AUTHOR ARCHIVE
Articles by FBIF
Browse 98 New Distribution articles by FBIF.
Published articles
98 articles · Page 2 of 5
After the Hype, Sales Slip: Is the Rollercoaster Ride of Birch Water a Collective Dilemma for Niche Beverages?
Birch water beverage sales have plummeted. According to Chanmama data, the leading brand Linyuanchun's monthly sales on Douyin, after briefly maintaining over 10 million yuan from April to July, have continued to decline, dropping to over 5 million yuan by September. Its ranking has also fallen from No. 1 in the beverage category in April to No. 71 currently. Linyuanchun is not the only one facing declining sales; brands such as Zhongzhi, Jiahua, and Baihuayiran have also seen double declines in category ranking and sales since April. The attention on birch water beverages has also declined after peaking.
FBIFTen Years Ago's "Bad-Tasting Drinks" Are Now "Best-Sellers": Are Consumers Falling for "Bad Taste"?
In 2013, a user on Tianya Club started a discussion about "weird drinks," leading to a "Top 5 Worst-Tasting Drinks" list that included Eastern Leaf, Red Bottle Scream, Laoshan White Flower Snake Grass Water, Heysong Sarsaparilla, and Qiulin. Over a decade later, these drinks have seen a reversal in reputation, with Red Bottle Scream selling out 10,000 cases in three days upon its return, and Eastern Leaf becoming the top unsweetened tea brand in China. This shift reflects changes in consumer preferences, health awareness, and the influence of social media and e-commerce.
FBIFAfter the Ice Cup Craze, Brands Set Their Sights on 'Flavored Ice Cubes'
On National Coffee Day, U.S. food innovation company Dice Provisions launched its first craft coffee ice cubes, Dice Coffee Ice Cubes, designed to solve the problem of diluted iced coffee. In China, brands like Yongpu Coffee, Hema, and Dingdong Maicai have also introduced similar products—coffee ice ball cups—priced at 6-7 yuan each.
FBIF3.5 Yuan for a Pack of Cooked Rice with 10-Month Shelf Life: Rice Boards the Pre-Made Meal Express
Pre-made rice, a staple food innovation, is gaining traction in China, with brands like Nongfu Spring's parent company and Jinlongyu offering convenient, preservative-free rice packets that heat in minutes. Despite higher costs compared to cooking from scratch, the market is growing, driven by young consumers and inspired by mature markets in Japan and South Korea.
FBIFIn Search of the Next Super Hit: 280+ Hit Product Brands, 900+ Exhibitors, 2000+ New Products, 47,000 Global Innovators Invite You to FBIF Food Innovation Exhibition!
We sincerely invite you to visit the scene, witness the infinite innovation of food together, discuss product selection strategies, and create the future of channels! ... ... June 25-27, National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), come to FBIF Food Innovation Exhibition, let innovation inspire more innovation! Or scan the code to buy tickets immediately. FBIF Food Innovation Exhibition ticket: 150 yuan/piece (original price). Discount: Add assistant WeChat (FBIF_Sunny) to participate in group buying, enjoy up to 40% discount, 60 yuan/piece. Ticket assistant Sunny 10...
FBIFQiaqia: Teaching Foreigners to Crack Sunflower Seeds, Generating 600 Million Yuan in Overseas Revenue
Only people in five countries can expertly crack sunflower seeds: China, Russia, the US, Turkey, and Spain. Yet Qiaqia, a Chinese seed brand, has defied expectations by selling shell-on seeds to countries where people don't traditionally eat them, teaching foreigners to enjoy this snack. After 16 years of going global, Qiaqia now exports to nearly 50 countries and regions, including Southeast Asia, Europe, and the US, with overseas revenue approaching 600 million yuan. But getting foreigners to 'get hooked' on cracking seeds is no easy feat. Take Japan, for example...
FBIFMixue Bingcheng, Weilong, and Liumeimei Eye the Same Hundred-Billion-Yuan Potential Stock
Even Mixue Bingcheng cannot resist konjac. Konjac snacks appeared in Mixue's Tmall flagship store last year at 0.9 yuan per pack. From a single product of Weilong to a category, konjac snacks have achieved impressive results: in 2023, they drove Weilong's vegetable products to revenue of 2.118 billion yuan, up 25.1% year-on-year, while Yanjin Shop's konjac products reached 476 million yuan, up 84.95%.
