A special bazaar is set outside the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) to promote CIIE products on June 6. [Photo/eastday.com]

More than 50 exhibitors of the third China International Import Expo (CIIE) brought their products to a special bazaar outside the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) on June 6.

The bazaar is one of the theme activities of the ongoing Shanghai Night Festival. Exhibitors from the United States, Germany, Australia, Japan and other countries and regions revealed some of their products in advance to warm up for the expo.

In response to the call to boost the night economy, Forestlee Corp, a Japanese exhibitor, brought two varieties of its "celebrity" rice from Hokkaido to the bazaar. "The original price for two kilograms of rice was 158 yuan ($22.30), but it has been adjusted to 69 yuan for this special event. Dozens of bags have been sold in just two hours," said Tang Lei, deputy sales director of Forestlee East China.

According to Tang, exhibitors are quite willing to do face-to-face communication with the consumers, and the bazaar provided that opportunity. "We can learn directly from the consumers about their needs, and bring the needed products to the Chinese market," he said.

Shanghai-based Lianhua Supermarket Holdings Co, one of China's largest retailers, signed more than 30 million-yuan contracts during the second CIIE in 2019. The company hopes to purchase commodities based on better information at the third expo through the CIIE "warm-up" bazaar.

Zhong Xiaobing, vice-general manager of Lianhua supermarket, said, "The bazaar is an innovative way of match-making between supply and demand, which gives us a wider understanding of and introduction to imported goods favored by consumers."

At present, the preparatory work for the third CIIE is in solid progress. To date, the contracted exhibition area has exceeded 90 percent of the planned area.