Just Do It Yourself with Hand Tools January 31, 2008
Posted by wenbi in : Tools , add a commentIn recent months, the sluggishness in house prices, and consumer confidence, hammered by ongoing mortgage market crisis especially in the US and the UK, has taken a toll on home improvement expenditures. Although the US government manages to restore consumer confidence and revive the overall housing market by announcing a plan to freeze rates on certain adjustable-rate sub-prime mortgages, the homeowner spending for home improvement and remodeling activities will be thereby influenced with a certain ripple effect.
A Mild Upturn in Home Improvement
By a survey, in the US, homeowner remodeling spending for 2007 dragged and is projected to be 2.3% lower than 2006 while homeowners become increasingly jittered about falling house prices and a slowing economy. They spent nearly $233 billion on home remodeling in 2007, marking a modest 1.9% increase from the record $228 billion spent in 2006. The growth is bolstered by a lag time of three to six months when remodeling activity follows home building. Homeowners can¡¦t delay a major repair like a leaky roof or a broken faucet after the houses are purchased. In 1997, the home improvement marketplace was estimated to be a $135 billion industry. However, that number has increased to $185 billion in 2007. Some economists predict that remodeling activity in 2008 is expected to grow by 2.8% and may reach another record-breaking year by 2009.
DIY Tools Smile with Growing Female Users
As mounting new houses are built, here come in a renewed passion for do-it-yourself (DIY) projects. As we¡¦ve mentioned before, it is women that drive 75% of the home improvement purchasing decisions in a household. The trend of single women purchasing homes is one of the most notable in real estate market. They regard their houses as valuable long-term investments, which require upkeep and renovations. Instead of hiring a worker to replace a faucet or put up drywall, most female homeowners prefer to do it themselves and save money. We are seeing increasing female shoppers to join the queues in front of home centers. More and more women are getting stuck into DIY than ever before. According to a survey, as purchasing holiday gifts, 48% of U.S. women choose home improvement items, such as hand tools, compared to 39% prefer apparels or jewelry. Now more end-consumers, either male or female, are tackling the work themselves and enjoying doing their own home repairs and renovations. Meanwhile, tool suppliers are adding more features and functions to their products, brainstorming new ideas to make DIY tools more comfortable, easier to use, efficient and safer and aiming for greater productivity, higher quality work and less stress on the users. Experts expect that a real estate slump would reduce the purchase power of professional tool users, but the DIY market would remain higher growth as ever.
Go Home and Do It Yourself
“Homing” trend is still on the move. People is poised to make their home a warm and cozy place furnished with recreational equipments and ambience-oriented materials such as decorations, a flat-screen TV integrated in a piece of furniture, printed screens or elegant lighting fixtures that are inevitable to the taste and quality of modern lifestyle. In the other hand, Always, things in home will break and need repair. And quick, inexpensive and user-friendly DIY tools not only fix the problem, but also add the beauty of a home. Beside the price, DIY tool quality is increasingly promoted to value-added professional tool grades and comes with growing focus on ergonomic, intelligent and long durability designs.
Hand Tools- Practice Makes Perfect
DIY projects by hand tools are often time-consuming. But many of the tasks are traditionally done exclusively with hand tools as much more efficiently and quickly than with power tools. DIYers believe doing your own home improvement projects gives them all the control, and can ensure the project turns out exactly as you want it only for pennies on the dollar. They also have fun and enjoy a sense of achievement when their projects are finished by continuous practices and improving skills. Nowadays, there are so many reference resources available for the do-it-yourselfers, including popular print and web-based resources and classes at home improvement stores. Apart from an increasing use on home improvement projects, vehicle average lifespan is longer also promote the sales of hand tools in automobile after-sales market. Electronic products forging tools are in great demand, especially adjustable wrenches. The common problem of annoying “external rust” on tools has spurred the application of special stainless steel on tools, which is underlined by innovations such as a novel combination spanner series without galvanized surface treatment and welded fully from stainless steel screwdrivers and bits.
