NEW DISTRIBUTION RESEARCH TOPIC
What structural changes are reshaping China’s FMCG channels?
Analysis of distribution restructuring, channel economics, and the changing roles of brands, distributors, and retail outlets in China.
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2301 articles · Page 11 of 96
The 'Chinese-style health food' track that Genki Forest and others are eyeing: 'It's highly likely a 10-billion-yuan blockbuster product will emerge'?
Run Kang Pharmaceutical's deputy general manager Guan Yuling told FBIF that it is highly likely a 10-billion-yuan blockbuster product will emerge in the Chinese-style health food track. In recent years, Run Kang has focused on OEM business for Chinese-style health foods, collaborating with brands such as Zishi, Haidilao, Metro, Wanglaoji, Leiyunshang, Tongrentang, and Honeymoon Dessert. From 2021 to 2023, downstream orders continued to grow, prompting Run Kang to expand capacity every six months. Guan Yuling's judgment is based on witnessing sales growth of partner brands and Run Kang's revenue doubling for three consecutive years.
FBIFSnack Discount Retailers in 2024: Small Brands Exit, Giants Aim for 'Terminal Dominance'
The snack discount retail industry is entering a new competitive phase, marked by the formation of a leading tier. In June, the MMHP Group, formed by Snack Busy and Zhao Yiming Snacks, surpassed 10,000 stores and now exceeds 14,000, while the second-place Wanchen Group is close to that threshold. Meanwhile, mid- and lower-tier brands face squeezed survival space, with some franchise stores incurring losses and closures, fueling industry skepticism.
楚勿留香New Distribution Zhao Bo: Only by Starting from Scenarios Can We See Today's Consumption Increment
People prefer saving over spending. Recent reports show that in the first half of 2024, Chinese residents' savings increased by 11.46 trillion yuan, with household savings up 9.27 trillion. The McKinsey 2024 China Consumer Survey highlights that predictable high-certainty expenditures suppress consumption. Three trends emerge: consumer confidence divergence, category spending divergence, and the need to focus on psychological needs in a saturated market.
赵波Looking at the Present from the Future: The Upper, Middle, and Lower Strategies for Distributors
In times of shrinking volume, distributors face a critical choice. The upper strategy is to build a B2b platform and seize a dominant position; the middle strategy is to become a professional promoter for major brands; the lower strategy is to retreat in an orderly manner, preserving gains.
刘春雄Chinese-style health drinks that have "simmered" their way to success, backed by young people's "life-extending" anxiety
This year, young people with "awakened blood" have not only embraced a "light wellness" lifestyle but also made Chinese-style health drinks popular. Under the health and wellness trend, Chinese-style health drinks represented by sour plum soup and small hanging pear soup have rapidly risen, becoming consumers' new "water substitute."
FoodailyConnecting Industry, Facilitating Distribution: JD Supply Chain Finance Technology Supports Strong Growth of Consumer Enterprises
Most FMCG manufacturers find it extremely difficult to achieve growth this year, a harsh and concrete reality. Amid a complex and volatile economic environment, weak consumer confidence, sluggish demand, and intense competition pose unprecedented challenges. In response, the state has rolled out a series of policies to expand domestic demand and boost consumption. However, in an era of stock, how can industry partners seize these opportunities? Improving efficiency and reducing costs from the supply chain, and channeling financial liquidity, is a very good path. On November 21, the '2024 JD Supply Chain Finance Technology Consumer Industry Conference' was held in Guangzhou, where many consumer industry clients benefiting from supply chain finance shared their successful practices.
文石The FMCG Industry Has Fundamentally Changed
With just over a month left in 2024, this year's business is nearly over. If one word were to sum up this year's FMCG industry, it would be 'difficult.' Retail channel transformations have come one after another, with intense competition both online and offline, including supermarket overhauls and the aggressive expansion of snack stores. Brand owners have also struggled, with financial reports showing severe declines, having been held hostage by e-commerce in the past and now by new retail. Distributors face even greater challenges, squeezed by upstream and downstream players in the past, and now facing abandonment by them, with the trend of big fish eating small fish becoming increasingly evident.
周群B2b Transformation Wave Rises Again: Distributors Who Pass Through the Narrow Gate Will Walk a Broad Future
This year, distributor transformation to B2b has once again become the biggest trend in the FMCG industry. New Distribution has organized multiple regional B2b study tours, each drawing large crowds. While we feel the enthusiasm, determination, and action of distributors, we also find that most lack sufficient understanding of B2b and underestimate the difficulty and challenges ahead. Yet, stepping out of familiar circles to learn from pioneers nationwide is a good start. Distributor transformation to B2b is a narrow gate, but those who pass through it will find a broad future.
