TAIPEI (TVBS News) — FamilyMart, a leading convenience store chain in Taiwan, has reported substantial growth in its fresh food sales, seeing an increase of at least 10% annually over the past three years.
Just last year, the company's revenue from fresh foods soared to NT$25 billion, accounting for over 30% of its total revenue.
Huang Cheng-tien, FamilyMart's Fresh Foods Operations Manager, views fresh foods as a key strategic asset for the retailer. In line with this, FamilyMart has launched branded products targeting large market segments and trending categories, including 'uno pasta' for Italian pasta and 'minimore' for desserts.
These focused brands have shown impressive results, with pasta sales rising by 20% annually over the past three years and dessert sales in 2022 skyrocketing by more than 40% compared to the previous year.
Furthermore, emphasizing 'health-conscious' products aimed at fitness and office workers, FamilyMart has embarked on sweeping structural reforms since 2016 involving ingredients, equipment, packaging, and processes, with products being revamped 1 to 2 times each year on average.
The impact of these reforms is reflected in products like the tuna onigiri, which saw a 19% sales growth in 2022 over the previous year. Moreover, FamilyMart's collaboration with prominent restaurants and chefs, such as the renowned Din Tai Fung, has led to the sale of over 20 million co-branded items. However, this partnership does not feature the collaborators' hottest items to prevent trust loss and price comparison issues.
Through these collaborations, FamilyMart focuses on creating differentiated products by integrating key ingredients from partners, such as a spicy sauce by Din Tai Fung used in unique offerings like grilled rice balls and fried noodles.
For the first half of this year, FamilyMart's fresh food revenue grew by an impressive 20%. In a bid to attract more customers by offering unique products, General Manager Hsueh Tung-tu's motto for the company is "What others don't have, we have; what others have, we excel in."