Swiss Artisanal Chocolate Brand Expands into China Market, Colliers Empowers Partner to Drive Retail Layout
The Hermes of Chocolate
The Ultimate State of Swiss Handmade Chocolates
A True Swiss Gift
Swiss Artisan Chocolate Brand
Läderach
The First Store in China Opens in Shanghai
The Swiss brand's first store in Shanghai to capture high end market
As the exclusive site agent for Läderach in China, Colliers has assisted its client in expanding its offline retail channels and has helped locate its headquarters in Xuhui District.
Recently, Läderach Chocolate opened its first store in China on the first floor of IAPM Shanghai. On that day, Mr. Istvan Kocsis (Gao Yifan), Acting Consul General of Switzerland in Shanghai attended the event to celebrate the opening and give a speech. As Colliers is the retail property partner of Läderach, General Manager of Colliers China Tammy Tang was invited to attend.
The Hermes of Chocolate | Swiss Artisan Chocolate Brand
Läderach is an artisanal chocolate brand founded in Switzerland in 1962 by Rudolf Laderach Jr. Läderach is known for its pursuit of superior quality and ultimate craftsmanship.
In a market where industrialized products are prevalent, Läderach's chocolates represent freshness and quality. Its unique production process and handcrafting techniques make it a representative of Swiss artisanal chocolates and a global supplier of premium baking ingredients.
Strong partnership to grasp the opportunities in the Chinese market and diversify online and offline development
Läderach has 47 stores in Switzerland, covering almost every city in the country—as well as stores in Germany, the UK, the Middle East, Canada, USA, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. 2021 will see Läderach's 100th store worldwide on Fifth Avenue in New York.
China is a market with a huge potential for chocolate consumption. According to the China Chocolate Manufacturers Association, China's per capita chocolate consumption is 70 grams per year, while Europe's per capita chocolate consumption is 100 times higher at 7 kg per year*. In the context of the gradual upgrading of consumption in China, Läderach has established a strategy of gradual offline store expansion on the basis of e-commerce to meet the growing consumer demand for high-end chocolate products.
Läderach started to enter the Chinese market in 2020 and took the lead in establishing an online sales system from Xiaohongshu, WeChat mini program to Tmall flagship store, and gained good market feedback as a result. The opening of offline physical stores will help further build brand awareness and consolidate a high-end brand image and positioning, while gaining a two-way complementary enhancement of online traffic and the offline experience.
*Source: https://www.foodnavigator-asia.com/Article/2021/01/11/3
Chocolate is a wonderful food that awakens all senses and pleases one’s cravings, and Läderach has more than 85 kinds of chocolates in its stores directly imported from Switzerland. We want to create an unforgettable store experience where consumers can visually experience the freshness, quality, and creativity of Läderach's chocolate products. Colliers, as our exclusive site selection agent in China, provided us with crucial services.
—— Danny Qi, General Manager, Läderach | China
With a unique perspective of the commercial retail real estate industry, Colliers provides an in-depth understanding of client needs and investor concerns to assist brands in determining their overall strategy for offline channel expansion. After targeting the resources that match the brand's site preference and repeatedly screening store opening plans that match the proposed brand positioning, Colliers provided the client with the ideal store site that can meet both the brand image establishment and the demand for consumer experience space.
In the future, Colliers will continue to support Läderach in the selection and development of retail stores in first-tier cities in China, such as Beijing, to continuously expand the brand's retail channel in the Chinese market.
Increase the “first store economy” to help raise the consumption level
Colliers’ research shows that offline consumption in first-tier cities, such as Shanghai, picked up in the first half of 2021 due to strong economic expansion, and offline retail is transforming from product-centric to service-centric, with continuous upgrading and iteration of the consumer experience. We expect experiential consumption and emerging consumption to continue to be new growth points for retail properties.
The “first store economy” is becoming an important pillar for each first-tier city to stimulate new consumption momentum, promote consumption upgrading and enhance the charm of urban business. Under the new pattern of economic development, the role of first store economy in enhancing the vitality of urban space, prosperity of city streets and commerce, and urban consumption space and supply will become increasingly prominent.
Under the establishment of a "dual circulation" development pattern in which domestic economic cycle plays a leading role while international economic cycle remains its extension and supplement, the role of consumption in economic growth is increasing day by day. Quickly seizing business opportunities, grasping the development opportunities of the new consumer market and building consumer cities are becoming an important part of the economic construction in various regions. The Colliers team is able to fully leverage its global resources to help clients achieve their development goals in the Chinese market and contribute to the development of regional economies.
—— Tammy Tang, Managing Director, Colliers | China