Even though the leading countries in terms of olive oil consumption are Greece, Italy, and Spain, the Chinese market is growing at a fast pace, following a rise in health awareness in Chinese society and an increase in wages. As the most populous country in the world, China has plenty of opportunities for ambitious olive oil brands looking to expand their activities in Asia. Therefore, because the Chinese market is different from what you might be accustomed to, it is important to know exactly the landscape of the olive oil market in China beforehand. Let deep dive, and learn the best tips to sell Olive Oil in China!
Where can you Sell your Olive Oil in China?
- In supermarkets
The majority of the Chinese population is buying olive oil directly in supermarkets. They will have access to a wide variety of olive oil, and that’s why it can be difficult for a new brand to directly attract Chinese consumers in supermarkets.
- On e-commerce platforms
Then, as China is one of the most digitalized countries in the world, you should also consider selling your olive oil on e-commerce platforms such as Tmall, JD.com, Taobao, Pinduoduo, etc.
You can also read our full Guide for E-Commerce in China
How to Promote your Olive Oil in China?
As said earlier, China’s digitalization has conducted to the rising use of smartphones connected to the internet. Thus, advertising strategies have changed as well, and brands now have to be active on social media.
Read our Strategic Guide to Export Food Brands in China
Branding: The Key to Success in China
Do you want to attract Chinese consumers? You need to show them you’re reputable and they’ll buy your product. A popular way is using digital solutions, like a Chinese website and social media profile that help both the consumer find what he/she’s looking for AND generate interest in your company as well!
A Chinese Website Ranking on Baidu: The Door to Enter the Chinese Market
When creating a website for Chinese consumers, it is important to use their language and host the site in China. This will allow you to be found by more potential customers through search engines such as Baidu (the most popular).
Baidu, the leading search engine in China with over 700 million monthly active users (MAUs). Your website must follow Chinese UX standards and be optimized to “please” Baidu’s algorithm for it to rank. Obviously, Baidu prefers mandarin content. Your content should be original and frequent.
To increase your website authority as well as brand reputation, we suggest you combine your content marketing strategy with a PR strategy. Indeed, having trusted third parties talking about your products add a lot to your value as a brand.
Social Media: The Best Way to Increase your Community
Social media in China are even more important in China compared to western countries. In fact, if you want to succeed, you will have to generate “traffic”. In China, we know how to start with, how to help you and develop topics among Chinese citizens on platforms such as:
• Wechat
• Tieba
• Tianya
• Douban
Chinese Celebrities and KOLs to Promote your Olive Oil Brand
In order to stand out and gain an edge in the market, it is important for brands to encourage their consumers with positive word-of-mouth. With celebrities being so prevalent among Chinese consumers nowadays, they have a lot of potential when trying to influence them as well. However, collaborating with these high-profile figures isn’t something that can be done just by contacting KOLs as many would think at first glance.
The Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) are social media users who are extremely famous on social media and have the power to make or break brands thanks to their wide community. Chinese consumers “idolize” KOLs, and trust them more than brands in most cases. You could use KOLs as intermediaries to reach out and influence the masses. They might have millions of followers, but they can also be really good at influencing people who are into olive oil or living a healthy lifestyle! Through them, you will be able to increase considerably your sales as well as increase your brand awareness and e-reputation. In other words, intermediaries can be a great asset in selling your imported olive oil to Chinese consumers.
To go further: Olive Oil Market
Following globalization, consumers’ taste, in general, has changed over the years, with a variety of products and culinary dishes that are now available everywhere in the world. For centuries, olive oil was considered an exquisite product. Used for cooking, frying food, or in a salad, we can easily find olive oil in every supermarket around the world. Its popularity led to the trend of putting olive oil in everything, from cosmetics and pharmaceutical products to soaps.
According to the European Commission, the production of oil was mainly coming from the EU. Then, if we look at the leading non-EU countries producing the most olive oil, Turkey is leading, followed by Morocco (registering a 17% increase compared to 2019) and the Syrian Arab Republic.
