Recently, Lee Kum Kee China (hereinafter referred to as Lee Kum Kee) held its 2024 distributor conference in Guangzhou, gathering channel partners from across the country. This conference was not only a review of the past fiscal year's achievements but also a presentation of the story behind Lee Kum Kee's commitment to quality. With the unveiling of two upgraded product lines, the 'Purple Crown' and 'Red Crown,' and a special honor from the China Space Foundation as highlights, it presented a blueprint of confidence and hope for long-term growth and high-quality development for Lee Kum Kee's distributor partners. A distributor at the scene praised, "This conference had a huge impact on me. Matching two different product lines for different channels provides independent operational space for retail and foodservice. This is not only an innovation for Lee Kum Kee but also unique within the industry." New 'Food Era' in Condiments: Consolidating Quality Barriers to Help Win the Market In the fiercely competitive condiment sector, product innovation is crucial. It is not only key to maintaining competitiveness but also provides more business growth points, helping distributors achieve steady development. At the conference, Lee Kum Kee's newly upgraded Purple Crown zero-added preservative soy sauce series made a grand debut. From the systematic quality advantage that achieves zero-added preservatives across all soy sauces for general consumers, to the differentiated positioning of 'naturally fresher taste' achieved by adhering to the selection of top-grade non-GMO soybeans, using first-class protected water sources, and brewing in the 'sunny paradise' at 22 degrees north latitude for 3-6 months of sun-drying, to the highly recognizable and attractive new packaging, these multiple advantages not only meet consumers' pursuit of healthy eating but also further consolidate the brand's quality barrier, providing distributors with a powerful competitive weapon to break through with stronger brand support and maintain growth momentum. The upgraded product strength of the Purple Crown soy sauce series also reflects Lee Kum Kee's determination to gradually achieve zero-added preservatives across all soy sauces for general consumers, and the capability brought by its quality advantage. This advantage barrier is inseparable from Lee Kum Kee's century-long heritage, adherence to quality初心, and strong quality control capabilities. For years, Lee Kum Kee has adhered to the '100-1=0' zero-defect quality management philosophy, insisting on 'from farm to table' full-process quality monitoring, strictly managing every link of the supply chain to underpin quality. It is noteworthy that Lee Kum Kee has not only passed the BRC Global Food Safety Standard with an A grade for over a decade and passed the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) audits with zero defects three times in a row, selling globally with world-class quality, but has also made Chinese astronauts 'love it so much they can't put it down.' With the recent Shenzhou-18 mission to space, Lee Kum Kee products have been used as space condiments for astronauts 10 consecutive times, enduring the most stringent space environment tests, proving the extraordinary strength of its products and commitment to high standards. At the conference, Wu Jie, one of China's first astronauts, shared his experiences and insights as an astronaut. He stated that Lee Kum Kee has played an important role in China's space industry, providing astronauts with delicious meals. He expressed hope that Lee Kum Kee would continue to innovate and bring more quality condiments to the people nationwide. Mr. Wu Jie, one of China's first astronauts As the only condiment company that is a strategic partner of China's space industry, Lee Kum Kee has been quietly contributing to China's space endeavors. At this conference, the China Space Foundation also awarded Lee Kum Kee a special honor: 'Outstanding Contribution Unit to China's Space Industry.' Wu Zhijian, Chairman of the China Space Foundation (right) Lee Kum Kee's adherence to quality is not only a fulfillment of its promise to consumers but also a deep guarantee of its cooperative relationship with distributors. This commitment means that every product is a carefully developed, strictly selected premium item, providing distributors with solid market competitiveness and building deep trust with consumers. This deep cooperation not only brings immediate commercial benefits to distributors but also lays a solid foundation for long-term development for both parties. New Industry Anchor: Advancing in the Foodservice Sector: Dual Measures of Product and Operations to Drive Growth With consumption upgrades and the booming foodservice industry, the foodservice market shows unprecedented vitality and potential. