During a business visit to China starting on January 12, 2026, SanLucar CEO Armin Rehberg oversaw a number of developments linked to the company's activities in the Chinese market.
A central outcome of the trip was the formalisation of a long-term cooperation between SanLucar and the Chinese online fresh food retailer Dingdong. SanLucar CEO Armin Rehberg and Dingdong representatives, including CEO Changlin Liang, CFO and Head of the Fruit Department Song Wang, and COO Yi Ding, signed a contract covering an initial three-year period. The agreement was concluded during a workshop involving Dingdong's fruit and logistics management teams.
© SanLucar Fruit (Spain)
Dingdong operates more than 1,000 dark stores and manages over 400,000 m² of warehouse space, supported by a delivery network of more than 15,000 couriers. The platform records over 30 million average monthly orders, with fresh fruit representing a core product category.
"Dingdong, as the market leader in China in the much more important online business for fresh fruit, is, with its structure and orientation, a perfect partner for our premium fruits and our premium brand SanLucar in China," said Armin Rehberg.
© SanLucar Fruit (Spain)
SanLucar is currently supplying blueberries and cherries to Chinese consumers through Dingdong. According to the company, planned product extensions include stone fruit, citrus, grapes, avocados, and persimmons. In the convenience segment, the portfolio will start with smoothies, caramel dates, and Medjool dates. In parallel, SanLucar and Dingdong plan to establish local production in China for SanLucar-branded bowls, salads, and fresh-cut products aimed at the domestic market.
Further discussions during the China visit focused on expanding cooperation with Joy Wing Mau, one of SanLucar's service partners in the country. Through this collaboration, the premium supermarket chain Ole is already supplied. The partners plan to introduce a dedicated SanLucar point-of-sale concept in Ole stores in the near term.
"China is for us one of the extremely interesting future markets, not only for our international production, but also for the setup and expansion of a Chinese domestic SanLucar production. Here we will be in harvest and delivery with the first product already at the end of 2026, a great result of our whole team," Rehberg said.
According to SanLucar, the initiatives form part of a broader strategy combining imported fruit with locally produced items for the Chinese market.
For more information:
Jennifer Heer
SanLucar Fruit
Tel: + 34 96 142 40 40
Email: [email protected]
www.sanlucar.com
