The Truth about the Huge Profits in Imported Mooncake Agency

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches again, the mooncake market is already full of fierce competition. While traditional mooncake brands are engaged in intense battles, a niche track is quietly emerging - the agency of imported mooncakes. Last year, Mr. Zhang acted as an agent for a Japanese nama chocolate mooncake, and the sales volume exceeded one million within just one month. Ms. Li sold French macaron mooncakes to second- and third-tier cities through cross-border e-commerce platforms. This can't help but make people curious: Is the agency of imported mooncakes a short-lived festival economy or a blue ocean market worthy of long-term layout?

Compared with traditional mooncakes, the appeal of imported mooncakes is mainly reflected in three aspects:

• Differentiated Taste: Innovative flavors such as Belgian chocolate lava and Italian tiramisu satisfy the curiosity of young people.

• Exquisite Packaging Design: Japanese minimalist style and European retro gift boxes have become social currencies.

• Upgraded Gift Attribute: The premium space brought by the imported label can be 3 to 5 times that of ordinary mooncakes.

Data from Zhongshitong Supply Chain shows that in the two weeks before the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2023, the search volume of imported mooncakes surged by 210% year-on-year, with consumers aged 25 to 35 accounting for 67%.

If you want to get a share in this market, you need to pay special attention to:

• Product Selection Strategy: Avoid choosing products containing meat, eggs or dairy ingredients to have a higher success rate of customs clearance.

• Logistics Timeliness: You must calculate the time of sea/air transportation well. It is recommended to stock up 90 days in advance.

• Compliance of Qualifications: Imported foods need to provide certificates of origin, health certificates and Chinese label filings.

An agent who did not want to disclose his name once underestimated the customs clearance process, resulting in mooncakes worth 800,000 yuan being stuck at the customs and finally missing the prime sales period.

With the changes in channels, the agency of imported mooncakes also presents new trends:

Live broadcasts on Douyin have become incubators for bestsellers. A Korean ice-skin mooncake was sold out with 20,000 boxes in a single live stream by an influencer. Community group buying has opened up the sinking market, reducing the cost of cold chain through the "pre-sale + pick-up" model. However, it should be noted that the price comparison mechanism on cross-border e-commerce platforms is squeezing the profit margin, and the gross profit margin of some products has dropped below 30%.

The agency of imported mooncakes is like a business racing against time. You need to grasp the golden window of the two months before the Mid-Autumn Festival and also cope with the ever-changing market tastes. Perhaps as an industry veteran said: "This is not a simple buying and selling business, but a comprehensive test of supply chain management, marketing rhythm and risk control."

After reading this article, will you choose to wait and see or are you ready to contact the supplier immediately? Welcome to share your opinions in the comment section. Maybe next Mid-Autumn Festival, we can see your story on the sales list.