Commodities Intelligence Centre and ZALL Group Wins Gold and Silver Awards at The 2021 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards

SINGAPORE, May 14, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC), a physical commodities B2B e-trade platform, announced today that it has won the prestigious Gold Stevie(R) Award for "Innovation in Business-to-Business Services". Its parent company, ZALL Smart Commerce Group (ZALL Group), a leading Chinese B2B e-commerce group with a global presence, has also received the Silver Stevie Award winner for "Best Corporate Response" in fighting against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. CIC and ZALL Group were conferred this honour at the 2021 Asia Pacific Stevie Awards, which publicly recognises the achievements and positive contributions of organisations and working professionals worldwide.

Peter Yu, Chief Executive Officer of Commodities Intelligence Centre and Vice President of ZALL Group, shared, "CIC and ZALL Group are deeply honoured and proud to win the 2021 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. During the height of the pandemic, our teams at ZALL Group and CIC played a key role as the first responder towards government efforts in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. The team delivered millions of masks and emergency medical supplies to countries worldwide by tapping on our global technology-enabled ecosystem, network and resources."

"Amid supply chain disruptions, CIC continued to drive innovation with its B2B service offerings, empowering SMEs in Singapore and in Asia with their digital transformation journeys, reinventing their business models with more substantial global supply chain capabilities from sourcing to last-mile delivery and fulfilment during such challenging times. The awards not only affirms the hard work of our teams, but it also validates our global technology leadership position within the B2B etrade segment," added Peter.

Being part of the global supply chain ecosystem, ZALL Group was able to tap on CIC's integrated online platform and offline global supply chain logistics capabilities to mobilize immediate efforts for the Group's international procurement and supply of medical supplies. As such, ZALL Group was able to provide humanitarian assistance in areas where there was greatest shortage in medical aid and equipment. ZALL Group also managed to secure assistance from governments, embassies and civil aviation authorities around the world for designated green lanes for expedited customs clearance amid global lockdown restrictions.

ZALL Group has since delivered 11 air cargo shipments and over 8.75 million quality personal protective equipment (PPE) worth RMB185 million (S$38.1 million), including masks, protective clothing, goggles, gloves and disinfectants, to China, and over 5 million masks to 16 countries around the world. The Group was also among the first to set up seven emergency hospitals and three shelter hospitals in China, and published two e-books on Emergency Hospitals and Fangcang Shelter Hospitals to support the global fight against the pandemic. There were more than 1 million downloads for these e-books worldwide.

Supporting Asia's SME Ecosystem With Technology

A joint venture between ZALL Smart Commerce Group (ZALL Group), Global eTrade Services (GeTS) and the Singapore Exchange (SGX), CIC uses blockchain technology to offer a one-stop integrated value-added services that aims to revolutionise commodities trading by facilitating cross-border business-to-business (B2B) trades, helping companies to uncover new business opportunities, reduce transaction costs and achieve greater trading synergies globally. Its platform and technologies have helped SMEs to accelerate their digital transformation and safeguard their business risks amid global disruptions, enabling companies to trade with confidence with greater transparency, traceability and security. In 2020, the number of customers on CIC's platform grew by 26 per cent as compared to 2019 to reach over 5800 registered users.

Over the past year, CIC has partnered with the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) via their "Rising in Support of Enterprises (RISE)" Programme to help SMEs cope with the challenges of the pandemic by tapping on CIC's business intelligence service DataPro, providing SMEs access to a wide database of over 2 billion records of customs and trade data from more than 110 countries across Asia, Europe and the Americas. It has also jointly launched a "Digital Silk Road" initiative led by ZALL Group, and joined Singapore's Blockchain for Trade & Connectivity (BTC) Network, which aims to help SMEs embrace adopt CIC's blockchain solution TradePro for their business needs and to promote greater trading efficiency and transparency across global supply chains.

The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are the only business awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace in all 29 nations of the Asia-Pacific region. The Stevie Awards are widely considered to be the world's premier business awards, conferring recognition for achievement in programs such as The International Business Awards for 19 years.

Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word for "crowned," the winners will be celebrated during a virtual (online) awards ceremony on Wednesday, 14 July.

Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners were determined by the average scores of more than 100 executives around the world acting as judges in March and April. Information about the 2021 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards can be found at this link, https://www.asia.stevieawards.com/2021-stevie-winners.

About Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC)

The Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC) is a global trading platform for physical commodities including Ferrous & Non-Ferrous Metals, Chemicals & Plastics, Oil & Petroleum, and Agri Commodities. Officially launched in Singapore on 12 Oct 2018, CIC is a Joint Venture between China-based ZALL Smart Commerce Group, Global eTrade Services (GeTS) and Singapore Exchange (SGX) to build trade connectivity through digital marketplaces and to grow a vibrant trading ecosystem in Singapore.

CIC aims to revolutionise commodity trading and facilitate cross-border trade through deal matching, trade finance, supply chain logistics, track and trace and global trade compliance. Since its establishment in October 2018, CIC has achieved a GMV (Gross Merchandise Volume) of more than US$13.4 billion (S$17.6 billion), with over 5,800 registered users covering markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China, among other countries in Asia.

About ZALL Smart Commerce Group

ZALL Smart Commerce Group is a leading Chinese B2B e-commerce group (ranked 166th of Fortune China 500 companies) with a global footprint across the world and is listed on three exchanges on HKSE, NYSE and SSE. ZALL Group develops and operates Asia's largest B2B offline-to-online trade ecosystem in China and Southeast Asia, including Singapore, with more than 30 B2B platforms in China, US and Singapore, and a GFA of more than 10 million sqm of wholesale trade centres in China. In 2018, ZALL Group achieved a GMV of more than RMB 600 billion (US$85.2 bn), serving over 1 mil SME customers worldwide. ZALL has also obtained a virtual banking licence and currently operates Z-Bank in China since 2017, one of China's Top 5 digital banks that has supported more than 5.5 million SME and individual customers.

Since 2018, ZALL has invested in five projects in Singapore, including the Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC), Singapore's first physical commodity eTrading platform (B2B) powered by blockchain technology; ezbuy.sg, Singapore's leading global online shopping platform; ZMA Smart Capital, an online trade finance company; ZALL Chain Technology, a blockchain solutions company. For more information, please visit http://en.zallcn.com/

About the Stevie Award

Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Sponsors and partners of the 2021 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards include Adobo Magazine, PR Newswire Asia, and the Korea Business Communicators Association.

For media queries
Email: ZALL@preciouscomms.com

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

E-House’s open strategy to acquire an 85% stake in Tmall Haofang

SHENZHEN, CHINA, May 14, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – On April 28, E-House China Enterprise Holdings Co., Ltd. (2048.HK) announced it had acquired an 85% stake in Tmall Haofang, through an issue of 248 million new E-House shares to Alibaba (NYSE: BABA; 9988.HK). At HK$ 7.50 per share, it was the equivalent to an acquisition at HK$ 1.86 billion.

