"I'm sorry, sir, but for procurement-related business, you need to contact the procurement department. I don't have the authority to make decisions."
"Also, please be advised that our procurement manager usually purchases goods through bidding conferences. If you wish to promote your products, you can make an appointment with him in advance and then participate in the bidding."
Chen Yang's expression remained unchanged as he listened to the head of the supermarket's food section.
"Thank you for the reminder, Manager Yuan. If our products have the opportunity to appear in your food section in the future, please place them on a prominent shelf for us."
Seeing that Chen Yang seemed completely unfazed by her discouraging words, Yuan Ping showed a hint of surprise.
This young man was so handsome and spoke so well. Perhaps he could really secure an order from procurement.
"Alright, as long as the procurement department places an order and the goods arrive, I will definitely place Mr. Chen's goods in the most conspicuous spot in our canned goods section."
People are creatures of perception. Although Chen Yang had been reborn, the demeanor of a business magnate was still evident in his every word and deed.
Others might not be sensitive to this aura, but Yuan Ping, as one of the supermarket managers, could vaguely sense it.
So, she instinctively agreed to Chen Yang's request. After all, it didn't significantly affect her which goods were placed where; it was just a favor.
Chen Yang turned and left the supermarket. Following Yuan Ping's directions, he found the procurement manager.
Chen Yang knew the ins and outs of procurement. It all boiled down to which boss had a good relationship with the procurement officer.
As long as the quality wasn't too different, the one who gave more would naturally get the order. Sudananovel.com
Therefore, without a word, Chen Yang handed the procurement manager a red packet of one thousand Hong Kong dollars. The plump manager opened two cans of fermented fish and tasted it. With squinted eyes, he placed an order for a thousand cans to test the waters.
Chen Yang's unit price wasn't expensive. A can of fermented fish cost five Hong Kong dollars, which, when converted to USD at the exchange rate, was just over seventy cents, or about one yuan.
This price wasn't high, considering the average salary in Hong Kong was over a hundred yuan at the time. A can of fermented fish typically weighed between seven hundred grams and one kilogram. Even buying a fish in Hong Kong cost more than two yuan per jin.
However, Chen Yang knew this was just a trial run. Whether there would be subsequent orders depended on whether the fermented fish could conquer the taste buds of Hong Kong customers.
For this batch of fermented fish, Chen Yang didn't make them too spicy. Instead, he focused on a fresh and sweet flavor, adding only a little red oil for color.
After all, Hong Kong people's taste buds were closer to those of Guangdong province, and they didn't favor spicy food much.
Placing the order was just the first step; the subsequent promotion was crucial.
Many people here didn't know what fermented fish was. They were unfamiliar with this product. Even if Yuan Ping agreed to place the fermented fish on the most prominent shelf, it wouldn't necessarily generate a desire to purchase.
Therefore, Chen Yang planned to use a modern-day live-streaming style promotion once the goods arrived.
When holding an event at a supermarket to attract foot traffic, he would dress up a few migrant workers who hadn't eaten for a few meals and have them eat rice with these cans of fermented fish.
They would take turns eating heartily for several meals, and then open some cans of fermented fish for passing customers to taste, thus attracting customers to buy.
This type of marketing was practically non-existent in supermarkets at this time. If it weren't for the difficulty of obtaining the permit, Chen Yang would have wanted Zhang Weiyang to be solely responsible for this promotion.
Chen Yang trusted Zhang Weiyang, a staunch executor of his marketing strategies. Zhang Weiyang was intelligent and could easily grasp his innovative ideas, even if they were ahead of their time.
He could effectively execute marketing campaigns, which put Chen Yang at ease.
Chen Yang, holding the order, bid farewell to Yuan Ping and shared his ideas. Yuan Ping's eyes widened as she listened to Chen Yang explain the promotional methods.
She had been the manager of the supermarket's food section for five or six years, but she had always operated in a conventional manner, with fluctuating sales figures.
Her sales were primarily linked to Hong Kong's economy. When the economy was good and people's wages were high, her sales were high; when the economy was poor and wages were low, her sales were low.
This was the first time Yuan Ping had learned about such promotional methods. Chen Yang saw that this young woman understood nothing about marketing techniques.
To curry favor with her, he decided to teach her some modern supermarket promotional tactics, like the weekend specials where eggs were sold for a dime.
Didn't one often see elderly people in their seventies and eighties rushing into supermarkets with plastic bags and cloth sacks to snatch up eggs and special offer vegetables when the doors opened on weekends?
Promotion means stimulating consumption.
As long as your methods were clever, you could attract consumers regardless of their financial status.
Think about platforms like Pinduoduo in the future. They would occasionally push advertisements to you. If you saw a special offer that was cheap, attractive, and practical, you might click on it.
Once you clicked in, you might find yourself placing several orders before you could exit.
In fact, many people later discovered that while the discounted purchases were cheap, the items they bought often ended up cluttering their homes and were not necessarily useful.
"Thank you, Mr. Chen. Please rest assured, when I organize promotions later, I will definitely implement the marketing strategies for your fermented fish cans that you've instructed."
"If the promotional effect is good, I will directly report it to the supermarket manager, and then have the procurement department place more orders for your fermented fish."
Yuan Ping's mind was opened by Chen Yang's explanation of supermarket promotional techniques.
She felt as if she had found a clear path to promotion.
The other department stores in Hong Kong would likely be outcompeted by her. At that time, the supermarket manager might even promote her to deputy manager.
Marketing talent is always valued by leaders. Who wouldn't like a subordinate who could make them money?
"Alright, I'll trouble you then. If there's an opportunity, I'll send my assistant to help you with the promotion, and we'll strive for a win-win cooperation."
Chen Yang smiled faintly. The supermarket orders were only a part of his plan. Next, he needed to visit some condiment wholesalers or food wholesalers in Hong Kong.
Supermarkets could only handle a small portion; these food wholesalers were the real key.
If he could open up their channels, Chen Yang's fermented fish cans would soon appear in various small grocery stores across Hong Kong.
This was the role of mid-level service providers. Of course, more powerful direct sales would involve direct control of offline distribution, but playing this game required ample manpower and capital. Otherwise, it was easy for the capital chain to break or for insufficient supervision to lead to subordinates falsifying accounts and embezzling funds.
Chen Yang was able to achieve direct offline sales in Anhui and Jiangsu provinces mainly by leveraging government support, as his taxes were based on turnover.
This turnover was a key focus for the government, as it was the basis for taxation. Moreover, most stores were operated by department stores or supply and marketing cooperatives, so every move was under scrutiny, products were relatively uniform, and prices fluctuated very little.
These multiple factors enabled Chen Yang to establish direct offline stores. However, in Hong Kong, he lacked this capability and had to rely on intermediaries who possessed the resources.