The recently completed Intertextile Pavilion at the Shenzhen International Trade Fair for Apparel Fabrics and Accessories set a new record for buyer attendance, with this result confirming the growing potential in the Southern China textiles market.
Over 17,500 buyers from 27 countries and regions attended the fair – a 34% increase from 2013 – which ensured a successful event for the nearly 700 exhibitors from 8 countries & regions who participated. This figure itself was also up 12.7% on last year’s edition. The fair took place from 10 to 12 July at the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center and covered 30,000 sqm, 33% more than 2013.
Organisers of Intertextile Pavilion Shenzhen, Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, were understandably pleased with the results of the fair. “The general consensus of our exhibitors was that there is a lot of potential in the south of China, and that this fair is the best platform to tap into that,” commented Senior General Manager Wendy Wen as the show wrapped up. “The rise in both exhibitor and buyer numbers confirms that there is a need for a fair of this type in the region, and we feel it complements our existing apparel fabrics and accessories fairs in Shanghai well.”
Fair opens up new opportunities for exhibitors in growing Southern China market
Exhibitors in the country and region pavilions in particular enjoyed a successful fair. The Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF), organiser of the Taiwan Pavilion, felt satisfied with the result at the fair. “Intertextile Pavilion Shenzhen is a mature fair in the market now and is quite internationalised,” explained Jane Fang, Project Manager at TTF. “Our exhibitors responded positively about the visitor flow so we are happy with the result; we will definitely participate next year.”
Organisers of the Korea Pavilion, the Korea Fashion Textile Association (KFTA), echoed the sentiment of many exhibitors when they explained the demand they saw in Southern China. “We believe demand is very high in this market,” said Young-sang Yoon, Vice-Chairman of KFTA. “There are many factories located near here so we’ve had a lot of buyers looking for ladieswear and casual wear fabrics. Overall, we are very satisfied with the result of the fair.”
Korean exhibitor, the Korea Textile Center, has participated at the fair for five years now, and confirmed the opportunities in the south of China. “We see there is a lot of potential in this market and we feel that the ‘pie’ is still growing,” Ryu Hong-Kun, Team Leader of the Marketing Division explained. “Intertextile Pavilion Shenzhen is one of the important fairs in the industry in China now.”
The range and quality of domestic buyers at the fair also impressed exhibitors. “We can meet a range of buyers here including designers and fashion brands, and they are more educated and have better product knowledge than before. The fair is a good platform to reach the Chinese market,” noted Anney Mawhinney from British firm Westcott Design Ltd.
The potential of the yarn market in this region was, and will continue to be a drawcard for exhibitors, especially those from India. According to The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL), organisers of the India Pavilion, Indian companies are filling a big demand for yarn in the south and east of China, and hope to develop these opportunities further through the fair. “Guangdong is a big market, and we will continue to help promote Indian companies through Intertextile Pavilion Shenzhen,” Ravindranathan Narayanswamy, Joint Director outlined.
High potential for ladieswear in the region
The areas around Shenzhen are production hubs for ladieswear, and many exhibitors confirmed the potential in the region within this industry sector. “Southern China is one of the main regions in the country for ladieswear,” explained Chen Xiaoyan from Japanese exhibitor Uni Textile Inc. “One of the strengths of this fair is the ability to develop new customers, especially from Guangdong Province, so we will definitely continue to exhibit here.”
Kumwon Textile from Korea was a first-time exhibitor at the fair. “We know that Shenzhen has a concentration of ladieswear buyers. We’ve had many Chinese buyers visit our booth so we are quite happy with the result,” Kim Seong Beom, a representative for the firm explained. Brisa Kim, Senior Manager of Seong An Co Ltd, also from Korea, agreed. “We have new collections of sportswear and ladieswear here which do good business in Southern China; buyers like our products because they are made with Korean fabrics. We are happy with the visitor flow these days as we can meet new buyers.”
