How a Trading Company Won a Major Supermarket Deal Through Two Years of Persistence

Industry Case Study: How a Trading Company Secured a Major International Supermarket Order Through Two Years of Persistence

Q: Hello, please introduce your company and business first.

A: We are Shaanxi Xinyan Yongzhen Industrial Co., Ltd., located at Guorunji, Qindu District, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province. Our company focuses on the export business of eco-friendly disposable paper products, including paper cups, paper bowls, and paper bags. We do not manufacture ourselves, but instead integrate resources from multiple domestic factories to provide one-stop procurement services for overseas customers.

Q: I heard your company recently completed a very challenging project. Could you share it with us?

A: Yes, last year we successfully completed a paper product supply project for a well-known international supermarket chain. The entire process took nearly two years, with a total shipment volume of 70 containers. This project was a real test for us and taught us many valuable lessons.

Q: How did this project begin?

A: At the end of 2023, we learned through a European partner that an international supermarket chain was bidding for disposable paper product suppliers. The client required us to provide quotations for 46 products within one week, along with all relevant qualification documents. These 46 products covered various specifications of paper cups, paper bowls, paper lids, and paper bags, each with different material, size, and printing requirements.

We had only one week to coordinate with three partner factories, working through the night to sort out product parameters, calculate costs, and compile all qualification materials. Our team barely slept during those days, but we managed to complete the full quotation package and qualification documents just before the deadline.

Q: Quoting 46 products within a week is indeed impressive. How did the client respond?

A: After submitting the quotation, we heard nothing from the client for several months. Then in July 2024, the client suddenly contacted us, saying that some of our quoted prices for the 46 products were not aligned with their target prices. They asked us to optimize our quotations.

That's when the real challenge began. We spent two full weeks analyzing each of the 46 products in detail—from raw material costs, production processes, and waste rates to logistics expenses. For products with significant price gaps, we repeatedly communicated with factories to see if we could reduce costs by optimizing production processes.

Q: How did you optimize the production processes specifically?

A: For example, one paper bowl required a lid with ventilation holes. The mold design was complex, which drove up costs. We worked with the factory to adjust the mold structure without affecting functionality, successfully reducing costs.

The most difficult part was the multi-layer label process required for several products. The client demanded 2 to 3 layers of peelable labels with extremely high printing precision and adhesive standards. We contacted suppliers across Zhejiang, Anhui, and Guangdong provinces, assisted factories in modifying molds over a dozen times, and created countless samples before finally meeting the client's requirements.

For six months, we were essentially stuck in a cycle of improvement, sampling, and further improvement. After each improvement, we sent complete sample sets to the client along with detailed data reports, using professional data to address their concerns. Ultimately, in the second round of bidding, 30 of our products were successfully shortlisted.

Q: Shortlisting 30 products is an excellent result. What challenges came next?

A: After being shortlisted, the real test had just begun. The client required all products to be produced and shipped before the Spring Festival. This was peak season, when factories are typically operating at full capacity and logistics resources are extremely tight.

Our team's daily routine consisted of confirming production progress with factories in the morning, coordinating cargo space reservations with logistics companies in the afternoon, and compiling daily production reports for the client in the evening. During that period, we tracked the production status of all 30 products daily, ensuring no issues arose at any stage.

What made it even more challenging was that the client sent a third-party inspection agency to conduct on-site random inspections at the factories. We accompanied the inspectors throughout the process—into workshops, along production lines, during sample selection, and through lab testing. Those days were incredibly tense because after investing so much effort, if any product failed inspection, everything would have been for nothing.

Fortunately, all products passed inspection smoothly. When the last container was loaded and shipped, our entire team breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Q: This project took nearly two years and enormous effort. Was it worth it?

A: Absolutely worth it. Although the process was difficult, it taught us what true professionalism really means.

First, it taught us how to handle complex client requirements. Managing 46 products across three factories and multiple provincial suppliers required coordinating every detail perfectly.

Second, it helped us establish a more comprehensive supply chain management system. Since then, our standards for selecting partner factories have become higher, and our quality control processes have become stricter.

Third and most importantly, this project earned us a long-term, stable partner. The client now works with us regularly, placing a full container order every two months. And because of our performance on this project, the client has actively recommended us to their partners in other markets.

Q: What do you think is the most important lesson learned from these years in export?

A: I believe it's persistence and attention to detail.

Persistence, because the development cycle for international clients is often very long. This project took nearly two years from start to finish. If we had given up halfway, we would have gained nothing.

Attention to detail, because client requirements are extremely meticulous. Each of those 46 products had strict standards for material, size, printing, and packaging. A single oversight in any detail could have jeopardized the entire order.

We have a saying we often repeat: The client's requirements are our own requirements. Only by treating the client's business as our own can we get every detail right.

Q: What are your future plans?

A: The success of this project has given us great confidence. Moving forward, we want to replicate this experience with more markets and clients.

We are building a more professional sales team to enhance our ability to develop and serve international clients. At the same time, we are expanding our network of partner factories, particularly in the field of biodegradable products, to offer clients in different markets more diverse options.

In the long term, our goal remains unchanged: to become a professional bridge connecting high-quality Chinese factories with international markets, so that foreign clients looking for Chinese paper products think of us first.

Q: Finally, a piece of advice for those just entering or considering entering the industry?

A: Don't be afraid of hard work, and don't be afraid of challenges. Securing orders from major international clients is indeed difficult—long cycles, high requirements, and complex processes. But if you can persist and get every detail right, once you succeed, the rewards will be long-lasting.