By MKPE ABANG
International retailers of consumer electronics and home appliances along with trade several delegations from Europe and other parts of Asia such as Japan and Korea are heading to the Chinese city of Shenzhen where they will come face to face with leading Chines retailers and consumers at a new tradeshow, Consumer Electronics China, which launches April 20-22.
Holding at the impressive Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Centre, the CE China is the brainchild of the organisers of the very successful IFA Consumer Electronics Unlimited, which holds in Berlin, Germany.
“True to the established IFA concept, CE China will build on the successful cooperation with leading trade groups, strong global industry partners, and innovative themes for the ‘smart world of tomorrow.’
“Preparations are in full swing, and we are here to support our exhibitors and partners in making these advantages accessible to Chinese retailers and consumers,” commented Mr. Jens Heithecker who is the IFA Executive Director and Chairman & General Manager CE China.
A statement by Messe Berlin, organisers of IFA, revealed that among trade delegations expected from Europe, Japan and Korea is Rakuten, a company that reported revenue of 713,555 million Yen in 2015 (about $6.309 billion) and is one of the 10 largest online companies in the world. Online platforms Buy.com (United States), Priceminister (France), Ikeda (Brazil), and Play.com (UK) are part of the Rakuten network.
According to the statement, another leading company to feature CE China is Hi-Mart, which currently has more than 440 stores, making it the largest electronics retailer in South Korea. With Hi-Mart, buyers have access to a portfolio of more than 15,000 products from leading household appliance manufacturers.
Hi-Mart has been part of the Lotte Group, the largest retail company in South Korea, since 2012. The Lotte Group reported sales revenue of 28 billion Won in 2014.
Others companies supporting the CE China are Euronics International and Expert International, two of Europe’s most important trade groups. Euronics reported European sales of 18.2 billion Euro in 2014, with more than 600 million consumers in Europe. Euronics International currently has more than 6,400 members in 35 countries, making it one of Europe’s largest trade associations.
Also, Expert International, which most recently reported total retail sales of more than 20 billion Euro worldwide, will be supporting the CE China in Shenzhen. In Germany, Expert AG’s 215 shareholders with their approximately 450 specialist stores played a substantial role in the success of the Expert International group.
The CE China will also be attracting a number of leeading Chinese trade groups. Among the official partners of CE China are China’s largest retailers – Suning, Alibaba, and Gome – and IDG, China’s largest media group.
According to a 2014 report by the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, the Suning Group, with revenue of 34 billion Euro, ranks second on the list of the fastest-growing companies in China. Suning has more than 1,600 branches in more than 700 cities in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, and Japan.
With reported revenue of 12.3 billion USD in 2015, Alibaba is the world’s largest digital marketplace. The number of active buyers (China Retail) in the past year increased by 32 percent to approximately 367 million, and the number of sellers reached 8 million.
GOME, one of China’s leading online shopping portals, has around 200 flagship stores, 340 standard stores, and 520 specialist stores. GOME reported revenue of 60,360 million Renmimbi for 2014.
IDG currently publishes more than 200 newspapers and magazines in more than 85 countries worldwide. Of these, 175 are various regional editions of IDG’s major titles: Computerworld/ Infoworld, PC World, Mac World, NetworkWorld, Channelworld, and CIO. More than 280 million people read one of these titles on a regular basis. The media company’s portfolio also includes numerous online offerings. These comprise 460 websites in more than 97 countries, including a number of web-only titles. IDG currently employs more than 13,000 people worldwide, including more than 2,000 journalists in IDG’s various editorial departments.
Floor plans, stand bookings, and other services are available now on the CE China website at www.cechina-ifa.com.
Trade visitors and general visitors can already purchase their tickets now in advance and media representatives can register under Press on the main menu.
The Consumer Electronics China, a global IFA event, is designed to be China’s premier trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances brands in China.
On the other hand, IFA, with a soaring success over the years, is the world’s leading trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances. This year’s IFA will take place on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds (ExpoCentre City) from 2 to 7 September 2016.