China’s virtually all popular Canton Trade Fair goes online, but finds few buyers
Standing in front of shelves loaded with colorful backpacks, a saleswoman promoted hand bags in the Canton Trade Fair’s internet site without learning whether anyone was watching when the world’s biggest sales event opened in cyberspace to avoid the coronavirus pandemic.
The twice-a-year fair usually draws a lot more than 180,000 foreign buyers and 60,000 Chinese vendors to the southern city of Guangzhou. But with most foreign tourists barred from China, the function has changed itself into an e-commerce system with mini-shopping stations for practically 8,000 vendors.
The saleswoman for Honeyong Business Co.,Ltd. showed away backpacks for children. Shark fins jutted out of a version for boys. A warm pink model for women had lace flaring right out of the bottom such as a ballerina’s tutu.
“It will appear to be dancing girls when your litttle lady wears it,” said the saleswoman, who gave her brand as Sophia. “If you want more choices, please call me right now,” Sophia explained, pointing to an instant message hyperlink on the display screen, “or send me a contact.”
The fair, founded in 1957, was for many years Chinese exporters’ main connect to foreign buyers. It faces developing competition from companies such as for example Hong Kong’s Global Options and China’s Alibaba Group that hook up clients and exporters online. However the fair even now is favored by retailers and some other clients who would like to meet innovative suppliers and try products.
Orders at last year’s spring program, which attracted 195,000 customers, totaled 199.5 billion yuan ($29.6 billion), organizers state. Last November’s autumn program produced yet another 207 billion yuan ($29.4 billion) in deals.
This season, it isn’t clear yet just how many buyers have followed vendors to the web site.
“Few foreign customers check us out online,” said Honeyong’s sales manager, Clare Wan. “Maybe if they want to check out new products, they even now want to observe them personally.”
To control its online bazaar, the Chinese government considered tech giant Tencent, operator of the favorite WeChat messaging service.
The video platform includes technology that produces a three-dimensional digital image of something that potential buyers can turn around and see from different angles, according to Tencent. Prompt messaging and interpretation features will be designed to allow customers far away to talk right to sellers.
Tencent and Alibaba are working with trade shows in China and abroad to put events online in hopes of reaching even more customers.
Last year, Alibaba set up a video channel for Chinese vendors showing products to visitors at the Consumer Electronics Show in NEVADA, the industry’s biggest gross annual sales event.
The coronavirus pandemic “means we have to pioneer the 21st-century trade show,” said John Caplan, Alibaba’s president for THE UNITED STATES and Europe.
Still, the web is no substitute for meeting vendors personally, said Chris Sillitoe, who owns a sourcing business in Britain that buys tools and other hardware for merchants. Sillitoe has visited every Canton Good within the last two decades.
“That’s completely what it’s about,” said Sillitoe. “The virtual fair isn’t a replacement for staying on the floor in China.”
On another channel, a worker of Five-Star Toy Co. organized a miniature cash register for children and revealed how it might scan a mock fried potato and screen the price on a display screen. Other brightly colored playthings on the company’s site included a piano and a musical telephone.
The 800-employee company in Shantou, close to Hong Kong, has taken part in the Canton fair since 2016, said its sales supervisor, Vicky Yu. She explained sales to america, Europe, South America and Southeast Asia happen to be off by a lot more than 50% plus some customers who put orders are cancelling.
“We didn’t have various customers visiting us over the internet,” said Yu. “Customers desire to see products personally.”
Honeyong exports 90% of its products to Europe, america, Africa and Southeast Asia, said Wan, the product sales manager. She stated revenue are down 30% to 40% from once last year.
Honeyong built a studio and spent 90 days finding your way through its online revenue debut, said Wan.
“We still think that is worth it as long as more persons become familiar with our company and products,” she said.
