The Digestives producer will now look to grow its footprint in the world’s second-largest economy through locally developed snacks.
This new strategy from parent company Pladis is aimed at building McVitie’s into a £1 billion global brand.
Although McVitie’s products are already available in China on a limited basis, Pladis now plans to expand the brand through locally developed snacks designed specifically for Chinese consumers.
The London-based manufacturer, which also owns Godiva chocolate, launched a locally developed McVitie’s Flipz range in August, mirroring similar strategies undertaken in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
David Murray, chief commercial officer at Pladis, said: “McVitie’s may be famous for biscuits, but its next phase of growth will not come from biscuits alone.
“As we grow internationally, we’re looking at how the McVitie’s brand can play a bigger role across snacking, reaching new consumers through new products and formats.”
Available initially in Shanghai and Guangzhou, the range combines McVitie’s branding with Flipz’s chocolate-coated pretzel format and is offered in three flavours selected for the Chinese market: matcha honey, lemon Basque cheesecake and chocolate hazelnut.
The products have also been developed in a smaller, bite-sized format to reflect local snacking habits. A further rollout is planned for additional Chinese cities in 2027.
The products are being manufactured in China through an approved Pladis partner and sold through major e-commerce platforms including Tmall, JD.com and Douyin, alongside selected retail partners including Costco, Metro, RT-Mart, Yonghui, Lawson and FamilyMart.
Manoj Loya, managing director APAC at Pladis, added: “China is a strategically important market for pladis, with one of the world’s largest and most dynamic snacking audiences. Consumers here are highly engaged with new flavours, formats and digital shopping channels, which makes China a natural place to build the next phase of McVitie’s growth.
“By developing McVitie’s Flipz around local tastes, local channels and local snacking habits, we are creating a proposition that is designed for China from the outset. It is an important strategic opportunity for McVitie’s and for pladis as we continue to grow our brands across Asia.”
According to Pladis, the Chinese sweet biscuit market is worth around £5 billion and has grown at a 5.6% CAGR over the past decade.
