China’s rich history of domestic fish – seafood as well as river species – means that freshness is paramount. Consumers might well be accustomed to buying river fish live for example. And this has a big impact on the perception of pre-cut, store bought products like imported seafood.
Freshness is king
Chinese consumer deep diveFreshness was a key concern among the 24 consumers in the study, with most negative views focused here.
For example, when considering sashimi as a home meal, consumers raised concerns around their ability to choose the freshest pieces. They also voiced concerns around how long salmon had been on sale.
When it comes to home consumption in particular, imported Atlantic seafood is still a new product for many – and this has an impact on how confident they are in choosing the freshest pieces.
As one consumer commented: ‘The salmon and other fish in the supermarket all look good, but I don’t know exactly when they were imported. I want to be sure I am getting the freshest fish’.
"The salmon and other fish in the supermarket all look good, but I don’t know exactly when they were imported. I want to be sure I am getting the freshest fish."
Still, these concerns can be turned to opportunity for the Norwegian brand, which is already associated with clean, clear waters, high quality and stringent safety standards.
Despite being cold-chain reliant, the fact that products such as Norwegian salmon are favoured by the rising middle class as a high-value species serves as further proof that this is a product that arrives fresh – and can be trusted.
Imported Atlantic seafood is also seen as a healthy, versatile choice and a good dinner option, with perceived benefits falling into two broad categories: convenience and health.
On the convenience side, an imported fish dinner can be prepared quickly by steaming or braising – or eating raw in the case of salmon sashimi – and Atlantic fish is seen as reliably fresh. It is also a versatile choice that suits a child’s palate as much as an adult.
On the health side, this is a meal that is seen as providing many essential nutrients – including protein and Omega-3 – that are key for healthy lifestyles and to support a growing child. It is also seen as a good option for those on a diet – an important consideration in a country where thinness is highly valued.
Across the board, our shoppers saw a fish dinner as something they would eat during the week, alone, with friends or with family. There is no need to wait for a special occasion. But the weekend might still call for something a little more time-consuming: a cod dinner perhaps.
Understanding what ‘freshness’ really means
As Sigmund Bjørgo, NSC country director for China, explained, if you ask a Chinese consumer what they value most in their seafood, they are almost certainly going to answer ‘freshness’ – a term that holds many qualities.
So what exactly does that mean and how do consumers make decisions around freshness as they shop? It is helpful to look at the way that our 24 Chinese shoppers plan their meals.
Most plan ahead and while some might buy out of habit, they are rarely pulled into impulse purchases based on discounts. Instead, for a promotion to appeal, it must apply to products that meet existing needs or fit into pre-made plans.
Most consumers that took part in the qualitative research felt that
fish should be bought on the day – with freshness the key driver. Some consumers already had fish in their fridge, with its popularity within the family one reason to keep a well-stocked supply.
But many did not already have it and the main reason was a concern that, if kept too long, freshness would decrease and nutritional value would be lost. Interestingly, this is a worry shared by those with fish already in the fridge.
Frozen doesn’t carry much appeal either. Consumers felt that the process of freezing would impact nutrition, while the process of defrosting would add excess water, affecting the quality of the fish.
Given how easy it is to buy via an online app for home delivery, many consumers simply buy on the day. As one commented: ‘I usually buy fish on the day I plan to eat it, because if I store it in the fridge I am likely to forget about it and its nutritional value will decrease’.
"The fish has to look really fresh for me to buy it. I’m not an expert, so I can only judge freshness by its smell and appearance."
Researchers found that the online option was most popular during the week, when consumers might be more time pressed. Here, where other factors for assessing freshness are removed, trust in the channel is even more important – and clear origin becomes key.
But offline shopping still holds a lot of benefits – especially when it comes to shopping for seafood. These include familiarity and service for example – with the fish counter assisting with bone removal or preparing a preferred cut.
There might be more variety of choice, while trust in the supply chain gives consumers a sense of confidence in their purchase. As one consumer explained: ‘I use both online and offline channels, but when shopping offline, I pay attention to the store environment and the fish itself’.
Another points to key senses – sight and smell – as being crucial. ‘The fish has to look really fresh for me to buy it. I’m not an expert, so I can only judge freshness by its smell and appearance’.
Within a store, there are a number of factors that consumers will look to when buying seafood – some more obvious than others. For example, the display area must be clean, tidy and without a fishy smell: Chinese consumers are less accepting of pungent aromas than in some other markets.
Packaging must be tight and both country of origin and price should be clear, though some continue to note a distrust of this information. More detail can help here: for example, packaging should indicate fishing time, sea area, cold-chain trajectory, a best-before date and even cooking suggestions.
A food-grade silicone film-sealed tray – suitable for direct steaming or microwave heating – with a built-in ‘easy-pull ring’ eliminates the need for scissors.
An additional ‘flavour card’ with suitable seasonings or a QR code directing consumers to short cooking videos can help overcome
hurdles to buying.
While no specific type of fish is considered unappealing, the more processed a product is, the harder they find it to measure freshness.
Fish balls – an established but typically industrial product in China – are generally less tempting, because their texture and appearance make it hard to judge the quality of raw materials and production process.