The Legendary Story of Zhi Yan Curtain: Thriving and Growing in the Post-Real Estate Era | Revolutionizing the Curtain Industry with a Reshaped 4P Profit Model.
In an industry with no established brands, how do you create one? Zhi Yan Curtain carved a new path by reshaping the industry from the ground up, taking an innovative approach to products, pricing, channels, and promotion, unlike traditional methods. Amid a 50% downturn in the curtain industry in 2024 and the closure of numerous curtain manufacturers, Zhi Yan expanded its dedicated retail stores from 5 to 300. Each store saw an average revenue growth of 49%, marking the beginning of the brand’s ascent!
This article features another entry in the11th Hua & Hua Million RMB Super Marketing Competition 2024, exclusively sponsored by Yan Palace.
Zhi Yan Curtain is now the first recognized brand in the curtain industry. So, how did Hua & Hua help Zhi Yan establish itself as a leader? By leveraging two core strategies:
1. Building the Zhi Yan Brand Trinity with the “Three Essentials”: Super Sign, Super Discourse, and Super IP.
2. Sparking an industry-wide marketing revolution and reimagining the 4P profit model for Zhi Yan.
Project Background
On 14 November 2023, Zhi Yan Curtain officially partnered with Hua & Hua. During the signing ceremony, Zhi Yan Curtain’s Chairman, Zhou Yongjie, expressed two main goals: first, to streamline store operations by enhancing display, management, and marketing practices, enabling franchisees to achieve profitability; and second, to establish a brand within the curtain industry, which lacks strong consumer brands, aiming to be one of the top three curtain brands by 2028.
At the time, the real estate market hadn’t yet slowed, and both teams were eager to make a bold impact in an industry where branding was nearly nonexistent.
The curtain market, though vast and valued in the billions, is still highly traditional, with 90% of stores being small family businesses lacking any brand identity. Even established companies with decades in the industry rarely surpass 300 million RMB in revenue. While some have tried to establish a branded presence in the fabric curtain space, their efforts largely remain in B2B without gaining traction with consumers.
In industries like curtains, the “smile curve” theory suggests that the real value isn’t found in production alone but in either end of the value chain. Yet, most manufacturers are stuck in midstream processing, with little added value, while high-margin retail stores have minimal ties to curtain makers and little focus on brand building.
On his first visit, Mr. Zhou expressed his frustration with this. He saw the potential to create a consumer-facing brand that would drive new solutions for the industry.
From the consumer perspective, the curtain-buying experience is plagued by complexity and hidden costs, making it difficult to find quality at a fair price. Outfitting an entire home with curtains can easily cost seven or eight thousand RMB, often surprising buyers with additional fees.
The curtain industry faces two clear challenges: manufacturers struggle to sell, and consumers find it even harder to buy quality curtains. The solution? Make curtains easier to sell and easier to buy. Zhi Yan Curtain is tackling both sides of this equation, knowing that building a strong brand is the best path for sustainable growth and represents the future of the industry.
1. Building the Brand Trinity: Laying the Foundation for Market Leadership.
To build a brand, we must first understand what a brand truly is. While many talk about “branding,” what does it actually mean? Hua & Hua defines a brand as follows: A brand should be both the product and its brand—a Trinity of Product, Discourse, and Sign, a unified entity with three dimensions. The purpose of building a brand is to help customers discover, buy, recognise, remember, trust, repurchase, and feel joyful to share it—ultimately spreading the brand.
All brand-building work boils down to these three tasks: establishing the brand’s product structure, discourse system, and sign system. Every branding activity fits within these three areas, and there’s nothing relevant to branding outside of them. This Brand Trinity forms the cornerstone of effective brand management.
Building a Brand Discourse to Unlock Value.
Step 1: Start with the Name.
A brand’s name is foundational to its identity, shaping how value accumulates over time. When crafting the discourse for Zhi Yan, we prioritized a clear, cost-effective name. Originally, Zhi Yan was called “Zhi Yan Soft Decor,” aligning with other brands that avoid calling curtains “curtains” in favor of more upscale terminology. However, Zhi Yan is all about curtains, so we rebranded to “Zhi Yan Curtain” to instantly convey what the company offers. Good branding begins with clarity, bringing the target audience in right from the start.
Step 2: Crafting a Brand Proverb to Spark Word-of-Mouth.
Through store observations and interviews with franchisees, we found that customers often remarked on how Zhi Yan Curtain “looks stunning” and “brings real beauty to the home” after installation. For consumers, “beauty” is the first impression and the core essence of curtains—their purpose is to beautify the home. Using Hua & Hua’s brand proverb framework, we crafted Zhi Yan Curtain’s first brand proverb: “Zhi Yan Curtain is Beautiful.”
With the first part of the brand proverb in place, we needed to add a line that reinforced Zhi Yan Curtain’s commitment to quality.
In an industry where curtains often look and function similarly, we identified a strong technical advantage for Zhi Yan: high-temperature steam setting. Each curtain is treated in a process that uses a paper mold for shaping, followed by a consistent 100-minute steam setting at 120°C. This unique method preserves the fabric’s integrity, maintains its shape even after multiple washes, and eliminates formaldehyde, bacteria, and odors, contributing to a safer and more sustainable home environment.
Nearly all other ready-made curtain manufacturers rely on electric heat setting, which is inconsistent and tends to weaken the fabric over time. In contrast, Zhi Yan’s steam-setting process ensures durable, long-lasting results that keep the curtain looking pristine.
