The Fresh Produce Forum at the FHC CHINA Expo to discuss improving distribution channels  and consumer marketing

At the 21st FHC China fresh produce expo, Eurofresh Distribution will host a discussion forum which will look at ways to improve distribution channels and consumer marketing for domestic and overseas produce. The event will be held in Shanghai’s New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) on November 14th between 1 and 4 pm in Hall N1. China’s leading fresh produce buyers of both online and offline channels will debate consumer opportunities and recommend marketing and supply strategies for supermarkets, fruit retail and online platforms. Speakers include representatives from a large retailer (Walmart), two specialised fruit retailers (Pagoda Orchard and Xianfeng Qufeng), two specialised O2O platforms (Fruitday and Hema Supermarkets), and two service providers for ominchannels (Fruta Cloud and Arctic Solutions).

Walmart’s chief fresh produce buyer Vincent Yeh will explain the firm’s sourcing strategy, with analysis of product varieties and their origins. Pagoda Orchard procurement director Peter Zhu will discuss Pagoda’s new transaction and financing platform and how to have a more efficient supply chain for specialised fruit retail. Xianfeng Qufeng VP Catherine Gao will speak about the promising outlook for fruit retail chains. Fruitday CEO Lauren Zhao will explain how to feed external growth and provide efficient logistics for online channels. Hema Supermarkets senior director Paul Sheh will discuss how far China’s retail formats need reinventing. Fruta Cloud founder George Liu will present successful case studies for gaining value with online channels. Lastly, Arctic Solutions CEO Bjorn van der Veen will discuss better cold chain and marketing solutions for omnichannels.

Most of the morning conference will be dedicated to a discussion between the speakers, moderated by Eurofresh Distribution magazine editor Pierre Escodo, on the following subjects:

• The major distribution channels in China for fresh produce, comparing their competitive advantages and how to approach them from retail/online/wholesale perspectives;
• Consumer trends and a better product mix for suppliers in terms of growing categories and successful new varieties for both domestic and imported produce;
• Marketing strategies for both offline and online channels, with recommendations and examples of product brands with B-to-B and B-to-C campaigns.

Following the discussion, the room will be available during the rest of the afternoon for spontaneous meetings with buyers.