To give you a quick and easy overview of the show’s proposed highlights, check out my handy little list of TopTen Reasons to Attend the International Home and Housewares Show 2010:

• The exposition provides a platform for over 60,000 buyers from more than 110 nations throughout the world. That’s a lot of pairs of eyes, and they won’t just be focused on the goods on display… in other words, a great chance to do some effective networking.

• The event will be held at McCormick Place, which isn’t a bad place to be! Located in Chicago and easy to find, it’s a great venue for attendees to relax and take in all the sights in comfort and convenience.

• Those who might want to attend this event would be individuals in the fields of: Specialty & department stores, mail order/catalog companies, gift/gourmet shops, mass merchandisers/discounters, hardware stores, home & garden centers, e-tailers, importers/exporters, distributors and manufacturers representatives.

• Many of the items on display will cover themes such as: cookware, kitchen gadgets, cutlery, specialty appliances (electric and non-electric), tabletop, decorative accessories,  kitchen textiles, home storage items, personal care, lifestyle furnishings, and specialty foods.

• At the time of this writing, the IHA (International Housewares Association) has posted on their website: “There is no charge for trade participants to attend the Show for those who register before midnight Saturday before the Show starts.”

• CNN Headline News will be covering the event, and will also position kioks around the show’s floorspace to allow easy access.

• Be on the lookout for space-saving storage solutions to make some waves during the show…

• Pay attention to what the Chinese maufacturers are doing these days… for example, a huge signing between Hamilton-Beach and Galanz is resulting in a comprehensive line of Hamilton Beach and Proctor Silex branded microwave ovens, which will be on display at the show.

• Online registration can be done!

• Many other questions can be answered at the FAQ page provided by the IHA.

No reason to delay… just take a look at the information about the show, and get your schedule cleared for the second week of March 2010!

Share This

According to Web 2.0 EXPO, if you happen to be any of these people listed below, you might want to consider going to this event:

• Business strategists
• Web and UI designers
• Product managers
• Marketing professionals
• CxOs and IT managers
• Business managers
• Developers in established companies
• Grass roots developers and hackers
• Companies and organizations tracking emerging technologies
• VCs and entrepreneurs

Starting to get the picture? I reckon if you’re reading this, you are probably going to fall under at least one of these categories. If you want more details about the organization or the show, you can get the longer version of the story on the Web 2.0 EXPO site… or you can just follow a few simple steps, which I will now give you:

• Go to the Web 2.0 EXPO pre-registration page, and get your information plugged into the online form. It’s going to ask you for a little bit of information, but it’s well worth the 5 minutes it might take you to do it.

• Here’s the best part… Toptenwholesale.com is going to give you a little something to help you get a head-start on this amazing show. We’re giving you a discount code that will automatically set you up with a 30% discount on your registration fee! When you get past pre-registration, you will have a chance to enter the discount code… and the one you should use is:

• webny09twc66

• Okay, now that you’ve just saved some money… fire up Twitter on your PC, and copy-and-paste the following piece of text into your message line, and tweet it to your followers:

• Use discount code webny09twc66 for 30% off a Web 2.0 Expo New York conference pass—discount ends October 30! #w2e

• Done deal. You’ve now given all of your customers, partners, and friends a discount code that will allow them to enjoy the same benefits we’ve extended to you! On top of all that, you could also post this discount code on your facebook page, or any other social networking site of your choice. Don’t be afraid to include it in your monthly, weekly, or daily email newsletters and updates as well… since it’s sure to drive more traffic to your site, as your curious recipients will be asking you what all the hubbub is about.

Pretty easy, right? Don’t wait too long, though… this offer is only good until October 30. If you have questions, let us know, and we’ll do our best to get you the straight answers. Last but not least, we’ll hopefully be seeing you in New York… at the Web 2.0 EXPO in November!

Share This

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!

Share This

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.

Share This

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.