EU: The Leading Olive Oil Market
Now if we look at the leading producers of olive oil worldwide, Europe is leading the market, with Spain which is far ahead, as it accounts for more than half the global olive oil production, followed by Italy, Portugal, and Greece.
In terms of per capita consumption, the leading markets are Greece (over 24 liters per person per year), Italy, and Spain (14 liters per person per year).
Overview of the Olive Oil Market in China
China’s consumers are becoming more cautious than ever before. Knowing this, it is important that foreign brands entering the Chinese market know how to deal with them or else they risk losing a huge chunk of its population due to mistrust and fear.
Foreign food companies looking for success in China need only look at scandals from domestic brands like Shanghai Husi Food Co Ltd., which was found selling expired meat products, as well as contaminating soy sauce. These incidents have shaped people into being ultra-sensitive about what goes into their mouths; an unfortunate consequence when you’re trying to sell your product on someone’s stomach!
Olive oil brands from Spain and Italy are highly recognized by Chinese consumers, who prefer them over China-made products. In 2016 the government of China lowered tariffs on imported Italian olive oils to make it easier for more companies to enter the market. As a result, many olive oil producers were able to attract even more Chinese customers.
Despite the fact that olive oil consumption is still recent in China, imports are in constant growth. The growing trade figure had also pushed Chinese companies to seek takeover targets overseas that could help meet the demand for olive oil back home. If we think in the long-term, rising per capita income, an increase in the number of middle-class people, and increasing demand for more sophisticated food, this trend will last in the future as Chinese consumers are highly dependent on foreign olive oil.
Why are Chinese Consumers (and Distributors) buying olive oil?
As a matter of fact, soybean oil and rapeseed oil were used by the majority of the Chinese population. But because of the shift in consumption of the Chinese middle class, people tend to buy foreign olive oil. So, as an imported food product, we can wonder why is olive oil becoming more popular now.
Olive oil: A Trendy Lifestyle Product
A few years ago, ‘Di Gou You 地沟油 ‘ (gutter oil), an illicit cooking oil that has been recycled from waste oil collected from sources such as restaurant fryers, drains, grease traps, and slaughterhouse waste raised health awareness among the Chinese population. The rise of scandals, exposed by local media, regarding gutter oil has led them to seek alternatives to domestic cooking oil, which is an important ingredient for almost every dish.
One of the main reasons for olive oil’s popularity among Chinese consumers is its health and virtue benefits. As a matter of fact, olive oil is rich in vitamin E and does not contain preservatives as they are made from natural ingredients. Moreover, it is also used to lower the risk of coronary disease, prevent cancer, reduce inflammations, as well as preventing cardiovascular diseases and cholesterol.
Therefore, foreign brands benefit from both a high-quality reputation, as well as selling healthy products.
Olive Oil as a Gift in China?
High-quality imported food products are really common presents in China, such as wine and spirits, cosmetics, but also olive oil. Even if it might seem weird, some high-quality and renowned brands of olive oil are popular gifts in China. According to Daxue Consulting, more than 60% of the total olive oil sales in China are intended for gift purposes.
In a country where ‘Mianzi‘ (面子) takes precedence over everything and it is always well-seen to give a rare or expensive present. Literally translated as ‘Face’, ‘Mianzi’ idiomatically means dignity/prestige or ‘to save the face’. It is a subculture in China strongly rooted in people’s minds and that is deeply influencing Chinese consumer’s daily life. A quality gift is a must, a show of respect to the other person.
Healthy imported oil like olive oil is usually better packed at a relatively high price which makes it a perfect choice as a gift. During festivals, olive oil sales are increasing compared to other kinds of oil.
Olive Oil is More Affordable than Before in China
Even if foreign olive oil is more expensive than usual oil, for example, the fact that the price was a big obstacle is no longer true in the Chinese market. Conscious of the benefits it has, they are willing to spend a few yuans more in order to purchase quality products instead of buying cheaper domestic oil.
