CLIENT:

Our client is a European based apparel importer and distributor who designs and sells high-quality clothing products to Europe, United States, and Japan.

PROBLEM:

They struggled to source a niche product from a cost effective and high-quality supplier in China.

CONCLUSION:

Following detailed research into the client’s sourcing problem, ICS TRUST advised them to attend the Guangzhou Canton Fair, the largest trade exhibition in China where thousands of textile, fabric and garment suppliers can be found in one place. Before attending the fair, we arranged accommodations and transportation for the client and met with them to advise on local negotiating and trade fair customs. We also accompanied them throughout the fair and provided on-site assistance to overcome linguistic and cultural barriers.

Within the first 3 hours of attending the fair, the client sourced over 20 viable suppliers and was satisfied that they could evaluate, compare and sort out a great number of vendors in a time efficient manner. Being able to have face to face interaction with the right contact person, obtain product samples and negotiate prices all at the same time proved to be a successful solution to a problem that had previously caused delays in terms of time and money. Attending the right fair also allowed the client to obtain more market insight and to better understand the current position of their business in this region.

RESULT:

The client was able to achieve their main objective of finding a cost effective and high-quality supplier in China. If the client did not find this supplier, they might have possibly fallen out of business due to the drastic increase in manufacturing costs with their existing supplier, causing them to miss out on some major business opportunities. With the aid of this new China supplier, not only they enjoyed cost savings on high quality raw materials, the client was also able to make a high profit on the newly sourced product and further expand their business.