Share This

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again… the depression in the global economy has delivered a killer opportunity for the innovators in the Wholesale and Retail Industry to come up with tactics that will bring all forms of consumer spending directly to their front door step, by providing a forum like the…

Off-Price Specialist Show in Las Vegas. Many of the factors that have resulted from last year’s torrents of news relating to the economic crisis (which was virtually saturating last year’s headlines) have finally taken a turn for the better in a few particular sectors of global industry. The ones who look for new openings in the market are finding out quickly that consumer buying patterns are radically shifting towards the realm of high-value, lower-price… and it pays to note that this doesn’t necessarily mean they will be looking for the cheap stuff, either. We’re seeing a kind of displacement that is taking effect on a massive scale, and it simply means that the consumers who might have been at the bottom of the luxury-brand market before things got tough… are now somewhere in the upper levels of the mid-range crowd. That’s right, champagne tastes on beer budgets, if you know what I mean!

“We dont have to look to the government for a stimulus package. We just have to be smart. The Off Price Show and its vendors are my stimulus package. They’ve helped me open a new business and make a profit without beating up the consumer.”

Edward Goldbaum Owner, All Pro Basics Sporting Goods

What we didn’t tell you (or couldn’t tell you, really) was that the Off-Price Specialist Show in Las Vegas – which is happening right now, even as you read this — is already vastly exceeding expectations! There have been some reports from the field that are giving wholesalers and retailers everywhere something to smile about, as the number of attendees has been remarkable… and the number of exhibitors doing the smiling has been extremely encouraging.

If you want to see some visual proof of the activity on the showroom floor, take a look at the exciting array of products and exhibits that we’ve snapped and collected for you, as we give you a virtual roadmap of the shining stars of the Off-Price Specialist Show in Las Vegas.

As always, here’s a TopTen list of reasons to get out there now:

• Autumn and Winter fashions on display now!

• Over 5000 preregistrations for the show!

• 1200 buyers on the first day!

• No loss in exhibitors from last show!

• Off-Price is a big buzz word with consumers right now!

• LOTS of closeouts!

• Financially-strained consumers result in a resurgence of lower priced goods!

• Much more product diversification than ever!

• Jewelry, New Fashion, General Merchandise, suppliers from China!

• This used to be just a jobbers show… but not anymore!

If you are finding yourself in a position that makes it hard to find the desired product somewhere within your reach these days, and with so much to see at this show, it could result in a handsome payoff to visit the tradeshow floor at the Off-Price Specialist Show in Las Vegas. The show isn’t over yet! Don’t be left out… Off-Price is definitely in!

Share This

The show took place in 2 different venues. The Sands Convention and the Las Vegas Convention Center. This marked a real changing of the times. Over the last 10 years, I’ve seen a lot of shuffling, and have to say that one has to stay on top of the news if you want to keep abreast of the exhibitor locations. This was the first time in over a decade that the Jewelry Show did not take place in the mirage. Due to economic and contractual reasons, ASD decided to move the jewelry show over to the Sands. Was it a good move?? I don’t know….There were some exhibitors who despised displaying their high end loose diamonds and exotic — very expensive — jewelry in a general merchandise type setting. The exhibits in the Sands are not typically known for their luster, but for their low pricing and generic flavor. I’ll admit that high end jewelry exhibitors looked out of place. A high end cash and carry event should take place in an environment that feels warm and welcome. Not like a bazaar of general goods and items you’d see at a flea market , off price chain, dollar store, drug store or independent shop. However, and to the flip side, the consolidation of the 2 shows lead to more foot traffic. If the traffic resulted in buyers, there would be a smiling faces…We just don’t know yet.

In all, the show brought in the usual suspects and the final numbers of the show will dictate the rest of the 4th Q and 1st Q of 2010. I can’t say that it was the strongest show ever, but it was well above anyone’s expectations. Next year will mark yet another change as the show gets ready to shift all of the exhibitors to the LVCC for the first time ever. In the coming years, the show will be shifting venues every other year. it would be a real smart idea to start communicating to your buyers about booth # changes and a really good idea for the ASD show to start announcing all the coming changes. I look forward to seeing all of the follow up from ASD about the event and the video that was taken. The feedback from the exhibitors should be interesting. More interesting though, was the 2nd China Brand Show. Blog post to come on that soon…..Let’s just say the relations between ASD and China are getting very strong.