文石RT-Mart Super to Become the Main Store Format for RT-Mart in the Future
RT-Mart, which has just turned profitable, has identified its future main store format: the smaller, more refined RT-Mart Super with community canteens. On the evening of November 12, RT-Mart's parent company, Sun Art Retail Group, released its interim results for fiscal year 2025 ending September 30, reporting revenue of RMB 34.708 billion and a net profit after tax of RMB 186 million, a year-on-year increase of RMB 564 million, turning losses into profits. A highlight was a 0.3% year-on-year increase in same-store sales. The RT-Mart Super store in Kunshan Huaqiao, which opened on November 2, announced a return to healthy growth...
零售氪星球From 'Consumer Experience' to 'Consumer Taste': Unlocking 2025 Food and Beverage Flavor Trends
Unlock new flavor trends for food and beverages in 2025 and explore innovative ideas for brands next year. In the first part of the '2025 Food and Beverage Predictions' report, 'Cultural Trends Shaping Behavior and Innovation,' Flavor Sum shares insights into how changes in North American behavior patterns and expectations are driving innovation in the food and beverage industry. The report details these changes and explores their potential impact on industry innovation.
foodatalinkRetail Industry at Breakneck Speed, Traditional Retailers Seek Change
The retail industry has seen dramatic shifts recently, with new formats like discount retail, membership clubs, and instant retail disrupting the old order. Traditional retailers, facing changing consumer preferences for value-for-money, must adopt either an efficiency-leading strategy (selling cheaper) or a differentiated assortment strategy (selling better products) to survive the intensifying competition and industry consolidation.
张振宇Covering 15,000+ Outlets, 8,000+ SKUs, Annual Sales in the Hundreds of Millions: What Did Yijia Star Do Right?
It's no longer new for distributors to build regional B2b platforms, but nine years ago it was hard to imagine. With no experience, no case studies, and uncertain prospects, Yijia Star embarked on the path of regional B2b transformation in 2015, becoming one of the earliest trading companies in China to independently transform. After four years of losses and near abandonment, they persisted. Now, Yijia Star covers 20,000+ outlets in Nanning, with 5,000+ monthly active outlets and 8,000+ SKUs, spanning beverages, snacks, and more.
New DistributionNew Opportunities for FMCG Distributors in the Next 3-5 Years: 'Headquarters Thinking' Empowers Terminals, Doubling Sales
In the FMCG industry, 'involution' has become an undeniable phenomenon. Traditional thinking often limits us to our own perspective, focusing on improving our own competitiveness while ignoring the real needs of customers. However, if we can step out of ourselves and think from the customer's perspective, we may find a new way to break through. Zhao Qiuhua's story is a model of this mindset shift, as he not only saved his traditional food factory from crisis but also founded a new service company to help many distributors solve their business problems.
冯瑶Sorry, Indonesia Is Not the Blue Ocean You Expected | Understanding Going Global Here
Recently, I brought eight colleagues to Indonesia to explore this popular destination for going global. This article is based on first-hand observations, not hearsay, and was written with the attitude that without investigation, one has no right to speak. We will continue this going global column in the future, and we hope you enjoy it. Indonesia is crowded with anxious Chinese people, and some stereotypes need to be broken.
进击波研究院Anjoy, Sanquan, and Synear Take the Lead in Slimming Down Ingredient Lists: Is 'Zero-Additive' the Next Big Opportunity?
Since food additives became associated with 'technology and ruthless tactics,' they have sparked public outrage, even when celebrity Dong Yuhui urged against demonizing them. Frozen food manufacturers must respect consumer choices and market trends, leading to a major cleanup of ingredient lists. Anjoy, Sanquan, and Synear are spearheading the 'zero-additive' trend, which is sweeping the frozen food industry as consumers increasingly prioritize clean labels.
关关Future Distributors' Business Cannot Rely on Manufacturers; It Must Rely on Stores!
I am Yuan Lai from New Distribution. Last month, I organized a sharing session in the community of TOP500 Chinese Distributor Supply Chain Alliance, providing an in-depth interpretation of the operating conditions of FMCG distributors in 2024. What are the revenue expectations for FMCG distributors in the remaining two-plus months? Where is the future transformation direction for distributors' businesses? Combined with my recent visits to distributors across various regions, this article provides a detailed and complete explanation. 31.5% of distributors are bearish on revenue...