Through store visits and conversations with franchisees, we saw that “high-temperature steam setting” and “lasting shape retention” were frequent talking points that resonated with both sellers and consumers. Customers often ask, “Will it keep this look at home?” or “Will it lose shape after washing?” Franchisees can confidently respond, “It won’t deform, no matter how many times it’s washed—and if it does, we’ll replace it.”
To make this promise even more impactful, we introduced a quantifiable commitment: “10 Years Without Deformation.” Like “50-year pipes” in the building materials industry, this 10-year benchmark provides clarity and aligns with the typical lifespan of home curtains.
Thus, our final brand proverb became: “Beautiful Zhi Yan Curtain, No Deformation for Ten Years.” This is not only a slogan but also a statement of Zhi Yan’s product science.
Step 3: Creating a Discourse System and Defining a Complete Brand Promise.
At Hua & Hua, we believe a brand should provide a complete promise: the more comprehensive the commitment, the greater the brand’s value, and the lower the transactional cost for consumers. Zhi Yan’s promise is straightforward—“10 Years Without Deformation.” And if deformation does occur? “Free replacement.”
Establishing a Sign System: Building the Foundation for the Top Curtain Brand with Three Key Elements.
A great brand is defined by its cohesive system of super signs. Hua & Hua’s approach to creating a “super sign” includes three key elements: graphic symbols, character symbols, and pattern symbols. Zhi Yan Curtain is the first brand for which we delivered all three in our initial proposal.
1）Creating the Super Sign for Zhi Yan Curtain.
With Zhi Yan’s super slogan, “Beautiful Zhi Yan Curtains, No Deformation for 10 Years,” we aimed to create a super sign that combines the concepts of “curtain” and “beauty.” This would convey the essence of “Beautiful Zhi Yan Curtains” as a distinct and powerful brand signal.
The previous Zhi Yan logo was an abstract combination of red shapes, which led to varied interpretations: some thought it resembled a window, others a flag, woven fabric, or a nod to bringing curtains into homes across the country. However, it failed to create a unified, clear message among consumers.
▲Zhi Yan Curtain's old logo
Therefore, our approach to designing Zhi Yan’s super sign was to make the brand’s message unmistakable, using a recognizable, concrete symbol that communicates “curtain” and “beauty” at a glance.
We drew inspiration from Zhi Yan’s name, focusing on the word “Yan” (meaning “beauty” in Chinese). This led to the natural idea of combining a curtain with a face, symbolizing beauty. In terms of impact, we looked to Starbucks as a benchmark, envisioning Zhi Yan as the “Starbucks of the curtain industry.”
This is Zhi Yan Curtain’s super sign—a symbol that feels inherent to the brand and represents what curtains should symbolize.
While the initial project meeting presented the core idea of a “face + curtain” motif, it took over ten rounds of adjustments by top designers within our team. After three months, the final design was approved — a super sign that was not easily born, but well worth the journey.
2）Creating Zhi Yan’s Signature Pattern.
In the front lines of curtain sales, stores often carry a mix of products, displayed together in a way that makes it hard for consumers to distinguish one brand from another. Zhi Yan faces an additional challenge: when a product becomes a bestseller, other manufacturers quickly replicate the design, achieving up to 95% similarity in appearance, though differences in finishing, quality, and fabric grade remain, which most consumers find difficult to notice.
So, we aimed to create a unique, signature pattern for Zhi Yan to establish brand and sign assets. A consistent pattern endures through changing product lines, building brand equity year after year, and allowing for lasting brand recognition.
So what should Zhi Yan’s signature pattern be? We looked to the fashion industry for inspiration, particularly the timeless pattern used by LV. LV’s iconic monogram has endured for over 100 years, setting a benchmark for distinctive patterns in the textile industry.
Following this approach, we extracted the initials “Z” and “Y” from the pinyin of “Zhi Yan” to create the “ZY” signature pattern. This design resembles the RMB symbol, and Zhi Yan dealers affectionately refer to it as representing “wealth and style.” The ZY signature pattern is set to launch with the 2025 spring collection, marking the beginning of a new era in which Zhi Yan will establish a distinct brand symbol system within the curtain industry, steadily building its brand equity.
3）Creating the Character Sign for Zhi Yan Curtain.
Once inspiration struck with the curtain + face super sign, the next step was to amplify this symbol through a character. Our vision was clear: transform the super sign into an iconic character, reminiscent of Cleopatra’s legendary headdress. Taking this concept further, we imagined the curtain “hair” as long as the curtains themselves, hanging just three centimeters above the floor—a whimsical character with a curtain headdress, embodied in a playful little girl.
Keeping the essence of the curtain’s original design, we looked to the iconic appeal of Disney princesses for inspiration, refining proportions and details to create an endearing, inviting “Curtain Goddess.” This character immediately captures attention, embodying both the spirit of the curtain industry and the unique identity of the Zhi Yan Curtain brand.
Zhi Yan Curtain’s brand foundation rests on three essential super signs: the “Curtain Face” symbol, the stylish “rich and beautiful” border pattern, and the charming “Curtain Goddess” character. With limited resources, our initial focus is on promoting the Curtain Face, pushing one symbol to full recognition.
