by+Flora+Zhao

Reflecting the enthusiasm of Chinas home textiles market， the 2017 Spring Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles wrapped up last month with strong increases across the board. This year， the fair hosted 204 exhibitors （2016： 182） from eight countries and regions and attracted 18，596 trade buyers （2016： over 12，080） travelling from 69 countries and regions to source， a 12% and 53% increase respectively. Most exhibitors were offering finished products such as bedding， duvets， pillows and towelling， in-line with the Spring Editions focus on these during the peak domestic sourcing season for such products. Ms Wendy Wen， Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt（HK） Ltd. commented： “We are pleased with the big increase in visitors attending this year， and believe the fair is now firmly established in the domestic industrys calendar as a key sourcing event at the beginning of the year following its return last year after a break. The timing of the fair within the domestic sourcing season for finished products as well as the four concurrent textile shows also played a part in this increase， but we are most pleased that this growth has led to satisfactory results for the majority of our domestic and international exhibitors this edition.”

Exhibitors benefited from strong industry momentum at the fair

The significant growth in visitors reinforced the fair as an important business platform for the industry， which was verified by many exhibitors pleasing results. Exhibiting for the first time， Mr. Carlos Oliveira， Director of Portugals Telas Design Lda shared： “Our booth has been crowded with visitors throughout the fair. Participating in this fair is a good way for us to expand our business in China because there is an abundance of business opportunities for us to explore.” He was also pleased with the buyer quality， and said： “They had very clear preference on what they were looking for， which increases the business effectiveness of this fair.”

Domestic exhibitors were delighted with the buyer flow and the quality as well. Ms Sara Dai， Planning Manager of Changsha Qixi Network Technology Co.， Ltd. shared： “This fair attracted a large number of high-quality home textiles manufacturers， distributors and agents. Many of them placed orders with us on the spot. The visitor flow was strong throughout all three days. The overall result is better than our expectation！” Mr. Dawei Liu， Sales Manager of Chinas SUNVIM Group Co.， Ltd. said his company invested a significant amount of resources in this fair and was thrilled with the return. Mr. Liu said： “The exhibiting outcomes have proved the effectiveness of this fair. We met so many good quality buyers who have high concern on the product quality， sustainability and safety. Pricing is no longer the primary concern for them. I believe， with the continuous growth in Chinese consumers purchasing power and living standards， the domestic buyers quality will keep improving in the future. This fair is the right place to meet them， as well as to take advantage of this promising market.”

Meanwhile， the fairs diverse visitor profile brought additional benefits to exhibitors. Famous international firm Asahi Kasei from Japan participated in Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles for the first time and was satisfied with the experience. Its representative Mr. Xiqi Wang commented： “The result is better than our expectation as we have received many genuine enquiries， from not only China but also many overseas buyers. This is an excellent trade platform for us to expand our business in the long term.” Foremost domestic company Jiangsu Yueda Hometex R & D Co.， Ltd. shared a similar comment， with its Business Supervisor Mr. Paul Chen saying： “The biggest trait of Intertextile Shanghai is its ability in attracting high-quality buyers. While a large number of domestic buyers visited our booth， we also received numerous enquiries from overseas buyers this year. With the help of this fair， weve successfully amplified the companys distribution channels and strengthened our relationships with trade agents， distributors， department stores， et cetera.”

Timing of fair pleases finished products exhibitors

In addition， many exhibitors praised the timing of the fair as it runs parallel with the peak sourcing season in China for finished products. New to the China market， Indian exhibitor Balavigna Weaving Mills （P） Ltd. found the timing of the fair beneficial. Its Home Textile General Manager Mr. M. Swaminathan complimented： “This fair is a very helpful platform for us to start our business in China， especially because its held during Chinas main sourcing season. During these three days， we were able to enlarge our potential customer contact pool.” Ms Junyin Zhang， Intellectual Property Management Department Manager of Shanghai Heng Yuan Xiang Home Textiles Co.， Ltd. agreed， and added： “The majority of the Chinese companies place orders in May and June for finished items， so spring is the best season to exhibit and launch new products. This fair is the key marketplace for buyers to source new products for the upcoming season.” As such， the company organised a new product launch event at the fair and was delighted with the result. Ms Zhang said： “It was a great success！ Besides our invited guests， there were also many industry leaders， press and visitors that stopped by our product launch. A lot of them expressed high interest in our new products， and I believe these enquiries will very likely to turn into big orders. Our success here proved Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles is a rewarding place to be.”

High-quality sourcing options impressed buyers

In addition to the satisfied exhibitors buyers also expressed high satisfaction， with many compliments on the quality of the products on offer. Sourcing for large international companies， such as Walmart， Woolworths and Home Depot， Shanghai Jaker Corporate Management & Consultant Ltd.s representative Mr. Bruce Guo said： “Im glad to see many well-known brands exhibiting here with very high quality offerings. Ive already met with some and plan to place orders with them after the fair.” A frequent visitor to the fair， Ms Angel Lin， Sourcing Officer of Taiwans NIBICO International Corp， was impressed with the expanded sourcing options. Ms Lin said： “The range of brands and products extended this year as Ive found more high-quality and innovative bedding products. The products from Lenzing were also very inspiring which gave me some valuable ideas for sourcing.”

Some buyers said they were especially thrilled that they were able to find new and personalised products that match the market trends. Dr. C. S. Wong， CEO of IFB International Fashion Brand Group， Hong Kong， commented：“Compared to last year， Ive seen many more new ideas which enriched the sourcing options. Its also good to see there are more suppliers who can provide on-demand production and customisation services because this is exactly what the market is demanding nowadays.” Mr. Yujun Wu， R & D Engineer of Guangzhou ZHEPIN Furniture Co.， Ltd. agreed： “Ive had a worthwhile sourcing trip. All the exhibitors Ive seen are offering something new and unique. Im also glad to find exhibitors who can offer customisation production because this is becoming more important in the market now. I think Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles is one of the most ideal sourcing spots for us in terms of the exhibitor quality， product variety and the scale.”

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition 2017 will take place from Wednesday， 23 to Saturday， 26 August 2017. Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring & Autumn Editions are organised by Messe Frankfurt（HK） Ltd.； the Sub-Council of Textile Industry， CCPIT； and the China Home Textile Association （CHTA）.