Reliable Olive Oil Brands
Having a well-known and reliable brand is key to success in China’s olive oil market. Gradually, the competition in this market was made according to branding strategies. Good branding instills consumers’ confidence. Needless to say that without proper branding, your product will be like any other olive oil product, and Chinese consumers will not even pay attention to it.
Moreover, because of the various scandals of fake olive oil being sold along with real oil, it has become essential to adopt a different packaging from competitors and fake sellers and promote it effectively.
Contact GMA to Get Started in the Chinese Olive Oil Market
Lead Generation Professionals
Lead generation is an important part of any business, but sometimes it can be difficult to know where you should focus your efforts. You need a good e-reputation first and then invest in online advertising as well as quality content. The key is being able to measure the results so that way you are improving continuously! For those looking for lead generation experts who have experience with this process successfully, they will want our agency because we get an average of 350 leads per month by applying these methods for the agency’s marketing.
An International and Chinese Team
We are a French/Russian/British/Korean and Chinese team here to help you grow your business in China. We understand the needs of both foreign brands who want to enter the country as well as those native consumers who make up so much of its population.
Send us an email or visit our offices, so we can discuss how to promote effectively your business in China.
You can also contact us to receive our F&B Case studies, we already helped more than 80 Brands in the F&B industry in China.
44 comments
Maria Tzinis
We are an export company in Greece and we wish to export extra virgin olive oil in China.
Dolores Admin
Hey there,
Feel free to contact us here so we can schedule a call and discuss your needs in China
Maria Tzinis
Dear Mr Wong,
We are an export company in Greece that wishes to export extra virgin olive oil (not bulk) to China.
In this respect kindly get in touch with me to see if we can establish a fruitful cooperation for both of us.
Thanks & best regards
Maria Tzinis
WangLei
Hello,
We are a New China imported store chain, and plan to open 1000stores in China this year, we are searching to sell impported Olive Oil from Spain and Italia to China, already famous brands.
No wholesale and raw material oil please. Just Brands;
Tracy LI
Hello,
I represent loundge, a lifestyle store chain that want to resell imported niche food brands; we are searching for good high quality Olive Oil.
contact me with brand materials and pricing
Olivier
Hi,
I add your wechat and put you in our distributor list 😉 . Have a nice day.
hassen
we have a great quality olive oil from Tunisia we are ready to supply to China .
Tracy LI
What is the Name of your Brand?
Dilip Goswami
Dear Sir
Interested by the Chinese Market, we are the LOUTRAKI OIL CO. in Greece, producers, manufacturers and export distributors of fine 100% Greek quality olive oil products. I am proud to tell you a fact that no other Greek olive oil company has earned collectively all the certifications and international medals that our ELEA EVOO product has earned. Apart from this, the LOUTRAKI OIL COMPANY is currently one of the top 3 Greek olive oil exporters and our name is synonymous to trust and quality.
We are specializing in providing strictly real, untainted and authentic Greek EVOO products.
Our ELEA Brand is World famous and has won many many awards, however all of our other brands sells very well in each corner of the world. All of our EVOO’s are of premium quality and have acidity between 0.3% to 0.5%.
Dilip Goswami
Producers, manufactures and export distributors of fine olive oil products.
Member of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Member of the Corinthian Bio cultivators Union
Member of the DIO Bio cultivators Organization
WEN
I want to resell Olive Oil in China, already famous Brand from Spain and Italy (or France)
I am a small distributor in Center of China, Chengdu.
Olivier
Thank you. We put you in our database.
Johhny Wang
Hello,
We would like to Import Olive Oil Brand (not raw product) want a brand that you can find in western supermarket with long history and good branding. we want to sell online and in our imported food chain stores.
Contact us for further information
Olivier
HI Johhny,
Thank you. We have contacted you and put you in our Database. 😉
Mohamed
How to Export Olive Oil into China ? Can we just resell to Distributor?
