"World Supermarket" Takes the Lead in Scoring — On-the-Ground Observation of Yiwu's Preparations for the World Cup

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 11 — The China Securities Journal published an article on the 11th titled “The ‘World Supermarket’ Scores First Goals — On-the-Spot Observation of Yiwu Preparing for the World Cup.” The article states that, just one month before the 2026 World Cup kicks off, the sports goods area of Yiwu International Trade City appears unusually quiet, with only a few foreign buyers still shuttling around selecting products. Behind the calm is a business mindset of foresight and seizing opportunities — as early as a year ago, the “World Supermarket” Yiwu began busy preparations for this global sporting event. Now, customer flow in stores is gradually slowing, factories are operating in an orderly manner, and Yiwu’s World Cup stockpiling has entered the final stage.

The trade benefits brought by the tournament are already evident. “The factory’s three production lines are still operating at full capacity, producing 5,000 footballs daily,” “During the peak order period in the second half of last year, workers were so busy they couldn’t lift their arms,” “Customized products have already been launched overseas, and a new batch of customers has been ‘seeded’…” Several foreign trade merchants of sports products told China Securities Journal that the export boom triggered by this year’s World Cup has evolved from selling products to selling brands and services.

(September 15, 2025, workers at a sports goods company in Yiwu are rushing to fulfill football orders. Photo by Xinhua)

提前进入世界杯时间

“Since July last year, orders have increased by over 20% compared to non-competition periods. Summer is traditionally a slow season for foreign trade, but it has become bustling because of the 2026 USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup,” said Chen Shaomei, founder of Yiwu Sasa Sports Goods Co., Ltd. Having experienced five World Cups, the company is very familiar with the rhythm of stockpiling and signing orders. Currently, 5,000 footballs are shipped daily from Yiwu to the world, most orders were shipped before the Spring Festival, and the factory’s order schedule extends to the end of May.

Wen Congjian, chairman of Yiwu Danna Si Import and Export Co., Ltd., which has been engaged in football jersey exports for nearly 19 years, started earlier, entering the “World Cup timeline” a year in advance.

“We began designing World Cup jerseys early last year, and orders started pouring in from June. The peak lasted from October last year until before this Spring Festival, with order volumes increasing two to three times compared to normal,” Wen Congjian told reporters. At the recently concluded Canton Fair, the company also gained some new clients — several from the host country of the World Cup were captivated by the jersey designs and immediately signed a few air-shipped spot orders.

Similarly experienced in five World Cups, founder Xiang Lili of Yiwu Zuo Xi Sports Goods Factory has precise control over production cycles.

“This World Cup is jointly hosted by three countries, and the market enthusiasm far exceeds previous editions, with football sales also increasing,” Xiang Lili said. She explained that customized products have longer production cycles, and combined with the Spring Festival holiday and logistics pressures, the factory started scheduling related products for this World Cup as early as December last year.

“Overseas old clients usually place orders three to four months in advance. By February this year, many shipments had already been completed and exported. April is the peak shipping period, and even with full production lines, workers are working overtime,” Xiang Lili added.

Data from Yiwu Customs supports the market’s hotness. In the first quarter, Yiwu’s sports goods exports reached 2.83 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.0%. The top three destinations were the United States, Brazil, and Thailand.

品牌定制双轮驱动

In Min Sa Sports’ store, hundreds of footballs are neatly arranged on three walls, with two standout World Cup-themed “hot sellers”: one printed with the flags of the USA, Canada, and Mexico in a fan-shaped pattern, and another in the host country’s red, green, and blue colors with delicate stripes. “Since July last year, these two designs I created have been bestsellers,” Chen Shaomei said.

自主品牌、自主设计、自有工厂是民飒稳拿订单的“密码”。早年学习绘画的陈绍美，深谙不同市场的设计语言：南美和非洲偏爱鲜艳色彩，欧洲青睐球队主色设计。从趋势研判到设计绘图，他亲力亲为，爆款不断。

Customized designs not only consider market characteristics but also serve specific customer needs. “Customer demands have shifted from ‘following trends’ to personalized customization. Many companies print logos and names on footballs as gifts or promotional items. Children’s footballs and pet footballs are also very popular,” Xiang Lili said.

效率也是核心竞争力，一个定制化足球，从设计需求转化为实际产品，需要多久？项丽莉的答案是，设计图2个小时，样品2天。

Efficiency is also a core competitiveness. How long does it take to turn a customized football from design to actual product? Xiang Lili’s answer is, two hours for the design drawing, two days for the sample.

Custom services excel in efficiency, while innovative products focus on proactive layout. Wen Congjian, who has been deeply involved in jersey categories for 19 years, currently holds 39 patents and 32 trademarks, with his self-designed product categories continuously expanding.

“This World Cup, as the host country, Mexico’s jersey demand has increased significantly, and orders from South American clients have also grown,” Wen Congjian said. Combining the passionate culture of South America, the company specifically designed cheerleader uniforms, and to meet the “family viewing” demand, launched children’s jerseys and pet-specific mini jerseys. Many pet owners will equip their furry friends with match-day gear.

政策支持平台赋能

“Last year in Mexico, I saw on the streets and alleys people playing football and vendors selling footballs, many of which come from Yiwu. I am very proud of that,” Xiang Lili said with a smile.

The increased presence of Yiwu’s products on overseas football shelves is also thanks to policy support and platform empowerment.

Yiwu Port is the “main artery” of Yiwu’s small commodity exports, handling about 2,000 TEUs daily, peaking over 4,000 TEUs. “Through the new generation of customs clearance platforms, container checkpoints achieve second-level intelligent inspection and release, reducing manual sealing time by about 75%, significantly improving vehicle throughput, and preventing congestion during peak periods,” said He Gangmiao, a customs officer from Yiwu Customs Supervision Division. Some checkpoints have already implemented automatic sealing functions, further reducing sealing time for a single container to 20 seconds.

At the platform level, the Small Commodities City uses technological and digital means to help merchants improve efficiency.

Digital transformation has become a key force in building the company’s core competitiveness. The 2025 annual report of the Small Commodities City shows that new formats such as import re-export, influencer live streaming, and cross-border e-commerce are emerging continuously. The company launched its first “World Yiwu” AI large model for trade, with 14 core AI applications including “CG AI Design” and “CG AI Visual Creation.” By the end of 2025, the AI series served over 288k users and benefited more than 34k market merchants.

Data reflects that the digitalization of foreign trade continues to improve the company’s operational level. In the first quarter of 2026, the Small Commodities City achieved revenue of 288k yuan, a year-on-year increase of 45.29%; net profit attributable to the parent was 990 million yuan, up 23.29%. (End)