袁来Genki Forest No Longer Sugar-Free: A Long-Planned Defection
Genki Forest's sugary drinks are increasing. Products like Ice Tea, Xiao Ying Coffee Ice Orange Americano, and Alien Vitamin C Water no longer emphasize sugar-free but low sugar. Meanwhile, water, Pu'er tea, and Yuanqi Zizai Shui have joined its product matrix, expanding its SKU count. When a company that debuted with '0 sugar, 0 calories' pivots repeatedly, it signals brand change, driven by declining performance.
考拉是只鹿The Weakening or Disappearance of Terminal Customer Relations: A Landmark Shift from Small-Scale to Large-Scale Distributors
The 'death of shopping guides' and 'death of brand-focused displays' that I once predicted are now becoming reality. This article predicts that the 'weakening or disappearance of customer relations' is also underway. Customer relations, once a powerful force in distribution channels, are now weakening or disappearing in places like Pangdonglai and its reformed supermarkets, leisure retail chains, and B2b platforms. The deep distribution system was the scene where customer relations thrived; with platformization and supply chain revolution, customer relations need to be re-evaluated. The change in channel customer relations has profound implications, marking the end of 20-plus years of small-scale distributors and the arrival of an era of large-scale distributors.
刘春雄Reviewing the 2024 Sugar-Free Tea Market: Through the Waves, Gold Emerges
According to Nielsen data, the sugar-free tea market grew 110% year-on-year in 2023, reaching 24.1 billion yuan. The category has moved directly from introduction to maturity in just two to three years, but competition is intensifying. As brands engage in price wars and product homogenization, the next competitive frontier may be 'organic' tea, with companies like Jinchen Tea leading the way.
品饮汇媒体中心Industry Exclusive | White Paper on Omnichannel Growth Strategies for High-Potential Emerging Brands
The fundamental issue all enterprises must address is growth. In 2024, Gartner surveyed 416 CEOs and executives globally, finding that 62% prioritized growth as their top business focus, the highest level since 2014. Amid market saturation, rising traffic costs, and intense price wars, brands face new consumer characteristics of personalization, fragmentation, and omnichannel behavior. This white paper focuses on high-potential emerging brands with revenue over 500 million RMB, addressing the challenge of transitioning from niche market structural growth to mainstream market omnichannel growth, with instant retail as the first step.
火曜石Craft Beer Trapped in the 'Niche' Track
Craft beer refers to beer brewed with only four basic ingredients—malt, hops, yeast, and water—without any artificial additives. Compared with traditional industrial beer, craft beer offers higher quality and richer flavors. As the beer market shifts toward premiumization, craft beer has undoubtedly ridden the wave of transformation. However, in recent years, the development of craft beer has been far from achieving large-scale breakout. With beer growth peaking, the opportunity for craft beer has emerged, but its progress has not met expectations.
伯虎团队The Frontline Holds Divine Insight: It's Not That 'Terminal is King' Has Failed, But That You Haven't Visited Terminals Correctly
Visiting terminal outlets is routine for many marketing managers, but my recent market research for companies shows many do it poorly. They either fail to spot problems, miss the root cause, or don't grasp competitors' underlying logic. This article discusses the need for three perspectives—consumer, frontline staff, and manager—when visiting outlets, and emphasizes both macro and micro analysis to find growth opportunities.
高级研究员 海游National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival Double Holiday Sluggish, Gift Box Market This Year Seems to Have Failed...
In the FMCG circle, there is a saying: one festival can account for half a year's sales. Traditionally, the Spring Festival accounts for 50% of sales, the Mid-Autumn Festival 30%, and other festivals like Dragon Boat and Mother's Day 20%. However, this year's Mid-Autumn Festival was not optimistic, and the National Day holiday was even more sluggish, making the expected 'big sales festivals' seem desolate. This article reviews key points from terminal stores and distributors to provide actionable insights for the upcoming Spring Festival gift box market.
田静In-depth Analysis: 2024 China FMCG Distributor Business Status Insights
As we approach the end of 2024, New Distribution's Yuan Lai provides an annual review and summary for FMCG distributors nationwide, based on the '2024 China FMCG Distributor Business Status Survey Report' released in August. The analysis covers distributor business profiles, performance in 2024, and the pressures and challenges faced, offering strategic insights for the future.
袁来