by connecting platforms, while chain channels required a complete set of testing documents, stable replenishment commitments and localized product information.
2. Problem diagnosis: Why cannot the platform price comparison list increase
- There is only one Chinese specification sheet for the product information.When overseas channel merchants requested information, all the factory could produce was a Chinese specification sheet and scattered test screenshots. There are no systematic English documents for the refractive index series, film functions, and execution standards (such as ISO 8980), which makes customers unable to pass through the first round of data review.
- Only calculate prices on the platform.Most of the inquiries from the platform are traders, and after one round of price comparison, there is little profit left. Chain retailers and wholesalers with real purchasing power do not visit the platform, but rely on active development and contact with exhibitions and industry circles.
- The market is too open and has no focus.The factory initially cast a net around the world, with Europe submitting prices and Africa sending samples. After three months, no clue entered into substantive negotiations, and all sample fees and manpower were sunk.
- I don't understand the rhythm of religious festivals and replenishment.The retail rhythm in the Middle East changed dramatically around Ramadan, and the rainy season in Southeast Asia affected logistics timeliness. The factory was unprepared for this. The first quotation gave an unfulfilled delivery promise, and the customer directly lost contact.
The situation of this factory is that its products are qualified and its testing equipment is complete, but it lacks a set of documents that can enter the procurement system of the channel supplier, and it also lacks basic understanding of the rhythm of the target market. All sea movements stop at the quotation stage.
3. What have we done?
- English + Arabic bilingual document package construction.Organize the refractive index series, film functions (anti-blue light, waterproof and antifouling), implementation standards and third-party test reports into English, and supplement the Arabic version on the core page, so that channel providers can send the information on the same day they request it.
- Saudi SABER compliance path confirmed.Sort out the certification requirements for lens products in the Saudi market, confirm the SABER registration path and the list of required documents, so that customers do not have to worry about the factory during the compliance review process.
- Channels are developed in layers.Target customers in the Middle East and Southeast Asia were screened according to three categories: chain retailers, regional wholesalers, and lens processing and assembly factories. The first batch of 42 companies was screened out and contacted in batches according to the degree of matching, and the net was no longer cast around the world.
- Rearrange production and delivery dates according to Ramadan and rainy seasons.Write the centralized replenishment window 6-8 weeks before Ramadan and Southeast Asia's rainy season logistics buffer into the standard delivery template. The quotation is a commitment and no longer give short delivery dates.
- GEO content construction.Build an English Q & A page around real search questions in procurement scenarios such as "bulk lens supplier" and "blue light blocking lens manufacturer" to allow channel vendors to get to know the factory first in search and AI Q & A.
4. Execution rhythm
Month 1-2: Documents and List
Completed the confirmation of bilingual document packages and SABER paths, screened out 42 target channel providers and completed the classification. There is no rush to quote at this stage. Prepare the information and delivery template first.
Months 3-5: First round of contact and sample delivery
Send information in batches and follow up on progress meetings. At this stage, 17 technical or business inquiries were received, 7 of which were sent to samples, and all samples were numbered and kept for follow-up feedback.
Months 6-9: The first batch of orders and channels are implemented
Four customers completed the first order in small batches (2 in the Middle East and 2 in Southeast Asia) and verified the packaging, documents and delivery dates; the replenishment window accepted the first batch of centralized orders before Ramadan.
Months 10-13: Dual market volume and repurchase
The first customer entered regular replenishment, and 5 new channel merchants were added. In 13 months, there were a total of 9 channel merchants (4 in the Middle East and 5 in Southeast Asia), with an export value of 3.9 million yuan, and more than 60% of return customers.
V. Outcome data
During the 13-month period, the observation results of this case are as follows:
- Export value:3.9 million yuan
- Depositing channel providers:9 (4 in the Middle East and 5 in Southeast Asia)
- Inquiries to order completion cycle:compressed from an average of 35 days to 12 days
- Sample conversion rate:About 22%(32 sample deliveries correspond to 7 companies forming orders)
- Return status:The refund rate of the first customer is over 60%
6. Which factories can this method be replicated to?
The combination of "complete set of documents + channel layering + local rhythm" is suitable for all upstream categories of consumer goods with testing thresholds. Typical examples include optical lenses, frames, sunglasses and eyeglass accessories, and can also be extended to products with clear implementation standards such as hearing equipment accessories and sports goggles.
Conversely, if your product is a purely standardized category with no testing threshold, the focus should be on price and delivery competitiveness, and there is no need to invest the same in certification documents; but hierarchical channel development and target market rhythm research, these two things are not superfluous for any category.
7. Common questions
Q: Which lens category should I make first in the Middle East and Southeast Asia markets??
A: The start-up actions of the two markets are highly overlapping (document packages, channel screening) and can be parallel. The difference lies in the pace: the Middle East has a long channel access cycle but high single value and stickiness, and Southeast Asia has a fast volume but price sensitive. This case is a two-line parallel, using Southeast Asia to run the process first, and using the Middle East to deposit profits. The factory can decide the focus based on its own cash flow preferences.
Q: Is SABER certification handled by the factory or by the importer??
A: Under Saudi Arabia's SABER system, product certification (PCoC) is usually handled by the exporter in cooperation and the importer as the certificate holder, but the test report and factory information are provided by the factory. Suppliers who proactively prepare all factory-side documents have a clear advantage in the access comparison of channel vendors-most competitors push this step to customers, and the customer experience is very poor.
Q: 3.9 million yuan for 13 months, with an average of 300,000 yuan per month. What level is it??
A: This is more than the first year since we started from scratch. There were basically no substantial shipments in the preparation stage in the first four months. The real volume was concentrated in the last six months, and the highest monthly shipments exceeded 600,000 yuan. What deserves more attention is the structure: 6 out of 9 channel merchants have entered regular replenishment, indicating that what is being used is a replicable channel model rather than relying on one or two large orders to support the numbers.
--Qihang AI Foreign Trade Research Institute·Let China Intelligent Manufacturing Set sail to the sea| Foreign trade customer consultation: 180-0327-6609
