A leading sourcing summit Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics wrapped up last month with a 15% increase in the buyer figure, attracting 82,314 visitors coming from 104 countries and regions. The show also hosted 3,386 exhibitors from 22 countries and regions at the National Exhibition and Convention Center.

Strong growth was registered in buyers from Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and India – this edition’s top four countries and regions – while Italy and Bangladesh entered the top 10 list this year, in eight and tenth places respectively, alongside the US, Taiwan, Russia and the UK.

“After the strong increase in the buyer figure at last October’s Autumn Edition and the generally favourable outlook of the global textiles industry in recent months, we were expecting a strong result this year, but the increased number of exhibitors and buyers placing their trust in this fair as their main business platform has completely exceeded our expectations,” commented Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK).

“We put this exceptional result down to the fact that there is no other industry event that matches Intertextile Shanghai’s scale, but most importantly that year after year the fair delivers new contacts from around the world and actual orders and business results for exhibitors. Wisth the quality and quantity of buyers this edition and the tangible outcomes reported to us by exhibitors, the fair has reached a new level as the kick-off event for the spring/summer season.”

Market overview

“This fair gives us a good overview of what’s happening in the market. We’re looking for a wide range of products, so the fair is good as it has a bit of everything. It’s good for researching new vendors, and you can always find new ones to work with,” commented one the buyers, Michelle Klein, Manager Fabric R&D, American Eagle Outfitters, USA.

“The scope of the fair is also very useful. Our knit R&D team goes to Yarn Expo, while we find the Functional Lab and Beyond Denim segmented zones in Intertextile absolutely useful. The innovation in the Functional Lab is interesting as we’re always looking for new innovation. It’s really helpful how the fair is sorted, and we could easily cover all our shirting needs in one morning.”

Growth areas

Seven halls were in use this spring, with everything from fabrics for ladieswear, menswear, suiting, shirting, lingerie and swimwear, to high-end wool fabrics, original pattern designs, functional and performance fabrics, sustainability products and services, digital printing technologies, garment and fashion accessories, and more on display.

Growth areas this edition included the Premium Wool Zone, with the exhibitor number doubling from last year, reflecting the evolving use of wool in spring/summer collections. The international area of the Beyond Denim zone also doubled in size this year, while overseas presence in Accessories Vision grew by 73%.

“Our target buyers are the very best, high-end bespoke tailors in China, and we’ve received many such tailors at our booth looking for high-end European suppliers. The majority of buyers have been from China, but we’ve also met people from India, Southeast Asia and even the UK. I believe the European presence in Intertextile is gradually increasing – not just the exhibitor side but also visitors,” commented Josh Lane, Regional Sales Manager, Far East, Holland & Sherry, UK, exhibiting at the Premium Wool Zone.

“I feel like it may be gaining importance over some of the long-established trade shows in France and Italy and is an indication of the general shift of attention from Europe to Asia. Chinese buyers are becoming more sophisticated, more discerning. They are getting a better idea of what they want and how to differentiate quality, which is good for us. We can’t afford not to be here, and all the big players in the premium wool space are here.”

Beyond expectations

Another exhibitor to share similar sentiments was first-time French lace exhibitor Jean Bracq. “We are here to promote our lace to worldwide markets,” said Philippe Larrieu, Responsible Commercial Export.

“A lot of people have come to our booth, including from China, Australia, India, France, the US and more. On the first day we had already received 60 sampling enquiries – even our catalogue ran out. So, the result is beyond our expectations. At this fair, we not only meet new buyers, but also see our existing customers which we usually meet in fairs in Paris.”

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