Wholesale novelties are a mainstay in the industry, and there are always a variety of manufacturers and distributors that can get the goods you want, at a price you feel good about. Of course, the burning question remains about which novelties and gifts are the ones to look out for… and more importantly, who will you connect with to find them?

In an ever-widening scope of manufacturers and sellers who are looking for someone to help them make their numbers for the year, unprecedented opportunities are coming out of the woodwork… and you should be looking for them. I’m going to show you a couple of ideas that have recently come to the fore, and I would be interested to know what you think of them, so please send us your comments!

Take a minute to visit the ASI Show website, for a look at how one particular company is collecting and offering the information you need to get the job done. There’s a lot of news being generated here, and it looks like the buzz is not only about the shows in the past, but the shows in the near – and distant – future! I see some good things on the horizon, because it’s becoming quite clear that the people in the wholesale and retail industries have a huge chance to become the kings of the hill, as this age of financial hardship dawns upon us. Grim news for the luxury brands market spells a windfall for the ones who bring discounted and off-price goods to the consumer, at the prices and choices that they want.

Another interesting one to visit is the Seoul Gift Show 2009 site, with its awesome collection of:

• Gifts, Premiums & Souvenirs

• Handicrafts & Decorative Products

• Kitchen & Tableware

• Fashion Jewellery & Accessories

• Toy & Stationery

• Beauty Supplies

• General Merchandise

Korea has been in the game for some time, and with a company like this one stretching back since 1983, there’s a lot of collective knowledge that can come in handy for the buyer who wants to take a bit of risk out of finding the items that will move this season.

According to the news feeds, even UMB Bank of Oklahoma has seen the power of giveaways and gifts, as blue penlights were passed around a recent conference… it should come as little surprise that heart-shaped pill boxes – color-coordinated with the blue colors used for UMB’s goodies – were handed out by a local health-care provider as well. Pretty crafty, eh? It should go without saying that this made a big impression on the attendees! Reports from the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) support such a strategy, as recent findings (along with comparative data from Nielsen Media) have turned up stats showing the average cost of an advertising specialty item to be $0.004, making it the cheapest form of promotional media, per impression, today.

Stop in and check out Toptenwholesale.com for leads as well. You’ll probably want to spend some time researching the sites now, and you might even want to make some travel plans that include South Korea… just don’t forget to stop over here in China while you’re at it!

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What’s the worst thing that could happen at a holiday party? Okay, there’s a lot that can go wrong… but from the perspectives of the retail and wholesale specialists that are supplying their customers, the worst thing could be missing an opportunity to provide the best products for the occasion, at a price that makes it easier to build the sale.

I’m talking about wholesale party supplies from Toptenwholesale.com, of course. We at TopTen would like to remind you that there is a crucial and vital side of party planning that is best served by those who offer the right supplies to those fearless, fun-loving customers who are going to be hosting a holiday bash for their guests and loved ones this year. This goes beyond simply bringing them the hottest merchandise that is making all the headlines now… it should also be taking into account the need for those less-glammy articles like napkins, plates, dinner ware, cups, bowls, and so much more. In fact, the buck doesn’t stop with eating utensils and clean-up goods… I mean, what about the foods themselves? There’s a lot of bulk foods and easy-mix recipes out there that will satisfy any party-goer’s palate, without putting the party-planner in the poor house!

Here’s another point to consider: most holiday shoppers are forced to go in and out of multiple stores, in the search for the perfect mix of costumes, accessories, party supplies, and gifts. Why not offer everything they need, under one roof? You online sellers should be jumping up and down right now, because it couldn’t be easier for those in the e-trade to line up a few good suppliers and vendors who can get the goods you need dropshipped directly to your customers. Actually, it doesn’t mean the ones with brick-and-mortar venues are left out in the cold, since a large – and rapidly-growing – number of shop keepers are also hosting fully-outfitted online stores as well, in an effort to build a potentially huge customer base, while being in touch with the more tangible realities of the consumer market. Best of both worlds, if you ask me.

