SHANGHAI: Jewelry, salt lamps, blankets, marble …… Five years ago, when these distinctive Pakistani-style products debuted at the first China International Import Expo (CIIE), they struck Chinese buyers as unfamiliarly new, rare and exotic but evoked some concerns about the quality during purchase.
However, five years later at the fifth CIIE, Pakistani products have already garnered a large following of repeat customers and hardcore buyers. ”Of the consumers who buy our products, the percentage of re-purchase within a year is as high as 60%, and another 30% of customers make a third or more purchase within a year,” said Li Long proudly, a four-time Pakistani jewellery exhibitor at CIIE.
On the booth stands out a girly pink gemstone with the largest size. “This pink morganite originates from Pakistan. This is the first of its kind exhibited at CIIE and it is part of the Mughal series.
150-carat pink morganite is very rare even in Pakistan.” In this year’s CIIE, Li Long brings emeralds, morganites, tourmalines and chrysoprase, which originate from the northern mountains of Pakistan. He said expectantly, “This year, our booth is specially decorated for brand image display, and we hope to meet more quality buyers.”
Large exhibitions such as CIIE are the major means of product promotion as Pakistani exhibitors make their foray into the Chinese market.
However, such exhibitions only last a few days each year, and there are no suitable sales channels for most of the year. –Agencies
