"We are walking on thin ice."

Li Hongtao, the chairman of Shandong Qiaowei Food Group Co. The company's management and operation system are all putting forward higher requirements.

Pictured is Li Hongtao, chairman of the board of directors of Shandong Qiaowei Food Group Co.

But this does not stop Qiaowei from expanding its "ambition" - according to "Seasonings", Qiaowei no longer has a strategic focus on the big Qilu market. The strategic focus stays in the base camp in Qilu, has embarked on a "southern expedition" development pace, and developed a "strive to achieve within three years to multiply" expansion strategy.

Qiao Daughter-in-law "South", can you break the ice as desired?

Qiaodongrong, a representative seasoning brand in Shandong, has become a leading producer of soy sauce, vinegar, miso, oyster sauce, cooking wine, soy sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce and other seasoning products, under the reform of the system and the hard work of generations.

From 2010 to 2020, it grew from $200 million to $850 million.

And, the enterprise has also built a huge marketing network with Shandong as the core, covering East China, Central China, North China and Northeast China.

Indeed, the present industry position of the clever daughter-in-law is the development dividend harvested by the enterprise for many years of intensive cultivation of the local market.

In Shandong, not only is there a consumer market of more than 100 million people, but the huge volume of the catering market also provides a "fertile ground" for the growth of local spices. According to the "2020 China Catering Industry Annual Report" jointly released by the China Hotel Association and Xinhua in Beijing, in 2020 China's catering revenue ranking of provinces, autonomous regions and cities (FY2019), Shandong Province's catering revenue reached 443.046 billion yuan , an increase of 10.9% year-on-year, reigning as the first in the country in revenue. revenue first in the country, reigning as the "food" province .

The market is as big as the competition is fierce.

The data from Enterprise Search shows that the number of enterprise registrations in the seasoning industry jumped 1.6 times in 4 years , and currently, Shandong has become the " China's No. 1 Seasoning Province" with a number of 47,000 enterprises. strong>", 5,000 more than the second place Guangdong. More famous are Qingdao's Richen shares; Yantai's Xinhe; Zibo's Qiaowei, Luhua, Linghua MSG, etc., as well as spawning 213 seasoning enterprises in the country's largest spice deep-processing base of the town of Leling Yang'an ......

In addition to this, the major seasoning giants have also Started to Shandong strong advance, but encountered Xinhe, Qiaowei, Yubu, food saint, Weigao Sihai and other local brands of tenacious obstruction. Therefore, the entire Shandong market and the vast majority of industry insiders' perception: "local market defense" to do the best province, no one .

In the field of seasonings, for example, the largest consumption of soy sauce, Xinhe is the local first brand, followed by the industry giant Haitian, then the clever daughter-in-law, in some markets clever daughter-in-law even more than the Haitian ...... Therefore, there are also The industry believes that it is difficult to distinguish between the co-wife and the Haitian in the Shandong soy sauce market.

In addition to Haitian, national brands such as Lee Kum Kee, Kitchen State, Chien Ho, Gaga, etc. are also trying their best to pry open the Shandong market, so the original market pattern of the Shandong market is gradually being "dismantled".

From the product level, Xinhe to Aidamei series of products as the fist, mainly in the high-end market; and Qiaobao daughter-in-law in the Shandong market is mainly in the low-end market, the two brands of the mainstream price band coverage to the province outside the brand brought a great price barriers; coupled with a lot of local municipalities in Shandong have their own local brand cut, local consumers on the perception of the local brand! Local consumers' perception of local brands has long been entrenched, "outsiders" in the local cognitive deficiencies still exist.

And from the taste point of view, Shandong's dietary habits in favor of sauce flavor and salty mouth, and the main flavor of the southern soy sauce brand in the local market needs a long period of cultivation. But with the integration of the food and beverage industry, the country's cuisine has also begun to spread in Shandong, which also gives Shandong Province outside the condiment business has brought the opportunity to "see the needle".

In summary, perhaps we better understand what Li Hongtao said, "walking on thin ice" - the current coquettish daughter-in-law facing the market in Shandong Province, "the front has a strong enemy, there are pursuing soldiers! "The cruel market status quo, but also need to stabilize the rear on the basis of actively expanding the incremental market, "can not keep, must go out." Li Hongtao believes.

Therefore, the "Southern Expedition" is a clever daughter-in-law strategy required, but also the result of the market situation forced.

Turning defense into offense, the clever daughter-in-law needs a "break-in period"

"However, at present, the clever daughter-in-law to go out is still in the 'testing the waters' stage. ' stage, on the one hand, is to test their own products, on the other hand, is also to test their own channels." Li Hongtao told The Spice Guy.

Undoubtedly, Qiaolian wife from Qilu land to the national market, especially the southern market is facing extraordinary competitive pressure. On the one hand, the southern market has long been "divided" by industry giants, in addition to the national giant Haitian, other giants have their own advantageous areas. As a "foreign" brand, the clever daughter-in-law will still face the same kind of problems faced by other brands entering the Shandong market.

Some dealers told The Spice Guy that the main focus of Qiaobao was on low-end products, and the price band was the most competitive. "It is relatively easier to do from the high-end to the low-end of the middle, and it is very difficult to go from the low-end of the middle to the high-end."

Qiaowei herself has seen this, and in regions other than Shandong, the main products are also mainly laid out around the middle and high end.

In terms of market layout, Qiaobao also chose to take coastal cities as model markets. In the opinion of the clever daughter-in-law, coastal market acceptance of new things, the ability of the new brand is stronger, but also conducive to the enterprise to open up the situation in the local .

And, in order to be more in line with the actual operation of the local market, coquettish daughter-in-law also recruited from other industries, many senior FMCG marketing people to operate, "seasoning industry is too traditional, to innovate, you need to look at the industry's problems with more new thinking, often can achieve some unexpected results. "

And Li Hongtao also has his own clear perception of the clever daughter-in-law: "At present, the clever daughter-in-law is still very 'fragile', and in the short term is unlikely to reach the status of leading enterprises, but in comparison has its own advantages." Choose to go out, but also to change their own product pattern and market layout important way.

At the same time, in Li Hongtao's view, the main business and products of the clever daughter-in-law still belong to the traditional condiments, such as soy sauce, vinegar, sauce, etc., as a thousand years of history of the traditional seasoning category, the last few years have also ushered in a period of rapid development, but in the level of innovation is still inferior to other categories .

Li Hongtao said, the current focus on technology improvement, channel investment and supply chain efficiency, so the cost of the enterprise is relatively large, the next year will enter the track, when the enterprise's profitability will be further improved, but also to go out to provide protection.

At present, the focus of the clever daughter-in-law's "breakthrough" is still to "improve the red sea products, innovative blue sea products." Make a reasonable strategic planning, do a good job in the basic market. In Li Hongtao's view, "do their own thing is the key, the pursuit of over-ambitious and do not do their own thing, all is empty talk."

From the perspective of industry development, healthy, orderly industry strong competition, conducive to the strength of the enterprise, the product power of the continued development, enhancement, but also to provide consumers with better products, services.

According to people familiar with the matter, the clever daughter-in-law has achieved good results in some of the southern market. Obviously, even though the "southern expedition" road "like walking on thin ice", coquettish daughter-in-law "break the ice" of perseverance and determination should not be underestimated. And in the soy sauce this big wind direction of the market, the clever daughter-in-law "south war" journey will not lack of surprises and challenges.