Xia Bin had long expected to be rebuked by the brand.
But he was at a complete loss with Ganglong International. To this day, he hadn’t been able to schedule a meeting with Huang Guangyuan; the man was dead set on forcing him out.
The worst part was that they had given the spot to Yi Rui. It was an utter humiliation. ’What kind of brand is Yi Rui? It’s not even in the same league as Sa Mo!’
Knowing he was in the wrong, Xia Bin explained, "Jack, rest assured, we will definitely get back into Ganglong International later. This was just a last-minute adjustment by the mall, and there wasn’t enough time to communicate."
Jack sneered. "But the brand’s image will be severely damaged. Many brands inferior to ours are still there, yet Sa Mo was removed. I think your Four Seasons Clothing has a problem with its channel communication skills!"
Xia Bin could only manage a hollow laugh. His expansion team truly couldn’t handle Ganglong International. Even his own personal attempts had been useless.
"President Xia, if you can’t hold on to Sa Mo’s spot in Ganglong International, I will recommend to the corporation that we add another distributor to partner with in Hanjiang Province. But rest assured, we have one prerequisite: they must be able to get into Ganglong International!"
Xia Bin’s expression turned ugly. Exclusive distribution rights and having a competitor enter the market were worlds apart. Fortunately for him, if even Four Seasons Clothing couldn’t crack Ganglong International, it was unlikely any other company in Hanjiang Province had the ability to do so.
Besides, there was no way Huang Guangyuan would kick Sa Mo out one minute only to invite it back the next. Wouldn’t that be a joke?
"Also, due to the rising cost of raw materials, next year’s procurement price for merchandise will increase by five percentage points of the tag price!"
Xia Bin grew anxious at once. "Jack, that’s too high! My current annual purchase volume is 200 million in tag value. Five percentage points is 10 million!"
That was 10 million flushed right down the drain.
"President Xia, I’m not finished. Next year’s total procurement tag value must also be increased to 250 million!"
’Damn, a procurement total of 250 million in tag value... If I don’t have enough sales channels, the inventory pressure will be even greater.’
But right now, aside from Jiangzhou Wansheng Square, he had no other good mall channels to add.
He had lost the Ganglong International Store, which had annual sales of 18 million, yet his purchase quota was increasing. Combined with the rise in procurement price, the blow to his profits would be devastating!
Xia Bin’s expression was grim. After a long moment, he said, "Jack, we’ve been partners for so long, and we’ve always worked so well together. Isn’t it going too far to negotiate like this now?"
Jack let out a cold laugh. "With the Ganglong International store gone, I have no voice at the corporation. There’s no way for me to fight for your interests!"
"Either you sort out Ganglong International, or you accept these terms. Or, I’ll add another regional distributor in Hanjiang. President Xia, you can weigh the options yourself."
Afterward, no matter how much Xia Bin tried to argue, Jack remained unmoved.
Xia Bin’s head throbbed. He had just taken over the family business and already landed in this mess. It was a complete blow to his authority!
What couldn’t be settled at the negotiation table had to be settled over dinner. And what couldn’t be settled over dinner had to be settled under the table.
He opted for a roundabout tactic and invited Jack to dinner, which was standard practice. Jack had always been hosted on his previous visits.
Unexpectedly, Jack refused, saying he had other plans for the evening and wouldn’t impose.
Xia Bin instantly had a bad feeling. The brand’s attitude this time was extremely firm, leaving no room for maneuver.
Jack had other plans for the evening. Xia Bin couldn’t help but let his mind wander, especially since Jack had repeatedly mentioned adding another regional distributor.
He nodded, his expression dark, and forced a smile. "Then shall I have my driver take you?"
Jack said, "No need, I’ll just grab a cab."
「Three Flavors Garden」
The designated restaurant for entertaining guests of the Yino Jiangzhou Branch.
The average cost here was about 150 yuan per person—a modest price. There was no helping it; the company had a cap on entertainment expenses.
The baijiu also cost no more than 200 yuan. Liu Haoran thought back to President Chen Xiao’s hospitality. ’Can’t compare, can’t compare at all!’
After being accustomed to Moutai, drinking this 42% ABV blended liquor was like chewing wax.
The private room wasn’t very large, with space for eight people. Besides Liu Haoran, the heads of expansion and retail were also present.
Fang Qiang, Li Lei, and Xu Jia were there as well. Liu Haoran had specifically asked her to come.
Everyone at the company knew Liu Haoran had arranged for Xu Jia’s position, so no one was surprised by the special treatment he gave her.
Today, Liu Haoran was hosting an important guest, so he had summoned all of his core department heads.
Checking the time, Liu Haoran said to Fang Qiang, "Let’s go out and greet our guest. He should be arriving soon."
Only Li Lei and Xu Jia remained in the room.
"What were you thinking, asking President Liu to let Zhao Xiangjun have a flexible work schedule? Do you have any idea how much that will affect the store’s performance?"
That afternoon, in Liu Haoran’s office, Xu Jia had submitted a request for Zhao Xiangjun to have a flexible schedule, on the condition that her monthly sales performance wouldn’t be the worst in the store.
How could Liu Haoran possibly disagree? Forget just ensuring sales performance; even if Xu Jia had suggested Zhao Xiangjun stop coming in altogether and still get a raise, Liu Haoran would have approved it.
Li Lei had been dumbfounded at the time. ’One really dared to ask, and the other really dared to agree!’
He couldn’t quite fathom their logic. But as the head of the retail department, he knew that if Zhao Xiangjun wasn’t in the store, its performance would suffer greatly. Her sales figures were just that incredible.
And store performance was directly tied to the sales managers’ performance bonuses. No wonder Li Lei had looked constipated ever since Xu Jia’s request was approved by Liu Haoran.
Xu Jia said, "It’s either this or she never comes back at all. Manager Li, which do you think is better?"
Li Lei fell silent. This way, there was a chance she might return to her old self in the future, which was better than her not coming back at all.
He didn’t dare push Xu Jia too hard. The woman loved to argue, and more importantly, Liu Haoran indulged her every whim. Li Lei had complained about Liu Haoran behind his back more than a few times because of it.
"Boss, are we hosting people from the Sa Mo brand company tonight?"
Liu Haoran had revealed a bit more on the way out, but Fang Qiang was surprised. How had they gotten involved with Sa Mo?
Sa Mo was represented by Four Seasons Clothing in Hanjiang Province, and Yino had just poached their Ganglong International store!
’To immediately turn around and get cozy with the brand owner... what kind of genius move is this?!’
"Mhm. We’ll chat a bit, see if there’s an opportunity to take over the distribution rights."
Fang Qiang was stunned. ’President Liu sure is ambitious. They have a good partnership with Four Seasons Clothing, why would they even consider us? After all, Four Seasons Clothing has always managed mid- to high-end brands; their operational capabilities are very strong.’
But he still laid on the flattery. Whether the partnership could be secured or not, pleasing his boss came first.
"Boss, you’re expanding the company’s territory again! If we get the Sa Mo brand, our sales will have a whole new growth driver!"
"And you’re setting an example for all the other branches nationwide. If you ask me, in the entire corporation, only you have this kind of courage and vision, Boss!"