Intertextile Pavilion Shenzhen wrapped up its 2016 edition with a nearly 15% increase in the visitor figure, welcoming over 17,000 visitors (2015: 14,855) from 37 countries and regions. The top 10 overseas visitor countries and regions were Hong Kong, the US, Canada, India, Russia, Singapore, Korea, Australia, Japan and Turkey. Not only did the quantity increase, but the quality of participants was also a strong feature. Amongst the visitors were many foremost international fashion brand buyers, such as Brooks Brothers, Combi, Descente, Diesel, DKNY, Evisu, G2000, I.T, Initial, KINJI, Macy’s, Marc O’Polo, Pepe Jeans, Ralph Lauren, Zara and many more. In addition, the fair attracted a number of well-known domestic brands including 6IXTY 8IGHT, Bosideng, Canto Motto, Cosmo Lady, EITIE, Goelia, Lilanz, Septwolves, WSM and more.
This year, a total of 675 exhibitors (2015: 677) from seven countries and regions took part. Commenting on the exhibitor figure, Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, said: “While there was a slight drop in the total number, we were delighted to see an over 10% jump in the number of international exhibitors which was due to the growing participation from Taiwan and Japan, including the new Fine Japan zone. This growth proves the rising importance of the South China textile market for overseas suppliers, particularly those from Asia.”
Exhibitors benefited from thriving demand in South China
The uncertain global economic situation did not appear to dampen the enthusiasm of exhibitors who were keen to explore the opportunities in the South China market, with many reporting that they experienced high demand in the fair. First time exhibitor WIG Korea has just begun to develop its business in the China market and chose Shenzhen as the entry point. Mr Kevin Seo, President of WIG Korea, said: “Shenzhen is the hub for Chinese fashion brands, and these brands have high demand for overseas products. Therefore, we’re very eager to take advantage of this profitable market.” He continued: “Many of our target buyers came to our booth and expressed strong interest in our products. The overall result is much better than we expected.” Long-term exhibitor Ming Jenn Co Ltd from Taiwan also saw this strong demand, with its representative Mr Alex Huang saying: “We received a large amount of serious enquiries, and several new buyers placed sample orders that we believe will develop into valuable business. Some buyers even placed orders with us on the spot.”
In addition to the exhibitors, the organisers of the Taiwan and Korea Pavilions shared their insights into the South China market. Mr John Lee, Director of the Exhibition Project Division of DGTIA, Korea, commented: “Shenzhen is a fast-growing city being a Special Economic Zone. More than 3,000 garment factories are located here, which creates enormous demand for apparel fabrics and accessories. Our exhibitors really believe that this fair is the best platform for them to reach new buyers and develop their businesses in this favourable market.”
Ms Petra Peng, representative of the Taiwan Textile Federation, agreed with Mr Lee. “This market contains ample opportunities. According to our research, more than 75% of fashion brands in South China are keen to purchase high-quality overseas products.” To cater to Taiwan suppliers’ growing interest in the South China textile market, the pavilion organiser debuted a business-matching event on the fair’s first day. Ms Peng introduced the strong buyer profile she saw in the pavilion business matching session, saying: “Over 20 domestic brands attended the events, and many of them have their own subsidiary brands or several product lines, and they have very high demand for quality as well as innovative products.”
