From the Sector

• CHIC Shanghai, March 14-16, 2018
• CHIC March 2018 closes successfully with rise in attendance
• CHIC´s new design: Discovering the young consumer world
• Successful business in all fair segments
• Service point CHIC as international platform for the international fashion trade
• New autumn date for CHIC: September 27-29, 2018

The spring edition of CHIC, taking place from March 14-16, 2018, finished successfully with yet another increase in visitor figures. 1,210 exhibitors from 21 countries and regions presented themselves on 117,200 m² at the National Exhibition & Convention Center in Shanghai. 112,666 visitors of all business channels were registered at the fair, among them leading department stores, shopping malls, multibrand stores, agents, distributors.

Chen Dapeng, President of CHIC and Executive Vice President of China National Garment Association: "The consumers in China develop rapidly, `consumer upgrade´ is the keyword, the Chinese market is consumer oriented, in demand is an individual young style. The offer has to adapt to the needs of this target group, the industry has to become even more innovative and face the technological challenges."

CHIC Shanghai shows that the Chinese market follows the current trends which is also mirrored by its fresh young design and a full visual concept that was developed in cooperation with WGSN. Addressees are the young trendsetting consumers, China´s driving force for the strong growth in retail sales, which increased by 10.2% in 2017 to about 5.7 trillion US$. According to a study by BCG this target group accounts for 65% of consumption increase in China with a predicted growth rate of 11% per year until 2021. The total domestic consumption contributed nearly 60% to the economic expansion of the country in the last year.

Intensive contacts and ordering in all areas of CHIC

The exhibitors of the designer area IMPULSES, one of the core segments at CHIC and occupying the entire North Hall, among them Hua Mu Shen, Shan Zi, Mood for Mode, were very satisfied. In addition to numerous concrete cooperation agreements high value orders were placed as well.

The international exhibitors in the FASHION JOURNEY area came from Brazil, Denmark, Germany, France, China Hong Kong, India, Italy - with 40 exhibitors again the biggest European participation - , Japan, Korea, Peru, Poland, Sweden, Spain, China Taiwan, UK. They expressed their satisfaction with their participations and recognize the potential of the Chinese market. The trade fair objective are contacts, numerous promising cooperation talks took place that need intensive follow-up after the fair. Nevertheless there were also orders placed at the fair. The Polish Investment and Trade Agency participated for the first time in CHIC with its national export program “go-to-brand”. Polish jewellery and kidswear designer brands participated in the program and exhibited at CHIC.

Showing at the leather and fur area HERITAGE the International Fur Federation (IFF) presented itself for the first time with international producers such as the auction houses NAFA and SAGA. Turkey was again represented under the roof of IDMIB / ITKIB by ten companies. For the national participants, grouped in pavilions of the respective Chinese provinces, CHIC is an essential business platform, here they regularly meet their buyers and this time once again registered orders of high sums.

Young brands in the CHIC YOUNG BLOOD area like Monkey King (after the monkey king in the classic Chinese novel The Journey to the West) with manga style shirts or JPE, a trendy street style brand with a traditional Chinese dragon being its mascot, made more than 300 contacts with concrete cooperation intentions at CHIC.

Companies in the segment URBAN VIEW, the menswear area, e.g. RUYI group with more than 30 international fashion brands such as Aquascutum or Sandro; GSON, a menswear line of SEMIR group or ManCode, a new exhibitor at CHIC, reported hundreds of cooperation inquiries and direct deals at the fair.

A sensation in the accessories segment SECRET STARS was created amongst others by the German brand LEONARDO. Large groups of visitors interested in the jewellery collection gathered at the booth. The fair participation beat the company´s expectations by far.

The young generation is the engine for fashion consumption in China, a fact also recognized by the management of the SEMIR group that presented product novelties and its service offer with its kidswear brand BALABALA in the KID´S PARADISE at CHIC. New technologies were shown on more than 500 m² by the HODO group and its "unstaffed shops", "smart fitting rooms", "magic dressing mirrors". Further innovations were "cloud shelves" and "big screen data".

Service platform CHIC

The intensively expanded visitor management, online and offline, was a central aspect of the fair. Online via WeChat and the official CHIC APP more than 200,000 visitor request for specific product groups were made, exhibitors uploaded more than 700,000 pieces of product information. Active exchange was initiated by the Buyer´s Talk on the second fair day, dealing with the development of the buying systems of department stores and shopping malls, trend information was given at CHIC Buyer´s Theme Salon also taking place on day 2. The VIP Buyer´s Meeting brought international brands and interested agents and distributors together - a service that the organizer will expand in the future. “We visit CHIC Shanghai every time, for us it´s a very important platform for trend information and also to find European brands that we can introduce to the Chinese market”, says Wen Liu, CEO Jesery from Wuhan, representative of Canadian designer brand JAC. The management of Mallstyle Investment (Shanghai), with e.g. Italian luxury brands in its portfolio, directly got in touch with German and Italian brands at CHIC after the meeting.

