Page 14 - Food&Drink Magazine October 2021

EXPORT
Made Group’s juicy Japan deal
From initial research to juices on Japanese shelves, Made Group’s entry into Japan has been swift and successful with the support of Austrade.
BEVERAGE business Made Group’s entry into Japan’s sophisticated and competitive beverage market with its cold-pressed juices moved quickly from research to securing a distribution deal in five months.
The project saw Austrade act as its ‘boots on the ground’ when COVID-19 made travel impossible. It also provided Made Group with market research, advice and partner introductions.
Made Group CEO and co-founder Luke Marget says it’s hard to see how an exporter could make a successful market entry without Austrade’s assistance.
The deal comes as Austrade is scaling up its services to help agri-exporters under the Agribusiness Expansion Initiative. Federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan was recently in Japan
ABOVE: Made Group’s Impressed cold pressed juices have impressed the Japanese market.
looking at opportunities for Australian produce in the Japanese market.
“Japanese demand for premium Australian products had never been greater. Supporting our local producers to reach the Japanese market is a win for Australian businesses and for Japanese consumers,” Tehan says.
IDENTIFY GAPS
Made Group’s export manager Phil Roberts’s research into food trends in Japan identified gaps in the market that some of the group’s products could fill. Further investigations with Austrade convinced him there was definitely an opening.
“We found the Japanese cold-pressed juice market was at least five years behind the Australian market,” Roberts says.
“Japanese consumers are currently paying top dollar for cold-pressed juices. There was a gap we could fill: we could offer
cold-pressed juices that are available on the shelf and at a similar price to a regular juice.”
BOOTS ON THE GROUND
When COVID-19 prevented Roberts from travelling, Austrade became his ‘boots on the ground’.
The Tokyo office conducted market research, visited retail outlets, assessed competitors and obtained sales and pricing data. The agency also provided a list of distributors and wholesalers that proved there was strong interest in Made Group’s products.
“The Austrade business development manager did a lot of work on the ground to get us to a point where we could send samples to distributors,” Roberts says. “She vetted distributors and provided detailed feedback that helped us make an informed decision on who to go with.
“Having someone on our side over there providing research, insights, support, translations and market advice was invaluable at a time when we couldn’t travel to the market ourselves. I’d advise any exporter to engage with Austrade.”
CONNECTED PARTNERS
The first bottles of Impressed juices began appearing in multiple major supermarkets and convenience stores across Japan in January 2021. Made Group is currently negotiating with a major convenience store chain to stock its juices.
Roberts says it took around five months from engaging Austrade to securing the distribution agreement and sending their first shipment to Japan.
“The speed of it was unlike anything I’ve seen before,” Roberts says. “We were fortunate to land a distributor with a sales agent who knew all the major retail buyers in our category. He saw the opportunity to bring in
cold-pressed juices and acted on it straightaway.”
Roberts adds: ”Exporters should check if potential distributors have deep connections in the retail sector, and that they have the capacity to build your brand, particularly if you’re new to the market.”
A COMPLEX MARKET
Japan is a rewarding but demanding market, according to Roberts.
“The Japan project was very challenging. Japanese buyers have high expectations. There are also complexities associated with retail relationships, importing regulations, labelling and customs clearances.
“It’s a market with a very different way of doing business. You really need to do your research and be sure of your strategy. You have to treat Japan differently to any other market you export to,” he says.
Made Group is looking into developing a different bottle for Japan and developing new flavours. “We’ve never done this for any other market but for Japan, we think it’s essential to follow the consumer,” Roberts says.
While Made Group will continue to focus on Japan for the next 12 months, it is eager to export more of its brands to the market.
Its success in Japan has “opened our eyes to Korea and we have started engaging with the Austrade team there,” Roberts says.
“We will continue to build our presence in existing markets
– we’ll soon start exporting our Rokeby Farm brand to the Philippines. We are having discussions about expansion in markets we want to build like Hong Kong and Thailand.”
The company is focused on cementing its brands in existing markets while exploring new opportunities. ✷
14 | Food&Drink business | October 2021 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au