I had a little trouble finding yogurt in Taiwan when I moved here six years ago. At first instinct, I decided to visit the 7-11 across the street from my apartment. With my broken Chinese, I asked where the yogurt was. The cashier pointed me to the back of the store. I was pretty amazed at all the different teas, juices, and soft drinks but I didn’t find any yogurt. The cashier walked by and pointed to a bottle before continuing to stock the shelves behind me with tons of potato chip bags. A tiny bottle with the word Yakult on it was staring at me. “Okay, I’ll try it,” I said. I paid 8NTD (25cents USD) for it then immediately downed it like a shot of tequila. It was sweet, sour, and tasted nothing like regular yogurt or tequila.
Taipei 101 was also new during this time so I took a look. I was taken aback by all the people and amount of restaurants in the food court. Then I spotted Jason’s supermarket hidden in the back corner. Jason’s prices seemed a bit higher than other supermarkets like Wellcome. I looked around real quick and bought a small package of sushi before I left.
A few years later, a friend told me that he was going to pick up some yogurt. “Yakult at 7?” I asked. He quickly replied and told me he was going to Jason’s. We went over there and he showed me a nice four-pack of yogurt for about 150NT (about 5 bucks USD). Nice!
A couple more years rolled by and I started to notice a few frozen yogurt stores popping up. One of the stores, Yofroyo, belongs to my friend. I tried a cup for about 60NT (around 2USD). And from 2009 till now, I’ve tried a few of his competitors. To be honest, they’re all decently tasty but what I really noticed was that business is pretty good. I think we’ll continue to see decent growth in yogurt sales in Taiwan as consumers are becoming more health conscious. Stay tuned for more info on healthy food products in Taiwan.
Want to know about the yogurt market in Dalian, China? Let me know. Thanks. -Eddie
Why is French retail doing so well in China? With 157 operating hypermarkets, an expansion rate of 23 locations a year, and a 95 percent product/merchandise mix of local origin, Lars Olofsson, CEO of Carrefour, said it best. “We’ve added availability of certain products that were previously only found in specific regions or local markets. We’ve also added food safety, food quality, and modernity.”
This is a perfect example of Justin Dowes’s quote in the Next China Trend article. “Because while Chinese skiers want all the positive trapping, they also want something that is theirs – food and cultural elements, but delivered at a much higher level.” Carrefour has hit the nail right on the head when it comes to successfully selling to the Chinese consumer. Basically, give them what they want and what they are looking for, all at a place they trust that delivers good quality, service, and value.
According to Business Insider’s Gus Lubin and Joe Weisenthal, as the middle class emerges and people have stable jobs, credit cards offer a quick shortcut to a nice jump in standard of living. As Carrefour strives to make life easier and better for the Chinese, be on the lookout for a correlation in profit spikes between the French retailer and banks (local and foreign).
Comments
Whether you agree or disagree, we’dlove to know what you think. Leave your comments below. Useful links to resources providing additional insight are especially appreciated. Thanks, Eddie from getchee. =)
Just a few days after the announcement of Kraft’s takeover of Cadbury, China has recalled over 170 tons of milk powder amid another melamine crackdown. The new discovery most likely doesn’t directly link to either of the companies’ products but certainly has an impact on their markets. As I had mentioned in the recent Cadbury article, chocolate is suiting well with booming middle classes in China, India, and Brazil. However, I would like to ask you if you think this new melamine scare will be beneficial or detrimental to Cadbury and Kraft’s efforts in China.
We’d love to know what you think. Leave your comments below. Useful links to resources providing additional insight are especially appreciated. Thanks, Eddie from getchee. =)
Nope. Since it’s official that Kraft has taken over Cadbury, people like business reporter Simon Atkinson of BBC News have been asking good questions like the one above. At the end of his article he asks another good question, “Will it be bad for the business?” Again, nope. This is going to be great for Cadbury and all its fast moving consumer goods. Kraft also has a great presence throughout the world. Not to mention, chocolate is suiting well with booming middle classes in China, India, and Brazil. Euromonitor analyst Francisco Redruello noted that China’s middle class, which he described as 300 million strong, “is trading up to chocolate from sugar confectionery.” This is a great time for both Cadbury and Kraft.
Comments anyone?
Whether you agree or disagree, we’d love to know what you think. Leave your opinion, thoughts, and/or comments below. Useful links to resources providing additional insight are especially appreciated. Thanks. =)
Taipei 101 was also new during this time so I took a look. I was taken aback by all the people and amount of restaurants in the food court. Then I spotted Jason’s supermarket hidden in the back corner. Jason’s prices seemed a bit higher than other supermarkets like Wellcome. I looked around real quick and bought a small package of sushi before I left.
