Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Retail market value and volume of cheese, China, 2011-16
- Figure 2: Best and worst case value sales forecast of retail cheese market value, China, 2011-21
- Key players
- Imported champions remain big in the category
- Chinese manufacturers are facing different situations
- Localisation can be applied in creative ways
- Brands need to keep pace with consumers as they evolve
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- Figure 3: Leading companies in cheese market, China, 2014-15
- The consumer
- Cheese in convenient forms dominating the market
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- Figure 4: Types of cheese bought, by age, August 2016
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- Figure 5: Ways of eating cheese, August 2016
- Natural block cheese consumption requires delicate approach
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- Figure 6: Attitudes towards cheese, August 2016
- Consumers are interested in the category and want to know more
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- Figure 7: Source of cheese knowledge, August 2016
- More attention should be paid to the nutritional value of cheese
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- Figure 8: Perception towards different types of dairy products, August 2016
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- Figure 9: Perceptions of protein, August 2016
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Include cheese in city dwellers’ daily food routine
- The facts
- Implication
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- Figure 10: Product positioned as meal supplement, South Korea, 2016
- Stress nutritional benefits and take advantage of packaging to win adults’ hearts
- The facts
- Implication
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- Figure 11: Different claims of the same brand when targeting kids or adults, China, 2016
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- Figure 12: Adult products with nutrition claims, esp. calcium, Hong Kong & Japan & UK, 2016
- Figure 13: Products including QR code and social media information, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan, 2016
- Pave the way for the growth of natural cheese
- The facts
- Implication
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- The market has been affected by global dairy price drop
- The rise of the baking trend will lead to growth in cream cheese and grated cheese
- Presence in foodservice channels may help cheese gain status in domestic occasions
Market Size and Forecast
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- The growth of the cheese market has slowed down
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- Figure 14: Retail market value and volume of cheese, China, 2011-16
- New Zealand remains ambitious among China’s cheese providers
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- Figure 15: Country share of imported cheese, by volume, China, 2015-16
- Cheese market will maintain growth at a slightly slower pace
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- Figure 16: Best and worst case forecast of retail cheese market volume, China, 2011-21
- Figure 17: Best and worst case forecast of retail cheese market value, China, 2011-21
Market Segmentation
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- Continuous growth of sliced cheese
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- Figure 18: Segment share of cheese products in retail channels, China, 2015-16
- Figure 19: Best and worst case forecast of retail sliced cheese segment value, China, 2011-21
- Baking is the new fashion – Boosting prospects for cream cheese and grated cheese
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- Figure 20: Best and worst case forecast of retail cream cheese segment value, China, 2011-21
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- Figure 21: Best and worst case forecast of retail grated cheese segment value, China, 2011-21
- Block cheese reaches maturity in kids’ consumption, need to explore adult occasion
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- Figure 22: Retail volume and YOY growth of block cheese, China, 2013-16
- Figure 23: Best and worst case forecast of retail block cheese segment value, China, 2011-21
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- Figure 24: Attitudes towards cheese, August 2016
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- Figure 25: Products featuring unique flavours or convenient forms in adjacent markets, Japan & Hong Kong, 2015-16
Market Drivers
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- Lower imported price may be opportunity for the retail market
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- Figure 26: Price change of the top 5 countries that export cheese products to China, 2015-16
- More local players jumping in, to further activate the market
- Exposure to Western culture and diets increases level of acceptance
- Expansion of Western restaurant chains have also made contribution
- Encourage consumption of natural cheese
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- Figure 27: Product with pairing suggestion on pack, Australia & Japan, 2016
- Position cheese as a healthy snack or part of meal supplement for adults
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- Figure 28: Limited edition of cheese sets with innovative flavours, Japan, 2016
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Imported champions remain big in the category
- Chinese manufacturers are facing different situations
- Brands can be more creative about localisation
- Consumers should not be the only ones who are evolving
Market Share
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- French companies maintain their growth
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- Figure 29: Leading companies in cheese market, China, 2014-15
- Fonterra catching up, putting a lot focus on China market
- Large local firms are having a hard time
- New local player joins the game aggressively
Competitive Strategies
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- Blend cheese into traditional Chinese meal occasions as unique ingredients, with stress on health
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- Figure 30: Naifu Cheese
- Figure 31: Cheese dish and products adopting localisation as cooking ingredient, China, Korea & Japan, 2016
- Experimental flavours tap into the more sophisticated market
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- Figure 32: Products claimed to have strong taste, China, Hong Kong & South Korea, 2015-16
- Leverage the influential power of social media
- Bundle with weight management/health ideas
Who’s Innovating?
