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Ready meals on the rise in China |
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Characterising the discourse about China are terms such as ‘development’, ‘turbo-growth’ and ‘progress’. Consumption patterns and shopping habits have changed. The country has in no time gone from shopping at the butcher’s on the corner to an increasing consumption of ready meals. Product variety in Chinese supermarkets is equal to that of European retailers.
The Chinese supermarket in a medium-sized east coast metropolis comprising 5-10 million people offers a surprisingly large number of ready meals. This development goes hand in hand with the growing number of middle class Chinese acquiring purchasing power comparable to European counterparts.
Ambient products
Compared to Europe China is far ahead when it comes to ambient products, that occupy a prominent place on the shelves of the supermarkets. Ambient products are also progressing in Europe, causing a shift in packaging trends. Traditionally, glass jars and tin cans have been the preferred packaging for ambient products, but now ambient products in plastic packaging can be found on retailer’s shelves. With our AMPET® solution Færch Plast have enabled ambient Mackerel and Sweetcorn products to be packaged in plastic trays instead of the traditional tin cans or glass jars.
Frozen or chilled products
Frozen products are far more available than their chilled competition in China. A range of products consisting primarily of ambient and frozen products goes well with the shopping habits of the Chinese, characterized in general by one or two shopping trips a week.
What’s in the bag
The Chinese way of presenting the products is far different to Europe. In Europe, most products are presented to the consumer in a tray with top sealing. In China, the product is packed in a tray that is then placed inside a plastic bag, and it is the plastic bag that is displayed. The Chinese consumer cannot see what he/she buys, viewing images and text on the plastic bag.
Packaging as part of the product
China might benefit from further development in the area of packaging. Instead of presenting a plastic bag with a tray inside you might think of the packaging as an integral part of the product. The possibilities of further development within this area rest upon top sealing of the trays and it is important for the design of the trays to combine well with the product in question. The ideal design would allow the tray to be used to serve the meal.
Producing ready meals
In addition to being a fast growing market of consumption, China, together with other countries in Asia, have become producers and exporters of ready meals to Europe. China is no longer a closed market and represents an enormous potential for the European food industry. Find out more at www.faerchplast.com |
