MarketStudyinSynthetics-basedSportsShoesTo:Mr.PhilipWatsonDirectorSalesandMarketingDepartmentFrom:ErnestHongSalesRepresentativeKryptonPlasticsDate:Dec.12,2005(or:12Dec.2005)ContentsContents页码Abstract页码TermsofReference页码I.Findings页码1.Methodology页码2.Thesportsshoemarket页码3.Sportsshoesinsyntheticmaterials页码4.Trendsintheuseofsyntheticmaterials页码5.PotentialofAPCmaterialinthesportsshoemarket页码6.CompetitionbetweenAPCproducts页码II.Conclusion页码III.Recommendations页码Appendix:Listofcustomersvisited页码1.LungHangSportsCo.Ltd.2.StellaSportsManufacturingCo.Ltd.3.WahSingPlasticFty4.ChanWaiMingMfg.Ltd.5.MilanoSport-wearLtd.6.FiarrinoLtd.7.RichmondDevelopmentCo.Ltd.8.OutstandingShoesLtd.AbstractThisreportinvestigatesthepotentialofAPCmaterialsintheproductionandsaleofsportsshoesintheHongKongSAR.ThereportshowsthatcurrentlythemajorityofsportsshoesmanufacturedinHongKongaremadeofPVC,However.WeillustratethatAPChasanumberofadvantagesoverPVCintermsofquality,durabilityandappearance.Althoughpriceishigher,intheperiodofeconomicstagnationwhichhashitHongKong,itmaybeadvantageoustomanufacturerstoconsiderreducingproductionandswitchingtoAPC.TermsofReferenceThepurposeofthisreportistoinvestigatethenatureofthemarketforsportsshoesmanufacturedinarangeofnaturalandsyntheticmaterials.Itisalsoouraimtostimulateplasticrawmaterialsalesinthesportsshoemarket,andtoseekpotentialcustomerswithinthesportsshoemarketwhomightbeinterestedinusingKrypton'snewlydevelopedAPCrawmaterialinthemanufactureoftheirproducts.IFindings1.MethodologyBeforethismarketstudycouldbeundertaken,informationaboutmanufacturersofsportsshoeshadtobecollected.WederivedalistofmanufacturersbyreferringtotheYellowPagesandthelistproducedbytheHongKongCouncilfortheDevelopmentofTrade(HKCDT).Thesetwosources,however,didnotdistinguishbetweenmanufacturersusingleatherandthoseusingsyntheticmaterials.Thiswasachievedwithanumberoftelephonecallstomanufacturers.Thesecallswerethenfollowedupwithpersonalinterviews.AtotaloffifteenmanufacturerswerevisitedbetweenJanuaryandMarchofthisyear.Inordertomeetourobjectivesprecisely,wefocusedourvisitsmostlyonmanufacturersofsportsshoesusingpredominantlysyntheticmaterials.Othermanufacturerswerefollowedupwithtelephonecalls.2.TheSportsShoeMarketSportsShoesareamajorexportiteminHongKong,reapingagoodrewardforHongKongstradersandmanufacturers,and,inturn,spurringtheprosperityofHongKong.Themarketsizeforsportsshoescomprisessome165manufacturersandtraders.Basically,therearethreecategoriesofsportsshoeinthemarket.Thesearerealleather,artificialleatherandplastic.Thelargestshareofproductionin1999washeldbysportsshoesmanufacturedfromplastic(50%ofproduction).Thiswasfollowedbyartificialleather(40%ofproduction)andrealleather(10%).However,theseproductionstatisticsareverychangeablebecausethemarketisextremelysensitivetofashiontrends.Forthepastfewyears,though,themarkethasbeendominatedbysyntheticmaterials,mainlybecausetheyenablesportsshoestofollowfashiontrends,theyareabletobeprintedon,andtheycanbemadecolourful,brightandfluorescent(seeTable1)1999Totalno.ofpairsofsportsshoesproducesinHK15.6millionMaterial%MarketShareRealleather10ArtificialLeather:PVCPA2317Plastic:PVCPAAPC3.SportsShoesinSyntheticMaterialsInthesportsshoemarket,PVC,PAandAPCarethemajorplasticrawmaterials.ThemajorityofsportsshoesaremadeofPVC,whichischeaper,easiertoscreenprintandeasiertocolour.Allthesefactorscreateanattractivelyfinishedproductwithacompetitivelowprice.APCandPAareclassifiedashigherqualitymaterialsusedinhighqualityproductswithahighprice.IncomparisonwithAPC,PAisahigherqualitybutmoreexpensivematerial.Forthetimebeing,thesportsshoemarketisdemandingcolourful,brightandfluorescentpatterns.OnlyPVCcansatisfytheserequirementswithlowproductioncosts(seeTable2).Consequently,mostmanufacturersarecontinuingtousePVCasthemajormaterialforsportsshoes,inOrdertosurviveintheseverelyc0mpetitivesportsshoemarket.MaterialPriceEaseofProd'nDurabilityColourRangeCostofPigmentPVCloweasylowgoodlowAPCMediumaverageaverageaveragehighPAhighaveragehighaveragehighTable24.TrendsintheUseofSyntheticMaterialsSportsshoesarenolongerconsideredsimplyshoeswhichareusedforplayingsportsin.Sportsshoesarenow,andwillprobablycontinuetobe,amajoritemoffashionwear.Consumersseemtobepreparedtopayanever-increasingpriceforhighfashionsportsshoes,andincreasingly,sportsshoesareenteringthemediumendproductsegmentofthemarket.Aspeopleappeartobewillingtopaymoreforproducts,higherqualityAPCandPAplasticrawmaterialwillprobablyhaveagrowingpotentialinthesportsshoemarket.5.PotentialofAPCMaterialintheSportsShoeMarketAPCismoredurablethanPVC.Inotherwords,therearelessagingproblemsassociatedwithAPC.Secondly,thequalityoffinishofAPCproductsishigherthanthatofPVCproducts.Assportsshoesbecomemorefashionable,thisconsiderationwillbecomemoreimportant.Lastly,APCisbetterlooking,andstayslookingbetterforlonger.Itshouldberemarkedherethatiftherewerenopricedifference,manymanufacturerswouldbewillingtotryAPCmaterialinproducingsportsshoesbecausetheyrealisethatiftheymarketabetterqualityproduct,theycanavoidtheseverecompetitionatmetowendofth