Now let’s talk about the actual party supplies themselves… in spite of the media’s best efforts at bumming us out with the economic news headlines, the truth is that there are new opportunities and never-before offers for the wholesale market, due to the dizzying nature of the export/import industry, and once-successful companies looking for new ways to bring themselves back up to speed. You should be looking for those deals! Here’s a quick checklist of things to keep your eyes open for:

• Disposable napkins are a must, but have you seen the ones that are near-linen quality? This comes at an affordable cost, and gives your party a little touch of elegance that conventional paper napkins might not.

• Dinner ware was always a no-brainer, but now the companies that were making institutional-use plastic forks, knives, and spoons are struggling with a sagging economy. This could be the time to connect with them.

• Bulk foods to the rescue! I’m not even talking about making that obligatory trip to the local “warehouse” savings club, so you can add a few family-sized bags of corn chips to your sale. I’m talking about the companies that were supplying the entertainment and sporting industry with large-volume foodstuffs, who are going to be needing a helping hand this season. Your customers will be thrilled to see that you’ve found the goods for them.

• Tell your customers to think big… and cover their tables, and maybe even some furniture, with disposable table covers. It will spare them the headache of dealing with spills, and it will give you something to add to your arsenal of smart holiday party supplies!

• Look for the extra-special touch, as some party suppliers are offering customized and unique products like huge outdoor banners, signs/displays, and even smaller disposable paper and plastic goods that have custom messages at the customer’s request.

As you can see, there’s a lot of planning to do… and it won’t get done by itself. However, you can always make things easier by starting with a search on our site, and using my party planning points as handy reference. Good luck, and please let me know if I’ve left anything critical off the list, by leaving your comments on this blog!

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Welcome to Hangzhou, China! There was a time – over three years ago – when I couldn’t watch more than 10 minutes of programming broadcasted by CCTV9 (the only English-speaking channel, which was great for a guy who didn’t know a word of Chinese), without seeing at least one sappy advertisement spot for “Hangzhou, the most beautiful city in China.” I guess this not-so-subliminal stuff worked pretty well on me, because I’ve been calling Hangzhou my home for over a year now. Come on, why do you think they call that stuff on TV programming?

While I can’t say that Hangzhou is the most beautiful place I’ve ever visited, I can say that it’s been a good experience so far. One of the things I like is that it has apparently shifted gears in a big way, as the focus has been softened on tourism… and intensified upon the tech industry. This smallish second-tier city is currently one of the few on the mainland with such a high CPC-approved ranking. In a bidding war that makes the Pepsi Challenge look like a schoolyard scrap, local governments of cities and provincial zones are going head-to-head in a mad dash to be named among the chosen ones who will serve as the industrial/information base for China’s emerging global identity in the electronics business.

This brings us to the 2009 Hangzhou Electronics and Information Fair. I attended the show and spoke to several vendors about their wares, in an effort to bring you a little closer to some of the people who are trying to make themselves known in this often chaotic raging tide of changes and developments. There’s a lot of similarities between the shows in the USA and the ones here, and at first glance there doesn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary… but a closer look will reveal the differences, and those who know what to look for will be ahead of the curve as they find new ways to promote China-wholesale electronics or other types of products in their respective wholesale and retail markets back home.

First of all, it’s worth noting that this show was definitely the place to see small startups and underfunded ground-floor outfits that are looking for some investors to help them develop their businesses. Major players like SAMSUNG, Ebay, MOTOROLA, and China Mobile were also there… but it didn’t seem like they were really trying too hard to impress anyone or make a statement about what they had on offer. It felt more like the industry leaders just had to be there, so they wouldn’t look like they were losing market share to the smaller companies who were pulling out all the stops. Could this be a case of the big ones resting on their laurels… as the little guys nip at their heels, and later grow to overtake them? It’s happened before, and it could certainly happen again.

(click the picture to see the video!)

