I have just finished a very successful Chinese road show to launch the L’Huguenot wine with Perfect China, our partners in the Perfect Wines of South Africa joint venture that produces and distributes L’Huguenot.
During the trip I spoke to thousands of the top sales people who will sell L’Huguenot wine and was impressed by the size and professional operation of our business partner.
Perfect China has more than 5,000 outlets in China and a turnover of RMB 12 billion. Every month between 500,000 and 600,000 sales people work through Perfect China’s direct sales network. The company’s facilities are world class.
Perfect China started selling wine in 2011 with two Chinese brands and sold 1.5 million bottles in their first year, convincing them to expand their wine business, hence their partnership with us.
We started with a shipment of 106 containers of the L’Huguenot wine (1,333,333 bottles): the biggest wine shipment from South Africa to China and I understand also the biggest international wine shipment to China in a single transaction.
Mr Woo Swee Lian President of Perfect China announced in the company forecast for 2012 that they want wine sales to comprise 15% of their turnover. I have no doubt they will succeed and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership.