While Fang Qiao was busy running around trying to secure the collaboration, Xiao Jing was also keeping busy.
She drew up the design sketches and, based on the original film version, added unique designs, making the details of the costumes even more exquisite. After that, Xiaojing made the pattern more than ten times. In order to balance the sense of design and the comfort of wearing, she not only changed several fabrics, but also repeatedly checked the details, making sure that the shape of the clothes could both hide the flaws and show the curves of the female body.
Everything is ready except for the final push.
Once Fang Qiao successfully obtained the cooperation authorization, the garment factory immediately entered into a vigorous production phase.
In addition to the regular employees of the garment factory, Fang Qiao also hired temporary workers for the night shift. Ten sewing machines worked day and night, and soon the first batch of garments passed inspection and was successfully shipped to the market.
Fang Qiao rented two spacious storefronts on the most bustling street in Beijing and opened the first store of 'Formula Clothing Factory' at the same time.
Director Chang kept his promise and sent Cui Lili, the lead actress of "My Memories of Old Beijing," and Qin Na, the second lead actress, to take photos wearing the same clothes and publish them in the newspaper for publicity.
Having accepted Fang Qiao's favors and enjoyed the Western meal he treated her to, Cui Lili had already come to regard Fang Qiao as a friend. Naturally, she went to great lengths to promote her friend's business. Not only did she wear the same outfit at the computer's promotional roadshow, but she also vigorously promoted the 'Formula Clothing Factory' in a radio interview, greatly mobilizing the enthusiasm of her fans. Even a state-owned department store placed an order with the factory as a result.
Thanks to the enthusiastic promotion from various parties, the 'Formula' clothing factory became an instant hit.
On the first day of store opening, everything is 30% off.
Fang Qiao set up a stage outside the store and hired professional singers to perform.
In the early 1980s, the country's entertainment industry was just beginning to develop. Actors and singers were still employed by state-owned enterprises and received a fixed salary of a few dozen yuan a month. There were almost no commercial performances outside the country. Fang Qiao invited several singers to come and help out at an extremely low price.
The singers performed one song after another, and during the performance, Cui Lili also wore clothes from the store and went on stage to sing the theme song of "Old Tales of South City".
People these days have never seen such a scene before. The place was packed with onlookers, and word spread quickly, attracting more and more people to the scene.
The more people came, the more people went into the store to buy clothes, and more than 90% of them specifically asked to buy the same outfit that Cui Lili wore on stage today.
As more and more people came to buy clothes, the store's capacity became limited, and Fang Qiao's specially customized glass door was almost burst by the enthusiastic crowd.
With no other option, Fang Qiao had to instruct the shop assistants to set up a counter outside the door to sell "Cui Lili's style" items, allowing customers to buy and leave quickly, thus diverting the flow of people and relieving the pressure on the glass door and avoiding the embarrassing situation of "the glass door being crushed by crowds on the first day of its operation".
The opening performance lasted until noon, and by the time it ended, the store's inventory was almost completely sold out.
Even though Fang Qiao had foreseen that the opening day would be a huge success, she never expected it to be this popular.
You should know that she prepared two thousand items, originally intending to sell them all in one day, but she didn't expect them to be sold out in just one noon. The money she received filled an entire cash register, and she couldn't even count it all.
It's important to understand that her clothing prices aren't low, averaging around five yuan per piece. Selling two thousand pieces would generate ten thousand yuan in profit. She's a factory direct seller, eliminating middlemen. Although there's no profit after deducting equipment, fabric, labor, factory and shop rent, and performance expenses, at this rate, she'll recoup her costs in just a few days!
Despite Cheng Baidong's high rank and several salary increases, his monthly salary is still only 175 yuan.
It was worth it; she risked everything, investing all of Cheng Baidong's savings and borrowing a lot of money to start the garment factory.
No wonder so many people are quitting their jobs to start their own businesses these days! It's a real money-maker!
If we sell for a few more days to pay off our debts, everything else will be profit!
During the brief midday closure, Fang Qiao sent people to the factory to source goods for tomorrow to sell in the afternoon, while simultaneously settling the store's accounts.
They also instructed the garment department to purchase equipment and urgently recruit workers, subcontracting out small, low-skill jobs on a piece-rate basis, and working overtime to expedite production.
Although there were no performances in the afternoon, there was still a lot of foot traffic, and more than a thousand items were sold.
On the second day of opening, we offered a 20% discount, which slightly reduced foot traffic, but we still sold a total of 1,500 items that day.
On the third day of opening, we offered a 10% discount, but the foot traffic decreased again, and we sold about a thousand items in total that day.
On the fourth day after opening, prices were restored to normal, but foot traffic and order dropped, and only 300 items were sold in total that day.
On the fourth and fifth days after opening, the foot traffic stabilized, and a total of about two hundred items were sold each day.
They were able to sell around two hundred items every day after that.
The craze for "celebrity-endorsed items" has lasted for more than a month, and even after the movie's run ended and the weather turned cold, some of its popularity still lingers.
Fang Qiao also made a fortune.
After deducting all costs and paying off the debts, the profit was a full nine thousand yuan!
Fang Qiao invested money and took the lion's share of the profits, receiving 6,300 yuan out of 70%.
Xiao Jing invested her technology and received a small share of the profits, which amounted to 2,700 yuan.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Fang Qiao launched her autumn/winter collection. She replicated the success of her opening by hiring celebrities, placing advertisements in newspapers, and organizing performances. With all the fanfare, customer traffic reached a new high.
Although it didn't achieve the same level of overwhelming popularity as the opening day, the autumn and winter clothes were thicker, and Fang Qiao further divided them into mid-range and high-end products with higher unit prices, resulting in a 10% increase in profits compared to the opening day.
By the end of the year, Fang Qiao had more than 10,000 yuan in savings, and Xiao Jing had more than 6,000 yuan.
With so much money in hand, Xiaojing was at a loss for what to do.
She sent 500 yuan back to her hometown and deposited the rest into her savings account.
She had never seen so much money before and was terrified that it would be stolen one day. She stuffed the savings book into her pillow and would feel it through the pillowcase every night before going to sleep to feel at ease.
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