2. Launching an Industry Marketing Revolution: Reshaping Zhi Yan’s 4P Profit Model.
With Zhi Yan Curtain’s brand strategy in place, March 2024 marked a pivotal moment as the real estate market hit a downturn. Property sales slowed significantly, and the building materials industry faced a challenging “triple decline”: lower foot traffic, decreased transaction values, and reduced customer flow. Streets and stores dedicated to home improvement were notably empty.
In this shifting landscape, the traditional approach to the curtain industry was no longer viable for growth. For Zhi Yan Curtain, true innovation from the ground up was essential—sticking to the old roadmap simply wouldn’t lead to new horizons.
At Hua & Hua, we see the 4Ps as the ultimate marketing framework. The 4Ps encompass everything in marketing and are the core levers we pull to address any marketing challenge. These four levers—Product, Price, Place, and Promotion—are interconnected, each influencing the others. By identifying the primary P that holds the most impact, we can set it in motion, with the remaining three aligning to support and maximize its effect.
Upon analyzing Zhi Yan Curtain’s 4P model, it became clear that a lack of pricing transparency and consistency in stores was a major industry challenge. Addressing this issue could unlock significant opportunities for Zhi Yan’s brand.
Using Price as a Strategic Lever — the Only Brand in the Industry.Zhi Yan leads with transparent, consistent pricing nationwide.
At its core, pricing is about setting a framework for value distribution, balancing the interests of both internal and external stakeholders. It revolves around three primary areas of negotiation:
• Balancing customer interests;
• Aligning with upstream and downstream; partners in the value chain (industry profit pool)
• Positioning against competitors.
To reshape its pricing approach, Zhi Yan focused on three key strategies that benefit both customers and stores:
1) Transparent, fixed pricing nationwide;
2) All-in-one package pricing for full-home installations;
3) Quality for value—meeting the needs of 80% of the consumer base.
Action 1: Transparent, fixed pricing nationwide.
The initial focus is on establishing clear, transparent pricing. Transparent pricing is foundational to a civilized market.
The curtain industry lacks transparent pricing. It’s common for a savvy salesperson to adjust the price based on a customer’s perceived wealth—if they spot a BMW key, the price per meter goes up; if it’s a Volkswagen, it’s lower. While frustrating, this “sizing up” is a well-known tactic in the industry, where stores often try to negotiate the highest price with each customer.
A popular post on Xiaohongshu tells of a real experience where a customer was quoted 100 RMB per meter for curtains, but after factoring in extra charges for hooks, finishing, installation, and tracks, the final cost for 20 meters of fabric exceeded 7,000 RMB. Many of us have heard similar stories from friends or family.
This lack of price transparency means stores spend a lot of time negotiating, often wearing down both the business and the customer. Zhi Yan’s Mr. Zhou sees the problem: salespeople end up haggling and discounting based on each customer’s situation, creating frustration all around.
This pricing inconsistency also hinders the expansion of sales channels. Manufacturers protect local dealers by maintaining region-specific pricing, often limiting distribution to one store per area. However, this approach limits brand visibility and growth potential across the market.
To address this, we made a change: fixed prices, no bargaining. Zhi Yan Curtain now uses transparent, nationally consistent pricing.
Action 2: All-in-one package pricing for full-home installations.
Zhi Yan Curtain introduced a new, simplified pricing approach: a “whole-home package” with a fixed total price. Unlike the traditional method of pricing by meter with separate fees for processing, materials, finishing, tracks, and installation, the package price is straightforward and aligns with customers’ budgeting habits.
Hua & Hua recommended that Zhi Yan Curtain break away from the industry’s traditional by-the-meter sales model and adopt a “whole-home curtain package” approach. This new model lowers decision-making costs for customers and boosts store conversion rates.
This package-based sales model has already been tested successfully in a few high-performing Zhi Yan Curtain stores. When we interviewed store staff, they shared the impact of this approach: “Selling by the meter was tedious. We had to calculate different prices for each space, like the living room and bedrooms, and each fabric had a different price. Customers would haggle endlessly, making it hard to close sales. Now, with the package price, it’s so much easier—one clear price tag covers the whole home installation.”
In reality, this package-based sales approach is often used by major brands in the curtain industry as a promotional tactic to attract customers, though these packages typically offer only one style option.
Looking deeper into the industry, the leading company Oppein set an example in the wardrobe sector, which is characterized by infrequent purchases, high costs, complex processes, and opaque pricing. To address these issues, Oppein introduced a fixed-price package model. In 2015, they pioneered the concept with their “19,800 RMB Full Home Custom Wardrobe Package,” which quickly raised their brand visibility. This approach was later expanded to the entire home furnishing category, embracing a comprehensive home solution model.
Action 3：Quality for value—meeting the needs of 80% of the consumer base.
Zhi Yan Curtain has earned a reputation in the industry as a “zero-after-sales” brand, highly favored by installers due to its top-tier quality, comparable to high-end brands. However, this also presents a challenge: retailers purchase Zhi Yan products at a mid-range price but often resell them at a premium. Selling at a lower price point is seen as undervaluing the brand, which subtly contributes to slower sales turnover. In the post-real estate boom of 2024, this issue has only become more pronounced.
