Kiwi produce steals limelight in China
New Zealand-made products are taking centre stage in hundreds of Chinese supermarkets.
Cooks Global Foods (CGF) and its Chinese supermarket partner Jia Jia Yue have a two-week promotion across its 630 stores in China’s Shandong province.
The promotion was timed to coincide with 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,’’ Jackson said.
The flagship promotion will take place in Jia Jia Yue’s Dragon Mall shopping centre in Weihai city, where the company is headquartered.
A Hong Kong-based 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 produce 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.
He said more Kiwi businesses should look beyond China’s tier-one cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen), and go to the second- and third-tier cities such as Weihai. These had large millennial markets who wanted premium products, he said.
New Zealand Honey Company chief executive Jeremy van de Klundert said it was the time of year to promote honey.
‘‘There’s a greater demand for honey in winter as a remedy for cold and flu.’’
The promotion is expected to become a regular event to build businesses’ confidence to market in China.