Buyers from A.R.E.N.A, Metro and Newell Rubbermaid met suppliers of wood and bamboo furniture, ceramic and lacquerware products
HONG KONG, March 25 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- Five international buyers met 46 pre-screened Global Sources (Nasdaq: GSOL) suppliers at two Private Sourcing Events ( http://www.PrivateSourcingEvents.com ) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The exclusive events for Wood & Bamboo Furniture and Ceramic & Lacquerware Products were held on March 18 and 19, respectively, by Asian Sources Publications Limited's representative office in Ho Chi Minh City. Asian Sources Publications Limited is a representative of Global Sources ( http://www.globalsources.com ).
(Logo: http://www.prnasia.com/sa/200708071747.jpg )
Global Sources' Chairman and CEO, Merle A. Hinrichs, said: "Despite the economic crisis, Vietnam officials project exports to the U.S. to grow 14.5 percent this year. Suppliers across several product categories have actually gained since the downturn started as buyers look to source value-for-the-money products from markets across Asia.
"Private Sourcing Events provide an efficient channel to find these products and the quality suppliers who make them.
"In June 2008, our online, trade show and magazine channels were officially launched for Vietnam's suppliers. With the addition of Private Sourcing Events, local suppliers now have access to a complete end-to-end platform for conducting trade with over 790,000 quality buyers from initial contact to final orders."
Representing US$127 billion in annual sales, buyers participating in the Wood & Bamboo Furniture event were:
-- A.R.E.N.A -- An alliance of 10 independent home improvement chain
stores from around the world
-- Newell Rubbermaid -- a global marketer of consumer and commercial
products
-- Otto International -- Part of the Otto Group, one of world's largest
trading groups
-- Metro -- the world's fifth-largest retailer
-- ThreeSixty Sourcing -- One of the world's largest sourcing companies
A.R.E.N.A, Otto International and ThreeSixty Sourcing also participated in the Private Sourcing Event: Ceramic & Lacquerware Products.
One participating buyer, Senior Buyer of Newell Rubbermaid Global Sourcing, Nguyen Thu Hoa, said: "Consumer demands have changed along with the economy. This has required us to look a lot closer at markets including Vietnam which have become more competitive in terms of both quality and price.
"Private Sourcing Events have helped us pinpoint the best quality suppliers in China. We are glad this program has expanded to Vietnam, as we are now looking more carefully at sourcing opportunities in alternative markets."
One participating supplier, Marketing Director of The Country Corporation, Tin Nguyen, said: "Our goal is to enter new markets this year by working with more international buyers. It will be a huge boost for us if we get new orders as a result of this event. But, we also see this as a huge opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of what top buyers are looking for today."
World's top buyers scheduled to attend upcoming Private Sourcing Events
Over 100 Private Sourcing Events are planned for 2009, with dozens of buyers including Carrefour, Auchan, Dairy Farm and Lowe's scheduled to participate. All Private Sourcing Events are complimentary for buyers and only Global Sources suppliers are eligible to participate. More information about Private Sourcing Events is available at http://www.PrivateSourcingEvents.com .
Suppliers wishing to participate should contact csm@globalsources.com.
Specialized Global Sources websites, face-to-face events and trade magazines
Private Sourcing Events are part of the company's portfolio of brands for sourcing and product information services, which include Global Sources Online ( http://www.globalsources.com ), China Sourcing Fairs ( http://www.chinasourcingfair.com ) and Global Sources monthly magazines.
For more information about Global Sources' products and services to connect quality buyers and quality suppliers, visit http://corporate.globalsources.com .
About Global Sources
Global Sources is a leading business-to-business media company and a primary facilitator of trade with Greater China. The core business uses English-language media to facilitate trade from Greater China to the world. The other business segment utilizes Chinese-language media to enable companies to sell to, and within Greater China.
The company provides sourcing information to volume buyers and integrated marketing services to suppliers. It helps a community of over 790,000 active buyers source more profitably from complex overseas supply markets. With the goal of providing the most effective ways possible to advertise, market and sell, Global Sources enables suppliers to sell to hard-to-reach buyers in over 240 countries.
The company offers the most extensive range of media and export marketing services in the industries it serves. It delivers information on 4.3 million products and more than 196,000 suppliers annually through 14 online marketplaces, 13 monthly magazines, over 100 sourcing research reports and 11 specialized trade shows which run 32 times a year across 11 cities.
Suppliers receive more than 53 million sales leads annually from buyers through Global Sources Online ( http://www.globalsources.com ) alone.
Global Sources has been facilitating global trade for 38 years. Global Sources' network covers more than 69 cities worldwide. In mainland China, Global Sources has over 2,800 team members in more than 44 locations, and a community of over 1 million registered online users and magazine readers for Chinese-language media.
Global Sources Press Contact in Asia
Camellia So
Tel: +852-2555-5021
Email: cso@globalsources.com
Global Sources Press Contact in U.S.
James W.W. Strachan
Tel: +1-480-664-8309
Email: strachan@globalsources.com
Global Sources Investor Contact in Asia
Investor Relations Department
Tel: +852-2555-4777
Email: investor@globalsources.com
Global Sources Investor Contact in U.S.
Kirsten Chapman & Timothy Dien
Lippert/Heilshorn & Associates, Inc.
Tel: +1-415-433-3777
Email: tdien@lhai.com
