The Marine Stewardship Council is targeting the private-label sector as a focus for its growth in China.
MSC co-organized a conference recently with the China Chain Store and Franchise Association (CCFA) to discuss the introduction of more MSC-certified products into its members’ plans for increased private-label offerings.
Private-label, or own-label products have become a “value-added” priority with his members, CCFA Executive Director Pei Liang said during his organization’s annual Private Brand Conference, held virtually this year.
Projecting a further rise in the trend in coming years, MSC China Chief An Yan said during the online conference that MSC-certified products account for 50 percent of all wild-caught seafood on sale in Sam’s Club own-brand lines in China.
China’s retail grocery market – estimated to be worth USD 800 billion (EUR 658.5 billion) in 2019 – could prove instrumental in effecting change for MSC, which has cooperated with Chinese retailers through the CCFA. Among the CCFA members currently selling MSC-certified product in China are brand names including Yonghui, WalMart, McDonald’s, and JD.com.
All in all, there are currently 700 products on Chinese shelves bearing the MSC logo, according to An, who said a recent highlight of the MSC’s private-label campaign was the Rainbow Supermarket chain’s launch of the Tian Taste label, which exclusively uses MSC-certified product.
In parallel with the conference, the MSC released its “MSC Private Label Brand Development and Sustainable Seafood Report.”
“[The report] collects the global leading cases of private brand development to show the important role of sustainable fishery standards, and also demonstrates the progress of private-label brand in Chinese market," MSC spokesperson Gao Rui told SeafoodSource.
Photo courtesy of humphery/Shutterstock
