"China is a hugely exciting market"

FruitMax is a Dutch-Chinese partnership company that has recently opened its first office in Shanghai. The company enables foreign companies to ship fresh produce to China without having a local entity or local sales team within the country.

“We are proud to have recently opened FruitMax China’s first office in Shanghai. China is a hugely interesting market where lots of developments are taking place,” beams Jaap Pees of FruitMax.

The team of Fruitmax promoting ready-to-eat Dutch beetroot

“There is a huge distance between the supplier and the Chinese buyer. Not only in sheer kilometers, but also in terms of communication and practical matters. Without a local presence it is very difficult to operate on this market. In order to facilitate this process we have opened our own office staffed with a Chinese and Dutch team.”

To mitigate these problems, FruitMax serves as a point of contact in Shanghai, with team members speaking Chinese, English, Dutch and Spanish. One of the first products the company has been working with are Mexican avocados.

“Avocado consumption has increased significantly in Europe in recent years. We believe growth in China will be even larger. People’s taste and preferences are changing, and ripening processes are taking flight. One can see the market evolving and future supply will be enormous.”

Another specialty which FruitMax might develop is the introduction of new and exotic products to the market. For example, the company imports and markets pure and “ready to eat” beetroot from the Netherlands. Beetroot is a product not widely used yet in Chinese restaurants or supermarkets, but this might change.

Under the auspices of prime minister Rutte, BeetRoute China Brand Manager, Jaap Pees, and our first partner, signed the agreement on import and distribution of BeetRoute products in China.

“One of our clients from the Netherlands is growing a particularly sweet and tasty variety of beetroot in the South of the country. The company is supplying the European market and also the US. Together, we decided to add the Chinese market to our current export markets. In April this year we signed a contract with a local partner in Shanghai in the presence of our Prime Minister Mark Rutte”

“Beetroot is growing in popularity in Europe and the US and is used frequently to contribute to healthy diets. We believe similar growth will arrive in China. Superfoods are becoming increasingly well-known and we think beetroot will be a welcome addition to salads and fresh juices. Sports and being conscious about ones food are two trends we clearly see. Little by little, restaurants and premium supermarkets are adding beetroots to their menus and product offering. The producer sends the beets to China, after which we do the distribution, marketing and sales.”

“What I really appreciate about doing business in China is that new products and initiatives are very much welcomed. In addition, there are some strongly operating supermarkets such as Hema and Olé that really focus on fresh.”

In addition to Mexican avocados and beetroot, FruitMax is looking to expand its business in the near future to include imported oranges, and fresh pears from the Netherlands.

For more information:
Jaap Pees
FruitMax China
jaap@fruitmaxchina.com
www.fruitmaxchina.com
Tel: + 86 (0)21 6245 6916