Reflecting the enthusiasm of China’s 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 Edition’s 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 industry’s 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 a significant business platform for the industry, which was verified by many exhibitors’ pleasing results. Exhibiting for the first time, Mr Carlos Oliveira, Director of Portugal’s Tela’s 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 China’s 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 fair’s 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, we’ve successfully amplified the company’s distribution channels and strengthened our relationships with trade agents, distributors, department stores, et cetera.”