HKTDC Hong Kong International Home Textiles Fair - Exhibitors' & Buyers' Comments

Exhibitors' and Buyers' Comments

Empowered with decades of experience and expertise in organising trade exhibitions, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is reputed internationally for its outstanding performance.

Our trade exhibitions have been the distinctive platforms where both exhibitors and buyers alike explore business opportunities. At HKTDC's world-class events where buyers and exhibitors from different countries and regions converge, our comfortable and convenient venue provides the perfect venue where they can negotiate business, exchange the latest market intelligence, and establish business contacts.

The HKTDC sincerely invites you to join this exhibition, to explore the way to success.

Exhibitors' Comments

“We have been in business for 23 years and moved from the production of tussah silk (or wild silk) raw material to end products such as bedding and warm underwear. This is the first time we have ventured out of our home base in Liaoning Province to explore international markets. We made the right decision of choosing this Fair in Hong Kong as our launch pad. The organiser has been very supportive in terms of offering advice on product display and business promotion. The wild silk from the northeastern part of China is superior in keeping in warmth in order to protect the cocoons at extreme low temperature. And our R&D team has overcome some of the challenges facing tussah silk material, such as exposure to the sun and wrinkles after washing. We feel confident that once foreign buyers learn about the quality of our tussah silk products, plus the worldwide channels of this Fair, we will do well.”
Sheila Lei, Sales Manager, ZYD Co., Ltd, China
“We specialise in hand-woven and hand-tufted carpets made with recycled materials. Used ties, denims, denim labels, socks and old pullovers, we make use of all kinds of recycled stuffs to create novice carpets. Some of our products have won multiple awards. We have been in business more than 20 years. Now we have a good presence in the U.S. and Europe and we are eyeing China as a market with good potential. The Fair in Hong Kong helps us stay in contact with existing customers, make new contacts with new customers from Australia and New Zealand and especially the Chinese from the Mainland, as well as to get new ideas. Orders received at this Fair in previous years amounted to half a million dollars.”
Ashish Sharma, Sr. Merchandiser, Sharda Exports, India
“Each of the three companies under our Group plays a different role. One manufactures window hardware and curtains. The other is known as India House in the U.S. which engages in wholesale business from small retailers to big chain stores. This is our first time to take part in the home textiles and furnishings show in Hong Kong. I think the organisation of the Fair is fantastic as everything is well coordinated and efficiently executed. The application of the QR code to connect the buyers to the websites is a novelty to me. Again, HKTDC is in the forefront of adopting suitable technology.”
Vaibhav Jain, Vice President for Sales, Jayanita Group, India
“In the past eight years, I have witnessed the home textiles exhibition here grow from a handful of exhibitors to one that occupies the entire hall. The big buyers are coming back again because they like the variety of the exhibition and the diversification of this Fair. We have done good business here and we keep coming back to meet our customers and to make new contacts. Our business model is such that we design our canvas and cotton textile products in Brussels, produce in Madras of India and sell to retailers and department stores worldwide with primary markets in Europe and Southeast Asia. We also provide shop concept development service to our customers.”
Christopher Felstead, Partner, Consolidate Merchandise Associates, Belgium
“A-Fontane is a leading Hong Kong brand for bedding products. In the late 1970s we were among the first Hong Kong companies that moved our production into China. Currently we have three factories on the Chinese mainland and 400 outlets in the Greater China region. The company is known for its innovative products. For instance, we believe the right size is the decisive factor of a good pillow. Hence, we came up with pillows with as many as 96 configurations under the Dr. Pillow brand to give the right support to sleepers of different shoulder widths, neck lengths and head shapes when they sleep on their backs or on their sides. When the price of cotton went high three years ago, we adopted the ProModal fiber developed by the Austrian company Lenzing and made smooth and fabulous bedding fabric with it. Our bedsheets are good enough for wearing. HKTDC has always been very supportive to us and provides an ideal launchpad for our new products. The success of our fashion show with models sporting our bedsheets on the first day of the Fair testifies to that.”
Melanie Leung, Deputy Managing Director, A-Fontane Co Ltd., Hong Kong
“The demand from the U.S. and Europe and other key markets has gone down in recent years; this prompts us to expand our exports to emerging markets. This is the main reason for us to come to the Hong Kong Fair. So far, our initial experience has been good as a first-time exhibitor in terms of information provision and other services from the organiser. We have met several American buyers with good business potential and some buyers from Africa. The buyers also find it more desirable to order straight from the manufacturers to achieve bigger profit margins. Since the exhibitors here have been screened by the organiser, the buyers can place orders here without worrying too much that the deal may go sour.”
Nancy Lan, Vice General Manager, Shaoxing County Jin Yi Home Textile & Garment Co., Ltd., China

