IGD has strengthened its presence in Asia-Pacific with a new team on the ground in Singapore.
The IGD Singapore team comprises programme director Shirley Zhu, who previously worked for the food and grocery research charity in Shanghai for three years, and senior retail analyst Soo-Eng Tan (pictured in the gallery, below right).
IGD chief executive Joanne Denney-Finch said: “IGD forecasts Asia-Pacific to be the biggest engine of growth in the global grocery market over the next five years, with sales to exceed that of Europe and North America combined.
“The region has a fast-paced retail environment, driven by a growing middle class and a sharp focus on technology and innovation. Many food and consumer goods companies will view this region as key to their growth strategy over the next five years, which is why we are strengthening our presence here.”
Commenting on Zhu and Tan’s appointments, she added: “Shirley and Soo-Eng have a wealth of research and FMCG experience to draw on and will be well placed from the offices of our friends at FIA to expand our presence in this dynamic market.
Zhu’s role in Singapore is to build IGD’s Asian research coverage and expand its food and grocery network in the region. Before working for IGD, she held roles in FMCG research at CIC, Nielsen and SIG.
Soo-Eng also joins IGD with a strong consumer research background, having worked for Unilever, Millward Brown and Suntory in roles across Asia. She will focus on India, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand, as well as the role of discounters and supermarkets in the Asian grocery market.
IGD Singapore is based at the offices of trade association Food Industry Asia (FIA), which was founded in July 2010 by a group of leading food and beverage companies.
FIA brings together senior leaders from the industry to champion initiatives that promote sustainable growth and to work together in the areas of food safety, health and nutrition, and regulatory harmonisation.
IGD will be hosting its first-ever supplier briefing in the Asia-Pacific region at the end of February for RedMart, Singapore’s largest online grocery retailer.
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