Fueled by the Olympic fever, orders for sports merchandise have inundated Yiwu, the world's largest wholesale market for small commodities located in east China's Zhejiang Province, which is displaying magnetic force with stylish product designs to cater to vast sports traders and fans.
At Yiwu International Trade Market, many sports equipment exporters reported a growth in overseas orders.
"The track of Paris 2024 Olympic Games is lavender. I used this purple as the inspiration and designed this football. The whole design process took approximately over a month, and we've sold 20,000 units. Certain customers, particularly those from France, have opted for urgent air freight delivery," said Chen Shaomei, owner of a football shop at the market.
Many traders also highlighted that various French elements have been a unique selling point for their products.
"Metal trophies with French elements like these are very popular in Europe and are our best-selling products. Their designs consist of crowns and ribbons. Their sizes are also suitable for many awards," added Fang Xueyi, a merchant at Yiwu International Trade Market.
According to statistics from Yiwu Customs, the city's exports to France stood at 1.73 billion yuan (around 238.61 million U.S. dollars) in the first half of this year, surging 23.7 percent year on year. Notably, Yiwu's exports for sporting goods increased by 150.7 percent over the same period of last year.
China's "capital of small commodities" sees surge in Olympic orders
