Intertextile Shanghai starts well, extends reach  

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 8/29/2007 1:01:00 PM

Shanghai – Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles kicked off here today with strong traffic and a 20% uptick in exhibitors – more than 800 in all.

This is the second year the Messe Frankfurt-produced trade fair was opened to non-Chinese home textiles exhibitors. Though they represent a small fraction of total exhibitors, their profile is rising, with home textiles producers from 21 countries represented.

And penetrating the market in China isn’t their only goal.

Al-Abaid of Pakistan sees entry into China as inevitable within a few years; however the company is showing here because so many of its customers have buying offices here.

Still, taking the long view, “It’s only a matter of time that a good Chinese company will open a retail chain,” said Amar Shaffi, general manager of marketing, Al-Abaid.

CM NET of Australia, which with its Chinese manufacturing partner produces fashion bedding sets under the Orient Sense and Chameleon brands for Australia and New Zealand, is seeking either a Chinese distributor or retailer.

As the first day of the fair drew to a close, sales director Thomas O’Dea said: “I’m not going to call it until I get money in the bank,” but added, “We’ve had a good response today.”

Among those who passed through were potential accounts or distributors from the U.S., U.K., India, Germany and Estonia.

Fiber manufacturer Lenzing, of Austria, has been exhibiting at the show for four years and its executives noted the fair’s evolution.

“Of course, most of the customers here are Chinese, but this is also an opportunity to contact the tertiary customers who source from China,” said Susanne Jary, textile marketing, business development, home textiles. Jary said on opening day she met with attendees from Europe, India, and China. “It’s necessary to visit these fairs because you really have the opportunity to meet people from a big region in one place.”