From materials to creativity, from “manufacturing” to “quality manufacturing”
On the fifth floor of Yiwu International Trade City’s second district, inside a shop, a dazzling array of umbrellas catches the eye: carbon fiber ultra-light umbrellas weighing just 78 grams, trendy cultural and creative umbrellas printed with patterns from the Forbidden City’s red walls, and Middle Eastern-style fan umbrellas that can spray a fine mist. “We launch about 10 new models every month, and the shop sells over 7,000 umbrellas a day,” said the shop owner while introducing the products, as three phones kept ringing with inquiries from clients across more than 100 countries and regions worldwide.
Turning to Shangyu District in Shaoxing, inside the production workshop of Zhejiang Friendship Feinuo Umbrella Co., Ltd., automated production lines are running at high speed. Umbrella rib forming, canopy sewing, and automatic assembly are completed in one seamless process. “From a handcraft workshop to a modern factory, from OEM to building our own brand, we have walked this path for over 30 years,” said the company’s chairman. In 2025, the company achieved sales revenue exceeding 400 million yuan and expanded its umbrella business into the camping sector.
Take Shangyu District, known for its umbrellas, as an example. In 2025, the scale of its umbrella industry exceeded 15 billion yuan, growing nearly 8% year-on-year. How does a small umbrella continuously innovate and sell globally? To find out, a field investigation was conducted in Zhejiang.
Product Renewal: Breaking Through with Creativity, Making Umbrellas Distinctive and High-Quality
Although the business is now thriving, when first starting out in Yiwu, things were not so easy.
“More than 20 years ago, my stall was only one meter wide, and I sold basic umbrellas without any brand for 10 yuan each. The profit was pitifully thin,” recalled the shop owner, thinking back to 1997.
At that time, the owner came to Yiwu from Shangyu with umbrella-making skills passed down from their father. Staying at the stall every day, attracting customers by shouting. “Back then, everyone competed on price. If you sold for 10 yuan, I would sell for 9 yuan, and in the end, we all hurt each other.”
As market demands evolved with consumer needs, the owner gradually realized that relying solely on low-price strategies was no longer viable. “In the end, it was about what customers cared about changing,” explained the owner. From simply seeking shelter from the rain, more customers began to focus on fabric and materials, and then on patterns and design. The owner keenly sensed, “It’s time to transform. We can’t just do OEM wholesale anymore; we need to create our own original brand.”
In 2003, the owner founded Zhejiang Star Umbrella Co., Ltd. and began building their own brand, even hiring a professional design company to create a full set of promotional images. In 2010, the brand “Real Star” was registered in over 100 countries and regions, symbolizing “the real star among umbrellas.”
Now, stepping into the shop, the most eye-catching feature is the new product display area on the wall: a fan umbrella tailored for the Middle Eastern market, equipped with a built-in misting device that sprays a fine mist with the press of a button, providing significant cooling effects. After shipping 3,000 units, customers placed repeat orders. Another carbon fiber ultra-light folding umbrella is lighter than an average smartphone, with a black adhesive coating on the canopy that effectively blocks UV rays. The annual export volume reaches 5 million umbrellas, and high-end custom umbrellas sell for 2,000 yuan in the European market.
“Now we compete on design, quality, and service,” the owner said, running fingers over the materials.
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