The event schedule of CHIC offers a broad seminar and workshop programme with its CHIC TALK, from trend information to retail solutions to buyer meetings, the show programme CHIC SHOWS staged fashion presentations, of which especially the IMPULSES and OVERSEAS´ JOINT FASHION SHOWS attracted the visitors´ attention. CHIC Shanghai is designed as a global platform for the fashion industry and fashion trade and integrates all resources that are relevant to a successful development of the fashion business in China.

CHIC Shanghai changes autumn date to September

CHIC Shanghai changes together with Intertextile Shanghai, PH Value and Yarn Expo the date for its autumn edition to September. The next fair will be held from September 27-29, 2018 at the National Exhibition & Convention Center in Shanghai.

August’s Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles embraces the revitalised home textile market in China
As China’s economy is getting back on track with the GDP growth rate standing at 6.9% in 2017, the home textile market is also showing strong signs of recovery before Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles returns this August.

With 23 years’ history, the show is well regarded as the most influential home textile trade fair in Asia. Over 1,000 suppliers from around 30 countries and regions will showcase a wide variety of home textile products ranging from bedding, bath, table & kitchen, curtains & upholstery and textile designs & technology to editors, whole home, sun protection, wallcoverings and carpets & rugs. In turn, over 38,000 trade buyers are expected to source at the fair.

According to Askci Consulting, one of the leading Chinese industry research institutions, China’s home textile market has been growing steadily with an average rate of around 10% between 2010 and 2015. The overall size has increased from USD 18.4 billion in 2010 to USD 29.5 billion in 2015, and is expected to reach USD 38.3 billion in 2020. What’s more, the consumption of home textiles only accounts for about 29% of the total textile consumption of the country. Given the fact that the relevant ratio in developed countries such as the US and Japan is between 33 to 38%, there still lies huge room for the Chinese market to expand. Foreign analysts share this optimism, with Euromonitor expecting an annual increase of 5.3% and 5.9% for China’s entire home textile and bedding product markets respectively.

Thanks to the improving quality and competitive price, there is also growing demand for China’s home textile products from buyers around the world. Customs statistics show that the export value for home textile products increased 2.25% to USD 39.5 billion in 2017. Among all China’s export countries and regions, the US has the largest share, followed by the EU, ASEAN and Japan.
With all these favourable conditions in place, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles, to be held from 27 – 30 August, serves as an ideal platform for industry players to capture these business opportunities. “The rapid urbanisation and the consumption upgrade is unleashing unprecedented purchasing power in China. Participants can expect to benefit from this huge potential at our show,” Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd added.

Contract business sees big potential in Chinese market
The constant growth of Chinese consumers’ disposable income not only results in increased spending on home textile products, but also stimulates the development of tourism. A report from the General Office of the State Council of China stated that the annual number of domestic trips has nearly doubled, from 2.1 billion in 2010 to 4.4 billion in 2016. It is expected that domestic travel-related consumption will reach USD 869 billion in 2020 and contribute to over 5% of GDP.

The hotel industry in particular has benefited from this development, with the number of limited service hotels increasing 30% in the past seven years. This also implies remarkable opportunities for the home textile industry players doing contract business since quality products including furnishing fabrics, bedding & towelling and more will be sought after by the hotels.
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).

To find out more about this fair, please visit: www.intertextilehome.com.
For more information about Messe Frankfurt textile fairs worldwide, please visit: http://texpertise-network.messefrankfurt.com.

At this year's Heimtextil, which took place from 9-12 January in Frankfurt, Trevira impressed visitors with a brand new fair concept. The company worked together with sixteen of its biggest customers to create a joint booth covering 1,305 square metres of Hall 4.2, drawing a large crowd.

Head of Marketing, Anke Vollenbröker, explained, "Thanks to our new approach and booth concept, we were able to present our brand Trevira CS in an open and welcoming manner plus highlight the good relationship we have with our customers."

Trevira CEO Klaus Holz added, "We are really pleased with the very positive feedback we have had from all sides in response to our grand Trevira CS joint booth. We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the booth's success. The extremely positive market reaction has reassured us that this is a concept we can build on in the future."

