Wig industry in rural Jiangxi explores global market

NANCHANG- In the courtyard of the Anxin wig factory in Shuijiang Township, East China's Jiangxi province, over 300 boxes of wig products awaits packaging and shipment to the Netherlands.

"These products constitute more than 2,000 sets of wigs, and they are just a small portion of an order from the Netherlands," said Lin Sheng'an, who is in charge of the factory.

The annual production capacity of the Anxin wig factory has exceeded 3 million sets, generating an output value surpassing over 40 million yuan ($5.6 million) in 2023. Half of the products will be shipped to the overseas markets, while the other half will be sold to domestic wholesalers, who will then sell the products to their international clientele, according to Lin.

Established in 2018 in Shuijiang Township, Yichun City, Lin's factory has expanded to three production zones. "We recently secured a $400,000 order from Walmart on Jan 10," Lin said.

He said his company generally secures global orders during large trade exhibitions, such as the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair), an international trade platform where the stakes are high in terms of developing a good trading relationship with prospect foreign trade partners.

Zeng Defu, owner of a hair accessories factory in Xiaodong Village in the town, said his business primarily runs on e-commerce platforms such as AliExpress.

"Though orders vary in size, ranging from tens to hundreds or even thousands of US dollars, yet carries minimal risk," said Zeng, who majored in English at university, a language that allows him to confidently manage international orders.

"We've experienced an influx of orders from at least 50 countries before the Spring Festival," Zeng said, adding that his company's annual output has reached more than 5 million yuan. The company employs around 30 villagers, with the opportunity to grow to 50.

To expand the wig industry in the town, the local government has rolled out favorable policies, such as the establishment of an industry base and supplying enterprises with electricity, funds, logistics and other resources.

Thanks to a series of rural revitalization policies, the wig industry in Shuijiang Township has witnessed rapid growth. So far, there are 93 wig companies scattered within 10 villages in the township. The annual wig production totaled over 30 million sets, with an output value of 250 million yuan. More than 2,000 employees are engaged in this industry.

Huang Chao also runs a wig factory in Shuijiang. He said that he started to sell his products on the e-commerce platform in 2018. His products have now reached markets in the United States and Nigeria. "It is unbelievable that wigs produced from the remote mountains can compete at global markets," Huang said.

Currently, out of the 93 wig companies in Shuijiang, 15 of them have ventured into cross-border e-commerce, selling wig products worldwide. The overseas sales revenue from these enterprises accounts for more than half of the town's annual wig production value.