NEW DISTRIBUTION RESEARCH TOPIC
How can brands grow beyond price competition?
Evidence and cases on product strategy, category innovation, marketing, and channel coordination in China’s consumer market.
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4701 articles · Page 54 of 196
In 40 Years of Chinese Snack Evolution, See Your and My Childhood
Childhood snacks have a bit of magic. Whether you're from the 70s, 80s, or 90s, you surely shared a genuine love for snacks as a child. Many snacks are common taste memories that have accompanied generations. For Children's Day, we've compiled the evolution of snacks over the past 40 years, showing how those childhood snacks came to be and the interesting stories behind them.
chalk hill“Tastes Awful”: Is Nestlé Instant Coffee Choosing to “Lie Flat”?
For Nestlé, a 156-year-old brand, issues like substandard labels and short weights are minor ripples, but losing young consumers could be an iceberg. Despite the shrinking instant coffee market in China, it still holds a 70% share, with Nestlé maintaining 40% of that. However, Nestlé faces challenges from younger consumers and niche brands.
原祎鸣Master Kong's 'Space Strategy' Helps the Brand Cross Cycles and Continue to Lead
Less than two months after the successful return of the Shenzhou-13 crewed spacecraft, the China Manned Space Agency website announced that the Shenzhou-14 spacecraft was launched on June 5. 2022 is a busy year for China's space program and the fifth year that Master Kong has adhered to its space strategy. Since becoming a 'China Space Industry Partner' in 2017, Master Kong has integrated the space strategy into its business operations, holding itself to space standards and adhering to 'space quality.' This commitment is reflected in Master Kong's impressive market performance: according to Nielsen data, in 2021, Master Kong held a 45.7% share of the instant noodle market by volume and 48.0% by value, ranking first in both metrics.
周群Youbao IPO: Lost 1.4 Billion in Two Years, the Vending Machine Leader Struggles
Vending machines may be out of fashion, but Youbao, the industry leader, is rushing to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. On the evening of May 27, Beijing Youbao Online Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Youbao") disclosed its prospectus, planning to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. This is the first time Youbao has publicly released financial data since it was listed on the New Third Board in February 2016 and delisted in March 2019. According to the prospectus, Youbao's revenue from 2019 to 2021 was 2.727 billion yuan, 1.902 billion yuan, and 2.676 billion yuan respectively; it had a small profit in 2019, but entered a loss state in 2020-2021, with net losses of 1.184 billion yuan and 188 million yuan respectively.
开菠萝财经团队"One Whole Root" Goes Viral: Lawson Profits from Traffic, Resellers from Price Differences?
A 19.9 yuan anti-all-nighter drink that people dare to buy but not drink? The summer of 2022 hasn't officially arrived, but beverage companies are already signaling their competition for market share. Lawson has recently gone viral with its "One Whole Root Anti-All-Nighter Ginseng Water," which appeals to young people's "punk wellness" trend, selling out quickly in many stores.
锌刻度Behind the Billion-Yuan Zongzi Market: Old Brands and New Players in Fierce Battle
A tiny zongzi ignites a fierce battle in the billion-yuan market every Dragon Boat Festival. But after the battle, questions remain: how to break seasonal limits, how to turn internet fame into lasting popularity, and what stories can be told beyond zongzi.
青翎On New Distribution's Article "How Can New Products Seize the Key Moment of Sell-Through?"
Where does the 'anxiety' of launching new products come from? Using beverages as a case study, the article explains that this anxiety often stems from problems encountered during new product launches: how to distribute? Why won't small shop owners stock up? Small shop owners report poor sales, leading to loss of team confidence and ultimately failure. These issues reflect the 'moving but not selling' situation that brands face in real life, as no brand can continuously invest marketing expenses for a new product, and once marketing stops, sales stagnate—a challenge many brands have encountered or are currently facing.