A Trevira exhibition formed the centrepiece of the joint booth, showcasing the winning fabrics from the 2018 Trevira CS Creativity Competition, which this year featured "Colour" as its major theme. At the heart of the display, visitors could find out more about Trevira with the help of twelve tablets providing information in a variety of formats, including a staff presentation and a flyer about the new Trevira Sinfineco® brand.

Encircling this core and thereby completing the joint booth concept, sixteen major customers grouped their individual stands around this centrepiece to display their own new Trevira CS collections for residential and contract usage. The customers joining Trevira to create the booth were Baumann Dekor Ges.m.b.H., Engelbert E. Stieger AG, FIDIVI Tessitura Vergnano S.p.A., Georg + Otto Friedrich, Jenny Fabrics AG, Johan van den Acker Textielfabriek B.V., Mattes & Ammann GmbH & Co. KG, Pugi R.G. S.R.L., Spandauer Velours GmbH & Co. KG, SR Webatex GmbH / Getzner Textil AG, Swisstulle AG, Tessitura Mario Ghioldi & C. srl, Torcitura Fibre Sintetiche S.p.A., Torcitura Lei Tsu S.r.l. / Ilcat S.p.A., Vlnap a.s. / Wagenfelder Spinning Group and Wintex S.r.l..

Another major section of the Trevira booth was dedicated to the world of acoustics. Increasingly, customers are (re)discovering textiles as a way to significantly improve the quality of room acoustics, and this part of the booth also attracted numerous visitors.

A special highlight at the joint booth were the Trevira CS sports shoes, worn by Trevira staff as a key element of the brand's trade fair outfit. The shoes are an Adidas Originals Special Edition of the iconic Stan Smith Silhouette, which Adidas manufactured in cooperation with Kvadrat.

In keeping with annual tradition, the new Trevira CS Gold and Silver Club members were announced during the Heimtextil fair. The new members were presented with their awards at a formal ceremony on Tuesday evening (9 January).

Overseas exhibitors found the fair an effective platform to open up the Asian market
Buyers benefited from wide range of quality exhibitors

The 23rd edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles is over, with both exhibitors and buyers satisfied with the business outcomes resulting from the fair’s four days. The largest home textiles trading event in Asia was held from 23 – 26 August, attracting 1,106 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions. Given the strengthening market conditions in China the fair maintained its popularity, with the number of trade buyers increasing to 38,964 from 99 countries and regions (2016: 37,779 from 98 countries and regions). The show also attracted more international buyers this edition, with a 16% increase in those coming from abroad. “Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles has once again proven its leading position in Asia as a business and order platform for the industry. There was a noticeable positivity from both exhibitors and buyers this edition regarding the current and future situation of the domestic market, so we are optimistic about the industry for the next year,” Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd said.

Overseas exhibitors found the fair an effective platform to open up the Asian market

As the leading event of its kind in the region, the fair successfully attracts a number of Chinese and Asian buyers every year, ensuring suppliers can develop their business further in the region. This year, seven country and region pavilions including Belgium, India, Korea, Morocco, Pakistan, Taiwan and Turkey were formed, with exhibitors from all of satisfied they could meet their target buyers.

While being in the minority at the fair, European brands still managed to catch the attention of visitors due to strong interest in their products from Asia. The Italian upholstery supplier Enzo Degli Angiuoni Spa was satisfied with the number of Asian buyers, particularly Chinese, that they met at the fair. Mr Stefano Laurenzano, Export Area Manager expressed: “A lot of visitors that saw us here last year have come back again and are serious about cooperating with us. Here you can get a lot of new contacts and discover the Asian market. We’ve had mainly Chinese buyers, but have had more Asian buyers from South Korea, India, Malaysia and elsewhere to visit us this year. We are seeing more business here in recent years.”

Being a newcomer to the fair, Iceland Duvet ehf felt the potential in China. “We’ve had enough buyers including retailers and manufacturers visiting our booth to make our participation worthwhile. The interest from the buyers has been genuine. Being a European brand helps more than at fairs in Europe as we can stand out more here,” Mr Ragnar Ludvik Runarsson, representative said.

Indian exhibitor, Paramount Textile Mills Ltd has been joining the fair for three years. “Apart from meeting our existing customers, we’ve had enquiries from potential new customers from China as well as overseas including the US and South America,” Mr Ram. M., Director of Marketing & Finance said.

