Top Ten Events in China's Laundry and Dyeing Industry in 2014

1. The new version of the Occupational Classification Dictionary defines five occupations in the laundry and dyeing industry

The "Occupational Classification Dictionary of the People's Republic of China" promulgated in May 1999 is the first authoritative document in China to scientifically classify occupations. Based on China's actual situation, it divides social occupations into 8 major categories and 1838 subcategories (occupations). The laundry and dyeing industry is classified under the 4th major category (Domestic Goods Trade Industry), 7th subcategory (Life Service Industry), and 7th minor category (Laundry and Dyeing Industry). The original dictionary listed two occupations in the laundry and dyeing industry: "Laundry Worker" and "Dyer," with "Laundry Worker" including three job types: washing, ironing, and mending. In 2009, a new occupation "Leather Care Worker" was added.

To adapt to social development, the state launched a revision of the original dictionary (1999 edition) in 2012.

The Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee of the China General Chamber of Commerce (hereinafter referred to as the Laundry Committee) was invited to undertake the revision of the occupational classification for the laundry and dyeing industry. After more than two years of repeated research and discussion, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security finally approved the Laundry Committee's proposal to establish five occupations in China's laundry and dyeing industry: Laundry Worker (occupation code 4-10-02-02), Dyer (occupation code 4-10-02-03), Leather Care Worker (occupation code 4-10-02-04), Mender (occupation code 4-10-02-05), and Shoe Repairer (occupation code 4-12-04-02).

2. The new "O2O Internet Laundry" service model is booming

The e-commerce service model represented by "O2O" has emerged as a powerful force, significantly impacting the entire service industry like a rising tide! After brief consideration, China's laundry and dyeing industry actively embraced the challenge. Brand enterprises such as "Rongchang e-Bag Laundry" decisively transformed and seized the opportunity, quickly pushing laundry service companies to the forefront of the O2O e-commerce service model.

Currently, dozens of companies are exploring the development of "O2O Internet Laundry" services, adopting various approaches. Some operate internet laundry on existing platforms, some use WeChat or Taobao for laundry services, and others develop new platforms with their own independent apps. Some act as hubs connecting customers and laundry shops, distributing to various branded laundries, while others send received clothes to their own stores or central laundry factories for cleaning.

3. The 2014 China Laundry and Dyeing Industry Excellence Promotion Event Concluded Successfully

The biennial China Laundry and Dyeing Industry Excellence Promotion Event is a themed activity recognizing outstanding brands and elites in the industry at the China Laundry and Dyeing Industry Awards Ceremony. The main content includes: "Famous Brands in China's Laundry and Dyeing Industry," "Outstanding Managers in the National Laundry and Dyeing Industry," "Innovative Figures in the National Laundry and Dyeing Industry," "Trusted Products in the National Laundry and Dyeing Industry," "Outstanding Contributors in the National Laundry and Dyeing Industry," and "Meritorious Figures in the National Laundry and Dyeing Industry." The event aims to promote brand and cultural construction, enhance industry cohesion, and increase social recognition of excellent enterprises and advanced individuals. The Laundry Committee, with its professional perspective, objective research, and evaluation, wholeheartedly shapes the industry's pioneering image.

The final results of the excellence promotion event were published on the "China Laundry" website and in the "China Laundry" journal. The survey results were also reported in document form to relevant local associations and administrative departments, with copies sent to the Ministry of Commerce and other related ministries, providing references for future industry management by national and local governments.

On the afternoon of September 20, the "2014 China Laundry and Dyeing Industry Awards Ceremony" was grandly held in Shanghai, presenting 6 awards with a total of 151 brand and individual awards to recognize the hard work and fruitful achievements of the awardees in the past two years in China's laundry and dyeing industry.

4. The 15th China Laundry and Dyeing Industry Exhibition in 2014 Reached a New Level

The China International Laundry and Dyeing Industry Exhibition (referred to as "China Laundry and Dyeing Exhibition"), co-hosted by the Laundry Committee and Guangdong Xinzhilian Exhibition Service Co., Ltd., is the top brand event in China's laundry and dyeing industry, strongly supported by the Ministry of Commerce.

