Shanghai and most major Chinese cities lack organized outdoor food centers and night markets, which are a colorful and popular part of daily life in places like Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. But now that’s changing here in Shanghai, which is rolling out ambitious plans for a series of such centers modeled on the famous Shihlin night market in Taipei.
This kind of move seems long overdue, and could kill many birds with a single stone. Most importantly it would help to rid the streets of annoying hawkers, and it would also remove a source of noise and congestion that is irritating for nearby residents. It would also tackle the problem of food safety, since concentrating such hawkers in supervised centers would make it easier to monitor their quality. Read Full Post…
I like to write occasionally about the market for traditional Chinese liquor known as baijiu, often more out of personal interest than because I see any big potential in the sector. While many of China’s other food and beverage sectors have consolidated around a few key players over the last 15 years, baijiu has been strangely resistant to such a movement. As a result, the industry remains highly fragmented and not very interesting for investors. But recent signs are pointing to a potential consolidation finally on the way, including the latest word that food and beverage giant Wahaha is entering the field in a bid to develop a new national brand based in southwest China’s Maotai county, an area famous for the traditional liquor. Read Full Post…
