Every reporter: Sun Yuting Every editor: Yang Jun
In March, Chengdu is filled with the aroma of hot pot and the sweet and salty flavors of snacks. As a &#34;barometer&#34; of China's food and beverage industry, the 114th National Sugar and Wine Commodity Fair is being held here. In the 325,000 square meter exhibition area, 6,600 companies from around the world have gathered, some for business development, some to showcase new products, and some to meet old friends.
Reporters from the Daily Economic News found that this annual industry event is quietly changing: suppliers from Sam's Club are showcasing new products, live streaming studios have been set up in the exhibition halls, exhibitors from Taiwan have participated for 17 consecutive years, and Japan's Calbee has brought domestically produced cereal for the first time... Different people, with different purposes, are converging in this city known for its &#34;delicious food.&#34;
Below are their stories at the Sugar and Wine Fair.
<h2>What are Sam's suppliers discussing at the Sugar and Wine Fair?</h2>
The booth of Ganyuan Food from Pingxiang, Jiangxi, is prominently located at the entrance of the Xibo City exhibition hall, with a bright yellow main visual that stands out on site. As a long-term supplier for Sam's Club, this company, which started with bean snacks, is participating in both the hotel exhibition and the main exhibition this year.
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(Ganyuan Food booth. Photo provided by the interviewee)
&#34;The hotel exhibition mainly attracts new distributors and small to medium-sized distributors; the main exhibition has some platform providers and channel purchasers,&#34; a staff member told reporters from the Daily Economic News. &#34;We brought many new products this year and want to use both platforms to reach different types of customers and gather market feedback.&#34;
When discussing the purpose of attending the exhibition, he stated: &#34;We come to the exhibition every year. Besides client negotiations, the exhibition serves more as a platform for brand showcasing and industry communication, allowing everyone to see our commitment to product research and innovation. We hope to have a good space to sit down and have meaningful conversations with new and old friends.&#34;
He added that this year the leisure food industry is showing a trend of diversified development, but Ganyuan remains focused on its main product lines. Choosing to exhibit on both platforms allows for concentrated showcasing of new product achievements and enables more diverse channel customers to understand the brand up close, further expanding the space for communication and cooperation.
Similarly, at the booth of Xiao Hu Ya, another supplier for Sam's snacks, staff members were organizing new product packaging while conversing with reporters.
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(Xiao Hu Ya booth. Photo by Daily Economic News reporter Sun Yuting)
&#34;Our core purpose for coming this time is to promote brand awareness, and we also want to discuss our new packaging designs and many new products launched this year.&#34;
Regarding the changes at the exhibition, she admitted: &#34;We have been particularly busy since we arrived here yesterday, and we hardly had time to walk around the exhibition.&#34;
As soon as she finished speaking, a staff member hurried over and whispered, &#34;There are distributors wanting to come in for discussions, and they are currently scheduling entry.&#34;
<h2>The live broadcast room moves into the Sugar and Alcohol Fair: broadcasting for ten hours a day, tired yet happy</h2>
The reporter noticed a new change at this year's Sugar and Alcohol Fair—live streaming on Douyin. In a corner of the food exhibition area at Xibo City, a special area was designated where dozens of brands were live streaming simultaneously, with shouts and calls echoing.
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(The e-commerce live streaming area at the Sugar and Alcohol Fair. Photo by Sun Yuting, reporter for Every Day Economic News.)
The booth of the Guizhou local snack brand &#34;Qian Yi Si&#34; was among them, with the host enthusiastically promoting in front of the phone camera. They were invited by the official organizers of the Sugar and Alcohol Fair. &#34;This is a great opportunity; the venue is large, and people from all over the country will come. We want to take this opportunity to promote our brand and let more people know about Guizhou's specialty snacks.&#34;
The operations staff expressed to the reporter that the atmosphere and interaction on-site are incomparable to online. &#34;People come over to taste and chat with us, and after chatting, they might place an order.&#34; He pointed to the audience gathered in front of the booth, &#34;Sometimes you can feel the appreciation others have for our products; this kind of feedback is particularly good and gives a sense of achievement compared to just online live streaming.&#34;
The host continued, &#34;Usually, we live stream in the store for four to five hours a day, but here we broadcast from 8:30 in the morning until five or six in the afternoon, almost 10 hours. But such opportunities are rare; it doesn't feel tiring on-site, as people around you interact with you, providing feedback and creating an atmosphere that feels very rewarding.&#34;
They plan to go eat skewers in the old town after finishing the broadcast: &#34;I heard that the skewers in Chengdu are particularly famous.&#34;
Regarding plans for next year, the operations staff was confident: &#34;We will definitely come. Besides boosting sales, this is also a good way to understand industry trends. Everyone here is interested in the snack industry. We also exchange ideas with surrounding exhibitors, and there may be opportunities for cooperation in the future, which is like a collision of ideas within the industry, yielding a lot.&#34;
He particularly mentioned the inclusiveness of the Sugar and Alcohol Fair: &#34;This exhibition is very inclusive; it has both large manufacturers and small brands like ours that are still growing. It's like a small society, with all kinds of exhibitors, and the diversity is very strong. Some brands actually do very well but lack opportunities for more people to know about them, and this exhibition provides everyone with such opportunities.&#34;
<h2>Familiar Faces and New Moves</h2>
On-site, an exhibitor from Taiwan stated to the reporter from Every Day Economic News that they have participated in the Chengdu Sugar and Alcohol Fair for 17 consecutive years.
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(Taiwanese goods exhibition booth. Photo by Sun Yuting, reporter from Daily Economic News)
&#34;We come every year. From the previous hotel exhibitions to now, we have been exhibiting in Chengdu for several consecutive years. It is equivalent to the first important meeting of the year.&#34; He told reporters that the company is located in Waigaoqiao, Shanghai, and is a convening merchant of the Taiwanese goods center.
In his view, the main functions of the exhibition are attracting investment and brand display. &#34;We are not used to signing contracts on-site, but we have more communication with distributors.&#34;
As a national snack brand in Japan, Calbee's booth was surrounded by inquiring customers. Its staff introduced to the reporter from Daily Economic News that the company is bringing domestically produced cereal for the first time to the Sugar and Wine Fair this year.
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(Japanese snack brand Calbee's booth. Photo by Sun Yuting, reporter from Daily Economic News)
&#34;We do not participate in large domestic exhibitions every year,&#34; she explained. &#34;Generally, we only come to exhibit when launching new products, introducing key products, or upgrading product lines. For the food industry, exhibiting is considered a relatively high investment with a wide coverage. This year coincides with the promotion period for new cereal products, so we came to showcase our products to both new and old customers.&#34;
Speaking about strategies in the Chinese market, she stated: &#34;In Japan, the market share of potato chip products far exceeds that of cereals; in China, it is just the opposite, with cereals being more prominent and potato chips just starting out. This time at the Sugar and Wine Fair, we also hope to expand offline channels and let more consumers know about our potato chip products.&#34;
Daily Economic News

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The 114th National Sugar and Wine Products Trade Fair was held in Chengdu, with 6,600 enterprises participating and an exhibition area of 325,000 square meters. Exhibitors included suppliers of Sam's Club, showcasing new products and seeking market feedback. The fair has become a platform for brand display and industry communication, reflecting the diversified development trend of the snack food industry. Exhibitors hope to reach different customers through dual platforms and expand cooperation opportunities

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A gathering of 6,600 enterprises: What are big brands and small businesses looking for at the Chengdu Sugar and Wine Fair?