The peak period of Rockit™ apple sales in China falls between April and November. The season is barely half way through, but the sales volume in the Chinese market already exceeds the entire sales volume of last year. The overall sales volume at the end of this season is expected to double in comparison with last year.
Mr. Dai Yue has been responsible for the development of the Rockit™ apple brand in the Chinese market in the last few years. When asked how Rockit was able to maintain a steady price and growing market demand, while the rest of the apple market was challenged, Mr. Dai explained: “I think that the main strength of our Rockit™ apples lies in the unique characteristics of our apples and their excellent product quality. Rockit™ apples are grown in New Zealand. And they only entered the retail market after 20 years of research and innovation by the New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research. This apple is very crisp and suits the preferences of most people. The apple core is relatively small, and the percentage of edible fruit flesh is high. Furthermore, the apple does not require peeling. And finally, this apple has a characteristic sweetness.”
“The United Nations acknowledged our Rockit™ apple as the first miniature apple. Consumer patterns have changed in the last few years, and smaller fruits have gained an advantage in this fast-paced world because they represent convenience. Our snack-sized apples are easily carried and can be eaten anytime and anywhere. This makes Rockit™ apples particularly suitable for smaller children. Other apple varieties do not have the same advantages as the Rockit™ apple,” said manager Dai.
“We maintain strict standards for product quality from harvest, processing, and packaging through to refrigerated transport and distribution. We do this to provide all our consumers with an opportunity to experience the flavour of naturally small Rockit™ apples. In addition, Rockit™ apples are an early-season variety. They enter the market earlier than most apple varieties. On top of that, Rockit™ apples endure storage and transportation well. And their shelf life is around 3-4 weeks. These factors all add to the market advantage of Rockit™ apples.”
Rockit™ apples were only prepared for the market in 2014, and they were officially introduced to the Chinese market by 2016. In only five years, Rockit™ apples won the hearts of Chinese consumers. This is not just because of unique product characteristics, but also the result of various promotional activities the brand organized in China.
“In May of this year we organized an online event with the theme ‘Rockit thrill challenge’. This event saw more than one hundred million users create and share videos that featured a Rockit sticker,” explained manager Dai. “And in June we organized an offline event with Greenery Fruit in the First of May Plaza. There was a booth for Greenery Fruit & Rockit™ Apple. And we decorated an entire train of Changsha metro no. 4. This drew attention and interest from of a lot of people in Changsha. And around National Day [1 October, 2021], we will organize a range of on-site promotional events in Chengdu.”
“There is a reason why we selected cities such as Changsha and Chengdu for our promotional events. Rockit is already well known among consumers in first-tier cities, and so we have moved the focus of our promotional campaign to second-tier cities. That is how we bring our brand under the attention of even more Chinese consumers,” said Mr. Dai. “We sell 80%-90% of our apples via offline retail channels. However, while we continue to develop these retail channels, this year we also set up online shops on e-commerce platforms such as Tmall and JD. We hope to further encourage the sales of Rockit™ apples in this way.”
Rockit will participate in the (delayed) Shanghai International Fruit Expo on 8-10 October this year. When asked about his expectations of the expo, Mr. Dai replied: “The Chinese fruit industry has a need for its own expo where top-quality Chinese fruit producers can connect with excellent retailers, so that together they can further develop the industry. For foreign brands like Rockit, this is also an opportunity to share and learn from colleagues. We hope to further deepen the strength of our brand in the Chinese market, but we also hope to study emerging brands in the Chinese market.”
For more information:
Mr. Dai Yue – Manager
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: https://www.rockitapple.com/cn/
Shanghai International Fruit Expo
Register: https://presys.fruitexpo.cn/reg/fruit21/registercn/login
E-mail: [email protected]
