Japanese firms seek business opportunities at CIIE

“In the past three or four years, our sales in the Chinese market have been growing at an average annual rate of more than 30%, ” said Hiroaki Watanabe, general manager of Shanghai KAI Trade Co, Ltd.(File pic show one of the booths at the EXPO)

SHANGHAI: Japanese enterprises are looking to tap into new business opportunities at the ongoing third China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai and optimistic about the prospects of the Chinese market after the pandemic is under control.

KAI Group, a Japanese company focusing on the marketing of products such as cutlery, kitchen utensils and beauty care products, has brought its popular beauty care products including eyebrow razors to the CIIE.

“In the past three or four years, our sales in the Chinese market have been growing at an average annual rate of more than 30%, ” said Hiroaki Watanabe, general manager of Shanghai KAI Trade Co, Ltd.

“Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the sales volume of many of our products has increased rather than decreased, especially on e-commerce platforms.”

He said KAI Group has participated in the expo for two consecutive years and they obviously felt the improvement of their brand recognition.

The company has doubled its exhibition area this year.

“We are also warming up for the ‘Double 11’ online shopping spree, ” he said, adding that after taking part in the CIIE in 2019, the sales of their products increased by three times year on year during the shopping festival in the same year.

According to Hiroaki Watanabe, the company is trying to creat more personalised products of cutlery and kitchen utensils for the young group as part of efforts to find a new growth point in the Chinese market.

“We are confident that the Chinese market will continue to improve in the future, ” said Li Chaofan, manager of Commercial Department of Guangzhou Rinnai Co, Ltd, a joint venture invested by Japanese company Rinnai Corp.

The company is participating in the expo for the third time.

“This year, we have brought new products such as wall-mounted stoves to meet the new demand for intellectualisation and minimisation in the Chinese market.

“We believe they will be recognised by the Chinese customers, ” said Li.

Japanese brewer Kirin Holdings has also participated in three consecutive editions of the CIIE and expanded its exhibition area from nine square meters in 2018 to 81 square meters this year.

In the eyes of Xu Lei, head of sales planning department of Kirin (China) Investment Company Ltd, the expansion of the exhibition area to some extent represents that Kirin gradually occupied more and more shares in the Chinese market. — Xinhua