Power Tools- Smarter Ideas for Housing Renovation
Powered by electricity, batteries or air for use in building, construction and home improvement, power tools are can accomplish almost any task a hand tool can do and improves the speed and efficiency of the craft. The differences between DIY power tools and professional power tools are on function and design. Basically, the professional models have increased power and the ability to perform under more stress than consumer tools and can withstand heavier workloads. Power tools are big business. In the US market, the sales are predicted to surpass $11 billion by 2010 by driven by strong demands on electric saws and pneumatic nailers and cordless power tools. The technological improvement and innovation spotlight on dust collection, laser-enabled products, ergonomic enhancements, high-tech anti-theft technologies, the inclusion of lithium-ion batteries, and redesigns allowing multiple tools to share the same battery source. Advances in Lithium-Ion technology have revolutionized cordless power tools making them lighter, more powerful and more reliable.
The 63nd Tokyo Int’l Gift Show October 31, 2007
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TRADE PAGES - Consumer Products October 29, 2007
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Your regular source of new business |
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| LANGUAGE OF TEXT: English PUBLICATION DATE: Before 1st of every month —————————————————————————- A tabloid-size, colorfully illustrated monthly publication, packed with many new business opportunities and ideas. It is intended to provide you with the source leads and basic information, on what’s new and readily on the market, for your preliminary screening. PRODUCTS PROFILE: |
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Fashion & Apparel Accessories
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LANGUAGE OF TEXT: English PUBLICATION DATE: Before 30th of every June and December. —————————————————————————- For those who are in search of quality conscious suppliers to deal with, it is an indispensable guide to source profitable and price-competitive products, or alternative suppliers.HERE’S WHAT IT GIVES YOU: |
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Fabrics Moving Toward Trend-consciousness October 18, 2007
Posted by wenbi in : Fashion , add a commentttnet.net - [2007/05/04]
Fashion comes and goes too often. Now, people are rethinking the good old values, traditions, class and style, looking back in time and reinventing these old treasures while diving into the past looking for something to reposition themselves, cherish historical costume couture art and translate it into contemporary fashion. We therefore see a more contemplative vision than a quick jump into trends and hypes. As doing this, we have the enough reasons for nostalgia trends, retro-trends, romanticism, Bohemian moods, echoes of folk and ethnics, and country life, new upper class luxury with reduced opulence, the classics in styles, conservatism styled with elegance and class, translated into very feminine styles. After a long period with too much opulence and colors, we need something peaceful, elegant, sophisticated and differently luxury. Sophisticated sporty looks in luxury glamorous fabrics grab attentions of fashion-sensitive shoppers.
Futurism & Metallics
Here comes a fashion transition happening at the moment with romance in dress, versus futurism in dress. Coming seasons follow futuristic space age looks, gleaming shining iridescent fabrics, romantic folkloric delicate softness, sporty slouchy looks, body conscious sculpting and an 80s neon color vibe. Futurism is an up-and-coming trend that will lead us into 2008. The metallic fabric, either in silver or gold sequins, becomes personal decorative jewelry. That¡¦s because with the metallic shimmer look, consumers need minimal jewelry. Cream jacquard fabrics enable expensive looking matching dresses and coats. This year, hemlines have been rising steadily. Lace is used as a border technique on clothes and helps create the illusion hemline.
The Echoes of Nature
The earth fascinates us with their natural expressions of textures and sparkles and enriches our inspiration to create the fashion textiles in more relaxed styles and designs. Natural fabrics like linen get mixed with silver or gold threads to capture that shimmer of the season. Fabrics patterned with blooms, roses, sprigs, botanical embellishment and floral trails, jungle plants or very bold prints with lush cabbage flowers are quite adorned. African and sepia animal prints tune with botanical and massed floral prints and futuristic textured fabrics. As combined with futuristic silhouettes, glamour zebra, leopard, tigers, cows and giraffes are all adapted as animal prints evolve into modern looks with a modern feel. These wildlife prints give a sense to get close to the nature. Green concept has been applied in performance fabrics. It refers to yarn manufactured from organic cotton and recyclable fibers. Today, however, a more environmentally conscious consumer not only is more receptive to these types of innovations, but also is demanding them. Consumers prefer the fabrics with natural, structured surface along with a handcrafted knit effect. Recent emphasis on ¡§green¡¨ has directed a highlight on bamboo as a natural fiber that provides luster as well as superior performance in terms of antimicrobial properties, dyeability, moisture absorption and breathability.
