Intertextile focus on growth areas in home textiles market

As the commencement of the next Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition draws nearer, some of Europe and Asia’s leading bedding & towelling suppliers are ready to take advantage of the burgeoning domestic market at the largest home textiles trade event in Asia.

Over 1,350 home textile suppliers from 31 countries and regions will exhibit in 12 halls across 138,000 sqm at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from 27 – 29 August.

Bedding & towelling is one of the major growth areas in the domestic market at present. This show is dedicated to providing visitors with an insight into local market trends, and as such, not only bedding & towelling, but also decorative fabrics and carpets & wall coverings suppliers will feature throughout the fair.

Buyers can also learn more about the ‘whole-home’ design concept – a developing trend amongst Chinese consumers – in the branded decorative fabrics halls (halls E1 & E2).

Leading bedding & towelling suppliers from Europe and Asia to feature

Among the prestigious European companies participating this year is Curt Bauer from Germany. This 130 year old company is bringing its Long Life Basics brand of bedding to Intertextile. When asked about what type of bedding products the Chinese market is looking for, Curt Bauer’s agent in China, Guangdong Memo’s Bedding, responded: “Consumers here are now setting higher standards. In particular, pure cotton bedding with special patterns, warm colours and a soft texture are currently in style.”

Italy has a strong representation of bedding & towelling exhibitors this year. Some of these include Martinelli Ginetto and Marzotto who are bringing their jacquard / plain fabrics & cotton, and blankets & throws, respectively. Mr Emanuele Pierucci from Martinelli Ginetto says the company has been working in China for many years, and always receives strong feedback from buyers at this fair. Pierucci also says the Made-in-Italy brand is very strong in China. Marzotto, meanwhile, have noticed an increase in demand in China for their products, and that consumers are paying more attention to products made of natural fibres now.

Also from Italy is Lyontex, who have been producing high-quality jacquard cloth since the 1950s. Their entire production process takes place in Italy, but the materials for their bedding and table items come from around the world: pure Egyptian cotton, Italian linen, Indian silk and Australian wool.

One exhibitor whose products are sure to be popular with visitors is Grund from the Czech Republic. They use real Swarovski crystals in their bath mats, and to remain at the forefront of market trends, develop more than 3,000 products a year and select only the best ones for their final collections. “We think that the Chinese market has huge potential,” said company representative, Mr Roman ?uri?. “We decided to start the process of entering the Chinese market this year, and we chose this fair to do it.”

A number of Asian suppliers are also looking to this fair to capture a slice of the Chinese home textiles market. Indah Jaya Textile Industry from Indonesia is bringing their Terry Palmer brand of towels to China as they believe the market has a lot of untapped potential.

MDT Pacific from Hong Kong produces cushions and decorative plaid, and their Cosy brand is developed with the help of a Belgium design firm. “Chinese consumers’ interest in trendy European-designed products is increasing, in tandem with their rising purchasing power,” said Mr Kenneth de Trazegnies, Director.

Leading Chinese bedding brands to watch out for include Bliss, Bravo by Fuanna, Luolai, Menglan, Salsa Home and Violet, all of which can be found in the domestic hall W3.

Debut ‘Proposte China Pavilion’ from Italy and returning highlights offer more for visitors

Further strengthening the internationalism of the fair is the debut appearance of the Proposte China Pavilion @ Intertextile. Proposte is one of the preeminent home textile fairs in Europe, and their pavilion will feature premium Italian and other European decorative and furniture fabrics manufacturers.

Returning again this year is country / region pavilions from Belgium, India, Italy, Korea, Pakistan, Taiwan and Turkey. High-end suppliers from a number of European countries are grouped in the European Hall (hall W1), and will display the latest bedding, interior fabrics and accessories. In addition, eight regional Chinese pavilions will feature in halls E3 – E7.

For those looking for trend and design inspiration, the ever-popular Intertextile International Lifestyle Trend Forum will reveal the home living trends for 2014. While the Intertextile Design Boutique features over 40 international studios displaying their latest designs in a themed resource sharing lounge.

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Home Textile Association (CHTA).