The chair that Pan Zhanle sat on, the raincoats used by the audience... Alibaba International Station merchants "go to the Olympics"

Recently, the Paris Olympics urgently ordered 6,000 raincoats from Zhejiang foreign trade factories through Alibaba International Station , and netizens lamented: The confidence of the Paris Olympics' "relaxation" turned out to be China! In fact, the Alibaba International Station products that appeared in this Olympic Games were far more than just raincoats!

For example, the chair that world record-breaker Pan Zhanle sat on while preparing for the men's 100-meter freestyle final at the Olympics was produced by Alibaba International Station merchant, Zhejiang Taizhou Donghong Furniture .

Photo: The chair that Pan Zhanle sat on before the Olympic finals was exported by Zhejiang Taizhou Donghong Furniture, a merchant on Alibaba International Station.

In addition, the Albanian Olympic Committee purchased a batch of basketballs from a 26- year-old "foreign trade newcomer" from Shandong on the international site. Koscielny, a former Arsenal football star, also ordered a full set of "pad tennis courts" on the Ali International Station... Ali International Station has long been the first stop for Chinese merchants to go overseas.

“It’s still very exciting to actually see our own products on TV!”

"Although we knew at the end of last year that our products would be used in the Paris Olympics, I was still very excited to actually see our products in the live broadcast of the Olympic events." Wang Yuqi, a merchant on Alibaba International Station and general manager of Zhejiang Taizhou Donghong Furniture, could not hide his excitement.

In fact, the plastic chairs produced by Zhejiang Taizhou Donghong Furniture have a high appearance rate in the Paris Olympic Games. From the swimming pool to the gymnastics hall, from the table tennis court to the badminton and diving area, 4,200 gray plastic chairs and 400 tables of Donghong Furniture provide a comfortable resting space for athletes, coaches and referees. When the "Shatou" combination Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha were resting on the sidelines of the table tennis mixed doubles and the Olympic Games, the plastic chairs of Alibaba International Station merchants and Donghong Furniture were very eye-catching.

Photo: Grey plastic chairs exported by Alibaba International Station merchants and Taizhou Donghong Furniture at the Paris Olympics

Wang Yuqi, general manager of Zhejiang Taizhou Donghong Furniture said: "This is the first time we have provided support for a large-scale international event such as the Olympics. We strive for excellence in every aspect." This seriousness and professionalism were recognized by the organizers and won the bid among many bidders. After delivering 3,400 chairs in January this year , orders for another 800 chairs were placed .

Ding Jifeng, a salesman of Donghong Furniture, said that the advantages of the products lie in original design and reliable quality. All products are originally designed by a team of Italian designers, and the annual design expenditure accounts for one-third of the product cost. The seat of the chair is designed to be wide, suitable for people of different body shapes, and is slightly larger than ordinary chairs.

At the same time, these chairs specially supplied for the Olympics have undergone 100,000 fatigue tests to ensure comfort and durability. The chairs customized for the Paris Olympics are also green and environmentally friendly. Even if these chairs produced by Donghong Furniture are no longer used as seats after retirement, their raw materials can be recycled and reused.

At present, Donghong Furniture 's products have been exported to more than 80 countries and regions including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe .

Albania Olympic Committee wholesales basketballs to 26- year-old "foreign trade newcomer " from Shandong

Not only experienced foreign trade professionals with more than 20 years of experience, but also "newbies" on Alibaba International Station can receive Olympic orders!

It is reported that Han Zengzi, the head of Olympic Basketball Sports from Shandong, is only 26 years old this year and has only been engaged in foreign trade for 3 years. He said that this year he received an order from his old friend, the Albanian Olympic Committee, and this is the third consecutive year that he has received their orders.

Three years ago, while studying in the United States, Han Zengzi smelled business opportunities in overseas sporting goods. So, with the help of Alibaba International Station, he led Shandong Aolan Sports, which previously focused on domestic basketball business, to expand into the foreign trade market.

Before receiving the order from the Albanian Olympic Committee, Han Zengzi had taken a detour. Because he did not take into account the squeeze and high temperature of long-distance transportation in foreign trade containers, the basketballs that were shipped across the ocean to the customers were mostly cracked and could not be used at all.

Figure: "Olympic Economy" brings order growth to Alibaba International Station merchants and Shandong Olympic Basketball Sports

But Han Zengzi said: "Sports taught me not how to succeed, but how to face failure. So I always come up with more solutions than problems." Han Zengzi took action immediately, and the team worked overtime to upgrade and optimize the production process, added curing agent, and finally successfully solved the problem.

After accumulating and honing in on small orders, Han Zengzi finally received an olive branch from the Albanian Olympic Committee on Alibaba International Station on the eve of the Tokyo Olympics. Han Zengzi quickly figured out the precise needs of this potential big customer, and then produced ball products that met the Albanian standards, successfully obtaining a ticket to become a supplier for the Albanian Olympic Committee.

From the Tokyo Olympics to the Paris Olympics, the Albanian Olympic Committee has always been a loyal customer of Han Zengzi. As the Paris Olympics fever sweeps the world, Han Zengzi is actively negotiating cooperation with the Thai Olympic Committee to further expand the business territory in the field of ball games. He is full of hope that in addition to Albania, more ball products made in China will shine on the Olympic stage.