After in-depth discussions with the Zhi Yan Curtain team and extensive market research, we proposed a five-tier package pricing strategy to make Zhi Yan Curtains more accessible. These include the All-Inclusive Basic Package at 1980 RMB, the Quality Package at 2980 RMB, the Popular Choice Package at 3980 RMB, the Premium Package at 4980 RMB, and a flexible, non-package custom option starting at 6000 RMB. Each package includes 24 meters of fabric, installation, steaming, measurement, tracks, mounting, and after-sales service (with the 1980 RMB package excluding tracks). This streamlined pricing significantly boosts sales efficiency, as these five options cover around 80-90% of home layouts nationwide. This pricing structure aligns closely with Zhi Yan’s mission of “bringing quality curtains to every Chinese home.”
In an industry where price opacity and haggling are the norm, simply listing prices in stores isn’t enough—the key lies in controlling prices and maintaining consistency. Inspired by feedback from front-line distributors, we developed Zhi Yan Curtain’s “Three No’s Policy” for designated stores: no bargaining, no discounts, and no rounding down. By establishing transparent pricing, we commit to upholding price integrity.
This approach quickly resonated with customers. For example, in September, a distributor reported that on their store’s opening night, they closed a sale at 7467 RMB, not even rounding down the final 7 RMB, which traditionally would have been waived.
The fact that customers and stores are sticking to exact pricing reflects growing acceptance of Zhi Yan’s clear pricing policy. Like in supermarkets, when everyone follows the same standard, it naturally becomes routine.
The success of this policy is due to Mr. Zhou’s pricing strategy, which ensures a fair profit margin for Zhi Yan’s stores and a competitive, transparent price for customers. The foundation of our fixed pricing is Zhi Yan’s strong product quality and our non-negotiable price point. With straightforward, no-frills pricing, Zhi Yan Curtains is making sales simpler and more reliable across its 300 exclusive stores.
Redefining the Product: An Industry First! The store is the primary product, while the curtains are the essential foundation.
Traditionally, a curtain store’s “product” is simply the curtains themselves. This approach results in stores that lack a distinct brand, often displaying a mix of generic products with no cohesive identity. Without a strong brand presence, curtains alone struggle to establish a meaningful impact and rely heavily on the context of the store to convey value.
Zhi Yan’s philosophy is different: the true product is the store itself. This aligns perfectly with Mr. Zhou’s original vision when partnering with Hua & Hua—to make each store profitable. Only when the stores are successful can the brand genuinely grow and thrive.
Zhi Yan’s focus is on delivering a profitable store model to its dealers, rather than simply selling fabric that generates revenue for the brand.
o, how can each store ensure profitability? After five years of testing the “Large Display Cabinet” model, Zhi Yan found promising results. The innovative layout at Zhi Yan’s Shenzhen flagship store showcases this model: an optimized display style that maximizes space efficiency
The Zhi Yan large display cabinet layout has been praised by dealers and designers alike, who see it as inspired by the “Uniqlo model” and envision it as the “Uniqlo of curtains.” This innovative setup aims to bring the streamlined, accessible shopping experience that Uniqlo offers to the curtain industry.
We see a compelling opportunity for Zhi Yan to be the “Uniqlo of the curtain industry.” This approach directly tackles the transparency issues prevalent in the market, with a streamlined store layout, simplified decor, and maximized product displays to create a modern, automated shopping experience.
Inspired by Uniqlo, we’re building a fully automated sales environment — exactly what’s needed to shift curtains from an opaque buying process to one of full transparency.
Through market research, we identified four major pain points in traditional curtain stores:
1) Large Store Footprint: Curtain stores typically span 200-300 square meters, making profitability challenging in the post-real-estate boom.
2) Display Limitations with Scene-Based and Large Samples: Large samples occupy too much space and limit the number of products shown, hindering sales.
3) Sales Complexity and Training Needs: Selling curtains requires an understanding of design and style, which can be a barrier, with some staff unable to sell effectively even after months of training.
4) Lack of Transparent Pricing: Non-transparent or inflated pricing has become the norm, adding frustration for customers.
These four issues boil down to three main inefficiencies: wasted space, underutilized staff, and missed sales opportunities.
In response to the current landscape of the curtain industry, we developed three key methods tailored to address these unique challenges.
For Zhi Yan Curtain’s store design, we aim to set it apart from the traditional store model, creating a store format that drives high sales and makes purchasing easy for customers. With this in mind, we have incorporated three key innovations into Zhi Yan’s store design to address the four major challenges in the curtain industry.
1) Small Store, Not Big Store.
Zhi Yan Curtain stores are only one-third the size of traditional curtain stores, requiring just 80 to 120 square meters. This smaller footprint was achieved by eliminating two standard elements: the sample cabinet and the tea room.
Sample cabinets, commonly used across the industry, are meant to showcase fabric options. However, they actually provide little value. The fabric swatches are tiny, and it’s difficult for sales staff to properly explain features and styles. Customers often leave unclear about the options, leading to purchase confusion and last-minute changes post-measurement.
By removing the sample cabinet, we expanded the display area, tripling the space available to showcase our products effectively.
The second change was removing the tea room. Traditional stores often include a tea area where negotiations and price discussions take place. However, after years of observing Zhi Yan’s stores, we realized the tea room serves minimal purpose and often encourages idle time for the owner rather than business activity.
Moreover, the tea room requires substantial space, often involving a dedicated area beyond just a table, leading to inefficient use of the store. By eliminating it and retaining only a simple discussion table, we’ve reclaimed valuable floor space, emphasizing the store’s primary goal: selling products. The reduced space lowers costs significantly, ensuring that each unit sold can support a store profitably.