习丌𠙶10 Wrong Marketing Mindsets for FMCG During the Pandemic
This article lists 10 wrong marketing mindsets during the pandemic, such as all-staff marketing, problem-oriented thinking, shrinking the front, cutting marketing expenses, closing or merging projects, defensive strategies, layoffs, consumption downgrading, avoiding transformation, and instinctive thinking. It argues that these mindsets are based on instinct rather than professionalism, and the correct approach is to focus on speed under a closed loop, using offensive measures to activate customers and achieve positive cycles.
刘春雄7 Words to Understand Contemporary Young Consumers' Spending Habits
Japanese management guru Kenichi Ohmae suggests that in the 21st century, businesses should focus on what customers truly need rather than just selling products. This idea applies to China's new consumption revolution, where seven key words—new, experience, value, anti-consumption, laziness, addiction, and creation—define the current market trends.
新零售商业评论The Dividend Period of Marketing Digitalization: Finding Increment in the Stock
Zhu Chaoyang, with 17 years of marketing career, shares his insights on marketing digitalization, emphasizing that it is not about overturning traditional marketing but upgrading it. He discusses common misconceptions, the necessity driven by changing consumption environments, and practical steps for implementation, including starting with minimal viable products and fostering cross-departmental collaboration.
习丌𠙶Digital New Infrastructure: Unblocking the "Governor Vessels" of the FMCG Industry
Since its opening on May 25, the FMCG Release Week OL has attracted over 730 exhibitors, 1,000+ brands, and 9,600+ products, drawing more than 160,000 visits. In its second week, the organizer highlights the "Digital New Infrastructure" theme (June 1-7), showcasing information software, management software, traceability software, and related services to help streamline the FMCG industry. A voting campaign for the "Honor Gold List" is also launched, offering rewards and services to top-ranked companies.
靓仔JDB Herbal Tea Season: Starting by Winning Over the New Generation
Marketing methods in today's market are undergoing fundamental changes. With the rise of the digital economy, the FMCG industry is shifting from an era of 'traditional media + limited shelves' to one of 'streaming media + unlimited shelves', transferring choice sovereignty from being product- or brand-centric to being user-centric. How to be user-centric? It requires not only good products that meet consumers' physiological and functional needs, but also making users feel brand value through 'value perception'. For example, JDB's brand positioning is the classic slogan 'Fear of getting heaty? Drink JDB.'
田静The 'Tongue Hero' in the Pre-Made Food Trend
To survive and thrive in the competitive pre-made food market, 'Tongue Hero' still has a long way to go. A consumer's first experience with the brand's products, such as the overly salty Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup and the complicated cooking process, highlights the challenges the company faces in meeting customer expectations.
晴山Training | How Can Brand Personnel Communicate Efficiently with Distributors?
Most discord between manufacturers and distributors stems from communication, especially at month-end when brand salespeople face performance pressure and distributors face cash flow and inventory pressure, leading to frequent arguments and fallouts. This article explores the underlying logic of efficient manufacturer-distributor communication, including the four factors of fact, viewpoint, stance, and belief, and emphasizes the need for brand personnel to elevate their thinking dimensions from linear to multi-dimensional to better serve distributors of varying scales.
高级研究员 海游Chinese Brands Under the Pandemic: Who Has Been Held Back?
The recurring COVID-19 pandemic has added variables to the reshaping of the brand landscape in the consumer industry. The outbreak in 2020 and its continuation have changed the consumption concepts and shopping behaviors of the new generation, directly impacted supply chains and sales across online and offline channels, and impacted primary market financing for new consumption. New consumer brands have been hit hard by this 'force majeure.' Meanwhile, established brands have readjusted their positioning and products, launching strategic counterattacks against new brands. Under the pandemic, what will be the outcome of the battle between new and old brands?
大君How Can New Products Seize the Key Moments of Sell-Through?
A new product's sell-through is determined by two key factors: per-store sales volume and the number of outlets. Even a bestseller like Coca-Cola averages only 4-5 bottles per store per day, so expectations for new products should be realistic. The key is to find differentiated channels and maintain effective outlets through regular visits, while also leveraging experiential marketing at critical moments to drive purchases.
冯瑶Poor Warehouse Management Leads to Annual Losses!
