China's wholesale commodities hub warms up for World Cup frenzy

HANGZHOU, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- With just four months to go before the 2026 FIFA World Cup opens in North America, China's wholesale commodities hub of Yiwu -- often dubbed the "world's supermarket" -- is in the midst of a production and sales frenzy to meet global demand for tournament merchandise.

At the Yiwu International Trade Market in the city in east China's Zhejiang Province, stores in its sporting goods section are now packed with international buyers inspecting sample products, negotiating prices and placing orders.

A Brazilian buyer, who gave his name as Matheus, told Xinhua that he was on a two-month sourcing trip in Yiwu for the World Cup. "We're looking to order 5,000 to 10,000 jerseys for the World Cup, with purchases usually finalized in January or February," he said.

In the market, vast arrays of World Cup-themed products fill the shelves. Local vendor Luo Tianle said his stall had launched 50 to 60 new World Cup items, including plush toys, daily necessities and souvenirs.

"The new products have secured orders exceeding 1 million yuan (about 144,000 U.S. dollars) within just one week of their launch," Luo said.

Renowned for their quality and affordability, "Made in Yiwu" products consistently capture market attention during major sporting events. Many businesses began their preparations for the North American tournament as early as May 2025.

Vendor Wen Congjian, who sold over 2 million of his original-design jerseys for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, is now expanding his product range.

For 2026, he has introduced jerseys for women, children, and even pets. "We aim to diversify our products, giving fans more choices," he explained.

Beyond their new designs, vendors are now securing intellectual property rights. Chen Shaomei's self-designed commemorative footballs have attracted substantial numbers of overseas orders. Protected by design patents, these footballs yield roughly 15 percent higher profit margins than generic ones.

Despite the approaching Chinese New Year holiday, Chen's factory is operating at full capacity. "Workers are staying later this year. Our order volume is about 30 percent higher than previous years," he noted.

Similar scenes are unfolding at a similar facility operated by another sporting goods company, where production lines are running nonstop. "Orders related to the World Cup are picking up as the event draws nearer," said Wu Xiaoming, the company's manager and head of the Yiwu sporting goods association.

Wu, who gained online fame during the last World Cup for producing 100,000 footballs in just 50 days, has experienced six World Cups over his two-decade career.

Facing fierce competition, Wu is shifting his focus from low prices to diversified branding and premium product upgrades. His company now participates in setting industry standards, supplies the official balls for provincial tournaments and partners with foreign football clubs.

Wu believes the era of competing solely on price is over. "The focus now is on high-quality development. I hope all businesses can find their direction amid this boom," he said.

According to Yiwu Customs, the city's exports of sports equipment and goods grew 20.3 percent year on year to a total of 11.65 billion yuan in 2025, with major destination markets including the United States, Brazil and Saudi Arabia.

Regardless of the host nation in each tournament, Yiwu has remained a constant supplier of World Cup merchandise. Wu attributes this to the city's unique strengths in product variety, rapid market response and competitive logistics costs.

"To stand out, you must specialize, becoming irreplaceable to justify your quality and price," Wu said.