According to the Fujian Shoe Industry Association, supermarket giant Walmart began constructing a shoe manufacturing and distribution centre in Quanzhou, Fujian in late June.

According to the report, the company is investing 100 million yuan ($12.34 million) in the centre which is set to cover 133,400m2.

The first phase, which is said to have cost 20 million yuan ($2.47 million), will see the construction of 15,000 m2 of workshops with a production capacity of 10 million pairs of shoes a year.

Mr. Wang Jian, the secretary-general of the Fujian Shoe Industry Association, welcomed the construction of the new facility saying that the construction of the shoe centre would boost Fujian’s economy and increase the competitiveness of Fujian shoe manufacturing companies on the international market.

Reports state that Walmart purchases (directly and indirectly) more than $1 billion worth of shoes from China every year.