Global Sources' China Sourcing Fairs fall series opens today

HONG KONG, October 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Sources' (NASDAQ: GSOL) fall 2013 consumer goods shows opened today at Hong Kong's AsiaWorld-Expo with a "Lifestyle" theme. The four co-located events are China Sourcing Fairs: Baby & Children's Products, Christmas & Seasonal Products, Gifts & Premiums and Home Products. The shows run until Oct. 22.

With a focus on innovation, eco-friendliness and social-compliance, the shows present high-quality consumer goods under three main product areas -- decorating, living and giving. Top buyers pre-registered to attend the shows include Beams, Black & Decker, Carrefour, Coles Group, Folli Follie, Hasbro, Home Retail Group, Leed's, Marks & Spencer, Mattel, Sears, Tesco, Tomy, Toys R Us, Walt Disney, Wilkinson and Woolworths. Demonstrating the importance of the shows, 90 percent of exhibiting companies are exclusive exhibitors, including more private manufacturers than other shows in the region.

"Whether the economy is up or down, consumers always strive for a better quality of life and our Fairs are renowned for offering buyers quality and innovative products at competitive price points," said Tommy Wong, President of Global Sources Exhibitions. "This is a huge market with the global housewares and specialties market alone forecast to grow by an 8.4 percent annual rate till 2017 with total revenues exceeding $76 billion," he added.

With tens of thousands of buyers expected to visit the shows, one popular destination will be the "Lifestyle" product showcase in Hall 7. Following the success of the "Modern Dining" product showcase this spring, an expanded version of "Lifestyle" gives buyers a convenient way to quickly locate the suppliers of in-demand products with more than 240 such products on display. Onsite video chat even enables suppliers who do not have booths on the show floor to communicate with buyers in real-time.

"Our shows are not just about offering buyers a good selection of suppliers and products to choose from," explained Wong. "The suppliers exhibiting have a proven track-record of offering innovative and eco-friendly designs which resonate well with consumers. And with China Sourcing Fair's reputation of maximizing sourcing efficiency, it really is easier for buyers and sellers alike to negotiate and close deals here."

Value-added services to enhance buyer and supplier efficiency

To help buyers and exhibitors meet and do business more effectively, Global Sources is organizing a series of special on-site activities at the Fairs. These include:

• Seminars on winning strategies for China, first-hand market intelligence, and other hot topics in the rapidly evolving home and gifts landscape.
• Private Sourcing Events enable pre-selected exhibitors to meet one-on-one with top international buyers. Sourcing teams from buyers including Dia Group, Hershey's, Home Retail Group, Li & Fung, Liverpool, Metro Group, Monsoon Accessorize, Ripley and Sundan are scheduled to attend, representing combined annual sales of more than US$537 billion.
• Color Trends Area in Hall 5 features color forecasts for gifts, premiums and home products.
• VIP buyer office suites provide selected buyers with an on-site mobile office which greatly enhances their sourcing effectiveness at the show.

"China Sourcing Fairs are just one part of the services we provide. Global Sources maintains the industry's broadest and most integrated multi-channel sourcing platform, allowing buyers to find reliable suppliers using a combination of our online marketplace, print and digital magazines, and then meet them at our shows and private sourcing events," concluded Wong.

Opening times for the Hong Kong China Sourcing Fairs are:

• Oct. 19-21 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Oct. 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Buyers can find more information, including details about free transport to the venue and back, at the China Sourcing Fairs website: http://www.chinasourcingfair.com.

For more information about Global Sources, please visit the company's corporate site (http://www.corporate.globalsources.com). You can also view the company's latest developments on Facebook and Twitter (/globalsources).

About Global Sources

Global Sources is a leading business-to-business media company and a primary facilitator of trade with Greater China.

The core business facilitates trade between Asia and the world using English-language media such as online marketplaces (GlobalSources.com), print and digital magazines, sourcing research reports, private sourcing events, and trade shows.

More than 1 million international buyers, including 95 of the world's top 100 retailers, use these services to obtain product and company information to help them source more profitably from overseas supply markets. These services also provide suppliers with integrated marketing solutions to build corporate image, generate sales leads and win orders from buyers in more than 240 countries and territories.

Global Sources' other businesses provide Chinese-language media to companies selling to and within Greater China. These services include online web sites, print and digital magazines, seminars and trade shows. In mainland China, Global Sources has a network of more than 30 office locations and a community of more than 4 million registered online users and magazine readers of its Chinese-language media.

Now in its fifth decade, Global Sources has been publicly listed on the NASDAQ since 2000.