Marketing to Asia’s Muslim consumers
Two thirds of the world’s Muslim population lives in Asia, and the group has its own distinct customs and religious festivals. Session two of the Asiafruit Congress looked at how fresh produce marketers can take advantage of the opportunities offered by these events.
Opening the session was Yongky Susilo of analyst AC Nielsen Indonesia, who explained that many Muslims live in developing nations with poor cold chain infrastructure and low household fridge ownership.
Despite those hurdles, Mr Susilo explained Islam put a particular focus on fresh produce. “Fruit, vegetables and healthy food are featured often in the Koran and Hadith,” he explained, adding the Koran suggests certain fruits like dates should be eaten during the Ramadan religious festival.
Ramadan is, of course, the most important date on the Islamic calendar for fresh produce traders. Sales of certain categories of fresh fruit skyrockets over the festival. Retail sales in Indonesia, with country with the world’s largest Islamic population, peak in the third quarter of the year during Ramadan, said Mr Susilo; that quarter alone accounts for about 45 per cent of annual sales, he explained.
For a success story of marketing during that important period, the session heard from Kafi Kurnia of the California Table Grape Commission, based in Indonesia.
In part due to in-store displays during Ramadan, Indonesia has become the fourth largest export market for Californian table grapes, he stated, adding the product even outsells dates in some retail outlets over the period.
“Product sampling is still the most effective promotion,” he said. “You have high visibility displays, then sampling. Retailers are now shifting to grapes instead of dates for big Ramadan displays.”
A full report on Asiafruit Congress and ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA will appear in the October edition of Asiafruit Magazine.
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