As China’s only international fair that focuses solely on mid-range and high-end interior consumer goods, with kitchen brand exhibitors such as Revol, Smeg and Zoku, Interior Lifestyle China, held every September, is an ideal platform for tapping into the Chinese market
First debuting in 2007, Interior Lifestyle China has developed into China’s leading professional platform and is now the foremost and trendsetting global exhibition for the Chinese mid to high-end consumer goods market.
An ideal stepping stone for international brands to enter the Chinese market, each year more and more world-renowned home and lifestyle brands participate – more than 70 per cent of exhibitors – with 437 exhibitors from 26 countries/regions attending in 2018, attracting more than 23,000 visitors. Among the three product segments, the Dining section continues to grow.
“Interior Lifestyle China grows and adapts alongside the trends of China’s retail market,†says Ms Wendy Wen, senior general manager, Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, Interior Lifestyle China. “It promotes better product quality, supports hybrid retail channels – both online and offline – and offers retail experiences that are lifestyle-orientated, rather than product-orientated.â€
The fair’s timing in mid-September also takes advantage of the peak trade show season in Shanghai, in order to maximise buyer flow.
The new show theme for 2019 has been confirmed as ‘It’s my lifestyle!’ and will present new consumer behaviour trends in China, “focusing on the 80s / 90s generation, who are currently China’s core consumers for home and lifestyle productsâ€, says Wendy.
On-site side events are set to include Cooking Lab, which will offer demonstrations of the latest cooking technologies and tablesetting trends; Retail Lab, which will showcase new retail trends in terms of merchandising displays, retail experiences, technologies and more; and Giftique, a curated space in a gift boutique concept, which will present design-oriented gift items.
In addition, Interior Lifestyle China 2019 will prove itself as the ideal platform to learn about market strategies for China’s retail environment with offsite events.
Wendy explains: “For 2019, these will include a lifestyle pop-up store, which will give exhibiting brands a low-cost platform ideal for testing retail strategies in China, and the Lifestyle Everywhere campaign, which connects small lifestyle stores and buyer shops in Shanghai and surrounding cities as buyers for the fair.
“The campaign also includes a guided retail tour for exhibitors and visitors to learn more about the China market.â€
It is mainly mid- to high-end brands that exhibit at Interior Lifestyle China. “We can see that while the high-end brand is less stable, sourcing trends for mid-end brands are growing,†says Wendy. “As the fair supports new retail trends – attracting buyer profiles such as e-commerce, lifestyle stores and independent retailers – exhibitors in the dining section know that they can find new, non-traditional business opportunities here.â€
Kitchen brands at Interior Lifestyle China hail from all over the world, so for example, last year, global brands such as French ceramic culinary brand Revol from France, Muurla from Finland, as well as Zoku, Smeg and Serafinozani, exhibited.
“Not only is Interior Lifestyle China an ideal platform for exhibitors to shape their market strategies, it’s also an efficient place for visitors to learn about the market’s latest developments,†explains Wendy. “The fair attracts high-quality exhibitors, both domestic and overseas, and presents the industry’s latest innovations.
“Onsite and offsite events keep the discussion going year-round and create an immersive experience that elevates the best of the interior and lifestyle retail industry, in China and overseas.â€
The next Interior Lifestyle China takes place at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, Shanghai, from September 11-13, 2019. https://interior-lifestyle-china.hk.messefrankfurt.com
