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Published: 09:55, September 03, 2021 | Updated: 09:55, September 03, 2021
A fair for the old-fashioned, innovative
By Chai Hua in Shenzhen and Wang Yuke in Hong Kong
Published:09:55, September 03, 2021 Updated:09:55, September 03, 2021 By Chai Hua in Shenzhen and Wang Yuke in Hong Kong

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Shopping Festival has set the stage for the region’s household brands to showcase their old-fashioned goods alongside state-of-the-art gadgets from leading tech companies.

The three-week event — which began Thursday and runs through Sept 22 — is offering 13 million items of almost 300,000 brands at discount prices, including snacks, cosmetics, digital gadgets and home appliances, with a focus on local products and cross-border retailing.

The Greater Bay Area, covering nine cities in Guangdong province and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, boasts 25 companies ranked among the world’s top 500. It accounts for 56 percent of China’s patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty framework, 49 percent of the country’s overseas trade volume, and 12 percent of national GDP.

The inno-tech companies joining the festival include Chinese mainland telecoms giant Huawei, electric-car maker Xpeng Motors and home appliances behemoths Gree Electric Appliances and TCL.

Manufacturers of lighting products in the city of Zhongshan, whose scale of production is among the world’s largest, will have the chance to promote their merchandise.

On the first day of the event, mooncakes made by Hong Kong restaurant chain Maxim’s Caterers were among the most sought-after items as customers placed orders for the delicacies ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Sept 21 this year.

The goal is to present a full picture of the local business scene rather than simply promote the products, according to the fair’s organizers.

Gree showcased its factory in Zhuhai and its industrial robots as part of the Greater Bay Area’s intelligent manufacturing sector. Chairwoman Dong Mingzhu, who appeared in a livestream show at the start of the festival, said the company has achieved an innovative upgrade along with the Greater Bay Area’s development.

Through the fair, manufacturers and retailers hope to tap the huge market of 1.4 billion people.

The event has the potential to rekindle Hong Kong consumers’ shopping desire as long as the participating brands provide high-quality commodities, thoughtful services and generous offers, said Chong Tai-leung, executive director of the Lau Chor Tak Institute of Global Economics and Finance at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

He said what impact the festival will have on Hong Kong’s retail sector and consumer confidence will depend on how well the event is promoted. “Consumer confidence is gained by word of mouth. The annual Hong Kong Brands the Products Expo Shopping Festival is a prime example of how to reach out to the city’s consumers with marketing tactics,” he said.

Shenzhen consumer Ye Xueyi said she has high expectations for Hong Kong and Macao products as she used to go shopping in Hong Kong regularly, but it’s no longer an option now because of COVID-19. 

She said she hopes celebrities will also appear at livestreaming events and that retailers can offer free delivery services as well.

Contact the writers at grace@chinadailyhk.com


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