>>>Special Report: 100th Canton Fair

The unprecedented pomp of the 100th Chinese Export Commodities Fair (CECF) drew numerous manufacturers and merchants, who naturally became customers at Guangzhou's department stores. As well as vigorously preparing their goods for sale and launching all manner of promotions, the department stores also offered improved services, taking such measures as foreign language purchase assistance, foreign currency credit card payment, which resulted in increases in sales of over 20 percent.

Mr. Jiang, manager of Guangzhou Friendship Store, said, "Our customers evidently increased by more than 50 percent during this CECF as compared with the past." Guangzhou Friendship Store was established in 1959, and has had a close and lasting relationship with CECF. To celebrate the 100th CECF, Guangzhou Friendship Store offered the "CECF & Friendship" promotion sale, under which all CECF merchants and working staff could enjoy Platinum Membership privileges, including extra discounts on top of normal discount.

At MOPARK Department Store, CECF merchants and working staff can get membership cards by using visitor's cards or employee's cards and enjoy shopping with 10 percent off. The Zhongyi Store of GRANDBUY offered 17-percent-off preferential shopping and Wangfujing Department Store, XINDAXIN Department Store and others also launched sales promotions.

Mr. Jiang also told our reporter, "The majority of foreign guests speak English and Japanese; therefore we specially prepared English and Japanese purchase guides". The GRANDBUY, Teem Plaza, XINDAXIN and other department stores also prepared special foreign language purchase guides for the CECF period. A number of department stores conducted foreign language training programs for their staffs and MOPARK Department Store in particular arranged foreign language "instructors" on each floor.

A number of department stores put into service direct payment by foreign currency credit card. If the foreign merchants do not have enough cash with them, they can choose to pay by credit card when purchasing a large amount of goods. Ms. Chen with MOPARK Department Store said that foreign merchants could pay by credit card at the exchange rate set for the Renminbi and the foreign currency on that day.

Traditional Chinese gifts such as silk, watches and clocks, jewelry and jade items favored by foreign buyers still sold like hot cakes. Buyers from Latin America were particularly interested in bedding articles, and many of them went straight to the stores to shop such daily clothing as underwear, shirts and so on.

The business purchase missions from China preferred high-end business gifts such as rare watches, cosmetics, glass artifacts, Guangzhou local elephant ivory carving, etc, all of which sold well. A buyer from Shandong told our reporter, "We are reassured to buy these gifts in Guangzhou, as the quality is guaranteed."

Editor: Yan