Success for Team Canada in Shanghai

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
1) Meet e-commerce giants at Consulate
2) Reconnaissance of local retail pet stores
3) Network at China’s largest pet industry event

We could not have imagined how fantastic this mission was going to go.  With equal parts of stamina and entrepreneurial drive Team Canada took on Shanghai.

The schedule was packed and worth every moment, especially meeting Canada’s trade commissioner and two of China’s heavy hitters in the e-commerce industry, koala.com and Tmall Global for Alibaba.com.   The group networked with the business development managers from both companies, as well as the procurement team from koala and trade technology partner for Alibaba.  This series of meetings provided team members not only with valuable new connections, but also a clear understanding of the nuances of internet business in the Asian market.

Exploration of the Chinese market continued with visits to two pet stores, one of which was a Petland.   The visits allowed team members to see which products and trends are popular in the Chinese market, paying special attention to things like the spending habits of Chinese customers, demand for Canadian products, and top selling products.

The visit to China’s International Pet Show (CIPS) was a mind-blowing wealth of business options and opportunities.  With over 15,000 exhibitors, from 85 countries, Team Canada knew they could tap completely into the Chinese market through this single event.  Mission members made the most of the opportunity by meeting with industry players and signing partnerships with distributing companies to penetrate the rapidly increasing market of Asia.

In Asian culture, face to face meetings with contacts can be critical to a successful business relationships.  The purpose of these missions is to bring Canadian businesses looking to grow in contact with key people and organizations that can make that happen.  The Agrimarketing program run by Agrimarketing and Agrifood Canada helps to make this possible.  If you are ready to explore new markets in the Europe, Asian and the US, contact Roselyne Lévêque  at tradeshows@gabrielsenn.com.