Healthy & Comfortable Wearing
New technology is applied to dress socks to provide moisture wicking, storing and releasing of body heat and destruction of odor-causing bacteria. Some new fabrics are designed to freely keep warm and release heat. Moreover, they are infused with silver particles to resist odors. Outerwear is made with new water-repellent finishes for cotton fabrics, yet, never reducing its breathability and durability. Spacer fabrics are increasingly used. The inner mesh of monofilaments crisscrossing between the fabric¡¦s two surface layers provides lightweight structural integrity, resilience and flexibility. Spacer fabrics also feature superior air and moisture permeability and temperature regulation and are easily washed and quick-drying to enable a hygienic wearing.
Fashion Palette
Strawberry ice, apricot gold, silver and blue are trendy colors for springtime. Colors of the forest after the rain, an infinite variety of greens and browns are seasonal hues for spring and summer. Brilliant blue is back. Sky blue, electric blue, brilliant ultramarine blue make a comeback to the fashion trends within the color palette. Golden apricot, sky blue, opal gray, clear greens and coffee cream as well as gemstone colors in rich slinky satins are hot for summertime. The chalky pastel colors work well with summer romance in lightest blues, mauves, orchid pinks and sweet wrapper metallic colors. Tangerine will linger to terracotta by autumn. Purple is welcome in spring but it has warmed into hollyhock tones that will move toward next autumn. The warm earthen tones plus golds, reds and violets will be key tone in the fashion palette through autumn & winter.
Household Textile
We see some new trends in home fabrics, curtain fabrics, tablecloths, bed linens, bathroom textiles and carpets. Generally speaking, household fabrics textiles emphasize on their functional qualities and, meanwhile their aesthetic glamour. For instance, blackout fabrics come in with more homely colors and eye-catching designs. Textiles with high smoke or noise absorption functions are also welcome. Curtains are gorgeously dressed up with trimmings. Simple, modern versions, in plain, clear colors are the mainstay. Plastic magnet curtain restrainers in graphic or romantic designs are used to secure the fabric in the desired position on both sides.
Trend-conscious tablecloths present Mediterranean, Asian or country house ambiance. We see table lines in graphic and floral elements, perfectly mixed for charming designs. Sixties-style bed linen is still hot. Checks and stripes, cream, caramel and stone are popular patterns and colors. Bathroom textiles come in the palette from pale pink to fuchsia red, from pale blue to deep midnight and from soft Reseda to bright grass green. Patterned towels come in stripe and check designs, floral and climber patterns or opulent Baroque and camouflage layouts. The latest carpet designs have lighter, softer shades like nougat, midnight blue, honey and putty as well as abstract floral designs and fluid stripes. Multicoloured stripes, carpets adorned with large puzzles are welcomed youthful furnishing style.