As you can see in the video, there were a lot of new names amongst the collection of industry giants. Some of the tech on display was not particularly hair-raising, while others made me stop in my tracks, and take a closer look. 3G technology is all the rage right now, and the Chinese companies are hoping to ignite desire in the hearts of hungry consumers over this one… especially since it’s such an irresistibly attractive option for the CPC to replace that aggravating, unruly, and free-speech laden Internet with an easy-to-filter domestic version that beams straight to your handset… from servers that are all plugged into the current censorship protocols. Pretty grim stuff, I know… but while we can’t really do anything about it, the fact is that 3G is getting amazing funding and preferential treatment over all other forms of wireless technology right now. It’s gaining serious traction in Latin American countries as well, and that means that you should be paying attention to it too. If for some reason – let’s say in the USA – consumers are suddenly swept up in the 3G craze, who do you think will be in a position to dominate the market right from the beginning? You got it… that would be China, and select partners in Japan and Korea. You want to get in on that kind of action, or not?

(click the picture to see the video!)

In a brief interview with Troy Meng, CEO of ZiZai Tech Company Ltd., I was able to get some inside info on the cloud-based computing revolution that is just about to unleash itself upon the Internet. Here are a few things Troy had to say:

“This is real cloud-based apps in the China IT area. This technology will change the usage of [the] whole Internet, and let everybody build his own page easily. Basing some operational business models such as ads, blogs, interactive video, etc… this tech will take a bigger share of the Asian market. We can rebuild the protocols of [the] Internet, and make it more dynamic, more interactive, and able to provide more usable statistics.”

“Using this kind of online application tech will put an end to software piracy, and even make popular products like Adobe Dreamweaver, Photoshop, and other design software unnecessary. It will also allow people to easily rebuild their blogs with more dynamic content, and users will be able to enter the area of IPTV or mobile TV more easily. This will change people’s way of looking [at] web-based video.”

Cloud-based computing is another bug in the ear of software developers and web-hosting companies far and wide… after all, there’s a lot to be said for the existence of invisible servers nestled amongst the soft, serene clouds of cyberspace that do all of the heavy-hitting for you… while leaving you free to move around without having to lug an arsenal of hardware – and software – that enables you to get the job done. It will also do wonders for the companies that are vexed by software piracy, as they suddenly find themselves in a position where nobody can rip them off, unless the would-be pirates go to their physical site… and haul away the outfit’s computers in the back of an unmarked van! It’s also going to make pay-per-click advertising a whole new animal, much like the search engines and social networking sites have done. After all, a captive audience is a captive audience, no matter how you slice it into demographic groups or profiles. People who tune in to your network as often as they turn on their PC… now that’s what I call customer loyalty! Companies have been doing it for years, with employee-accessible web portals and proprietary sites… but it’s been slow to catch on with the consumer public. Once it hits, there will be no turning back. How will you use this technology to promote your online business, or your distribution network in the wholesale business?

Be sure to watch for the next installment of this series, as I give you my TopTen list of points to consider in the new China wholesale electronics market, and a little more to think about as we all watch China grow its tech industry, one day at a time.

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Taiwan, Korea, and Japan were always recognized for their innovation, quality, and market dominance… while China limped along behind them, making plastic parts that broke. While it’s been a steep ascent for the mainland Chinese electronics manufacturers, it’s not been a very graceful one… but those cheap Chinese electronics that everyone jokes about may become a thing of the past pretty soon, if all goes according to plan. A slow-burning global recession, coupled with some interspersed political instabilities – and even a little help from Mother Nature (most recently in the form of Morakot) — has brought Taiwan to its knees, and kept everyone else quite busy with their own problems. China, on the other hand, has been distributing and redistributing assets in a whirlwind financial stimulus plan of action that undoubtedly makes President Obama seethe with envy. The CPC does things its own way, and it often does those things with ruthless efficiency… eventually, everyone gets with the program, and things fall into place. This is the basic impetus behind the rise of China’s technology industry, and if you aren’t paying attention to the news, then you will be paying money for their goods… while scratching your head wondering why all this Made In China stuff is suddenly so expensive?

Here then, is a little sneak-peek into the early stages of development in Hangzhou, China. The somewhat self-obsessed tourist city is currently listed as the CPC’s top choice for establishing the domestic tech think tank, and it’s already been called home by the fearsome Alibaba for some time now. While hushed questions and surreptitious meetings surrounding the e-commerce giant’s loosening stranglehold on the Chinese B2B market are floating around, the government is happily pumping money into the business, and no punches are being pulled as the tech market is fed and nurtured into a juggernaut milestone in the timeline of China’s rise to power.

