launched its iconic bread brand, Tip Top, in a comparatively small

market in China. The city of Wuhan has provided a location for learning

before the company tackles the Tier 1 urban centres of Beijing, Shanghai

and Guangzhou. Tastes for bread are sweeter in China and sandwiches are

not on the menu – although in the presence of global fast food chains,

such as McDonald’s, the market is rapidly changing. Companies that are

keen to cash in on China’s vast retail markets tend to focus on the

differences between Chinese consumers and their Western counterparts.

But research shows that growing numbers of urban-dwelling, middle-income

Chinese are sophisticated shoppers with some very familiar habits.