NZTE Joins NZ Companies In Hong Kong Centre

NZTE Joins Forces With New Zealand Companies In Hong Kong Centre

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) today announced that leading New Zealand exporters Fisher & Paykel Appliances and New Zealand Natural Ice-Cream are participating in the first ever New Zealand Concept Centre to be opened in Hong Kong later this year.

The details of the centre, to be called “New Zealand Focus”, were announced by NZTE during the international business and trade summit run by Rotary NZ and the EMA, Inside the new China, held in Auckland today.

New Zealand Focus is the first of a number of initiatives NZTE has planned in Hong Kong and China this year to help New Zealand business take advantage of export opportunities in North Asia, says NZTE Chief Executive Tim Gibson.

Details revealed today include that the New Zealand-branded centre will operate out of a 6,800 square foot, three level property located in the heart of Causeway Bay, Hong Kong’s busiest thoroughfare.

Fisher & Paykel Appliances and New Zealand Natural Ice Cream will have stand alone operations in the new centre. Fisher & Paykel will equip a fully functional kitchen with its appliances and use the facility for demonstrations and training, while New Zealand Natural will have a kiosk located in the retail section on the centre.

A retail operation on the ground floor of the building will showcase New Zealand food and beverage and natural health products, while there will also be information areas for students wanting to study in New Zealand and for people interested in tourism and immigration to New Zealand.

There will also be space for business presentations and functions and exhibitions of contemporary New Zealand art and design.

Mr Gibson says having a New Zealand store in the middle of Hong Kong provides a unique opportunity to test products for market suitability.

“It is costly to establish a new food or beverage product in Hong Kong, with listing fees in excess of HK$50,000 charged by the dominant supermarket chains. New Zealand Focus will give exporters the ability to test their products and learn more about the market before committing to an export drive.”

The retail operation will sell a mix of New Zealand products already available in Hong Kong, along with some that are new to the market. It will be managed by an experienced Hong Kong based commercial entity with strong local retail experience.

Mr Gibson says New Zealand Focus will also give New Zealand exporters greater exposure to potential buyers from Hong Kong and China.

“We will host decision makers and buyers from China at the centre, giving them the chance to experience New Zealand products through food and wine tastings, demonstrations or at art exhibition openings.

“We also anticipate a lot of foot traffic from shoppers which will help build demand for New Zealand products in Hong Kong and also in China, given that more than one million people from the Mainland visit Hong Kong each month.”

Fisher & Paykel General Manager, Global Sales & Marketing, Malcolm Harris, says the company is excited about the opportunity to showcase its products in a uniquely New Zealand environment, alongside other innovative kiwi brands and products.

“New Zealand Focus offers us a variation from the traditional retail environment. There are significant growth opportunities in Northern Asia and we view this initiative as key in our expansion strategy into other markets, through the development of relationships with Hong Kong based property developers,” says Mr Harris.

New Zealand Natural Chief Executive, Stewart Alexander, says New Zealand Focus provides the company with excellent New Zealand brand exposure, as well as the opportunity to showcase its product to Hong Kong consumers.

“We already have a presence in Hong Kong and our participation in this centre complements this activity well. In addition, it gives us a good reference point to be able to reach into other Asian markets,” says Mr Alexander.

Tim Gibson says a number of other New Zealand companies have already indicated they will support New Zealand Focus, which will open later in 2005.

NZTE will fund establishment costs and some of the running costs for the first few years, with partners represented at the centre meeting the balance and eventually taking over ownership and management of the facility.

Companies interested in having their products in New Zealand Focus should call NZTE’s enterprise hotline on 0800 555 888. More information is available at www.nzte.govt.nz/chinahongkong

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