Thai Coco beverages make impact in China
Thai beverages under the Thai Coco brand are making inroads into the Chinese market in collaboration with a local convenience-store chain.
Manufactured by Thai Coconut, these beverages are extracted from coconut.
"We expect our sales in the Chinese market to jump to about Bt200 million this year thanks to our partnerships with Meiyijia," or MYJ, Thai Coconut chief executive officer Chanya Thanasakdipat disclosed.
Four of the firm’s products – coconut milk, coconut juice with pulp, coconut drink with strawberry and banana, and coconut coffee – are now distributed via more than 6,700 MYJ convenience stores in Guangdong province.
"We started selling the products early this year and we have seen a good response ever since," said Zhang Guoheng, general manager of Meiyijia Convenience Store Co.
He regards Thailand as a manufacturer of quality beverage products.
With exports accounting for 90 per cent of its business, Thai Coconut sells its products in 52 countries. Last year, the firm achieved sales of about Bt2.1 billion. Of the total, Bt60 million came from the Chinese market.
"This year, we expect our sales in China to jump threefold," Chanya said with confidence. "We also trust that MYJ will be one of our solid distributors in the future."
With the number of MYJ branches increasing, the Chinese chain is set to operate at least 7,000 outlets before the end of this year. Currently it is expanding from Guangdong to Fujian province.
MYJ came across Thai Coconut’s products through Global Resource Import, a Chinese importer.
Hudson Wong, the executive director of Global Resource Import, said Chinese consumers associated imported products with better quality and Thailand was famous as a great basket of fruits.
"So coconut-milk drinks under the Thai Coco brand have a really good chance of success in the Chinese market," he said.
Wong said Thai Coco would be marketed as a premium brand and the target groups would be young and health-conscious Chinese consumers.
"The marketing budget will be between Bt30 million and Bt35 million this year," Wong said.
He said the marketing campaign would cover promotions at the point of purchase, advertising and public relations.
"The Thai Coco brand will appear on MYJ distribution vehicles too," Wong said.
