Dates for China’s leading and most international trade event for household products and accessories – Interior Lifestyle China – have been confirmed, with the fair to take place from 17 – 19 September 2015 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Last year’s event saw the largest turnout of buyers in the fair’s history, with 21,773 visitors from 60 countries and regions attending – a 28 percent increase on the previous year.
According to Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, this growth in the visitor figure confirms the huge potential in the domestic market. “Interior Lifestyle China is the country’s only fair that targets the mid-range and high-end sectors of the market, and such large growth in buyers proves that current demand in these areas is very strong. What’s more, all the economic indicators point to this continuing in 2015 and beyond.”
The high-end of the Chinese market is also where overseas brands can have a real impact, as underscored by one of last year’s exhibitors. “We’ve had around four times more growth in China than we expected,” explained Anthony Anderson, International Sales Director of German cookware supplier WOLL. “We’re growing very fast and this is our biggest growth market, and the high-end market here will continue to grow for sure.”
Consumer goods market in China experiencing huge growth
As China’s middle and upper classes continue to expand, retail sales of consumer goods are growing at an exceptionally fast pace. Sales in the first half of 2014 grew by 12.1 percent, and with a reported 642 million Internet users in the country last year, online retail sales expanded by a staggering 48.3 percent from January to June 2014.
Gift, home accessories and household products sectors show much promise
China’s gift industry continues to remain an important part of the economy. Annual sales in this market equate to around USD 123 billion, of which individuals account for 66 percent and organisations 34 percent. In 2014, a report by the Beijing Institute of Industry Information identified a number of trends in China’s gift market. Among these was the rising importance of green or eco-friendly gifts as consumers become more concerned about product safety. Another trend noted was that of joint marketing to target the promotional gift sector, where a gift producer partners with another enterprise that then offers a gift to consumers purchasing its products. Artistic gifts were also mentioned in the report, with cultural characteristics, artistic value and the brand of the gift starting to become important to Chinese consumers.
Meanwhile, China’s home accessories market is taking off as home renovations become more commonplace and consumers strive for a better quality of life at home. Unlike in the past, consumers are now willing to spend more on home accessories including furnishings, textiles, collectibles, lighting, and flower and plant decorations. A 2013 ChinaIRN.com study stated that consumers are beginning to focus on the functionality of home accessories as well as how they look. The study also mentioned the importance of eco-friendliness, as well as the trend towards natural-looking products, such as those made of timber, wicker, reed and bamboo. Lastly it emphasised the significance of brands in this sector, and noted that popular fashion brands are now expanding into home accessories, and that this is resonating well with consumers.
The household products market in China is going through a number of changes, with the Research Center for Direct Selling reporting a shift from conventional products to personalised products, from foreign-led investment to joint ventures, from a focus on urban areas to a balance between urban and rural, from traditional sales channels to multi-channels, and from a regional market focus to the national market. Furthermore, according to PRnews.cn, creative household items, which include items such as hardware, electronics, home appliances and gifts, have a lot of potential in China, particularly online.
Interior Lifestyle China 2015 is organised by Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd. For more information about the fair, please visit www.il-china.com.
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Liam Rodden
Tel +852 2230 9217
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liam.rodden@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com
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