2) Showcase with Zhi Yan’s Large Display Cabinets Instead of Sample Rooms.
By replacing traditional large sample displays with Zhi Yan’s expansive display cabinets, we’ve maximized product visibility. For the same floor space, Zhi Yan displays seven times the products of a typical sample setup, which solves a significant challenge in traditional stores: limited variety causing sales difficulties.
Standard sample displays often rely on room setups or large fabric pieces. When customers walk in, they may not feel inspired by the large samples or might dislike the limited color options available, leaving staff to resort to small swatches that make it challenging to showcase textures and patterns.
In a typical 300-square-meter store, only about 60 sample displays are possible, limiting customer choice. By contrast, in a 100-square-meter store equipped with our large display cabinets, we can feature around 160 curtain options.
Out of 160 curtain options, we include 120 fabric types, 20 sheer selections, and 15 sunshade designs, along with 3–5 larger samples. This variety translates into around 160 display options—seven times more than the traditional sample format! With this expanded selection, customers have a much easier and more enjoyable shopping experience, simplifying both their decision-making and our sales process.
For instance, Mr. Li from Zhi Yan’s Ningshan store in Sichuan remodeled his store at the end of 2023. By May, he replaced three large samples with 45 product options in a single display. Customers now find it simpler to understand and choose colors and patterns they love.
With the extra space, we’ve created dedicated displays for various curtain types: fabric, sheers, and sunshades. Traditional stores usually scatter sheers and lack a dedicated area for sunshades, but these categories are increasingly popular with younger buyers. Our slogan captures this range: “Cover all three styles, and each window brings triple profits,” encouraging stores to meet diverse customer needs by offering a complete set of choices.
3) Automated Sales Like Uniqlo: Selling Curtains Without a Sales Pitch.
To address the third challenge, we recognized that curtain sales often require expertise in style and design—a barrier that can feel unnecessary. After all, most customers already know their home’s style, whether it’s American, European, or modern, and simply need matching curtains.
Taking inspiration from Uniqlo, we aimed to create an automated shopping experience where the products practically sell themselves. In Uniqlo, clear signage and posters provide all the information a customer needs to make a choice independently. Similarly, Zhi Yan Curtain displays each curtain’s key qualities—fabric type, weight, material, function—right on its label.
For instance, our “Sleep Curtains” category is designed for customers seeking light-blocking options for better sleep or a cozy morning lie-in. Each label lists how it meets these needs and displays available colors within that series, making the purchase intuitive and almost effortless.
We also made another adjustment inspired by Uniqlo’s product display cabinets. At Zhi Yan Curtain stores, we installed quality display units showcasing key curtain components, allowing customers to compare Zhi Yan products with non-Zhi Yan alternatives. This setup encourages hands-on interaction, letting customers feel the difference and understand what makes a quality curtain.
For example, customers can test our curtain rings to see what “unbreakable” really means or try bending our hooks to feel their durability. They can even weigh the fabrics to compare quality. This interactive experience helps customers make informed choices about material and accessory quality, guiding them toward the best curtain for their needs.
▲The pre-installed quality display cabinet at Zhi Yan stores
One of Zhi Yan’s distributors has an engaging approach: if a customer lingers in the store, they’ll say, “Give me just three minutes to show you what makes Zhi Yan products great. You don’t have to buy, but you’ll learn how to tell quality curtains from the rest.” They’ll often demonstrate Zhi Yan’s patented five-point anti-detachment structure, encouraging hands-on interaction. Zhi Yan’s data shows that 85% of customers who experience this product display end up purchasing.
Additionally, we’ve showcased Zhi Yan’s core commitments, craftsmanship, and signature products through poster displays in illuminated frames, enhancing the brand’s value and helping customers make decisions more quickly.
Through a comprehensive display of product value, we transform customers into informed buyers who avoid overspending. This approach reduces the need for sales staff by creating an information-rich environment, where the store’s setup and product details encourage autonomous shopping.
As Hua & Hua’s philosophy suggests, there are two marketing perspectives: one that thrives on information asymmetry—where the consumer need not know the truth and can be led by the hand toward purchase—and another that relies on transparency, allowing consumers to make informed choices. When consumers become experts and understand the full value of the product and service, they’re naturally drawn to it.
For store layout, we use a “3-2-1” flow, designing what we call a curtain self-serve “museum”: three walls, two shelving units, and one all-in-one display cabinet, creating a seamless and intuitive shopping experience.
3 Walls: These feature the Zhi Yan curtain fabric wall dedicated to full-room package options.
2 Display Units: One dedicated to sheer curtains and another to blackout curtains, accompanied by a brand strength display wall across from the display units. The three categories—blackout, fabric, and sheer curtains—are layered to create a “rainbow wall” effect.
In April, our Ankang client, Mr. Xu, opened Zhi Yan’s first flagship store under the new design. With no established contacts in the city, Mr. Xu managed to close 22 deals on the very first day—far exceeding his initial goal of 3 to 5 sales. This success highlighted the effectiveness of the new store design.
Similarly, in Jiangxi, Mr. He launched his redesigned store on 1 May, securing 37 orders on the first day. Previously operating as Tulip Soft Decor, he primarily sold Zhi Yan products but saw limited success. After waiting four months for Hua & Hua’s design overhaul, his store was transformed into Zhi Yan’s second new concept location. The difference was so striking that the industry now jokes that curtain shops fall into two categories: Zhi Yan Curtain stores and all others.
