Reborn in 08, Public Enemy of Competitors

A familiar figure sat in the office.

Shen Mo was taken aback: "Senior Zhao Min? Aren't you...?"

"This is all thanks to you!"

"Because of those reports of yours, I was transferred from the City Express to the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Daily."

Zhao Min smiled and said, "The editor-in-chief knew that you were the interviewee this time, so he specifically asked me to write a good report."

Congratulations!

Shen Mo sat down opposite her. "Senior, this counts as a promotion."

"A small improvement."

Zhao Min spoke modestly, but she couldn't suppress the smile on her face.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, I opened my notebook, turned on the voice recorder, and officially began the interview.

"Mr. Shen, how did you come up with the idea of ​​launching the 'Home Appliance Trade-in' program?"

"This idea actually came about during a conversation with Mr. Liu Qiangdong of Jingdong."

"At the time, the 'Home Appliances to the Countryside' policy was being implemented nationwide to revitalize the rural market. I thought, why not try doing something similar in the cities to revitalize the vast urban market as well?"

Shen Mo deliberately left a cliffhanger, "But during our discussion, we discovered that ordinary people have several pain points when buying home appliances."

Which ones?

Zhao Min tactfully initiated the conversation.

"First, old appliances are difficult to dispose of; they're not worth much when sold as scrap, but it's a waste to throw them away."

"Secondly, home appliances are big-ticket items, and the cost of replacing them is high, so many people are reluctant to replace them."

"Third, the use of old home appliances beyond their service life poses safety hazards, and there are cases of fires caused by old appliances every year."

Fourth, there is a large rental population in cities who are less inclined to buy new appliances and prefer secondhand ones…

Shen Mo counted on his fingers, talking non-stop.

Zhao Min pressed further: "So, your YiTaoGO partnered with Jingdong to launch the 'Home Appliance Trade-in' program?"

"Yes, we need to use the mindset and efficiency of the Internet to drive this forward."

Shen Mo said earnestly, "When people buy new home appliances, we arrange for people to come to their homes to remove the old ones and install the new ones. The old appliances that are no longer needed are handed over to offline channels such as Suning and Gome for disposal. Those that can still be used are refurbished and put into the second-hand market at a lower price, and sold to renters and low-income families in need."

"In this way, we can solve the problem of disposing of old home appliances, stimulate domestic demand for new home appliances, and meet the needs of the second-hand market."

"Moreover, old home appliances are safe and reliable after proper refurbishment, which also eliminates safety hazards."

"The entire event can be said to have achieved resource reuse, and can be considered a new model of sustainable development..."

"hiss!"

Zhao Min listened in a daze, and only took a deep breath after Shen Mo finished speaking his last sentence.

It's all about "sustainable development," "green environmental protection," and "Internet Plus"...

Every word and every sentence aligns with the country's current direction, environment, and situation!

You're spouting rhymes like that, junior, are you trying to reach the heavens?

…………

Shen Mo's interview immediately caught the attention of the editorial department of the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Daily, who even wrote an editor's note and commentary.

After being published in the newspaper, it quickly caused quite a stir on the internet and in financial circles.

Industry insiders have offered their opinions, with varying viewpoints, but all supporting YiTaoGO and JingDong's home appliance trade-in program from the perspectives of green environmental protection, resource conservation, and domestic sales transformation. Some even suggested setting up one or two similar pilot programs at the provincial or municipal level.

The Jiangsu-Zhejiang Daily bluntly stated, "Home appliance trade-in program achieves over 3500 million yuan in sales in a single day; YiTaoGO joins hands with JD.com to create a new e-commerce paradigm."

The 21st Century Business Herald focused on YiTao GO, stating that "from Meizu M8 to home appliance trade-in programs, YiTao GO is proving itself not only as an e-commerce traffic distributor but also as an 'online accelerator' for traditional manufacturing."

A columnist on Huxiu.com even used a straightforward title: "Jingdong's comeback is orchestrated by Shen Mo."

Although state media did not immediately express their views, People's Daily and Guangming Daily successively reprinted the relevant reports and mentioned in their comments that "the role of Internet platforms in expanding domestic demand and promoting the circular economy deserves attention."

With just a few strokes, those with a keen sense of smell were already able to discern the implied meaning.

Huang Zheng hadn't recovered from the hot sales of the Meizu M8 when the news about the home appliance trade-in program hit him like a ton of bricks, leaving him completely stunned.

Feeling depressed, he called Duan Yongping, who was in the United States, seeking advice from his elder brother.

"Xiao Zheng, are you really sure?"

"Brother Duan, I've made up my mind."

Huang Zheng spoke calmly, each word sounding as if he had thought it through.

"If Ouku.com didn't build its own logistics channels, it would never have been able to implement a program like this, which allows old appliances to be traded in for new ones."

"Without logistics, we can't make large appliances; without large appliances, we can't catch up with Jingdong."

"As a result, the gap between Ouku.com and Jingdong will only widen, and they will never be able to catch up with Jingdong."

"Your judgment is correct."

Duan Yongping said unhurriedly, "Liu Qiangdong has invested so much money in logistics to build a moat. Now that the moat has been dug, it will be too costly for your Ouku.com to catch up."

"Yes, I can't beat Liu Qiangdong. No, to be precise, I can't beat Liu Qiangdong who works with Shen Mo."

Huang Zheng sighed, "Rather than being subordinate to others, it's better to change tracks."

Duan Yongping asked curiously, "What are you planning to do next?"

"I plan to sell Ouku.com, retain the core team, and then go into e-commerce outsourcing business."

"E-commerce dropshipping?"

"right!"

Huang Zheng said confidently, "Now domestic companies are eager to shift to domestic sales, and multinational brands are eager to enter the Chinese market. They all need people who understand e-commerce to help them manage their online channels. So, I will be the 'housekeeper' for those big brands that want to do online business but don't know how."

"We help them open Taobao stores, generate traffic, and organize promotions, taking care of the entire online operation process."

"You've jumped from the red ocean of retail to the blue ocean of services."

Duan Yongping astutely pointed out: "This direction definitely has potential."

"Actually, I learned this approach from Shen Mo."

Huang Zheng said helplessly, "Isn't YiTao GO supposed to help brands and Taobao merchants do e-commerce better? It's just that it's about sales guides and marketing, while I'm about operations and management."

Duan Yongping couldn't help but exclaim, "This Shen Mo is extraordinary."

Huang Zheng said, "Yes, he is a very imaginative person, but every time it seems to be planned in advance, it can bring about amazing results. I even suspect that the home appliance trade-in program was specially tailored for Jingdong by him."

"I think it was Shen Mo's doing."

Duan Yongping chuckled and said, "His ambitions are quite large."

Huang Zheng asked, puzzled, "Why do you say that?"

Duan Yongping said, "Why do you think he said those things in the interview? He said them for the people above him to hear."

Huang Zheng immediately understood: "Shen Mo wouldn't be thinking of..."

Duan Yongping said, "His remarks will at least catch the eye of the provincial authorities, which will be of great benefit to both him and YiTaoGO."

Huang Zheng readily agreed: "Brother Duan, Shen Mo even invited me to collaborate with him on a new project..."

Duan Yongping suggested, "That's great! You should give it a try. You might find a better project than e-commerce agency."

Huang Zheng said, "That's what I was thinking too, and I'm just about to arrange a time to meet."

"Go ahead and do it with confidence. Whatever you want to do, BBK and I will fully support you."

Duan Yongping spoke as if she were making a perfectly normal decision: "If you want to invest, just let me know."

"Thank you, Brother Duan!"

Huang Zheng was moved, and felt a sense of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.