Vivian Tung of Sogo department store (left) and Masayuki Ohashi of the Shizuokaken Musk Melon Growers Cooperative Association agree Hong Kong is an effective shop window for affluent Chinese consumers

When Japanese fruit growers wanted to market their succulent yet expensive Shizuoka melon to consumers in the Chinese mainland, they knew Hong Kong would be their best platform.

Hong Kong is well known as a test bed for international brands planning to enter the mainland and the Shizuokaken Musk Melon Growers Cooperative Association wanted to leverage on that.

It teamed with Hong Kong-owned Japanese department store, Sogo, to sell the melons in the city. Even though the fruit is priced at nearly US$77 each, about 200 melons are sold every day. .

Showcase for China

The Cooperative Association's Masayuki Ohashi said growers knew that selling melons in Hong Kong would in itself be a promotional strategy. "Many people are coming to Hong Kong from China and (we knew) there would be a lot of exposure among the Chinese," he said. He added that Hong Kong could also be a base for showcasing melons and other specialty Japanese products to the rest of the world.

Mr Ohashi explained that the Shizuoka melon is expensive because it is grown in a glass greenhouse and only one fruit is harvested from each plant.

He added that Hong Kong offers a way around customs regulations that currently allow only apples and pears, not melons, to be exported directly from Japan to the mainland.
 
Representing Sogo in Hong Kong, Vivian Tung said that excellent sales in Hong Kong have stimulated demand in the mainland.

HK consumers set trends

"If Hong Kong people love these melons, then so would buyers in the Chinese mainland," said Ms Tung, who is a Senior Sales Manager of Freshmart and Gourmet Department at Sogo Hong Kong. "Mainland people come and see what Hong Kong people are eager to buy and they will buy the same things. Mainland China now has a lot of rich people and they are looking for good quality, delicious items."

Sogo benefits as the melons provide customers with another top-quality Japanese product. By cooperating with the growers' association, the store receives full support in terms of material, knowledge and pricing.

Ms Tung said Sogo works closely with different Japanese agriculture associations in the co-promotion of their delicious fruits.

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