At the same time, Alibaba, E-House founder and chairman Zhou Xin, and Alibaba's Yunfeng Fund invested HK$ 990 million, HK$ 1 billion and HK$ 500 million respectively at the price of HK$ 7.50 per share to subscribe to 132 million, 133 million and 66.67 million new shares of E-House.

On completion, Tmall Haofang will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of E-House, while Alibaba will continue to grant exclusive Tmall permits to Tmall Haofang including the name, domain name, trademark and other brand attributes, and simultaneously provide technical, product, data, operational and other means of support.

In terms of shareholding ratio, Zhou Xin will hold 22.84% shares of E-House to remain its largest shareholder, while Ali with 22.57% becomes the second-largest shareholder, and Yunfeng Fund 2.86%. Zhou Xin, as Chairman of the E-House Board of Directors, officially wrote an open letter "Hello, Tmall Haofang!" A few words were highlighted for the outside world: "After cooperation and upgrading, E-House will emphasize the three pillar businesses of Tmall Haofang: new housing transactions, a new housing agency and Kerry Big Data."

This means that E-House will venture into the Internet transaction platform as a new housing agency and real estate big data and consulting service. It isn't an exaggeration to say Alibaba has provided E-House with more than support, not only in the transfer of Tmall Haofang, but also by increasing its E-House shareholding, and by providing exclusive authorization, technology, products, traffic and many other means of support. It is evidence of Alibaba's belief in the prospects of E-House successfully transforming imagination into market reality.

In fact, we see from experience with Lianja's Shell Search online real estate brokerage that platforms are valued against their potential to develop, as seen by higher valuations in the capital market. According to the data, Lianjia's annual sales were RMB 1 trillion in 2017, but by 2020, sales with Shell's ACN (Asian Cooperative Network) reached RMB 3.5 trillion, and Lianja's market cap exceeded USD 60 billion.

Real estate transactions have exceeded 20 trillion yuan nationwide. Yet there remains much potential and opportunity for integration, and another big player is venturing in. Zhou Xin said in his open letter, "This is an important milestone for the domestic real estate service industry and E-House." When "There are good houses on Tmall" has changed to "To buy good houses on Tmall", E-House strategy has evolved into an online real estate transaction platform, and the digitalization of real estate has also accelerated.

01. Build a new digital infrastructure of real estate

Since its founding more than two decades ago, E-House has been deeply involved in the real estate industry, from a new housing agency service initially to a real estate big data consulting service and then to a real estate brokerage platform. For most of that time, E-House's core business was traditional real-estate agency services. According to the 2020 financial report, 32.9 million sq.m were successfully brokered via E-House for sales of RMB 405.6 billion, accounting for about 40% of E-House revenues.

However, from 2016 it was gathering a large number of medium and small to micro brokerage firms on the Fangyou platform, while launching a series of products such as the Youfang market resources sharing platform and Youfangtong and E-House Fangyou Management System vigorously promoting online and interactive new and pre-owned housing brokerage business, stimulating a rapid increase in the proportion of e-revenue.

2020 was the turning point for E-House. With the COVID-19 pandemic, online real estate transactions were ascendant. In November 2020 E-House completed the acquisition of Leju Holdings Ltd (NYSE: LEJU), a digital real estate media and online transaction platform, which had become a key ecological link for E-House in building a closed loop in which to complete real estate transactions.

And then came Alibaba. Working together with deep cooperation for online and offline real estate transactions, digital marketing and post-transaction services, E-House and Ali jointly launched the "Real Estate Transaction Collaboration Mechanism" (ETC), which is equivalent to, but more open and efficient than ACN brokerage system of Shell. From the results of promotion and operation across China, a new win-win brokerage ecological system is growing rapidly.

According to statistics, during 2020 double eleventh festival, a total of 41,775 transactions were cumulatively achieved via the ETC collaboration mechanism with transaction volume of 93.1 billion yuan in 236 cities nationwide.

It is understood that around real estate transactions, E-House faces real estate developers, intermediaries and asset proprietors, and promotes the digital upgrade of real estate transactions and operations with the help of Cree Big Data, Fangyou brokerage platform, Leju, etc. and strives to gradually build new infrastructure in the domain of real estate.

Under the background of "three red lines", it is more difficult for developers to yield profits, and even the marketing expenses of some projects have been as high as 5%. The digital new infrastructures have brought a new possibility for the whole industry. All these are regarded as the efforts of E-House in real estate digitalization, and gradually reveal the unique value of E-House in the domain of real estate. The cooperation between E-House and Ali shows E-House's professional and resource advantages in the domain of real estate transactions, which directly paves the way for E-House to acquire Tmall Haofang to venture into the real estate online transaction platform.

02. Layout of real estate internet transaction platform

The real estate transaction platform is a more valuable and imaginative domain. An evidence is the striking transformation from Lianjia to shell platform, which lays a direct foundation for a higher premium in the capital market.

From the perspective of industry scale data, the huge real estate transaction market will continue to grow up to approximately 25 trillion yuan in the coming three years according to the National Bureau of Statistics. If the marketing expenses of new and pre-owned housing is calculated at the rate of 2.5% and 1.5% of the transaction volume respectively, the overall market capacity of real estate marketing expenses will reach 500-600 billion or so.

The cooperation between Tmall Haofang and E-House marks that a new pioneer will be ushered to the broad market. The advantages of both sides open a window for complementary win-win cooperation to bring great expectations to the entire industry.

In fact, many intermediaries and developers expect to build their own real estate transaction platforms. However, due to the difficulty in seeking customers, insufficient housing resources, real and false housing resources, interest conflict among brokers and many other challenges, it is difficult for most of them to set up a large real estate transaction platform.

However, Tmall itself is a B2C mall, with monthly active users over 50 million. The sufficient traffic is helpful to alleviate the difficulty in seeking customers. From Ali's practice in the vertical field, it has successfully built Ali Health and Tmall Haofang is regarded as another practice of Ali in the vertical field of real estate, attracting more optimistic expectations from the outside world.

Tmall Haofang has built a real estate transaction platform to address the problems that exist in the transaction process by using Ali's system and technical solution. Small, medium and micro-stores, brand owners, property service providers, etc. can participate in the transaction service, chain commission sharing and fund supervision online, so that the transaction will be "simple, efficient, fair and open".

While E-House gives full play to the advantages of housing and brokerage companies. For E-House, E-House has been dedicated to the domain of new housing service for many years, and established a good relationship with developers as well as vast small and medium-sized brokerage stores.

Among them, the close ties between E-House and real estate enterprises can be confirmed from the shareholders when E-House went public. As shown in the prospectus, 26 out of the top 100 real estate enterprises in China subscribed for their shares respectively. By the end of 2017, the first-hand housing sales network of E-House has covered domestic 186 cities, and entered into long-term strategic partnership with dozens out of the top 100 real estate enterprises.

Meanwhile, for medium, small and micro brokerage firms across China empowered by asset-light strategy, E-House has built an overall resource pool for 10,000+ stores, 30,000 channels and 10,000 communities. In addition, the E-House ETC model is more open and fair: customers can have access to the housing resources directly so efficiency can improve significantly; channel dealers expand customer resource channels and find solutions to lost orders, commission sharing and various other problems; and buyers will have improved efficiency of housing inspection and an optimized transaction process.

