1. Ooho sports drink coming soon, want a sip? According to foreign media BeverageDaily, Suntory Group's UK sports brand Lucozade Sport has partnered with material engineering startup Skipping Rocks Lab to launch a plastic-free sports product using edible packaging called Ooho. This seaweed-based pod can biodegrade naturally within 4-6 weeks—similar to the decomposition time of a piece of fruit. Lucozade Sport is an isotonic sports drink that provides carbohydrates and electrolytes to help athletes maintain performance during endurance events. It is typically sold in 500ml PET bottles and comes in various flavors. Lucozade Ribena Suntory stated that Ooho packaging offers "an exciting new way to drink Britain's favorite sports drink." The company believes the new packaging has dual advantages: avoiding plastic packaging for environmental benefits, and Ooho pods can provide athletes with suitable hydration options.
  2. Yili shares plunge after interim report; marketing expenses reach 10.2 billion yuan in half a year On August 31, dairy giant Yili Co., Ltd. (600887.SH) fell sharply during trading, at one point dropping 9.16%, finally closing at 24.2 yuan, down 7.21%. This is its second-largest single-day decline in nearly three years, with over 10 billion yuan in market value evaporating and nearly 800 million yuan in capital fleeing. Since the beginning of the year, Yili's total market value has shrunk by 50 billion yuan. The dairy giant now faces a tougher challenge: sluggish profit growth. According to the just-released financial report, Yili achieved revenue of 39.6 billion yuan in the first half of the year, a year-on-year increase of 19%. However, high expenses eroded profits; net profit in the first half increased only 3% year-on-year to 3.47 billion yuan, far below market expectations.
  3. Moutai market price falls; three phenomena reveal the logic behind Moutai's market stabilization Latest research data shows that Moutai prices in major markets have fallen to within 1,700 yuan, a significant drop compared to recent months when prices approached or even exceeded 1,800 yuan. Stabilizing Moutai's market price is one of the company's key annual tasks. Li Baofang, Party Secretary, Chairman, and General Manager of Moutai Group, believes that in the first half of this year, Moutai's market achieved the expected "stability," and "stability" is also the goal for the second half. Notably, based on current market feedback, Moutai prices have indeed dropped as the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day peak season approaches. Another noteworthy phenomenon is that in recent months, there have been few "penalties" issued to non-compliant distributors. These phenomena may provide insight into the current state of Moutai's market price and the effectiveness of Moutai's price control and market stabilization efforts over the past two years.
  4. Huiyuan Juice delays interim report, continues suspension On August 31, Huiyuan Juice (01886) announced that due to the delay in publishing the 2017 annual results, the board intends to inform shareholders that it will also delay the publication of the interim results announcement for the six months ended June 30, 2018, and delay the dispatch of the interim report. Additionally, the company's shares will continue to be suspended.
  5. JD.com establishes first global wine region alliance On August 31, the 2018 JD.com Wine Global Region Alliance was launched in Beijing. JD.com joined forces with major global wine regions and renowned wineries to establish the JD.com Wine Global Region Alliance, becoming the first e-commerce platform in China to open direct supply channels from global wine regions to China. Eight top global wine regions, including France, Chile, and the United States, along with 22 well-known global wine brands such as Lafite, Concha y Toro, and Torres, witnessed the launch ceremony. The establishment of the JD.com Wine Global Region Alliance also signals a new round of reshuffling in the domestic wine market.
  6. Vanke enters new retail; first store "Wanwu Market" opens Recently, Vanke's first self-operated new retail brand "Wanwu Market" opened at Guangzhou Jisheng Vanke Central Park, covering 2,500 square meters. Wanwu Market is Guangzhou Vanke Commercial's first new retail self-operated brand, driven by a dual system of "internal business partners + external partners," gradually moving from internal R&D to market application. The brand breaks the boundaries of supermarkets, street markets, dining, and social spaces, reorganizing five functional modules: fresh seafood, daily groceries, food and beverage, life services, and specialty experiences, upgrading single purchase behavior into a new consumption and social scene experience. From a product logic perspective, Wanwu Market shares similarities with existing new retail brands. The development of diversified functional modules will give the brand flexibility to adapt different experience scenarios for differentiated customer groups in future expansion. In terms of specific content, specialty experience spaces such as community kitchens and public living rooms indicate that Wanwu Market emphasizes building a small world with a sense of life for consumers, essentially reflecting the concept of "creating change for life." Real estate developers entering the retail market is essentially a supplement to community commerce, meeting supporting services. However, it also seems to provide users with a new choice.