LAMEILLEURE
hello
i wouking for to sell heigher of quality oil olive to China and i am seeking to offer best of it
We have extra virgin olive oil: virgin olive oil with a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 0.8 grams per 100 grams and the other characteristics of which correspond to those laid down for that category by the Trade Standard IOC
virgin olive oil: virgin olive oil with a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 2 grams per 100 grams
we want to attract Chinese Buyers mainly , Distributors or maybe sell on line on Tmall
Olivier
Create a Brand… and sell it in China.
Raw material has no value in China.
Verdell Armstrong
I’m not sure where you’re getting your info, but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more about China Market. Thanks for excellent information I was looking for this info for my mission I will follow your website on Linkedin marketingtochina.
Eric Morgan
Dear Sir/Madam,
How are you doing,
We are interested in purchasing your products and we sincerely hope to
establish a long-term business relationship with your esteemed company.
Please kindly send me your latest catalog. Also, inform me about the delivery time or FOB, and payment terms and warranty.
Your early reply is highly appreciated as we are urgently in need of this order.
Thank You!
Best Regards,
Eric Morgan
President/CEO
Carisco Tradings Ltd.
Address 2148 Alaska Ave,
Dawson Creek BC V1G4H3 Canada
Phone +1250-782-4448
Email: cariscotradingsltd@outlook.com
Thokozile Mangwiro
Thank you for this great article.
We sell cosmetic South African Oils and are now moving into the business of Olive Oil.
South Africa has some of the best quality oils in the world. We are slowly starting to export and hope to reach as many countries as possible.
Kind regards,
Nyla Naturals Team
Cameron
Hi there,
I was hoping to ask you a few questions or talk to you about importing olive oil from California to China. We have incredible quality/variety/low operating costs and were curious of the market there.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best,
CCR
Louis lui
This info is very gd. Pls update the latest info u can. I m supplying olive oil into China n also sourcing for more distributors in China .
Naiara
Hello. I would like to contact because I am interested in showing some proposals of my parters that want to export its olive oil from Spain to China with very good quality/cost ratio.
Thank you very much in advance. Best regards
Anne28
Very interesting!
Olive oil companies in Greece play a key role to the county’s exports and economic well fare. Greek olive oil is being shipped to almost every European country including England, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. Greek olive oil is also exported to China, Saudi Arabia and several other Asian countries.
You can read more here: https://www.exportgate.gr/overview/sectors/agriculture/olive-oil
Ikram
Dear,
Nice Article !
Try to do something.
I think u have nice opportunity.
Thanking u.
Ikram
Brimadri, Lda.
Dear sirs,
We are producers of extra virgin olive oil in Portugal, and we would like to export our product.
Greetings,
Jorge Santana
Manager
Olivier
Hi Victor,
1 200 tons for 2 months.
12,25million tons for a year.
Victor Yanez
One Question:
At the beggining of the report in section Status quo of China olive oil market, you states that “there has been 1,225 tons of olive oil imported to China in January and February this year 2012″…..
But in section 4. (namedReliable olive oil brands), you states that “Among the 12.25 million tons of imported olive oil in the first two month in 2012, there’s 5.16 million tons of it is Olive Pomace Oil, amounting to 42.1% of the total import”…….
WHich is the correct figure, 1225 tons or 12,25 million tons??
Many thanks
Guido Varaldo
What about the olive oil cosmetics in China?
I’m a producer of natural skin care cosmetics and I want to sell in China in the next time.
Kinds regards.
Andrew Nicholenas
Philip
Very nice write up, well done. We are still fairly new in the industry and producer in SA. Would like to also find out more about Chinese markets and your article is helpfull. Take note that 5 South African EVOO producers received awards at the New York International Olive Oil Competition this year. From over 700 entries the South African oils did well. The industry in our country has grown and I invite you to look at our industry website saolive.co.za for more information.
Pallas Athena EVOO , which is our brand received a Silver award and it was our first pressing so we were delighted. Maybe in future we will be able to have the Chinese people taste the South African EVOO’s which competes with the best in the world.
