#055 Re Quilt 2: Reflections on Production, Hong Kong People Around the World, and Hong Kong Brands (18/06/2023)

Image: Re Pillow 3 mini, let's bet on it first.

Monitoring the production process of Re Quilt 2

This week I spent five days in Guangdong to oversee the production of Re Quilt 2. Yes, Re Quilt 2 cannot be manufactured in Hong Kong. The quilts require a larger factory and more manpower for production. If it were manufactured in Hong Kong, the final price would likely be several hundred to a thousand dollars higher, with the cost passed on to consumers. However, the quality might also be inferior, which I find unreasonable—forcing customers to pay more for a worse product. After all, those who buy it are supporting Re Pillow Co., and should thank them for making their money worthwhile. Therefore, like its predecessor, Re Quilt 2 is being manufactured by a large and well-known quilt factory in Guangdong. Actually, this same factory also manufactures Re Quilt 1 for us; we entrust them with making the quilts, while the pillows continue to be made in Hong Kong.

However, because I was responsible for the entire design and materials of Re Quilt 2, and the manufacturing process was complex, I spent about a week at the factory this week monitoring production and ensuring quality, and also sending the product for testing. I really hope that Re Pillow Co. can always make customers feel that the products are truly excellent, from start to finish, with good design and materials. We must live up to the expectations of every customer, and one day, we can all be proud of Re Pillow Co.

Hong Kong people around the world

Lately, I've been obsessed with a certain type of song about parting and longing. Songs like "Ciao," "Those Who Stay," "Never Going Home in This Life," "Invisible Playground," and "Sing a Song for Those Who Are Absent" are examples. If you've paid attention to those who kept early journals, you might know that quite a few people around me are no longer in Hong Kong. It's strange how when people I know leave Hong Kong, even if we weren't very close, I still feel unhappy. I try to tell myself that maybe we'll meet again someday, that flying is fast, that parting is an inevitable part of life, etc., but the reality is, I'm still unhappy.

If I were lucky enough to open a Re Pillow Co. abroad someday, maybe in the UK? I'd like to find a corner in the shop and display lots of Hong Kong things, such as Hong Kong buses, taxi toys, street signs, milk tea cups, towels, old newspapers, tea restaurant booths and chairs, folding tables, etc., to gather people together and let foreigners see what Hong Kong is like. Of course, the shop also needs to have product displays that are actually sold to customers, especially to attract local foreigners. Even if we had that Hong Kong corner, it would be an attractive shop, and it would also allow foreigners to try our products.

Reflections on Hong Kong Brands

If one day we can no longer manufacture in Hong Kong, and even pillows can no longer be "Made in Hong Kong," what will Re Pillow Co. represent? I know some people like Re Pillow Co. because they like "Made in Hong Kong," but eventually, as manufacturing costs in Hong Kong become increasingly expensive (labor, rent... after all, Hong Kong is one of the world's most expensive cities in terms of living costs and labor), and the majority of people who know how to sew and are willing to work in sewing gradually age and retire, or Re Pillow Co.'s small-scale production can no longer meet demand, what will we do? Just like Re Quilt, we can no longer produce in Hong Kong. Eventually, we will need to transform, gradually growing from a small-scale manufacturer to a larger one. I'm afraid some people will feel that when we're no longer just workshop-style pillow makers, Re Pillow Co. has changed its identity. Or perhaps one day our products will be available everywhere, and I may not be able to keep up with everything. Some people's experience may not be as good, and some may feel that Re Pillow Co. has changed and is no longer the small brand it used to be.

I hope I can be meticulous and excellent, both in detail and in scope, and remain consistent throughout.