ANALYSIS AND RESULTS——SPINEXPO<sup>TM</sup> SHANGHAI

ANALYSIS AND RESULTS——SPINEXPO^TM SHANGHAI

Updated: 3/30/2018 10:37:06 AM

THE SHANGHAI WORLD EXPO CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE

13-14-15 MARCH 2018

THE CHINESE NEW YEAR FELL LATE THIS YEAR, WHICH MEANT THAT THE 31ST SPINEXPO^TM SHANGHAI HAD TO BE HELD TWO WEEKS LATER THAN USUAL, WHICH IN TURN MEANT THAT FIVE TEXTILE EVENTS WERE HELD IN THE SAME WEEK, INCLUDING INTERTEXTILE AND CHIC SHANGHAI. THIS UNPRECEDENTED SITUATION SAW BUYERS JUGGLE BETWEEN SEVERAL DIFFERENT EVENTS, RESULTING IN A SLIGHT FALL IN VISITOR NUMBERS. THAT SAID, AS WELL AS THE REGULAR ATTENDEES, THE EXHIBITION ALSO ATTRACTED A NUMBER OF FIRST-TIME VISITORS.

SPINEXPO^TM attracts steady visitor numbers and this situation did not impact negatively on the event, which welcomed 10,271 visitors from 54 countries, compared with 11,457 for the 2017 Spring/Summer season and 10,696 for the 2017 Autumn/Winter season. Of note is the significant increase in the number of countries represented, which is evidence of the mobility of buyers from all countries. The number of visitors from Japan, Taiwan and Korea remains stable. There was a steady increase in the number of visitors from Europe and the number of visitors from Russia and the USA was up. However, it was the Middle East and Bangladesh that posted the steepest rise, with 50% more visitors than the 2017 Spring/Summer season. The number of visitors from countries outside China remains stable, but the trend in China itself is down, with 8,652 visitors compared with 9,697 in 2017.

This exhibition was marked by the rise in confidence amongst Chinese consumers, the highest for 10 years, despite a stagnation in the retail trade. Several Chinese exhibitors at the event, mostly exporters, are now focusing on local consumption, which is moving rapidly upmarket. New brands are being created every day and e-commerce has become an important part of daily life, in China as elsewhere.

The number of exhibitors from the knitwear sector continues to grow, with sophisticated collections produced on the latest state-of-the-art machines. Their creativity and customised templates attract new designer brands, which are key to good financial health. The distribution networks can now no longer afford to ignore this new niche market, which stands alongside and, indeed, complements the rise in e-commerce.

The atmosphere at the exhibition was one of calmness, with a mood of renewed confidence, its exhibitors’ evidence of a stable and slowly improving market, a positive climate after a period of cautiousness. Many companies are experiencing a new generation of production sites, completely automated, operating without human input. Talk about recycling and sustainable development is edging ever closer to reality, with many brands having already announced to their suppliers their intention of including this request in their purchasing system by 2020.

One of the most interesting things about the spinners at SPINEXPO^TM is the range of different materials that they use, from cashmere to Merino, viscose, paper yarns, linen, hemp, raffia and a rich variety of cottons and mixtures of materials. Buyers have an unparalleled choice, enabling them to distinguish and refresh their future collections.

The exhibition success is driven by the spirit of research and development and the presentation of samples and creation of knitwear on offer to the visitors who come in increasing numbers to see what new yarn-based creations the spinners at the event have to offer. The visitors spend a great deal of time studying these products before visiting the exhibitors’ stalls. This work is made possible by the spirit of cooperation that exists between organizers and exhibitors and there is not a single visitor who does not appreciate its quality.

This season the central forum hosted Rory Longdon’s knitwear creations in collaboration with the knitwear manufacturer MRC, a presentation of extraordinary Cécile Feilchenfeldt hats, Eva De Laat’s activewear capsule and Balilab drapes and cushions.

The SPINEXPLORE section showcased samples from the season collections of the event’s exhibitors as well as the personal interpretation of the season knitwear and weaving trends by Laura McPherson, Kemi Clark, Helga Matos and Odina Keim; and last but not least, the presentation of products created by second-year students at Winchester Art School (UK), of an especially high standard this year.