In addition to flagship stores, Zhi Yan also offers dedicated “shop-in-shop” sections. These in-store sections are designed specifically for the home improvement and building materials sector as a solution to increase revenue. Given that the building materials industry is one of the most directly impacted by fluctuations in the real estate market, traditional product categories like tiles, bathroom fixtures, wardrobes, and custom furniture may be experiencing declining sales. So, what’s the answer?
Add a Zhi Yan dedicated section. All it takes is a single wall—no extra space or staff needed. Once set up, this section could bring in an extra 190,000 RMB annually!
For instance, integrating Zhi Yan curtains into a custom wardrobe store can help drive additional product sales. Previously, selling curtains was complex, with lower average transaction values, and often wasn’t even an option. Now, with Zhi Yan’s automated store design and streamlined sales process, stores can expand their product offerings. Although individual orders might not skyrocket, a well-designed sales experience can encourage customers to buy multiple items in one visit, making each store more profitable.
Zhi Yan sections come in various configurations—U-shaped, L-shaped, or straight—making them flexible and easy to install, like assembling Lego pieces. These modular setups allow stores to select from 1 to 8 modules based on available space, allowing for seamless customization.
For example, a wall-covering dealer in Huanggang, Hubei, had seen his business drop by 50% in recent years. After spotting Zhi Yan’s offerings at an expo, he decided to give it a try, initially with a few samples. Now, his store has become a full Zhi Yan section, generating over RMB 40,000 monthly. Reflecting on this success, he said, “I never considered curtains before—now, I regret not starting with Zhi Yan sooner.”
Channel Redesign: An Industry First! The channel serves as an “external yet structured” community within the company’s organizational ecosystem.
With unified pricing and retail-focused stores, Zhi Yan now faces a significant challenge: how to energize its distribution channels and ensure smooth, on-the-ground execution amid a sluggish post-real estate economy where stores are hesitant to take action.
Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, once said, “Results or resources do not come from within the organization. They come from outside.” For Zhi Yan, a major portion of these external resources lies in its distribution channels. Any inefficiency or wasted resources in traditional channels presents a potential opportunity for Zhi Yan to capitalize on and innovate within the market.
In the curtain industry, one of the greatest inefficiencies in channel management is regional protectionism, where “one area, one store” policies restrict scalable growth. However, Zhi Yan’s transparent pricing system now opens up opportunities to unlock channel resources.
Together with Zhi Yan, Hua & Hua developed three key channel innovations to energize distribution and pave the way for expanded reach:
1) Establishing the Zhi Yan Partner Program: This program activates channel energy by encouraging a collaborative partner network.
2) Implementing Profitability Coaching: Guiding stores toward profitability with best practices and streamlined operations.
3) Integrating with Douyin’s Local Services: Leveraging a dual online and offline store approach to drive engagement and sales.
Innovation 1: Establishing the Zhi Yan Partner Program to Energize Channels.
Inspired by the M&G Partner System, Zhi Yan has launched a dual-tiered partner model with city-level management zones, breaking the traditional “one area, one store” limitation to revitalize the channel landscape.
Under this program, Zhi Yan Partners serve as primary service providers within their designated city regions, supporting both Zhi Yan flagship stores and in-store sections with management and training services. The Zhi Yan brand and its partners work collaboratively to support stores, with partners and regular stores adhering to two standards: unified retail pricing and standardized supply pricing. The partner’s management fees are derived from Zhi Yan’s profit-sharing model, reflecting Mr. Zhou’s philosophy of distributing gains to the market and dealers while there is still room for profitability.
For Zhi Yan Partners, this shift represents a move from managing a single store to overseeing and nurturing business growth across an entire region.
Innovation 2: Implementing Profitability Coaching: Guiding stores toward profitability with best practices and streamlined operations.
The traditional curtain industry lacks structured service support—manufacturers simply send goods once payment is made, with little guidance on sales strategies. What happens when stores struggle to sell effectively?
To address this, we introduced an innovative program for Zhi Yan: Profitability Coaching Sessions. This hands-on, structured coaching helps Zhi Yan partners improve sales performance and profitability, a first-of-its-kind service in the industry.
Zhi Yan has made a significant investment in these sessions. Providing quality curtains and automated sales tools isn’t enough; what really empowers stores is the coaching in scientific and professional business management. By building store-level expertise, Zhi Yan enhances each store’s profitability potential, fostering a sustainable, symbiotic relationship.
The sessions address pressing challenges, covering essential skills in store management, sales conversion, and operational best practices. They focus on three core pillars—people, products, and environment—to optimize the customer experience and drive results. Store owners learn how to enhance layout, streamline customer service, attract clients, and manage teams for optimal performance.
n just six months, Zhi Yan has hosted nearly 50 coaching sessions, reaching over 300 stores and delivering an average revenue increase of 49%.
Zhi Yan’s Profitability Coaching Sessions are open to all professionals in the curtain industry and related home furnishing sectors, using Zhi Yan stores as training venues. These sessions are conducted in two formats:
1) Zhi Yan x Hua & Hua Profitability Coaching Conference – Designed for larger gatherings with over 50 stores in attendance, this conference combines in-depth training with brand promotion, creating a powerful platform for skill-building and network expansion.