Buyers' Comments

“The Fair here is extremely well set up. English is used, the suppliers are vetted and the quality of products is up to standard, that is why novice buyers come here to know what it's like and seasoned buyers come here to source specific items while enjoying the services and facilities of HKTDC. I run a business consisting of 10 companies that do importing, distribution, wholesale and retail. We import mainly from Asia and concentrate on the Australian market. I pretty much spend the whole month at this time of the year in this part of the world, importing all sorts of things for Australia.”
Damien Di Domenico, Director, Direct Media Group, Australia
"I come here to import for the 15 companies of the Group to distribute. They are allocated all over the world: Scandinavia, North America, Middle East and Far East. But I would say that our major markets are Europe and North America. I have attended every Fair in the past 20-some years before and after the home textiles and furnishings fair was spun off from the houseware fair. The reason is it is a good place to source quality textile products. The Fair provides a convenient platform for me to contact multiple suppliers. For example, I just sent 11 emails to 11 companies with the help of the organiser. They make sure the messages get through. They have been very helpful in many other ways too. ”
Joseph Briodger, CEO, Bridgesafe Group of Company, U.K.
“I found interesting new designs and new ideas at the Fair. That is exactly what we came here to do: to spot trends in order to keep up with the fashions. We operate an import and wholesale business in Russia and we import mainly from China, India and Slovenia. The products sourced here in Hong Kong suit the more stringent requirements of our own high-end brand. The organisation of the HKTDC Fair has always been on a high level. Good logistics make it easy for us to move around and make our visit productive. That is why we keep coming back.”
Olga Shulakova, Import Manager, Union Ltd., Russia
“We are the biggest home center chain in Japan in terms of business volume, with 260 stores covering most of the country. Coming to the Fair has been a pleasure. The booth presentation, the quality of products on display and the pleasant ambience come together to make it a fine experience. Nowadays costs on the Chinese mainland have gone up due to higher labour costs and the appreciating Renminbi. I turn to this Fair to check out products from India and other low-cost regions. For instance the cotton cushions and floor mats from India are on my radar screen."
Haruko Arakawa, Director of Overseas Business Department, Home Center Kohnan, Japan
“We run a bathroom accessory wholesale business in Russia. We come to the Fair to say hello to our partners from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and India, mostly suppliers of towels, shower curtains and floor mats. I'd say 99% of our imports now come from the Greater China region. The quality has improved in recent years but the price has also gone up. We may have to start looking at manufacturers in Bangladesh to find lower prices. Also, the prices of products made in Italy, Spain and some other European countries have become competitive again. The perpetual quest for buyers has always been quality at a reasonable price. We find innovative ideas, good designs and better business practices at the Fair. The organisation of the Fair has always been good and I have seen positive changes at the Fair.”
Dmitry Deshin, Buyer, Euro Showers, Russia
“We specialise in TV shopping and sell 5 to 6 billion New Taiwan Dollars' worth of products a year on our cable TV Channel Viva. The products we sell on Viva, mostly home-use items, are owned by the suppliers not us. We display the products, take the orders and manage the delivery. To achieve a win-win situation for both the shopping TV operator and its suppliers, we team up to identify suitable items with good sales potential. Usually, products of higher flexibility, such as household items that can be sized to fit various lengths and areas, would do well on shopping TV. We found the service very considerate. We especially appreciate the QR code application for buyers to obtain more information about the exhibitors. A big advantage of this Fair is the variety of suppliers. They come from many different countries and present competitively priced products. Some of the floor mats, bedsheets and sofa covers would be good for TV shopping.”
Tammy Li, Product Manager, Shopnet Homeshopping Co., Ltd., Taiwan