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, in 2023, the total revenue of the national foodservice industry reached 5,289 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 20.4%. This huge market space undoubtedly brings significant development opportunities for the condiment industry. However, opportunities and challenges coexist. How to anchor foodservice demand with effective single products and innovate operational methods to reduce costs and increase efficiency for distributors is a must-answer question for all condiment companies. The newly unveiled Lee Kum Kee Red Crown series for foodservice at this conference aims to help solve distributors' operational difficulties, continuously consolidate the long-term interests of the channel system, build true partnerships with distributors, and achieve co-construction, win-win, and co-growth. Lee Kum Kee Chun Xian Chicken Bouillon was also officially launched at the conference. With its superior product strength of 'pure chicken freshness, long-lasting aroma without overpowering,' stable product quality, wide applicability across various cuisines, and competitive pricing, it has already attracted widespread channel attention and is highly sought after by chefs in many provinces and cities. To cover more customer types, Lee Kum Kee will continue its blockbuster product strategy with full force. In the future, over 280 single products will be promoted for the foodservice channel, covering restaurants of various grades and segments to meet diverse terminal needs. Lee Kum Kee will also implement an 'ecological refined operation' strategy in the foodservice sector. Separating foodservice and retail operations is an effective means to protect channel profits. By distinguishing products and barcodes, the sales systems for foodservice and retail channels are clearly divided. Additionally, with strong resource allocation and incentives, it empowers more foodservice recovery and channel breakthroughs for various levels and foodservice enterprises. For channels, 'Jin Li 198' uses digital empowerment to bind wholesaler relationships, increase terminal incentives, and ensure that resource allocation truly reaches distributors and end users, effectively stabilizing upstream and downstream relationships and the price system. For chefs, 'Lee Kum Kee Chef Club' leverages rich recipe content and points/red packet benefits, gathering over 300,000 chefs, continuously generating sales leads to directly empower the front line. To ensure resources are implemented, Lee Kum Kee has launched the 'Foodservice Iron Army' team upgrade plan, with a 6-fold increase in team size to achieve efficient terminal coverage. At the conference, Lee Kum Kee also invited 11 leading culinary masters from various cuisines, including Chu cuisine master Lu Yongliang, Su cuisine master Li Yaozhen, Hui cuisine master Bao Xing, Zhe cuisine master Dai Guibao, Xiang cuisine master Ren Weizheng, Lu cuisine master Zhao Xinlin, Min cuisine master Luo Bingfu, Chuan cuisine master Zhao Zhixin, Yue cuisine master Tan Guohui, Gan cuisine master Wu Xianming, and Yu cuisine master Chen Wei. The masters unanimously praised Lee Kum Kee's Red Crown series for foodservice and new products like Chun Xian Chicken Bouillon. Chu cuisine master Lu Yongliang Deep New Cooperation: Deepening Cooperation Models: A Two-Way Commitment with Distributors If quality is the key factor that helps condiment distributors lay the market foundation, then clear growth paths and efficient operational models are important pillars that drive their steady growth and maintain a continuous leading edge in the industry. The rise and development of excellent distributors are inseparable from the synergy and guidance of excellent brand owners. As a major highlight of the conference, Lee Kum Kee held a grand strategic distributor signing ceremony, marking a milestone exploration in the manufacturer-distributor cooperation model. Through cultivation and support, distributor partners gain clear growth paths and upward channels, achieving growth from ordinary to gold, to diamond, and then to strategic levels. Establishing a step-by-step upward hierarchy with more rights and empowerment mechanisms allows distributor partners to grow upward hand in hand with Lee Kum Kee. Additionally, Lee Kum Kee has set up special digital support to promote efficient terminal operations, enabling Lee Kum Kee's products and brand to reach more consumers more efficiently. During the conference, Lee Kum Kee organized a 'factory visit' to its Xinhui factory, one of its five global production bases, allowing distributor partners to immersively experience Lee Kum Kee's pursuit of the highest quality standards, the forward-looking nature of intelligent manufacturing, and its social