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| Friday, 24 April 2015, 12:15 HKT/SGT | |
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Source: HKTDC | |
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| Survey: Traditional Markets Rebound, Simple Designs in Vogue |
HONG KONG, Apr 24, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - The 30th Hong Kong Houseware Fair and the sixth Hong Kong International Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair ended yesterday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The two fairs, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), welcomed more than 47,000 buyers during the four-day fair period, up three per cent compared to the previous year. Over 28,600 buyers visited the Houseware Fair, while around 18,500 buyers attended the Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair.
 | | Hong Kong Houseware & Home Textiles Fairs Welcomed 47,000+ Buyers |
As some of the traditional markets continue to recover gradually, attendance from Europe and the United States rebounded, with buyer attendance from the US, the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany recording satisfactory growth. Buyer attendance was also driven by Asian countries, with Korea and India registering an increase of 20 per cent or more.
"Both exhibitor and buyer attendance at the two fairs have risen. Not only does this indicate the recovery of traditional market consumption, it also shows that Hong Kong remains an established trade fair capital for local and overseas buyers," said HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau. "As the largest fair of its kind in Asia, the Hong Kong Houseware Fair is an effective business platform for traders." The twin fairs featured nearly 2,400 exhibitors from 36 countries and regions, offering comprehensive and versatile sourcing of houseware and home textile products for global buyers.
Simply The Best
During the Houseware Fair, the HKTDC commissioned an independent survey agency to conduct surveys onsite, interviewing more than 550 buyers and exhibitors about their views on market prospects and product trends. The survey found that nearly 80 per cent of respondents expect overall houseware market sales to remain the same or improve in 2015, compared to the previous year. The majority of respondents consider North America to have the highest growth potential, followed by Chinese mainland and Western Europe.
In terms of product trends, most respondents expect simple designs to dominate the market this year, followed by trendy items and multi-functional products. The survey also found that Hong Kong-designed houseware products generally received positive feedback. Over 80 per cent of respondents consider the quality of Hong Kong-designed products on par with, or better than international standards.
Traditional Markets Rebound
Recent economic data have shown that retail sales of markets including the US, the UK and the Eurozone, are recovering. This was echoed by buyers at the fairs. A representative from Perfection Worldwide Limited, a tableware manufacturer from the Caribbean territory of Anguilla, said, "We met two retailers from the UK on the first morning (of the fair), and they returned and placed orders that afternoon."
Todd Boothe, Vice President of Merchandising of the US houseware retail chain RC Willey, joined the Houseware Fair for the fourth time, seeking products for soon-to-open outlets. "We find many quality products at the fair. We will be focusing on kitchenware and water bottles, and will be bringing samples back to the US to evaluate and formulate our sourcing strategy," he said.
The Sales Manager of the Spanish houseware manufacturer, Talleres Toyma, paid his second visit to the Houseware Fair. He found two suppliers for silicon kitchenware and food storage boxes, and had placed orders worth more than US$100,000.
Emerging Market Potential
Aside from traditional markets, the fairs also attracted many buyers from the Chinese mainland and other emerging markets. Beijing buyer Zhonghai Hou returned to the Houseware Fair and said he was pleased to see a wider selection of overseas brands this year. Meanwhile, Amro Aqqad, General Manager of AA Trading from Jordan, said: "The Houseware Fair has a very diverse range of products. We have already placed orders for kitchenware from a Hong Kong and a Chinese mainland company respectively."
Brenda Liang, Corporate Communications & Marketing Manager of multiple CHOICE by topchoice, a Hong Kong houseware brand, said the amount of orders her company received was similar to last year. She added that there were more buyers from the Middle East and East Asia this year, and they preferred to place small orders for a wide selection of products. For Len Walker, President of Canadian tableware manufacturer Knack3 Inc., the show helped his company open up more overseas markets. He said he had met buyers from such markets as the Chinese mainland, Korea, Turkey and Panama.
For the Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair, Mary Louise O'Dowd, International Sales Manager of Citta Design Pty Ltd from New Zealand, said the fair had helped them connect with many Asian buyers. Through the HKTDC's business matching service, she met buyers from the Philippines and Thailand, and hoped to build long-term relationships with them.
Gifts & Packaging Fairs Coming Soon
Hot on the heels of the success of the Houseware Fair and the Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair, the 30th HKTDC Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair and the 10th Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair open next Monday (27 April) and continue through 30 April at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and AsiaWorld-Expo respectively. The two fairs will feature over 4,600 exhibitors from 38 countries and regions.
Photo download: http://filesharing.tdc.org.hk/hktdc/download.php?fid=_phpCuSjvl
Contact:
HKTDC
Communication and Public Affairs Department
Joe Kainz
Tel: +852 2584 4216
Email: joe.kainz@hktdc.org
Topic: Trade Show or Conference
Source: HKTDC
Sectors: Trade Shows, Daily Finance, Daily News
https://www.acnnewswire.com
From the Asia Corporate News Network
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