It is undoubted that the difficulties in building a large platform for real estate transactions have been solved little by little under the joint efforts of E-House and Ali. The prospects of this acquisition rely more on the capacity of implementation. As Zhou Wei said in his open letter, Tmall Haofang will "build a new digital infrastructure for real estate marketing, empower brokerage firms and millions of brokers, and contribute to promoting the digitalization and intelligence of the real estate industry in an all-round manner, so that no difficulties will exist in real estate transactions".

For this reason, after reaching a deal with Ali, Zhou Xin set in his letter to employees the target of 3 million DAU, 2000 billion GTV2 and 50 billion yuan revenue in the next three years. From his target, Zhou Xin is confident in the prospects of Tmall Haofang.

As indicated in 2020 annual report of E-House, the GTV of real estate agency service and real estate brokerage network service reached 513.4 billion yuan, with a total income of 8.0515 billion yuan and a profit of 439.2 million yuan in 2020. GTV and revenue are expected to increase fourfold and sixfold respectively in the next three years. It means that the compound growth rate of E-House's revenue in the coming three years will be 84.2%. Compared with this growth rate, E-House's current estimated value of more than 40 times is obviously underestimated.

It is not difficult to imagine that with the investment and promotion on Tmall Haofang, the income composition and profit structure of E-House will change accordingly in future. And meanwhile, the valuation system will be reconstructed after the quantitative change finally leads to qualitative change.

Media Contact
Haolu Wang, Peanutmedia
E: wanghaolu@czgmcn.com
Website: Peanutmedia.com

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Trintech Announces Sponsorship of ServiceNow’s Knowledge 2021 Event

DALLAS, TX, May 5, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Trintech, a leading global provider of integrated Record to Report software solutions for the Office of Finance, today announced its gold sponsorship of ServiceNow's Knowledge 2021 event taking place virtually May 11th – 20th. During this event, digital leaders, partners, and forward-thinkers will come together to discover how organizations are becoming more resilient and reshaping their industries with digital workflows.

As part of this sponsorship, Trintech will be hosting two speaking sessions. The first, "Delivering Real-Time Financial Insights with the Right Processes and Technology," will be co-hosted with KPMG and focuses on how to address the financial close by combining effective processes and technology that simplify workflows across your Office of Finance.

"As enterprises continue to accelerate digital transformation efforts, it is critical to think about this holistically from both a process and technology-perspective," said Scott Cohen, Advisory, KPMG LLP. "A comprehensive digital workflow transformation is vital to your future success and we are excited about our expanded partnership with both Trintech and ServiceNow to address companies' unique finance and organizational transformations by turning knowledge into value and successfully driving large, global, and complex workflow transformation."

The second session, "Transform Your Office of Finance by Powering Your Workflow with CadencyDirect," will showcase how CadencyDirect, the only Financial Close Automation (FCA) application on the Now Platform(R), can digitize your workflows across your financial close process on a single, scalable, cloud-based platform that reduces complexity and risk, accelerates the overall process, and drives a greater experience for finance teams.

"Leading enterprises understand the need to digitize workflows across the enterprise which is why we are excited about our recent partnership with ServiceNow and bringing our CadencyDirect solution to the ServiceNow customer base at Knowledge 2021," said Robert Michlewicz, Chief Strategy Officer at Trintech. "For finance organizations, CadencyDirect complements and extends financial operations management by addressing the shared needs of the CFO, CIO and CAO and enabling their teams to digitize workflows impacting the financial close process – thus creating visibility and improved synergies that help companies achieve a more effective operating enterprise."

Trintech recently was named a ServiceNow Elite Partner in the ServiceNow Technology Program, bringing CadencyDirect, an industry-leading financial close automation solution, into the Now Platform(R) to support digital transformation across the enterprise. CadencyDirect is powered by Trintech's industry-leading Cadency solution that combines all financial close activities into a single, seamless process, including operational matching, intercompany transaction management, balance sheet reconciliations, journal entry management, close task management and compliance. Cadency integrates with 100s of ERP instances including SAP(R), Oracle(R) and NetSuite(R) and currently serves the majority of the Fortune 100.

For more information on ServiceNow's Knowledge 2021 event, or to register, click here. https://knowledge.servicenow.com/

Some or all of the services described herein may not be permissible for KPMG audit clients and their affiliates or related entities.

About Trintech

Trintech Inc., a pioneer of Financial Corporate Performance Management (FCPM) software, combines unmatched technical and financial expertise to create innovative, cloud-based software solutions that deliver world-class financial operations and insights. From high volume transaction matching and streamlining daily operational reconciliations, to automating and managing balance sheet reconciliations, intercompany accounting, journal entries, disclosure reporting and bank fee analysis, to governance, risk and compliance – Trintech's portfolio of financial solutions, including Cadency(R) Platform, Adra(R) Suite, and targeted tools, ReconNET(TM), T-Recs(R), and UPCS(R), help manage all aspects of the financial close process. Over 3,500 clients worldwide – including the majority of the Fortune 100 – rely on the company's cloud-based software to continuously improve the efficiency, reliability, and strategic insights of their financial operations.

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Trintech has offices located across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and the Nordics, as well as strategic partners in South Africa, Latin America and the Asia Pacific. To learn more about Trintech, visit www.trintech.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

About KPMG LLP

KPMG is a global organization of independent professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. We operate in 146 countries and territories and in FY20 had close to 227,000 people working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. KPMG International Limited is a private English company limited by guarantee. KPMG International Limited and its related entities do not provide services to clients. Learn more at www.kpmg.com/us.

Media Contact:
Kristina Pereira Tully
Vested
+1-650-464-0080
trintech@fullyvested.com

SOURCE: Trintech, Inc.

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

HKTDC Lifestyle ShoppingFest draws to successful close

HONG KONG, May 3, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – The HKTDC Lifestyle ShoppingFest, a brand-new public fair organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), came to a successful close yesterday (2 May). The fair kicked off on 28 April (Wednesday) and ran over five days at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), featuring 430 exhibitors and attracting more than 55,000 public visitors.

The Lifestyle ShoppingFest concluded successfully yesterday (2 May). Happy shoppers are pictured visiting the last day of the fair to buy their favourite products.

"Food Street" introduced local and global delicacies.

Fun-filled events were held during the fair including cooking demonstrations by master chefs, rope-skipping and smart bidding auctions.

HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau said: "The Lifestyle ShoppingFest is the first physical show organised by the HKTDC since the pandemic began early last year. We implemented a series of anti-pandemic measures to safeguard the health and safety of participants. We were pleased to see a positive response from exhibitors and the public, reflecting the fact that physical shows are irreplaceable. The HKTDC responded to the needs of Hong Kong enterprises, bringing them additional selling opportunities during a challenging period, while the public were provided with an enjoyable shopping experience."

