- Deputy General Manager Zhou Zhibang of JGP Furniture Manufacturing Co., Ltd. stainless steel, sink strainer,fruit vegetable washing drain basket,kitchen tool,draining rack, draining basket. Shenzhen Lanejoy Technology Co.,LTD , https://www.szlanejoy.com
Jiemeng Furniture Zhou Zhibang: Caen, Caen!
May 8, 2009,
Four partners founded Jiemeng Furniture,
The Caen sofa was born.
Five years have passed,
Many fellow Chinese
When I mention Caen,
There will be awe in my heart.
What is Caen?
Caen is a story.
Caen is a belief.
Caen is a brand.
Caen is an attitude towards life.
Caen is an innovative idea.
Caen is a group of furniture people who never stop.
In the field of fabric sofas, there are Pekingists in the north and Caen in the south. The former emphasizes stability, while the latter focuses on trendy and avant-garde designs. Both have their own strengths, so some people joke that “the cloth sofa industry has Beijing in the north and Caen in the south,†highlighting its prominent position in the market.
   Faced with such high praise, Mr. Zhou Zhibang, deputy general manager and marketing director of Jiemeng Furniture, remained humble and cautious. He said that Caen is still a new brand, not comparable to many well-known brands in the north. However, the core strength that allows Caen to survive and grow rapidly in a highly competitive market is innovation.
>> The following is an interview between our reporter and Mr. Zhou Zhibang:
Tang Jiacheng: First, Mr. Zhou briefly introduces the development experience of Jiemeng.
Zhou Zhibang: In fact, we were only five years old this year, having been established for five years since May 8th. The name Jiemeng means simply that four partners share common values. We wanted to create our own style in the fabric sofa industry and collaborate with dealers across the country who have operational capabilities and ideas. Our partners have more than 13 years of experience in the furniture industry, with accumulated knowledge in production, design, marketing, and management. People often call us the best partner.
   Of course, we are building a better platform to train the next generation of talent and recruit more professionals to help us grow bigger and stronger. Because the furniture industry is our lifelong passion.
Tang Jiacheng: Many colleagues say that Caen is a dark horse. What do you think?
Zhou Zhibang: It's true that Caen has made a strong impression in recent years. I believe our core competitiveness lies in continuous innovation. We always prioritize innovation, whether in marketing models, services, or product development. For example, we developed an iPad application in collaboration with the Guangzhou Vocational and Technical College’s Multimedia Research Institute, called the "CCS Demo System" (Color Change System). This system has been installed in Caen and Katie stores, revolutionizing the traditional sales model from "everyone" to "human-computer interaction."
The CCS demo system has five advantages:
   First, it offers a 360-degree panoramic view of the showroom and detailed structural display of products;
   Second, it allows customers to rotate products 180 degrees to see the actual effect before purchasing;
   Third, it features four popular decoration styles and multiple apartment types, helping customers visualize how the product would fit their home;
   Fourth, it instantly matches sofa colors and makes fabric replacement simple and visible;
   Fifth, it provides on-site floor layout planning based on room size, allowing customers to see where the furniture would fit. Additionally, our WeChat fan platform directly addresses customer concerns, and we also introduced training and supervision teams last year, including training sessions, store openings, bargaining fairs, and cross-industry alliances, all aimed at boosting specialty store performance.
   Innovation isn’t just about marketing and service—it’s also about product innovation. At every exhibition, we launch at least two or three new products. We also have three major brands under Jiemeng: Caen, Katie, and Karang, with price ranges from over 1,000 to over 10,000, catering to different consumer segments. Moreover, we can confidently say that all our products are original. There is no exact copy of our products on the market. If there is one, it’s a knockoff.
   All these efforts contribute to a positive reputation, which has led to 166 or 70 specialty stores nationwide under the three major Jiemeng brands, with Caen alone exceeding 100 stores. So, it's fair to say that Caen is indeed a dark horse.
Tang Jiacheng: It turned out that the dark horse was born like this. You mentioned that all Jiemeng products are original—how do you ensure originality?
Zhou Zhibang: First, we have a strong R&D team. We work with foreign design groups year-round, discussing designs with the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. We also follow international fashion magazines and attend the Milan Furniture Fair annually to absorb new trends. Additionally, we frequently learn from dealers about product development directions and fashion trends to improve our designs.
   Second, we use more than 1,500 types of fabrics, showing the effort we put into product innovation. Everything we do aims to maximize dealer profits.
Tang Jiacheng: To make dealers more competitive, Jiemeng has really worked hard! Next, Mr. Zhou will talk about the trend and prospect of the furniture market from the industry perspective.
Zhou Zhibang: I believe that fabric sofas are still a big market with no dominant brand, indicating there's still a lot of potential. Looking at the future of the industry, companies without innovation will struggle. Sitting in a dealer's store is a dead end. Brands will gradually concentrate in the hands of dealers with ideas, resources, and good service.
Tang Jiacheng: Based on your analysis of the current state and future of the industry, what development plan will Jiemeng implement?
Zhou Zhibang: Jiemeng always takes the mission of “creating a high-quality life for consumers.†We focus on customer needs and the modern furniture industry’s development trends. On March 17, we launched the Apple CCS system and our 2014–2016 development plan. In 2014, we completely upgraded our original stores, strengthened team building, and improved training systems. In 2015, we focused on supporting dealers with ideas and enhanced cooperation with them. In 2016, we set up platforms, utilized local resources, and focused on details. Of course, during this process, we must overcome all challenges and create brilliance.
Tang Jiacheng: After listening to your three-year plan, I want to say: I’m willing to be your dealer. So how will Jiemeng plan its brand development?
Zhou Zhibang: The positioning of the three major Jiemeng brands is different. Caen targets the middle-class consumer group, focusing on color matching, quality, and design. Katie is a postmodern style, aimed at clubs, hotel projects, and villa model rooms. Karang is young and fashionable, targeting small houses like resettlement homes and apartments. The three brands cover all fabric sofa consumers.
   Taking Caen as an example, Caen is a story and a belief; Caen is a brand and an attitude to life; Caen is an innovative idea and a group of furniture people who never stop.
   In fact, what I want to emphasize most is that any brand must be supported by tangible products, with core offerings that resonate with consumers. Such a brand is truly a brand. Regarding Caen’s development plan, our goal is to provide better and better products to consumers. We encourage dealers to open second and third stores, or even cross-regional stores, giving them a larger platform. We have numerous products and strategies to support dealer growth.
Tang Jiacheng: As vice chairman of the Shunde Furniture Brand Alliance, I finally asked Mr. Zhou to share his views on the alliance.
Zhou Zhibang: The scale and influence of Shunde’s furniture industry are undeniable, but it hasn’t fully shaken off its low-end image, which limits brand development in first-tier markets and causes concern among Shunde enterprises regarding product positioning. The establishment of the Shunde Furniture Brand Alliance has sparked new thinking among Shunde people. Today, in the face of market competition, we must work together and not stand alone. As a post-70s person, I’ve seen my elders making sofas by the fish pond since childhood, but all that has become a memory. Compared to Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Dongguan, we have fallen behind. As Shunde people, we should polish our brand and take it nationwide and globally.
   Over the past two years, the alliance has done a lot of work. After two years of exploration and effort, our thinking has become more unified, and actions have accelerated. We are now more confident in jointly promoting the development of our enterprises and the Shunde brand alliance.