Top Spanish brands ranging from Torres wine to Lladro porcelain
figurines to Zara fashions are finding a foothold in China's ever
fiercer consumer market, said a Spanish trade promoter in
Shanghai.
"The brand strategy has impressed Chinese consumers," said Jose
Luis Bonet, president of the Leading Brands of Spanish Forum.
"Spanish goods are making headway in China's middle and high-end
consumer market."
The forum has provided good insight into what Spain has to offer
as it featured senior executives from a number of the country's big
brand companies who were on hand to discuss the collective effect
of famous Spanish brands in China.
"We feel that Chinese consumers have been getting more and more
knowledge on imported wines through the years," said Alberto
Fernandez, Torres China general manager. "They take into
consideration both the brand reputation and the price when
purchasing foreign brand wines."
Torres, which entered the China market in 1982, was the
country's second largest wine importer in 2006. Its China trade
topped 200,000 bottles last year and it acted as a franchise agency
for many other foreign labels.
Both LLadro and Zara said they were committed to increasing
their market exposure through setting up more outlets and boutiques
for Chinese luxury consumers in well-off cities.
"LLadro offers not only an air of Europe, but also a flavor
tailoring especially for consumers here in China," said Olivier
Arzel, a Lladro Asia board member.
The company's newly opened flagship shop occupies 2,000 square
meters in Shanghai's most expensive commercial area of Nanjing
Road, where world-famous brands are densely concentrated.
Bonet said market research found most Chinese consumers
acknowledged the high quality of famous Spanish brands, but were
not as familiar with them as their counterparts from France, Italy,
the United States, Japan and Germany.
(Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2008)
