Market Research: Who Buy Cheese in China

09Dec2013

Our team of market researchers in Beijing have ran a market survey in Beijing and Shanghai to know who are the consumers of cheese in China. If all the data are not released over Internet, you can contact us to get more insight.

Where to Buy Cheese in China:

A great amount of cheese in China is common and accessible to Chinese consumers in supermarket, such as Carrefour, Wal-Mart, Metro, BHG of Beijing Hualian Group, Ole of CR Vanguard, and other big supermarkets or high-end boutique ones.

Besides, more and more local Chinese producers or workshops are dedicating themselves in making cheese and creating their own brands. Le Fromager de Pékin, established by a French artisan cheese maker LIU Yang, is located in the Hui Long Guan District of Beijing. Mr. Liu Yang was trained in cheese making in France. LFP offers a variety of soft cheese (similar to camembert), ricotta, mozzarella, whey cheese, etc.

Consumer Structure of Cheese on China’s Market:

The individual consumer group of cheese in China mostly consists of foreigners and overseas returnees. The sales of cheese account for 1 percent of all the importing goods sales in China’s supermarkets. At the same time, they are undergoing a fast growth at 30 percent per year.
As for group consumer’s distribution channel, 60 percent of cheese in China is consumed by hotels, 25 percent by chain markets, 10 percent used by dessert making-related firms. Rest of 5 percent used by others.

Following table shows the consumption for each consumer type:

According to a market research conducted in China, consumers living in Eastern China are the majority group of people who consume cheese, of which sales take up to 31 percent of all cheese consumption. In Northern China, the figure is about 30 percent. Northwestern China consumed the least volume of cheese which only accounts to 3.74 percent of whole nation’s amount.