Langnese琅尼斯
Reversing decline in China's honey market
Germany’s leading honey brand had shelf space in China and falling sales. We went back to the supply chain, the competitors, and the shoppers, then rebuilt the plan with the distributor. The decline stopped.
About twice the price of local honeyDecline reversed2x
roughly what Langnese cost next to local honey on the same shelf
9
growth pillars agreed by brand and distributor
Reversed
a sales decline that had run month after month
New
regional channels where Langnese had no presence before
The shelf The problem
On the shelf, and still losing ground
Langnese is Germany’s leading honey brand, with more than a century of beekeeping behind it and a premium position across Europe.
In China it had done the hard part. It had distribution and shelf space in modern trade. Sales still fell, month after month.
The reason was plain. Shoppers saw local honey sitting next to it for about half the price, and the brand hadn’t given them a reason to pay double. Meanwhile the market had moved to new formats, new channels, and new occasions. The China playbook hadn’t.
Same shelf, different price
Rough shelf price, local honey set at 1
Twice the price needs a reason the shopper can see. In China, Langnese wasn’t giving one.
Diagnosis Research
Start over from the ground up
Before touching the plan, we rebuilt the picture of the market, one link at a time.
Supply chain
Map the route to the shelf
The full distribution chain, from import through wholesale to retail.
Competitors
Benchmark the local brands
Their positioning, pricing, and content across the major platforms.
Shoppers
Ask why people buy
Consumer research in tier 1 and tier 2 cities, to find the real reasons people buy.
Openings
Find where premium can win
Underserved segments and new consumption occasions where a European honey could earn its price.
The rebuild New plan
A plan the distributor signed up to
With the research in hand, we worked with Langnese and its distributor to rebuild the approach. Each change went after one part of the problem.
What changed
- New distribution channels
- Formats for how China uses honey
- Content for each platform
The content made the premium case in terms Chinese shoppers could check for themselves.
Reach
New channels took Langnese into regions where it had never sold.
Use
Fresh product formats fit the way Chinese consumers actually use honey.
Turnaround Results
The decline reversed
Sales stopped falling and turned around. Brand and distributor agreed on nine growth pillars, which became the operating plan for the next phase.
The operating plan
9
growth pillars agreed by brand and distributor
Both sides now work from the same plan.
New ground
From zero
regional channels opened where Langnese had no presence
Distributor commitment came back with them.
Reversed
Long-running sales decline
Month-after-month drops ended
9
Growth pillars
Agreed by brand and distributor
New
Regional channels
Where Langnese had zero presence
Restored
Distributor commitment
Back behind the brand
What carries Takeaways
Shelf space is where the work starts
Chinese shoppers now had real reasons to pick Langnese over local honey, and the price tag was no longer the only thing that set it apart.
What carries over
Justify the premium in public
A higher price on a shared shelf needs a visible reason. Content has to make that case on every platform.
Look at the whole chain
The fix sat in distribution, formats, and content together. Mapping from import to retail showed where.
Plan with the distributor
Nine pillars agreed by both sides put everyone on one operating plan.
Services delivered
- Brand Strategy
- Consulting
- Distribution
- eCommerce
- KOL
- Livestream
- Media
About the data: the price gap is approximate, as described in the case. Results come from our work with Langnese and its distributor in China; sales figures aren’t disclosed here. This case doesn’t cover budgets or commercial terms.
Let’s talk
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