Also with three years’ participation, Mr Samir Tazi, General Manager of PIF Textile Emotions from Morocco affirmed the show’s effectiveness in meeting important buyers and decision makers. “It’s easier for us to meet them here compared with some smaller European fairs. Thanks to Intertextile Shanghai, we have also met the major players in China.” Talking about this year’s result, he continued: “We were very busy. We met with more people than any other fairs. There are a lot of new buyers and also returning buyers checking out our new products.”

Participating in the Korea Pavilion, Sangwon Textile Co Ltd found the fair helpful in attracting distributors and wholesalers from Southeast Asia. Mr Jeon Hyeon Tae, Sales Manager said: “We have found about five potential and quality distributors from Taiwan, India, Philippines and Singapore on the first day. We also got to meet a number of wholesalers who prefer to buy from us directly at the fair.” He added that Intertextile Shanghai is also an ideal platform to launch new products for their existing clients.

As the largest pavilion this year, the Turkey Pavilion was in the limelight of the show, with both new and veteran exhibitors finding it useful to exhibit in Intertextile Shanghai. Bezmez Ev Tekstil did not intend to receive any orders in their first show, but was surprised to obtain three in just one day. These concrete results reassured their likelihood of coming back next year. “We definitely see the potential for Turkish products here in China as Chinese companies prefer quality products nowadays,” Mr Ayhan Bezmez, representative, further commented. Mr Fahri Goksin, Vice President of Gokhan Tekstil agreed with Mr Bezmez that Chinese buyers are in favour of new things like imported goods and Western brands. His company has been in the Shanghai fair for six years and continued to get satisfactory results. “We’re looking for retailers, wholesalers and online buyers. We’ve had all of these visiting our booth already.”

Domestic exhibitors satisfied with the number of potential customers and orders received

Recently, there is strong signs suggesting that the home textiles market in China is recovering with both imports and exports rising gradually. The positive outcome that Chinese exhibitors achieved at the August’s fair have resonated with the market condition. It is no surprise to see a number of domestic booths packed with visitors throughout the days. SohoCUT is a case in point. To them, Intertextile Shanghai is the place for actual business. “Compared with other fairs we’ve been to, this is the exhibition where a huge number of international buyers gather. We met buyers from China, Mexico, Russia, the US, India and Southeast Asia. We even got large orders for the first two days.” Mr Wheatley Weng, Managing Director said.

The fabrics of Wujiang Linwang Weaving Mill is also sought after at the fair. Being a company that do both exports and domestic trade, they are happy to connect with local and overseas customers during the show. “We’ve collected around 100 leads on the first day, of which 70% are domestic and the remaining being international. The overseas visitors are from Italy, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Chile and Korea that our products precisely meet their requirement. We see high chances of cooperation after the fair.” Mr Kenny, Sales Manager said.

Given the prevailing smart home concept in China, Somfy China Co Ltd which specialised in advanced sun-protection system has become one of the highlights at the fair. Ms Nancy Nan, Chief Executive Officer mentioned: “The visitor flow has been really high that our booth is swarmed by buyers. Amongst those visitors, there is no lack of medium to high-end customers who placed orders immediately.”

Editors assembled to promote high-end products

To cater to the ascending standards of Chinese customers, Intertextile Shanghai once again brought editors together in hall 5.1 to maximise their exposure to their target buyers. As foreign brands with subsidiaries in China, JAB and Prestigious see the growing interest in their premium products in China. “We pay attention to the changing buying habits of Chinese consumers and, as such, have started promoting a series of products under a unified lifestyle trend. It’s obvious that we are gaining more awareness from buyers at the fair,” Mr William Lin, Vice President of JAB ANSTOETZ Interior (Shanghai) Co Ltd said. He also appreciated the specific display area for imported fabrics and the organisers’ attempt to attract more designers, which helped them meet more potential customers. Apart from getting onsite orders, Prestigious Textiles (Shanghai) Ltd also considers the show a promotion platform. “There is great demand for our products in China. Though we achieved similar sales compared with last year, through this fair our brand has been well introduced to the market,” Mr Lewis Liu, Sales Director expressed.

Originating from China, Euroart Co Ltd was another editor that successfully showcased their latest collection at the fair. “It is a good time to join the most influential home textiles exhibition in Asia as we have just launched new products in May. We are satisfied as some of our existing clients plus new visitors came to our booth,” Ms Guo Jianhua, Director Assistant said.

Industry players benefit from the expanded Digital Printing Zone

The demand for digital printing solutions has been growing in recent years, especially as the industry has put more emphasis on green production. As such, the Digital Printing Zone expanded in size this edition, incorporating a Seminar Area and more exhibitors.

