- Gourmet products prove most popular with public

The HKTDC Lifestyle ShoppingFest, a brand-new public fair organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), came to a successful close yesterday (2 May). The fair kicked off on 28 April (Wednesday) and ran over five days at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), featuring 430 exhibitors and attracting more than 55,000 public visitors.

HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau said: "The Lifestyle ShoppingFest is the first physical show organised by the HKTDC since the pandemic began early last year. We implemented a series of anti-pandemic measures to safeguard the health and safety of participants. We were pleased to see a positive response from exhibitors and the public, reflecting the fact that physical shows are irreplaceable. The HKTDC responded to the needs of Hong Kong enterprises, bringing them additional selling opportunities during a challenging period, while the public were provided with an enjoyable shopping experience."

Apart from the Hong Kong Book Fair and concurrent fairs running in mid-July, the HKTDC will also host several trade fairs including the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show and Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show from 25 to 29 July, and the International Sourcing Show from 26 to 29 July. The three fairs will be the first concurrent physical trade fairs to be staged by the HKTDC since the pandemic. It is expected that the three fairs can create synergies across industries, enhancing sourcing efficiency and creating more opportunities for cross-industry exhibitors.

Physical fair provides boost for business

This five-day Lifestyle ShoppingFest provided a valuable opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to understand more about consumers' preferences. The HKTDC conducted a survey to gauge the views of exhibitors, finding that 75% of exhibitors agreed that physical shows can help to boost their businesses.

Richard Leung, Director of the Ballerina Watch Company Limited, said: "The pandemic has inevitably decelerated the economy and had an impact on exports and local retail. The Lifestyle ShoppingFest is a timely opportunity to provide a solid selling platform for various industries as the pandemic subsides. Consumers of high-end products such as jewellery and watches prefer examining tangible products, which explains the importance of physical fairs." He added that as the pandemic comes under control, sales of food and hygiene products will see a brisk recovery, followed by a progressive resumption of sales for high-end consumer products.

It was the first time for optical agent Opticon Ltd to join a local public fair. Christopher Chan, Director of the company, said, "We focused on commercial clients in the past, but we are now looking to explore the retail market. The people flow and atmosphere at the Lifestyle ShoppingFest was good, helping us to get to know more about consumers' preferences which in turn will give us more confidence to build up our retail business."

Click here to continue