Apart from the Hong Kong Book Fair and concurrent fairs running in mid-July, the HKTDC will also host several trade fairs including the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show and Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show from 25 to 29 July, and the International Sourcing Show from 26 to 29 July. The three fairs will be the first concurrent physical trade fairs to be staged by the HKTDC since the pandemic. It is expected that the three fairs can create synergies across industries, enhancing sourcing efficiency and creating more opportunities for cross-industry exhibitors.

Physical fair provides boost for business

This five-day Lifestyle ShoppingFest provided a valuable opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to understand more about consumers' preferences. The HKTDC conducted a survey to gauge the views of exhibitors, finding that 75% of exhibitors agreed that physical shows can help to boost their businesses.

Richard Leung, Director of the Ballerina Watch Company Limited, said: "The pandemic has inevitably decelerated the economy and had an impact on exports and local retail. The Lifestyle ShoppingFest is a timely opportunity to provide a solid selling platform for various industries as the pandemic subsides. Consumers of high-end products such as jewellery and watches prefer examining tangible products, which explains the importance of physical fairs." He added that as the pandemic comes under control, sales of food and hygiene products will see a brisk recovery, followed by a progressive resumption of sales for high-end consumer products.

It was the first time for optical agent Opticon Ltd to join a local public fair. Christopher Chan, Director of the company, said, "We focused on commercial clients in the past, but we are now looking to explore the retail market. The people flow and atmosphere at the Lifestyle ShoppingFest was good, helping us to get to know more about consumers' preferences which in turn will give us more confidence to build up our retail business."

OMG Design, the sole agent of Israel suitcase brand Rollink in Asia, promoted its feature products at the fair having seen strong growth in consumer demand for household products amid the pandemic. Andy Cheung, the company's Business Development Manager, said: "The Lifestyle ShoppingFest showcased a wide range of products that attracted local consumers from different age groups. We adjusted our marketing strategy, offering special prices to attract visitors at the fair. We successfully sold more than 100 Rollink suitcase at a discount of 45%, earning revenue of approximately HK$80,000." Mr Cheung also met a jewellery industry buyer and wine supplier interested in using the company's suitcases for product packaging and corporate gifts. He hopes to close more business deals after the fair.

To help exhibitors grasp online business opportunities, the KOL Live Station was set up at the fair. The HKTDC partnered with the team from Bonjour Hong Kong to introduce a range of highlighted products, and individual exhibitors also got the chance to present their own products at the Live Station. A series of live-broadcast sessions featured products from nearly 60 exhibitors, with some of the products made available for online sale at the Bonjour HK Mall. The HKTDC is also collaborating with e-commerce platform Boutir to offer exhibitors the chance to open an online shop with a three-month free service to help them get established as an online retailer.

Gourmet products remain popular with public

A survey of visitors to the fair showed the four most popular product categories to be food and drink (75%), healthcare and sanitary products (20%), houseware (20%), as well as luxury products such as jewellery and watches (18%). The reasons visitors found the show attractive included special prices and discount offers (65%), product quality (61%), and the variety of products offered (57%).

Of those surveyed, 82% of visitors expressed satisfaction with the health and safety measures put in place at the show, including reminders on social distancing, the cleanliness of public areas, and minimising the exchange of cash at the event.

Websites
– Lifestyle ShoppingFest: https://lsf.hktdc.com/en
– HKTDC Media Room: http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/en
– Photo download: https://bit.ly/2PFdk0L

About the HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly SMEs, in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn

Media enquiries
Please contact the HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Janet Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4369, Email: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

HKTDC’s debut Lifestyle ShoppingFest opens today

HONG KONG, Apr 28, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is launching a brand-new public fair, the Lifestyle ShoppingFest, which opens today (28 April) and runs for five days until 2 May at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The fair features 430 exhibitors presenting a broad selection of premium products and good deals, providing local citizens with a unique one-stop shopping experience. The event will also help local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) tap into the retail market and capture new business opportunities during the pandemic.

The Lifestyle ShoppingFest opens today featuring 430 exhibitors, giving local people the chance to buy a wide range of products.

Numerous discounts are offered at the fair with many selected products on sale at low prices.

Master Chief Yvonne demonstrated some easy-to-cook dishes in the "Gourmet at Home by Y's Kitchen" programme and shared some cooking tips. Pictured on the left is Harry Yip, Chairman of the Hong Kong & Kowloon Provisions and Wine & Spirit Dealers' Association Limited.

HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau introduced the fair, which features eight themed zones: Glamour & Style, Tasting Journey, Healthy Living, Home Inspiration, Play & Learn, Digital Life, Baby Essentials and Pet Care. "With COVID-19 having brought significant changes to people's daily lives, local companies have the opportunity to adapt to changing market trends by introducing new and innovative products at the fair. The event will help companies tap into the local retail market and win new business opportunities, while the public is provided with an enjoyable shopping experience."

Surprise offerings, discounted products available at "flash sales"

To help encourage people to spend, a range of discounts and promotions are available at the fair. Various new products are sold at special prices throughout the event, including the KORE wobble chair with a discount of 70%, the Rollink foldable suitcase at 45% off, half price watches and more. The Hong Kong and Kowloon Provisions, Wine & Spirits Dealers' Association Limited and Nam Pak Hong Association present 46 food exhibitors, such as Hai Sang Hong, Hiang Kie Coffee, Hong Kong Top Kitchen, Sun Wah Wine & Spirit, Trillion Food, Tung Tai Hong, Yuen Tai and many others. Numerous exhibitors have offers ranging from HK$1 promotions to buy-one-get-one-free flash sales. Visitors can also join smart bidding auctions for popular items such as the GIA pink diamond ring, Cognac, OBAKU premium watch, STICKU smart cane, Primada low sugar rice cooker, and the O2U air station – all at very low prices.

Lucky draws will be held every day during the fair. Customers can redeem one lucky draw coupon for every HK$200 spent on the same day. Prizes on offer include staycation packages from Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel, and F&B coupons from Hotel Alexandra, Novotel Hong Kong Century, Outback Steakhouse, SOHO East and The St. Regis Hong Kong. Other prizes include a Fouette x Le Petit Prince necklace, a gourmet gift set from Cheung Ying Hong, Italian Independent eyewear and more. The public can also download e-coupons, including discounts up to HK$2,000.

40+ fascinating activities include demonstrations from star chefs

A series of interesting activities at the fair include several cooking demonstrations by Chef Yvonne Chu, Chef Siu Sau-heung Kitty, Michelin-starred Chef Chan Kwok-keung, Chef Wong Man-chung from Full House Seafood Chinese Restaurant and Chocolate Tasting Expert Christy Chan, all of whom will share tips on how to be a better home cook. And Ivan Sean, Chairman of the Sake Industry Committee of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Wine & Spirits, will share insights on how to select Japanese sake.

Other attractions include the "Fly High Hong Kong" Korean classical and K-Pop music performance by the Korean Chamber [GAON] Orchestra and tips from international online store BuyDong on how to develop a start-up business. Experts from different industries will offer insights into how to buy natural gems, the secrets of the salt lamp, redesigning T-shirts, enjoying a healthy diet, and more. Details of all the various activities are available at the fair website.