We’re off to the Off Price Show in 2 weeks. By the time we get back, we should be able to provide a final wrap up of the new products, sales, state of the economy, future, and facts surrounding the 2009 ASD Trade Show. By the way , I did find out something new — no longer is it the ASD/AMD Trade Show. It is now the ASD Trade Show. Take note. And….

Happy Wholesaling!

Share This

Join our Facebook Fan club today!

Today, we announce the official launch of of our Facebook Fan page for TopTenWholesale.com and JPC INC . We want to see your face there and we want to discuss what’s on our mind with you! Please join us….

Why did we start a fan page? For a few reasons…There is no FUN place where the industry can get together and get to know each other. Buyers need introductions to sellers and sellers need to be acquainted with each other. We are not just some corporate machine only selling advertising….We are powered by people and we believe that having a relationship with our customers, partners, and vendors is important.

Come see what’ going on today at the TopTenWholesale Fan Club.

Happy Wholesaling!

Share This

I reckon it’s high time to touch upon a couple of the big USA-based shows coming up in August, and if you haven’t made the decision to attend the ASD Las Vegas Show, maybe it’s time for all you busy wholesale movers and shakers out there to stop what you’re doing for a few seconds… and take a look at your calendar. After all, it’s already the middle of July. Another show worth noting is the Off Price Specialist Show, which is also going to happen in August, and the first day of September. Summer just got a little bit hotter, didn’t it?

Both of these events are must-see shows for anybody who wants to get a good look at what’s hot in the industry, and what new trends will be making huge waves during the Q4 season… but it’s also going to be a lesson in what products and services have lasting power during these troubled times. Here’s what I think wholesalers on the prowl should be doing to maximize their investment:

• Be prepared… don’t walk into this thing blind, because there’s not a lot of time to cover all the space if you’re running around like a frenzied holiday shopper… and you will definitely need to prioritize your list of things to see, if you want to get the maximum benefit from being there. Even if you don’t know what the floor layout looks like until you’ve arrived, take a moment to get oriented with the map once you’re there, and come up with a tactical plan of attack!

• Decide which product category fits you best… with a list of wholesale items in product groups like Camping & Outdoor/Sporting Goods, Military/Tactical/Personal Security, Electronics & Accessories, Apparel/Hosiery/Footwear, Tools & Hardware/Lawn & Garden, Food/Candy/Snacks, House-wares & Home Appliances, General Merchandise… there is a lot to choose from.

• Look for the signs of stability in the industry… do some research in your preferred area of industry, and look for the companies that have taken the measures to combat the economic downturn… especially the ones who have succeeded. Of course you can find a wealth of information on the Internet-based wholesale news sites like TopTen Wholesale Newsroom, for starters.

• Take notes… I know it sounds really geeky and totally unwired to jot stuff down with a pen and paper(!) but you will be glad you did it after you’ve returned to your hotel room, and dumped the contents of your bags and pockets out onto the bed. Don’t you hate it when you can’t remember why you grabbed somebody’s business card? I do, so I always write some little ‘mental note’ on the back. I suggest a small notepad (or hastily-grabbed cocktail napkins from the hotel lobby) because you will need to write stuff down somewhere, since a lot of Chinese and other Asian exhibitors print their information on the front and back, in Chinese and English.

Go ahead and visit the sites, and make your plans. Hopefully, you’ll be able to use some of my little tips to keep things from getting too crazy, but in the end, it’s up to each and every individual to make this an event that will put a great finish on the overall performance of wholesale in 2009. Happy wholesaling, and don’t hesitate to write if you want to share your own tips and suggestions!

Share This