responsibility in environmental protection and energy conservation. Equally impressive was Lee Kum Kee's practice of the 'Si Li Ji Ren' (Considering Others' Interests) value. Staying true to its original aspiration, it has donated to build schools, initiated the 'Hope Chef' public welfare project, and funded road and bridge construction, allowing everyone to feel Lee Kum Kee's 'human touch.' Lee Kum Kee Xinhui Factory After the conference, a reporter from New Distribution interviewed several key partners of Lee Kum Kee China on site. Mr. Zhang, General Manager of Changsha Hewei Trading, said: "Since 2007, we have cooperated with Lee Kum Kee for 17 years. Because Lee Kum Kee's quality is good enough, our development has been relatively fast. Currently, we need to promote new products based on brand value, transforming from 'sitting merchants' to 'traveling merchants.' Lee Kum Kee is a brand where quality reigns supreme, and consumers highly recognize its brand, and its quality is also highly recognized in the foodservice sector. This year, in the foodservice channel, we will also cooperate together to introduce more new dishes and application scenarios to chefs, so that more chefs can understand Lee Kum Kee's characteristics and advantages." Mr. Du, from Guangzhou Congshuai Trading, said: "We have been cooperating with Lee Kum Kee since 2016 and have learned a lot from this company, such as the '100-1=0' quality management philosophy, including its pragmatic and ever-entrepreneurial spirit, which inspires us condiment distributors to keep moving forward. At this year's conference, we can see that Lee Kum Kee has a distributor cultivation system from ordinary to diamond to strategic levels. These strategic approaches not only provide resource support but, more importantly, empower our capabilities." Mr. Huang, from Fu'an Xingdawang, said: "Attending today's Lee Kum Kee channel partner conference was very impressive. Hearing many of Lee Kum Kee's plans from B2B to B2C, I very much hope to work hand in hand with Lee Kum Kee to expand business. For the retail channel, Lee Kum Kee's quality is very good, which makes us very confident when recommending to consumers. For foodservice, we have also done a lot of work together in recent years, such as the Chef Club, which has been very helpful. Lee Kum Kee actively promotes chefs to use its products to create delicious food. In terms of brand support, Lee Kum Kee's brand and quality are continuously improving, and advertising investment and brand promotion efforts are also increasing. Now, we have even more confidence in Lee Kum Kee!" Mr. Chen, from Fujian Meican Haochu Food Trading, answered: "First, Lee Kum Kee performs excellently in the entire distribution channel. Second, I often go abroad, especially in European and American markets, and find that Lee Kum Kee has a very high market share in the condiment market. Europe and America are places with extremely high quality requirements, and Lee Kum Kee's deep penetration there is not achieved overnight. This performance is very attractive to us. Lee Kum Kee's digital transformation is indeed a promotion for us. Once consumers and chefs recognize Lee Kum Kee's products more, the synergy and promotion effect on us will be greatly enhanced." The rise and development of excellent distributors are inseparable from the synergy and guidance of excellent brand owners. Lee Kum Kee regards distributors as important partners. Empowering distributors and helping them make money has always been Lee Kum Kee's 'Si Li Ji Ren' business philosophy and an unwavering commitment. The feedback from distributors at the conference is sufficient to prove from the side that the channel market supports Lee Kum Kee's series of distributor empowerment measures and has confidence in Lee Kum Kee's products. Conclusion Adhering to quality初心, laying out effective single products, and improving operational efficiency have become Lee Kum Kee's key to helping distributors win at the terminal. Always relying on excellent product strength, innovative operational models, and a win-win development philosophy, Lee Kum Kee continues to help distributor partners operate terminals efficiently and seize the market. Distributors, in turn, rely on Lee Kum Kee's strong support to continuously enhance their own strength and achieve steady business development. In Lee Kum Kee's journey of empowering distributor development, both parties have jointly written a new chapter of win-win cooperation, setting a model for industry cooperation. Looking forward, we expect Lee Kum Kee to continue exploring new opportunities in the condiment industry, and in the context of market evolution from incremental to stock competition, lead with quality and innovation to open new space for the development of the condiment industry.