Improved online services give businesses improved outlook

With improving online services, foreign trade companies at the ongoing 129th China Import and Export Fair, also known as Canton Fair, said their businesses have many opportunities ahead of them.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the third time for the fair to be held online following two virtual events held in April and October last year.

High Hope International Group, one of China’s top 500 foreign trade companies based in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, said the new functions of the fair’s official online platform have better served to meet the demands of the exhibitors, buyers and visitors.

These new functions include the optimization of information distribution which can help exhibitors establish contacts with their clients more efficiently, said an executive of High Hope International.

The fair’s online system is also upgraded to allow the quick sharing of the shop pages for clients by means of email, links and invitation letters this year, he said.

More importantly, the browsing of pages has become more interactive, which can bring better experiences to viewers, he noted.

“These changes have impressed us deeply. The fair’s organizer have made consistent efforts to help companies adapt to the online exhibition,” the executive said.

To adapt to the new changes, the company’s online showroom for children’s wear has been delicately decorated, with more varieties of samples on display.

According to the executive, a total of 12 subsidiaries of the group attended the online Canton Fair with nearly 6,000 exhibits, covering all the 16 categories.

The group’s cross-border e-commerce export surged dramatically in the first quarter this year, which has strengthened the management’s confidence to grab further online business opportunities at Canton Fair.

“Our goal is to introduce bigger numbers of our self-developed brands with independent designs to the global markets through the online fair, and to build new marketing channel advantages,” the executive said.

He said the group signed intended deals valued at $24 million in the previous two Canton Fair sessions, and more fruitful results are expected this year.

Shanghai Ebasee Electric, a manufacturer in the low-voltage electric industry, said the fair was the best bridge to connect the company with its partners around the world in the context of COVID-19. It has been a frequent exhibitor at Canton Fair for more than a decade.

Dong Changhe, general manager of the company, said the livestreaming platform of the fair creates zero distance with its clients.

“With livestreaming and virtual reality technologies, our clients can ‘touch’ our products and ‘visit’ our factories,” said Dong.

“Our sales network has been expanded from South Europe to East Europe and North Europe. The Ebasee brand is gaining wider recognition in Europe,” he noted.

The company has kept upgrading its new-energy-related products to echo the country’s carbon neutralization strategy. Its second-generation charging poles with better waterproofing and new protective functions have received orders from clients in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region at this fair, Dong said.

“By attending three sessions of the online Canton Fair, we found that an increasing number of clients showed their interest in our products and reached deals for cooperation,” Dong said.

Despite the sluggish global economy last year, the company recorded an about 30 percent year-on-year increase in exports.

“We are more confident this year,” Dong said. “We will take full advantage of Canton Fair to achieve better results.”