Pawnstar founder Jane Jia was interviewed by Simon Young on the Episode 2 of the Digital China Podcast, which is a new project that serves as a supplement to Young’s marketing agency and The Red Circle, which is a sort of network for people doing business in China.  Jane introduces the project and the space at the Clement deep in the Former French Concession, which Young describes as “one of the most beautiful places around.”
Jane explains the development of secondhand in China from the days of her youth when items were always passed between neighbors and friends, through the era of obsession with the shiniest and newest, down to the present when hip youngsters are once again interested in pre-loved fashion. Jane’s piece of advise to foreign brands entering the China  market is “You are popular back home for a reason. Stick to your brand identity and do what they are best at.  Don’t give up your core values.”
She also tells the charming story of how she started getting customers by writing poetry on her wechat and that these are still her most loyal customers.  She says her favorite brands are Hermès and Mandarin Oriental, because both are “family-owned brands that do what they want to do and it comes from the heart”.
