HKTDC meet on Small-Order Zone System

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) organised a seminar in New Delhi to introduce, describe and communicate how best to use its Small-Order Zone system. The HKTDC Small-Order Zone Online Transaction Platform is a buyer-oriented online sourcing platform for direct sourcing of quality products in small quantities. This innovative concept will create new global business opportunities for Indian companies and their products on the international stage; provide them real time exposure to focused sellers and buyers relevant to their specific industry and expand their business to international markets.

The Small-Order Zone and the e-commerce platform hktdc.com, enables suppliers to promote and sell quality products in small quantities. This helps suppliers to test markets and maintain a low inventory through small volume orders. Currently, there are 100,000 products available in quantities ranging from 5 to 1,000 pieces. The Small-Order Zone connects global buyers with third-party authenticated suppliers in a secure sourcing and payment environment without time or geographical constraints. HKTDC has built in a number of safeties for businesses, such as dealing directly with verified suppliers; the ´Buy Now´ service offers instant order and payment for selected products and protection and processing of payments by PayPal.

Since 2012, both buyers and suppliers have been enthusiastic about the benefits of using the Small-Order Zone. Results have been positive with the online and offline zones together helping a total of 6,000 suppliers featuring 1,00,000 products and resulting in 1.4 million sales leads to date. This easy online transaction process helps suppliers expand internationally easily, bypassing complicated foreign trade processes and creating actual deals across the globe.

These online transactions carried out in concert with off-line promotions reach out to more buyers, including small-volume buyers who may not have attended trade fairs in Hong Kong. By providing a four-in-one platform comprising a trade portal, trade fairs, trade publications and mobile apps, the HKTDC helps SMEs capture business opportunities effectively and efficiently.

Suppliers, with the support of physical trade fairs, can take advantage of the O2O (online-to-offline) model to win buyer confidence and strengthen their marketing efforts. The Seminar saw expert inputs by Bradford Lee, Senior Marketing Manager, Publications & E-Commerce, HKTDC who gave insights on how to source with ease by using HKTDC´s Integrated Sourcing Platform and hktdc.com Small Orders. Prateek Tandon, National Sales Manager, Dun & Bradstreet in India, spoke on the methodology to identifying trustworthy suppliers on E-Commerce Platforms.

Rampat Gupta, Delhi Consultant, HKTDC, gave a practical demonstration and described case studies about the ease of sourcing via the Small Orders platform. Meenu Batra, Proprietor, Mahalaxmi Exports, spoke about her experience as a small order buyer saying that the idea of the hktdc.com Small Orders zone is very good as having products available in small quantities allowed her greater flexibility in sourcing. She was also pleased with the ease and security of the process of sourcing from the Small-Order Zone.

For more information: www.hktdc.com