FBIFUnlike Sam's Club, Costco Deliberately Makes It Hard for You to Find Things? The World's Third-Largest Retailer 'Has a Grip on' 130 Million Members
Sam's Club's 'budget meal deals' have recently gone viral again. Compared to Sam's Club, which has been in the Chinese market for 28 years and frequently sparks discussions on social media, Costco, which only entered mainland China in 2019, seems relatively low-key. Despite its low-key appearance, the company has many impressive achievements. Costco is the world's third-largest retailer, after Walmart and Amazon. In the 2023 Fortune Global 500 list, Costco ranked 26th. In fiscal 2023, Costco reported total revenue of $242.29 billion and net profit of $6.292 billion. As of February 18, 2024, Costco had 130 million cardholders.
FBIFHema's Transformation: Discord Among Stakeholders
Hema has been embroiled in controversy for months due to its discount-oriented transformation, facing backlash from brands and suppliers over price cuts and SKU reductions. Despite criticism, Hema remains committed to the change, aiming for 500 Hema Outlets by 2024 and a 1 trillion yuan retail market in the next decade.
FBIFThe Next Decade of Chinese Snacks
In recent years, China's snack market has undergone significant changes, with meat snacks and protein/energy bars becoming the fastest-growing categories, while the overall market for spicy strips, dried tofu, and seasoned vegetable products has expanded to nearly 100 billion yuan. The industry has moved beyond mere taste satisfaction, shifting towards functionality and health orientation, with products targeting specific consumer groups emerging. In the past two years, the rise of bulk snack stores and discount snack shops has made 'snacks' a key term surpassing 'beverages' in the food industry. Channel reforms are reshaping the snack landscape, challenging the performance of the three major snack giants that previously capitalized on online or chain opportunities, but they are actively adapting and seeking new growth points. The snack market is both a red ocean and a blue ocean, with predictions of an additional 200 billion yuan in growth over the next decade.
FBIFSeeking New Life Amidst Involution: Observations on 210 Food & Beverage Investment and Financing Events in 2023
In 2023, the food and beverage industry returned to rationality, with investment and financing slowing down and becoming more focused. According to incomplete statistics from FBIF, as of December 27, 2023, there were 210 investment and financing events across 14 major categories, reflecting trends such as increased segmentation, health consciousness, and technological empowerment.
FBIFAfter Reviewing Thousands of New Products, We Summarize 5 Major Innovation Trends in Food & Beverage for 2023
In 2023, which new food and beverage product impressed you the most? Was it Luckin's annual hit 'Sauce Aroma Latte', the 'self-collaboration' braised beef noodles with iced tea flavor, or Starbucks' 'Intense' series coffee? Before the year ends, FBIF has reviewed thousands of new products globally and identified 5 innovation trends: AI in product design, 'freshness' in new dimensions, easier nutrient supplementation, low-caffeine coffee, and food as emotional healing.
FBIFConsumers Who 'Disdain' Prepared Dishes May Not Be Able to Resist Frozen Baking
Frozen baking, like prepared dishes, is a large-scale, industrialized food solution that is quietly entering our lives. Despite many restaurants advertising 'no prepared dishes,' brands like Sam's Club and Hema are open about their baked goods coming from factories. Frozen baking is the fastest-growing segment in the baking industry, with a compound annual growth rate of 23.87% from 2013 to 2022, and it offers advantages such as cost reduction, consistent quality, and fresh taste, making it hard for both businesses and consumers to resist.
FBIFBESTORE's New Chief Yang Yinfen: No Fire, Just Squeezing Out the Water
BESTORE's new chairman and general manager, Yang Yinfen, has initiated a major price reduction strategy, cutting prices on over 300 products by an average of 22%, with the highest reduction reaching 45%. The strategy focuses on squeezing out 'water' from the supply chain to lower costs while maintaining quality, as the company faces declining sales and increased competition from discount snack stores.
FBIFThe Next Decade of China's Beverage Market
China's beverage market, after years of rapid growth, hit a turning point in 2016 and entered a phase of slower expansion. According to Euromonitor International, the soft drink market's compound annual growth rate from 1997 to 2022 was 10.83%, reaching 583.159 billion yuan in 2022. However, growth slowed post-2016, reflecting broader economic trends. The next decade will see a market expansion of one-third, with nearly 200 billion yuan in incremental space, driven by categories like sugar-free tea, ready-to-drink coffee, and functional beverages, alongside channel and consumer shifts.