Mother's Day sales opportunities, spotlight on innovative health products

Mother's Day is just around the corner and there are a number of suitable gift choices on sale at the fair, including luxurious jade jewellery from "Jade Street", South Sea pearl jewellery and a range of diamond and gems. Korea's Haenam organic GABA rice, Japan TAMBA Black Soybean Tea, coconut, fish maw and chicken soup, Xen Xen durian juice from Thailand, and spring water sourced from Mt Fuji, to name just a few. The Hong Kong Children, Babies, Maternity Industries Association gathers several children and baby products exhibitors at the Baby Essentials zone, offering a wide range of products including a baby playmat, folded storage box set, parent-kid backpacks and baby skincare products.

The pandemic has resulted in various lifestyle changes for people in Hong Kong. Wearing masks, increased household hygiene and hiking have all become part of the "new normal", creating a demand for related products. The fair features innovative items such as a portable oxygen generator from Japan, an ultra-small window-cleaning robot, a portable ionic air disinfector and the World Vision Window Mask. A wide range of household products will also be on sale at the fair, including the soil-free growing material Pafcal, the UpRight Seat, a USB rechargeable mini blender and much more.

The Hong Kong People and Brands Pavilion brings together 26 quality local brands, including Dynasty Food, specialising in "Made in Hong Kong" sauces, Wing Sang Tong herbal tea, BDH Rice Merchant and Abalone King. Nearly 20 Hong Kong fashion brands are participating in the fair including winning designers from various editions of the Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers' Contest (YDC), such as Arto Wong, Charlotte Ng, Jason Lee and Wilson Choi. Selected brands are presenting their newly launched 2021 fall/winter collections for pre-order.

To help SMEs grasp new business opportunities, the fair has strengthened its online-to-offline promotions. The HKTDC is partnering with Bonjour Hong Kong to introduce a range of products. All the livestreaming shows will be broadcast on the Bonjour page and the HKTDC Exhibition Channel on Facebook. In addition, the HKTDC is collaborating with e-commerce platform Boutir to offer exhibitors the chance to open an online shop with a three-month free service to help them get established as an online retailer.

Ensuring your safety for an enjoyable visit

The HKTDC has always put the safety of exhibitors and public as a top priority. The HKTDC will be working closely with the HKCEC to implement a series of anti-pandemic measures to safeguard the health and safety of everyone joining the fair, including:

– Onsite staff and exhibitors are required to take the COVID-19 nucleic acid test and present the SMS notification containing a negative result in order to perform duties at the fair.

– All visitors are requested to scan the QR code via the "LeaveHomeSafe" Mobile App at the fair entrance or complete the registration form provided (guest's name, contact number, date and time of visit will be collected) which will be kept by the organiser for 31 days, to facilitate contact-tracing by the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) if necessary.

– There will be no paper tickets or ticketing offices at the fairground. Visitors can pay directly by Octopus card at major hall entrances to gain admission.

– Eating or drinking, including sample tasting, are not allowed at the fairground (including booth areas). Visitors cannot bring in and consume any food or drinks at the venue. Catering services will be provided at designated sites within the HKCEC.

To understand more about the hygiene measures and health tips being put in place for the fair, please visit: https://isf.hktdc.com/healthmeasure/en

The Lifestyle ShoppingFest runs from 28 April to 2 May. Adult tickets are priced at HK$10 per person; child tickets are priced at HK$5 per person (for children under 1.22m tall or primary school students). Visitors aged three and under or 65 or over will be admitted free of charge.

Websites
– Lifestyle ShoppingFest: https://lsf.hktdc.com/en
– Scan Me, JETSO D!: https://ecoupon.hktdc.com/lsf/eng
– Highlighted products: https://lsf.hktdc.com/pdf/2021/HighlightedProducts/Product_List.pdf
– HKTDC Media Room: http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/en
– Photo download: https://bit.ly/32WOgVO

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.

Media enquiries
Please contact the HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Janet Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4369, Email: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

HKTDC’s debut Lifestyle ShoppingFest opens 28 April

HONG KONG, Apr 20, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is launching a brand-new public fair, the Lifestyle ShoppingFest, which will run from 28 April to 2 May at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The fair features more than 400 exhibitors presenting a broad selection of products and providing local citizens with a unique one-stop shopping experience. The event will also help local companies tap into the retail market and capture new business opportunities during the pandemic.

HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau, speaking at today's press conference, said the brand-new Lifestyle ShoppingFest caters to a post-pandemic new way of life for local people. The event encourages local spending and provides small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) the chance to explore new opportunities and build new revenue streams during this challenging time.

Hong Kong General Chamber of Wine & Spirits President JoJo So; Michael Li from Nam Pak Hong Association; the Hong Kong & Kowloon Provisions and Wine & Spirit Dealers' Association Limited Chairman Harry Yip; HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau; and Korean Chamber of Commerce Chairman J. J. Na and Director Kim Tae Hyung; Hong Kong Children, Babies, Maternity Industries Association President Eddie Lam [L-R]

The fair presents global delicacies including Japanese NihonshuOendan "KAKEYA" Sake, Italian sparkling wine and Spanish frozen suckling pig, offering visitors the chance to enjoy a global dining journey at home.

With COVID-19 having brought significant changes to people's daily lives, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau, speaking at today's press conference, said that local citizens have seen a change in their lifestyles, with more emphasis on personal and household hygiene, cooking at home, more stay-at-home time with kids, watching livestreaming videos and shopping online. "Our brand-new Lifestyle ShoppingFest caters to this new way of life for local people. It brings together global delicacies, fine jewellery, trendy accessories, branded fashion, cosmetics and healthcare items, household products and baby products, encouraging local spending and providing an enjoyable shopping experience."

The fair features eight themed zones, including Glamour & Style, Tasting Journey, Healthy Living, Home Inspiration, Play & Learn, Digital Life, Baby Essentials and Pet Care.

Tapping into the stay-at-home economy, travelling the world from home

To help make homes germ-free, the fair features an air steriliser with a three-stage filtration system and a "magic water mop" set featuring technology that separates clean and dirty water. And with cooking at home becoming part of the "new normal", visitors are offered a wide variety of quality food ingredients, including Italian pastas, cheese and truffle sauce, along with highly practical quality cookware such as titanium pots.

While overseas leisure travel continues to remain off limits, the fair features onsite photo spots of popular travel destinations, including a life-size Le Little Prince model from France. "Korean Street" highlights popular cosmetics, along with snacks, anti-epidemic supplies and Korean music performances. Global delicacies are another big focus at the fair, including Korea's Haenam organic GABA rice, instant abalone porridge from Japan, and NihonshuOendan "KAKEYA" Sake – with only limited stocks. European gourmet choices include Extra Brut Champagne from France, XO cognac in an Eiffel Tower-shaped bottle, Italian sparkling wine, Spanish frozen suckling pig, and much more. "Jade Street" offers luxurious jade jewellery, South Sea pearl jewellery and a range of diamond and gems, while popular cosmetic brands such as Dior, Estee Lauder, LA MER, SK-II, Sulwhasoo and TOM FORD BEAUTY will also be on sale.

