China's sunglasses export
industry continues to be focused on the low-end market, although
more midrange and even high-end models are being produced as a trend
to improve design capability gradually takes hold. China suppliers
offer fashion, sports and children's sunglasses, with exports for
2004 estimated to reach US$370 million.
Fashion designs are the biggest line, taking up 52 percent of
export output by suppliers in this report. Sports designs account
for 34 percent and children's models 14 percent. These output shares
will likely stay close to current levels for at least the next two
years, as most companies see fashion models as the sector with the
best growth potential, followed by sports sunglasses.
Nearly all China sunglasses suppliers make both fashion and sports
models. Children's models are produced by the majority of suppliers,
but usually as a sideline. Some companies do not make children's
models at all, while there are others that specialize in the line.
The following are some of the
key trends we see in China's sunglasses export industry |
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Prices are expected to increase as makers
deal with rising material and operating costs. |
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Supplier interest in the EU market has
risen substantially among makers that are improving products
under efforts to reap higher margins. |
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More upscale components such as titanium
frames and polarized lenses are being used on new releases,
even as low-end models continue to dominate exports. |
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UV400 protection is standard on all exports
from quality-certified suppliers, although fake UV lenses
do exist in China's industry and cause price undercutting
that puts pressure on suppliers of low-end sunglasses using
genuine lenses. |
Soaring oil costs in recent months have pushed up sunglasses
makers' expenditures for plastic frame and lens materials. As a
result, many makers plan to inflate product prices in the year ahead.
The vast majority of China sunglasses makers do not manufacture
their own lenses, finding it more cost-effective to source this
key component from optical companies. However, most makers are capable
of handling lens processing in-house, with the emphasis on applying
special coatings.
Suppliers are producing models with special features such as
curved, translucent and patterned frames and mirror, rainbow, polarized
and power-magnification lenses. The most expensive models from China
have titanium frames and polarized lenses.
As competition in China's sunglasses industry has intensified,
the copying of designs has grown fiercer. The result is urgency
among suppliers to release unique and innovative designs with greater
frequency.
While the average number of new releases per year among companies
interviewed for this report is 300, the large makers are capable
of launching up to 1,000 new designs annually.
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