Fashion Jewels Smile with Gorgeous Dreams
Posted by wenbi in : Fashion , add a commentttnet.net - [2006/01/11]
Here today, gone tomorrow! Trends of fashion jewelry are subject to switch just like the moods of women. Farewell to the dull days of “less is more” or minimalism, fashion jewelry is poised for fruitful hay days. Conventionally, jewelry is bought for engagements and weddings as well as gift-giving purpose. However, a rise in the self-purchase of items somewhat changes the buying habits. Color remains a crucial fixture. Pink stole the show, yet green also come on surprisingly strong. Gems, either precious or semi-precious, glamour with their natural beauty, the strength, the long-lasting quality and the rarity, whispering cycling tales of innocent, fun, romantic, exotic, sparkling, eternal, sophisticated and much more. Wearing jewelry set in precious and semiprecious stones is an ancient tradition. Ethnic look embedded in oriental elements arises romantic sensation. Recently, ethnic inspired jewelry in exotic colors is a big hit. In 2006, popular will be oriental gems mostly of Chinese and Japanese images, and in materials like green and lavender jade with carving. Not so expensive in comparison with precious stones and metals, semiprecious stones as bridges in costume jewelry are in great demand. Small and simple costume jewelry used to be in vogue; yet, big and flashy pieces are now fashionable. Some semi-precious stones like quartz, blue lace agate and citrine are popular as deemed to have healing or sentimental properties. Colored stones, such as amethyst, peridot, garnet, citrine and blue topaz, has also regained its glamour for fashion-conscious consumers. Garnets that come in a variety of reds have come back in fashion, looking lustrous and luxurious and matching ruby colors yet not so pricy. Blue sapphires craze jewelry lovers with lighter color sapphires from Africa proving to be a popular alternative to the traditionally richer blue sapphire hues. Nature-inspired designs surely win the hearts of consumers with many lines featuring classic flowers, leaves, fruit, vegetable, butterflies, snakes, animal prints, ants, feathers, pebbles and other organic shapes, also abstracted in many lines. EARRINGS In spite that the chandelier trend lasts, earrings switch to more linear looks, along with orbital hoops and embellished hoops that have been a mainstay of women’s earrings for years, and currently large hoops are in fashion, but the newest trend is long, dangling earrings in metals or stones. Earrings are set with pink, orange and green gems with lily accents and removable feather drops. Dangle earrings take the place of the once-dominant chandeliers as the most popular jewelry on the red carpet. Earrings with natural look celebrate a prosperous future. They are made in simplest layout, featuring turquoise, red coral and amber. For younger women, the designs are magic symbols, insects, animals and flowers. BROOCHES Brooches outperform than expected in 2005. Brooches are commonly made as sideline to that of other costume jewelry such as necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets. Trendy designs of pendants focuses on carved variety in Asian-inspired styles and spiritual icons to meet bohemian trend. Flag brooches with red, white and blue gemstones continue to be seen. Elegant and sophisticated brooches in the style of the 1940’s are quite popular. NECKLACES Long necklaces become mainstay of fashion. The layered or multi-strand necklace with a single clasp offers the outlook of multiple layers. Long length of loosely looped chains usually attached to a necklace with an enhancer. Waterfall styles, multiple-wire necklaces that looked like swirling hurricanes and space orbits were also popular. Today, women prefer to wear two or three necklaces together wrapped and twisted together. For instance, a strand of pearls wrapped with round freshwater pearls and seed pearls then decorated with rough, engraved natural chip or fine cut crystals or semi precious stones all set against diversified shaped pearls like flat square quad pearls.
PENDANTS
Pendants are presented in a row of materials like precious and semiprecious stones and metals, bone, wood and glass. Popular looks include midsize single-stone pendants on interesting chains and beads that fit the neck. Here is the return of the pendants particular in briolette cut pear drops, sometimes called a teardrop. Chic design of pendants spotlights on carved variety in Asian-inspired styles and spiritual icons to meet bohemian trend. RINGS Bold rings with hefty colored gemstones do steal hearts. Bamboo-style rings, with its rows of horizontal bands, have geometric designs, squared shapes and bypasses. Selling well are cocktail, stackable and interchangeable rings. Cocktail rings are important looks often with colors like pastel blues, pinks and greens. BRACELETS Personalization is still the mainstay in designs of bracelets. Consumers love bracelets because they are easily seen on wrists. Medium-sized bracelets for day or evening use are the most popular, particular great as gifts since the standard length fits most wrists. Wrist-wrapping bracelets such as bangles, cuffs and coils are somewhat hot as are bold, gold cuffs scattered with colored gems or enamel.
