As always, the 4th CICG attracted the participation of many industry giants such as alcohol, food and beverage, and dairy products, including both the "old knowledge" of the Expo and the "new friends" who participated in the Expo for the first time.
The island is full of life in April. From the 13th to the 18th, the 4th China International Consumer Goods Expo (hereinafter referred to as the "Expo") was held in Haikou, Hainan, attracting more than 4,000 brands from 71 countries and regions.
As China's first national-level exhibition with the theme of consumer goods, the CICG naturally includes the participation of giants in the wine, food and beverage, dairy and other industries.
The reporter of "International Financial News" rushed to the scene and took everyone to "toast" the Consumer Expo in an all-round way.
A number of new products debuted
On the afternoon of April 15, the high-end food and health products exhibition area in Hall 3 of the Consumer Expo was crowded, and the gathering of all kinds of fine wines made the venue "slightly drunk" The atmosphere was very strong, and comments such as "I think this taste is more mellow", "this is a good entrance" and "this is too strong" are often heard.
Pernod Ricard, an internationally renowned spirits and wine group that has participated in the CICGF for four consecutive years, brought more than 60 products this year, covering cognac, whisky, wine and other categories. With the help of the platform of the Expo, it debuted a number of products, such as the iconic products created by Pernod Ricard local distilleries in China, Diechuan single malt whisky and Helan Mountain Xiaofeng wine, which were unveiled for the first time at the Expo, and Martell's single-origin series of "collectible" cognac products made their debut in China.
According to the booth staff, Pernod Ricard also launched the Martell Cordon Bleu Cognac City series last year - Hainan Limited Edition, which integrates the local cityscape of Hainan with Martell's iconic blue and gold tones, paying tribute to the local culture and style of Hainan, "In Hainan, Pernod Ricard has opened a total of 4 duty-free boutiques, through this window, we can better show our diversified product matrix to domestic and foreign tourists."
It is not uncommon for the Consumer Expo platform to be launched for the first time.
Not far from Pernod Ricard is the booth of the "old friend" of the Expo, the foreign wine company Grand & Sons. At the booth, consumers will be able to taste the three debut wines of WILDMOOR, a new brand launched by Gran & Sons at the launch of the new product launch, in the Master Tasting Class.
At the same time, the three tastings provided by Glenn & Sons around the clock have made many consumers who are interested in whisky feel the charm of the flavor in the glass, and the creative special blends given away at different times have also extended the flavor of whisky in a novel and unique way, which is more popular with young consumers.
The many exhibitions of the two major international wine companies are due to their optimism about the Chinese market. Taking whisky as an example, some data show that although the self-sufficiency rate of domestic whisky continues to expand, the products of domestic whisky companies cannot meet the needs of domestic consumers, and the import volume of the mainland whisky industry in 2022 will be about 32.81 million liters, an increase of 2.555 million liters from 2021.
Guo Binchen, CEO of Pernod Ricard China, said, "We deeply feel the rapid development and vigorous vitality of Hainan. As an industry leader, Pernod Ricard looks forward to bringing more excellent products and experiences to the Chinese market, creating a 'happy moment' with Chinese consumers, practicing the concept of sustainable development, and adding new vitality to the Chinese market." ”
Gran & Sons emphasized that this is their third time participating in the exhibition, and Gran & Sons has always attached great importance to the Chinese consumer market, and has made many attempts to localize, hoping to create a drinking scene that is more in line with the habits of Chinese consumers, such as launching a limited whisky gift box around the traditional Chinese New Year theme for many years.
In addition to foreign liquor companies, Tsingtao Beer, a local brewer, also brought more than a dozen categories of beers such as Legend of the First Generation, Centennial Journey, Boutique Puree, Crystal Chunsheng, Agutte A6, Classic 1903, Pure Brew, White Beer, Hongyun Dangtou, Dark Beer, Pilsner, IPA and so on. Among them, Tsingtao Beer boutique puree with a shelf life of only 7 days has become an "Internet celebrity product" in short supply with its "fresh and direct" consumption experience.
Here, consumers can not only taste different flavors of beer, but also experience the "catch the doll" game, where they can redeem the corresponding beer by grabbing a beer-shaped doll. "Kids can catch it three times. The on-site staff of Tsingtao Beer told reporters that you can catch two free times in line, and the children will focus on the fun of grabbing, and they will give one more chance.
