Greenbox: The Next Generation Chinese Fashion Brand

Greenbox is a Shanghai-based children’s clothier which manufactures Disney-branded apparel. After six months of negotiation and collaboration with Disney, Greenbox CEO Fangfang Wu got the nod to stir up Chinese appetite for Disney characters like Mickey, Minnie and Winnie the Pooh. The consortium is Disney’s preparation for the opening of Shanghai Disney Resort in 2016.

A strong and deep commitment to a distinct design makes Greenbox a largely different apparel brand. Without having to thrive under the shadow of Disney brands, the apparels by Greenbox will bear the label “Disney by Greenbox.” This gives Greenbox a cutting edge among the middle class Chinese population who are becoming more and more brand-conscious.

After Greenbox’s launching in 2003, its label is now the number one e-commerce retailer of children’s apparel. Wu’s business philosophy was to create a clothing brand that reflects personality. As a self-taught fashion designer, Wu was Greenbox’s best customer.

Miss de Mode was Wu’s first brand. She had in her mind her daughter Alice when she designed Miss de Mode. Wu became successful on China’s own version of eBay, Each Net. This led her to open several physical outlets in 2006.

However, the financial crisis soon got its toll on Greenbox and Wu was forced to relocate in Taobao. Taobao allows businessmen to open branded online stores. This proved to be Greenbox’s best business move. Wu’s online store gave her more control of her inventory and allowed her to play on the items’ prices. With 36% of China’s population going online, Greenbox had a net revenue of $8 million in 2010 and grew 400% in 2011.

Greenbox also pioneered in product safety at a time when there aren’t strong safety standards for children’s clothing in China. Wu was very personal in monitoring Greenbox’s quality by conducting regular visits to production facilities. To achieve its objectives on product safety, Greenbox uses environment-friendly materials and processes.