The 15th China Laundry Exhibition was held from September 20 to 22, 2014, at the Shanghai Guangda Exhibition Center. The exhibition covered an area of over 13,000 square meters, with 307 brands from 16 countries and regions participating. Over the three-day period, 12,558 professional buyers were received. Compared with the previous exhibition, the number of participating brands increased by 36%, and the number of visitors increased by 35%. All data set historical records, representing a huge success and marking a new development stage for the China Laundry Exhibition.

Concurrently with the exhibition, a series of activities were held, including the 2nd China Laundry and Dyeing Industry Awards Ceremony, the 3rd National Laundry and Dyeing Industry Association Joint Meeting, the 2014 China-Japan Laundry and Dyeing Industry Association Exchange Meeting, the Most Popular WeChat Selection Event, the Laundry and Dyeing Expert Lecture Hall, and new product launches by enterprises. These activities enriched the exhibition's content and provided more interactive space for exhibitors and visitors.

To promote the O2O development of China's laundry industry, the exhibition organizers built a three-in-one smart exhibition platform in 2014 combining "physical exhibition + online exhibition + mobile exhibition," providing exhibitors with comprehensive online and offline exposure opportunities and promoting brand value enhancement and growth for more quality and new brands.

5. CCTV's "Focus Interview" Exposes Issues in Public Textile Cleaning Services

On the evening of August 24, CCTV Channel 1's "Focus Interview" program aired an investigative report titled "The 'Dark Secrets' Behind White Bed Sheets," revealing that some illegal laundry factories use crude washing equipment, simplified washing processes, unregulated "three-no" chemicals, and mix medical and hotel textiles inappropriately to complete public textile cleaning at low cost. The main leaders and experts of the Laundry Committee explained professional issues during the program. Once broadcast, the report caused a strong reaction in the laundry and dyeing industry and government regulatory departments.

The Laundry and Dyeing Committee believes that the broadcast of "Focus Interview" is undoubtedly a great event for exposing the "unlicensed, no premises, no funds" laundries in the laundry and dyeing industry, especially in the public textile washing specialty! The existence of such "three-no" illegal laundries seriously disrupts the market order of the laundry and dyeing industry, causing unfair and vicious competition among industry enterprises. While harming consumer interests, it also damages the legitimate laundry and dyeing brand operators, hindering and destroying the healthy development of the laundry and dyeing industry that serves people's livelihood. We must clearly and firmly crack down on such illegal business activities. We, the vast majority of colleagues in the laundry and dyeing industry, should welcome extensive supervision from social media, public opinion, and consumers, and strengthen self-discipline; we should also actively assist relevant government departments to pay attention to the construction of the laundry and dyeing market, regulate business order, help the industry implement industry standards, and guide the industry to accelerate the pace of rectification; we firmly believe that as long as everyone works together with one heart and mind, the laundry and dyeing industry will surely continuously improve service quality and move towards a healthy, orderly, and sound development track.

VI. Two laundry and dyeing enterprises listed separately, achieving a "zero" breakthrough

On August 15, 2014, Ningbo Ruili Washing Co., Ltd. held a listing ceremony at the National SME Share Transfer System in Beijing, marking Ruili Washing (830907) officially listed on the New Third Board. This is the first laundry company in the national laundry and dyeing industry to be listed on the New Third Board.

On July 31, 2014, at the Equity Custody Trading Center in Shanghai High-tech Park, Shanghai Lvhua Laundry Co., Ltd. was listed on the Q board.

"Creating a well-known brand and providing quality service" is the common dream of all laundry and dyeing enterprises. The successful listing of two companies in 2014 is a great encouragement and spur to our laundry and dyeing industry. They are leading peers, but many laundry and dyeing enterprises have expressed that they will take this as a goal to strive to surpass, promoting the more standardized and healthy development of China's laundry and dyeing industry!