As an Italian company, MS Printing Solutions Srl experienced the potential of the sector in China. “The fair has been busy, and we’ve had steady flow of buyers coming through. The potential in digital printing here is just beginning. The Chinese government is pushing companies to reduce their pollution, so it has a big advantage in this regard over traditional textile printing,” Mr Walter Oggioni, Regional Sales Manager stated, adding that the company has been growing very fast globally, especially in China, Turkey, India and Pakistan.

This potential holds for domestic machine manufacturers as well. Specialising in the production of digital printing machines, Guangzhou Xu Cheng Electronic Technology Co Ltd was at the fair to meet fabrics suppliers. Mr Jesse Luo, Overseas Manager explained: “Compared with exhibitions for textile machinery, Intertextile Shanghai attracts more fabrics suppliers, which are our target clients. It helps even more as we are located in this special zone. We’ve been talking to a lot customers, including overseas buyers who are also interested in our machines.”

A series of seminars also provided opportunities for the industry to share their insights on this emerging sector. As a speaker, Foshan Sanshui Yingjie Precision Machinery believed the session was mutually beneficial for them and the audience. “Attendees are from the whole sector including manufacturers and end users, so we can discuss different perspectives. It will facilitate our improvement,” Mr Peng Jichang, General Manager said. Mr Scott Bai, representative of Huntsman Textile Effects (China) Co Ltd also benefited from visiting the zone and the seminar. “Together with seminar, the Digital Printing Zone can professionally present the current situation for the industry. When suppliers and users come together, we can discover the way to enhance this technology.”

Buyers benefited from wide range of quality exhibitors

Intertextile Shanghai is the largest trading platform in Asia with the whole spectrum of home textiles and accessories on offer. Hence, visitors, be they Chinese or overseas, can access a wide range of quality suppliers that meet their sourcing needs. Australian buyer, Mr Glenn Whitchurch from Trabeth Textiles, was impressed with his sourcing journey. “The polyester quality of domestic exhibitors has been unbelievable. What’s more, we’ve found the Chinese suppliers to be very flexible in meeting our needs, they’re clearly keen to accommodate overseas buyers.” Mr Whitchurch also commented favourably on the product range at Intertextile Shanghai compared to European fairs.

One ongoing trend at the fair over recent years is the increasing quality of domestic suppliers, which attracts buyers to come back and source. Mezanin V SRL from Moldova is a long-term supporter of the show, and place orders every year. Its Vice Director, Mr Mihail Tornea remarked: “It is an important event for us to meet new suppliers from China. We are selective with the suppliers we work with, but the Chinese companies here meet our requirements. As a sourcing event, Intertextile Shanghai is the best place to be.”

The fair’s VIP buyer programme also assists buyers in meeting worldwide exhibitors at ease. Mr Bibo Lan is the co-founder of Loft Curtains in the US and he is excited to meet lots of potential suppliers here. “The arrangement for VIPs is satisfying and it helps a lot to have my target exhibitor information in advance. The largest benefit of our visit is that we met Libeco from Belgium, while we also confirmed to work with a blackout supplier at the fair,” he said.

Chinese buyers agreed that Intertextile Shanghai is the most effective sourcing platform in Asia. “Overseas suppliers like Turkey exhibitors are our main interest. So far, we have connected with four to five exhibitors in hall 4 and will place orders with them soon. In terms of exhibitor number and the product range, I feel that the fair has improved a lot. It is my favourite show with a lot of overseas products to discover,” Mr Huang Shenghua, General Manager of Ziranfeng Home Textile Co Ltd said.

Concurrent events inspired the industry

Apart from facilitating business between exhibitors and visitors, the fair also incorporated various design elements via a series of concurrent events. These included display area like Trend Area, International Fiber Art Exhibition and Home Furnishing Crossover Exhibition where participants could find innovative designs and ideas.

This was also the first time the Andrew Martin International Interior Design Summit and the fair took place concurrently. Experts from the interior design, architecture and art sectors were invited to share and discuss their views on the transformation of design in the new information era. Mr Kot Ge, founder of a domestic interior design studio, LSDCASA was delighted to join, and shared: “This show always attracts many top interior designers and it’s my pleasure to meet them here. Interior design and home textiles are closely related and new concepts can bring along improvement.”

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition was organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Home Textile Association (CHTA). The next Autumn Edition will take place in August 2018, while the Spring Edition runs from 14 – 16 March 2018.
To find out more about this fair, please visit: www.intertextilehome.com.
For more information about Messe Frankfurt textile fairs worldwide, please visit: http://texpertise-network.messefrankfurt.com.

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.”