Scary stuff, eh? Well, it’s not as bad as it sounds, to be honest. This is still China. Things are not run with the ultra-smooth efficiency of the Japanese firms, and certainly without the creative spark of American tech companies. It will take time for China to get comfortable with its new identity, and in the meantime… this spells opportunity for you, the savvy wholesaler! Time to learn how to say 你好 (ni hao!) and make some friends in China, pronto!

In a three-part series, I’ll cover some of the basics of today’s Chinese tech market from the vantage point of the 2009 Hangzhou Electronics and Information Expo, and what this means to those who are looking for some hot new items that may be of interest to consumers at home and abroad. I’ll be presenting the news here on the pages of TopTenWholesale, and your comments are surely welcome. There are some exciting developments in the works, and all of this is made even more exciting by the fact that China is still trying to get a handle on the delicate art of innovation, which means the companies that are getting lots of generous helpings of seed money from the CPC… are dying to figure out what it takes to make their new creations fly in a world that has already been up to its eyeballs in electronics for the past 30 years. So far, it’s been a lot of ugly high-volume push-and-shove strategies that ignore the consumer’s desire for functionality… and most recently the blatantly overindulgent endorsement of Google China ex-CEO-turned-superhero Kai-Fu Lee… but if you take the time to read between the lines of marketing hype, you’ll see that today’s clumsy and awkward China is a country with a tremendous amount of unexplored human capital. This dormant period won’t last long, as the continued development of the economy and industry will undoubtedly expose and reveal some shining stars amongst a population that leads the pack by a mile.

Hmmm… you might want to make that a kilometer.

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It’s always with quite a dose of skepticism that I see huge, publicly-listed companies like Alibaba taking a shot at appealing to the individuals that make up a market that was once too small and insignificant for them to address before.

Sign of the times? You bet. Sign of things to come? You’d better believe it. This is where the rubber meets the road, as those little individual consumers suddenly represent a very powerful piece of market share that was always considered too volatile and easily influenced by uncontrollable factors in the economy. Now that so many companies in the heavy-hitting export sector – not only in China, by the way – have started to gasp for air, the need for innovation is strong, and only the strongest innovators will come out on top.

Does the move to tap the B2C market signal weakness or strength for Alibaba? A lot of people will say that it’s just a logical move to extend coverage, and pick up some slack as their original sales engine slows down… but there’s a lot of other people who are getting nervous about the sheer size of a company like this one taking steps to try to become the one-size-fits-all solution for selling on the Internet. Granted, the Chinese government will undoubtedly continue to pump money into this darling of a company, especially since it consistently ranks high on the list of “China SuperBrands”, and let’s not forget that the company also supports a vast multitude of domestic employees. Also bear in mind that we haven’t hit the 2010 mark yet, and there’s still a lot that can go wrong before the CCP proudly announces its safety-net 8% GDP year-end goal being met. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that this number will be produced, but will it be a case of art imitating reality, or reality imitating art? Numbers are easy to manipulate, and it’s been done more than a few times already.

Should other players in the market, like ebay and PayPal be wringing their hands yet? With the launch of Alibaba’s proprietary AliPay online payment system, I guess it would make sense that the other titans of online sales would be wise to watch this event carefully, but it’s all up to the consumer on this one, and I have seen the truth with my own eyes. While deals can be made with huge distributors and retailers –- all too often to manipulate the market and keep people in the dark about their buying choices — the Internet truly is the great equalizer, and there’s a reason why countries like the PRC employ strategies to censor and control the stream of information that enlightens consumers… and makes corrupt dealers writhe in pain over the education that is freely accessible to all.

Look to sources of information like the ones here at toptenwholesale.com for a chance to see some of the less popular (and perhaps even less-tolerated?) forms of opinion that could be the difference between simply following along with the program you are handed… and making a new program of your own that results in building a business that gives you the control you need to not only profit from your hard work, but maybe even empower you with the ability to deliver the solution to your customers without being part of the problem.

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