2) Zhi Yan Small Group Coaching Sessions – These more focused sessions, organized by Zhi Yan’s sales team and partners, cater to smaller groups of 5-15 participants. They emphasize specialized knowledge transfer and tailored business diagnostics to address specific operational challenges and enhance store performance.
Each Profitability Coaching session typically lasts 6-7 hours, with an immersive agenda that includes knowledge-sharing followed by hands-on practice. This format ensures that stores can immediately apply what they’ve learned, leading to tangible results.
In August, Zhi Yan Curtains and Hua & Hua hosted a Profitability Coaching Conference in Nanyang, pioneering a unique approach by targeting an entire building materials market. In this city, six specialized stores worked collaboratively rather than competitively, leveraging their density to amplify brand presence and collectively grow the Nanyang market.
At a recent small group session in Jiujiang, a dealer from Hukou attended with store staff, prioritizing the session despite daily demands. This dealer stressed the rarity and importance of these learning opportunities, recognizing that strong knowledge leads to strong sales. Following the training, they made immediate adjustments to store displays and customer reception processes to enhance customer experience.
In a challenging 2024 market, Zhi Yan Curtains stores have faced impacts, but these Profitability Coaching sessions help fortify stores’ profitability, boost performance, and build loyalty—aligning stores and the company in a unified strategy.
Innovation 3: Redefining Offline Channels Through “Branded Counters” for Cross-Industry Partnerships.
Zhi Yan Curtains’ transparent pricing and package-based sales model has enabled stores to adopt a flexible new collaboration method—branded counter placements. Stores can strategically introduce Zhi Yan’s full-home packages, such as the 1980 RMB or 2980 RMB options, as branded counters within other related businesses, such as custom home stores or renovation companies.
In the past, businesses from other sectors would often offer cheap curtains as gifts to customers. Now, however, they can convert their customer base into an additional revenue stream through curtain sales. This collaboration benefits both the third-party businesses and Zhi Yan stores by generating extra income.
Zhi Yan’s shift in channel strategy aligns with Hua & Hua’s principle that successful channels should meet the evolving needs of partners—for growth, profit, and long-term success.
One case highlights this well: a dealer in Gongyi, Henan, Mrs. Bai, has led the local curtain market for over 20 years. Her daughter, a marketing major, often helped with the business during breaks but found the previous model uninspiring. With the launch of a Zhi Yan specialty store, she’s decided to take over and help grow the family business into a thriving Zhi Yan Curtains brand.
Promotion: Industry Pioneer! Two Key Promotion Strategies to Elevate Brand Power.
Promotion Strategy 1: Showcase at Industry Exhibitions as a Hero Brand.
Many clients ask us if engaging Hua & Hua for consulting means a major ad spend is required to build a brand. This is a misconception!
Using Zhi Yan as an example, as a small to mid-sized company without a big advertising budget, exhibitions have become the cornerstone of its brand promotion strategy.
Exhibitions are cost-effective, yielding significant impact with modest investment. Spending on an exhibition booth can have far greater results than spending the same amount on advertising. While the brand may not instantly reach consumers, exhibitions effectively influence distributors, attracting more people to sell Zhi Yan Curtains.
For Zhi Yan, we designed an exhibition booth that became the most popular stand at the event. The traffic flow was so high and the energy so lively that neighbors complained, leading the organizers to cut our power temporarily.
▲Video of Zi Yan's Exhibition in Shenzhen
At the outset of designing the exhibition booth, the Zhi Yan team emphasized the need for a space that would teach distributors how to sell effectively. From years of exhibition experience, Zhi Yan observed that many distributors tend to buy impulsively at these events, prioritizing low prices and treating it like an opportunity to profit off manufacturers. However, they often bring products back only to find they lack the sales skills to move “generic” stock, turning what they bought into unsellable inventory and ultimately taking a financial hit themselves. This cycle repeats with every exhibition—when business is good, some stores can withstand the turnover. But in tougher times, many curtain retailers can no longer afford to go in circles.
For Zhi Yan Curtain’s booth, we introduced a major innovation based on Hua & Hua’s expertise in exhibition design: a fully immersive, 1:1 storefront experience brought directly to the show floor.
▲Zhi Yan's Exhibition in Beijing Side View Render
▲Strategic Exhibition Material – Eye-catching Bag
At the Beijing exhibition, Zhi Yan’s booth was streamlined into a 50-square-meter specialty store, creating a true-to-life setup complete with storefront, product displays, layout, and advertising. This immersive design allowed us to engage distributors as if they were actual customers, letting them experience firsthand what Zhi Yan’s stores could offer. The strong sales atmosphere of the booth successfully attracted distributors to sign up, ready to open their own profitable Zhi Yan stores right after committing.
▲Zhi Yan's Exhibition in Beijing : A 1:1 Scale Replica of Zhi Yan Specialty Store with Complete Storefront
After the exhibition wrapped up, we secured 300 new franchise partners. They weren’t just buying our curtains; they were signing up for our fully-branded stores.
At the event, one of the most common things we heard from potential partners was, “This store design and display approach is incredibly effective for selling!” Some even remarked, “If I don’t sign today, what if a Zhi Yan Curtain store opens right next door? That would be a nightmare!”
Promotion Strategy 2: Responding to the Nation’s Call with “Old for New” Curtain Replacement.
The beauty of the Zhi Yan Curtain case is how it tackles the realities of a post-real-estate boom. Zhi Yan isn’t just helping stores attract customers and close sales today; it’s also preparing them for sustainable growth over the next decade.