VII. Establishment of the Laundry and Dyeing Industry Development Research Office of the Laundry and Dyeing Committee

On June 20, the Laundry and Dyeing Industry Development Research Office of the Laundry and Dyeing Committee was established and held its first plenary meeting at the China Science and Technology Hall in Beijing. The establishment of the Laundry and Dyeing Industry Development Research Office aims to actively study and explore global laundry and dyeing industry development trends, more broadly carry out international information exchange and cooperation in the laundry and dyeing industry, and lead the scientific and healthy development of the laundry and dyeing industry. The first batch of 17 specially appointed Chinese and foreign researchers are: Wen Lisheng, Peter Wennekes (Netherlands), Wang Jiping (USA), Bai Pinzhou (Belgium), Roman Prado (Spain), Zhang Rongyao, Liu Jinqiang, Michel Fournier (France), Jurenmu (Japan), Liu Yongxin, Shi Changhong, Gong Yan, Quan Limin, Shao Jianzhong, Guan Yan, Zhu Zhaobang, Xue Dapeng. Professor Wang Jiping was elected as the director of the research office.

VIII. Issuance of certificates to the first batch of senior lecturers in China's laundry and dyeing industry

Establishing a team of senior lecturers in the laundry and dyeing industry aims to gradually standardize training behavior in the laundry and dyeing industry and improve training quality. To this end, the Laundry and Dyeing Committee decided to carry out the "China Laundry and Dyeing Industry Senior Lecturer" training and certification work starting from 2014.

The first batch of 45 senior lecturers in China's laundry and dyeing industry have been officially confirmed after strict qualification review, training, and assessment certification. The lecturers come from various professional fields of the laundry and dyeing industry, including laundry and dyeing services, equipment manufacturing, and enterprise management. The certified senior lecturers all hold national vocational qualification certificates of level two or above in this industry or relevant intermediate or higher professional technical positions, or have obtained vocational trainer qualification certificates issued by the China Employment Training Technical Instruction Center, possessing relatively rich professional knowledge and teaching experience in the laundry and dyeing industry.

IX. Release of the "2013 China Laundry and Dyeing Industry Development Report"

The Laundry and Dyeing Committee was once again entrusted by the Ministry of Commerce to organize the compilation of the "China Laundry and Dyeing Industry Development Report 2013." The report gathers the latest industry data of China's laundry and dyeing industry in 2013 and representative development experiences of regions and enterprises. It is the "white paper" on the development status of China's laundry and dyeing industry.

The report shows that by the end of 2013, the number of enterprises in China's laundry and dyeing industry was 250,000, with 1.15 million employees. The industry's operating income reached 70 billion yuan, an increase of 16.67% compared to 2012. Through research on price information in the laundry and dyeing industry, the washing prices for household clothes and public textiles increased in both the first and second halves of 2013 compared to the previous year. The laundry and dyeing service prices for household clothes increased by 2.61% and 5.46% quarter-on-quarter; for public textiles, the prices increased by 7.77% and 8.40% quarter-on-quarter. Chain enterprises engaged in household laundry and dyeing services and smaller self-operated stores accounted for about 18% and 15% of total revenue, respectively; central factory enterprises accounted for about 10% of total revenue; enterprises engaged in public textile washing accounted for about 50%; professional garment care shops and self-service laundries accounted for about 7%.

The report deeply studies and discusses the development situation of China's laundry and dyeing industry in 2013. It is a guiding document for innovative development and serving people's livelihood in the laundry and dyeing industry. It is believed that it will provide effective guidance for laundry and dyeing enterprises, industry management departments, and those who want to invest in the laundry and dyeing industry.

X. The third national joint meeting of laundry and dyeing industry associations was successfully held

On September 21, 2014, the third national joint meeting of laundry and dyeing industry associations was successfully held at the Shanghai Hangxing Industrial Park. More than 40 people, including the director of the Laundry and Dyeing Committee and leaders, representatives, and staff from various local associations nationwide, attended the meeting.

At the meeting, local associations exchanged views on the overall situation of the local laundry and dyeing industry and some specific problems encountered in recent years. Some speakers focused on discussing dispute resolution methods in the laundry and dyeing industry. All participants brainstormed and actively spoke.