On December 15, the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) in Shanghai and Benlai Information Technology Co. launched the first phase of their new partnership under the “Journey Through Italian Inspirations 2024-2025” campaign. The event, marked by the ribbon-cutting of the Italian Pavilion on major Chinese online platforms and apps, signals the beginning of a strategic collaboration aimed at promoting high-quality Italian food and beverage products in China.
Benlai Group, founded in 2012, is China’s leading direct-to-consumer platform and a pioneer in premium fresh groceries. The platform, which reaches over 300 cities, serves 30 million registered users and over 100,000 corporate clients. With products from 58 countries and 493 international brands, Benlai has become a key player in bringing imported goods to Chinese consumers.
BENLAI + ITA: A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP
The focus of the ITA-Benlai agreement is to fully harness Benlai’s diverse digital and offline channels, including its app, WeChat Mini-program, Weibo, Xiaohongshu (RED), Douyin (TikTok), and Benlai Fresh physical stores. The collaboration will also include a €4.8 million investment in purchasing and digital marketing activities to expand the reach of Italian products in China.
Augusto Di Giacinto, Director of ITA’s Shanghai office, expressed enthusiasm for the renewed partnership, stating, “We aim to introduce a wider range of Italian food and wine products, offering Chinese consumers an authentic taste of Italian culinary culture.”
Qian Zhenshu, Vice President of Benlai, added, “We are confident that this collaboration will create synergies across our platforms, further raising awareness of Italian food culture and providing Chinese consumers with a broader selection of high-quality products.”
KEY EVENTS AND CAMPAIGNS
The partnership will feature a series of promotional events running until December 2025, aligned with key Chinese holidays like the Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. The campaign will use both online and offline strategies to engage consumers and encourage the purchase of Italian products.
Key events include:
- December 2024: Launch event, Let’s Have Fun! Italian Christmas City Walk
- February 2025: Let Love Flow in the Moment
- April 2025: Enjoy Each Meal – Social Sharing Campaign
May 2025: Discover Italian Inspiration - July 2025: 717 Let’s Go Home for Dinner – Benlai’s anniversary celebrations
- August 2025: Mid-Autumn Festival
- September-October 2025: Wine Tasting – Let’s Get Tipsy Tonight
- November 2025: Italian Cheese Festival + SCIM Italian Cuisine Week Worldwide
The Italian Pavilion will remain accessible online throughout the campaign, with a dedicated page on the Benlai app and WeChat Mini-program. Offline, Benlai will set up areas in its physical stores to promote Italian products, complemented by tastings, B2B events, influencer-led livestreaming, and recipe videos to boost digital and social media engagement.
GROWING DEMAND FOR ITALIAN FOOD IN CHINA
China remains a key market for Italian food exports, with strong growth potential. In 2023, China imported $761 million worth of Italian food and beverages, a 2.18% increase from the previous year, despite a broader decline in total sector imports. Italy outperformed other European competitors, such as the Netherlands and Spain, which saw declines of 9% and 11.46%, respectively.
From January to September 2024, Italian food exports to China reached $607 million, up 11.38% from the same period in 2023, while total food imports to China fell by -10.81%.