In addition, Kweichow Moutai, Eddington, Famiyi, etc. also brought their star products to the show, and the tasting activities continued.
"Hainan style" is full
The wine is intoxicating, but for most consumers, all kinds of drinks may be their favorite. The reporter paid attention to the fact that Hainan characteristics are a significant feature of the beverage category at the Consumer Expo.
When you come to Hainan, when it comes to drinks, you can't avoid coconut trees, and they are also old friends of the "Four Brushes" Consumer Expo. At this year's Consumer Expo, Coconut Tree moved the live broadcast room to the scene, with energetic music and iconic "tights" models dancing, the Coconut Tree booth almost became the most lively place in the entire venue, and consumers gathered around again and again.
With the end of a live broadcast, many people lined up to take photos with the models on stage, and would give coconut palm mineral water. Yin Dandan, head of Coconut Tree New Media Publicity, told the International Financial News reporter that this rocket bottle mineral water is designed according to the launch of the Wenchang space rocket, and it is also the main product of this year. In addition, at the Consumer Expo, Coconut Tree also brought coconut palm coconut water, sugar-free coconut water, coconut fruit coconut water, a coconut water, 100% coconut water, as well as new coconut tree towers and coconut oil.
Regarding the coconut tree live broadcast that has attracted a lot of market attention in the past two years, Yin Dandan responded that he didn't want to sell the live broadcast at the beginning, but just wanted to make the online voice up, so that more post-00s and post-10s can see the coconut tree brand, "We are very happy to be seen and liked."
According to its disclosure, after breaking through the online traffic and offline sales, the sales of the Coconut Tree Group's overall series of products increased by 20%.
CP Group, a multinational company, brought more than 400 products at home and abroad to the Expo, among which Hainan has Hainan characteristics, which it has taken over in the past two or three years, Sunhe Xinglong Coffee, a time-honored brand in Hainan.
Yang Gang, president of the market center and e-commerce department of CP Group in China, told reporters that coffee beans are agricultural products, and CP has turned them into a series of products loved by young consumers through advanced coffee processing technology, and sold them to the whole country through CP channels, and then superimposed the coffee garden into an industrial park for agricultural tourism visits, which can realize the simultaneous development of primary, secondary and tertiary industries, and also help Hainan Province to carry out a series of optimizations of industrial structure.
As a "witness" and "old friend" of the Expo, CP Group has participated in the Expo for four consecutive years, and compared with the previous session, the number of exhibits, the number of new products, and the design of booths have been greatly improved. Among them, more than 10 new products were launched for the first time, and the number of exhibiting business clusters increased to more than 10.
In addition, Chunguang Food, a local company, also brought its coconut tea brand "Anytime Coconut" to the Expo. All of Anytime Coconut's drinks are based on Hainanese coconut milk and coconut water, using natural ingredients such as fresh Hainan tropical fruits, colorful and coffee, to create creative drinks and refreshing tastes.
In addition to the "Hainan style", the drink is also full of "fun" and "energy".
At this year's Consumer Expo, many consumers lined up at the booth of Yili Group to check in the capsule toy machine, and the capsule toys obtained could be exchanged for gifts in the refrigerated area.
This time, Yili brought a new product that has just been launched, Yike Huoquan Freshly Brewed Tea, which is the first screw-cap freshly brewed tea in China. Yili realizes the separation of tea and water through the patented lock fresh lid, which is twisted and shaken, and dissolves in 3 seconds, bringing consumers a healthier, more convenient and interesting tea drinking experience. Yili said that Yike Huoquan freshly brewed tea has a strong Internet celebrity attribute in terms of product experience.
As a "newcomer" at the Expo, Yili emphasized that the Expo not only provides an excellent stage for the company to showcase its brand image and product strength, but also provides an important window for the company to gain an in-depth understanding of Chinese consumer needs and market trends. "Yili's vision is to become the world's most trusted health food provider, and Hainan Free Trade Port, as an important gateway to China, has a unique geographical advantage. Through the Hainan Free Trade Port, Yili Group has more convenient access to Southeast Asia and other international markets and expanded its export channels. ”
"New Friend" Yili brought Fresh Brewed Tea to Evo Spring, and "Old Friend" Tencel Group brought the first bottled Red Bull new product in China - Red Bull ® Energy Drink. This product was launched by Tencel Group based on the needs of Chinese consumers, hoping to open up more imagination space in consumption scenarios and create new business growth points.
