Once again Intertextile Beijing Apparel Fabrics proved its position as a highly valued entry point to the Chinese market for overseas exhibitors. Buyers’ feedback confirmed the increasing domestic purchasing power of consumers, as well as the demand for European-made products. While new records were set this year, including a more than 35% increase in SalonEurope exhibitors, and a similar rise in the number of participants in the Milano Unica pavilion.
In total, over 1,300 exhibitors from 16 countries and regions, a 2.5% increase year-on-year, as well as over 25,000 buyers were present at the China International Exhibition Centre in Beijing from 27 – 29 March. The top 10 participating countries / regions were China, Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, the US, Turkey, Russia, Taiwan, India and Pakistan.
The prevailing consensus from participants over the three days was one of optimism observed Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. “Many overseas exhibitors noted the changing habits of buyers here, with more and more visitors willing to place orders for production for the local market, rather than just look at the latest products,” she said. “We are particularly pleased also that European companies continue to exhibit here in record numbers, proving how sought after their high-end and branded products have become in China.”
Growing number of European exhibitors utilise the fair as their entry to the Chinese domestic market
Many exhibitors from Europe noted the value of Intertextile Beijing for gaining access to the Chinese domestic market. Riri SA, an accessories producer from Switzerland, has attended this fair for more than 10 years. “It is more regional and attracts more local buyers,” said Mr Xiaohu Gu, Greater China General Manager. “There have been many professional buyers visiting our booth, and the visitor flow rate is very high.”
This year’s co-organiser of the Portugal Pavilion agreed that Beijing was the best location to tap into the local market. “Compared to other shows, this one is better to target the domestic market,” said Ms Sofia Botelho, Director of Associacao Selectiva Moda. She also noted the change in buyers’ sourcing habits. “We’ve noticed buyers want to make orders more now, rather than just looking as they might have in the past. Because of this, our exhibitors are happy with the fair and all of them will return next year,” she said.
European suppliers continue to take advantage of China’s demand for ‘made-in-Europe’ products at this fair. As evidence of European companies’ increasing shift towards China to meet this demand, one only needs to look at the huge increase in exhibitors in SalonEurope and the Milano Unica pavilion at Intertextile Beijing Apparel Fabrics – 35.6% and 35% respectively compared to 2012. SalonEurope increased in size by 20%, and covered two halls for the first time.
For the second edition of the Milano Unica Pavilion at Intertextile Beijing Apparel Fabrics, over 1,500 selected buyers were invited to enter the pavilion, which added to the exclusiveness of exhibitors’ offerings. “We are happy to be inside this special pavilion dedicated to Italian fabrics as it adds value to our products,” said Mr Simone Guicciardini, Managing Director of Lanificio F.Lli Cerruti SpA. “This is the leading textile exhibition in China, and today it’s very lively with a lot of good customers coming,” he continued.
Huddersfield Fine Worsteds of the UK was one company to notice the rising demand for branded European products. “We import a lot of high-quality fabric to China and business is increasing fast,” said Ms Jennifer Huang, Huddersfield’s Shanghai agent. “A lot of buyers in China are looking for products from the UK,” she continued. Turkish exhibitor Soktas Tekstil Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S was another to notice local buyers’ preference for European fabrics. “This is the third time we have been here and we see there is a change of taste towards more high-end fabrics,” said Mr Burcin Durgun, Head of Marketing.
This year saw the debut of the Verve for Design zone which featured creative and inspirational textile design ideas from Europe, with a particular focus on mid-range and high-end products. Musticstyle from Italy were one exhibitor in this zone. “It makes the fair more interesting and international,” said Ms Patricia Grainzate. “A lot of people were looking and interested to see what we had to offer. Buyers here are very open to new things,” she concluded.
Many exhibitors spoken to were planning to return to Intertextile Beijing Apparel Fabrics next year. When asked the reason why, Mr George Goffredo from Zip Gfd SpA of Italy summed it up the best: “We are in the Chinese market because it’s growing in importance so it’s important to sell here. The future will be here,” he said.
Suppliers from Asia take advantage of local buyers’ increasing purchasing power
While demand for European products is on the rise in China, Asian suppliers still found plenty to be happy about due to the increasing purchasing power of domestic buyers. One such exhibitor was Scenic Inc from Korea. Mr Scenic Jiang, President, was at his ninth Intertextile Beijing fair, and explained why he would return again next year. “I met with about 200 buyers yesterday and today, and out of these meetings we have received orders already,” he said.
Wedtex Industrial Corp from Taiwan was one of many exhibitors that have started shifting their focus from international markets to China, and was happy with the results of the fair. “We have received many enquiries, mostly from big Chinese brands,” said Mr Wang Feng De. “We use Messe Frankfurt’s textile fairs to reach a different client base, and at this fair we can find many big local brands,” he continued.
JT Corporation Ltd, an accessories supplier from Hong Kong, was another looking to take greater advantage of the Chinese market. “Our overseas markets are very mature,” explained Mr Jason Tung, International Trade Manager. “Now we want to explore the domestic market through this show, and many Chinese buyers have already visited our booth in the Accessories Hall with strong intentions to place orders,” he said.
Buyers value the chance to meet overseas exhibitors
Whether it was Chinese buyers looking for European and other Asian suppliers, or overseas visitors searching for exhibitors from China, all agreed that Intertextile Beijing Apparel Fabrics had what they were looking for. Mr Philip Walker of New Look Retailers from the UK attended the fair to learn the latest trends and secure some long-term production agreements with Chinese, Korean and Taiwanese exhibitors. “The show has been good, and we have been able to cover 40 or 50 of the key suppliers,” he said. “We have found what we are looking for this time.”
Ms Adrianna Rychlik from Besta Plus in Poland used to buy fabrics and accessories in her home country. “Now we want to buy these in China, and I have already placed an order with one supplier,” she said. “We will also come to the Intertextile Shanghai show in October.”
Local buyers took the opportunity to meet overseas exhibitors and gain new design ideas from Europe and Asia. “I like this show because I’m inspired by the wide range of overseas products, including their designs and texture, which is very helpful to my work as a fashion designer,” said Mr Wang Zhenyu of well-known Chinese fashion brand S.Deer.
Trend forums and seminars provide inspiration to the industry for Spring / Summer 2014
Not just a platform for sourcing the latest fabrics, Intertextile Beijing also provided inspiration for next season’s trends through trend forums and seminars. This edition featured three trend forums highlighting general Spring / Summer 2014 trends, and trends for suitings and ladieswear. Mr Chao Shen, General Manager of Suzhou Xinjiang Textile visited the trend forum to reference colour schemes and trend concepts. “The forum has high accuracy and we can learn the general international fashion direction from it,” he said.
In addition to the trend forum, a number of seminars focused on next season’s trends as well. “Trend seminars are fundamental at fairs such as this,” believes Mr Laurent Le Mouël, Artistic Director at NellyRodi Agency and one of the seminar speakers. “Not only do they offer the opportunity to have relevant insights on seasonal colours, fabrics, and key products of the season, but they also provide visitors with essential inputs on architecture and design trends. These are key elements to understand where the fashion trends come from and we can figure out what the next season is going to be like in terms of style,” he believes.
In addition to design and trend seminars, other topics included technology and solutions, market information, and certification and testing. Mr He Xiaohang from Guangdong Moonbasa E-commerce attends the fair every year. “Apart from finding new products, this is a great place to obtain trend and industry news and information, which is very helpful to our business.”
The next Intertextile Apparel Fabrics fair – Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – is held from October 21 – 24, 2013.
