“How to navigate China’s distribution channels in the Food & Beverage sector?”

Dear Members, dear Friends,

The China Italy Chamber of Commerce (CICC) is pleased to inform you about a Webinar, “How to navigate China’s distribution channels in the Food & Beverage sector?”, organized by the EU SME Centre, to be held on May 14th, 2013, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am, Central European Summer Time (4:00 pm to 5:00 pm China Standard Time).

From 2005 to 2010, EU exports of F&B to China multiplied by almost five and opportunities for European SMEs to sell their products in China are likely to grow, driven by increasing disposable income, urbanization, and a growing taste for foreign foodstuffs. But, beware of the fragmented distribution infrastructure and growing local competition.

Imports and distribution channels are complex and change frequently. Import procedures must be handled by licensed importers who rarely also act as distributors and, reversely, food distributors and traders are unlikely to hold import licenses. Once inside China, the upscale and affluent appearance of many shopping precincts is a façade to localized and fragmented retail distribution networks. Even major retailers don’t have large regional distribution centers, so that distribution is generally handled on a store-by-store or city-by-city basis.

Edward Liu, General Manager of SinoDrink Trading Co. and speaker at the Webinar, will develop the following topics related to F&B distribution in China:

- Market overviews featuring information on market size, growth drivers and trends;
- China’s F&B wholesale and retail distribution networks (hypermarkets, supermarkets, F&B chain stores, online stores with delivery services, etc.);
- Building a cohesive network of local importers and distributors;
- Benefits and inconveniences of channelling through Hong Kong traders (payment in foreign currency, wide distribution networks, etc.); as well as
- Other information such as exhibitions and other useful links tools.

If interested, please click on the link below to reserve your Webinar seat. Space is limited.

https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/364735367

After registering you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the Webinar.
The participation is free of charge for EU SMEs and intermediaries

System Requirements

PC-based attendees:
• Internet Explorer 7.0, Mozilla Firefox 3.0, Google Chrome 5.0 (JavaScript and Java enabled) or the latest version of each web browser
• Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
• Cable modem, DSL or better Internet connection

Mac®-based attendees:
• Safari™ 3.0 or newer, Firefox® 3.0 or newer or Google™ Chrome™ 5.0 or newer (JavaScript™ and Java™ enabled)
• Mac OS® X 10.5 – Leopard® or newer
• Cable modem, DSL, or better Internet connection

Mobile attendees:
• Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or Android tablet
• Free GoToMeeting app from the App Store or Google Play
• WiFi connection recommended

Thank you for your attention,

CICC