71,000 buyers visit Intertextile Shanghai Apparel

Over 71,000 buyers visited the recently concluded Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, which hosted 3,155 exhibitors from 27 countries and regions, up roughly 13 per cent compared to the show in 2015.

“We weren’t expecting such strong growth in the buyer figure this year, however the more than 500 extra exhibitors would have played a part in the increase,” Wendy Wen, senior general manager, Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd said.

“We expected sentiment to be down somewhat this year, but we were pleasantly surprised by the relative optimism from exhibitors and buyers by the end of the fair,” Wen observed.

“It is reasonable to say the industry in China is going through a period of change, but it is far from a decline, with the growth of this fair over the last year, a strong indicator of this,” she added.

According to Messe Frankfurt, across various product categories, exhibitors in the International Hall were cautious yet positive about the Chinese and wider textile industry in the coming year.

“Our regular buyers have already placed orders and have also received many new enquiries, so we don’t think the economy will affect us much,” Jose Maria Loren from Spain’s Luca Cuccolini said.

“This exhibition is good to attract buyers not just from China, but also Asia, so it helps us to sell our products throughout the region,” Loren too added.

“The high end of the market will always be resilient here; it’s slowed down recently but it’s not getting worse,” Aris Arakelian, commercial manager at French company Malhia Kent said.

“We received one big order and a few others on the first day of the fair, and our turnover in China has been very good,” Arakelian also added.

“Mid to high range apparel market is the main core of our business and is largely unaffected by the economy,” Yuan Hui, a sourcing representative for Chinese apparel brand 15 Hours said.

Hui also appreciated the organisation of exhibitors and product groupings that allowed him to easily source his target fabrics.

“The fair gives me a comprehensive range of products for selection, so despite the size, I can find exactly what I’m looking for,” Hui noted.