Kiwi produce will be promoted across 630 Chinese supermarkets
By ANUJA NADKARNI
Originally published on Stuff.com on 25 September 2017.
Kiwi-made products are set to take centre-stage in hundreds of Chinese supermarkets.
Cooks Global Foods (CGF) and its Chinese supermarket partner Jia Jia Yue are launching a two-week promotion across its 630 supermarkets in China's Shandon province. The promotion kicks off this weekend in time for National Day, China's busiest retail period, giving businesses the chance to reach at least 30 million consumers. CGF chairman Keith Jackson said the collaboration with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise hoped to raise the profile of New Zealand produce.
"Food safety is a real concern for Chinese customers so we really want to promote the perception of pure and healthy food and make that our point of difference from other premium products," Jackson said.
The flagship promotion will take place in Jia Jia Yue's Dragon Mall shopping centre in Weiha city, where the company is headquartered.
Left to right: John Mark Corney (CEO of the Whine Portfolio Limited); Zhongjing Li (Weihai Bureau of Commence) Liam Corkery ( Trade Commissioner), Peihuan Wang (Chairman of Jiajiayue group); Justine Kidd (New Farms CEO, Milk New Zealand Management Ltd)
A Hong Kong-based Maori kapa haka group will perform at the event and demonstrations by Chinese celebrity chefs will be aired on local television channels. About 300 of Jia Jia Yue's larger stores will have central merchandising stands on the main aisles to showcase New Zealand products. The other supermarkets will display New Zealand produce together on decorated shelves and offer food and wine tastings.
New Zealand craft beer company Moa has been exporting to Shandong for five years and will be one of the brands highlighted in the supermarkets. Moa general manager Gareth Hughes said the branding exercise was a progressive approach at showcasing the best of what New Zealand had to offer.
Moa general manager Gareth Hughes
He said more Kiwi businesses should look beyond the tier-one cities, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and go to the second and third-tier cities to beat international competition but still market to a dense population.
Jackson said the tier-two and tier-three cities, such as Weihai, had large millennial markets who wanted premium products.
New Zealand Honey Company's chief executive Jeremy van de Klundert said it was the time of year to promote New Zealand honey. "There's a greater demand for honey in winter as a remedy for cold and flu. Chinese consumers also rely highly on traditional and natural medicines," Van de Klundert said. The promotion is expected to become an regular event to build New Zealand businesses confidence to market in China.
New Zealand produce in one of JiaJiaYue's stores
- Stuff