  7. China's first weight-management snack, Fat-Block Crisps, to launch soon Fat-Block Crisps, a winning entry in the 2018 Capinno Global Food & Beverage Business Challenge, will officially launch on September 19. Fat-Block Crisps are specially designed for weight managers, with 0 sucrose added, 0 artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, 7g protein and 7g dietary fiber (per 28g pack), and are a new-generation healthy snack tailored to Chinese tastes. The first product underwent one year of independent R&D, six months of process upgrades, over a hundred formula adjustments, and several process attempts to maximize the health benefits of baked products. Within one week of trial, it achieved sales of 300,000 yuan. According to consumer feedback, the popularity of Fat-Block Crisps stems from its commitment to healthy low-fat while ensuring taste and texture. Each crisp is only 1.7mm thick, with a texture comparable to potato chips, and comes in three flavors: Provence, Shu Xiang BBQ, and Cheese Sea Salt. Online, Fat-Block will gradually enter e-commerce platforms such as Tmall and JD.com, while also launching official mini-programs and a public account called "Fat-Block Plan," attracting users with activities like health communities and 21-day check-in plans to drive traffic. In addition to e-commerce platforms, Fat-Block has partnered with over 200 gyms nationwide, adjusting high-protein formulas based on fitness enthusiasts' needs and setting up pop-up stores in gyms. It has also partnered with multiple running groups to design special night-running packaging, aiming to become the exclusive snack for night runners.
  8. Lawson's Zhang Sheng: Unmanned retail is still a premature baby On August 29, Zhang Sheng, Director and Vice President of Lawson China, gave a speech. He believes that unmanned retail is still a premature baby; it definitely has a future, but current technology is not yet mature, so Lawson does not adopt it. "I cannot let our franchisees and consumers be guinea pigs, so Lawson only makes pioneers, never martyrs." Zhang Sheng also summarized the fundamentals of retail in three phrases: private brands + buying system + ultimate supply chain. Private brands differentiate you from competitors and make consumers pay more attention. Private brands are "MSG," the buying system is "salt." If the ratio of salt and MSG is wrong, the food is inedible; salt is the basic of retail. China's retail has not done well because there is no buying system, but there is still a long way to go to implement it; buying wrong may lead to a lot of losses.
  9. Fonterra's Anchor launches Protein+ flavored milk in New Zealand ▲Image source: google Recently, Fonterra's Anchor brand launched a new Protein+ flavored milk in New Zealand, expanding its product range. The product currently comes in three flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and mixed berry. Each flavor is made with real milk, contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, and each bottle contains 20 grams of protein with no added sugar, aligning with Fonterra's strategy to focus on sugar reduction in beverages and create more nutritious drinks for consumers. The Anchor Protein+ flavored milk range will be available on shelves at retailers nationwide in New Zealand soon.
  10. "Boss Boy" seaweed, another hit imported food! The "Boss Boy" seaweed series (formerly "Little Boss") enjoys high popularity and sales in Thailand, exporting to over 20 countries, with a market share of up to 80% among similar products in Thailand. It is called "national seaweed" and is one of the must-buy snacks for Thai tourists. In 2012, "Boss Boy" seaweed was introduced to China by Guangdong Hengyu Food Trading Co., Ltd., and is currently sold both online and offline at ParknShop, 7-Eleven, Taobao, and JD.com. Recently, a notice from Hengyu Food indicated that due to the brand strategy decision of the Thai listed group, to better fit the Chinese market, starting July 1, 2018, "Little Boss" was officially renamed "Boss Boy." It is understood that "Boss Boy" seaweed comes in three types: tempura, seaweed sheets, and seaweed sticks, which are crispy and delicious, with flavors including original, spicy, BBQ, squid, and Japanese soy sauce. This product, with a slightly Chinese-style packaging, quickly gained popularity among young people after entering China, becoming a "small hit" in the snack category.
  11. Pinduoduo launches "Brand Pavilion": 479 brands including Wahaha listed A series of incidents involving "counterfeit goods" and "fake products" have caused Pinduoduo's stock price to suffer. Pressure from various sides has forced it to start paying attention to its quality image. For example, it launched a "double strike" action, closing 1,128 stores. Selecting "brands" from a vast array of products and emphasizing their status through a brand pavilion seems reminiscent of Taobao Mall, later Tmall, which launched in 2011. Data shows that as of March 31, 2018, Tmall had over 150,000 brands, with 18,000 brands from 74 countries and regions selling to China through Tmall. "Pinduoduo has stepped on the same pitfalls as Taobao, and its growth path has many similarities, which is not hard to imagine. But whether its so-called brand pavilion can grow and develop, and whether it can incubate into another Tmall, is still too early to conclude," commented an industry insider.
  12. Live: The whole process of making fake Red Bull It turns out that the cost of making fake Red Bull is so low. -END-