Supplier website reports near 100% trade increase
Site director says industry can sustain for two years without “big projects”
Trade portal Alibaba said increases in year-onyear sales indicated “promising trends” and signalled a return of confidence in the construction industry.
Reporting an increase of 99.8% in construction-related enquiries, director Maggie Choo attributed the positive trend to an increase in the number of small and real estate projects being undertaken.
“The number of bigger projects may be declining, but that does not mean the industry is slowing down. The smaller projects are still happening, very much and we are definitely seeing a positive upwards trend, spurred by the volume of these smaller projects. There are enough of these to sustain the industry, as our data confirms,” she commented.
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99.8%
Alibaba
The company witnessed a 99.8% increase in construction enquiries on Alibaba.com in 12 months
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Trading more than 44 categories, including construction, Alibaba.com has 60 million members worldwide, with more than 800,000 in the Middle East. The percentage share of overall construction enquiries to the site from the Middle East in quarter three of 2010 was 10.1%. Top products include doors and windows, timber products, marble and bathroom accessories. Customers also source manufacturers. While the trends indicated a move away
from the large-scale, high-risk projects in parts of the Middle East, a number are still being specified as contractors and buyers prepare to diversify into markets such as Saudi Arabia, according to the firm. Worldwide, general construction enquiries to the site have grown 150% year-on-year, with Choo reporting the strongest markets in Brazil, Peru and Russia.
