Is the imported food agency a highly profitable industry? You may be oversimplifying it

When Mr. Zhang first saw the Italian balsamic vinegar priced at 198 yuan on the supermarket shelf, he realized that something subtle was changing in the imported food market. Imported food, which was a niche consumption three years ago, has quietly infiltrated the shopping lists of ordinary families. Behind this is a hundreds - of - billions - level market with an annual growth rate of over 15%, and even more so, a life - and - death game for a group of companies that.

According to industry data, in 2022, the scale of imported food in China exceeded 180 billion yuan, and the proportion through professional agency company channels reached 63%. This seemingly simple "transportation" business actually constructs a complete business loop:

• Product selection research: Ms. Li's team analyzes more than 2,000 overseas food inspection reports every year
• Compliance and customs clearance: From label review to quarantine certificates, 17 regulatory processes need to be crossed
• Warehousing and logistics: Cold chain transportation costs account for about 12% - 18% of the final selling price

The marketing director of Zhongshitong once revealed three thresholds often underestimated by new entrants:

• Capital settlement: Thefor the first batch of containers is generally 90 - 120 days
• Risk hedging: Exchange rate fluctuations may eat up all profits
• Channel games: The supermarket entry fee can be as high as 40% of the annual sales of a single product

The intelligent customs declaration system has compressed the customs clearance time from 7 days to 8 hours, and blockchain traceability technology has reduced the logistics cost of Korean kimchi by 23%. What's more noteworthy is:

• The proportion of community group - buying channels has jumped from 5% to 27%
• The repurchase rate of small - package trial - eating packages is 3 times that of ordinary products
• Health certification labels increase the product premium space by 15% - 30%

When cross - border e - commerce platforms start to build their own overseas direct - procurement teams, traditional agency companies must re - position their value. Perhaps as Ms. Li said at the industry forum: "What we sell has never been food, but consumers' certainty about a better life." The last mile from the bonded warehouse to the dining table still requires professional service providers to solve practical problems such as cold chain breaks and expiration - date handling.

In this market full of opportunities and challenges, which business model do you favor more? Welcome to share your observations in the comment section.