Booths is set to sell its chutneys, jams and puddings in Malaysia as it eyes international sales opportunities.
The upmarket grocer has struck a deal with Asian food group Dairy Farm to list 40 of its lines in selected stores.
The products will be on the shelves in 17 Jasons Food Hall stores. These are described as a “gourmet food experience” and are in locations such as Kuala Lumpur.
The development marks the first time Booths has taken its brand outside the UK.
Henry Booth, business development manager at Booths, said the decision was fuelled by the brand fit rather than a specific desire to enter the Malaysian market. “We were more interested in working with someone who was also premium rather than targeting a specific country,” he told The Grocer. “Jasons Food Hall is very similar to Booths in that they have a high-end, premium feel and are very well designed.”
But Booth revealed the company was keen to pursue international opportunities, including e-commerce sites such as Alibaba. A number of grocers including Sainsbury’s and Waitrose have used the site to sell premium traditional products to the growing Chinese market.
Booth said “brand Britain” was proving popular with Asian consumers, as were brands with an “established history”.
“We are certainly looking at a number of different options. We are looking at the opportunity to sell abroad and really we are interesting in everything as long as we’re working with the right people - we only want to work with people who share our values as a family artisanal company,” he said.
The move to sell Booths hampers online last Christmas, which broadened its reach beyond the north of England, could make it easier to sell abroad, Booth added. “There was a lot of demand outside our region in the UK and we’re supplying that demand. The hardest bit is done so we are looking to sell to everyone who’s interested in the premium quality Boots heritage brand.”
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