Multi-country infant milk Powder limited to purchase the regular electric dealer to seize the market

CUBN reporter Song Bo Beijing report

Recently, a number of countries around the world to tighten the purchase of infant milk powder policy. British media reported that the United Kingdom has also begun to promote infant formula restriction measures. It is widely believed that such restrictions are actually targeted at Chinese customers.

In the past few months, Germany, New Zealand, Australia and other countries have introduced baby milk restriction. As the most convenient Hong Kong for mainland consumers, since March 1 this year, persons aged 16 and above who have left Hong Kong are not allowed to carry infant formula with a total net weight of more than 1.8 kg per day, and the offender is liable to a maximum fine of HK $500,000 and two years ' imprisonment upon conviction.

As early as last year, New Zealand has launched a campaign to combat the illegal export of infant formula, saying all the moves to bring dairy products from New Zealand's territory are seen as output. Some supermarkets in the United States have also been exposed to restrictions on purchase orders. This also makes the overseas milk powder purchase of the operability of less and less.

Multi-country implementation of restriction policy

Starting in April, some supermarkets in the UK began restricting customers to only two cans of baby formula. A few months ago, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia and other countries had introduced milk-restriction purchases, as New Zealand, the world's largest supplier of milk, suffered a severe drought.

According to reports, the UK's largest chain of supermarkets, including Morrison, Sen, Asda and Tesco, has recently announced that consumers can only buy two cans of infant formula at a time. Jonubold, a chain spokeswoman for the company, said: "Our baby milk powder supplier Danone has asked us to impose restrictions on two cans of milk per customer." ”

German milk restriction is starting from the end of January, Germany's largest commodity chain DM and Rossmann and other large chain stores in the milk powder counters, said, "Each customer can only buy 3 cans of milk powder." Recently, DM supermarket limit purchase regulations and "upgrade", not only limited to buy 3 cans, but also required to show the children's identity card or with children to buy.

DM Supermarket A staff member, who declined to be named, said that they had only received an internal notice from Headquarters asking for a limited purchase of milk powder, and there was no formal notice below. Most consumers do not know about this, only when customers buy more than 3 cans of milk powder, the salesperson will inform the purchase of the matter.

From March onwards, the Dutch merchants throughout the country to implement strict milk restriction measures, only allow each customer to buy 1 to 3 cans of milk powder, to ensure that the shelves on the milk powder constantly stalls, local mothers can feed their babies.

Holland's largest supermarket chain supermarkets Ahold supermarket, the Dutch commodity chain supermarket etos and so on in The Hague several stores, are placed in the container of milk powder in English or Dutch said "each customer (or group) can only buy 1 cans of milk" label. Even so, most of the milk's containers are empty.

In Australia, some supermarkets, drug health care stores and retailers have recently seen a shortage of infant formula supply. Since January this year, the major supermarkets, drug health care stores jointly adopted the "protection of their own babies" action, each person limited to buy 4 cans of baby milk powder.

It is reported that the monitoring system will be collected data into the cashier system, 24 hours of excess or repeated buyers, the computer refused to pass. The local post office originally said to limit the amount of milk powder mailed, but because the market from the source of the purchase volume, the post office that there is no need to cordon, but increased mailing costs. Now, the cost of milk powder is basically the same as the price of milk powder, if combined with insurance, than the price of milk powder higher.

New Zealand, the world's largest supplier of dairy products, has already posted a "two cans per person limit" Purchase order in the infant milk powder area in early 2012. The purchase order was "upgraded" in September 2012. New Zealand's official statement said that all the milk products away from New Zealand's local behavior is considered output, including online shopping and friends and family gifts channels. In New Zealand, only registered exporters are eligible to export dairy products, including infant formula.

Suspected Chinese consumers

For countries and the Hong Kong region has introduced a succession of policy, is widely believed to be targeted at the Chinese mainland buyers, because the Chinese market demand is too big.

Demand for foreign-branded milk powder has been on the rise since Chinese companies were exposed to melamine in infant formula in 2008. In a recent statement, the French Danone Group, which owns many well-known milk brands such as Rican, pens, and so on, said directly that the surge in demand "comes from a private export to China to meet the needs of Chinese parents wanting their children to eat Western-branded milk powder."

Today, overseas milk powder purchase is blocked, in the face of huge market demand, many regular electric dealers also took the opportunity to seize the market.

It is understood that Le friends pregnant baby and Nestle has just signed a direct agreement, le Friends of the national line under the sale of Nestle brand products, including all infant formula, rice noodles, auxiliary food and pure imported super can en series of powdered milk, and so on, will be from Nestle direct to friends, cancel the intermediary agent distribution link. In addition, Danone also recently in the cow milk powder from the Netherlands directly to the cat flagship, and take the Chinese name "Connaught gifted." Danone said that direct supply can reduce the intermediate links, so that Chinese consumers enjoy the most preferential prices of imported milk powder.

Still, the price of powdered milk has been unstoppable. Help 5 to buy the network recently released monitoring data forecast, the net sale of milk powder, especially imported milk powder price, will continue to rise this year, and triggered a chain effect, triggering the price of other dairy products.

According to help 5 buy Web site real-time monitoring, the last 30 days, the network best-selling "Can Rui Kang", "Cambore" and other New Zealand milk powder prices rose significantly compared with the same period last year, the average price increase in more than 6%. Some of the best-selling varieties rose more than 10%, such as the Karicare3 section last year, the net price average of 180 yuan, and the latest net price average of 200 yuan.

In response to this phenomenon, dairy industry expert Dingmian in the media interview that how to ensure the quality of domestic milk powder brand, set up domestic consumers of the local milk powder confidence, so that domestic consumers do not like guerrillas to buy overseas milk powder is a top priority.