At the booth, a variety of Red Bull and Tencel's global "Brand House" product line of more than 10 kinds of beverages for tasting, consumers gathered in front of the stage to taste a variety of flavors at one time.
Talking about the experience of participating in the fair for four consecutive years, Xu Xinxiong, CEO of Tencel Group, said that as an international large-scale exhibition, the CICG provides an important platform for foreign-funded enterprises to integrate into China's economic development. As a member of the consumer goods industry, Tencel Group has participated in the exhibition for four consecutive years, and deeply feels the surging vitality and unlimited opportunities of the Chinese market, which makes us more confident in continuing to deepen and expand the Chinese market. Since March 2022, Tencel Group has successively set up production bases in Neijiang, Sichuan Province and Nanning, Guangxi Province, with a cumulative investment of 3.3 billion yuan in China in the past two years.
"Seeing opportunities in the Chinese market"
Dairy products are an integral part of the Expo.
This year is the fourth time for the local company Gaopei to participate in the conference, which brought the world's first infant grass-fed milk powder - Jiapei, Gaopei 100, Divien and Gaopei Ice Pure Collagen Peptide Lady Milk Powder, Gaopei Bingji DHA Algal Oil Gel Candy, Gaopei Bing Pure Probiotics and other more than 10 new products, the number of exhibits has reached the highest number of exhibits in the history of the Expo.
In the venue, Gaopei's grass-fed milk and grass-fed ice cream attracted many consumers to interact with each other, and the popularity continued to rise, becoming a very popular Internet celebrity landmark check-in place.
As a local enterprise rooted in Hainan, Gao Pei deeply feels the convenience and efficiency brought by the continuous improvement and optimization of Hainan's business environment in recent years, "I hope that through the platform of the Consumer Expo, consumers around the world can learn about Gao Pei grass-fed milk powder, and at the same time, steadily deploy the nutrition business to better serve the nutrition and health needs of global consumers." Wu Suguo, President of Gaopei, said that with the help of the window of the Consumer Expo, Gaopei will show the world, explore more cooperation opportunities, introduce more investment, and produce more results.
New Zealand dairy brand Hollandland hopes to increase its brand influence and further expand the Chinese market through the platform of the Expo. It is understood that this time, Heshilan brought a full range of products to the exhibition, and for the first time brought the news that the Huirui series passed the new national standard, and this new product is tentatively scheduled to be launched in the third quarter of 2024.
As a company that has accompanied the Consumer Expo for four years, Holland said that it has been laying out sales channels in Hainan since the end of 2021, and until now, the volume has been growing steadily every year, "We are optimistic about the Hainan market".
"Nowadays, imported goods are greatly supported in various taxes in Hainan, including tariff exemption, value-added tax, consumption tax (offshore duty-free) and other policies, which are all opportunities for us to develop the Hainan market. Holland said that with the improvement of national health awareness and the trend of consumption upgrading in recent years, the market demand for dairy products continues to increase, and the milk powder market will continue to expand, which is also an opportunity for dairy companies.
Also optimistic about the Chinese market is Danone.
"This year's CICGF is one of the official commemorative events for the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. For more than 30 years, Danone, as a pioneer in the Chinese market, has benefited from and actively contributed to the flourishing Franco-Chinese relationship. Sylvain Fourrière, Consul General of France in Guangzhou, said that the close ties between France and China have made it easier for Danone products to gain a foothold in China, and Danone's brand Aptamil is a good example, which is very popular with Chinese consumers.
At this year's Consumer Expo, the European infant formula brand Aptamil launched two new products: Aptamil Zhuo Zhen 3 and Aptamil Youyi 3. According to reports, Aptamil Zhuo Zhen 3 adds 123mg/100g of high-quality DHA on the basis of the core ingredient gold ratio prebiotic design to help babies grow up intelligently, and has a dual-source OPO structure to help promote the absorption of key nutrients;
"The good Sino-French relationship not only helps Danone accelerate the introduction of advanced global health food products to China, but also strengthens Danone's determination to further cultivate China and develop China into a leading global market for Danone. In recent years, we have been firmly accelerating the pace of 'Created in China, Made in China', which is very much in line with China's strategy of unswervingly promoting high-quality development." Qin Peng, chairman of Danone China, said.
Reporter/Photographer Zuo Yu