Glanbia planning to bulk up in China with protein push
GLANBIA made headlines in 2014 when it launched its dairy brand Avonmore in China, but it has been making headlines in the world’s second largest economy in recent days for its new push on its nutritionals business. According to state newspaper China
Daily, the company recently rebranded its most popular whey protein brand in China, Optimum Nutrition, which has been available in there for six years, with a new logo and ‘an official Chinese translation’.
“The launch of a new Chinese logo reflects our investment and commitment to the local market,” Sam Bedi, Asian regional director for Glanbia Performance Nutrition told the publication, during the annual International Health, Wellness and Fitness Expo in Shanghai. “From our point of view as a global leader, it’s the right time to make significant investment in the Chinese sports nutrition market,” Bedi added.
The company has three brands for sale in China and will launch a fourth, Amazing Grass. Unlike other markets, such as the US, the group will sell mainly online rather than in bricks and mortar stores.
Glanbia Performance Nutrition is now the fourth-biggest protein supplement company in China but has bigger ambitions. The plan is “not to be in China for a year or two, but to be the No 1 leader in the sports nutrition product segment for the long term”.