Source & Develop
Canton Fair sourcing help
Stephen Cutts attended the Canton Fair in Guangzhou for almost four decades, choosing souvenir and gift products for the Australian tourist season. If you are thinking about sourcing there, start with a conversation.
Decades at the fair
The Canton Fair in Guangzhou is China’s biggest trade fair, and one of the main places where Australian souvenir and gift ranges begin. Stephen Cutts attended it throughout his time with the family’s Rose Stereograph Company, from 1979 to 2018, often travelling first with his father, Neil Cutts.
The family business also went to trade fairs in Shanghai and Hong Kong, sometimes making three overseas trips in a year. Altogether Stephen has made 49 sourcing trips to China. The aim was always the same: choosing products for the coming Australian tourist season, and keeping good supplier relationships year after year. He still holds supplier contacts built through that work.
Why experience matters at a fair this size
The Canton Fair is huge, and it is easy to come home with a bag of business cards and no clear next step. Knowing the souvenir and gift trade in Australia helps you:
- Know what you are looking for before you arrive: the products, price points and quantities that suit Australian tourism retail
- Judge suppliers on quality, reliability and how well they understand what an Australian buyer needs
- Compare samples properly, and follow up after the fair while the conversation is still fresh
- Think about the whole job, from minimum quantities and packaging to freight, timing and the Australian season you are buying for
Talk to Stephen
Stephen is available to help companies source and develop their own products in China. He has ample experience, and it has helped previous clients get the best outcomes.
If you are planning a trip to the Canton Fair, or want help finding products or suppliers there, tell Stephen what you are trying to make or find, the quantities involved and your timing. He will tell you honestly whether and how he can help.
Discuss a sourcing project, or read more about China product sourcing and what 49 trips taught Stephen.
Buying for a store rather than sourcing? Stephen already represents ranges made for Australian tourism retail. Book a store visit or see the products he can bring you.