In business for two decades, Chelsea & Scott is the parent company ofleading catalogues ‘One Step Ahead’ and ‘Leaps and Bounds’. Ten yearsago, they also began to offer an online retail platform and today arelisted among the ‘Top 500 E-Retailers’ in the United States.

Over the years, Chelsea & Scott has been dedicated to offering quality, innovative new products for discerning parents. This mission has the company constantly on the look for new suppliers of items for their diverse merchandise line.

At the 2012 Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council organised a buyer seminar where Chelsea & Scott spoke to more than 20 suppliers about the company’s background, customer profile, product categories and partnership opportunities. A series of one-to-one Buyer Meetings with suppliers pre-screened by the HKTDC Business Matching team were also arranged after the seminar.

“I am pleasantly surprised!” said Andrea Galinski, Product Development Manager of Chelsea & Scott Ltd, adding that when looking for people to work with, “high-quality and reliability are important criteria for building a long-term relationship.”

“Every supplier fits us in terms of their experiences, type of quality, and even some specific details we are looking for,” she said.

“I have attended trade shows for many years, and it is quite exhausting going through all the aisles to check details,” said Ms Galinski, noting that the appeal of a booth may not be equivalent to a company’s capability and proficiency. “So having in-depth dialogues such as those at the seminar and meetings are really beneficial and easy for both sides during the whole process.”

“The hktdc.com Buyer Meetings service is definitely instrumental in facilitating our business, as we need to spot good suppliers for a wide selection of products. This is truly a good day for me – seeing so many potential suppliers in one go. I am really grateful for all the arrangements.”