Supporting local brands

The Hong Kong People and Brands Pavilion showcases products from leading local brands such as Abalone King, Luk Yu Chinese tea bags and Nutzen, along with items as diverse as tea leaves, rice, home appliances and bedroom supplies. The Hong Kong and Kowloon Provisions, Wine & Spirits Dealers' Association Limited and Nam Pak Hong Association together present 45 food exhibitors, with four "flash sale" promotional campaigns being held each day during the fair period.

In addition, about 20 Hong Kong fashion brands are participating in the fair including winning designers from various editions of the Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers' Contest (YDC), such as Arto Wong, Charlotte Ng, Jason Lee and Wilson Choi, who will present locally designed fashion items and accessories. Chill Market will also feature local original designs and let the public know more about Hong Kong brands.

Fun-filled activities and shopping privileges

The HKTDC will stage a number of fun-filled activities during the fair including a demonstration of Chinese cooking by Chef Wong Man-chung from the Full House Seafood Chinese Restaurant. Representatives from the Centre for Food Safety will share tips on how to enjoy a healthier diet with less salt and sugar, while experts from the Hong Kong Jewellery and Jade Manufacturers' Association and the Diamond Federation of Hong Kong will give tips on how to buy and appreciate jade and natural gems. Rope-skipping demonstrations and making STEM educational toys will be among the fun activities offered for parents and kids.

Various products will be sold at special prices at the fair. Lucky draws will be held to encourage shoppers to buy more and win more. Customers may redeem one lucky draw coupon for every HK$200 spent. Prizes on offer include staycation packages from Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel, and F&B coupons from Hotel Alexandra, Novotel Hong Kong Century, Outback Steakhouse, SOHO East and The St. Regis Hong Kong. Other prizes range from gourmet items to lifestyle fashion accessories and healthcare products. Visitors can also bid for products including fashion jewellery and watches, home appliances and household products at low prices.

To help SMEs grasp new business opportunities and overcome the impact of the pandemic, the fair will strengthen its online-to-offline promotions. The HKTDC is partnering with Bonjour Hong Kong to introduce a range of products. All the livestreaming shows will be broadcasted at Bonjour and the HKTDC Exhibition Channel on Facebook. In addition, the HKTDC is collaborating with e-commerce platform Boutir to offer exhibitors the chance to open an online shop with a three-month free service to help them get established as an online operator. Furthermore, representative from Carousell, a large-scale e-commerce platform, will share online shopping tips for visitors to the event.

Ensuring your safety for an enjoyable visit

The HKTDC has always put the safety of exhibitors and public as a top priority. The HKTDC will be working closely with the HKCEC to implement a series of anti-pandemic measures to safeguard the health and safety of everyone joining the fair, including:

– Onsite staff and exhibitors are required to take the COVID-19 nucleic acid test and present the SMS notification containing a negative result in order to perform duties at the fair.

– All visitors are requested to scan the QR code via the "LeaveHomeSafe" Mobile App at the fair entrance or complete the registration form provided (guest's name, contact number, date and time of visit will be collected) which will be kept by the organiser for 31 days, to facilitate contact-tracing by the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) if necessary.

– There will be no paper tickets or ticketing offices at the fairground. Visitors can pay directly by Octopus card at major hall entrances to gain admission.

– Eating or drinking, including sample tasting, are not allowed at the fairground (including booth areas). Visitors cannot bring in and consume any food or drinks at the venue. Catering service will be provided at designated places in HKCEC.

To understand more about the hygiene measures and health tips being put in place for the fair, please visit: https://isf.hktdc.com/healthmeasure/en

The Lifestyle ShoppingFest opens next Wednesday (28 April) at 10:30am and runs until 2 May. Adult tickets are priced at HK$10 per person; child tickets are priced at HK$5 per person (for children under 1.22m tall or primary school students). Visitors aged three and under or 65 or over will be admitted free of charge.

Websites
Lifestyle ShoppingFest: https://lsf.hktdc.com/en
Scan Me, JETSO D!: https://ecoupon.hktdc.com/lsf/eng
More Highlighted Products: https://lsf.hktdc.com/pdf/2021/HighlightedProducts/Product_List.pdf
HKTDC Media Room: http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/en
Photo download: https://bit.ly/3uZUpN5

About the HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly SMEs, in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn

Media enquiries
Please contact the HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Janet Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4369, Email: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

balabala X Tmall Super Brand Day “Endless Dreams” Super Show during Shanghai Fashion Week

SHANGHAI, Apr 18, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – balabala x Tmall Super Brand Day "Endless Dreams" Super Show scored a super success last week in Shanghai. balabala is the first children's clothing brand to join forces with Tmall Super Brand Day, balabala x Tmall achieving record sales of US$26.9 million during the event (9-12 April), with US$5.7 million on a single day on Tmall. Activities across Balabala's 4,000+ stores on the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong joined those at the official Tmall store and live broadcast platforms.

The highlight of the event was the fashion Super Show presented with Shanghai Fashion Week entitled Endless Dreams, celebrating balabala's vision of inspiring children to explore their innate curiosity and their infinite dreams. A runway show in three chapters, Endless Dreams was presented in the Shanghai Children's Art Theatre on April 9, making perfect use of the circular structure of the building, transforming the four stories and 10,000 sq.m into a childlike dream planet.

Each chapter unveiled a new collection: balabala x China Mars Mission Collection, balabala x Suzhou Museum Collection, and balabala x Jason Wu Collection, in collaboration with the renowned Taiwanese-Canadian designer and his JW line. 60 unique designs inspired by history took the audience across the universe through time and space, experiencing Endless Dreams. Jason Wu recorded a video of the event to express the design concept personally.

The success of Super Brand Day was driven by balabala's strategic omnichannel approach. Influenced by the epidemic, balabala quickly responded by strengthening coordinated development of e-commerce platforms, accelerating O2O omnichannel integration, and building a new retail model with enhanced consumer reach across the region – while maintaining sales and growth momentum.

Through Endless Dreams, balabala set new records for innovation in the kidswear industry in several aspects: The first cross-sector co-branding cooperation with three major IPs in the field of kidswear, the first KIDSWEAR External Show during Shanghai Fashion Week, and the first all-age kidswear brand with Tmall Super Brand Day. The Endless Dreams Super Show attracted over 1.2 billion views on 'Weibo', China's No.1 social media platform.

About balabala

balabala is the No.1 kidswear retailer in Asia, providing quality fashion, shoes and accessories for children aged 0-14. The Zhejiang Semir Garment brand delivers high-quality kidswear to children around the world with over 4,000 stores in mainland China and rapid international expansion through a franchising network in Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Mongolia, Indonesia and Nepal, and direct operations in Hong Kong. balabala grows with a new generation of families, enabling children of the world to experience a wonderful childhood. For details please see https://www.balabala.com.hk/pages/franchisee.

