Mrs Higgins to Open Seven More Cookie Stores in China
New Zealand soft-centered gourmet Cookies are one of the latest NZ products to make a big impact in China. After opening
three pilot stores in Shanghai in the last 18 months, the company is set to open another seven in 2nd and 3rd tier
cities in China’s eastern Zhejiang province.
West Auckland-based company, Mrs Higgins, teamed up with New Zealand entrepreneur Greg Harvey (Kiwi Cookies) and his
business partner Jenny Zheng in 2012 to take Mrs Higgins Cookies to China. After some product tailoring for the Chinese
market, the three pilot stores proved successful with both expat and Chinese customers alike.
The Cookie Dough and Brownies are prepared at Mrs Higgins’ Auckland factory and are exported to China for in-store
baking. While the Cookies are retailed, marketed and wholesaled in China as ‘Kiwi Cookies’ to better promote the New
Zealand connection and the product’s origin, the stores are all co-branded as Mrs Higgins stores.
Recently Kiwi Cookies has teamed up with Chinese company Sun Baker to open seven more stores outside of Shanghai in
several eastern regional centres. Over the next 24 months, two Kiwi Cookies stores will open in Shaoxing (pop. 4.9M),
three in Hangzhou (pop. 6.2M), followed by two in Ningbo (pop. 3.5M).
Sun Baker currently operates 30 bread shops, cafes and pizza shops in China’s Zhejiang province.
Greg Harvey is excited at the prospect of opening seven more stores and working with Sun Baker; “This is a real
opportunity to reach beyond Shanghai and take our wonderful Gourmet Cookies into several key regional markets,” he says.
“It is also consistent with our strategy to re-focus our growth efforts on 2nd and 3rd tier cities where competition and
real estate is more favourable to business development. In addition Sun Baker are experts in their field, have a well
established market presence, and are excited and passionate about our Cookies and their sales potential. We’re very
pleased to be able to introduce our delicious kiwi-made Oven-Fresh Cookies to a whole new group of customers in
Shaoxing, Hangzhou and Ningbo.”
Mrs Higgins director Wendy Brackenridge is also very excited about the growth plans: “Within 24 months we will be
operating more Cookie stores in China than New Zealand! Like other NZ exporters, the China market represents
considerable growth potential for Mrs Higgins and we are delighted to be partnered with Kiwi Cookies and Sun Baker.”
ENDS