Pantry staples like milk, bread, water and condiments make up the bulk of Hurun’s ‘most valuable food and beverage brands’ of 2020. Hurun Report, a Shanghai-headquartered firm that provides research and consulting services, released their report on January 21.
Here are some more stats: seven of the 11 are private brands and the top spot winner (scroll down to see who) replaced Yili as the most valuable brand in the F&B industry this year, its brand value rising 95% from last year to RMB120 billion.
11. Wanglaoji
Brand Value: RMB8 billion
Chinese herbal tea has made it to the mainstream thanks to Wanglaoji. Wangloji’s history can be traced back to 1828 in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. The drink was founded by a doctor named Wong Chat Bong. Wangloji is made of seven herbs, contains no caffeine, and can supposedly help clear excessive heat and detoxify while quenching thirst. Perfect to pair with spicy hot pot.
10. Taoli Bread
Brand Value: RMB8.5 billion
Taoli Bread was started in 1997 and mainly produces prepackaged bread, pastries and moon cakes. Unlike trendy high-end bakeries, the company has kept its products in its portfolio to under 30 and uses a central factory and wholesale model. When consumers are asked about the brand, they say it’s like a “taste of their hometown, a memory from their childhood.”
9. Teway Food
Brand Value: RMB9 billion
We all need a little spice in our lives and Teway Food delivers with their hot pot bases, chili sauces and other mouth-numbing products. The company was founded in 2007 in, you guessed it, Sichuan.
8. Dali
Brand value: RMB11.5 billion
Dali has a vast portfolio consisting of pies, wafers, chips, biscuits and beverages.
7. Wahaha
Brand value: RMB14.5 billion
Wahaha is the largest food and beverage manufacturer in the Chinese mainland and the fifth largest beverage manufacturer in the world.
6. Mengniu
Brand value: RMB18 billion
Headquartered in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, this company manufactures dairy products and ice cream.
5. WH Group
Brand value: RMB28.5 billion
Ever see those creepy little sausages in the supermarket? WH Group probably produces them as they are the largest meat producer in China and the world.
4. Yili
Brand value: RMB40.5 billion
Also located in Hohhot, Yili is the competitor of Mengniu (the other large dairy company in the number 6 spot).
3. China Feihe
Brand value: RMB43 billion
This is China’s most recognizable infant formula producer. Their products are meant to mimic Chinese mother’s milk in particular according to their ‘About Us’ page on their website. As for the company behind the 2008 infant formula scandal, Sanlu Group has since gone bankrupt.
2. Nongfu Spring
Brand value: RMB71 billion
You probably encounter Nongfu Spring on the daily in all types of stores. The CEO of the Hangzhou-headquartered brand, Zhong Shanshan is the richest person in China as of March 2021, with an estimated net worth of RMB550 billion (USD85 billion).
1. Haitian Flavoring
Brand value: RMB120 billion
Soy sauce – a staple in all Chinese pantries and kitchens. Haitian Flavoring, a Foshan-based company, is the largest soy sauce maker in the world.
Source: That’s Shanghai