Olympics brings popularity to "pad tennis": Arsenal stars also place orders on international websites

It is not just basketball that has caught the pulse of the "Olympic economy". Small ball sports such as "paddle tennis" are also becoming increasingly popular. As early as 2022 , Wu Yanshan, a merchant at Alibaba International Station and general manager of Guangzhou Yogurt Artificial Turf, keenly perceived new business opportunities from customer inquiries. "At that time, many customers came to inquire about 'paddle tennis courts'. We found through data analysis at the backend of Alibaba International Station that many people asked about it, but few people did it. It was a blue ocean market that we had to rush into!" Facts have proved that Wu Yanshan's judgment was correct. Now "paddle tennis courts" have surpassed artificial turf to become Yogurt's main product, and the growth rate has reached more than 60 % for two consecutive years .

It is understood that due to its quick learning, fun and social nature, paddle tennis has become one of the fastest growing sports in the world in recent years and is expected to become an official event in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This year is a big year for sports, and the Paris Olympics has boosted the atmosphere of national sports in Europe, and also prompted many clubs to invest in the construction of paddle tennis courts.

Wu Yanshan revealed that recently a new salesperson in the company took three days to receive an order for a paddle tennis court worth 700,000 yuan . "Later, we found out that the buyer behind this order was actually French star Lawrence Koscielny, who once played for Arsenal and is also a member of the French national team. He invested in a club in Thailand that builds paddle tennis courts and football fields."

Figure: Alibaba International Station merchants and Guangzhou Yogurt Artificial Turf seize the dividends of the rise of "paddle tennis"

The "Paddle Tennis Court" product is worth more than 10,000 US dollars per set, and the investment is not high. With it, Wu Yanshan not only launched a new main product, but also currently accounts for 80 % of the turnover . It also helped expand from the main Middle East market to South America and Europe.

Compared with the previous two years, there are more and more businesses engaged in integrated customization of paddle tennis courts, but Wu Yanshan is still optimistic about this market. In order to cope with the competition, she has made adequate preparations. Not only has she registered a brand and obtained WPT certification for the entire system, she also insisted on not engaging in price wars and insisting on high quality.

"Panel tennis originated in South America and is now popular all over the world. It will start to explode in 2023 and is expected to continue for three years. When we are busy now, we can't keep up with the inquiries. For example, we made 1 million in sales per month last year , and now we do more than 6 million in sales per month . " From the construction site to the international station, Wu Yanshan has once again created her own online foreign trade "comfort zone".

Alibaba International Station sends 6,000 raincoats to the Olympics Zhejiang "Raincoat Brother" realizes his "Olympic dream"

Not only did the sports events of the Paris Olympics attract much attention, but even the rain during the opening ceremony touched the hearts of audiences around the world.

"I have been selling raincoats for more than 20 years , but I never thought that I would be able to sell raincoats to the Paris Olympics through Alibaba International Station! " On August 5, 6,000 raincoats that were urgently sent from Cixi, Ningbo, Zhejiang to Paris, France arrived successfully in just 6 days. Sun Shunli, general manager of Cixi Huaying Rain Gear Co. , Ltd., finally put his heart at ease.

The story began on July 29. That night, a foreign trader at Sun Shunli's factory received a semi-managed order from Paris, France, on Alibaba International Station , saying that they wanted to purchase 6,000 raincoats in an urgent need. After communication, it was learned that the raincoats were allegedly to be used in the Paris Olympics.

Photo: Ali International Station logistics staff are collecting 6,000 raincoats at the door

Sun Shunli was very excited that the "raincoat" that had just been put on the semi-hosted Ali International Station might actually be used in the Paris Olympics. He said: "This is a lightweight raincoat, which we call a 'card-type raincoat'. It is made of environmentally friendly materials, which is both light and tough. Although it is a disposable raincoat, it will not break even if used repeatedly. Our factory can produce about 3 to 4 million pieces a month, so 6,000 pieces is no problem at all. "

Sun Shunli speculated that the reason why the Paris Olympics went all the way to buy raincoats from China was because they were attracted by the characteristics and quality of their raincoats. Moreover, it is now more convenient to place orders through Alibaba International Station’s new semi-hosted service, and the delivery time is guaranteed.

The merchants on Alibaba International Station who participated in the Olympics are a microcosm of Chinese foreign trade merchants preparing for the Olympics . With their efforts and strength , they not only demonstrated the strength of Made in China on the international stage of the Olympics, but also established a good image of Chinese foreign trade worldwide.

With the wave of sports events going on, more and more Chinese merchants are using platforms like Alibaba International Station to go global and realize their " Olympic dream " . According to data previously disclosed by Alibaba International Station, the online export volume of merchants in the Olympic economy-related industries on Alibaba International Station has exceeded RMB 7 billion since the beginning of this year.

In this year of sports, merchants on Ali International Station have won many "Olympic economy" orders, which is also related to the deep relationship between Ali International Station and the Olympics. As a top partner of the Olympics, Ali International Station has fully increased its overseas investment on the eve of the Paris Olympics, with advertisements all over the streets, subways and airports in Paris. It has also invited French basketball legend Tony Parker as a spokesperson to promote Chinese merchants on Ali International Station to the world. These measures have not only increased the international reputation of Chinese merchants, but also brought them more business opportunities.

Alibaba International Station

Olympic Games