Made in China – A State of the Market Report

If you have all this gear from top-brand American companies, why should you be interested in Chinese gear? Well, take a close look at that brand-name gear, especially at the little label that says where it's made. Oops - it says "Made in China." Yep, rightly or wrongly, most gear sold by the big-name companies is made off-shore these days, and mostly in Asia, or China. It's only the small cottage industries which still make gear in America.

What happens when the Asian (Chinese) factories, which have been making gear under contract to American companies, decide to start making the same gear under their own brand? Obviously, they can't churn out the exact same items with just a different brand on them: they have to come up with their own variations, even if they are rather close. Do they have the necessary skills to produce world-class designs by themselves? If so, what happens then? And what are the long-term consequences for everyone?

ARTICLE OUTLINE

• Introduction
• 'Made in China' - The Problems
• Manufacturing
• Branding
• Quality
• The Human Factor
• The History and the Future
• Can quality be copied?
• The rise of China compared to Korea and Japan
• How big is the threat and is there a threat?
• Is there an immediate threat from China via the web?
• What about the environment?
• Case Study - Stoves
• FMS-F1
• FMS-106 US$24.95 144 grams
• FMS-116 US$24.95 72 grams
• FMS-109 US$29.95 83 grams
• Case Study - Cooking Accessories
• A remote stand for an upright stove.
• Kettles
• Case Study - Tents
• Seam Stitching
• Anchor Point Sewing
• Poles
• Pole Feet
• Guy Ropes
• Top Vents
• Case Study - Packs and Bags
• Case Study - Joggers
• Case Study - Clothing
• But What About the Future?
• Quality
• Marketing
• The Hidden Factors - the Web, Technology Transfer and the Future

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