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- New angles to communicate benefits for products targeting kids
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- Figure 33: Top five claims of kids’ cheese products launched since Jan 2015, Asia Pacific, 2015-16
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- Figure 34: Kids’ products with new claim directions, China & South Korea, 2016
- Blurring segment definition
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- Figure 35: Products blurring between different forms, China & Hong Kong, 2016
- Targeting snacking occasions with innovative, convenient shapes
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- Figure 36: Cheese products in snack-like shapes, Japan, 2016
- Highlighting signature ingredients to deliver local flavours
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- Figure 37: Japanese cheese products featuring local flavours, Japan, 2016
- Figure 38: Cheese recipe/products using yucca and date, UK & Spain, 2016
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Cheese in convenient formats are dominating the market
- Natural block cheese consumption requires delicate approach
- Consumers are interested in the category and want to know more
- More attention should be paid to the nutrition of cheese
Cheese Preference
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- The taste of cheese is widely loved in different types of food
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- Figure 39: Cheese preference, August 2016
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- Figure 40: Percentage of cheese rejecters (who choose “Dislike it very much”), by age and gender, August 2016
- Cheese consumption in Chengdu is still yet to awaken
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- Figure 41: Percentage of cheese rejecters (who choose “Dislike it very much”), Chengdu, August 2016
- Natural cheese has great potential in the near future
Penetration of Cheese
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- Convenient forms of cheese products are largely embraced
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- Figure 42: Types of cheese bought, August 2016
- Young consumers and parents are buying more cheese
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- Figure 43: Types of cheese bought, by age, August 2016
- Regional differences demand customised marketing plans
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- Figure 44: Types of cheese bought, by city, August 2016
Ways of Eating Cheese
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- Convenient ways are popular, while consumers in their 30s value health a lot
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- Figure 45: Ways of eating cheese, August 2016
- Further development of snacking occasions is needed
- North and south regions prefer different ways of eating cheese
Knowledge of and Preferences for Cheese
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- Higher sophistication is widely observed compared to 2014
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- Figure 46: Knowledge about cheese, August 2016
- The dominant processed cheese has “trained” consumers’ palate
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- Figure 47: Attitudes towards cheese, August 2016
- Opposite opinions of different generations towards flavours/textures
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- Figure 48: Attitudes towards cheese, by age, August 2016
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- Figure 49: Women’s attitudes towards cheese, by age, August 2016
Source of Cheese Knowledge
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- Packaging and food related media are essential sources of knowledge
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- Figure 50: Source of cheese knowledge, August 2016
- Socio-economic status may affect the choice of knowledge source
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- Figure 51: Top 5 sources of cheese knowledge, by educational level, August 2016
Nutritional Value of Cheese
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- Cheese’s nutritional value is underrated compared to other dairy products
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- Figure 52: Perception of different types of dairy products, August 2016
- Young females are less confident with cheese
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- Figure 53: Young females’ perception of cheese, by age, August 2016
- Protein is widely known as source of energy
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- Figure 54: Perception about protein, August 2016
Meet the Mintropolitans
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- More sophisticated lovers of cheese, high interest in natural block cheese
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- Figure 55: Types of cheese bought, August 2016
- Wide and balanced knowledge of cheese
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- Figure 56: Source of cheese knowledge, August 2016
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 57: Value sales of China’s cheese retail market, 2011-21
- Figure 58: Volume sales of China’s cheese retail market, 2011-21
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Appendix – Market Segmentation
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- Figure 59: Value sales of China’s cheese retail market, by segment, 2011-21
- Figure 60: Best and worst case forecast of retail block cheese segment value, China, 2011-21
- Figure 61: Best and worst case forecast of retail cream cheese segment value, China, 2011-21
- Figure 62: Best and worst case forecast of retail grated cheese segment value, China, 2011-21
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- Figure 63: Best and worst case forecast of retail sliced cheese segment value, China, 2011-21
- Figure 64: Volume sales of China’s cheese retail market, by segment, 2011-21
- Figure 65: Best and worst case forecast of retail block cheese segment volume, China, 2011-21
- Figure 66: Best and worst case forecast of retail cream cheese segment volume, China, 2011-21
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- Figure 67: Best and worst case forecast of retail grated cheese segment volume, China, 2011-21
- Figure 68: Best and worst case forecast of retail sliced cheese segment volume, China, 2011-21
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Appendix – Methodology, Definition, and Abbreviations
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- Methodology
- Fan chart forecast
- Abbreviations
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