Mission to China a Success

Last week our Team Canada Mission to China arrived in Guangzhou.  Over the course of 4 days the team attended the Global Pet Forum Asia and the Chinese International Pet Show (CIPS) to meet with Asian distributors and explore what the market has to offer. Thanks to connections at the local Canadian Embassy our team was accompanied on a tour of a large pet store chain and veterinary clinic learning about both their inhouse brands and internationally imported products.  

"The growth in recognition of Chinese products on the international stage was easy to see at the CIPS event in particular.  This show continues to expand annually to accommodate more foreign interests.  Visiting this show is a great investment for companies looking to research and break into the Asian pet market.", reports Roselyne Lévêque, Event Manager and Mission Leader for PIJAC Canada.  

Thanks to the support of Agriculture and Agrifood Canada we are able to arrange these types of missions for our members to assist them in successfully accessing new opportunities for their businesses.  For information on the Canadian Pavilion at Zoomark in Bologne Italy in 2017 or upcoming missions, please contact the PIJAC Canada head office.

The first day of our China Mission included a trip to the Pet Supermarket. They are a store with live animals, a grooming services and healthy online sales component. The only Canadian product they sell is FirstMate Pet Foods. They sell 80% dry food and 20% wet food, with minimal accessories on offer. It is a business that seems to cater more towards small dogs. The #1 seller is Royal Canin because of their breed specific line of foods.

Spending the day at CIPS meeting with distributing companies and taking advantage of lots of great networking. This show is expanding every year and has caught the attention of the international pet market.

We visited the Ruipeng Pet Hospital. They have 100 clinics in China and sell some products in the clinic but mostly online. There were no Canadian products and only a few from the U.S. on the shelves but they do carry their own line of products.