Willson Kumar
The olive oil import export business is a major industry in the U.S. and abroad. Most of the world’s olive oil comes from the Mediterranean and neighboring regions. If you’re considering going into the olive oil importing or exporting business, then first get very familiar with the product itself, the regions where it is produced, and its markets. Also understand that not all olive oil is created equal. If you’re new to the trade and commerce business, then learn how to import / export first before you go any further. – See more at: http://www.businessideasoasis.com/olive-oil-import-export.html#sthash.psesUM4c.dpuf
Aldo Mazzini
Hi , i find very intersting the article , i would ask to you if you could help me to contact some important business operator in olive oil market because i would like to find business opportunities as a tester and a selecter of olive oil according to my long experience in Italy as professional taster.
Thanks a lot and best regards
Dott. Aldo Mazzini
Tim
Interesting article! I stumbled upon it not because I’m looking to sell olive oil, but because I’m looking to buy some. I’m an American living in the far western region of Xinjiang, and the local grocery stores all carry at least one brand of (extra virgin) olive oil, which the packaging always claims is imported from Spain. Naturally, I’m skeptical, considering not even my Chinese friends can vouch for the authenticity of any product sold in China. One brand I looked at tonight, Lu Hua (described in this article), sells for about 100 Yuan per regular-sized bottle, which amounts to about $16 USD. Considering the cost to bring Spanish olive oil all the way to a small city in the middle of nowhere, I’m really having a tough time believing this is really extra virgin olive oil. At first, I thought maybe it’s a mysterious blend of random China-produced cooking oils being passed off as a foreign product, but now I wonder if it might be the olive pomace oil described in this article. In that case, they’d be telling a half-truth, and certainly, the locals here probably wouldn’t know the difference.
KALAMATA-GREECE
thinking right mate… Sadly, 99.999% of the Chinese population buying olive oil dont even know the difference between mixed blend of European olive oils and the single estate ones… If you try the single estate olive oil from a village in Greece you will forget your name and will be talking olives.
Rifaat MACHRAFI
Hello;
I’m Rifaat, from Morocco, I’m olive oil extra virgin producer. This Year I have a good recoat. So I’m looking to export some small quantity.
If you are interesting by my business, please contact me we can discuss:
email: machrafi.rifaat@yahoo.fr
Mobile phone: 00212660151631
For you information, I ready ship some Qty to my customer in France, Belgium and Canada (just some bottle) the feed back was very good.
When you will test my olive oil, you can understand easy the difference between olive oil extra virgin and normal one.
Thank you.
UGUR GUVEN
Hi Philip,well done ,it is really impressive especially for the one like me who has olive farm in Turkey.
We can keep in touch and ı also wnat to share ideas with you ,do you wanna join?
pls keep in touch ,ugurogutgen@live.com
Hossein
Dear Philip
Hello, I enjoyed and learned too of your website…we are An iranian Extra virgin olive oil producer .our olive oil is produce from my own garden, ready to export to Great china.
i hope you become successful in your way…
Juan Ignacio Lopez
From all the olive oils, the best is the extra virgin olive oil which happens to be a real afordable pleasure. Once you try the real one (alike our Kaltur Premium), the one which provides you with the right amount of bitternes and spiceness, no fauls in the taste and handful of fruityness flavors you can recognize a product to be enjoyed like the wine. Go to your favorite food retailer and ask them for this product, after you have tryed different brands you will have already the basic knoledge to recognice the good stuff.
Cadeau Maestro
Great job Philip !
Philip
Thanks, Cadeau. Happy new year!
admin
Thank you philip to share with us this Kind of article. I am also convince that it is the time for Olive Oil company to come to China ! 😉
Anton
Good article and Fully agree.
Philip
welcome
Shi Jin
Thanks for this. Very informative.
Great opportunity for some olive oil brands to use the positive opinion about the category as a springboard to build their reputations here in China.
Shi Jin
Philip
Branding is now very important, especially for those who live on reputations like food products makers.