In
May 1997, an outdoor enthusiast by the name of Zhang Heng,
took a 3-month budget trip to the wild West of China. While
on my travels I met many backpackers from other parts of the
world. We talked about the outdoors and equipment, which were
quite fresh topics in China at that time. The travel and the
conversations gave me the idea to open an outdoor equipment
store.
In March 1998, I opened a 30-square-meter store at the east
gate of Beijing University, with the name Sanfo Outdoor Equipments
Store. We sold very poor quality outdoor products, actually
the whole industry is very poor at the time but the timing
was right and the market began to grow.
Now 8 years later, Sanfo has grown into a renowned supplier
of specialty outdoor gear and clothing. We serve the needs
of outdoor people through 5 self-run retail stores in Beijing
and Shanghai, several stores in other cities, and by direct
sales via the Internet (www.sanfo.com), telephone and mail.
Today, Sanfo is considered to be the most influential outdoor
equipment retailer in China with an outdoor club that has
introduced thousands of people to the outdoors.
Things are still on the go, more Sanfo stores will be opened
in the coming years, and more high-end brands will be introduced
to outdoor people all over China. But one thing never changes:
we, the employees of Sanfo are knowledgeable outdoor enthusiasts
ready to help our customers with all their outdoor needs.