Media contact:

Lucy Lu, luxin@semir.com
Zhejiang Semir Garment Co Ltd
Web: https://www.balabala.com.hk/pages/franchisee

SOURCE: Zhejiang Semir Garment Co Ltd

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC) Sees 26% Jump in Registered Customers in 2020

SINGAPORE, Apr 16, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Singapore-based Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC) – a Joint Venture between the ZALL Smart Commerce Group (ZALL), Singapore Exchange (SGX) and Global eTrade Services (GeTS) – has announced strong growth in FY2020, driven by the urgency for supply chains to digitalise during the pandemic. In 2020, the number of customers on the platform grew by 26 per cent as compared to 2019 to reach 5800 registered users. Among the commodities traded on the platform include ferrous and non-ferrous metals, agricultural products, plastics and chemicals, and oil products. The total cumulative gross merchandise volume (GMV) on the CIC platform grew by over US$3.1 billion (S$4.1 billion) to reach US$13.4 billion (S$17.6 billion), an increase of more than 30 per cent from 2019.

Peter Yu, Chief Executive Officer of CIC shared, "By making our platform and technologies affordable and easy to use, SMEs are able to easily onboard the platform and make use of these digital tools to grow their businesses. With global disruptions such as COVID-19 and the recent Suez Canal incident, we want to help SMEs build more sustainable and resilient businesses that can endure these challenging times as they grow and expand in Asia and to achieve greater trading synergies globally."

According to the UOB SME Outlook Survey 2021, 34 percent of SMEs find digital adoption costly to implement, and yet companies who have digitally transformed one or more departments, or their entire business, have seen a significantly higher revenue growth. One of the Singapore SMEs who have benefited from CIC's platform is Go Holdings, a cullet supplier in Southeast Asia. Tapping on CIC's business intelligence service DataPro, it has been able to access a wide database of over 2 billion records of customs and trade data from more than 110 countries across Asia, Europe and the Americas. This has allowed them to uncover new markets and diversify their trading operations, and connect with reliable partners and suppliers that align with their business goals. Alongside this, CIC also recently introduced a convenient Know-Your-Customer (KYC) service that helps SMEs with their due diligence to better manage their business risks.

Huang Zhi Rong, Business Development Executive of Go Holdings, shared, "As a general trading company from a traditionally offline industry, the thought of digitalization can be daunting and challenging as this is often costly and resource intensive, and it takes up time and effort. However, digital platforms such as CIC, has allowed us to gain a competitive edge in the market, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, by providing us with valuable market insights to guide our decision making and has enabled us to tap on the right information sources to strategize our business plans that has brought about profound changes to our import and export trade businesses." Go Holdings is currently a subscriber of CIC's DataPro services.

Over the past year, CIC has embarked on numerous initiatives to support SMEs in their digital transformation journey. In May 2020, CIC worked with Singapore Business Federation (SBF) to support SMEs under the "Rising in Support of Enterprises (RISE)" programme during the height of the pandemic. In December 2020, it has also jointly launched a "Digital Silk Road" initiative led by ZALL, and joined Singapore's Blockchain for Trade & Connectivity (BTC) Network, which aims to help SMEs embrace the power of digitalisation to uncover new trading opportunities and to promote greater efficiency and transparency across global supply chains.

With sustainability becoming increasingly important for companies, CIC is also focusing more efforts to support commodity trading that contributes towards climate change and environmental sustainability, such as clean and renewable energy, as it aims to groom more than ten Global Commodity Champions over the next three to five years on the back of the world's largest trade pact, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and China's dual circulation strategy.

"At Go Holdings, we have also focused on environmental sustainability. Although it has not been an easy journey for us, we have taken steps to become a sustainable company, from our selection of partners and vendors that share our common values, to our internal processes that promotes the use of sustainable materials and a culture of Reuse, Reduce and Recycle among our employees", added Huang Zhirong of Go Holdings.

About Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC)

The Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC) is a global trading platform for physical commodities including Ferrous & Non-Ferrous Metals, Chemicals & Plastics, Oil & Petroleum, and Agri Commodities. Officially launched in Singapore on 12 Oct 2018, CIC is a Joint Venture between China-based ZALL Smart Commerce Group, Global eTrade Services (GeTS) and Singapore Exchange (SGX) to build trade connectivity through digital marketplaces and to grow a vibrant trading ecosystem in Singapore.

CIC aims to revolutionize commodity trading and facilitate cross-border trade through deal matching, trade finance, supply chain logistics, track and trace and global trade compliance. Since its establishment in October 2018, CIC has achieved a GMV (Gross Merchandise Volume) of more than US$13.4 billion (S$17.6 billion), with over 5,800 registered users covering markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China, among other countries in Asia. For more information, please visit www.cic-tp.com.

For media queries
Email: CIC@preciouscomms.com

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Daraz announces Seller Promises including faster pay-outs and accelerated business growth for local entrepreneurs

SINGAPORE, Apr 15, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Daraz, the leading e-commerce platform in South Asia announced its commitment to provide additional support to local entrepreneurs and enhance the selling experience on the platform over the coming months.

In a recent online conference, Daraz Group CEO, Bjarke Mikkelsen, announced key initiatives planned for seller growth on Daraz. With the newly launched promises, the market leader will aid the economic growth of the region and accelerate digitalization.

According to Bjarke, "Sellers are the heart of Daraz' ecosystem, and in 2021 our key focus will be to make it easier and faster to sign up, start selling, and growing your business online. Our seller promises for 2021 form the foundation to improve seller experience and allow our sellers to capture the full growth potential in the market."

Key features of the announcement included:
1. Daraz will make the process of signing up easier and faster to allow new Sellers to start selling within 24 hours.
2. Effective immediately, Sellers will be paid twice as fast by reducing the payment cycle from 14 days to 7 days.
3. Daraz will aim to always respond to Seller enquiries on live chat within 30 seconds during business hours to ensure instant support.
4. For Sellers whose products are not selling as expected, Daraz will provide specific support to help identify the business gaps.
5. Lastly, the claims process will be streamlined to make it much easier and faster for Sellers to file claims when needed.

With these initiatives, and continued investments to increase the user base, Daraz expects to more than double the number of sellers generating more than a $1,000 revenue per month before the end of the year.

COVID has accelerated the retail shift to e-commerce, and thousands of sellers have been joining Daraz every month. However, the online retail share in the region is still low, and South Asian markets are expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. On this note, the CEO added, "We hope our seller community is as optimistic as we are about the year to come. Despite the COVID impact on the broader economy, we are convinced that 2021 will be a year of great success for e-commerce. We will be doing our utmost to make it a success for all of our trusted and valued sellers."

Daraz' mission to empower entrepreneurs across the region through its technology, logistics and business infrastructure. The seller promises for the upcoming year are a testament to the brand's commitment towards its sellers and ecosystem. As Jack Ma – founder of Daraz' parent company said, "Our philosophy is that we want to be an ecosystem. Our philosophy is to empower others to sell, empower others to service, making sure the other people are more powerful than us." With this vision, Daraz will enable ease of business and encourage sellers to shift to e-commerce.

