CHINA'S SNACKING PREFERENCES ARE REGIONAL
BEIJING, China -- A 12-city study was conducted among more than 50,000 people throughout China to identify snack food behavior,
by region. It was found that the country's dominant snackers lived in Chengdu, the capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, where life
is considered leisurely. And the type of snack foods they prefer in Chengdu and Shanghai are savory, rather than sweet. Residents of Shenyang,
a major industrial city in northeast China, on the other hand, were apparently the least interested in snack foods, consuming only 65% of the average.
The survey revealed that 47% of those surveyed bought any type of candy or sweets last year. 42.7% bought
chocolate, and 66.1% bought ice cream. The survey also found that while the market for cookies in Guangzhou and Kunming was not great, there
was a big market for cookies in Beijing and Tianjin where fewer people preferred candy and savory snacks.
As with any major market, regional differences are evident in all sorts of eating and consumers' buying behavior. It is important to remember
that generalizations should not be made until research is conclusive. And successful marketing programs need to be tailored according to
regional consumer preferences.
Reader's Comments
(Source: YOUR LINK HERE)
McDONALD'S ASIAN EXPANSION REACHES SRI LANKA
OAK BROOK, Ill, USA -- Last October, McDonald's opened its first Sri Lankan restaurant, in Colombo, Sri Lanka's
capital. Colombo has more than one million residents and serves as a port-of-entry for hundreds of thousands of tourists each year.
This recent expansion brings McDonald's total to 114 countries of operation. Out of respect for Muslim dietary practices followed
by many Sri Lankans, the Colombo restaurant will serve the same menu found at McDonald's around the world, with the exception of pork.
This store marks the 20th country McDonald's has added since they opened for business less than two years ago in
near-by India. "We're optimistic that Asia will remain a strong and growing market for McDonald's. Our investment in Sri Lanka is
the latest step in our long-term growth plans for Asia," said Jim Cantalupo, vice chairman of McDonald's Corporation and chairman
and chief executive officer of McDonald's International.
(Source: YOUR LINK HERE)
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BRAZIL'S AUTO SALES DECLINE LEAD TO FORD LAY-OFFS
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JAPAN'S AUTO SALES PLUMMET
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SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Nearly 3000 workers were laid-off from their jobs last month at the Brazilian Ford Motor Co.
factory. Yet workers continued to show up for work in an effort to spark discussion with management regarding alternatives to the
lay-off, including reduced wages, shorter work week, etc. Ford claims the lay-off is necessary to assure the
survival of the subsidiary, since sales had plummeted 40% since the Asian crisis began in1997 and no
significant recovery is expected for the near future. The National Association of Vehicle Manufacturers
indicated that sales plunged 29% during the first 11 months of 1998, compared to the same period the previous year.
At present, Ford has approximately 200,000 unsold vehicles in inventory.
(Source: YOUR LINK HERE)
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TOKYO, Japan -- Japan's economy is showing further signs of trouble as it impacts the automobile industry and consumers
further delay purchasing new cars. December '98 automobile sales plummeted 23.5%, the 21st consecutive month of declines. Sales of
all passenger cars fell 10% to 3.4 million since January 1998, while sales of all imported passenger cars fell 23.1% during the recent 10-month period,
with imports from Japanese companies dropping more sharply than those of non-Japanese companies at 55.1%. Non-Japanese
imports fell 18.3%. Domestic auto sales in 1998 suffered their worst fall since the oil crisis 24 years ago.
Import executives don't appear optimistic for a full recovery in 1999 and are lowering their sales goals. Many also predict fierce competition
at retail, expecting importers to develop new incentive programs to attract Japan's ever-shrinking potential customers.
Reader's Comments
(Source: YOUR LINK HERE)
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TEXTILE INDUSTRY GROWTH SLOWS IN VIETNAM
HANOI, Vietnam -- Vietnam's textile and garment sector growth has slowed, reporting an export turnover of
US$1.35 billion at the end of 1998, showing no increase over 1997 levels.
This stagnation is attributed to the economic turmoil in the Asian region resulting in narrower channels
for distribution and trade, as well as the fluctuating prices of imported material and lost export contracts.
Nevertheless, growth in this sector is expected for
1999 to US$1.5 billion by year-end.
(Source: YOUR LINK HERE)
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