Guangzhou, in the province of Guangdong – which is considered one of the richest provinces in all of China – is where the magnificent ZhanXi Shoes Center, a one-of-a-kind center dedicated to the footwear manufacturing reality in all of its many facets, was recently completed. More than 415 thousand square metres of surface space are divided between an area dedicated to materials for footwear and accessories and a specialised area for the finished product, with more than 5 million products on display. Construction of the Center first began 28 years ago and was only recently finished, with an special inaugural ceremony taking place this past 1 November, with the sponsorship of the Guangzhou Footwear Association, which on the occasion was represented by General Manager Ms. Xiaomin Chen.

The Center proposes itself as a completely self-sufficient reality, representing the entire industrial chain of footwear production, alongside sales, imports, and exports. Inside there are a total of 16 Buildings, with leading realities like BuYun Shoes World, the Xin Hao Pan Shoe Material Leather & Metals Wholesale Plaza, and the Guangzhou West City Shoes Plaza standing out in particular.

Of the 132 thousand operators involved, around 70% are specialised in the sector of imports/exports, with 40% of them focused on import trading, while 60% is exclusively dedicated to the export business. The latter of the two includes a remarkable number of companies that regularly participate in international sector fairs, with Expo Riva Schuh in Riva del Garda standing out among them.

At the Center, it is possible to find materials and accessories for footwear, including the entire range of men’s, women’s, and children’s footwear, in both leather and synthetic materials, with ‘dedicated’ and specialised Buildings. There is even a Building exclusively dedicated to footwear destined for the Russian market.

The ZhanXi Shoes Center plays a leading role in the industrial reality of the country, presenting itself as a business model to be followed for its unique internationally-oriented features, for its level of integration between imports and exports, as well as its development and promotion of the footwear manufacturing market. It is not by chance in 2014 that the Guangdong province government selected the ZhanXi Shoes Center as one of the Guangdong international sourcing centers for raw materials and footwear.

Besides the area dedicated to displays and sales, there is also a service center available to both buyers and retailers, with hotels and offices dedicated to consultancy services, international trade, innovation, financial services, conferences and exhibitions, testing, legal consultancy, logistics, personnel training, marketing and accounting.

From left: Nina Li Fengqing, CEO of B.B. International Gmbh and Carlo Alberto Molteni  with the General Manager of the Guangzhou Footwear Association, Ms. Xiaomin Chen