First time exhibitors impressed with fair’s effectiveness and high-quality buyer profile
To capture the advantages of the South China market, various new overseas suppliers made their first appearance in the fair with a successful outcome. Many of them reported that they had exceeded their target result because of the high-quality trade platform and buyers. Mr Toru Maekawa, General Manager of Toko Shoji Ltd’s Sales Department, explained: "Our target buyers – leading fashion brands from Hong Kong including Marc O’Polo, Ralph Lauren, DKNY and Givenchy – have already visited our booth and placed sample orders with us. In fact, we were surprised to receive other buyers that we weren’t expecting, such as garment manufacturers as well as mid-level fashion brands from Beijing and Shanghai who were also sourcing here. The overall result exceeded our expectation.” Another new Japan exhibitor Kokka Trading experienced the same, with its Department Manager Mr XuFeng Xu saying: “The overall result is better than expected because not only did brand buyers from the South China region visit us, buyers from other parts of China were also here. I think 10% of the buyers we met here will buy from us after the fair. ”
The new Taiwan exhibitor Contentex International Co Ltd shared the company’s successful result. Its representative Ms Viola Chen said: “This fair is so rewarding! It has a very strong focus and it’s an extremely effective platform for our company in terms of exploring new potential and expanding our customer base.” Her compatriot Ms Lily Chi, Marketing Representative of Chun-Yih Textile Co Ltd, agreed. “We are satisfied with the feedback and overall result we got in this, our first Shenzhen fair. Many high-quality buyers visited our booth and had serious enquiries about our products. The layout of the fair has a clear focus, which helps attract the right buyers to our booth. On the first day, we met with more than 30 target buyers that we will have further business cooperation with.”
Indian manufacturer Texorange Corporation Ltd debuted its Indian lace and embroidery in the fair. Its Managing Director Mr Vikas Jhawar was thrilled with the result. He said: “We connected with a number of quality buyers in the fair. I had very serious business discussion with almost 20 Chinese retail brands and overseas buyers in the first two days. I have already achieved my objectives of exhibiting in this fair. If somebody asked me how to reach the South China fashion brands effectively, I would say this fair is the best gateway.”
Leading fashion brand buyers praised the quality of products on offer
Not only were exhibitors satisfied with the fair’s outcome, but buyers also expressed their appreciation for the high-quality sourcing options. One of the fair’s invited VIP buyers Ms Connie Chiu, Senior Manager (R&D) of Marc O’Polo Hong Kong Ltd, said: “I found several potential suppliers and discovered some new materials in the international area. My colleague and I are very satisfied with the exhibitor quality and the range of products on offer.”
Also from Hong Kong, Descente’s designer Ms Maggie Mak visited the fair for the first time to seek high-quality functional fabrics for golf wear. “I’ve found new potential suppliers from Taiwan, Japan and Korea. They introduced some new materials to me and the quality of their product matches our brand image,” said Ms Mak. Hong Kong ladieswear brand KINJI Company Ltd’s Fashion Designer Ms Wing Cham also had a rewarding sourcing trip. She said: “The fair covers a good range of products. I’m particularly impressed with the high-quality fabrics from the Fine Japan zone, so I placed some sample orders with them. I’m also considering to place orders with two domestic manufacturers I met.”
For the first time, Hong Kong & Kowloon Spinning Weaving and Dyeing Trade Workers General Union (HKSWD) led a VIP delegation group to the fair. HKSWD’s Vice President Ms Wan Cheung said: “This delegation included product managers, sourcing officers and textile texting specialists, and all of them had very positive feedback on the quality of the products the fair featured.” Ms Wan also shared the changes she sees in industry sourcing trends, saying: “Nowadays, buyers are placing smaller orders but focusing more on the quality and function of the products that can improve people’s quality of life.”
In addition to the Hong Kong buyers, other overseas buyers also benefited from the fair. Ms Fernanda Prazeres, Sourcing Manager of IMAGINARIUM from Brazil said: “I think the fair offered a wide range of good quality products which exceed my expectation. I’m very satisfied with my trip.” Italian buying office Innocenti’s representative Mr Francesco Pratesi agreed. “This is my first time visiting the Shenzhen fair. When I first came on day one, I thought I could finish my sourcing trip in one day; however, I ended up using three whole days. I made contact with 30 potential suppliers who have very high quality products to offer. I’m also very impressed with the product variety. This is such an effective platform for sourcing and my trip is extremely worthwhile.”
The next Intertextile Pavilion Shenzhen will take place in mid-July, 2017 at the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center again. The next Messe Frankfurt apparel fabrics and accessories fair in China is Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition 2016 which will be held in Shanghai from 11 – 13 October.
