Samokat entered the Chinese market with marshmallows and jam

First of all, apple marshmallows, dark and milk chocolate with honey, chewy cola-flavored jam in the shape of bears and refreshing tangerine sweets will appear in China under the Samokata brand. Products through exporter Sichuan Xilan Trading Co.Ltd will be placed in two leading Chinese markets: Jingdong Mall and Alibaba’s Tmall. The company representative did not reveal the conditions of cooperation with the sites, nor the export prices nor the plans to enter other markets.

In the future, Samokat plans to supply China with pickled cucumbers, mustard, lecho, tomato paste, cereal bars and sun-dried tomatoes, as well as 12 other food products.

According to Ivan Kurguzov, director of Oborot.ru, the Chinese market has a large unmet demand for Russian products, as some Chinese believe that the quality is higher in Russia. In addition, Russia produces products that are “a little exotic” compared to standard “Western” products, Kurguzov added.

At the same time, entering the Chinese market using standard Russian routes is unproductive, says Alena Abramova, business partner at Splat Global. According to her, China has “a completely different consumer culture” and success lies precisely in “working with online sales.”

In the structure of Russian exports to China, food products are not among the top 10 goods. The first place in the structure of Chinese imports from Russia is occupied by mineral fuels (94.7 billion dollars in 2023), followed by minerals (4.38 billion dollars), copper (3.22 billion million dollars) and timber (3.17 billion dollars), RBC reports citing the General. Customs Administration of the People’s Republic of China.