Asia’s fresh food retail landscape is changing fast. Online grocery retailing is powering ahead in a market where most people access the internet via their smartphones. Large food retail formats are focusing on ‘fresh’ as a footfall driver, smaller convenience stores are seeing a surge in growth while online retailers are going offline to better service their consumers.
Through a mix of multimedia content, snappy presentations and live interviews, this year’s opening session to Asiafruit Congress will spotlight some of the latest trends and developments on Asia’s fast-moving food retail landscape.
Setting the scene for the session ‘Fresh focus on food retail’,Shirley Zhuof global food and grocery analystIGDwill outline the macro-trends. Zhu, who leads IGD’s research programme in South East Asia, will discuss the ‘reshaping of hypermarkets’, the growth in ‘proximity retail’ and the ‘forefront of omnichannel’.
The session then homes in on the online-to-offline (O2O) trend. Alibaba-investedO2O fresh food chainHema Supermarkethas been a pioneer of the concept, with around ten stores in Shanghai. The company’s senior merchandising directorPaul Shehwill join Asiafruit Congress moderator Chris White for a discussion about the evolution of this trend, and Hema’s future plans.
Traditional bricks and mortar retailers are increasingly taking a multi-channel approach in the fast-changing retail environment. Fresh food is playing an ever-more significant role as they seek to create a compelling and engaging in-store experience for consumers. But developing online platforms and offerings is also a priority for many players.
Walmart China and its high-end club format Sam’s Club China has become an ‘omnichannel’ retailer following the group’s purchase of a strategic stake inJD.com. Both retail brands now have native apps and flagships onJD.comand they cover last mile delivery. Walmart operates 420 hypermarkets across China with a mass market positioning while Sam’s Club has 17upmarket clubs. With these physical stores and online platforms, the group boasts significant scale and buying power.
Sam’s ClubChina’s chief merchandising officerYoep ManandWinstone Chee, vice-president of fresh food merchandising atWalmart China, will join White for a live interview to discuss how the group is developing its offering for consumers, right from direct sourcing to value-adding.
The session will explore the implications of these trends for suppliers, with delegates having the opportunity to submit questions in real-time via the Asiafruit Congress online app as well as putting them in person to speakers in the interactive discussion.
Taking place the day before Asia Fruit Logistica, Asia’s premier fresh produce conference returns to AsiaWorld-Expo on 5 September with a high-powered programme covering a range of hot topics. Other general sessions at Asiafruit Congressfocus on localising global brands, and at the changing global trade landscape.
Breakout sessions home in on: success strategies for EU suppliers to Asia; Vietnam’s position and potential as a market; the emergence of B2B e-commerce platforms; and protecting IP varieties and brands in China.
Zespri’s global general manager of marketingJiunn Shih,Rabobank’s senior Asia-Pacific strategistMichael EveryandDole China’s commercial directorAndy Zhangare just some of the high-profile speakers lined up for this year’s Asiafruit Congress.
