Substantial increase in attendance in Shanghai

The China International Hardware Show (CIHS) increased its visitor attendance figure by nearly 16 per cent on the year before. As detailed in the organisers’ final report, a total of 46 368 visitors from around 90 countries arrived at the trade fair in Shanghai between 19 and 21 September 2012. The number of exhibitors remained on a level with last year’s event. Some 2 400 companies from 20 countries were present there, occupying an exhibition space of 103 500 m². The biggest foreign exhibitor group came from Taiwan, which had around 100 firms represented on an area of 2 000 m². The fair’s co-organisers are Koelnmesse of Germany and the China National Hardware Association. They stress the support from international organisations such as the International Federation of Hardware and Houseware Associations (IHA) and the European DIY Retail Association (EDRA), and also report on the buying activities of major retailers. Specifically mentioned in this context are Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Kingfisher, Lowe’s, Leroy Merlin, Saint-Gobain and Metro.