For Danish buyer Michael Jensen, the Canton Fair is more than a sourcing event. It is where long-term business partnerships begin, product ideas take shape and emerging consumer trends come into view.
Jensen first visited the fair in 1998 and returned as a businessman in 2000. He estimates he has attended the fair 40 to 50 times since then. This time he is sourcing household products across all three phases of the fair with a team of around 12 to 14 buyers from Denmark.
Over the years, he has seen Chinese manufacturers strengthen their design and R&D capabilities, making it possible to develop products faster through closer collaboration. Buyers can now give factories an initial idea, work together on designs and produce trial samples in China more quickly than in Europe.
He also sees China and the wider Asian market increasingly influencing consumer trends in Europe and the United States. His company is drawing inspiration from Chinese social media and is working with local factories to develop its own branded designs.
For Jensen, the fair's lasting value comes down to partnership, knowledge-sharing and friendship. Some factory relationships established a decade ago continue today, extending beyond business visits in China to exchanges in Denmark.
As the Canton Fair celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2026, his experience reflects how the fair has evolved from a sourcing platform into a place where ideas, capabilities and long-term international partnerships grow together.
Reporter/ Script: Zeng Xiangxing
