JDH
KNOWS ITS MARKETS
NOBODY knows better than John Bartley, managing director of the John D. Hutchison Group, that consumer product marketing in Hong Kong has changed dramatically over
the past few years.
"The complexities of the business have increased," explains the head of the territory's largest consumer product marketing organisation.
"The advent of supermarkets, with their discount selling and other techniques, has changed the whole buying and distribution pattern for consumer products. The days of the pure agent or middleman are clearly numbered. Now it's necessary to consider products in terms of their broader marketing requirements and for a distributor to offer full service in his marketing and distribution.”
At JDH, full service means everything from close contact with overseas principals and comprehensive market research to local packaging of products, promotions and co-ordinated storage and distribution.
Local research is particularly important in a territory as culturally complex as Hong Kong and at JDH it is carried out by the group's own team.
"Hong Kong is an affluent, highly consumer oriented, very status conscious market. People want to be seen eating, drinking and wearing established and advertised brands."
JDH maintains a sales and merchandising staff of 150. "These people not only get the products into the shops,” Mr Bartley says, "but they try to get prime shelf positions and make sure products are rotated. A lot of our merchandise has a limited shelf life and obviously customers must get the freshest possible merchandise."
Every day Mr Bartley and his staff are dealing with a multitude of products ranging from pharmaceuticals to corn flakes, chocolate to road markers.
The group contains one of the largest pharmaceutical importing houses in Hong Kong, offering specialist skills and resources in the representation, marketing and distribution of proprietary, over-the-counter and ethical pharmaceuticals. Through a sports goods subsidiary JDH holds agencies for apparel and equipment and operates the St Andrews Sports retail outlets. The group also owns and operates the Bull & Bear, Hong Kong's first English- style pub, which opened 12 years ago.
JDH has more than 10,000 customers, including wholesalers and retailers, hospitals, garages, the Government and Hutchison's own Park'N Shop and Watson's stores.
An important factor in the group's ability to serve its diverse markets is the JDH Centre in Hung Hom where all its office, storage, distribution and packaging facilities are housed under one roof. From here, a fleet of trucks delivers the equivalent of around 11 container loads of merchandise each day. More than 90% of all goods are delivered within two days of ordering.
JOHN BARTLEY,
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF
JOHN D. HUTCHISON
GROUP.
"It's necessary to
consider products in
terms of their broader
marketing requirements
and for a distributor
to offer full service
in his marketing and
distribution."
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22
HUTCHISON WHAMPOA LIMITED
THEIT
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138037# Aatt
FRUFI
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