McVitie’s owner pladis is expanding the brand in China with a new snack range developed specifically for local consumers as part of plans to build McVitie’s into a £1bn global brand.
While a limited range of McVitie’s biscuits is already available in China, the business is broadening the brand’s presence through products created for Chinese tastes and shopping habits.
The first China-specific range, McVitie’s Flipz, will launch this month in Shanghai and Guangzhou. Produced in China, the chocolate-coated pretzel range will be available in matcha honey, lemon Basque cheesecake and chocolate hazelnut flavours.
The products have been developed in a smaller, bite-sized format to suit local snacking habits.
Rather than exporting products from Europe, pladis has tailored the range around Chinese consumer preferences, including flavour profiles, portion sizes, manufacturing and routes to market.
The company believes China represents a major long-term opportunity. The country’s sweet biscuit market is worth around £5bn and has recorded a 5.6% compound annual growth rate over the past decade.
The initial launch in Shanghai and Guangzhou will be followed by expansion into additional Chinese cities in 2027.