FBIF2023, Did the 'Ice Cream Bodhisattva' Defeat the 'Ice Cream Assassin'?
Recently, discussions about affordable alternatives to mid-to-high-end ice cream have surged on social media. Consumers are praising cheap ice cream as 'ice cream bodhisattvas' that offer great value, while high-priced 'ice cream assassins' are losing favor. In 2023, the market has shifted towards affordable options, with wholesale stores and discount retailers thriving, and even premium brands launching lower-priced products to adapt.
FBIFPepsi Launches China's First 'Sugar-Free Raw Cola,' Targeting Mature Consumers
PepsiCo has launched its first 'Pepsi Zero Sugar Raw Cola' in China, marking the first introduction of the 'raw' concept in the country's carbonated beverage market. The product offers a stronger bubble experience and continues the sugar-free, zero-calorie formula, delivering a more intense and refreshing 'sharp taste.'
FBIFRT-Mart Officially Enters Membership Store Arena!
At the start of February, RT-Mart's parent company, Sun Art Retail, made a major move. On February 1, it announced on its official WeChat account that it would open the country's first "M Membership Store" in Yangzhou, Jiangsu, with an official opening on April 28. This will also be Yangzhou's first membership store. According to Lianshang.com, the "M Membership Store" will operate as a new independent brand alongside the main brand "RT-Mart," with a dedicated business team. Project General Manager Yuan Bin joined RT-Mart in 2000 and is a veteran; the operations head...
FBIF2022 Global Snacking Report: Snacking Replacing Meals More Evident
Mondelez International has released its fourth annual State of Snacking report, revealing that snacks are increasingly replacing traditional meals, with 71% of consumers snacking at least twice daily. The report highlights trends such as mindful indulgence, sustainability concerns, and the rise of personalized and plant-based snacks.
FBIF40 Years of Turbulence: How Can Snack Foods Win This Era?
Over 40 years of turbulence, China's snack food industry has reached a trillion-yuan market. From 'eating enough' and 'eating well' to 'pleasing oneself' and 'benefiting oneself', the changing times have eliminated struggling players while opening new space for rising newcomers. So what era are snack brands in now? In terms of category development, the era of 'one cookie ruling them all' is long gone, and post-pandemic snack categories are becoming more refined and functional. In terms of channels...
FBIFPost-Pandemic Era: Brands Need the Resolve to Navigate Cycles
At the inaugural FBIF online forum held on December 19, Lu Xiuqiong, Chair of the FBIF Plenary Session and Global Expert Partner at Bain & Company, delivered a keynote titled "Resolve to Navigate Cycles," sharing how brands can leverage crises, discover opportunities, and achieve rebirth in an era of transformation.
FBIFEntering the Prepared Food Industry: Beware of Dying on the Supply Chain
The prepared food (pre-made dishes) market is highly attractive, with a market size exceeding 300 billion yuan and projected to surpass one trillion yuan by 2026. However, the industry faces homogenization, and supply chain capabilities are crucial for long-term competitiveness, as they determine cost-effectiveness, freshness, and adaptability.
FBIFThe New Tale of 'Buying the Casket and Returning the Pearl' in Food and Beverage
Food and beverage brands are increasingly investing in elaborate packaging and freebies, from coconut shell cups to hair clips, creating a 'buy the box, return the pearl' phenomenon that drives consumer desire and social sharing. This trend offers lessons in brand building and consumer engagement.
FBIFThe Life-and-Death Game of Childhood Flavors: Ovaltine 'Leaves', ColaCao 'Disappears'
Before home quarantine, I happened to see ColaCao's rolled cake at a convenience store near my office. ColaCao? A familiar yet unfamiliar name. Reflecting on it, it seems we haven't seen the iconic yellow can with a red lid of ColaCao's powdered drink on shelves for a long time. Even the rolled cake still on sale is squeezed into a small corner of the shelf. In contrast, Ovaltine is always visible in convenience stores and supermarkets: Ovaltine oat milk drinks, Ovaltine sandwich cookies, Ovaltine sandwich cakes, Ovaltine lava bread, and even Ovaltine-flavored ice cream... However, in our childhood memories, the most common form of Ovaltine was a powder similar to ColaCao's. As the tide of the times surges forward, why has ColaCao, a childhood memory, 'disappeared'? And why has Ovaltine chosen to step out of the powdered drink category? Two international brands with many similarities, yet why do they have such different fates today?
FBIF