In recent years, mainland restaurants have been flooding the Hong Kong market to get a piece of the pie.
However, the entry of a chain of pancake shops called "Wu Xiao Sugar Salad Pancakes" has caused widespread controversy and dissatisfaction.
In particular, its lack of consideration for localization and respect for the Hong Kong market is extremely embarrassing and incomprehensible.
First of all, the issue of ageism in job advertisements has caused quite a stir.
The pancake shop clearly stated that applicants were between the ages of 20 and 45 when hiring pancake specialists, a clear ageism that angered and resented many.
In Hong Kong, such job advertisements undoubtedly contravene the recruitment guidelines and professional ethics of the Hong Kong EOC.
For a company that wants to gain a foothold in the Hong Kong market, this undisguised ageism is incomprehensible.
Secondly, the menu design of this pancake shop has also attracted a lot of controversy.
It is reported that the menu in the store is not only completely in simplified Chinese, but also the price is marked with the ¥ symbol.
As we all know, ¥ can represent both Japanese yen and yuan, and this ambiguous way of labeling is confusing.
Could it be that the store wants customers to pay in Japanese yen or yuan?
Such a design clearly does not take into account Hong Kong's local consumption habits and monetary system.
The basic common sense that Hong Kong people use the Hong Kong dollar has been ignored by such a company that wants to make a difference in the Hong Kong market.
In addition, even in the face of public criticism and suggestions, the pancake shop does not seem to have made any adjustments or changes.
Netizens expressed their dissatisfaction with this series of questions.
Some netizens ridiculed: "Since the use of words and the standards for hiring people are all based on the mainland, why don't you follow the mainland at a reckless price?" ”
It has also been pointed out that there is no shortage of choice in the Hong Kong market, and that consumers can choose not to patronize companies if they are unable to meet even the most basic standards of respect and adaptation.
In the face of such an obvious problem, Hong Kong people will naturally not sit idly by.
On social media, people expressed their anger and willingness to boycott.
Some netizens said that they were not interested in entering the store when they saw the simplified Chinese characters and the ¥ symbol, and some called on relevant departments to intervene in the investigation of age discrimination in recruitment advertisements.
After all, Hong Kong is a multicultural society, and every business operating here should respect and adapt to the local culture and laws.
This incident not only allows us to see the various mistakes of enterprises in cross-border expansion, but also reveals the deep-seated problems in cross-cultural operation.
In today's globalization, cross-border expansion has become the norm, but how to maintain their brand characteristics and competitiveness on the basis of respecting local culture and consumption habits is a very challenging task.
Enterprises should not just rely on one set of models to go all over the world, but must learn to listen to the voices of local consumers and respect their culture and habits, so as to truly integrate into the local market and win the trust and support of consumers.
From this point of view, the mistake of the mainland chain pancake shop "Wu Xiao Tang Salad Pancake" in Hong Kong has taught us a vivid cross-cultural business lesson.
Respecting and understanding the local culture is the cornerstone of building strong business relationships as businesses expand across borders.
Only on the basis of respect and understanding can companies gain a foothold in the global market and achieve long-term development.
In short, the experience of "Wu Xiao Sugar Salad Pancakes" in Hong Kong is undoubtedly a failed cross-cultural business attempt.
It is hoped that other companies can take this as a warning and pay more attention to understanding and adapting to cultural differences in order to succeed in cross-border operations.
When doing business in Hong Kong, the simplified Chinese characters and renminbi symbols may cause some Hong Kong people to be disgusted and cause business to be affected, so there is no need to use simplified Chinese characters and mainland symbols.
In cross-cultural operations, respect for local culture and consumers is the long-term way.
So, how do you evaluate these issues in stores? Feel free to leave a comment.