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

HKTDC International Sourcing Show | ONLINE attracts 23,000 buyers

HONG KONG, Apr 8, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – The HKTDC International Sourcing Show is the first online-and-offline trade exhibition organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). The online section of the show, the HKTDC International Sourcing Show | ONLINE, which opened on 17 March, featured more than 1,400 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions, attracting some 23,000 buyers from 131 countries and regions. The show drew buyers from Hong Kong and around the world, including India, Indonesia, Japan, Mainland China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

The HKTDC International Sourcing Show | ONLINE featured more than 1,400 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions and 19 pavilions, attracting some 23,000 buyers from 131 countries and regions to source online.

More than 7,000 video meetings were conducted during the online fair, allowing buyers and exhibitors to make business deals amid the pandemic.

A series of webinars was hosted during the online fair, including "International Sourcing Outlook", "Survive and Thrive: Leveraging End-to-end E-commerce Solutions" and "Utilising Licensing to Expand Your Business". The webinars recorded more than 44,000 views in total, equipping companies with up-to-date insights on the latest trends in sourcing and marketing.

To help businesses capture new opportunities, the HKTDC mobilised its network of 50 offices worldwide together with its artificial intelligence-powered online business matching platform, Click2Match, to connect exhibitors with buyers. As of 31 March, more than 7,000 online business matching meetings had been successfully conducted, facilitating buyers and sellers to capture new business opportunities and help them overcome the impact of the pandemic.

Following a successful debut at HKTDC Autumn Sourcing Week | ONLINE last year, the HKTDC once again offered 3D virtual booths at the International Sourcing Show | ONLINE. It also launched a product video production service to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) design and produce promotional videos, facilitating them to showcase their products in a more eye-catching way and get better prepared for the era of digitalised sourcing. Both the 3D booths and the video service were well received by exhibitors.

Exhibitors and buyers positive about hybrid exhibition format

Even though the global pandemic situation is showing signs of improvement in some regions, its impact continues to be profound. Benjamin Chau, Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC, believes that global sourcing will become increasingly digitalised and that future trade fairs will be more likely to offer a hybrid model of online and offline sourcing to reap the benefits of both formats. "When physical fairs resume, the HKTDC will continue to organise regular online sourcing events that will feature different themes and will align with the sourcing cycles of different industries. Our goal is to generate even more business opportunities for suppliers and buyers globally," Mr Chau said.

As the trend for combining online and offline sourcing gains traction, the HKTDC conducted an online survey to gauge the views of exhibitors and buyers joining the International Sourcing Show. The survey found that the majority of exhibitors surveyed (80%) considered that trade fairs with online elements will become their major promotional channel in the future, while 96% said they would participate in the HKTDC's online and physical exhibitions again. According to the survey results, most buyers (82%) indicated an intention to participate in trade fairs offering online and physical elements to develop both online and offline business opportunities.

Regarding business results, more than 80% of exhibitors said they had achieved one of the following objectives through the event, including generating new sales leads, meeting new customers, promoting their company's brands and products, and launching and promoting new products. Over 90% of buyers agreed that the show helped them seek out new products and new suppliers and get a better understanding of market trends.

Click2Match helps facilitate business discussions and deals

Many companies taking part in the show were successful in finding either buyers or suppliers through the Click2Match platform. Rachel Chan, Business Development Specialist at Avery Dennison (Hong Kong) Ltd, said the online fair offered her company a good opportunity to introduce its total printing solutions and RFID labels to buyers from different industries. "We are very happy to have video meetings with more than 10 new buyers from different places including Mainland China, India, Malaysia and Thailand. The buyers are keen to develop cooperation opportunities with us, and we hope to continue receiving new sales leads or enquiries. The online show also helped to increase our company's exposure."

Atitaya Dechboon, a representative of Fashion Hometex Co Ltd in Thailand, said "We have made four new contacts with buyers from Mainland China, Brazil, Poland and Saudi Arabia. We expect potential orders worth US$100,000 from three new buyers. We are very satisfied with the Click2Match service which allowed us to arrange video meetings as frequently as we liked without any time conflicts."

Artem Mykhailyk, Chief Operational Officer at Micon Trade LLC in Ukraine, was interested in sourcing smart wearable devices and DVR cameras. "Through the International Sourcing Show | ONLINE, we have found three potential suppliers from Mainland China and Taiwan. We plan to place orders worth US$280,000 with these suppliers. The show provided a unique and well-arranged online sourcing platform that offered an alternative to physical exhibitions amid the pandemic. I found it easy and convenient to find suitable products and make appointments with potential suppliers."

Hanna Touma Bechara, Manager at Modern Electronics Co in Lebanon, found two potential suppliers from Hong Kong and Mainland China through the online fair. "Our budget for buying audio systems is US$30,000. Due to travel restrictions under the global pandemic, online trade shows like this are the only way we can find new suppliers for the time being."

Intelligence Hub webinars let companies feel the market's pulse

The Intelligence Hub set up during the online fair hosted 17 webinars which featured more than 60 industry experts sharing the latest industry developments and trends, attracting more than 44,000 views in total. The most popular webinars include "International Sourcing Outlook", "Survive and Thrive: Leveraging End-to-end E-commerce Solutions", "Utilising Licensing to Expand Your Business" and "Toys & Children's Products Safety & Regulations Updates". In addition, the HKTDC launched the "Let's Go Phygital: Power Up for the New Normal" seminar series, helping SMEs adapt to the hybrid online and offline sourcing model, with the first round of webinars held during the online show. The videos of the webinars have been uploaded to the Intelligence Hub webpage (https://isshow-online.hktdc.com/en/intelligence-hub), enabling companies to review insights from industry luminaries anytime, anywhere.

The International Sourcing Show is first HKTDC exhibition to adopt an online-and-offline format, integrating the seven HKTDC trade fairs* that were originally scheduled to run in spring 2021. The online part of the show is available from 17 March to 29 July, while the physical exhibition will be staged from 26 to 29 July at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. While the Click2Match business matching service for the online show has concluded, buyers can continue sourcing with exhibitors through the upgraded hktdc.com Sourcing platform (http://sourcing.hktdc.com) until the end of July 2021.

*The seven fairs are: the HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, HKTDC Hong Kong Baby Products Fair, HKTDC Hong Kong Houseware Fair, HKTDC Hong Kong International Home Textiles & Furnishing Fair, HKTDC Hong Kong Fashion Week, HKTDC Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair, and the Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair. The latter event is co-organised by the HKTDC and CIEC Exhibition Co (HK) Ltd.

Websites:
HKTDC International Sourcing Show: https://isshow.hktdc.com/online/en/
Intelligence Hub: https://isshow-online.hktdc.com/en/intelligence-hub
Media Centre: http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/
Photo download: https://bit.ly/3msyefr

About the HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly SMEs, in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn

Media enquiries
Please contact the HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Janet Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4369, Email: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org
Agnes Wat, Tel: +852 2584 4554, Email: agnes.ky.wat@hktdc.org

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