In China, Phalaenopsis is already high in demand; pink, light blue and other soft colors sell very well online. However, I think that they could become even more popular, especially among home gardeners," says Nie Yongshen, the owner of the Xin Yi Orchid brand. Nie has been growing Phalaenopsis in Pidu, Chengdu, China for 27 years. In this article, he further discusses why he thinks that branding is so important in this market.
Nie Yongshen
How it all began
Nie became in engaged in the phalaenopsis business while he was studying at Shenzeng Open University. "Twenty-seven years ago, I studied engineering cost at Shenzhen Open University. By chance I came into contact with Taiwanese agricultural exports, and that's how I got to know the phalaenopsis.
I realized phalaenopsis had a lot of potential, and I went to a nursery in Taiwan to learn how to grow phalenopsis. In 2004, I went back to Chengdu and opened my phalaenopsis farm. Today, there are more than 140 phalaenopsis varieties on my farm, and half of them are varieties from Anthura."
Competition
During his career, Nie has also faced challenges. One of these, he says, is the competition in the floral industry. "The competition is quite strong, and at the same time growers have to deal with unfavorable prices and low demand. As a result, flower shops had to be closed."
Nevertheless, he thinks that the demand for phalaenopsis is still present, and that branding plays an important role in today's phalaenopsis market. "Too often Chinese growers only focus on selling, and neglect the branding aspect. Some even don't have a company logo."
"In my opinion, to survive in such a competitive business environment, successful branding is key. It is not only the quality of the flowers that counts, but also the quality of the service you offer. It helps us to build a good reputation," he concludes.
For more information:
Nie Yongsheng
Xin Yi Orchid
[email protected]