Interest in the Canton Fair for importers of Chinese furniture hardware is completely understandable. Canton Fair it’s the largest expo fair in the world. Whether or not they ought to attend the fair is one of the first questions asked by any company starting to import furniture and door hardware from China.
It is held every six months (in spring and fall) in Guangzhou, very close to IBMH’s offices. That’s why, for us, there’s no excuse! It’s been a mandatory visit for us twice a year for a long time now. Because of our knowledge and experience of how this event works, many professionals ask us for advice about the most interesting parts of the Canton Fair for importers of Chinese furniture hardware. And, of course, they always ask whether they absolutely need to attend or not.
Today we’d like to share with you our impressions about the latest edition of the Canton Fair for importers of Chinese hardware.
Conclusions on the 124thedition of the Canton Fair for importers of Chinese furniture hardware
In the analysis of the last edition of the fair, almost everyone pointed out that the number of visitors decreased by 30% this year compared to the previous year. The city of Guangzhou is usually overwhelmed by attendees of the Canton Fair. But this year there was little to no noticeable effect, not even in restaurants, public transportation, taxis, etc.
In our opinion, this substantial reduction can be attributed to several factors:
- Very generic fair that encompasses many industries without specializing in any given industry. In other words, lots of quantity, but little in the way of quality or specificity.
- People who visit fairs now prefer to attend fairs which specialize exclusively in the types of products that they sell.
- At the Canton Fair, every year you’ll find the same exhibitors as always. All of them in the same location, and what’s worse, with practically the same products.
- The internet has made commerce easier and more global. It’s no longer necessary to attend fairs like it was 10 years ago; now, contacts can be made and business can be done very easily online.
- This fair also has a large number of traders with very few actual manufacturers.
How IBMH influences the need to visit the Canton Fair for importers of Chinese furniture hardware
In our case, the professional management of IBMH as a purchase office in China has contributed to the fact that our clients have less and less need to visit China and attend fairs. By working with us, they are always up-to-date on the latest trends in the hardware industry.
Each week, clients of IBMH receive specific information on new products found through the audits performed by our expert team specializing in the Chinese hardware market. They even have access to new developments of products on which IBMH has collaborated.
For us, the local fairs in China’s industrial areas are the really important ones and the ones that we diligently visit. At these local fairs, the exhibitors are exclusively real manufacturers showing their hardware to local Chinese clientele. English is not spoken at these fairs, since they are manufacturing companies and don’t sell anything outside of China.
It is with these manufacturing companies that IBMH has been able to find products with not just consistent quality, but also the best price on the hardware market. How do we do it? By completely avoiding middlemen and by getting prices that don’t include the high costs incurred by manufacturers who have English-speaking staff or an export department.
For this reason, for IBMH clients, the Canton Fair for importers of Chinese furniture hardware isn’t an absolute necessity. Although, it’s always a good excuse to come to Guangzhou and visit our offices, of course! So if you decide to come, let us know! We’ll be delighted to guide you through this massive fair and this incredible city.
