Home decorations and furnishings have been a crucial part of every home around the world. Stylish houseware nowadays are direct reflections of the home owners’ tastes and social status. These facts underline the significance of outstanding design in interior decorations and all kinds of home accessories.

By supplying festive decorations and bathroom accessories of superior quality at great value for over 28 years, the Hong Kong-based manufacturer Poss Trading International Limited has become one of the most established names in the trade. Its enduring commitment to non-compromising product quality and first-grade customer service is fundamental to its well-earned success.

Managing director, Mr. Samuel Sit, recalls that his company, Poss, was started up in 1978 following the suggestion of a business contact. The company in its early days concentrated on producing seasonal and festive products, like Christmas decorations, made of poly-resin and other materials. Then at the turn of the millennium, Mr. Sit witnessed a wind of change breezing through the industry.
“We began to see that more and more of our customers were looking for home decorations other than seasonal or festive-themed types. They were searching for suppliers who could provide them a one-stop-shop convenience. That spurred us to expand our product scope to other household furnishing accessories,” says Mr. Sit.

He explains that this move was also based on the ever-improving quality of life pursued by the developed nations worldwide. “With raised living standard, consumers are more interested in decorating their homes. Bathroom is such an integral part of our daily lives, Poss decisively selected this sector as the initial point of entry to make a go for its new product lines,” Mr. Sit elaborates.

Another reason for this move has been that the seasonal products market has got to a point of saturation. “Competition is dire stiffening in that sector today. Staying ahead of the pack in festive decorations is really tough. The stake of business relies heavily on the Christmas period, and the product life cycle is remarkably shortening. You have to be extremely creative and fast-responding to come up with new designs every year to remain competitive.”

However, the bathroom accessories market was equally harsh and challenging for Poss too. Mr. Sit recollects that his designers had to travel overseas to study the design trends in bathroom products, like the prevailing colour schemes, fabrics and consumer habits, etc. from scratch.
Poss currently employs a total of eight designers – six as in-house staff and two external freelancers. When formulating original product ideas, they need to take into consideration the practicality of the finished goods, both for the factory and the end users, its commercial viability and the production cost.

In recent years, the designers have started shifting their efforts on extending their innovative ideas from a single product to a range of products using the same theme. “By expanding the designs, we can offer our prospective clients a ‘one-stop-shop’ service. Instead of buying a product from us, these customers now buy a range of products or a design concept. It gives us a competitive edge,” Mr. Sit explains, citing their Nile Collection, Regalia Home, Homestead Home and Depot product lines of its extensive bathroom accessories as examples.

There are other winning strengths of Poss’ products and services. The company prides itself in its sensitivity to market trends, the top-grade materials they use and the extraordinary product quality.

According to Mr. Sit, Poss’ stringent quality control is carried out throughout its factory in Shenzhen of China, which currently hires over 150 workers. He adds that outside professional quality control agents are also employed to ensure compliance with international standards, suggesting the firm’s utmost commitment to top-class quality and customers’ satisfaction.

“We believe that we’ll finally benefit from all these endeavours. We see our clients as our lifeblood,” says Mr. Sit.

The majority of customers for Poss are from the U.S. and Europe. But the company is looking into expanding their market reach. It already has a number of Australian clients and is now actively seeking opportunities to tap the growing Russian market.

“Unlike many other exporters, we don’t mind orders in smaller quantities. As long as they are serious about business and are appreciative of our effort put into making their products, potential clients who place smaller orders are just as important as those big clients. To me, it is not only about business, it is also about building long-term relationship,” Mr. Sit elaborates.

“The way people do business these days are vastly different from that of 15 years ago. I remember a time when buyers have to seek out suppliers to get their target products – but nowadays we see a reversed situation. The table has turned. As a manufacturer and exporter, we have to vigorously go hunt for new prospects. We have to make sure our buyers are getting the value for money.”

Poss reaches out to global buyers by participating in trade exhibitions, like Beautyworld in Frankfurt in January and Kenfair’s Mega Show in Hong Kong every October. The home accessories supplier also advertises in major trade magazines to promote their latest releases to buyers worldwide.

For the challenges posted by business rivals from the Mainland China, Mr. Sit views it as an opportunity for Poss to better itself. “No doubt, manufacturers on the Mainland offer much lower prices, but Hong Kong-based suppliers still hold a strong reputation for reliable product quality in the eyes of the international buyers,” adds Mr. Sit.

“Buyers perceive products from Hong Kong are of better quality. The legal framework in Hong Kong offers better intellectual property rights protection. Still, I think the best way to beat the copycats is to develop more and better designs,” stresses Mr. Sit.

“Poss is firmly dedicated to our ‘three-betters’ business motto: to come up with better product designs, to provide better customer service and to deliver better quality. We will continue to produce innovative seasonal products and bathroom accessories for every home. We will also look into expanding our product ranges to better serve our customers worldwide,“ concludes Mr. Sit.

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