The 32^nd edition of SPINEXPO^TM Shanghai took place on 4, 5 and 6 September 2018 at the Shanghai World Expo & Exhibition Centre, Pudong, in a dynamic atmosphere and with an increase in the number of exhibiting companies, which enabled us to fill totally the exhibition hall.

The general climate in the textile industry in Europe and the US is not very good, with Europe suffering real stagnation while results for the US have been belowaverage.For many Chinese and non-Chinese exhibitors, the Chinese market has become essential for their results, as consumer growth in the mid- to highend product sector in China has helped them to cope with the fall in the markets of other continents. Chinese consumers are looking for stand-out products that encourage the consumption of manufactured textile products of impeccable quality.

SPINEXPO^TM Shanghai has grown at the same rate as the Chinese domestic market, systematically promoting high-quality products and companies (spinners or knitwear manufacturers) whose aim is to move their products upmarket.

Spinners are currently facing a significant increase in the prices of all raw materials, without exception. This increase is having a real impact on the collections of the spinners, and consequently the knitwear manufacturers, as well as on the sales prices of the brands. The buyers were preoccupied with this throughout the exhibition, and the industry as a whole must find solutions to maintain in-store retail buffer prices, despite the starting prices of the raw materials. Added to this situation is the fact that brands are increasingly looking for smarter, recyclable or eco-friendly products at a time when material purchase prices are far from favourable. Thus, we are seeing a considerable change on the markets, where new solutions must be proposed and products made differently thanks to a technology under constant research.

For the first time since its launch, SPINEXPO^TM presented developments in the socks sector, once a utilitarian product and now a new fashion accessory, with a comprehensive presentation of what is already on offer on the market and new proposals submitted by the style team.

This presentation was accompanied by a programme of seminars run by Jimmy Jackson and New Zealand Socks, specialist in this sector. Santoni/Lonati made their contribution with a presentation of their latest machine, which gave visitors a better understanding of how socks are made. Richter, footwear subsidiary of the Suedwolle group, completed the presentation. The open seminar area, situated in the exhibition hall itself near the trends areas, helped to give these areas extra impact.

The results of this exhibition are similar to those of the previous two, with 10,322 visitors and a first day that saw a record number of 4,768 visitors, multiple entries by 2,244 visitors over several days, and a total of 12,558 visitors.

The exhibition attracted 8,677 Chinese visitors, including a record number from the Zhejiang province which surpassed the number of visitors from Shanghai, and a total of 1,645 visitors from outside China. The atmosphere at this edition of SPINEXPO^TM was positive, despite the current market uncertainties. Visitor numbers from Europe continue to increase, and the number of visitors from Taiwan have also grown considerably.

Exhibitors brought creativity and increasingly interesting fashion projects to the exhibition and helped to enhance it aesthetically. Xinao Group presented us with “Knit for Next” and the work of the ten finalists in the 2018 competition and their vision of a specific theme proposed by the yarn spinner. The competition winner will be announced over the coming days.