Smithfield Foods strikes deal to sell US pork in China
According to the agreement, which was announced at an event in New York, the fresh food division of JD.com, JD Fresh, will become the exclusive online sales platform for Smithfield's pork products in China.
In addition, the parties will sell more than ten kinds of exclusive products on JD.com, and further cooperate on big data, cold chain logistics and foods traceability, according to Smithfield's press release.
"Through this partnership, Smithfield Foods will take yet another step in developing its e-commerce business and expand its presence in China, as we meet consumers where they shop. Smithfield has a strong food safety platform and we take this even further to deliver products consumers enjoy and feel good about sharing with their families. We are proud to bring this longstanding reputation and sense of responsibility to our partnership with JD.com," Kenneth Sullivan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Smithfield, said at the ceremony.
Shuanghui Development is the exclusive domestic agent of Smithfield.
"Shuanghui Development will capitalize on its national presence of industrial facilities and knowledge of domestic and foreign consuming habits, to introduce more and more Smithfield and Shuanghui products for family meals, meeting the personalized and convenient needs of the end-user towards imported products," Mr. Ma Xiangjie, Vice President of Shuanghui Development, said.
"Ensuring the quality, safety and reliability of everything we sell is part of JD's overall commitment to our customers. When it comes to food, and particularly a major staple of Chinese households like pork, this is even more critical. That's why we are pleased to be working with Smithfield, a trusted and respected partner with a long history in the industry, to offer easy access to high-quality choices for even more families around the country," Richard Liu, JD.com chairman and CEO, said.
JD Fresh is the largest direct sales fresh food platform in China. In the first half of 2017, gross merchandise volume (GMV) for meats from direct sales of meats on JD increased more than 780 percent year-over-year. It is now the largest online pork retail platform in China.
According to the agreement, JD will leverage its big data insights to help Smithfield in areas including data analysis and categorization of on-shelf goods and to carry out precisely targeted marketing campaigns based on in-depth study of consumers' shopping behaviors.
In order to ensure product quality and safety, JD and Smithfield will work on seamless cooperation in cold chain logistics. In the U.S., whether it is land or marine transportation, Smithfield can monitor in real time the temperature inside the cargo hold of a truck and inside a container. When the products are imported to China, there are two sets of cold chain distribution systems, from both JD.com and Shuanghui, to help ensure quality and freshness.
Smithfield Foods, a wholly owned subsidiary of WH Group Limited, is a global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer.
WH Group Limited is the largest pork company in the world with the top market share in China, the U.S. and some markets in Europe.
Photo Source: theImpulsivebuy/Flickr
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