by+Flora+Zhao

With less than four months to go before Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles takes place， the domestic market is showing strong signs of rejuvenation. Chinas economy has stabilised recently， with 2016 GDP recording a 6.7% increase and reaching USD 10.7 trillion， while the National Bureau of Statistics also stated that the total sales of consumer goods last year rose 10.4% to nearly USD 4.8 trillion. Not only will the estimated 10 million couples getting married every year contribute to the strong demand for home textiles products， but the ascending living standards resulting from increased urbanisation together with the flourishing hospitality industry are also driving forces for the market. Apart from the domestic market， the Chinese home textiles industry is also actively opening up new markets around the world， particularly in the ASEAN region where exports continue to increase.

Along with the national 13th Five-Year Program， the home textiles industry has also set its own development plan for the coming five years. Industry leaders， the China National Textile and Apparel Council and the China Home Textile Association， have announced that the home textiles industry is to be modernised by incorporating more innovative， technological and artistic elements. Annual growth of 5.5% and 3.2% for revenue and exports， respectively， are targeted， while automation is to be further promoted to enhance productivity.

Ms Wendy Wen， Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt （HK） Ltd. added that the prevalent whole-home trend in China will also stimulate the market as a whole. “More and more companies are starting to promote the whole-home concept which emphasises unified styles of decoration throughout the entire home to customers. Compared to demonstrating home textile products separately， showcasing whole-home furnishing is more appealing to Chinese buyers and will encourage sales. The synergy among products， especially those between home textile products and furniture is the emerging trend at present，” said Ms Wen.

Pavilions and featured zones represent a comprehensive product spectrum

In order to satisfy buyers with various sourcing needs， Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles welcomes top suppliers from around the world to demonstrate their latest product collections. This year， exhibitors from Belgium， India， Morocco， Pakistan， Taiwan and Turkey will participate in pavilions while domestic suppliers from Haining， Yuhang， Shaoxing and Tongxiang will showcase their products in distinct halls. Featured product zones will also provide a wide range of products throughout the four-day show. Top-end branded exhibitors including JAB， Yada & Euroart will be at the Editors Zone， while big names such as Enzo Degli Angiuoni， D Décor and Culp will gather in the Upholstery Zone. Fine products including sun protection， wallcoverings， carpets & rugs and bedding & towelling demonstrated by leading international and domestic exhibitors round out the other product categories. The show also helps buyers access the finest suppliers of upstream designs and printing technics. More than 20 worldwide textile design studios will be located at Intertextile Design Boutique， while the latest digital printing technology will be presented at the Digital Printing Zone by top brands like Digitex.

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition is organised by Messe Frankfurt （HK） Ltd.； the Sub-Council of Textile Industry， CCPIT； and the China Home Textile Association （CHTA）.