On November 19-21, the CCFA New Consumer Forum – 2024 China International Retail Innovation Conference was held in Shanghai. The conference focused on the theme of “Evolving Retail in the New Era,” exploring new trends, forces, and models in retail. It highlighted new products, channels, and lifestyles, showcasing the latest innovations in the retail industry. Furthermore, the conference announced the winners of the 2024 China Consumer Goods Best Innovation Practice Case, covering six major innovation categories. Zuliz’s Peppermint Summer Shoes under the elderly shoe category received an award for product development and design.
In today’s uncertain times, the survival and growth of a company often depend on its ability to find the right balance between change and consistency. The continuous innovation of products under Zuliz is a vivid example of this.
Adapting to Change: Continuous Support for Micro-Innovations in Elderly-Friendly Products
Zuliz has always placed the user at the center, delving deep into the needs and pain points of the elderly population. During the summer, elderly individuals often face issues like sweating, stuffiness, and foot odor when wearing shoes. To address these concerns, Zuliz specifically focused on the summer footwear needs of the elderly, considering their physiological characteristics, and dedicated efforts to develop the Peppermint Summer Shoes.
The innovation of the Peppermint Summer Shoes is evident in the material of the shoe upper. By incorporating peppermint fiber material, these shoes provide instant cooling sensation and antibacterial properties. The instant cooling sensation allows elderly individuals to feel more comfortable during the hot summer days, effectively alleviating issues like sweaty and stuffy feet. The antibacterial properties take into account the slower metabolism and susceptibility of elderly individuals to bacterial growth, enhancing the overall wearing experience of the shoes and ensuring a smooth journey for the elderly.
In its design, the Peppermint Summer Shoes fully embody the characteristics of innovative elderly-friendly footwear. The use of EVA large particle foam material in the outsole provides soft and resilient support to the soles of the feet, ensuring that elderly individuals do not feel fatigued while walking. Another crucial feature is the slip-resistant design. Understanding the importance of slip resistance for the elderly, Zuliz ensures that their elderly shoes have excellent anti-slip performance, reducing the risk of elderly individuals slipping when out and about. Additionally, the “shoe puller” heel and lace-free design provide great convenience for the elderly, allowing them to put on their shoes without the need to bend over to tie laces, making it both easy and convenient.
Remaining steadfast: Upholding Standards to Achieve Quality
A reputable brand is always chosen by consumers, and Zuliz understands this well. Upholding product standardization management is one of its core strengths. As the first drafting unit of the national standard for “elderly shoes,” Zuliz strictly controls the quality of every pair of shoes, from material selection to production processes, striving for excellence in every aspect. With over 3000 offline stores forming a scalable development trend, their standardized service ensures a consistent level of professionalism and warmth, always placing the needs of the elderly at the forefront.
Close coordination of resources is another major advantage for Zuliz. The Zuliz Suixian factory adopts the ZPS full-process production model, ensuring product quality through unified management, procurement channels, and direct targeted supply. This not only ensures product quality but also effectively reduces costs and improves production efficiency. This scalable development model not only brings significant cost advantages to the company but, more importantly, ensures the stability of product supply, better meeting the needs of consumers.
Adapting to change, responding to challenges.
In the current environment of consumer downgrading and cautious investment from both businesses and consumers, Zuliz has proactively adjusted the operational model of its chain brands, continuously leveraging its strengths. They have encouraged distributors across various regions to closely follow company policies, ensuring synchronization and active cooperation. This reciprocal approach revitalizes resources across the board.
To expand the reach of their elderly shoe products, Zuliz announced the legendary duo, Phoenix Legend, as brand ambassadors in 2024. With a broad fan base and cross-generational influence, Phoenix Legend serves as a bridge for Zuliz to communicate with younger consumer groups. By consistently promoting the concept of “Give Zuliz to the Elderly,” Zuliz not only solidifies its core elderly customer base but also engages in targeted communication with younger consumer groups. This comprehensive brand strategy has effectively increased market share. Moreover, this collaboration has provided more exposure opportunities for Zuliz’s products like the “Peppermint Summer Shoes,” boosting performance and encouraging more consumers to recommend quality products to their elderly family members.
In 2024, Zuliz officially announced a collaboration with the “Ping An Fu” IP to launch the “Leap Month Shoes,” a super category. Zuliz, driven by culture, goes beyond the narrative of a single “comfortable” product, allowing users to glimpse deeper cultural meanings in their products and gain emotional value. Through effective promotion in various stores, Zuliz has formed a strong market force, continuously expanding the influence of their products through comprehensive brand strategies, making Zuliz more widely known and recognized by consumers.
The recognition of Zuliz’s Peppermint Summer Shoes is not a coincidence. Zuliz actively seeks change to meet the evolving needs of the elderly while steadfastly maintaining trust with consumers through consistent quality and service. In future developments, Zuliz will continue to prioritize users, leverage their scale advantages, and bring high-quality products and services to more elderly individuals.
