ZC Rubber’s Ge Guorong: The retail market under COVID-19

The coronavirus-related restrictions we’re now experiencing in the UK and Europe were first seen in China. Many changes have taken place there since the COVID-19 outbreak began. Ge Guorong, vice president of Zhongce Rubber Group, sent a live video message to the retailers of its products in China, urging them to face the current difficulties together. In this first video, titled ‘Let’s Make Money Together with Zhongce Cloud Store’, Mr Ge shared tips on surviving the economic pressures that coronavirus is bringing.

Ge emphasised that the consumer tyre market is the least affected segment in China. “Demand for consumer tyres is slowing but still moving in such a tough situation,” he commented. The vice president noted that demand within the consumer tyre segment is being helped by current advice from China’s government to use private cars – China now has more than 200 million of these – instead of public transport whenever possible. “Demand will be there after the outbreak,” he added.

“However, different stores will have different chances of getting business,” Ge cautioned. “The brand and platform you rely on, as well as your own efforts and learning ability, are all important influencing factors. Only the retailers with strong comprehensive capabilities have the opportunity to win more business in this competition.”

According to Ge Guorong, several factors will help business improve sales:

Stock up on big brands: “Even if it’s for inventory, you’ll want to stock up on big-brand tyres.” Of course, Ge stressed that ZC Rubber’s products belong to this group.

Rely on good platforms: “In the short term, COVID-19 has brought the economy to a screeching halt, but in the long term, it has accelerated Internet use, digital transformation and the combination of online and offline business,” commented Ge. “The secret of the future business is not to go it alone, but to digitise factories, distributors and stores to serve customers quickly and achieve maximum efficiency and profit.” For ZC Rubber’s customers, Ge considers the “best digital marketing platform” to be the Zhongce cloud store.

Take advantage of social media platforms: “Retailers could try to attract users from social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and WeChat,” said Ge. “However they shall serve the customers by their expertise to become key opinion leaders in their local market. Much of the consumer behavior is guided by opinion within the professional community. Being an opinion leader and using your expertise to guide consumers is also a great way to attract, engage and drive business.”

Take the initiative: “Zhongce Cloud Store has been transformed into a smart store with online booking, online order-taking, online payment and transparent workshop services that seamlessly connect the store’s services with the needs of nearby users, and turn passive service into active service.”

Standardise your services: Here Ge emphasised the importance of standardising pricing, product and service offer, logistics and aesthetics.

“Winter will eventually pass, and spring is sure to come,” the vice president concluded. “We firmly believe that the world tyre industry will usher in a new shuffle and new growth. And Zhongce Rubber Group will always be fearless.”