Whether you are an Promotional Buying veteran or newcomer, this is the time of year that you need to think about the impact of Chinese New Year on product delivery. The recognition that that world tilts off its axis for about 30 days can be an uneasy time for those of us in the Western Hemisphere. It never fails that the biggest clients always want to push up against the Chinese New Year and demand orders placed in December deliver before the end of February. We have always advocated on our client’s behalf to encourage the factory to rush the production or stop the workers from going home; however, it is a battle we have yet to win.
There seems to be an inevitable cycle of misunderstanding, frustration, and then remorse the purchase. In order to better equip you for the beginning of your 2010 branding season, we want to arm you with critical facts and important information about several key dates. You might want to print this out and put these dates and topical discussion points in your toolbox to battle the frustrations.
The annual frustration point to address is the February 14, 2010: Chinese New Year. Help yourself avoid remorse by being honest with your deadlines and work with your promotional partner as if they have a vested interest in your success. If you don’t feel that way, get away while you can. The other pain staking truth is yes, it is going to cost more. The amazing thing is it is beneficial to pay more for problem solvers. If you have an important business problem to solve or key objective to meet in Q1, we will approve the resources necessary to get the work done.
Before you get approval to enlist herculean resources, you should know more about Chinese New Year and critical dates. Picnicraid.com factories will be operating on the following holiday schedule:
- Saturday, January 30, 2010
The last of all the managers and employees will have left the factory to visit their families in different provinces far from the factory’s city.
- Saturday, February 14, 2010
February 14, 2010 marks the first day of the Chinese Year 4,707. You may have wondered why Chinese people live longer than other cultures. It’s because on the Chinese New Year, everyone becomes one year older. There is also an old Chinese secret you should know about. The New Year starts on a different day each year and is shorter than our 365-day year. So the year of the Tiger starts on February, 14 2010 and ends on February 2, 2011, while the following year of the Rabbit begins on February 3, 2011 and ends on January 27, 2012.
- Saturday, February 27, 2010
All of the factory employees, who are likely to return to the factory in 2010, have arrived and are ready to resume production. It’s helpful to know that the Chinese New Year has significant cultural and economic implications on the workers and the factories. A growing percentage of factory workers do not return to the factory after the holiday season every year. So while a majority of the factory is back in operation by the end of February, you can expect to see a slower production line because some of your workforce has not returned and some of the workforce will be new and inexperienced.
- Saturday, March 20, 2010
This is the expected sailing date for the first container leaving after the Chinese New Year holiday. When the factory closes its doors for a month they clean everything off the production line. In the perfect scenario your order molds, proofs, fabric, and proofs are all complete and sitting there ready to start production on February 27.
This Chinese New Year calendar can be a big frustration point for some; however, if you can communicate clearly the key decision dates below you will reclaim your prowess. Make quick decisions and get approvals back to you to achieve the following results:
Key Decision Dates
Decision Needed: Results Expected:
11/30/09 - Approval Ship 1/16/10 to arrive 2/12/10
1/31/10 - Approval Ship 3/20/10 to arrive 4/16/10
2/12/10 - Approval Ship 4/10/10 to arrive 5/7/10
This information was prepared,in partnership, by an industry provider of custom plush; JIM SOCCI
