Thanks to the agenda organized by ProChile and with the support of private sector associations, buyers from Freshippo -part of the Alibaba Group- visited companies in four regions of the country this week to learn about the available supply of Chilean foods.
For more than a week, a delegation of executives from Freshippo, a retail supermarket chain belonging to the Alibaba Group, visited four regions of Chile to learn about the available exportable supply of fresh and frozen Chilean fruit.
The agenda was organized by ProChile, with the support of Chilealimentos, the National Society of Agriculture (SNA), Ciruelas Chile and Frutas de Chile.
The visit of the Freshippo delegation was planned during Chile Week China 2023, after the General Director of ProChile, Ignacio Fernández, met with the company at Freshippo's offices in Shanghai, where it was agreed to take actions to increase the presence of Chilean products in its stores.
Thus, during 2024, work was done to schedule and prepare a visit by its executives to Chile, so that buyers from the Chinese supermarket chain could observe the available Chilean food supply and verify whether it complies with the traceability and quality requirements that the company demands, in order to install a direct purchasing model, which connects agricultural production with the retail demand of the Chinese retailer .
As a result, two Chilean companies (Copefrut and Garcés Fruit) were selected as supply bases during the trip. The idea is that these companies will export their products to Freshippo without having to go through intermediaries.
ProChile's General Manager, Ignacio Fernández, comments that “Freshippo's visit to Chile is a milestone, the result of the efforts made within the framework of ChileWeek China 2023. After months of public-private collaborative work, we were able to arrange the visit of senior executives to key regions of our country to purchase food. We are excited about the diversification opportunities that this collaboration and the direct purchasing model offer us, not only for our fresh and frozen fruits, but in the future, we see potential for products such as meat, wine and seafood, salmon for example, which would also have the possibility of gaining an even more significant space in the Chinese market through this new modality. It will be a way to strengthen our commercial ties with this great market.”
Fernández also highlighted the opportunities for frozen fruit in China, where Chile has been authorized to export 17 categories of this product to the Chinese market for about a year and a half. The executives of the Chinese chain visited five frozen fruit plants during their tour in Chile.
Freshippo representatives commented at the closing meeting of this visit that took place today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that they were impressed by the high quality and efficiency of Chilean agricultural products, and that during their recent visit they witnessed not only the excellence in production, but also the meticulous selection and packaging of the food.
This experience, they said, strengthened their confidence in establishing solid and lasting business relationships with Chilean producers, and initiating conversations to close deals and prioritize the purchase of Chilean products recommended by ProChile.
It was agreed to provide ongoing support for these products on our platform in China, ensuring that Freshippo customers receive the best of Chile. In addition, other options will be explored to streamline the logistics of transporting the products, ensuring an efficient and effective supply chain.
Freshippo is characterized by being a new grocery retail chain aimed at young segments of high socioeconomic strata and high-quality products. It is currently the fifth most important retailer in the Chinese market and has more than 400 supermarkets in 30 cities throughout Chile.
