Consumer goods companies plan to boost Shanghai shopping scene
Leading consumer goods companies have high hopes for Shanghai's shopping scene, mapping out new prospects to further boost the city's overall vitality.
Members of the International Business Leaders' Advisory Council have put forward advice to further unlock potential in terms of health, leisure and sustainability-related spending.
Michel Doukeris, global chief executive officer at AB InBev, believes that the long-term fundamentals for the China economy remain solid.
"We are very bullish about the fundamentals of premiumization, high-quality growth, and development of the Chinese economy," he said in an interview during the IBLAC meeting over the weekend.
He suggested that music and sports events could be further leveraged to project Shanghai and its ability to be a vibrant and iconic city to the world.
A limited edition of Budweiser's city-exclusive beer for Shanghai "Yulan Exploration" was launched this week and the company is considering offering it to the general public to purchase only in the city.
Danone CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique believes that healthy, sustainable and high-quality consumption could effectively boost spending and new development models.
Fostering consumption with health awareness, sustainability and innovation at its core could play key roles in making Shanghai a more robust and more resilient international metropolis, he said.
It was important to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking choices for individuals, he said, given that consumers' commitment to sustainable consumption is on the rise, which further encourages businesses and society to transition faster towards sustainable practices.
"Health-related consumption is no longer confined to the medical sector and Shanghai has a key opportunity to increase the awareness and the availability of wealth-related products, including nutritional foods, to cater for this growing demand," he added.
