Some exhibitors at a coming food festival have said they are unfazed by a trend of Hongkongers shopping across the border and are expecting business to increase, while others are adopting more conservative sales estimates.
This year’s Food Expo will run alongside four other events at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and bring together 1,860 exhibitors, showcasing international products such as the latest culinary technology and a range of halal dishes.
The fair will launch on Thursday and run until Monday of next week.
Chelsea Wu, general manager of Eaten Delight, one of the exhibitors at the Food Expo said on Wednesday that a trend of Hongkongers heading to mainland China to splash out only had a slight impact on business, believing the caterer served a different customer base.
“We are hoping for sales to double compared with last year,” she said. “The main selling point of our products is that they are made in Hong Kong, and that our products are usually consumed at home.
The company’s product range focused on fresh instant food comprising Cantonese soups, desserts and other dishes that could be heated up easily, Wu said.
Wu said she was hopeful a special discount offering four soup packets for HK$100 (US$13), rather than the standard price of HK$39 per item, could draw customers, adding similar deals were being offered online to boost business.
Ruby Pang, sales manager at dried seafood vendor Good Point, said the trend of Hongkongers spending across the border was unlikely to affect sales, since such goods were taxed and difficult to bring back from the mainland in bulk.
“We have also obtained the relevant certificates, so there is a guarantee of quality,” she said.
Pang said she expected business to increase by at least 10 per cent compared with last year, adding the company had joined the expo for the past six years and counted tinned abalone as its bestseller, accounting for a third of the vendor’s revenue.
But Eric Lin, managing director of alcohol agent Hop Hing Loong, was among expo exhibitors opting for more conservative projections, saying he hoped to match last year’s sales but expected a 10 per cent drop in business.
“The economic environment is not ideal at the moment, especially for consumer products. Whether it’s the retail industry or the food and drink sector, many are suffering, which is why I have a relatively conservative expectation,” he said.
Lin said the decision by Hongkongers to spend over the border was having a “significant impact”, noting a drop in orders of sake, wine, whisky and cognac by restaurants, supermarkets and retail customers.
Irene Chow, director of Nansen Trading Company and granddaughter of the founder, said she hoped the company’s performance could match last year’s but was not optimistic that sales would increase.
She said her company specialised in Japanese food products for seven decades, but she had decided to bring in a nut milk brand from Singapore that was established last year and was exhibiting the new goods for the first time at the fair.
“We’ve sold condiments, udon and sake for many years. This is a little different … we’ve brought it in because it is now a trendy product,” she said, adding that she hoped the new goods could attract fresh customers.
“There are many excellent culinary offers in Hong Kong. I just hope Hongkongers can return and support businesses in the city.”
The fair will be held in tandem with the Beauty & Wellness Expo and Home Delights Expo, while the Hong Kong International Tea Fair and the Food Expo Pro, which focuses on industry professionals, will run from Thursday to Saturday.
Standard tickets will cost HK$30 (US$3.85) and grant admission to the first three events, with access to the latter two only available on Saturday.
Concessionary tickets are available at HK$10 or for those visiting during select time slots, while premium admission options will cost as much as HK$40.