So, what’s the plan for the future? If one day people stop buying new homes, how will curtain stores keep making money?
Mr. Zhou from Zhi Yan Curtain has a guiding belief: the future lies in curtain replacement. Looking at Japan as an example, after their economic downturn and real estate bubble in the 1990s, they managed to expand their curtain market solely through replacements. Despite the lack of new housing, Japan’s large market continues to grow as consumers replace curtains, and this approach has shown that substantial growth is possible without new housing stock. Here in our own market, the potential is similarly huge, though consumer habits haven’t fully shifted yet. The next major growth point for our industry lies not in new home sales but in curtain replacements.
We elevated curtain replacement as a major initiative, turning it into a strategic-level marketing effort. When the Ministry of Commerce issued a call in March 2024 for consumer goods trade-ins, Zhi Yan Curtain quickly responded, launching a curtain trade-in pilot program in May. This swift response to the national call to action enabled Zhi Yan Curtain to start implementing an “old-for-new” replacement model.
We crafted a slogan for Zhi Yan Curtain’s trade-in campaign: “New Curtains, New Home.” With strong support from Mr. Li, a distributor in Yingshan, we developed a refined and effective trade-in process, establishing a successful model for curtain replacement.
In promoting the trade-in campaign, we found that setting up booths in residential communities proved to be the most effective method. We began in upscale communities built about a decade ago, where the need for curtain replacement was evident. Many residents hadn’t considered replacing their curtains, yet upon inspection, it became clear they needed it: some curtains no longer blocked light, some had faded, others had warped and resembled worn fabric, and certain old fittings allowed light to leak through, affecting sleep. Through these community booths, we helped consumers recognize how much life had changed over the years—and that their curtains could use a refresh. Replacing curtains, in essence, felt like refreshing their entire home.
So, we created a catchy jingle for Zhi Yan Curtain titled “Change the Curtains,” tailored for use at our community booths, as background music in stores, and for online promotion of the trade-in campaign. Here’s how it goes:
Change the Curtains,
Change the curtains, make them new,
Out with the old, bring Zhi Yan through!
Blocks the light, keeps sound at bay,
With Zhi Yan, your home’s upgraded today!
Curtains, curtains, time for change,
For a fresh look, make the exchange!
Change the curtains, make it right,
Trade the old for a fresh delight!
We’ll recycle the worn-out sets,
Trade-in savings—the best deal yet!
Curtains, curtains, time for change,
For a brand new look, Zhi Yan’s the name!
Change the curtains, brighten your space,
Old curtains out, a new style in place.
With Zhi Yan’s touch, your room feels grand,
A simple swap, like a brand-new land!
Curtains, curtains, time for change,
Zhi Yan Curtains—transform and arrange!
With the catchy tune of Change the Curtains, business has been booming. During the National Day holiday, Mr. Tong in Hukou, Jiujiang, set up a tent outside his store, playing the song on repeat. The music drew in large crowds, and as Mr. Tong put it, “I was busy all seven days, with a steady stream of customers. Even the city management had to step in because of the noise complaints, but the song was a magnet—people came in, and trade-in orders naturally followed.”
To encourage more stores to embrace the curtain trade-in program, we suggest that Mr. Zhou from Zhi Yan set the example by going out every Friday to host these pop-up events, motivating more stores to join in.
To date, Zhi Yan Curtain’s trade-in initiative has expanded to over 100 stores, contributing 20% of store orders. Through this program, Zhi Yan Curtain has developed a proven trade-in model, now shared across the curtain industry.
With the continued implementation of this program, we are increasingly confident that it could offer curtain stores a significant growth opportunity for the next three, five, or even ten years. Our hope is that the entire curtain industry will join forces, expanding the trade-in market and helping consumers upgrade to higher-quality curtains.
Summary
Through a year of close collaboration and dedicated efforts between Zhi Yan Curtain and Hua & Hua, Zhi Yan Curtain achieved three major results:
1. Performance Achievement: In 2024, while the curtain industry faced a 50% decline and many manufacturers shut down, Zhi Yan Curtain not only survived but expanded. The number of Zhi Yan-branded specialty and franchise stores grew from 5 to 300, with each store achieving an average revenue increase of 49%. The brand is truly taking off.
2. Establishment of the Profitable 4P Model: Zhi Yan successfully implemented a 4P model that coordinated transformation across pricing, product, channels, and promotion. Each aspect of this model proved effective and profitable, with every innovation delivering real returns.
3. Building Strong Industry Influence: While the broader curtain industry struggled, Zhi Yan’s bold investments provided a sense of optimism and direction. Peers in the industry noted that Zhi Yan’s progress, backed by Hua & Hua, demonstrated an evolving consumer brand. This transformation has strengthened confidence among Zhi Yan’s distributors, who see a promising future in following the brand’s lead.
For Industry Branding, just look for Hua & Hua. In a market lacking established brands, how can one build a recognizable brand? Zhi Yan Curtain’s approach is transforming the industry by rethinking product, pricing, channels, and promotion—all with a fresh, innovative approach. By championing transparent, standardized pricing nationwide, Zhi Yan is guiding the curtain industry toward a more structured and credible path. In the next three to five years, we believe this sector will witness the rise of a true consumer brand—Zhi Yan Curtain. “Beautiful Zhi Yan Curtain, 10 years without deformation.”
Translator | Liang Yingqi Rona
