Newcomer Group: Carving Out a Global Footprint with Half a Booth

From Half a Booth to 68 Countries: Jiaxing's Company Conquers the World with 80 Million Luggage Pieces

Under the backdrop of escalating U.S. tariffs on China, how have foreign trade enterprises clustered in the Yangtze River Delta region broken through barriers and carved out new market opportunities? Yesterday’s front-page article in the Jiaxing Daily launched the series column "Heshang Breakthrough Chronicles" with its opening piece titled "Half a Booth to Global Expansion", spotlighting Xinxiu Group’s forward-thinking international market strategies. Starting with just half a booth at the Canton Fair to secure orders, the company has grown into a premium partner for luggage exhibitors at the event over its 27-year journey. With 80 million bags sold across 68 countries, Xinxiu further expanded its reach into Belt and Road nations and global markets through the Dubai Consumer Goods Expo, showcasing the vibrant momentum of China’s light manufacturing sector.

Yesterday, at the Foreign Trade Quality Products China Tour Xidan Joy City Exhibition and Sales Fair in Beijing, the booth of Newcom Group from Pinghu was bustling with new and old customers.

"Our square design and front-opening feature are highly favored by domestic consumers," said Shi Jihong, Chairman of Newcom Group, with great excitement.

On the same day, the 137th Canton Fair opened as scheduled at the Pazhou Exhibition Center in Guangzhou. As one of the largest exhibitors in the luggage industry, Newcom Group was actively preparing for the third phase of the Canton Fair.

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 kilometers away from Beijing and Guangzhou, in the Newcom Group production base in Pinghu, smart production lines were churning out nano-luggage trolleys, which were about to be shipped to the Middle East...

"To Forge Iron, One Must Be Strong"

Let's rewind to 1998.

At the Liuhua Exhibition Hall in Guangzhou, during the 83rd Canton Fair, an elderly Chilean man with a cane slowly walked through the narrow aisle. Zhao Shengmei, General Manager of Newcom Group, was huddled in a corner of just half a booth, offering the only chair at the entrance, "Would you like to come in and sit for a while?"

No one expected that this act of kindness would open the door for Chinese luggage to enter the global market—the elderly man signed two high-cabinet orders on the spot, propelling this small factory from Pinghu onto the international stage.

"At that time, I didn't hold out much hope; the only thing I thought was decent was that denim luggage," Zhao Shengmei recalled.

When the Chilean customer returned with the orders, the scene of the sewing machines almost sparking is still etched in the memory of the old employees. In the blink of an eye, 27 years have passed, and **Newcom Group's products have been exported to 68 countries, with a cumulative sales volume of 80 million luggage pieces, making it the leading benchmark enterprise in China's luggage industry**.

Yesterday morning, in the laboratory of Newcom Group, engineers were testing a new type of nano-particle granulation process. "This material is ultra-light, environmentally friendly, waterproof, and stain-resistant," said Che Mingxin, Brand Manager of Newcom's Youke brand. As she spoke, she effortlessly lifted a cloud-shaped trolley case. The seemingly cute design hides hard technology: both the trolley and handle are equipped with nano-antibacterial materials. After the pandemic, inquiries for such products have surged by 300%.

Over the years, Newcom Group has continuously innovated on its NEWCOM Youke brand's lightweight travel cases. Che Mingxin showed reporters the "quick-open suitcase" that can expand by 20% and the "smart weighing suitcase" that can display the weight of the case with just one button press. The smart weighing technology, which took three years to develop, has won several international and domestic patents and is popular in many countries.

Behind these "secret weapons" is a substantial financial investment: **6% of annual revenue is allocated to research and development. Today, Newcom Group holds 36 international patents**.

"From upstream raw materials to component supply chains, and then to finished product assembly lines, we have done a lot of research and design, which is why we now have the competitiveness of the entire industry chain," Zhao Shengmei firmly believes that in the context of global trade fluctuations, technological innovation and product competitiveness are the fundamentals to withstand risks, "To forge iron, one must be strong."

"There Are Always More Solutions Than Problems"

Pinghu, where Newcom Group is located, is one of the three major luggage production bases in China and is known as the "Capital of Chinese Travel Luggage," having formed a relatively complete industrial chain.

To ensure product quality, Newcom Group invested heavily in building the first luggage testing laboratory and quality inspection center in China, providing rapid inspection services for the entire luggage industry. This "flagship leading frigates" model has greatly improved the quality rate of Pinghu's luggage industry and has won the favor of global customers. Last year, more than 80% of Pinghu's luggage industry sales were from exports.

At present, with the profound adjustment of the global trade pattern, Chinese enterprises are facing the severe challenge of a continuous decline in orders from Europe and America, and Pinghu's luggage industry is also experiencing growing pains.

"One should not put all eggs in one basket; foreign trade should not be limited to a single market." With keen business acumen, Shi Jihong had already laid out a global customer system and expanded the domestic market. This forward-looking strategy enabled Newcom Group to successfully navigate through the 2008 financial crisis, the 2018 trade friction, and remain calm in the face of this trade war.

Looking back, Shi Jihong attributes this achievement to trade fairs such as the Canton Fair. It is through extensive participation in exhibitions that they have been able to obtain buyer resources from various countries around the world.

"At present, the Belt and Road Initiative has opened up broad emerging market space for all industries, and Dubai is the ideal bridge connecting China with these markets." As the Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai International Consumer Goods Expo, Shi Jihong actively leverages the platform of the Dubai International Consumer Goods Expo and the Dubai Yiwu Market to facilitate precise对接between Chinese foreign trade factories and Dubai traders.

In today's deeply integrated global trade, the era of going it alone is over. In November last year and March this year, the two Dubai International Consumer Goods Expos organized by Shi Jihong achieved fruitful results, covering a wide range of categories and **attracting more than 10,000 buyers with intended orders exceeding 100 million US dollars**. In addition, the expo also provides year-round exhibition hall services to help exhibitors continuously explore the trade market in Dubai.

"In recent years, China's foreign trade has gone through many ups and downs. We have seen the world and withstood the test. We believe we can do the same this time. As long as we have confidence, there are always more solutions than problems," Shi Jihong's gaze is directed towards the distance.