This is a real case of a milk powder distributor in Sichuan. The boss started from scratch in 2009, revenue exceeded 50 million in 2011, and he aimed for 100 million in 2013, but the company was deregistered in 2019 and the boss changed careers. The company's rise and fall over a decade offers a glimpse into the broader challenges. Early on, due to the well-known Sanlu melamine incident, domestic milk powder was overshadowed by imported brands. The distributor quickly rose by representing original imported milk powder from New Zealand and Australia, opening high-end supermarket systems like Ito Yokado and Renhe Spring in Sichuan.
天天The Plight of Domestic Sodas: Can't Beat the Two Colas, Can't Go National
Bingfeng withdrew its IPO application before passing review. In fact, other domestic soda brands like Beibingyang and Jianlibao also had hopes of going public, but nothing came of it. Some regional brands like Dayao have achieved sales of about 3 billion yuan, but after more than a decade, no truly national domestic soda brand has emerged.
王辰Exclusive Observation | When Will China Resources' "Beer + Baijiu" Dual-Wing Strategy Expand into Sichuan Baijiu? The Landscape of Sichuan's "Little Golden Flowers" May Shift
Recently, many distributor friends have left messages asking New Distribution to interpret China Resources' baijiu strategy. Given the accelerating pace of China Resources' baijiu layout, they are eager to know where its next move will be—in Guizhou or Sichuan. This article analyzes the strategic significance of baijiu for China Resources, deduces its possible layout approach, and speculates on which Sichuan baijiu brand it might partner with.
陈思廷From a Grocery Store to the World: The Business Logic of a Century-Old Suntory!
Suntory, a Japanese FMCG giant, evolved from a small wine shop into a global spirits and beverage leader. Its success stems from localizing foreign products, creating super single products, and leveraging unique marketing and cultural branding.
晓样Spanning Three Centuries and Five Trips to Space: What Can We Learn from This Brand?
A great enterprise and brand can only be achieved by traversing multiple eras. In 1837, Procter & Gamble was founded; in 1867, Nestlé; in 1886, Coca-Cola; and in 1888, Lee Kum Kee. These companies and brands have spanned three centuries and remain category leaders today. What sustains these century-old brands through changing times and political-economic cycles? After reviewing their development, we find commonalities: relentless pursuit of quality, marketing, and innovation.
小新Acting as Distributor for Yanghe, Uni-President, Want Want, JDB and Other Brands, Achieving Annual Sales of 80 Million in a Fifth-Tier City: How Did He Do It?
Recently, during market research in first-tier markets such as Henan and Hebei, we visited a number of distributors and city managers and walked the market. In the process, we found many points worth pondering. In the past, New Distribution has been reporting on outstanding distributors, including benchmark distributors with annual sales of 70-80 million in lower-tier cities, as well as excellent large distributors with annual sales of hundreds of millions or even billions in developed cities. These excellent cases have given us an illusion: the trading and circulation market environment seems not bad, and most distributors are doing well. But in fact...
周群The Century-Long War: Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi
The more fiercely brands compete in marketing, the more it proves the battle is insignificant; true life-or-death struggles don't happen in the public eye. The rivalry between Pepsi and Coca-Cola is more like mutual traffic-boosting and flirtation. This article explores the nearly century-long love-hate relationship between Pepsi and Coca-Cola, discussing the survival strategy of being the 'perennial second place.'
IC实验室Decoding the Growth Path of Discount Chains: Who Will Be China's 100-Billion-Yuan Player?
As consumer supply becomes increasingly diverse and excessive, category killers and discount store formats have rapidly emerged in China in recent years, with startups like Snack Busy, HotMaxx, Discount Niu, and Linshi Mofa securing funding. Even without strong capital injection, they are entering a growth trajectory of scale expansion and sustained profitability due to robust demand and vast expansion space in lower-tier markets. In the US and Japan, giants like Costco, Aldi, Dollar General, and Don Quijote have risen. In China's current consumer transition, can players with 10-billion or 100-billion-yuan market value emerge? Chenrui Capital's research suggests that the snack 'category killer' discount chain is the most needed retail format in China's snack market and closest to the essence of retail operations.
胡维波、石尧