Zhuji City of east China's Zhejiang Province, dubbed as "the sock capital," has been making up bigger presence in the global sock industry through high-quality production and independent designs.
As the world's largest sock manufacturing base, the Datang sub-district of Zhuji produces approximately 25 billion pairs of socks yearly, accounting for more than 70 percent of the output of China and one-third of the whole world. A significant volume of these socks is exported to markets in Japan, South Korea and North America.
About 70 percent of the local population is working in the sock production sector, including long-time residents and new entrepreneurs who have established factories in the region.
"I'm a new local in Zhuji. I moved here because I saw huge potential in the local sock industry and decided to start my own factory. With the complete supply chain and established customer base, setting up was smooth," said Deng Shuangquan, head of a local textile company.
"The relaxed atmosphere is great, and when I miss the hustle of big cities, Hangzhou (the provincial capital) is just an hour away," Deng added.
Deng's factory now ships around one million pairs of socks daily, with one single sock style selling 120 million pairs in just six months. Its monthly sales have now reached 200 million yuan (about 27.63 million U.S. dollars).
Local manufacturers and the younger generation of factory owners have recognized the importance of innovation, which has helped foster the growth of local design companies.
"In the past, most sock companies focused mainly on practicality. But today, consumers around the world want more style and design. That's why we've started creating a range of fashionable and trendy sock designs," said Deng Changdu, an independent designer.
Socks from east China city explores global market
