GUANGZHOU, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Twice a year, in April and October, Jennifer Patton embarks on a whirlwind odyssey to Guangzhou.

As the general manager of the Asia Region of Coppel, a Mexican department store chain, she always comes to Guangzhou, in south China's Guangdong Province these two times to participate in the Canton Fair -- to meet with more than 70 colleagues from Mexico and reunite with old customers who have worked with her for many years.

Patton and her colleagues were greeted by a jam-packed schedule -- they needed to find the best quality suppliers from 29,000 exhibitors in just three weeks this year, covering hundreds of categories such as electronics, apparel, and footwear.

They even created an Excel sheet detailing the meetings and booth visits at different times of the day. On a particularly demanding day, Patton has to meet with a dozen personnel from Chinese companies.

Dubbed the "barometer" of China's foreign trade, the Canton Fair itself holds a legendary status. It is the longest and largest comprehensive international trade event in China. For over six decades, it's been a launchpad for global merchants, a platform where new partnerships blossom and customers are discovered.

Coppel is a prime example. Founded in 1941, the department store retail giant has more than 1,800 stores in Mexico after more than 80 years of development, mainly selling household goods, electronics, appliances, and clothing.

"The Canton Fair plays a very important role because we always come here, twice a year, sourcing all the time from all the categories," Patton said that the company has participated in the fair for more than 20 years, and the Canton Fair is the lifeblood of their procurement.

"We import 22,000 containers from China every year," Patton said.

And the number is constantly expanding. With demand booming online and offline, Coppel is looking to secure new products and vendors to meet this growing need.

"We're always looking for new products, fresh designs, new things to offer to our markets. So we'd like to see more new suppliers to offer different things," she said.

Patton and her colleagues certainly won't go back empty-handed.

According to the organizer, more than 1 million new products were unveiled at the ongoing 135th Canton Fair, and products with innovative design, intelligent manufacturing, and AI elements can be seen everywhere.

Patton noticed that the wireless robotic pool cleaner and the multi-function smart cooker have attracted special attention in the Home Appliances section of the Canton Fair.

The Canton Fair's online platform has also streamlined Coppel's sourcing process, especially during the pandemic. "Previously, we relied on attending the fair in person to find new products and vendors," Patton said. "Now, the online platform allows us to search for suppliers year-round."

Outside the pavilion, Coppel's cooperation partnership with China extends beyond just product sourcing. The company collaborates with factories across China, from luggage manufacturers in Shanghai to garment factories in Zhejiang, and motorcycle factories in Chongqing...Patton and her colleagues will continue to travel far and wide after the fair.

This collaboration has fostered a deeper relationship, with some factories even incorporating Coppel's ideas into their research and development (R&D) processes. "Some factories also have their own innovation and R&D centers, we come up with ideas, and they can always make them happen," she said. Enditem

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