Global Chilean cherry shipments this year are estimated to reach a record high of 447,000 metric tons, a sharp increase of 25% over the previous season.
At the same time, factors such as an early Chinese Spring festival in 2023 have brought many new changes to the market. In order to help cherry distributors and wholesalers increase sales and adapt to the new market, Freya Huang, Marketing coordinator of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX), delivered a Wechat lecture to over 1,000 listeners of Produce Report. Charif Christian Carvajal, ASOEX’s marketing director for Europe and Asia, also joined the lecture to present ASOEX’s promotional campaigns for this season.
Carvajal first introduced the latest export statistics for Chilean cherries: As of Dec. 22, Chile had exported 206,713 metric tons of fresh cherries during this season, up by 100% over the same time frame last year. 95% of the exports were destined to the Chinese market.
"To guarantee cherries reaching China with a high level of freshness, a total of 39 “Cherry Express” vessels and 11 normal vessels have been scheduled for this season. Meanwhile, chartered refrigerated ships will also be employed for the first time by Chilean exporters. Despite the multiple challenges being faced, the Chilean fruit industry is optimistic and confident about the Chinese market," according to Carvajal.
The association has rolled out a variety of marketing activities which will last through the Chinese Spring Festival holiday, supporting Chilean cherry distributors with concrete promotions both online and offline, highlighting the nutritional and vitamin content of Chilean cherries.
Huang presented to the listeners the marketing plans for this season. She said that the promotional theme for this season “a bit red, a bit lucky” binds cherries with the red color, which symbolizes good fortune in Chinese culture. The Chilean Cherry Committee of ASOEX has designed a series of promotional posters under the theme and made them available to all Chilean cherry retailers.
"The priorities for this season’s online campaigns center on social media such as Weibo, Wechat, Xiaohongshu and Douyin, with over 200 social media celebrities joining in to promote Chilean cherries. E-commerce giants including Tmall, JD.com, Pinduoduo, Douyin will still be the major channels for online sales. Hema, Ele.me and Meituan are charged with home delivery services.
This winter, Chilean cherries also enjoy greater offline presence than previous years. Chilean Cherry Committee of ASOEX has joined hands with JD.com, Tmall and Pinduoduo to make slogans for fresh cherries appear on various landmarks in China," said Huang.
In terms of the offline strategy, the Chilean cherry industry will cooperate with fifteen key supermarket chains including Sam’s Club, Metro, RT-Mart, three boutique chains such as 7fresh, Hema Fresh and Ole, and five fruit specialty chains including Pagoda, Xianfeng Fruit to launch over 12,000 promotional events. A series of promotions aimed at increasing enthusiasm for Chilean Cherries will also be held at wholesale markets in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Baoding, Chengdu, Qingdao, Guiyang and Changsha. Moreover, operational managers and fruit dealers at these markets will be invited to online discussions to solve challenges together.
At the end of the lecture, the Chilean Cherry Committee of ASOEX once again bolstered confidence in Chilean cherries among dealers. Carvajal emphasized that most of the Chilean cherries exported to China come from member companies of the Chilean Cherry Committee of ASOEX, hence the high quality of the products is ensured.
"The logistical efficiency has also been further improved in this season, which likewise leads to premium quality cherries. The members of the Chilean Cherry Committee are optimistic about the post-spring festival sales and though important investments in export promotions, are actively supporting sales of during the winter period," concluded Carvajal.
For more information:
Chilean Cherry Committee
www.asoex.cl