Just “In” Do-it-yourself Tool Markets
Posted by wenbi in : Tools , add a commentttnet.net - [2007/02/01]
The popularity of DIY goes worldwide as we see more and more end-users love to do their own home improvement and renovations. Consumers regard it as an enjoyable pastime and encourage DIYers to brainstorm their own ideas out for themselves as industry people offer the user-friendly, self-explanatory and labor-saving products that make home-improvement easier, even enable a sense of achievement, purely done by own hands to save home repairing expense. Now, increasing female shoppers have joined the queues. By the a survey, while purchasing holiday gifts, 48% of U.S. women choose home improvement items, such as new flooring, appliances, window coverings and even tools, compared to 39% prefer apparel or other personal items, such as jewelry.In generally, the DIY market differentiates from the professional one, particularly as the former consumers tend to be sensible to price in purchasing decision. By this, DIYers are always searching for the tools, affordable yet practical to suit their needs. DIY tools, hand tools and power tools alike, are ergonomically designed with cushioned grip with asymmetric handle design and new, lightweight and durable materials, which enables end users to work more efficiently and safely for greater productivity, higher quality work, less fatigue, less wear-and-tear on joints and muscles and lessened danger of twisting or straining their wrist, arm or elbow. For strengthened safety, the tools with high-voltage insulation on the handles are required particularly to the electricians who need extra protection as working near live circuits. Multi-task tools provide stripping, cutting and crimping all with the same tool, incorporating an adjustable wrench with jaws that open like pliers; and pliers that can clamp work in place to serve as a third hand. Open-end wrenches come in integrated ring ratchet wrenches to be used in difficult to access places while traditional ratchets seem too large and somewhat cumbersome in use.Cordless power tools are lightweight, compact and easier to handle thanks to the use of small lithium ion rechargeable batteries, primarily used in mobile phones and digital cameras. Higher power output is significant. For instance, heavy hammer drills and chisel hammers with multistage overload clutches are designed with long-lasting power, friendly to user operation on hand. Now, laser technology for projecting precise cutting lines onto workpieces that often seen on professional-grade stationary panel saws and miter-cutting saws has turn to an indispensable feature of hand-operated saws for DIY lovers.
Market Snapshots
In TAIWAN, 90% of DIY hand tools are exported to overseas markets. According to the official statistics, the shipment of the general hand tools reaches to US$ 1.62 billion. The U.S. is the largest buyer, accounting for 36% of the total output. Taiwan¡¦s industrial players make effort on the R&D of new items and methods for RoHS Enforcement Guidance Document, hoping to conform to the ecological standards and regulations in Europe and other regions.
In CHINA, with the improving living standards, consumers have more pastimes to do house decoration and remolding. Currently, the Industry has fundamentally full-built as a complete production system from upstream to downstream. 78 % of the tool factories locate in Zhejiang, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Shanghai, Guangdong, and Tianjin. China’s cost advantage makes itself the world factory in tool sector, attracting myriad of world tool companies to set up manufacturing bases, especially from Taiwan. By statistics, Taiwan has more than 5,000 tool manufacturers and now one tenth of them have set up the factories in China.
In the U.S., the power tool market is expected to hit $10.5 billion in 2006, rising 23% since 2001 as the number of DIYers continues to grow. Although we saw a slowdown in housing sales, the rising demand for renovations contract the negative factor and DIY products celebrate the added sales correspondingly. Most of American regard garden as an oasis of peace and quiet and relaxation or a very personal place of withdrawal or refuge, more topical than ever before. The garden tools attract the eyes of house-owners who love getting close to soil and flowers. In America, the key consumers are mostly aged 45 to 65. The beginners contribute to the biggest market gains over the coming years.
Unlike US with rising female DIYers, DIY in the UK are basically a masculine activity. The participants include many more couples, single home occupiers and multi-generational households, either younger and older consumers. The DIY provides an economical way to do necessary repairs or of improving the value of the home. UK DIY & home improvement market is highly influenced by the overall health of domestic economy while the market is classified as discretionary spending with a small percentage of essential repair sales.
In FRANCE, in spite of the lack of physical strength and size and finding the work too tiring, 8 out of 10 women undertake DIY projects in the home. Women of less than 40 years’ of age are the most likely to undertake DIY, and not out of necessity, but for pleasure. For 82% of women, DIY is synonymous with the pleasure of dialogue within a relationship and not simply motivated by finances or a lack of workmen.
