Working the Fair: a buyer's day in the halls

How a sourcing day at the Canton Fair usually goes, what to write down at each booth, and what a usable quotation has to contain. This is our own working practice, not organiser guidance.

Before you walk in

Go to the phase that matches what you buy. The three phases carry different product groups, and crossing the city on the wrong week is the most common wasted trip we see.

Wear what you can stand in for six hours and bring a bag that closes. You will collect catalogues, fabric swatches and small samples; a shoulder bag with one flat pocket for business cards handles it better than a backpack you keep taking off.

Choosing halls

Pick two or three halls per day and walk them properly rather than trying to see the whole complex. The complex is large enough that a half-hearted sweep of six halls yields less than a focused pass of two.

Start with the category you came for and finish the day in an adjacent category you did not plan for. Adjacent halls are where the substitutes and the cheaper versions live, and that comparison is worth more than one extra catalogue.

What to do at a booth

Write the booth number on the catalogue the moment you pick it up. Follow-up by e-mail only works if you can name the booth later.

Ask the same four questions at every booth, in the same order: which models do you make yourselves, what is the minimum order, what is the lead time, and what certifications do you hold for export. Identical questions produce comparable answers.

What a usable quotation contains

A price on its own cannot be compared. Ask for material, specification, packing, lead time and the trade term (FOB or otherwise) in writing, and treat a quote that omits them as a placeholder rather than an offer.

Ask what changes the price: quantity break, material substitution, or packing. Knowing which lever moves the price tells you where the negotiation actually is.

The same evening

Sort the day's catalogues into three piles: quote requested, visit again, and no. Write the pile onto the catalogue cover while you still remember the booth.

Send the short follow-up the same evening, while your booth number and their name are still in your notes. Replies come back fastest during the Fair itself, when the factory staff are still in Guangzhou.

Practical notes are ours. Dates, phases, venue and metro information come from the organiser and are shown on the Canton Fair hub page.