China Wedding Candy Market- A market Candy Maker Cannot Neglect

As one of the most important ceremonies for the Chinese, the wedding has also created a big market for wine, tourism, and so on. Here, I would like to talk about the market for candy makers. According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, there are over 13.02 million couples married in 2011. If each couple spends only 80 USD (the average expense for wedding candy in 2006) on wedding candies, it will support a 104 million USD wedding candy market.

Wedding candy market in China

Status quo of the market

In fact, on average, couples from Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian spend over $160 on candies for their wedding. What’s more, the wedding candies are also used for other ceremonies for other festivals, or even completion of a house.

Characters of the market

1. High season in summer

Data from Shang’pu shows: unlike other candies, wedding candies sell well in July, August, and September. In these three seasons, other types of candies will experience a low season while wedding candies sell well in these three months.

2. Special selling point

The research on China wedding candies from 2010-2013 released by Shang’pu also shows that the best selling point of wedding candies for Chinese customers is its image, not the quality or flavor.

3. Special consumption habit

Usually, one person buys wedding candies only once for his wedding in his life, but the only time he buys candies, he will spend a lot on them.

4. Foreign brands sell better

Most top brand wedding candies are sold as imported food products from European countries such as France, Belgium, and Italy. For example, Dan’lu chain stores put chocolate from France, Belgium, and Italy in their best positions.

As introduced by their manager, Mrs. Liu, their performance this year tripled that last year. Other candy stores like Wu’shang, Zhong’bai, Zhong’shang all promote their foreign brand candies as wedding candies.

5. Regional difference

People from different regions of China have a huge difference in the taste of wedding candies. For example, wedding candy culture is so popular in the east part of China that half the wedding candies sold in China are there. As shown by China food, in Shanghai and Zhejiang, wedding candy costs a new couple at least $1,000 while in the north, wedding candies are usually put into a small package with 6-8 of them.

6. No company specialized in wedding candies

As mentioned before, Chinese customers can be crazy about your wedding candy only for the brand. However, there are hundreds of brands of candies on the market, but none of them are specialized in wedding candies. Foreign brands like Dove and Alpenlibe have already built a good reputation and popularity. Some local brands like Yake and Wowo are also well-known to Chinese customers.

However, they all take wedding candies as a small niche of the market and only promote them during the high season for weddings. As the market now is ready and quite big enough, it is foreseeable that the competition here will become fiercer.

How can Chinese like your wedding candy?

To answer this question, you have to get clear that what kind of wedding candy the Chinese like. In today’s China, more and more people feel that wedding candies are becoming a kind of symbol. They are more and more about-face, brand, package while even the quality and taste are not so important.

This has already caused some problems with IRP. For example, some big brands like Alpenliebe have been copied by some illegal candy makers. However, there are still many people buying them for nothing but the brand.

As a kind of face consumption occasion, a wedding is a perfect reason for Chinese customers to spend a lot of money. On such important occasions as wedding ceremonies, business meetings, where Chinese people would like to spend money generously, that’s why some people would even like to buy fake candies only for the brand. How to build a luxury, high-class wedding candy brand?

Price

In China, wedding candies are usually given away to guests during the banquets. Most people would like to choose a famous brand that most people know. It is a shame to let guests know that you offer cheap candies to them. As introduced by Wuhan Shangri-La, most people feel ashamed to buy gifts at low prices. But the listed price is still too high for them. So the seller will usually offer them discounts which will greatly increase the chance of it being purchased.

High-class filling or candy making process

A high-class filling or manufacturing process is a very effective way to increase the price of these luxury food items. As those big brands like CONFETTI introduce themselves, made by the hands of the chef from top hotels; almonds inside are the best from Sicily.

The making process is also described as delicate and top class. The almonds are put into a big copper pot. When the pot is turning, the syrup will be into the pot and coat the almond along a long tube. Four days later, those pure white candies are ready which contains countless sincere blessings and price of course.

Special design

Another very important factor is how candy adapted to the propitious wedding atmosphere. The most important factor of a Chinese wedding is the propitious atmosphere. Everything at the wedding is designed and prepared around this keyword.

And the package is the best way to help candy spread this message. According to the survey done by “Feng’xiang Jewelry” and “Ju’xi’fang”, young Chinese are making more decisions in choosing wedding candies and most of them want to show their individuality via the design of wedding candies.

Some special package like the “Hua’jiao” (Chinese bride’s sedan) shape package sells very well because it relates to the propitious atmosphere.

What’s the positioning of your candy? What marketing tools can be suitable for you?