Chinese shoppers perusing the cyber aisles of JD.com’s online retail platform purchased more than 140,000 live Canadian lobsters in a single day, following a joint promotion between the e-commerce giant, the Canadian government, and Canadian industries.
Canadian lobster vendors saw their inventories in high demand on 14 July, when the day-long promotion took place. Nathan Song, director at New Brunswick, Canada-based Bay Shore Lobster Ltd. – which offered nine categories of lobsters between one and nine pounds for the JD.com promotion – was impressed by the level of attention sparked by the campaign.
“We sold half of our entire inventory of 1- to 1.25-pound lobsters, far more than what we anticipated,” said Song. “It can be hard for people to understand just how much demand there is in China for fresh imported products. For some, it’s unfathomable. We originally expected our inventory to last through September, but we’ll sell out much sooner than that now. The industry will surely see prices go up.”
Specialty lobsters from Canada’s waters are part of a new host of best products that will be available over time on JD.com.
“Chinese consumers truly appreciate Canadian brands and the freshness of their produce, and that means huge opportunities for Canada,” JD’s founder and CEO Richard Liu told a Canadian delegation during a meeting on 14 July. “We sold an amazing 4.5 million Canadian shrimp during our recent anniversary sale, so the possibilities are immense. JD knows how to work with brands and producers and help them tap into the enormous potential of the Chinese market.”
Live lobsters from Canada can be delivered to China and consumer doorsteps in as little as 48 hours, according to JD.com.
